Eats, Shoots & Leaves

Title: Eats, Shoots & Leaves: Why, Commas Really DO Make a Difference!

Author: Lynne Truss

Illustrator: Bonnie Timmons

Non-Fiction #5

Let’s eat Grandpa. Let’s eat, Grandpa. Proper grammar can save a person’s life!

I absolutely adored this book! Being somewhat of a grammar girl myself, I found this book to be particularly funny but also important and educational. Each page (or set of pages) introduces the same sentence with and without a comma, or set of commas, that are necessary to the overall meaning of the sentence. Children are sure to find themselves laughing along the way as some of the sentences’ meanings are changed entirely simply by adding one comma. The illustrations in the book are also wonderful because they help add to the meaning of the book greatly as well as add to the humor of the book. I found myself laughing at the pictures more than anything throughout reading the story.

My favorite part of the book is the back pages that explain why each sentence needs the comma and why it is wrong without it. Though the terminology may be confusing for younger students, a discussion could be based on the different meanings of the sentences. Additionally, the importance of using commas to make sure what you’re saying is what you mean could/should be emphasized. With older students, each sentence could be given to them without any punctuation and they could try to find out or predict where the comma goes before seeing the correct version of it. I think this book would be great to use in any 3^rd grade classroom or older and would be great reference to any student who is struggling with the use of commas. 

How Much Can a Bare Bear Bear

Title: How Much Can a Bare Bear Bear?: What are Homonyms and Homophones?

Author: Brian P. Cleary

Illustrator: Brian Gable
Non-Fiction #4

How Much Can a Bare Bear Bear is an adorable book about homonyms and homophones. Before the student can even read the book, the two words are defined on the first page of the book. This is good because it gives the student an understanding about the terms before delving into the book. Homonyms in the book include can, may, coast, toast, light, trunk, scale, lean, punch, jam, bowl, and roll. The context in which the words were used in was very clear and also quite funny. I loved the illustrations that went along with each page. Not only did they help illuminate meaning but they added to the story and educational value of the text greatly.

Homophones in the book include praise/pray/prey, their/they’re/there, bee/be, flea/flee, burro/burrow, horse/hoarse, ewe/you, fowl/foul, toad/towed, heir/air, whale/wail, male/mail, pair/pare/pear, bust/bused, Barry/bury/berry, band/banned, Mary/marry/merry, sea/see, ball/bawl, moose/mousse, creek/creak, bear/bare, would/wood, Sioux/sue, knew/gnu/new, grease/Greece, etc. Again, the context in which they were used was very clear and funny. The illustrations that were on each page helped the meaning of the text and were cute and funny to look at. I liked them a lot and think kids would like them too.

In the end, I love this book because of its versatility. So many lessons could be done using this book, it could be used for many grades, and the information is so important to know! I can’t tell you how many adults I run into that don’t know how to correctly use certain forms of words. Thus, this text is very educational and very useful. I would suggest having this book in any classroom. Even in the younger grades, only a few pages could be used at a time. Once the children had the meaning down of those homonyms or homophones you could move on to the next few pages and so forth. The educational opportunities this book presents are wonderful! I absolutely loved the clever usage of all of the words and the cute pictures that accompanied them. 

Cleopatra

Title: Cleopatra

Author: Adele Geras

Illustrator: M.P. Robertson

Non-Fiction  #3

The first thing I loved about this book is the fact that it is told through the perspective of Nefret, Cleopatra’s handmaid.  The book is absolutely full of information about Cleopatra and her life in Ancient Egypt. Being someone who has done a research paper or two of this Queen of the Nile, I thought I wouldn’t have learned anything from reading this book. However, I was proven wrong. I learned several small tidbits of information that I had never been exposed to before. I like how the author was able to get in information about other main historical figures from the time including Caesar and Pompey and give the reader some understanding of their significance. Not to mention, the illustrations in this text were absolutely beautiful. They were detailed, colorful, and very interesting to look at. I think kids would love looking at the pictures.

