Winnie the Pooh and Tigger too

Author: Walt Disney

Publishing:  E.P Dutton & Co., Inc.

Number of Pages: Hardcover—42 pages

Genre:  Picture Book

Reading Level:  Ages 4-8

Summary: This book starts with Pooh walking to Piglets house and he gets bounced upon by Tigger.  Then Tigger bounces into Piglet, and eventually he bounces onto Rabbit.  Tigger seems to be in a very bouncy mood and so Rabbit comes up with a plan to “unbounce” Tigger.  They decide to take him deep in to the forest, leave him there and then the next day when they go get him he will be all out of bounces.  As Tigger bounces ahead of them on their journey, Rabbit, Pooh, and Piglet hide inside a hollow log and Tigger can’t find them.  After Tigger leaves, they start heading back for home—but unfortunately they themselves get lost.  Rabbit decides to try to find the way while Pooh and Piglet wait for him.  Soon, though, Pooh gets hungry and his stomach leads the way for them home.  Right when Pooh and Piglet get out of the woods Tigger bounces on him and they find out he never was lost, but now Rabbit was.  Rabbit gets very scared in the woods being all by himself but luckily Tigger finds him and brings him back home safely.  The next day Tigger goes over to Roo’s and they decide to go climb trees.  After him ad Roo bounced really high in the tree, Tigger looked down and got really scared to be up so high.  Pooh and Piglet go get Christopher Robin to help; when he gets there he takes off his jacket and everyone holds a corner and Roo jumps into it.  Then when it is Tigger’s turn he is still really scared, he promises he won’t bounce anymore after he gets down.  He gets down to safety and is so happy that he starts bouncing, but Rabbit stops him and says he promised, so Tigger walks sadly away.  This makes everyone sad for Tigger, so they decide that he can bounce afterwards.  This makes Tigger so excited so he bounces off as his old bouncy self again.

My Reaction to the Book:  I have always loved Winnie the Pooh so of course I loved this book!  I remember watching the movie when I was younger and I think it is just as good if not better. 

Potential Problems:  There are not really any problems—maybe when Rabbit is lost and is scared, that could be a scary part for some. 

Recommendations:  I would definitely recommend this book to anyone.  I think it is absolutely great and that the Winnie the Pooh books are great to learn from.

The Water Hole

Author: Graeme Base

Publishing:  Penguin Group

Number of Pages: Paperback—30 pages

Genre:  Picture Book

Reading Level:  Ages 4-8

Summary: This book is about a bunch of animals from all around the world coming to a water hole to drink.  It starts with 1 rhino drinking, then 2 tigers, then 3 toucans, and then 4 snow leopards.  Every time more animals drink from the watering hole the water gets less and less—the pool gets smaller.  It continues on with 5 moose, then 6 catfish, then 7 pandas, then 8 ladybugs, and then 9 tortoises.  By this time almost all of the water was gone, by the time 10 kangaroos arrive there is no water left, so all of the animals went away.  Luckily, then it starts to rain, and rain, and rain.  Then all of the animals come back.  In the end we learn where all of the animals are from: Africa, India, South America, Himalayas, North America, Rivers and Streams, China, Europe, Galapagos Islands, and Australia.  One of the greatest things about this book is the pictures that are shown in it.  There is a ton of detail; all the pictures are bright and colorful, and just absolutely beautiful.  We learn at the beginning of the book that the illustrations were done with watercolors, pencil, and gouache on hot-press illustration board.

My Reaction to the Book:  I thought that this was a great book.  My very favorite part was the pictures—they are absolutely gorgeous!!! Graeme Base does such an amazing job with his work. 

Potential Problems:  The water runs out for the animals so this could possibly scare someone and make them worry but other than that I did not see any problems. 

Recommendations:  I would definitely recommend this book to people mainly for the art that is in it because it is absolutely beautiful.  The story is good too though, and I think kids would enjoy the cut out of the pond.  It would also be a good book to help children learn how to count.

King Midas and the Golden Touch

Author: Al Perkins

Publishing: Random House Books

Number of Pages: Hardcover—62 pages

Genre:  Picture Book

Reading Level:  Ages 4-8

Summary: This book is about a King named King Midas.  It starts off telling about how King Midas absolutely loves gold:  he sleeps on gold, eats off of gold, and has goldsmiths to make him more things out of gold.  Everyday the King goes out and searches for gold and brings back whatever he can find.  Then he would take that gold into a room that was full of gold.  Everyday he would lock himself in with his gold and say how much he loves it.  Then one day he finds a little man in his room full of gold and the man tells him that he can grant him a wish.  The king wishes that everything he touches will turn to gold so the man grants him that wish.  He tested it out and his pet bird turned to gold—and then his clothes.  He runs around touching everything and making it turn to gold.  When he sits down to breakfast though everything he touches turns to gold so he cannot eat anything.  He found that he could not do anything because everything he touched turned to gold.  This made all of the servant’s run away because no one wanted to be in a palace like that.  His daughter tried to comfort him but when he touched her she too turned to gold.  The King sat in his palace for days, just looking at everything that had turned to gold—including his daughter.  Then the little man appeared back and granted him one more wish.  After this he was able to turn everything back from gold.  Then in the end the king and his daughter sit down to dinner and it is the happiest breakfast that they ever had.

