El Deafo

El Deafo

Written and Illustrated by: Cece Bell
Genre: Graphic Novel
Grades: 3-5
Awards: Newbery Honor

This book follows a little girl at the age of 4, Cece. She enjoys doing everything like a regular 4 year old would do, play games with friends and spending time with siblings. One day, Cece was rushed to the hospital after throwing up in the living room. Turns out she had fluid in her spine and was diagnosed with meningitis. While still in the hospital, she could not hear the nurses talking to her or hear what the tv was saying in her room. While at home, she discovers that she is losing her hearing when Cece called for her mom but did not hear her respond. Eventually, Cece goes to an audiology doctor and receives a hearing aid that helped her tremendously. 

It is the first day of Kindergarten for Cece and she is placed in a classroom where the other kids look like her, with hearing aids on. Cece and the other students not only learn the basic subjects of math, reading, writing, but also how to lip-read. Summer comes and Cece and her family moves away to a small town. Cece will no longer be in a classroom like her Kindergarten one for first grade, but she gets an upgrade to a phonic ear, which is stronger than a hearing aid. With this phonic ear, her teacher wears and talk into a microphone so that Cece can hear the teacher clearly. Cece also happens to hear everything the teacher say and do, even outside of the classroom, like in the restroom or in the teacher's lounge. Cece feels like a superhero with the ability to hear everything and she calls herself El Deafo.

Cece becomes friends with Laura, but she is bossy and pushy to Cece. The next school year, Cece becomes friends with Ginny, who has the same interests as Cece and is much nicer to her. Cece finally realizes that she is tired of Ginny for calling her "deaf friend" and don't understand why she can't just be a friend, and also the fact that Cece is tired of being talked to at a slow pace while she can understand at a normal pace.

Months pass by and Cece's mother suggested that her and Cece should take a sign language a class, since Cece's hearing aid batteries can easily die. Cece does not enjoy the class at all, as she does not feel like she is being helped but actually being made fun of for being deaf. Cece befriends the girl across from her house, Martha, who is in the grade below Cece. As Cece goes into fifth grade, she become friends with Ginny again, has a crush on her new neighbor down the street, and needs glasses now. Cece eventually tells everyone on her street and even her classmates about the superhero she is, especially with the power of her hearing aid being able to hear anything. Everyone thinks that Cece is even more awesome for this.

I really loved reading this book. This book should be in every teacher's library and for the students to enjoy. This book would be best for third to fifth graders. A way to incorporate this book is by having your students write about a superpower they think they have. This is a great way for students to have more confidence about themselves.

On My Honor

On My Honor

Written and Illustrated by: Marion Dane Bauer
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Grades: 3-5
Awards: Newbery Honor 

This book follows two boys, Joel and Tony. Both boys grew up with each other from when they are babies, but their personalities are different from each other. Joel likes to play everything safe, but Tony loves adventure and is on the fun side. One summer day, Joel was able to convince his father that him and Tony will visit the state park a few miles away and will be completely safe coming back. Tony tells Joel that they should visit and climb Starved Rock, which is a large and dangerous cliff that everyone says to stay away from. Halfway on their trip to Starved Rock, the boys stop at Vermillion River, a forbidden and risky river. Joel was tired of being made fun of by Tony, so he convinced Tony to a swimming race to the sandbar. Once Joel reaches to the sandbar, he looks back and he could not find Tony anywhere. Joel tried his best looking for Tony in the river even with a help of strangers, but Joel finally realized that Tony has drowned and died in the river. Joel arrived back home and did not tell anyone immediately of what happened to Tony, instead he lied to his parents that he didn't go all the way to Starved Rock because he was feeling sick, so he came back home and leaving Tony alone to go to the cliffs. Joel had to do his newspaper route around the neighborhood, but while he was throwing newspaper to the houses, all he could think about is Tony's death and the consequences he would have to face. That night, the police have arrived to Tony's house to announce that they found his clothes and bike near the river. Joel and his father went to their house and Joel finally admitted the truth of what happened when they went to the river and how Tony drowned. All night, Joel argued with his dad that it was his fault that Tony died and that it should have been him that drowned. Joel's father reassured him that it is the choices that you make can determine your fate.

This book was really good to read and it was a bit emotional to read. I believe this book is needed in every classroom libraries. This book is best fit for third to fifth graders. This book would be good for book club, where the students can discuss with what has happened in the book. The students can also write a short essay about what decisions you make can lead to consequences. 