Perhaps my favorite part(s) of the book were at the end. I loved the page that included an illustration of Cleopatra’s family tree and the written description that followed. I feel like the author did a good job of explaining such a complicated royal family and why they intermarried. I also loved the map of Nefret’s world as well as the one of Alexandria. They gave the reader an excellent context for the story that was told. The pages that followed detailed information about the people, the roman army, the Nile River, children and education, pharaohs, pyramids, and religion, gods and goddesses, and the glossary; they were all superb and so full of interesting facts and details . This book alone could stand as the basis of the information gathered for a unit about Ancient Egypt. This is definitely one to add to your non-fiction section in your classroom library. 

You Wouldn't Want to Be a Pirate's Prisoner

Title: You Wouldn’t Want to Be a Pirate’s Prisoner:
Horrible Things You’d Rather Not Know

Author: John Malam

Illustrator: David Antram
Non-Fiction #2

Right off the back I liked how this book put the reader in the role of the main character of the story. Instead of saying “the captain” it says “you” as if you are the captain of the pirate ship throughout the story. I loved this aspect of the book and know kids would be thrilled by it too. The book itself is very interesting and I learned a lot. Being someone who likes and has researched pirates before, this book presented a wealth of new information to me.  I think all children can learn a lot from reading this book and have a good time while doing so. The information is presented in a way that is both thrilling and funny. I particularly enjoyed the “Handy Hints” at the top corner of each page that help the reader as he or she is traveling through the story.

As I previously stated, so much information is in this book. Not only can children learn about the different components of a ship including the supplies and crew but they also get a history lesson because they learn about some of the wars that were going on at the time. I think my favorite page was the one about diseases. Children can read and learn about scurvy, yellow fever, dysentery, and gangrene. The information is truly fascinating. I also liked how in the back of the book there is a glossary. An entire unit of study could be planned around pirates and the glossary could be used to create vocabulary lessons. All in all, I enjoyed the book very much and would recommend it to any classroom teacher looking to include some literature about pirates in their library. 

Face to Face with Sharks

Title: National Geographic's Face to Face with Sharks

Author: David Doubilet and Jennifer Hayes

Non-Fiction #1

As a shark lover, I found National Geographic's Face to Face with Sharks to be wildly fascinating. Not only is the book jam packed with information on all different types of shark species but it includes plenty of amazing photos for readers to look at along the way. The book itself is divided up into several sections. The first is entitled "Face to Face" and gives the reader a little bit of background about the authors. The second is entitled "Meet the Shark" and includes general facts about sharks such as the fact that their body is made entirely out of cartilage. The third is entitled "World of Sharks" and describes where sharks live, what water depth you'll find them in, where they migrate, etc. The fourth section is entitled "Conservation", and is perhaps my favorite. In this section the authors detail current conservation efforts for different species of sharks as well as statistical information regarding their depletion. For example, did you know that humans kill more than 100 million sharks every year? 

As I was reading this book, I thought of so many educational connections that could be tied to this text. In fact, entire units of study in literally any elementary classroom could be based off of the information presented in this book. In particular, I liked how at the end of the book there was a section that details how you can help conservation efforts to save sharks. I feel like so many projects could be tied to this information. In addition, there are also sections about what children can do to learn more about sharks, a facts at a glance page, and a glossary that could be used to do a vocabulary unit. I truly feel like the sky is the limit with this particular subject matter. I really loved this book and think it would be a wonderful non-fiction addition to any classroom library. 

Catching Fire

Title: Catching Fire

Author: Suzanne Collins 

Series Reading #2 

Suzanne Collins has done it again; I absolutely loved the second Hunger Games novel. Though I admit it started off slowly, by the middle of the book I couldn't put it down. Even in the beginning when the story development was a little slow I feel like there was much so much character development that it was almost necessary. There were a few times throughout the novel that I was absolutely shocked by what happened and did not see the events coming at all. The book was not predictable like many series readings are and I commend Collins for her ability to keep the reader intrigued. Every time that I thought I had the story figured out another element to the story surfaced. My ideas of the characters and the events were constantly changing as they will undoubtedly continue to change as I begin the third novel. For example, I still can't decide if I am "team Peeta" or "team Gale"; I love both characters so much that I can't choose and every time I think that I have made up my mind one of them does something that makes me love them even more. In a way, this mirrors what Katniss feels for the two men in her life which I believe is done masterfully.

