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.