Love That Dog By Sharon Creech

Loved.
This.
Book.

I feel the same way that Jack does about poems. I have never quite understood what defines a poem from all other different forms of writing. I am struggling to write a poem of my own for my Block A English class. I think that poems are almost too easy to write, that it makes it too hard to write one! I really liked that Jack's voice was hear throughout the novel. I thought that it was really creative and I enjoyed the inclusion of the well known poets. I think that this book would really work well in a classroom setting because it is funny, but also educational. I think that the author included the poems that were referenced by Jack in the back of the book. Overall, this book was a fast and easy read that I think would be appreciated by readers of all ages.

City I Love By Lee Bennett Hopkins

I think that the cover is very catchy because of the giant read heart that surrounds the world Love in the title. I think that the font and design of each poem is very creative. There is no poem that has the words written out traditionally. The spacing, angle, direction of the words are arranged creatively that each embrace the poems. I think that having the poems each having a different appearance to them is beneficial to keep the readers attention and it adds another element to the poems. I enjoyed that some of the poems were told from animals. For example there is a poem written by a mother bird who is pleading to the sirens to be quiet for they are waking her newborn pigeons. I also enjoyed the title of the last poem because it is the title of the book. I felt that this little detail made the book become a whole, and tied the ideas together. I think that the illustrations were beautifully painted and included many great details from the poems. I would include this poem book in my classroom, especially if I teach in an urban setting.

A Friend Is Someone Who Likes You By Joan Walsh Anglund

This book caught my attention because of its small size. This book has a very dainty design and simple style, but the message is big. I found the story to be very pleasant because it makes me think of friends in a different way. I learned that friends do not have to be people, but friends are also trees, mice, and even wind. I think that it has a wonderful storyline, but is not a “must have” book for a classroom library. If I were to read this book as a read aloud, I would have my students write about their friend after reading the short story.

The Butterfly Jar By Jeff Moss

This large collection of children’s poems included a variety of subjects. I enjoyed this book because it has something to offer for everyone. There are long poems, short poems, serious poems, and funny poems. I liked that the illustrations were not colored and they were comprised of few lines and drawn by pen. I think that the poems are easy to understand and are about relevant topics. I think that having poems written about subjects that children can understand, for example punishments, one enjoys the book more. I found the poems to be pleasurable because the author made it seem as if they were written by a child. I would definitely include this poem book in my classroom; it is similar to that of the Shel Silverstein poem books. I think that this poem book is appropriate for grades first through fifth.

A Poem For a Pickle By Eve Merriam

Poems can often times be dry and lack exciting plots. I was drawn to this poem book because it says “funnybone verses” on the cover. I was not quite sure how funny I would think the poems would be, but after reading them I think that students would really enjoy them. The “thinking part” of the poems is kept to a minimum; the poems explain themselves and are easy to understand. The objects are the subjects of the poems, which are descriptive and pickup on the unique characteristics of the objects. I found that the illustrations are appropriate for the tone of the poems. The colored pencil illustrations make it seem as if a student has written the book. I think that this book would be an appropriate book to have in a primary grade library. I think that the “funny” poems would be enjoyable read for young students.

Tiny Dreams, Sprouting Tall By Laura Purdie Salas

The book includes a collection of poems that are all about the United States. I thought that the illustrations being photographs was unique from my other poem books. I think that children like looking at photographs because it is similar to traveling and taking pictures. While reading through the multiple poems, one can feel like they are traveling around the United States. I found that the poems were all different from each other and that the “Language of Poetry” was helpful in the back of the book. The languages were described in detail and included definitions about each type of poem that was written. I thought that this was a nice addition to the book, however it was not necessary. I think that the glossary was very helpful, especially for students who are not familiar with the terms. I would use this book in my classroom because it offers many different styles of poems.

My Name Is Sangoel By Karen Lynn Williams and Khadra Mohammed

I was touched by the tone of this book. The ending was really unexpected because it was a very mature reaction for such a young boy. I thought that this book included both happy and sad moments, each grabbing my attention as a reader. I think that the illustrations being painted in water color was fine and the page setup worked well for the storyline. I think that the story was very powerful and has a wonderful message. I think that it is important for everyone to stay true to their beliefs and to portray this idea in a story book sends a positive message to its readers. This book also incorporates diversity because the main character traveled to America and was unfamiliar with the culture and sports. I would read this book as a read aloud. I think that it would be a good book to have in the classroom, especially if I have a new student with a difficult name to pronounce. I think that the nametag idea of Sangoel was creative and I would have my students do the same.