Another thing I liked about Catching Fire was the fact that Collins was able to capture enough elements from the first novel that it was familiar, but, at the same time, was able to bring in so many new characters and twists to the story that there was considerable story progression. Katniss, for example, gained so much sophistication in this novel and matured an incredible amount. This is something that I feel is lost in many series readings; sometimes, I feel as if the story doesn't go anywhere and that I am reading the same story over and over again with little to no character development. This is clearly not the case with the Hunger Games series at all. The story is exciting and ever changing and truly keeps you on your toes. On a final note, I must comment Collins for her ability to transport the audience into another world. Time and time again I felt myself believing I was a spectator and that I was right alongside Katniss as she was experiencing everything. The amount of detail and precision used in her writing is spectacular and makes reading the series all the more fascinating. The Hunger Games series is quickly becoming one of my favorite series of all time.

The Midas Touch

Title: The Midas Touch

Author: Jan Mark

Illustrator: Juan Wijngaard 
Traditional Literature #3

As a child I remember either hearing about, reading about, or seeing a rendition of this old tale so this was a trip down memory lane for me. In this rendition of the story there were little to no differences from what I originally remember happening. In the beginning, a centaur has fallen asleep in King Midas’s vineyard and his workers have decided to tie him up for fun. Appalled by their actions, King Midas frees the creature. Luckily for him, the god Dionysus is watching and offers to reward him for his good deed by letting him make one wish. Being the foolish man he is, Midas asks that everything he touches be turned to gold. This poses quite a problem when the clothes he wears, the bed he sleeps in, the ground he walks on, and the food he attempts to eat all turn to gold! Within a few days of his wish being granted, Midas is starving and wishing he had never asked for such a thing! Thankfully, Midas locates Dionysus and asks that his wish be revoked and, because his original intent was to reward and not punish him, Dionysus agrees. 

I remember this story kind of scaring me when I was little because I imagined not being able to eat and choking on gold food and how terrible it would be. Because of this, I’m not sure if I would use this story with younger children. However, I do think the book would work nicely for students aged 3^rd to 5^th grade. I love the illustrations and mosaics used. The are beautiful to look at. I also like how the story has the all-important “you should be careful what you wish for” meaning and the overall idea that the grass is not always greener on the other side. You may think things would be better if things were a certain way but that is not always the case and that is an important concept for students to learn particularly at the age level that I mentioned. In the end, this is a great book I will be sure to include in my own library.

Strega Nona

Title: Strega Nona

Author: Tomie de Paola 
Traditional Literature #2

In the story, Strega Nona is presented as being a medicine woman for the town. As she ages, she decides she needs help and enlists Big Anthony to be this person. In return, Strega Nona offers to feed him and give him a place to sleep. Quite a good deal if you ask me! There is only one condition to their little arrangement; Big Anthony must never touch her pasta pot! One day while working, however, he overhears Strega Nona magically using the pot to produce pasta. When she leaves town for awhile he steals the pot despite her warning and attempts to feed the entire village. The only problem is he doesn’t know how to stop it! Can Strega Nona get back in time to save the day? 

I had never heard of this book or story until being introduced to it in my children’s literature class and apparently it is as well-known as Hansel and Gretel! One thing I liked about this rendition of the story right off the bat was the illustrations. I had a hard time pulling myself away from them and actually focusing on the text. In fact, they tell the story so well that I think struggling readers would benefit greatly from independently reading this text. As I was reading, I also wondered where this story originated from? It seems to have Italian roots. I know that “nonna” in Italian means grandmother and I also noticed that “grazie” was used which means thank you. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the story very much simply because it encompassed the all-important “you should listen to your elders when they tell you not to do something” aspect.

Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters

Title: Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters: An African Tale  

Author: John Steptoe 

Traditional Literature #1

According to the foreword in the book, Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters was inspired by a real African folktale. The story is about a man named Mufaro who lives in a small village in Africa with his two beautiful daughters, Manyara and Nyasha.  While Nyasha is kind, hardworking, and honest Manyara is selfish, jealous, and cruel. However, she is only acts this way in the absence of her father. When the Great King wants a wife Mufaro decides to send both of his daughters for him to see. However, Manyara decides to take manners into her own hands and leave for the city where the King lives deep into the night. She comes across several people who need help but refuses to offer them assistance because they are unworthy of her as she believes she is to become the next Queen. Meanwhile, Nyasha and her father set out towards the city to meet the King. Along the way, Nyasha runs into the same people in need of help and offers her assistance without hesitation. Come to find out, the Great King is a shape shifter who posed as the people in the forest in need of help. Guess which daughter he decides to marry? 

I personally enjoyed this book very much. The illustrations are beautiful and add to the story greatly. Children could spend several minutes just taking in what the pictures have to offer.The tale itself was new to me but reminded me of Cinderella. To me, the moral of the story is that being mean and nasty doesn’t get you anywhere. Nice guys do not finish last and in fact they are always rewarded for their efforts in the end. I would definitely include this traditional literature piece in my classroom not only because it is multicultural, but because it offers a great lesson for any child to learn. I could see this book as being a great read aloud story during a unit about fairytales and comparing them cross culturally. It is always good for children to see how other cultures interpret classic tales such as this.

The Hunger Games

Title: The Hunger Games

Author: Suzanne Collins

Series Reading #1 

It has been a long time since I have found myself staying up all night to finish a book and that is exactly what happened with The Hunger Games; I literally couldn’t put the book down. Set in the future in a country known as Panem (modern day North America) that is broken up into twelve districts and a capitol, the story follows a young girl named Katniss and her struggles to survive in district 12 with her family after the death of her father. In Panem, The Hunger Games is an annual event that requires one boy and girl from each district aged 12 to 18 to be randomly chosen to participate in a televised event in which they must fight to the death to find the ultimate victor. Without giving too much of the story away, Katniss finds herself being a part of the event and the remainder of the story follows Katniss as she enters the games. 

There are so many aspects of this book that I enjoyed; I don’t even know where to start. I guess first of all I enjoyed that there was a strong female character to lead the story. I saw a lot of myself in Katniss which is a big part of why I think I enjoyed the story so much. I also enjoyed the character dynamics and the relationships presented. The bonds Katniss clearly has with her mother, her sister, and her friend, Gale, from home are clearly undeniable. However, she also forms some important bonds while competing in the game. Some of the death scenes are very heartbreaking because of this. Another reason I loved the story is because of the excitement and suspense Collins was able to keep up throughout the book. I never knew what was going to happen next and the story kept me guessing the entire time. Finally, being the sucker for romance that I am, I absolutely adored the love triangle between Peeta, Katniss’s fellow district 12 in the games, Gale, her friend from back home, and Katniss herself. Though it wasn’t the center of the story, it was tastefully intertwined with the rest of the plot.

Stories like these are great for classroom use because almost anyone can enjoy them. Males will like them because it isn’t all about a cheesy romance; there is definitely a survival/outdoorsy element to it that boys would enjoy. Females with like it because there is a strong main character they can relate to and that romantic aspect. Both will enjoy it for the suspenseful element. Though the subject matter itself is rather gruesome, there aren’t any particularly “inappropriate” scenes. I would feel comfortable using this text as young as fifth grade and could see many assignments and projects that could stem from the use of the text. Collins has truly created a masterpiece here. The Hunger Games has quickly become one of my favorite novels of all time.