My Reaction to the Book:  I thought that this was a super cute book.  I had never read it before but someone recommended it to me and I really liked it.  It has a great lesson in it of being happy with what you have and not being greedy. 

Potential Problems:  The king turns his own daughter into gold, which could be a problem for some.  Also the issue of the king being so greedy could be a problem. 

Recommendations:  I would recommend this book to kids because it is such a great story and it is just a lot of fun to read.  The pictures are not that great but they are decent and they get the story across nicely.

How you were Born

Author: Joanna Cole

Publishing:  Harper Collins

Number of Pages: Hardcover—48 pages

Genre:  Informational, Nonfiction

Reading Level:  Ages 9-12

Summary: This book is about how you were born.  It starts with saying how before we were born we were inside the uterus.  It says how half of the cell that started you came from your dad and half came from your mom.  It tells about eggs and sperm.  It then explains how you start to be created in the womb.  It tells about things that you were able to do and things that were growing on you.  It gives diagrams and pictures depending on what it’s talking about.  It has real life pictures of the baby inside the mother’s body.  It talks about how the mom can tell when you are growing and how it starts to show on her belly.  It then says how you are expected to be born about 9 months after conception, and that the parents start getting ready for your arrival.  The book goes on to talk about when you are actually being born and how you go from the uterus through the vagina.  Then it just tells about things that you can do, and how you eat when you’re hungry.  It goes on to talk about being a toddler and growing up, and that’s where it ends.

My Reaction to the Book:  I thought that this book was okay.  I thought it was a little odd—they could have done a better job, I think.  It just seemed weird to me, but it did give decent information I suppose. 

Potential Problems:  It talks a little about conception as well as being inside the body and being born.    It also has a side view picture of a woman giving birth—you can’t really see anything but it still could definitely be a problem.  There is also a picture of a baby nursing and you can see most of the mother’s breast.

Recommendations:  I don’t think I would recommend this book to anyone—I think there are better books out there for children about things like this.  

Love you Forever

Author: Robert Munsch

Publishing:  Firefly Books

Number of Pages: Paperback—32 pages

Genre:  Picture Book

Reading Level:  Ages 4-8

Summary: This book is about a little boy who goes starts out as a baby and goes through all the stages of life and eventually becomes a man.  Every night the mom holds him in her arms and sings him a song:  “I’ll love you forever, I’ll like you for always, As long as I’m living my baby you’ll be.”  In the end of the book when the mother is very old in sick the son takes her in his arms and rocks her while he sings the song to her.  And then when the father gets home he goes to his own baby daughter, rocks her back and forth and sings the song to her.

My Reaction to the Book:  I absolutely love this book!  I remember it was my favorite when I was little and I still think that it is so great!  It’s a wonderful book for children to grow up on. 

Potential Problems:  There are not any problems with this book. 

Recommendations:  I would definitely recommend this book to anyone; I love this book!  It’s such a great story about the love that a mother has for her child.

The Giver

Author: Lois Lowry

Publishing:  Laurel Leaf

Number of Pages: Paperback—192 pages

Genre:  Science Fiction

Reading Level:  Young Adult

Summary: This book is about a boy named Jonas who lives in a very unusual society.  In his society people are assigned jobs according to an evaluation of their skill.  They are matched up as husbands and wives based on personality, and only one boy and one girl child per family is allowed.  Children are born to women that are designated “birthmothers” and then families have to apply for children.  Once the children become adults the family then does not exist—the new adults start their jobs and the parents go to a communal housing facility.  The community takes pills, which suppress emotions—mainly sexuality/love emotions.  All of the land around the Community is for agriculture and transportation, and there is also a salmon hatchery in the town (this is the only animals that are in existence for them).  We also learn that genetic engineering has been used to manipulate people so that they are colorblind—this is part of the people being the same.  There are few exceptions to this though—like Jonas, Gabriel, and the Giver.  A committee of Elders runs the community and they are the ones that assign everything.  Everyone that is the same age has the same birthday.  At every age there is some sort of ceremony.  We find out that if a person violates any on the rules three rimes then they are punished by “release.”  The boy Jonas lives in a regular family unit with his mother as a judge, his father as a nurturer, and his little sister named Lilly.  Right before Jonas attends his last ceremony (the ceremony of twelve) he has to tell his family about a dream that he had.  It’s a dream where he wants his friend Fiona to take off her clothes—his mother tells him that he needs to take some pills to suppress his “stirrings” (sexual desires).  When Jonas goes to the ceremony of twelve, he is supposed to be called up as number 19 but they skip him.  Jonas is called last and it is learned that he is to be Receiver of Memories.  He is picked for this job because of his ability to see color and hear music.  Jonas starts his training with the Giver who was the last Receiver of Memory.  He receives memories of many things like loss, violence, joy, family, etc.  Jonas wants to get these feelings to all the community and he talks of this with the Giver.  Jonas’s family has a baby named Gabriel stay with them because he is unable to sleep through the night.  Jonas finds that he can give his memories to Gabriel and he does this to calm him.  After a while Gabriel still can’t sleep through the night so they plan on “releasing” him (killing him).  But instead Jonas runs away with him.  Soon the food runs out and they grow cold and hungry.  They begin to lose hope but then they remember sunshine and this takes them to a snow-covered hill and they find a sled and then ride down on the sled where they seem to hear music coming from some houses.  This is where it ends—although there is a second book.

