A Bad Case of the Stripes

Title: A Bad Case of the Stripes 

Author: David Shannon 

Sci-Fi/Fantasy #3 

A Bad Case of the Stripes by David Shannon is about a young girl named Camilla Cream who wakes up one day with stripes on her skin. After being examined by a doctor, Camilla goes to school. As she finds out, her condition is much worse than she thought! During the Pledge of Allegiance her stripes turn into red, white, and blue with stars. Camilla is sent home and a whole host of specialists visit her but no one is able to pinpoint the source of the problem. In the end, Camilla finds out she is sick because she is denying the truth. She loves lima beans but won’t admit it in front of people at school. It takes a special old lady to remind Camilla to always be true to herself.

I personally really enjoyed this book. The illustrations were very colorful and intriguing, I loved looking at the wacky images of Camilla David Shannon created. I also enjoyed the underlying message the book had. It is important to remind children to remain true to themselves no matter what. They shouldn’t change for anyone and should aim to please themselves above all else. This is a difficult concept for students to learn that I thought was presented in a funny way. There are many fun follow up activities I can see being used with this book. I would recommend it to teachers for their classroom library.

The Witches

Title: The Witches

Author: Roald Dahl

Sci-Fi/Fantasy #2

"It doesn't matter who you are or what you look like, so long as somebody loves you." – Roald Dahl

The Witches is not my favorite Roald Dahl book. However, it is still worth reading. The story is about a young boy who experiences real witches. As Dahl describes, real witches do not wear black hats and ride broomsticks – they have ordinary lives and look like everyday people, making them extremely hard to find and catch. The only thing is, real witches hate children, and I mean hate them! Come to find out, even though the witches appear to look normal, they are truly bald and wear wigs, must wear gloves to hide their ugly fingers, and have eyes that can change colors. The main character gets turned into a mouse though his grandma still loves him despite what he looks like. To be entirely honest, this may have scared me a bit as a child.

Still, I think this book would be useful in the classroom. Some children were certainly enjoy it very much. Therefore, I would recommend that teachers in 4^th-6^th grade keep a copy in their classroom library. In the end, I believe the story teaches children to be loving and accepting of everyone. This is exemplified when the grandmother loves the boy even though he is now a mouse. The book is also good simply because of the fantasy world Dahl is able to create. Yet again, I felt completely transported and disconnected from reality. His books are truly engrossing and very, very good. After re-reading some of these childhood classics, Dahl is quickly moving up the list of my favorite authors of all time. 

The BFG

Title: The BFG

Author: Roald Dahl

Sci-Fi/Fantasy #1

When I was in fourth grade my teacher had us read The BFG. Having remembered loving the book as a child I decided to reread this one for old time’s sake and boy am I glad I did! I loved this book just as much as I did when I was a child. The story itself is about a little orphan girl named Sophie who is taken from her bed in the middle of the night by a big friendly giant (BFG). The BFG takes Sophie to his cave and at first she thinks he is going to eat her, but to her delight, she finds out that the BFG is a nice giant – not a man eating giant! While the BFG takes away bad dreams from children and blows in good ones, the other “mean” giants go around eating people! With the help of the BFG, Sophie designs a plan to stop them and you’ll never see the twist at the end of the story coming…it was truly too adorable for words!

I think this book is a must read for students in 4^th-6^th grade. It is funny, entertaining, and whimsical. It truly transports you to another world where all of your wildest dreams can come true. At times while I was reading I forgot about where I was and what I was doing. It is amazing that a book can do that to me the same way that it did when I was 10 years old. I would definitely recommend that teachers at these grade levels keep a copy of this book in their classrooms if not a group set so that it can be used for small group or whole group reading lessons. Roald Dahl is a truly amazing author and I believe this book can be read and enjoyed by all! 

Ivy and Bean

Title: Ivy and Bean

Author: Annie Barrows

Contemporary Realistic Fiction #2

This book is for younger readers – I would have been all over this book when I was in 2^nd/3^rd grade! It was beyond cute. The story follows Bean (sassy and dirty) and her neighbor Ivy (dainty and quiet). After playing a trick on her older sister, Bean escapes with the help of Ivy. Turns out, Ivy is secretively a witch in training and offers to cast a spell on Bean’s sister! Through this experience, the two girls become the best of friends. This story preaches the classic saying: don’t judge a book by its cover! You never know who can turn out to be a friend despite any differences you might have. This is a good message to share with children especially at this impressionable age.