Goldilocks and the Three Bears

Goldilocks and the Three Bears

Written by: Caralyn Buehner
Illustrated by: Mark Buehner
Narrated by: Cassandra Morris
Genre: Traditional Literature
Grades: K-3
Awards: None

There was a family of bears that included Papa, Mama, and Little Wee bear, that lived in the woods. Every morning, they had porridge for breakfast, but on one morning, Papa and Mama bear's porridge was too hot to eat, except for Little Wee bear. Mama bear suggested that they go on a walk so that their porridge's can cool down for a bit. Once everyone left, a little girl named Goldilocks, came and walked right in to the bears house. Goldilocks saw three chairs in the living room and bounced on them until she found that the Little Wee's chair was perfect for her. Goldilocks bounced so much on Little Wee's chair that she broke straight through it. Next, she started tasting everyone's porridge, but everyone's was too hot, except for Little Wee's porridge. She completely finished Little Wee's porridge and then went upstairs to take a nap from the food she ate. She tried Papa and Mama bears beds, but they were not comfortable enough, until she went to Little Wee's bed, which was just right for her to fall asleep in. Papa, Mama, and Little Wee bear came back as they were excited to eat their cool down porridge, but they noticed that someone or something have invaded their house. The three bears went upstairs to find Goldilocks all knocked out on Little Wee's bed. They were frightened and believed that Goldilocks was either a monster or even an alien. Little Wee bear poked Goldilocks, cause her to wake up, scream, and run away. After this crazy encounter with Goldilocks, Mama bear made a new batch of porridge, where the temperature was not too hot or too cold, but just right.

I love this classic book and I believe everyone should have this in their library collection. This book would be good for kindergartners to third graders. I would have my students act out the actions that Goldilocks did in the book. This has the students perform what they heard from the book and it makes the storyline more enjoyable for them to understand. I would also discuss with my class what they would do if they saw Goldilocks ruin their house.

Lola Levine: Drama Queen

Lola Levine: Drama Queen

Written by: Monica Brown
Illustrated by: Angela Dominguez 
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Grades: 3-5
Awards: Bluebonnet Award

Lola Levine is known for being dramatic, the loud one, and the soccer team captain in her class. The school gets a new drama teacher, named Ms. Tinkle. Lola happened to embarrass Ms. Tinkle in front of her classmates because of her last name. One of Lola's classmates, Alyssa, is really mean to Lola and call her weird in front of the class as much as she can. Lola is also preparing herself to audition for the school play, as she wants to be the big star. It is the day of auditions, but Lola freezes up on stage, forgetting her lines of Dolores Huerta. Alyssa and her best friend even felt sorry for Lola for not even getting through her lines. Josh, Lola's best friend tries to make her feel better by playing soccer together. Once the roles for the play were posted, Lola started to cry and did not feel important as she got the role of squirrel #2. It is the day before the big play and Lola's grandma decided to surprise Lola and the family by visiting, just so she can see Lola act. It is the day of the play and once Lola walks in an hour early, Ms. Tinkle inform Lola that she needs to play squirrel #1 as the actor got the flu. Lola had only an hour to memorize squirrel #1 lines before the show began. Once the show started, the play started off well, but in the middle, Lola got her squirrel tail caught underneath the tree prop. Lola had to improvise since no one was able to help her. Lola tugged her tail out causing her pants to rip in the middle. Lola's grandma came in the rescue by giving her scarf to Lola to cover herself. Once Lola's scene was over, everyone gave her a loud applause and Ms. Tinkle was proud of the improv Lola did. Before Lola's grandma left, she reminded Lola that she is not dramatic as she comes from a family of drama queens, just like her grandma.

This was a great book to read and would be a great addition in a classroom library. This book would be best for third to fifth graders. To incorporate this book, I would have my students write about what they would do if they were caught in the situation of Lola, being squirrel #1 and ripping her pants. This book would also be great to read during book club.

The Great Pet Escape

The Great Pet Escape

Written and Illustrated by: Victoria Jamieson
Genre: Graphic Novel
Grades: 3-5
Awards: Bluebonnet Award

There is a hamster that goes by the name of George Washington. GW or George Washington is stuck in jail, a cage in the second-grade classroom. GW explains that he was captured with two of his other best friends, Barry and Biter, and they called themselves the 'Furry Fiends.' GW has been creating an invention for him to escape, called 'The Hairy Houdini Escape-O-Matic.' One night, GW was able to escape from his cage and went on a search for Barry and Biter. GW found Barry in a first grade classroom, but he seemed off to GW because he was enjoying reading a book in his cage. GW was able to unlock Barry's cage and they made their way to Biter's kindergarten classroom. They got to Biter's cage and she has changed completely different from the way she used to be. Biter was now called Sunflower and she now meditates and enjoys sharing her feelings, just like the kindergartners in her class. As the Furry Fiends were discussing their way to escape, a mouse named Harriet stopped them and declared that they cannot escape as there would be more restrictions for the pets in the school. Harriet had an army of mouses that captured GW, Barry, and Sunflower into a cage and built a barricade of legos around it. Harriet explained that they plan on making the children in school sick tomorrow by messing up their lunch. The three Furry Fiends were able to escape and made their way to the school's kitchen to find Harriet and his army messing with the food. The Furry Fiends were able to attack Harriet and his army, causing a food fight in the kitchen. GW explained to Harriet that he won because all the food that Harriet made to make the children sick, were all wasted and all over the kitchen. The Furry Fiends return to one of their classrooms and GW explained that after their adventurous night, he wouldn't mind staying in the school, as long he goes on more adventures with his best friends.