My Reaction to the Book:  I am very torn on this book.  This is the third time I’ve read it.  I read it in 5^th grade and in 8^th grade.  I remember being a little confused when I read it in fifth grade, and then I understood more in 8^th grade.  I remember liking it but not loving it.  This third time that I’ve read it I can’t decide if I love it yet.  I do think that it is a very interesting book but at the same time I think it is a little weird at times.

Potential Problems:  There is talk of a dream where Jonas wants a girl to take her clothes off so he could bathe her.  Also talk of a baby being killed because he was a twin.

Recommendations:  I don’t think I would recommend this book to anyone, but I also probably wouldn’t stop anyone from reading it.

A Single Shard

Author: Linda Sue Park

Publishing:  Yearling

Number of Pages: Paperback—148 pages

Genre:  Historical Fiction

Reading Level:  Ages 9-12

Summary: This book is about a homeless boy named Tree-Ear who lives under a bridge with a crippled old man named Crane-man.  Tree-ear is always trying to find food but Crane-man taught him to never steal from anyone—a lot of days the two of them go hungry.  One day, Tree-ear spies on the amazing potter of the town: Min.  Soon Tree-ear gets extra curious and goes into Min’s shop while he is gone.  He looks at a pot and drops it when Min gets mad at him for being there.  After he breaks the box he makes a deal with Min to work for him for 9 days to repay him for the box.  During this time Tree-ear collects wood for kiln.  When the days are up, Tree-ear offers to continue working for him in exchange for food.  He also hopes that Min will teach him how to make a pot.  Tree-ear’s dream is crushed when he learns of the tradition of a potter teaching his son, and Min’s son is dead so he said he will not teach him.  One day the imperial emissary comes to the village, they are looking for someone to be awarded with a royal commission.  Tree-ear faces an ethical dilemma and chooses the best choice.  Then, when Min has his work all done to present to the emissary, he asks Tree-ear to take it to them because he cannot complete the journey.  Tree-ear is nervous about the journey but goes anyway, on his way he is attacked by robbers and all the pots are smashed.  This leaves him with only a single shard to present to the emissary—luckily, the emissary are still able to see the great skill and he is awarded with the commission.  After Tree-ear returns home he learns of Crane-man’s death.  Min and his wife adopt Tree-ear, so he has a new home, family, and he is finally able to be taught the art of pottery.

My Reaction to the Book:  I really liked this book.  I thought that it was going to be really boring at first but I ended up really liking it.  It’s a great story of perseverance and love.  It has some great lessons for children to learn too.   

Potential Problems: At one point in the book, robbers attack Tree-Ear.  Also Crane-man dies.

Recommendations:  I think I would definitely recommend this book to anyone—it is a great story with great lessons, but it also teaches a little about some of the Korean ways and the art of celadon pottery.

I'll Teach My Dog 100 Words

            Author: Michael Firth

Publishing: Random House  

Number of Pages: Hardcover--36 pages

Genre:  Picture Book

Reading Level:  Ages 4-8

Summary: The book starts with a man sitting next to a tree with his dog, and he decides that he is going to teach his dog 100 words. So he starts to go over the words that he will teach his dog, mow the grass, paint the chair, and such. And soon his dog is a big hit with all the neighbors, and it keeps counting how many action words he can teach his dog. When we reach 100 words it goes back to the man at the tree and he says that he will start teaching his dog the words next year.  

My Reaction to the Book: This book is really great because it covers a lot of words and would be a great tool for teaching to read and for learning words. Also it has the Illustrations of the words being performed (They are all action words) and that helps with the remembrance of the words.

                                                                                

Potential Problems: One of the problems I can see with this book is promoting procrastination, but it is a subtle promotion.  

 Recommendations: I would recommend this book because it is a great learning tool for children who are reading, with all the words it would help with pronunciation and it would be a great read as well.

The Care and Keeping of You: The Body Book for Girls

Author: Valorie Lee Schaefer

Publishing:  Pleasant Company Publications

Number of Pages: Hardcover—104 pages

Genre:  Reference Book—Nonfiction

Reading Level:  Ages 9-12

Summary: This book is about all sorts of things.  It is a great reference book for girls to use as they are just hitting puberty and starting to experience all these different changes.  It talks about everything from hygiene like hair care and skin and teeth care to things like feelings and growing up.  It includes stuff about growing bodies like growing breasts and all other parts of the body growing.  It also teaches and gives tips about eating and being nutritious.  Another thing that it focuses on are things like the pubic are and starting your period.  Last it talks about things like sports and sleep troubles.  This book covers almost anything that a girl hitting puberty would need to know about.  It would be a great reference book for girls because a lot of times they know stuff about one thing but then don’t know about another thing so this could easily help them find exactly what they need and they could learn about it.  It also does a great job at comforting a girl who is new to all of these changes.  I can see how this book would be greatly beneficial to many girls hitting puberty.

