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9/14/16
Non-Fiction-Picture Book

Yes, this book.  This book discusses and teachers about polar bears and how they handle their extreme environments.  It discusses their fat layers and their padded feet.  Their diet and how they deal with the cold water.

Not the funnest book out there, but if a student needs to find quick, easy information, this book is their best friend.

A teaching point here is how the environment can affect the way we have to live. For example, would a polar bear survive in the desert? Would a lizard survive in the arctic?

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11/11/16
Fiction-Graphic Novel

Danny is considered a geek by almost all his peers.  He claims that he isn't and that he has various interests, even if they do revolve around nothing but comics.  When he finds out that the girl's have made a "loser list" in the bathroom, he desperately tries to be off it.  He winds up getting in trouble at school and becoming a juvenile deliquent.  But, all of it was just a simple mistunderstanding and eventually, after losing friends and being humilated at school, he winds up saving the day and accepting himself and his "geekiness."

Children who are not the "popular" kids will enjoy this book.  Kids seeking acceptance among peers will also see this book as a great read.

Do not always follow the status quo. This would be my first teaching point. Throughout the book, Danny deals with trying to get his name off the list and struggles with issue after issue, just to be popular. When he accepted himself and decided that other people's nasty point of views do not matter.

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Pretty much my entire 90s
Fiction-Graphic Novel

While not neccesarily a novel, the storyline you have to follow from comic to comic is extreme and deep. The original X-men, Cyclops, Jean Grey, Beast, Iceman, and Angel

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A long time ago
Fiction-Graphic Novel

George and Harold are pranksters who wind up biting off more than they can chew.  As a prank backfires and they are blackmailed by the principle, their attempt to get their principle off their back turns him into Captain Underpants.  Here the Captain runs off and tries to defeat the evil Dr. Diaper.  When the dust settles, the boys return the "captain" back to the principle's office and change him back to the principle.  This was my first graphic novel and it exploded with popularity.  I enjoy its silliness and imaginative personalities.

This became extremely popular with elementary students across the country as they were introduced to a new, yet not unknown, form of reading.  The comic style layout is appealing to many students, especially young males who do not read enough.

This book can be used to teach about using both pictures and words to describe your writing. I want students to write various texts using various styles and using this popular book as one of them could help with an activity to have them write a narrative and illustrate it along the way.

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8/30/16
Fiction-Graphic Novel

Guy is confronted by his science teacher and told he will be performing an experiment with his arch nemesis. She is bossy and controlling, but lucky for Guy, she turns out to be the best thing for his experiment.  I enjoy the idea of this graphic novel as throughout, Guy explains and shows you how to build certain inventions, like the ultimate spitwad shooter.  So the humor in it is very slapstick and smart.

As children today are drawn to graphic novels, the setup of this book alone will have students flock to it.  On top of that, discussing the fact it has inventions you can make inside wouldnt hurt either.

A teaching point here is how two heads, are better than one. As the main character had to team up with someone he really didn't like, he found that without her, he wouldn't have succeeded.

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8/31/16
Fiction-Picture Book

This book was super cute.  This cat is upset that his friend called him fat.  So he decided to eat everything in sight.  Saying that if I am fat I will act fat.  Eventually he even ate his friend, who ruptured his stomach and set everyone free.  Afterwards, the mouse sews up the cat and they make up.  I love books that have adults think are violent but in reality, they send a message, a deep message.  And most kids just find it funny, not violent.

I think children would like this book based on the fact that almost everyone has been called a name.  And almost everyone has felt the pain of those words.  Here, the book engages children in consequences to violent actions, and benefits to collaborative efforts.

A teaching point here could be proper social etiquette. Even with your friends, it is better to always be kind and avoid laughing and using humor at their expense.

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8/31/16
Non-Fiction-Picture Book

This is a very simple picture book that explains in visual terms the struggle of the African American community during the civil rights movement.  Half the book discusses the segregation that occured during that time, while the other half discusses how things have changed, how we see things differently.  I was pretty overwhelmed with how a book that is meant for a Kindergarten class could be so...there it is.  No sugar coating with this book, just harsh reality in the beginning.

I feel children will appreciate this book when a teacher discusses it with them. It is meant as an introductory text, but it could hit close to home for many children who still deal with this type of discrimination.

Discrimination would be a great teaching point for my older kids. For 1st and Kindergarten, a teaching point could be after the first part, discuss how we could treat people who are different than us better.

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10/5/16
Non-Fiction-Picture Book

In this popular series, Flyguy is a little fly that helps teach science using a more fictional approach.  Instead of the text presenting the information with realistic imagery, Flyguy uses more cartoons and hand drawn illustrations to conduct learning.  I liked the fact that it approaches science in a way children will understand.  It does not force realistic imagery down a child's throat, instead, it allows child humor and artistry, mixed with real photos to produce more gains in academic knowledge.

Students will enjoy this book because of Flyguy and his demeanor.  He is funny, cute, and smart.  He is easy to relate to for many students.