Where the Sidewalk Ends

Title: Where the Sidewalk Ends

Author: Shel Silverstein

Poetry #3

Reading Where the Sidewalk Ends was a blast in the past for me. I enjoyed reading Shel Silverstein very much when I was a child and found myself remembering several of the poems as I was reading them. Some of my personal favorites include: Hector the Collector, Where the Sidewalk Ends, and Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout Would Not Take the Garbage Out. One of the things I love about the book is that all of the poems included are unique, entertaining, and downright funny. It is hard to keep a straight face while reading most of them. The topics are quirky, the words are silly, and the illustrations are kooky, yet they somehow all fit together to create this amazing collection of poems that I think kids (and adults) of all ages will enjoy. Not to mention, there are a great deal of educational connections that can be made with the text.

I see Shel Silverstein’s work being a great way to help teach not only about poetry itself but also about rhyme, humor, alliteration, onomatopoeia, figurative language, imagery, etc. Poetry is also a great way to get struggling readers to pick up a book. I would hand Where the Sidewalk Ends to any of the reluctant readers in my class in hopes that it would provide a reading opportunity that is non-threatening and entertaining. In the end, there is no doubt in my mind that Shel Silverstein’s books should be a part of my classroom library. In fact, I believe they should be a part of any good classroom library. He will forever be one of my favorite children’s authors. 

Esperanza Rising

Title: Esperanza Rising

Author: Pam Munoz Ryan

Required Text

Reading Esperanza Rising was like reading a fairytale gone wrong to me. The story begins by detailing the luxurious life of a young girl, Esperanza, who lives on a ranch in Mexico with her wealthy family. Esperanza’s life consists of servants who wait on her hand and foot, fancy dresses and parties, and all of the toys a young girl could ever dream of. However, after a series of unexpected tragedies, all of this is gone. Suddenly, Esperanza and her family must make a drastic change in their life and move to the United States to find work. While in America, Esperanza and her family become farm workers and must live in a Mexican camp with the rest of their race. Not only is this a culture shock for Esperanza, but she isn’t ready for the enormous hardships she now faces. With tragedy waiting around every corner, will Esperanza be able to keep her family together? I enjoyed the uncertainty and suspense this book offered the reader. 

I personally liked this book very much particularly because of the changes the main character, Esperanza, goes through. The reader experiences Esperanza mature very quickly in only a matter of months. To me, it serves as a reminder of what tragedies can do to us and how they can put things in perspective and change us for the better despite the sorrow they bring. I also enjoyed this book because it gave me insight to a portion of what was going on during The Great Depression that I knew little to none about. Reading about Esperanza’s family and the hardships they and other Mexican-Americans endured during this time was truly heartbreaking for me to read on top of the personal dilemmas they face. I would use this book particularly with middle school students because it gives some good insight to what was going on during The Great Depression. It would definitely help illuminate some of the concepts learned in social studies and give the students a better understanding of Mexican-American culture at this time in history. 

The Absolute True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

Title: The Absolute True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

Author: Sherman Alexie

Required Text

This story is about a young Indian boy named Arnold or Junior (depending on who you ask). Arnold is your average teenage boy – he loves girls, basketball, and masturbating, but Arnold is also not-so-average. His life on the “rez” and the fact that he has an enormous amount of health problems for a boy his age on top of being poor, nearly-friendless, and overcome with the tragedy of alcoholism in his community all contribute to his not-so-average life. However, Arnold challenges these obstacles when he decides to get off the “rez” and go to an all-white high school in order to better his education. At first, he is treated as an outcast, but by the end of the book the love and acceptance he gains literally brought tears to my eyes. Told from the perspective of someone I found so easy to relate to, I fell absolutely in love with this story. It has been a long time since I have read a book this “real” and enjoyable – it really hit home for me. In fact, I believe it is the best story I have read all semester.

I would recommend this book to anyone and would use it in any classroom 7^th grade and up. Though some of the subject matter may be deemed inappropriate for younger audiences, I feel as if what the story has to say and the deeper messages involved override anything that would be questionable for younger students. More importantly, I think the way in which the story is written and the relatability of the characters make it all the more powerful. The tragedy presented in this book is also important as it speaks strongly against alcohol abuse, which is an important topic for all students to learn about and consider particularly at this age. All in all, I loved this book cover to cover and think it is an important read for all students. 