My Reaction to the Book:  I thought that this was a very interesting book.  I can see how it would be extremely helpful to a young girl who either does not have someone to talk to about these types of thing, or someone who is too shy, or if they just want a little more information on everything.  It was a good book though for referring to in times of questions and needs!

Potential Problems:  There are a couple problems with this book.  It talks about pubic hair and shows a picture of a cartoon girl who doesn’t have any pants or panties on but in the picture she is putting on her panties (it shows her pubic hair).  It also talks very blatantly about the vagina and discharge which I can see being a definite problem for girls especially younger ones that read it (I think 9 may be a little too young).  It talks about girls’ periods and what to use when that time comes, which also may be a little bit older material than would be appropriate for younger girls.  There is one page that I think is quite unnecessary but I suppose it could be helpful.  It shows a girl sitting on a toilet putting a tampon in (it is a cartoon girl).  It goes into great detail on what to do when doing this and I think that the pictures are a little unnecessary especially for girls that are younger—but I can see how it could be helpful for some.

Recommendations:  I think I would recommend this to girls that at the point of hitting puberty.  I think it definitely is a helpful book, but I don’t think it is appropriate for a 9 or 10 year old unless they have already hit puberty.

The King, The Mice, And the Cheese

            Author: Nancy and Eric Gurney

Publishing: Random House

Number of Pages: Hardcover--63 pages

Genre:  Picture Book

Reading Level:  Ages 4-8

Summary: There is a king and he lives in a wonderful place and is very happy. He loves cheese and he has the best cheese makers in all the land, but the smell of the cheese reaches to some mice and the mice from all over the country come and start to eat all of the king’s cheese. So the king calls his wise men to get rid of the mice, and so they bring in cats to chase the mice out. After the mice are all gone the Cats start to annoy the king and he is not happy, so he calls the wise men in again and the solution is dogs. The dogs chase out all the cats and then the king is still unhappy because he now has to live with all the dogs and he wants them gone. So the wise men are yet again called in and the solution this time is to bring in lions to chase the dogs out which they do, and they take over the king’s palace. So the king calls the wise men again and they bring in some elephants to chase the lions away, but then they start to destroy the palace, so the wise men bring in the mice again to chase away the elephants. So now the king is back where he started, and it takes the king three days to come up with a solution by himself. His solution is to share his cheese with the mice and he teaches them manners and they are all happy.    

My Reaction to the Book: I thought this book was very good, it shows the power of thinking through a problem instead of relying on others to solve all your problems. Also the illustrations are really good, it makes it fun to read, you find yourself lingering on each page looking at the illustrations.

Potential Problems: I didn’t see any problems with the book, other than sanitation problems with eating with the mice.  

 Recommendations: I would definitely recommend this book to others because it is a good learning tool for self reliance and perseverance; it is a great learning tool and an overall fun exciting experience.

The Foot Book

             Author: Dr. Seuss

Publishing: Random House

Number of Pages: Hardcover--24 pages

Genre:  Picture Book

Reading Level:  Ages 4-8

Summary: This book goes over all sorts of feet, big feet, small feet, hairy feet, clown feet and many more.  The book does very well with rhyming the words so it flows very nicely. Also it does counting feet, so it would be good to help with counting and also which foot is which.

My Reaction to the Book: This book is simple but good, the illustrations are great, they do really well to cover the feet and make it fun to read.

Potential Problems: No Problems

 Recommendations: I would recommend this book, it is very simple but it is fun. The flow of the book and the simple yet effective counting and reading techniques are very good for learning, it makes it fun and entertaining.   

Why do some kids have freckles?

Author: Mickey Wonders Why (No Author Stated)

Publishing:  Disney Books by Mail

Number of Pages: Paperback—26 pages

Genre:  Nonfiction, Reference

Reading Level:  Ages 4-8

Summary: This book is about the human body and how it works for children.  There are a bunch of questions in it, which are then answered.  On every page there are a couple fun, interesting facts about the topic that is being presented on the page.  There is a variety of questions like: “How many bones do we have,” “What happens to the food we eat,” What happens when we breathe,” and “What does blood do?”  There are fun facts like: “The average person will much their way through 50 tons of food in a lifetime.  That’s the same weight as three elephants—yikes!”  A great book with lots of information about the body.  It would be a good reference book for children that have only specific questions about the body but it would also be a great book to just read straight though because it has so much good information.

My Reaction to the Book:  I thought that this was a very good book that had a lot of good information in it about our bodies—just a lot of fun facts. 

Potential Problems:  There are not really any problems in this book because it just gives information about the human body and how it works.  It does refer to how food travels through the body so maybe this would be a problem for some kids because it kind of refers to pooping, but I really doubt this would be a problem.

Recommendations:  I would recommend this book to kids because it is a good, clean book that helps you understand more about your body and how it works.  It is a good learning book for children.

Hooper Humperdink?....Not Him!

            Author: Theo LeSieg

Publishing: Random House Books for Young Readers

Number of Pages: Hardcover--40 pages

Genre:  Picture Book

Reading Level:  Ages 4-8

Summary: An unnamed child is having a party, and he goes through all the names of the people he will invite, and the type of things they will do, and he keeps saying that he will NOT invite Hooper Humperdink…..Not him! In the end he decides that his party is too good for anyone to miss, so he decides that he will invite Hooper Humperdink.  