Butterfly Eyes and Other Secrets of the Meadow By Joyce Sidman

I found this poem book to be very enjoyable because the poems were all nature themed. I thought that it was very clever the way each poem was set up as a “guessing game.” Each page has a spread that included two poems and each poem asked the question, “What am I?” These questions were answered on the next spread of pages. I thought that the information about each insect, animal, or part of nature was well written. My attention was captured by the bring colors and the detailed illustrations. I found that the nature was drawn differently then other picture books because it appears to be a lithograph sketch design. I think that this book has a lot of information and the words are fairly difficult for primary grade students. I would recommend this poem book to be used in third grade classrooms. I enjoyed how there was not a poem on each page, instead every other page, making this book unique.

Dear World By Takayo Noda

I am currently writing a poem to my sister and found this book to be very helpful. It is a collection of poems that are directed to different things found in our world. Cars, Valentines, The Ocean, Snow, are a few examples of the poems that are included. The style of the poems are unique because they are set up in question form. I enjoyed when the author asks “Snow” if it will be back tomorrow. The illustrations are also very well constructed. They appear like collage because the images lie flat on each other and do not have much volume. The font of the book is playful because the titles are not capitalize, which coordinates well with the illustrations. The format is consistent throughout the book. There are very few punctuation marks and no more then six paragraphs with four lines. I found this book very helpful for my cause, which is to write a poem. I think that having a large selection of poem books in one’s classroom is important because poems vary greatly. I think that this poem book would be an excellent transition into a poetry unit for primary grades.

Natalie and Naughtily By Vincent X. Kirsch

The two young girls and the picture of the mall on the cover grabbed my attention. Shopping is my weakness, so I had high expectations for this book. The two characters are sisters who live on top of the store. The sisters remind me of my sister Carrie, because we are exact opposites, just like in the story. The story is catching in the beginning because it introduces the mall, but once introduced it became repetitive. The girls went to each floor of the store and each time they were told to leave. I thought that this was predictable and it lost my attention. I think that for younger readers who need repetition it would be a great read, but the story line bore me. The pictures are very dainty and I believe that young girls would really like the bright pink colors. I think that the map in the back of the book was a very clever addition made by the author because it allowed the reader to see what the girls gave Rudy Toolittle. This book would be useful in a classroom setting, but it would not be my first choice.

Amelia Bedelia’s First Day of School By Herman Parish

This book captures the entire first day of school for young students. I really enjoyed reading this book as an adult because it captures all the excitement and energy of young students. I loved the enthusiasm of Amelia Bedelia, and found her to act similar to that of Junie B. Jones. The colors and tone of the book is really happy and carefree, which spread positive vibes to me while reading. I enjoyed the ending when the teacher said that it was her first day of school, because I will soon have that first day experience too. I found it interesting how the new teacher did not yell or loose her patience with Amelia. I am hoping that students enjoy this book as much as I did, and maybe it would work well as a book to read for the first day of school. I think that the words may be too difficult for a first grader to read in the beginning of the school year, but I think that first graders would definitely enjoy this read.

Pastry School in Paris By Cindy Neuschwander

Having lived in France before, I am intrigued to reading books that relate to traveling. Pastry and Paris are two of my favorite things, so I thought what better then to read a book that combines the two! I thought that this book does a wonderful job of telling the story from the viewpoint of the two young children. This brother and sister are learning to cook in France and have difficulties because of the different measuring systems. I think that learning about other countries measuring systems a very good lesson to be taught to students. Not only is this a good book to read at home while baking, but also in school because it can serve as a math lesson. I think that this book, with help from the emotion shown in the illustrations, one can find a lot of enjoyment from reading. I would use this book in my classrooms, especially for students interested in cooking and France.