Yellow Star

Title: Yellow Star

Author: Jennifer Roy

Required Text

The Holocaust is one of those things in history that no one likes to talk about. Some would like to forget it ever happened while others simply deny it ever happened at all. What a shame it is to shut out a part of our world’s past because it is “unpleasant”. Growing up in school, I remember The Holocaust being one of the things I learned about in history that impacted me most. In fact, I would go as far to say that it horrified me. Even as young as fifth grade, I remember being absolutely devastated about what I learned happened to all of these innocent people. However, nothing is more impactful than reading a first-hand account of an experience such as this and that is exactly what readers will find in Yellow Star. Being a huge fan of poetry, I absolutely fell in love with book and literally never put it down. It was a quick read, yet so moving and heart-wrenching. At times, I felt as if I was watching a movie.

What I think kids will like about this book is that the information is presented through the eyes of a child. The character is someone they can easily relate to making the story all that more powerful. The story is also presented in a non-threatening way. Children who don’t necessarily like reading will find this book more appealing because of the short collections of poems used to tell the story. I myself, found the story to be more powerful because of this and think children might as well. Overall, the book would be an excellent introduction into the topic of the Holocaust in any upper elementary through middle school classroom.

My only reservation with the book is that it tells a “success” story for the main character and her family when in reality there weren’t very many success stories to tell. Sylvia was one of the lucky ones and the few children to survive her camp. I wouldn’t want the children in my class to be under the impression that many people survived The Holocaust when they didn’t. Thus, it would be very important to study the topic in depth for them to get a better understanding of what actually happened, particularly in the older grades. All in all though, this is a book that definitely belongs in any classroom library. It is heart-wrenching, inspiring, and, best of all, it’s true. 

Boats: Speeding! Sailing! Cruising!

Title: Boats: Speeding! Sailing! Cruising!

Author: Patricia Hubbel

Illustrators: Megan Halsey and Sean Addy
Poetry #2

Boats: Speeding! Sailing! Cruising! is an exciting book about, well, boats. Before reading this book I knew very little about boats and now that I have read it I feel like I know a great deal. This would be a perfect book for any young student interested in learning more about the topic. I see this book particularly appealing to male students. Not only is the book fun and exciting, but it is fast-paced and engaging and a perfect example of how wonderful poetry can be. From start to finish the reader is learning new information and is having a blast while doing so. Page after page, the text and pictures appear differently each time. Diagrams and labels are frequently used which only add to the enormous amount of information contained in such a small book.

I see this text as a perfect way to teach elements of poetry as well. There is imagery, rhyming, onomatopoeia, etc. all of which could lead to a poetry lesson following the reading of the book. I also enjoyed the illustrations in this book very much.  Some pages are clearly hand-drawn and colored while others look painted and cartoonish. Some pages are meant to be read and viewed horizontally and others vertically. The idea is each page is different, which makes it more exciting for the reader and ultimately more engaging for the students. Because of this, along with some of the more difficult vocabulary, I would recommend this book in a 2^nd or 3^rd grade classroom and would be sure to include it in my own classroom library someday. 

Kitten's Spring

Title: Kitten’s Spring

Author: Eugenie Fernandes

Poetry #1

Kitten’s Spring by Eugenie Fernandes is a cute book to say the least. Written in couplets, the story details a spring morning Kitten experiences on the farm. There are several reasons I enjoyed this text. First, I felt like it was written very well and can teach small children about mom and baby animals. For example, “Sheep baaaaaas, lamb wobbles” could allow for an expanded discussion about why sometimes baby animals have weak legs or a difficult time walking after being born. The story can also teach children about what kind of animals to expect to see during the spring. The text would be perfect to use during a unit about seasons or about animals or about poetry. I can see many educational uses/connections which makes it all the better for the classroom. Students can also explore the concept of rhyme and rhyming words while reading the text.