My Reaction to the Book: I thought that this book was quite the tongue twister, but it was a very good book, loved the illustrations.  It was fun, kind of sad for Hooper Humperdink but everything turned out great. 

Potential Problems: There is a reference to a fat girl that is kind of mean.  Also throughout the whole book the boy that is having the party is leaving Hooper Humperdink out for no reason which is not a good thing for children to learn at all, but in the end it is good.

 Recommendations: I think that it is a good book to read. I would recommend it.  It is really good for learning the alphabet because he names off a bunch of names and they are all in alphabetical order.

The BFG

Author: Roald Dahl

Publishing: Puffin

Number of Pages: Paperback--208 pages

Genre:  Fantasy

Reading Level:  Ages 9-12

Summary: This story is about a little girl named Sophie, who is a little orphan girl. One night she sees out her window a giant and he is doing something strange at the windows of the houses on the street. The Giant (Known as the Big Friendly Giant) sees her looking and in order to keep the secret of giants safe he kidnaps her and takes her back to the land of Giants. The BFG explains to Sophie that he is a nice giant, but the other giants are not nice, they eat people, but he does not eat people he survives on a nasty tasting vegetable called a Snozzcucumber. He also tells her that he collects and distributes good dreams, from dreamland, to the little children, and that is what he was doing the night he snatched her from her window. The BFG teaches Sophie how to catch dreams in bottles all the while hiding her behind his big ears from the other giants so they don’t eat her. Sophie convinces the BFG to go talk to the Queen of England and ask her for help. So he created a dream for the queen so she will believe in giants and they get her help. The BFG and Sophie lead the Army of the queen and they capture the bad giants and put them in a big pit and feed them only foul tasting Snozzcucumbers.    

My Reaction to the Book: I loved this book, it was a really good read and it was exciting and adventurous. The characters are easy to fall in love with and the creativity of the author is great. Loved it.

Potential Problems: The giant kidnaps the little girl, and the giants are violent and underdressed, they eat people.  

Recommendations: I would definitely recommend this book, it is an adventure all the way and it makes you smile.   

Why do Dogs do that?

Author: Nancy White

Publishing:  Scholastic Inc.

Number of Pages: Paperback—32 pages

Genre:  Nonfiction—Reference

Reading Level:  Ages 6-9

Summary: This book is all about dogs and why they act the way they do.  There are a bunch of questions in it that are then answered.  There a lot of fun illustrations throughout the book that would help with a children’s interest in what they are observing.  Since there are a bunch of questions it would be good for a child to be able to look up a certain question that they have about their dog and then they can get it answered.  There are questions like “Are dogs like wolves,” “Why do dogs wag their tales,” “Why do dogs pant,” and “Why do dogs prick up they ears sometimes?”  There are many more questions and the author does a great job at answering the questions in a way that a child could learn and understand.

My Reaction to the Book:  I thought this was a very good book for children that have dogs and are curious as to why they do the things they do.  There are two-dozen frequently asked questions about dogs in the book and then they are answered with fun pictures. 

Potential Problems:  There are not any problems with this book because it just gives information about dogs and why they do the things they do. 

Recommendations:  I would definitely recommend this book to anyone that has a dog because it is a good book to learn a little bit more about they dog.

Country Explorers: Chile

Author: Jennifer Miller

Publishing:  Lerner Publications Company

Number of Pages: Hardcover—48 pages

Genre:  Nonfiction

Reading Level:  Ages 9-12

Summary: This book is about the country Chile.  It starts off with a map of Chile and talks a little the volcanoes that are located on Chile.  It tells a bit about mining and farming.  On every page there is a fun fact about Chile and the topic that it is presenting on that page.  It then goes on to talk about the main foods that the people of Chile eat.  Then it talks about the history of Chile and the people that live there today.  Next it talks about the family and Spanish, as that is their main language.  The book continues as it talks about Religion, Holidays, the cities, and homes that are in Chile.  It tells about the specifics of schooling and how each school has its own uniforms.  It tells about the games people like to play, wildlife, arts, and crafts.  The book ends with the Flag of Chile and a couple fast facts.

My Reaction to the Book:  I liked this book just like I liked the one about Cuba.  It has a lot of great information on the country and it has a lot of good pictures.

Potential Problems:  There are not any problems in this book as it is simply an information book about Chile.

Recommendations:  I would recommend this book to anyone who would like to learn a little more about Chile.

Put Me in the Zoo

Author: Robert Lopshire

Publishing: Random House Books for Young Readers

Number of Pages: Hardcover--61 pages

Genre:  Picture Book

Reading Level:  Ages 4-8

Summary: A leopard walks around the zoo and decides he wants to be part of the zoo, but the zoo does not want him. Outside the zoo the leopard meets a little boy and a little girl, they ask him what he can do that would make him be a good attraction in the zoo. He changes the colors of his spots, takes them off and puts them on other things, changes their sizes and shapes, and many other fun things. The children love what he does with all his spots but they tell him that he does not belong at the zoo, and they take him to the circus where he finds the home he desires entertaining people with his spots.