I really enjoyed reading this book and laughed a lot. This book would be perfect to have in a classroom library and would be good for third to fifth graders. An activity to include this book would be having the students sequence and draw what happened in the story. The students can also write and draw what they would do to stop Harriet from making the students of the school sick.

Extraordinary Warren: A Super Chicken

Extraordinary Warren: A Super Chicken

Written and Illustrated by: Sarah Dillard
Genre: Graphic Novel
Grades: 1-5
Awards: None

This book follows an ordinary, average chicken named Warren. Warren was getting tired of just pecking for chicken feed every single day and it drove him crazy, because he knew that he was more than just an ordinary chicken. Warren felt really alone among the other chickens, as they loved pecking for chicken feed and they did not understand Warren.  There was also a rat called Millard. Millard was tired of going through the trash can and just finding rubbish, garbage, and not finding anything good to taste on, like a special chicken. Warren overheard Millard about wanting a special chicken, and Warren believed that he could be that special chicken, without knowing that Millard meant a special chicken to feast on. Millard told Warren that he is a more than a special chicken, but a chicken supreme. Warren went off telling his egg that he is special. Warren went back to the rest of the chickens to take flying lessons from Coach Stanley. Everyone was able to learn on how to fly, except for Warren, as he fell on his face. Warren ran into Millard again, but this time, Warren finally understood what was Millard's ultimate plan, to barbecue Warren and the rest of the chickens at his barbecue party. Warren went off to tell the other chickens, but no one believed him. So Warren went back to his egg at the top of the hill, but he accidentally bumped the egg, causing it to roll down the hill. Warren was able to fly and capture the egg, landing on Millard and his barbecue pit. Millard's plans were ruined as his barbecue pit was destroyed. Warren's egg hatched and that chick told Warren that he is ready to be Warren's sidekick.

This book was really adorable and enjoyable to read. I believe this book would be great for first to fifth graders. A way to incorporate this book is by having the students write about how they would feel being around other chickens that did not believe anything they said. The students can also write and draw what ways they would stop Millard from eating them if they were chickens.

Early Aircraft

Early Aircraft 

Written by: John E. Allen
Illustrated by: Dick Eastland and Eric Jewell
Genre: Nonfiction
Grades: 1-5
Awards: None

In 1804, George Cayley made a model glider and fifty years later, he made a glider capable of carrying a person. In 1903, the Wright brothers built a petrol engine that could fit in a glider with simple controls, and they created the first aircraft, Flyer 1. During WW1, armies used aircrafts that had machine guns to battle with the enemy and to spy on them. In 1927, Charles A. Lindbergh was the first person to fly across the Atlantic Ocean without stopping, flying 6,000 kilometers in his aircraft Spirit of St. Louis. The first commercial airline started in 1919 called the Douglas DC2 and DC3, where people flew fast and all comfortable. In WW2, several countries built thousands of aircrafts that bombed enemy cities. 

This was a great book to read and learn the history of aircrafts. This book would be great for first to fifth graders. An activity to incorporate this book is by having the students create a timeline, using the information from the book. The students can also pick one fact from the book and do a bit more research surrounding that fact. 

Snakes Are Hunters

Snakes Are Hunters

Written by: Patricia Lauber
Illustrated by: Holly Keller
Genre: Nonfiction
Grades: 1-5
Awards: None

This book starts off by explaining that you will never see big snakes near your home. There are over 3,000 kinds of snakes in the world. Snakes never blink, because they have no eyelids, instead they have a clear cover to protect their eyes, called a spectacle. Snakes are hunters that catch other animals for food in the wild and they use their nostrils to scent out their prey. Snakes can't hear sounds like humans, but they can sense any movement on the ground around them. Snake's teeth are curved like needles, but they can't chew their food, so they swallow their prey whole. Rattlesnakes is one of the snakes that can sense heat, so they know a warm-blooded animal is near. Rattlesnakes is also one that kills their prey with poison. Their two long fangs are hallow but filled with sac of poison or venom. For young snakes, their thin outer skin becomes too tight so they shed. This is normal as snakes shed their skin many times during its lifetime. The book concludes that the best way to view snakes is in the zoo, where it is contained. 