An interesting teaching point would be to have the kids create projects to see if it is easier to learn when there is a cute little mascot rather than someone just instructing all day.

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10/2/16
Non-Fiction-Picture Book

In this non-fiction text, we come against the "gross" things our bodies do, like burp, fart, and poop.  It goes into some detail about each detail.  Explaining the purpose of why our bodies do these things.  Why do we make mucus and why does it get caught in the nose?  What are pimples and acne?  Burping:  better in or out?

Children who are curious about the grosser details of our life or children who like plastic vomit on the covers of their books will enjoy this text.

Not many students get the opportunity to be taught about the nasty things our bodies do in order to protect us. A great teaching point is that some sciences and topics are not always glamorous.

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6/11
Non-Fiction-Picture Book

I included this book because it is literally almost everything we have discovered on this planet. Minerals, animals, plants. Everything can be found here. It begins with the simpliest of life, arcaehabacteria, and progresses to the more complex item, human beings.  It gives sizes and shapes, it gives the Latin names and the binomial nomenclatures of each specie.  I enjoy it because it is like a bible of the planet.  It has everything, accept what has been found since the book was published.

Children who have to have multiple examples will find this book indispensable.  If you need to know about butterflies and the various types, find the butterflies.  Want to know about big cats and need examples of all the types, there is pages.

I could have a teaching point, similar to how to use dictionary, but instead of finding words, you have to find things.  I can ask each student or group of students to locate as many variations of a certain family or order and give me some details. This book is chalk full of them.

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10/5/16
Non-Fiction-Picture Book

I wanted to find more books with specific content. So in my quest to find dinosaur books, I found this book...or should I say books. It is dual sided. But I chose the flying dinosaur portion because I knew very little about the types. Come to find out there were many types outside of the pterodactyl.  There were tiny pterosaurs and the pterodaustro, a flamingo-like dinosaur with a scooping bill.  I liked this book because it introduced me to more types of ancient, flying beasts.

Students who need to have more information about a certain category of dinosaur would find this text very useful and informative.

I could teach about how the flying dinosaurs of the past the birds of today share remarkable similarities. How even the dinosaurs had feathers like the birds of today.

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Come Learn With Me:  The Kingdoms of Life:  Classification

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Come Learn With Me:  The Kingdoms of Life:  Classification

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9/26/16
Non-Fiction-Picture Book

While I consider this a picture book, it is full of advanced, technical vocabulary.  It goes into great depth and detail about the classification of life:  why we do it, how we do it,  and extra information about the history of classification.  Archaebacteria, Eubacteria, Protists, Fungi, Plants, and Animals all make up the classification of life and each with their purpose.

Children could definitely use this book as a great resource material for papers on classification. It provides them will excellent details and key details.

While exploring our ecosystem, a great teaching point is sharing. We all live on this planet with all these creatures. So many we have to classify them. How can we share the environment based without disrupting the other classifications?

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10/24/16
Non-Fiction-Picture Book

This book is setup with an A to Z format, composed of baseball's most important figure heads and what they did to give to the baseball community and culture.  Beginning with Hank Aaron, "Who hit with great power.  His records, if piled, Would top the Sears Tower," to Denton "Cy" Young, "His win total is why, The awards for best pitcher, Are nicknamed 'The Cy.'"  And yes, the book rhymes too.

Baseball fans will really enjoy this, especially students.  They will be able to learn a little bit about who the people were and what they did for a sport that they love and respect.

A good teaching point is how sports has effected an entire country. How it evokes such a passion. I would like my students to explore this evocation of passion and see if anything else creates such an intensity.

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Question & Answer Book:  More than 250 intriguing questions & answers on NATURE, HISTORY, and TECHNOLOGY.

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Question & Answer Book:  More than 250 intriguing questions & answers on NATURE, HISTORY, and TECHNOLOGY.

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9/9/16
Non-Fiction-Picture Book

Broken into three categories of questions, this book asks about what the reader knows about nature, about when certain events or things happened, and who invented what.  And in each section of each category, there are on average 10 questions regarding various topics surrounding the section.  When the book crosses into a new category, it poses random questions and asks you to find them in the sections.

Children will find this book challenging as the questions it asks forces the student to seek out the answers.  I have used this book to talk about certain things about the world, and many students, especially Kindergartners, want to know more about topics like the Egyptians and who invented movies.

Like almost all my non-fiction, science-based books, it is chalked full of teaching points.  I can use it to introduce the history of technology.  So far none of my books have a technology piece and it would be nice to introduce this to students.  About where our technology comes from.

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Ask Me about highlights in history.  Who lived in castles?

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Ask Me about highlights in history.  Who lived in castles?

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10/11/16
Non-Fiction-Picture Book

The name is unfortunately misleading as the book really details certain deatils throughout history like "Who sailed in ice?" or "Who made fire dragons."  These questions tell about the people who lived in many different areas, doing incredible things.  It is very disorganized but, I feel that it is the redeeming quality.  It offers up random questions to explore.

Students who like to know random topics, like me when i was in school, would love this book. It is like a teaser to something more.