My Reaction to the Book: I liked the illustrations in this book, although it is suppose to be a leopard it doesn’t look like one. The story is good and it is fun to see the things that he can do with his spots.

Potential Problems: No potential problems found really--the little girl's skirt is kind of short but that is all.

Recommendations: I would recommend this book for small children because it is easy to read and fun.

There are Rocks in my Socks said the Ox to the Fox

Author: Patricia Thomas

Publishing:  William Morrow & Company Library

Number of Pages: Hardcover--37 pages

Genre:  Picture Book

Reading Level:  Ages 4-8

Summary: An Ox and his friend the Fox are trying to solve the problem the Ox has because he has rocks in his socks and he does not know how to get them out. Thinking he has all the answers the Fox gives him advice to roll over on his back and the rocks will just fall out, but the Ox ends up on his back with a tack stuck in his back, and the rocks still won’t come out. Because of the advice of the Fox, the Ox ends up upside-down with a tack in his back, his tail pinned under a rail a bee sting and he kicks himself in the nose and the rocks still in his socks. But along comes a wise Bird and helps the Ox off of the tack and helps him unpin his tail and gets the bee off his knee and finally helps him get the rocks out of his socks.  

My Reaction to the Book: I think that this book is great; it is fun to read because it rhymes and it has a fun storyline. 

Potential Problems: In the end of the book the ox blames the fox for his problems and he dumps rocks on his head.

Recommendations: I would recommend this to parents because it would be a great book for children to improve their reading skills on and it is fun to read.   

Country Explorers: Cuba

Author: Anna Cavallo

Publishing:  Lerner Publications Company

Number of Pages: Hardcover—48 pages

Genre:  Nonfiction

Reading Level:  Ages 9-12

Summary: This book is about the country Cuba.  It starts off with a map of Cuba and talks a little about its location and then it goes on to talk about the land and layout of the country.  Then, because Cuba is an island, it talks about the sea life that surrounds it.  It gives information about the seasons; also on every page it gives a fun fact about the topic being covered.  Then the book talks about a little history of Cuba, and then the current people and the background of them.  The book talks about the leaders of Cuba and the form of government.  It tells about the Holidays that are celebrated there and then the resources that are available there.  It continues talking about transportation, food, school, and health.  Then it talks about the family and it gives some Spanish words for family members as Spanish is the dominant language in Cuba.  The book tells of homes, religion, music and dance.  And it tells about how it is a great vacation spot for many people because of the warm weather.  It then ends with the flag of Cuba and some fast facts about Cuba.; very good book for great information.

My Reaction to the Book:  I thought that this was a very interesting book.  Not only did it give a lot of facts but it also laid out very nicely, and it is presented well with lots of pictures. 

Potential Problems:  There are not any problems in this book as it is an information book with things about a country, in this case Cuba.

Recommendations:  I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about Cuba and I would recommend the Country Explorers book to anyone that is studying a country because they are very well done.

Socks for Supper

Author: Jack Kent

Publishing:  Parents Magazine Press

Number of Pages: Hardcover--29 pages

Genre:  Picture Book

Reading Level:  Ages 4-8

Summary: An old man and his wife live in an old house in the country and are very poor, the only food that they have comes from their turnip garden. One day the old couple decides that they are sick of eating turnips. Close by live a couple who own a cow, and the old couple decide to trade something for some of the cow’s milk and some cheese. They search their house but they can’t find anything to trade with, so the old woman decides to make a pair of socks out of the old man’s sweater to trade for the milk and cheese. The old couple loves the milk and cheese so much that the old woman keeps making socks to trade with till one day there is only enough sweater left to make one sock. Now the old man has no sweater but they decide to trade the one sock for half a bucket of milk and half a small cheese. The couple with the cow decides to give them the whole bucket of milk and the whole small cheese for just the one sock because the wife of the man with the cow needs the sock because she is making a sweater for the man out of it. When Christmas comes she gives him the sweater but it is too big so they give it to the old man, and it fits just right.   

My Reaction to the Book:  I love this book! It is a book I grew up reading as a kid, but I always loved the pictures and the basic story line, it is fun and a great story to read.   

Potential Problems: Possibly that the old man ends up with no shirt on but other than that the book is great.

Recommendations:  I would definitely recommend this book to people because it is a fun read to have with children and it is just a really cute story.

Are you my Cat?

Author: Marybeth Mataya

Publishing:  Magic Wagon

Number of Pages: Hardcover—32 pages

Genre:  Nonfiction

Reading Level:  Ages 4-8

Summary: This book is all about cats.  It starts off talking about whether or not a cat is a good pet for the person reading the book.  It gives some information on what cats like and then it continues on to say what you should do if you are planning on getting a cat.  It then talks about a good age for you personally and says the benefits to having a younger cat and having an older cat.  It then talks about the different kinds of cats that there are and what cats need every day.  It talks about check ups and what to feed a cat as well as how to play with and teach cats.  It also talks about keeping the cat clean, protecting the cat, and protecting yourself when around the cat—like if he is angry then you should back away.  This is a great book for learning about the responsibilities and processes that should be taken when adopting a cat.

My Reaction to the Book:  I thought this book was okay; it would definitely be good for a child whose family is adopting a cat.  It would be very helpful for them.