I enjoyed reading this book and it is a perfect book for students to use during a research and is in need of a resource. This book would be good for first to fifth graders. Students can draw a snake and label its body parts and what function that body part does. 

The Heart: Our Circulatory System

The Heart: Our Circulatory System

Written and Illustrated by: Seymour Simon
Genre: Nonfiction
Grades: 3-6

Awards: None

This book opens up with a fact that in an average lifetime, a heart will beat over 2,000,000,000 (two thousand million) times. In our body, the heart, blood, and web of blood vessels make up our circulatory system. Our hearts only weigh about ten ounces. Blood in our system is made up of red cells, white cells, and platelets that float inside plasmas. These blood plasmas help regulate our body's temperature. Throughout our day, the muscles of our heart contact almost one hundred thousand times a day and this contraction is powerful enough to send a jet of water six feet high into the air. The book then talks about that as people get older, deposits of a substance called cholesterol, may begin to appear inside of our arteries. These deposits leave less room for blood to flow through our arteries and then parts of our body may not get enough oxygen. We find that us humans are very unique with the river of blood flowing through our bodies everyday. 

This is a fun and informative book about the heart the circulatory system. This book is best for third to sixth graders. A way to incorporate this book is by having students draw out our bodies and describe where the blood flows, and draw a diagram of the heart and what parts are inside the blood.

Wild Weather: Hurricanes!

Wild Weather: Hurricanes!

Written by: Lorraine Jean Hopping
Illustrated by: Jody Wheeler
Genre: Nonfiction
Grades: 2-5
Awards: None

This book discusses where hurricanes come from, what types there are, and what should be done during one. The book describes hurricanes by telling parts of a story about hurricane Hugo in 1989. The book says a storm tracker is someone that measure the size, temperature, and location of a hurricane. The book also describe the components of a hurricane, which includes the eye and the feeder bands, which is practically a long line of storm clouds. They also describe that the eye wall in a hurricane is where the winds spin the fastest and can even reach to 180 miles per hour. Once the storm trackers are inside the eye, they drop a box out of the plane that measures the temperature and various conditions within the storm. Reports from hurricane Hugo include that dozens of islanders of St. Croix in the Caribbean Sea lost their lives and thousands lost their homes. Four days later, on September 21, 1989, Hugo crashed into South Carolina with a 20 foot storm surge and winds of 150 miles per hour. All together, Hugo killed 504 people. 

The book also describes that hurricane season lasts from June to November. Hurricanes tend to last longer if the water temperature is above 81 degrees and the winds will spin faster. Hurricanes also don't follow the same route, as it can be a zigzag storm, going a completely different direction than what was predicted. The book ends with giving hurricane safety tips. These tips include, make sure flashlights and radios are in good working condition, that there is a stock of fresh drinking water, listen to the radio or TV for storm conditions and evacuation information, and lastly, when officials tell your family to clear out, do it.

I believe this book is essential and needed in classroom libraries. This book is best fitted for second to fifth graders. This book would be greatly used in science classrooms. The teacher can have their students read this book on their own, have students use this as a resource for an assignment or research paper. The teacher can also ask the students what facts did they gather from this book and write down their answers on a whiteboard.

Earth and Space Science: The Water Cycle

Earth and Space Science: The Water Cycle

Written and Illustrated by: Craig Hammersmith
Genre: Nonfiction
Grades: K-2
Awards: None

This book informs the reader about the various steps of the water cycle. The introduction says that the water on earth now is the same water that has always been here. That nature recycles water by using the water cycle. The book let's the reader know that the first step is evaporation, where the sun heats liquid water that changes into gas called water vapor, and the vapor then rises into the air. The vapor meets cold air and cools, turning it into liquid water droplets or freeze into ice crystals, called condensation. Then condensation will either turn into cirrus clouds, made from ice crystals, or cumulus clouds, made of water droplets. Precipitation is the next stop, which can either be rain or snow. Those 3 steps is the water cycle.

This book would be perfect to have in a classroom library, especially in a science classroom. This book is best fitting for kindergartners to second graders. This book can be read aloud before teaching the water cycle to your classroom. The teacher can create a chart and have the students say the steps from the information they got from the book. 

The Very Busy Spider

The Very Busy Spider

Written and Illustrated by: Eric Carle
Genre: Fantasy
Grades: K-5
Awards: Laura Ingalls Wilder Award

This book is about a very busy spider creating her web on a fence post on a farm yard. Many animals came to the spider and asked if she wanted to join them on their fun adventures, but the spider did not answer to any of them, as she was busy spinning her web. A horse asked if she wanted to go for a ride, a goat asked if she wanted to jump on rocks, a dog asked if she wanted to chase a cat, a duck asked if she wanted to go for a swim, a rooster asked if she wanted to a fly, and so much more, but the spider never responded to them as she worked on her web. When nighttime came, an owl stopped by the fence and asked who built the beautiful web, but the spider did not respond as it was sleeping and it was a long and busy day for her.