I loved this book because of the sibling rivalry between Bean and her older sister. It reminded me of myself and my younger sister because we have never gotten along! The book also kind of reminded me of the Ramona books I read when I was young. The book is silly, has an adventure element to it, and describes a favorite topic of most seven-year-olds – getting in trouble! I personally loved reading about the friendship Ivy and Bean form. It was really just a cute book that I think children would love.

Another reason I enjoyed this book is because it is part of a series. Children at this level love series books and the Ivy and Bean series is a wonderful place to start. Young girls will relate to Ivy and Bean and the childhood struggles they encounter. As I stated, I would have loved this book as a child! This is definitely one for teachers to include in their classroom libraries. The text is large and easy to read but it complicated enough that kids can claim they have read “their first chapter book”. 

Edwina the Dinosaur

Title: Edwina: The Dinosaur Who Didn’t Know She Was Extinct  

Author: Mo Willems

Author Study #3

Edwina: The Dinosaur Who Didn’t Know She Was Extinct is an adorable story about a dinosaur named Edwina who lives in a town with humans. Edwina plays with the neighborhood kids, does favors for everyone in town, and bakes chocolate chip cookies. Everyone likes Edwina except a rotten boy named Reginald Von Hoobie-Doobie, who is just determined to prove to everyone that dinosaurs are in fact extinct. Reginald does a presentation for the class, hands out fliers, and protests, but no one seems to be listening to him! What is a boy to do? Finally, Edwina decides to listen to his evidence, and she must admit, he is very convincing! Edwina decides that she probably is extinct, but you know what? She just doesn’t care and by the time someone finally listens to him, neither does Reginald! 

I found this book to be particularly amusing because it reminded me of the typical classroom know-it-all that everyone encounters at some point or another during their educational career. What I found to be most interesting was that all Reginald wanted was for someone to listen to him. This was a pretty deep concept for such a seemingly shallow book. I must also compliment the pictures – as usual, Mo Willems has really made them spectacular! The way Edwina is drawn reminds me of an old lady. It is quite adorable. I would recommend this book to any classroom teacher in a K-2 classroom. Like Mo Willems’ other books, Edwina is a perfect story for a read aloud lesson or story time on the rug. It is also a good independent reading book because the pictures help the students figure out what is happening in the book and what the words are saying.

Knuffle Bunny

Title: Knuffle Bunny  

Author: Mo Willems

Author Study #2

Mo Willems has done it again; Knuffle Bunny was a hilarious tale about a lost friend. When Trixie goes on an errand with her daddy to the Laundromat she accidently places her prized knuffle bunny stuffed animal into the machine as she is helping him put the laundry in. On their way back home, Trixie throws a most horrendous fit trying everything she knows best to get her father’s attention. She needs to let him know that knuffle bunny is gone! By the time they return home, Trixie’s father has had it! That is, until Trixie’s mother asks, “Where’s Knuffle Bunny?”. Suddenly it all makes sense! The family rushes back to the Laundromat to find her lost friend. 

What I loved most about this book was the interesting way the illustrations were done. They are a combination of actual black and white photos and cartoon characters. This makes them really pop off of the page because they are the only thing in color. I also liked the story itself. Everyone deals with a lost friend at one point in their childhood whether that is a beloved stuffed animal, blanket, or doll. I personally related to this story though mine didn’t end on such a happy note. I never got my blanket back. 

I would recommend this book for any classroom teacher in a K-2 classroom. Like other works by Mo Willems, Knuffle Bunny is truly hilarious and is sure to spark the interest of all of the students especially when read aloud during circle time. However, the book is also a good independent reading book because the detailed illustrations help the reader understand what is going on in the story. Trixie’s facial expressions and baby talk were particularly hilarious – I found myself cracking up the entire time!

Pigs Make Me Sneeze

Title: Pigs Make Me Sneeze

Author: Mo Willems

Author Study #1

Let me just say, I am a huge fan of Mo Willems! I absolutely love his work and the Elephant and Piggie series is no exception! After finishing Pigs Make Me Sneeze, I couldn’t help but smile. The book made me laugh and was so cute and funny. The story is about two best friends – one an elephant and one a pig. As they are trying to find out what to do with their day, Elephant can’t stop sneezing! Every time he tries to talk he ends up going “ACHOO”. Elephant finally concludes that he must be allergic to his best friend, piggie, and there is no sadder news than being allergic to your best friend. After visiting the doctor (who happens to be a cat), Elephant concludes he must be allergic to cats too because he just cannot stop sneezing! Finally he learns that he just has a cold, but piggie has already found this out as he himself now has a cold. 