Potential Problems:  There are not any problems in this book, it is just a book full of good advice and information. 

Recommendations:  I think I might recommend this book to someone that is considering getting a cat, but other than that I don’t think that I would.

Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy

Author: Gary D. Schmidt

Publishing:  Random House Children’s Books

Number of Pages: Paperback—217 pages

Genre:  Historical Fiction

Reading Level:  Ages 9-12

Summary: This book is about a boy named Turner who moves to Maine with his mom and his dad, who was to be the towns new Reverend.  Turner seems to have an awfully hard time fitting in in the new town.  He can’t do anything right it seems, he can’t even hit a baseball because he is use to the “normal” way that they played in his hometown.  Turner gets into trouble with another boy his age named Willis after he makes fun of him for not being able to play baseball.  He gets into trouble with the neighbors, especially Mrs. Cobb, who accuses Turner of throwing rocks at her fence.  After this happens his dad forces him to go play the organ for her everyday for the rest of the summer.  Later he is forced to read to her.  The only person that Turner finds friendship in is Lizzie Bright, an African American who lives on the island near by.  This, when found out, becomes a forbidden friendship although he continues seeing her.  The town leaders are trying to figure out a way to get rid of the people on the island because they claim that they do not own the land and that the people of their town are forced to pay for all of their expenses.  One time when Lizzie and Turner are playing and exploring together, Lizzie falls and hurts her head and Turner takes her to get help.  Since he is not use to boats he gets taken out by the current (during this time he is able to look into the eye of a whale), luckily he is found and Lizzie is taken by her grandfather to get help.  Mrs. Cobb dies and leaves her house, surprisingly, to Turner.  Turner tries to offer it to Lizzie and others but she says that the town will not accept them there.  Eventually the town people get what they want and the people on the island are forced off of it.  Lizzie is taken to an insane asylum along with some other people that were on the island—Lizzie only lasts 10 days there and then she passes away.  Turner’s father dies after he is pushed off a cliff by the town sheriff.  In the end, Turner and his mother are still not accepted by the town because of their differences.  Turner talks to Willis about the whales.

My Reaction to the Book:  I thought that this was a decent book.  I liked it quite a lot but it had a sad ending, so that’s what I didn’t like about it.

Potential Problems:  There is the problem of racism in this book, also there is some talk of death, and then in the end, Lizzie dies. 

Recommendations:  I think I would recommend this book to some people, but not everyone, because it is sad, but it also teaches a lot and is good to be aware of.

Lincoln: A Photobiography

Author: Russell Freedman

Publishing:  Clarion Books

Number of Pages: Paperback—150 pages

Genre:  Biography

Reading Level:  Ages 9-12

Summary: This book is about the life of Abraham Lincoln.  It starts out talking about “The Mysterious Mr. Lincoln” which is just a brief overview of the kind of man that he was.  It then talks about his life growing up and it talks about how he never did have much schooling at all.  The chapter talks about Law and Politics that Lincoln was involved in and it kind of just explains how he got involved in everything and the things that he did.  Next talks about the dilemma of slavery; it gives Lincoln’s views on everything about slavery and what he wanted to do.  It also talks about how Lincoln became a speaker for the anti-slave people.  The next chapter talks about the Emancipation Proclamation that Lincoln set forth and the reaction that was received from it.  It goes into great detail of what was included in the Proclamation and the things that were talked about in it.  It also talks a little about the start of the Civil War.  The next chapter goes into greater detail of the Civil War and Lincoln’s involvement in it.  The last chapter talks about Lincoln’s last days as president and his assassination.  Throughout the whole book photographs and paintings are shown which really adds to the interest of the book.  There are also tons of quotes that give you a better idea of the man that Lincoln was.  Overall this is a great book packed with great information.

My Reaction to the Book:  I thought that this book was actually pretty interesting.  It had a lot of good information and it was set up in a nice, understandable way. 

Potential Problems:  This is a book about Lincoln’s life so it does talk about things like the Civil War, which could be a problem for some. 

Recommendations:  I think I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who wanted to know more about Abraham Lincoln and the life that he lived.

The Story of Ruby Bridges

Author: Robert Coles

Publishing:  Scholastic Inc.

Number of Pages: Paperback—26 pages

Genre:  Biography, Informational

Reading Level:  Ages 4-8

Summary: This book is a story about a little girl who changed history: her name was Ruby Bridges.  The story starts off talking about Ruby and how her family is very poor and how they moved to New Orleans because her daddy lost his job.  It says that every Sunday the family went to church because they wanted to be near God’s spirit.  At the time, black children and white children went to different schools, but in 1960 a judge ordered four black girls to go to two white elementary schools.  Ruby was sent to the William Frantz Elementary School.  The parents were very worried but they had a lot of faith and prayed a lot.  On the first day of school for Ruby a large crowd of angry white people carried signs and yelled at Ruby to go back to where she came from and some of the people wanted to hurt her.  The police wouldn’t do anything but luckily the President ordered federal marshals to walk Ruby to and from school every day.  When Ruby would get to the classroom every day there would not be any children there because the white people would not send their children to school.  So everyday she sat at her desk and learned from her teacher Mrs. Henry.  One morning Mrs. Henry watched Ruby walking up to the school and she saw her stop among the big crowd and start talking to everyone.  She found out later though that Ruby was actually praying for everyone around her.  She said that everyday on the way to school she would stop and pray for the people but this time she had forgotten to do it before she got to the angry mob but she still stopped and did it when she remembered.  This made the people really angry at her but she continued to always do it, before and after school.  In the Afterword, we learn that eventually parents sent their children to school because they were tired of their children not learning.  By the time Ruby got to second grade the mobs had given up.  Then it goes on to just tell how Ruby is doing now.  This is a great story, with a happy ending.