This is book was awesome to read! I would love to have this book in my own classroom library and I believe everyone should have this too. I think this book is great for all ages, so for kindergartners to fifth graders. A way to incorporate this book is to have your students sequence the book as to what animals came in order and what they asked the spider. 

Show Way

Show Way

Written by: Jacqueline Woodson
Illustrated by: Hudson Talbott
Genre: Multicultural 
Grades: 3-5
Awards: Newbery Medal

This story reflects the many generations that the author has written about her family. There's a girl named Soonie, whose  great-grandma was sold to a plantation at the age of 7. Soonie's great-grandma was able to learn how to sew colored thread into stars, moons, and roads that soon slave children will follow with a piece of quilt, leading them to freedom. She eventually got married and had a child, Mathis May, who is Soonie's grandma. Mathis May was 7 when she was sold away. Mathis May had a piece of her mother's blanket and held it close to her face whenever she wanted to feel back at home. She learned how to sew stars, moon, and roads that will show a way for slaves into freedom. Mathis May got married, but the husband soon died before he was able to meet his baby girl, Soonie. Soonie grew up picking cotton on a farm, but they stayed with other people that were no longer slaves. Soonie was 7 when she learned to sew stars, moons, roads, fields, trees, rivers on patches of quilts, that her mother sold in markets. Soonie eventually got married and had a baby called Georgiana. Georgiana became an avid reader and a teacher in a small school and had twin girls, named Caroline and Ann. When Caroline and Ann were 7, they experienced the separation between whites and blacks everywhere. Caroline and Ann grew up to writing poems and creating art. Ann ended up having the author of the book. The author describes that when she was 7, she didn't work in a field, walked in a Freedom line, but she read like Georgiana and wrote like Ann. Whenever the author did not feel like writing, she would sew just like all the women in her family history. The author grew to have a baby girl named, Toshi Georgiana. The author would hold her baby tight and tell a story of all those who came before her.

I really enjoyed reading this sweet book and would love to have this in my own classroom library. This book is good for third to fifth graders. A way to incorporate this book is reading it aloud to your class over a unit about Black History Month. Another activity is by having your students draw in a square their own family history and explain it to the class.

My Chinatown

My Chinatown

Written and Illustrated by: Kam Mak
Genre: Multicultural 
Grades: 2-5
Awards: None

This book follows a boy that moved to New York's Chinatown from Hong Kong with his family. Every couple of pages, he talks about each season and he does. In the Winter, the New Year has passed and there are pieces of red paper along the streets of Chinatown. The boy is in the market with his mother and they see tons of piles of kumquats. These kumquats reminds the boy of his grandmother back in China and how she pickled them in a certain way. The boy's mother asks a fortune teller of her son's fortune, and it seems that it will be a good year of luck, happiness, and surprises, but the boy doesn't seem to happy as he misses his real home. 

In the Spring, the boy watches a cobbler that works on shoes every day. The boy admires the craftsman, but he reminds the boy that he is lucky to be here and attend a school, unlike him. The boy believes that the only thing that school does to him is leave a sour taste in his mouth as it is difficult to speak in English. One day, the boy's father came home with the boy's favorite game back in Hong Kong, and it made him feel like he was back home. 

In the Summer, the boy keeps company with his mother while she sews on a machine. The boy talks about the beautiful dragon boats on the Queens lake and how there are drums rowing to the beat of the sound. One day, the boy from his window can smell food from the street and people talking Chinese and English, while playing mah-jongg. He sees his neighbor, Nai-Wen, and she convinces him to go out and play with other kids a game called, kick-the-can, his favorite American game. 

In the Fall, the boy is excited to celebrate the Moon festival. His family is up on their roof, lighting lanterns and setting them free, just like his neighbors around him. It is Winter once again, the boy uses his pocket money to buy delicious street food, like fish balls. It is New Years again and there are sweet rice cakes, red envelopes with money in it, drums in the streets, and more. The boy is glad to be living here, in Chinatown.


I really enjoyed reading this book as it reminded me of our own Chinatown and Chinese community here. This book would be a great addition in everyone's classroom library. This book would be good for second to fifth graders. A way to incorporate this book is by having your students celebrate their own culture and research/talk about any traditions that they do all year long, and they can explain this to their classmates.