Additionally, even though some of the words may be challenging, there are very few of them which would make it an appropriate read even for lower readers.  I would want to include this text in a K-1 classroom library. Another thing I liked about this book was the illustrations. They are bright, colorful, and eye-catching. I can see any younger student being fascinated by them. They appear to be done in a collage fashion. While some aspects of the illustrations look painted, others appear to have so much texture and depth to them that they are actual objects. That being said, they add to the story greatly and could give the struggling reader a pretty good idea of what is happening in the story. Even so, they are an excellent supplement to the text and truly make the book unique. 

Because of Winn-Dixie

Title: Because of Winn-Dixie

Author: Kate DiCamillo

Book to Movie Comparison

After reading Kate DiCamillo’s Because of Winn-Dixie, I truly fell in love with the story. I thought to myself, I’m not sure how a movie adaptation of the book could even come close to how amazing this book is. However, upon watching the movie I was pleasantly surprised at how well the producers were able to stick to the original story line. That being said, I believe the few changes that were made to the story only helped to enhance the theatrical version making the movie more dramatic and interesting to watch. It seems rare to find a book and the movie adaptation of that book to both be worthwhile and, for that, I greatly applaud the producers of the movie.

There were many ways in which Because of Winn-Dixie the book and Because of Winn-Dixie the movie were the same. For example, all of the main characters with the exception of one were portrayed in the movie in the exact sense that they were portrayed in the book right down to their looks and how they were described in the text. Moreover, all of the monumental scenes these main characters were involved in were included in the movie just as they were described in the book. Some of these included Otis singing to the animals, Gloria Dump and her alcohol bottle “ghosts” hanging in the tree, Winn-Dixie catching the mouse in church, etc. As I previously stated, the movie truly did follow the original story line quite well.

Despite the fact that the movie and book version of Because of Winn-Dixie were quite similar, there were some important differences I noticed in the film. Right off the bat, it became clear to me that Winn-Dixie smiled in the movie instead of sneezing all the time like he did in the book. This was probably the only change that I really didn’t like because in a sense it took away from the nature of Winn-Dixie’s character that was presented in the novel. Another important difference was Winn-Dixie was almost taken by the pound in the middle of the movie – this never occurred in the book. Winn-Dixie also never ran away nor was he hated by the trailer park manager, Alfred, who was one of the added characters to the movie along with the goofy representation of the town police man. All in all, however, any of the small changes made to the movie only enhanced its dramatic affect and didn’t take away from the main story line. As I said before, the only difference I didn’t like was Winn-Dixie’s smiling instead of sneezing.

One thing I think the movie really succeeded in was its casting selections. The majority of the characters were portrayed in the movie in the exact same way they were portrayed in the book. They even looked how I had imagined them while reading, which is something that doesn’t happen often for me. My only critique is that I was under the impression that Opal’s father was an older man. He appeared to be quite young in the movie adaptation, and I imagined him as a graying man that was kind of skinny and feeble. However, this was only my interpretation of the character and as far as the acting goes, the actor did a terrific job capturing the essence of Opal’s father.

Between the movie and the book I, of course, enjoyed the book better. Very rarely, and I mean rarely, do I ever enjoy the movie better than I do the book. It’s not that the movie wasn’t good because it was; it’s just that I like how when I’m reading the book anything goes. I can picture anything however I want, imagine people how I want them, etc. It becomes an exciting adventure I can take myself on. With the movie, everything is set in stone. The people look like this, the town looks like this, nothing is left up to the imagination. There’s just something about a book that will always be more exciting to me than a movie.

In the end, I gave the movie a thumbs-up because I enjoyed it! The story is so sweet, and I don’t know how anyone could not enjoy it. Stories about dogs always get to me, and this was no exception. More specifically, I liked how the characters were portrayed, and I was able to fall in love with them just as I did in the book. The little girl who played Opal did a terrific job as did the other actors with their characters. I also liked it because it followed the story line of the book fairly accurately, and since I loved the book so much this of course meant I loved the movie. The one thing I can say both about the book and the movie is that it was a genuine story about friendship and, for that, I think it has the ability to touch and inspire anyone.