Twist By Janet S. Wong

As an active yoga participate and dancer, I hope to teach my students healthy ways to exercise and stretch if possible. I think that this book is a very well written because it includes real positions and poses used in yoga, but in poem format. The illustrations are very detailed and traditional. The sixteen poems serve as an educational tool and also a creative way to demonstrate moods and emotions. I find that the colors tone of the poems relate well to each other. For example, the Warrior pose poem is colored in black and the Half-moon position is a bright pink. I believe that this book could serve as a tool for gym teachers or even an after school dance team. The poems could be an inspiration for young students to write about activities that mean a lot to them. I know that a lot of young boys like to write about sports, and after reading this book, they could brainstorm ideas of how to write a poem about sports. This book would be helpful for students in grades fifth and younger.

Bees, Snails, and Peacock Tails By Betsy Franco

This book has a peacock on the cover, similarly to zoos where peacocks demand attention; I was drawn to the book because of the bright colorful feathers. The illustrations in the book are sharp and appear as if they are stamps or cutouts. The author and illustrator worked together to concentrate on the shapes of the objects. For example, when studying a beehive “you will see the mathematical genius of the bee. The hexagons you’ll find inside fit side by side by side.” Not only does the book have cleaver rhymes, but it also educates its reader. I really enjoy the layout of the book because the illustrations are bright and colorful. The pictures take up the entire page and the words are in different formations. Having the words circle around the puffer fish and sit inside a rock are helpful details that capture the reader’s attention. I think that this book would work really well for a science unit. I believe that this book would be most beneficial for second and third grade readers.

The Elephant and The Tree By Jin Pyn Lee

I really enjoyed the simplicity of this book. Only black paper was used and the color of the font was white and green. I found the words to be very powerful and meaningful, unlike in the book Leaf. The font was very childlike and playful, but the story is serious in the end because both the tree and elephant were killed. This book sends the message to readers that not only do people have feelings, but the animals do too. The elephant and tree were very happy and had traits of humans. These traits made me feel bad for the elephant and tree when they could no longer be together. The black paper and bright green chalk marks would be a great idea for incorporating a creative project in the classroom. I might introduce this book as a lesson for talking about why animals are becoming extinct. I feel that this book is written for younger children because of the size of the book, and the difficulty of words on each page. However, the subject matter could also be for more mature audiences, so I would recommend the book for grades first, second, and third.

Leaf By Stephen Michael King

This book caught my attention by the amount of green that the cover is colored in. I opened the book and read the cover page which states, “ideas, sound effects, and pictures by Stephen Michael King” and that is exactly what the book is about. I was really intrigued by how little words this picture book included, but how the story still read fluently with help from the images. There are simple illustrations that are painted in watercolor and outlined in pen. The little boy is the main character and he gets a seed planted on his head by a bird. The seed begins to grow into a plant, and the little boy and his dog go on adventures together. The mom tried to cut the boys hair, which was demonstrated through sound effects, but only succeeds in cutting the boys hair in the end of the picture book. The book made me realize how important illustrations are because they told the story on their own. I really enjoyed this book and felt that it would work really well in a classroom setting. I would recommend this book for grades first thru forth.

The Year of Impossible Goodbyes By Sook Nyul Choi

Having lived on a military base in South Korea, I remember visiting museums and hearing about the trauma that many families went through. It is strange to think about how I went into North Korea with the United States Military and no many people are fortunate to experience that. This book brings back memories for me of when I lived in Korea. I think that I have a great appreciation for the culture. I have never been good at history and I was confused at times as to what was happening at the time. I think that this book would be a good idea to keep in a classroom library. Having had the experience of living with other military families during the Iraq War, I feel that it is important to teach children about other families and how they live during times of war.

So Far From the Bamboo Grove By Yoko Kawashima Watkins

I usually do not like history, and would have never chosen to read this book on my own. However, having said that, I am glad that I was introduced to this book. I felt connected to the characters and was shocked by some of the results that happened in the book. For example having thrown a dead baby out of a moving train and having the mother jump after the baby was a shock to me. I think that these details made me feel really bad because of the harsh conditions. I was surprised by how sad I felt while reading the book and would not have expected to feel so bad. The part that made me realize how privileged I am, was comparing my school to Ko’s and how I have everything I could ask for to be successful in school. Computer, books, pencils, paper, etc are taken for granted on a daily basis. I am very blessed that I have not had to suffer or go through any of the hardships that took place in this book. I think that it is important to address and to make students aware of hardship and difficult situations and therefore would have this book in my classroom.