Ellen's Broom

Ellen's Broom

Written by: Kelly Starling Lyons
Illustrated by: Daniel Minter
Genre: Multicultural
Grades: 3-5
Awards: Coretta Scott King Award for Illustrators

This book follows Ellen and her family after the times when slavery days were finally over. Everyone in the church was rejoicing as they were free. The same day, the deacon announced to the congregation that all former slaves that lived together as husband and wife can finally be registered and be looked at as married by law. Back home, Ellen's mother have always explained the story of the broom above their fire mantel to their children and that the significance was that it was mainly used for weddings. The mother and father explained that back then when they were not allowed to marry, so they just used a broom, set it on the ground, and jumped over it to leap into life together. A few weeks later, the day has finally come where Ellen's parents can finally marry each other, along with the rest of their church's congregation couples. They arrived at the courthouse and Ellen had her parent's broom with her, but decided that it needed to be really pretty, so she dragged her sister out to put flowers in the broom. Ellen's mother held the broom as a bouquet. The Freedmen's Bureau officer interviewed them asked for their names, how many years have they started living together as husband and wife, the names and ages of their children. The man then announced that they are married in the eyes of God and the law, and they had a certificate to take home. The family celebrated by having a picnic underneath a tree and the children insisted that their parents jump over the broom once again as it is a part of who they are. At home, they hanged the flower decorated broom and marriage certificate above the fire mantel.

I really love this book and would like to have this in my classroom. This book would be good for students in the third to fifth grade. This would be a good book to read aloud during Black History Month and explain to the students the restrictions they went through, like not being allowed to get married. 

Too Many Tamales

Too Many Tamales

Written by: Gary Soto
Illustrated by: Ed Martinez
Genre: Multicultural 
Grades: K-5
Awards: None

This book follows a girl named Maria. It is Christmas time and they are preparing tamales for the party they are having. Maria was helping her mother and kneading the masa to make the tamales taste good. Maria felt grown-up and loved wearing her mother's apron, and even wearing her mother's lipstick and perfume, but she especially wanted to wear her mother's ring. Once her mother stepped out for a bit, Maria grabbed for mother's ring from the counter and put it on. Maria quickly went back to kneading the masa once her mother walked right back in. Maria, her mother, and father went on to finish making the twenty-four tamales in time for the party. The whole family arrived, excited to see each other, and Maria and her cousins went off to play and talk about what presents they hope they'll get underneath the Christmas tree. Maria then realizes that she accidentally left her mother's ring in one of the twenty-four tamales and asked her cousins to help her look for it. The four of them ate all of the twenty-four tamales and they were not able to find it and it left them with tummy aches. Maria finally had the courage to tell her mother what had happened, but she noticed that her mother had her ring on her finger this whole time. Maria, her mother, and the whole rest of the family went into the kitchen to cook up more tamales and to spend time together.

I enjoyed reading this book and would love to have this in my classroom. I believe this book is good for Kindergartners all the way to fifth graders. This book will be good to read during the winter time and discuss with your students on how to deal with a situation like this and if anything like this has happened to them before.

Fish In The Air

Fish In The Air

Written and Illustrated by: Kurt Wiese
Genre: Multicultural
Grades: K-3
Awards: Caldecott Medal

This book follows a boy by the name of Fish. Fish enjoyed any object that looked like a fish. His mother made him shoes that looked like fish and he had a lantern that looked like a fish for the Lantern Festival. It was kite season, where everyone went out to fly their kites in the fields. Fish asked his father if he could have the biggest kite that looked like a fish. They went out to the market and bought the biggest fish kite that Fish has ever seen. Once his father bought him the kite, a big wind came to take Fish flying into the air with his kite. Fish flew over everyone in the streets, going over roofs, over the fields, and even over the river. A big red hawk snatched the kite, causing Fish to fall into the river. One of the fisherman that was sleeping, woke up thinking that he caught a big fish and used his net to catch it, but turns out he caught Fish. His father came running to rescue him and Fish decided that it is better off to get the smallest fish kite.

This would be a nice book to have in the classroom library. This book would be good for Kindergartners to third graders. I would have my students draw out and design their own kite that they would like to fly and have them explain if they were taken by the wind, what kind of adventures would they go on. 

Families Are Different

Families Are Different

Written and Illustrated by: Nina Pellegrini
Genre: Multicultural 
Grades: K-3
Awards: None

This book follows a girl named, Nico, who along with her big sister, is adopted from Korea. Nico describes her parents as really old, have blue eyes, and wavy hair. One day, Nico becomes upset as she notices that her friends look like their mothers and that she doesn't look like her mom. Nico's mom then explains that every family is different from what Nico may see from her friend's families. Nico's mom give examples of families that may have a single mother or single father, parents being divorced, children being raised by their grandparents, stepfamilies, and more. Nico's mom teaches her that every family is stuck together with a strong glue called love. 

This is a great book that I would love to read aloud to my students and have in my classroom. This book would be good for Kindergartners to third graders. I would have my students write or draw their families and explain what makes their family different, unique, and special. 