Young students will be especially intrigued by this story because of the amazing illustrations. Elephant and piggie express so much emotion; each face they make is explicit on each page and is quite funny for the students to see. I absolutely love how the pictures can tell the story almost perfectly without the words even being there. The different sizes of font provided are also nice. The aaaa and the chooo are especially large helping to emphasize the dramatic nature of the sneezes. I would personally recommend this book for any classroom teacher K-2. This story is perfect for struggling independent readers or as a read-aloud lesson. It will be sure to have your students laughing!

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. 

Amanda & Her Alligator

Title: Hooray for Amanda & Her Alligator

Author: Mo Willems

Picture Book #1

Amanda & Her Alligator is much like any other Mo Willems book in that it is cute, funny, and entertaining for any young reader. The first thing I liked about this book is that it had a table of contents separated by “surprises” in six sections or chapters. I thought this was a neat way to incorporate this feature especially since it is not commonly found in picture books. The second thing I noticed right away were the illustrations. As with any Mo Willems book, they truly make the story. Simple yet powerful, they had me smiling throughout the entire story and really made me fall in love with the characters (especially that cute little alligator).

The story itself is about a young girl named Amanda who has to leave her toy alligator in order to go about her day. While she is gone, the alligator is lonely and anticipates her return greatly dreaming about what they will do together when she comes home. Towards the middle of the story, the alligator learns that he was purchased out of the sale bin for only 7 cents. This makes him feel even worse about himself, but Amanda reminds him that no one purchased him because they were destined to be best friends. By the end, alligator is joined by panda that, at first, seems like he will come between Amanda and alligator’s friendship. However, alligator learns that having another pal around while Amanda is gone isn’t so bad after all. In the classroom, this book would be a great read aloud story for carpet time with young students. It may teach them a thing or two about friendship and is sure to entertain them along the way. 

Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus

Title: Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus

Author: Mo Willems
Illustrator: Mo Willems
Caldecott Honor (2004)

After only being exposed to a few of his stories, I am already a huge fan of Mo Willems and Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus is no exception. The story begins with a bus driver leaving the reader in control of his bus while he is gone. The task is simple: don’t let the pigeon drive the bus. However, this task isn’t as simple as it seems when there is a persistent pigeon badgering you at the turn of each page! Personally, I found the book to be hilarious and I think kids, especially younger ones, would too. The illustrations really make the story and add so much drama and action to the simple text. Even I found myself chuckling at some of the ridiculous faces the pigeon makes.

I would without a doubt include a copy of this book in my classroom library. It’s simple, short, easy to read, humorous, and engages the reader especially when read aloud. Though I don’t see any instructional activities that could come as a result of reading this book, I do see it as the perfect text for circle time in the primary grades. This would be an excellent book to read right when the kids get back from lunch and to settle them into an afternoon of learning as it would give them nice break from the curriculum. 

Just Grace

Title: Just Grace

Author: Charise Mericle Harper
Blue Stem Nominee (2012)

“Just Grace” has a problem; and it isn’t that she is one of four Grace's in Miss Lois’s third grade classroom or that Sammy Stringer keeps smiling at her as if they were friends. It is that her French neighbor, Augustine Dupre, has informed her that her other crazy neighbor (and teacher at her school), Mrs. Luther, cries every night because her cat, Crinkles, is afraid of her and her bright orange cast and has run away. Realizing that sometimes other people’s problem are worse than your own, “Just Grace” and her best friend Mimi set out to appease Mrs. Luther’s sadness. Before long, Grace and Mimi find themselves in a world of trouble and the only way to get themselves out just might involve Sammy Stringer.

Though I don’t see young boys particularly enjoying this book, I do think it is a good read that female students would enjoy. The chapters are short, and the story is fast-paced and full of humor. It is also adventure-packed and leaves the reader wondering what “Just Grace” will do next. Instructionally, I see this book as a good source for building vocabulary. Countless times throughout the text difficult words and concepts are explained in “Just Grace” terms. This makes the story both informational and entertaining and saves the students the time of having to possibly look words up for meaning clarifications.