My Reaction to the Book:  I loved this book so much!  It is such an inspirational story and its all the better since it is true.  What a brave little girl—this is such a great book to read.

Potential Problems:  There is the problem of racism in it, which pretty much dominates the whole story. 

Recommendations:  I would definitely recommend this book to anyone; I love this book!  It’s such a great story—very inspirational and wonderful to know about.

Love That Dog

Author: Sharon Creech

Publishing:  HarperCollins Publishers

Number of Pages: Paperback—86 pages

Genre:  Poetry

Reading Level:  Ages 9-12

Summary:  In this book a boy named Jack writes to his teacher in poetry form and as if it were a journal about how he feels about the class and he also writes his own poems.  It starts off with Jack who is in class and he does not want to write poetry.  He thinks that poetry is for girls, not boys.  He then observes that all poetry really is, is thoughts/words that are put into short lines.  Throughout the book he talks about different poems that they read in class.  For example, he says how he does not understand the Red Wheelbarrow poem.  He also goes on about how he got a new dog and he named him Sky.  Throughout the book the teacher puts Jack’s poems on display on the board—at first he is afraid people won’t think they are poems so he does not want his name on them, but eventually he does want his name on them.  He also tells about his very favorite poem by Mr. Walter Dean Meyers, called “Love That Boy.”  Jack writes a poem “inspired by Walter Dean Meyers” and he also sends a letter asking if he can come visit him and his school.  A couple days later, when Jack and Sky are playing outside, a blue car hits Sky and he dies, this makes Jack really sad and he writes a poem about it.  Then, Jack finds out that Walter Dean Meyers is coming to visit.  Jack has the best day ever when Mr. Meyers comes to the school.  After he leaves Jack sends him a letter thanking him for coming and he also sends the poem that he wrote that was inspired by him: “Love That Dog,” and that’s how it ends.

My Reaction to the Book:  I thought that this was an okay book.  Honestly, my favorite thing about it was that it went so fast reading it—it’s a very easy read for anyone.  It is a creative book and is interesting at times but it definitely is not my favorite.

Potential Problems:  The only problem that I could see in this book is the fact that the boy’s dog dies after he is hit by a car.

Recommendations:  I don’t think I could recommend this book to anyone because it just is not that good—it might be good for children who are learning poetry, but other than that I think that it seems pretty useless.

A Year Down Yonder

Author: Richard Peck

Publishing:  Penguin Group

Number of Pages: Paperback—130 pages

Genre:  Historical Fiction

Reading Level:  Ages 9-12

Summary: This book is about a girl named Mary Alice who lives during the great depression.  The times are tough so she is sent to live with her Grandma, taking her cat Bootsie and her radio.  On the very day that she arrives her grandma drags her off to school.  Her first day of school she meets the local bully, Mildred Burdick.  Mildred demands that Mary Alice give her a dollar and she even follows her home to get it.  When she gets home grandma plays a trick on Mildred, releasing her horse with her shoes attached to it, so Mildred is forced to walk home barefoot and that is the last time that Mary Alice has any problems with her.  On Halloween grandma and Mary Alice play a trick on a couple of boys who come to play a trick on them.  At the school Halloween party, Grandma makes homemade pies from pecans and pumpkins that she “borrowed” from some neighbors.  Later, there is Armistice Day and grandma is in charge of collecting the money for the stew that was made, she charges lots of money to those who are rich and little (or no) money to those who are poor.  The money that is raised goes to Mrs. Abernathy and her injured son.  At Christmas, the school puts on the nativity with Mary Alice as Mary.  When the show has barely started a live baby shows up as Baby Jesus and grandma declares that it’s a Burdick.  Mary Alice’s brother also shows up for a visit after grandma bought a ticket for him.  A new boy arrives at school and Mary Alice tricks popular Carlene into believing that the new boy, Royce McNabb, has a crush on her friend Ina-Rae.  Grandma continues making trouble as she hosts the tea for the Daughters of the American Revolution and as she takes in a New York artist into her home.  There is a tornado in the town, which shakes things up a bit.  Then at the end of the school year Royce and Mary Alice promise to exchange letters.  At the end of the book Mary Alice and Royce McNabb get married on Grandma’s front porch.

My Reaction to the Book:  I thought that this was a very good book.  It is very well written and it is both entertaining and fun to read.  I think that children would really enjoy the events that take place in this book; I know that I did!

Potential Problems:  For the most part this was a problem free book, but there is problems with a bully also there is Grandma who is very much herself and tends to stir up some problems every now and then.

Recommendations:  I think I would recommend this book to anyone, it is a good, fun read and I think children would really enjoy it.