Sami and the Time of the Troubles

Sami and the Time of the Troubles

Written by: Florence Parry Heide & Judith Heide Gilliland
Illustrated by: Ted Lewin
Genre: Historical Fiction
Grades: 3-5
Awards: None

This story follows 10 year old Sami that is experiencing the Lebanon Civil War of 1975. Him and his family live in the basement of his uncle's house, so they can be kept safe as guns and bombs go off, especially at night time. Sami reminisce the times when they used to have quiet days. Like one day, his grandfather took him, his sister, and their mother to the beach for a picnic. The grandfather said that this is what it used to be, but the mother disagreed because her husband is gone due to a bomb placed in the market. Back to the present, Sami says it is not a good day because they are currently in the basement due to gunfire in the streets. During the violence going on outside, Sami sister sings a song that their father used to sing. Whenever Sami hears his father's song, it reminds him of his father's peach trees and how if his trees are still alive due to the war. The morning comes and the radio says it is now safe to go outside. Sami goes outside and enjoys the blue sky and the patches of green in the city. Sami and his friend Amir clean the streets a bit, and now it is bustling with people working, talking, buying, and selling. Sami sees a wedding occurring and he wonders if his parents wedding was like this before. Amir and Sami discuss that when they are older, they hope that don't have to use real guns as adults, because they hope that the fighting will stop. The city streets then soon filled with children marching and carrying banners, flags, and signs that say "Stop. Stop the fighting." Sami returns to the basement to talk with his grandfather. Sami realizes that him and the rest of the children are the future of their country and have a voice to stop this war.

I really enjoyed reading this book and would love to have this in my own classroom library. This book would be good for third to fifth graders. I would use this book over a unit about different civil wars occurring in different countries. I would also have my students write about what they would feel during a civil war in their country and what would they do to make a difference as a child. 

All the Lights in the Night

All the Lights in the Night

Written by: Arthur A. Levine
Illustrated by: James E. Ransome
Genre: Historical Fiction
Grades: 3-5
Awards: None

This story follows two little boys, Moses and Benjamin, around the holiday time. The two of them, their family, and the rest of the Jewish community is facing persecution in Russia. Moses and Benjamin's older brother, David, has sent his family enough money for two more family members to escape the persecution and to join him in Palestine. So their mother helped pack snacks and supplies for Benjamin and Moses for their trek to Palestine. Before they left, their mother gave them a lamp and she said that it has enough oil for them to last for one night. She said that they need to pretend the lamp is a menorah, and that they need to light it up on the first night of Hanukkah and say their blessings once. 

The boys loaded themselves onto a potato cart and made their way to the train station. On their way, the boys and cart driver saw soldiers approaching them, so the boys buried themselves in the potatoes to hide. The soldiers didn't think of anything more and let the cart go its way. The boys stopped a farmer friend's farm and they stayed in a warm corner of the barn. Moses had an idea of celebrating Hanukkah early, so he took the lamp out, lit it, and they said their blessings. Benjamin insisted Moses tell the story of Hanukkah just like their father would tell them on the first night. 

In the morning, the boys got on the train and made their way to Warsaw. Whenever Benjamin felt homesick, Moses will tell him stories, especially the story of Hanukkah. The boys arrived at Warsaw and made their way to the British Embassy. By the time they got to the British Embassy, the line was super long and that the office was closed as well. It was the first real night of Hanukkah, so Moses took the lamp out, lit it, and others joined them with prayers. 

The next morning, the boys got their papers saying that they could enter Palestine. The boys took another long train trip, lasting several days, but during their time, they made friends that gave them pieces of food as they shared their lamp. The boys just needed one boat ride to make it to their brother. The boys paid the captain money, but it was only enough for one person. Moses then realized that he can't leave his brother anywhere, so he told the captain that they have a lamp from their grandmother and gave it to the captain. The captain accepted saying that it can count as an antique. As night drew on the boat, Moses was sorry to Benjamin that he lost their lamp and that there is nothing to light for Hanukkah. Benjamin laughed while looking up and Moses asked what was funny. Benjamin said that they do have light, which is the stars up in the sky.

I enjoyed reading this book and I think that everyone should have this in their classroom library. This book is best fitted for third to fifth graders. This book would be good to read around the holiday season or on a lesson about when Jews faced persecution. Another activity is to have your students sequence the events that occurred in the book. 

Working Cotton

Working Cotton

Written by: Sherley Anne Wiliams
Illustrated by: Carole Byard
Genre: Historical Fiction
Grades: 3-5
Awards: Caldecott Honor

This story follows a young girl, Shelan, and her family working in the cotton fields together. They arrive to the fields early, even before there is light. It is cold and there is fire pit for everyone to warm up by. The father and mother are working rows right next to each other. They both sing and hum as they work. Shelan is a big girl, but not big enough to have her own sack for cotton, so she helps her mother pile cotton together. The cotton can sometimes smell like a damp morning or it can be dusty enough to make you sneeze. Shelan expresses that her father is smooth and fast at picking the bunches of cotton. His sack of cotton is so long that they need to fold it twice to weigh it properly, and that it takes a long time to empty his sack into the trailer. The family has lunch break and have cornbread, greens, and sometimes little pieces of meat in their bowls. Shelan explains that there is always kids working in the field, and so they can be your friends sometimes, but you will hardly see them twice as everyone moves around to a new field sometimes. Going back to work, Shelan older siblings fight over the water and doesn't leave enough for her. It is finally night time and everyone loads back on the bus, finishing the day off.

This is a very interesting book and I think it is necessary to have in everyone's classroom libraries. It is important for the students to realize that it wasn't only adults that worked in cotton fields, but also children. This book would be best fit for third to fifth graders. I would have my students write about how they would feel if they worked in the cotton fields at such a young age. This book would also be fitting to be read aloud during a Civil War unit. 

The Adventure of Charlie and His Wheat-Straw Hat: A Memorat

The Adventure of Charlie and His Wheat-Straw Hat: A Memorat

Written by: Berniece T. Hiser
Illustrated by: Mary Szilagyi
Genre: Historical Fiction
Grades: K-3
Awards: None

During the United States Civil War, a seven-year old boy, named Charlie lived by the Appalachian mountain. Charlie desperately wanted a straw hat for him to use on the first day of school, but money was tough since his father and older brothers were off fighting in the war and they were not able to earn any money. Charlie's grandmother said that she would make his straw hat, but he would have to get an armful of wheat straw from their neighbor, Squire McIntosh, who is not too far away. Grandmother told Charlie that all he had to say to their neighbor is "Wheat straw makes good hens' nests," so that the neighbor would not be too curious of what they were going to use the wheat straw for. Before Charlie left, his grandmother reminded him to be careful and not run into any soldiers, especially the Confederate soldiers. Charlie came back with loads of straw, so Charlie and his grandmother soaked the straw and started working on his hat 'til it was late at night. His grandmother finished the hat the next morning and Charlie was incredibly proud of it, that even showed it off to the animals on the farm. Charlie wore his hat on the first day of school, and even almost fought with two older boys at school, just because his hat was homemade. 

One day, Charlie and a group of his friends saw soldiers approaching them. They knew that the soldiers don't hurt children, but Charlie remembered a story about soldiers stealing straw hats. So Charlie ran to a straw pile, scared all of the animals away, and hid his hat in the straw pile, except for one mother sheep. The mother sheep was eating the hay right over where Charlie's hat was buried. The soldiers yelled and even chased after Charlie for scaring all the animals away, for they wanted to eat those animals. Charlie's neighbor, Squire, was thankful for Charlie scaring the soldiers away from his farm and awarded him a ten-dollar gold piece, for all his bravery.

This was a good book to read and it would be good to have in classroom libraries. The book is fit for Kindergartners to third graders. A way to incorporate this book is by sequencing of what events came in what order of the book. This book would also be good to read aloud during a Civil War unit.    

Freedom Summer

Freedom Summer

Written by: Deborah Wiles
Illustrated by: Jerome Lagarrigue
Genre: Historical Fiction
Grades: K-5
Awards: Coretta Scott King Award for Illustrators 

The author left a note in the beginning of the book for the reader to know about the background and setting of this story. It is set in the summer, where the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed, allowing all people entitled to have full and equal enjoyment, regardless of race, color, religion, or national origin. 

This story is revolved around Joe, a young white boy, and John Henry, a young black boy.  John Henry's mother, Annie Mae, works for Joe's family everyday. During the summer, John Henry joins his mother to visit Joe. The two of them, Joe and John Henry, are best friends and spend a lot of time together. They play marbles in the dirt, swim in the creek, and enjoy ice pops together, but John Henry is not allowed in the general store due to the color of his skin. The boys went back to Joe's house and had dinner that Annie Mae made. Joe's parents announced that the town pool is open for everyone of color, not just whites because of the new Civil Rights Act. The boys get excited about finally swimming in the pool together. The next morning, they went to the pool but they found it empty of water and saw workers fill it up with tar, and one of the workers was John Henry's older brother. After the boys have watched the workers fill up the pool all morning, John Henry expressed to Joe that he wanted to swim in that pool and not a creek, because he wanted to everything that Joe was able to do because he was white. Joe finally realized that he wants John Henry to experience everything he has. They went to the general store and John Henry said he had his own money to spend on ice pops, and so they had their arms around each other and walked in together.

I really enjoyed reading this book and would want to have this in my classroom library. This book would be good for all grades from Kindergarten to fifth grade. I would read aloud this book during a Civil Rights unit for the students to have an understanding what people felt during this time in 1964.