I could have a teaching point of self-learning. I can give the prompts from the book and their small detail, and then have the students find more about their prompts. Have them seek out whatever information they feel is important. This could help students become more confident in their own data gathering capabilities.

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Ask Me about space.  Can astronauts see me?

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Ask Me about space.  Can astronauts see me?

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10/12/16
Non-Fiction-Picture Book

This is a book that poses a question and the proceeds to answer it.  I shows factual images as well as illustrated images.  The information is sectioned indiscreetly in the book, with stars being in one place, galaxy in another, solar system as well.  I used this with my after school class and they had so many questions.  I taught them how far a light year was and their minds were blown.

Students who want to know more about astronomy would cherish this book.  It has prompts that will have the student asking a question, locating an answer, and then moving on to a new topic.  This could have the student ask more about the topics which could lead into a deep discussion on the carpet.

One of my favorite teaching points is our solar system. Students miss out on the hype that there could be life on a one of Jupiter's moons, under its thick layer of ice. They miss out on the fact that there are countless resources in our space that we could use to better our lives. Maybe i could use this as a mentor text to lead into a theoretical debate about mining in space.

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10/13/16
Non-Fiction-Picture Book

This book discusses the Middle ages of human history, beginning with how we started with simple wooden castles and lifestyles.  And as the castles grew to stone, and became more fortified, towns would spring forth around them, creating cities that are still in existence today.

Students who like the idea of knights and medieval history would love this book. It has great examples of information, both written and pictorial.

This would be a good teaching point about the evolution of our culture. How we went from swords and lords, to cars and Mars. What could be the future of our society?

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10/10/16 and in the past.
Non-fiction-Picture Book

I had a bunch of these books as a kid and every time I received one I was so happy. There were so many details about who and what I was. I learned about bone marrow and how it makes red blood cells. I learned about the blood types and what is actually in the blood we see when we cut ourselves. There is a section that discusses technological advances made in prosthetics. I felt so full of biological knowledge and remember sharing it with my friends. It even has a massive fold out in the center with the body and all its organs.

The students who may mostly enjoy this non-fiction book will be those who are interested in the human body.  How it works and why it works.

As with most scientific, non-fiction text, almost everything can be a teaching point. So maybe i can use the book to teach students how to pull important facts or how to find important facts outside of the main text.

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Randomly for the months of September and October 2016.
Fiction-Early Chapter

This is another collection style book but i chose to include this because it is separated into categories based on things like honesty, friendship, love, and even fairness. It is the Disney movies like Little Mermaid and Lion King broken down by the purpose of their parts. I love the way this book is set up because you can relate to the Disney characters as well as learn a valued lesson.

Students will enjoy this because some of their favorite characters come to share wisdom and value. They will be able to recall facts they know about the movies and apply it to the story. The characters will also already have voices so the inner voice heard will have more prosody added to it.

I can use each "chapter" to work on a theme for that day or week. Maybe for a week we decide to focus on what makes something fair and how do we judge situations correctly.

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10/31/16
Fiction-Early Chapter

This is actually a book with multiple scary "campfire" stories.  When i was younger, i used to go camping during the summer and the people watching over us would tell us these campfire stories.  One was in regards to "Taily-po."  A man was so hungry that he saw a giant tail and lopped it off.  After he ate it and went to bed, the beast came back for it screaming its name, Taily-po.  I think there are not enough books that evoke a sense of fear.  Now I do not mean to scare students but some students enjoy that little chill and the stories are not that frightening.  This book also contains activities to make any Halloween a spooky one.  There is poetry and even riddles.

Students who like a little ghoulish fun will enjoy the tales provided.  Scary poetry is rare and the tricks and games are harmless fun for students.  The riddles will give the students material for jokes, which may come at my expense.

I feel i would make the teaching point about the lessons learned in each shorty story. I would also wants students to possibly use this as a synthesizing text on poetry.  Maybe realisticversus supernatural.

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9/26-30/16
Fiction-Chapter Book

This book is about a Mexican-American girl who suffers the loss of her mother in small town Corpus Christi, Texas.  She loves collecting odd socks and her best friend Vanessa is struggling because of the divorce her mom and dad had.  Vanessa's mom makes cascarones which are a celebration thing where confetti is stuffed inside eggshells.  The idea of the fragility of the cascarones is seen throughout Apolonia's growth in the story.  She falls in love for the first time and is finally coming to age.  I enjoyed this book because of all the Spanish references throughout the story.  It has so much for many Mexican immigrants and others to relate to, like strange parents and odd behaviors, as well as cultural relevance for many cultures.

As stated, many Mexican students, especially young ladies, will enjoy this book.  It deals with the realities many young girls face when they are are getting to that age of boys and also deals with the realities of loss.  On top of that, the cultural relevance throughout the book, like at the very beginning, how it tells you how to make actual cascarones is pretty awesome.

Teaching points could be how do we deal with death culturally. Having students research information about how different cultures handle loss, the proper respects they may pay. It is a great way to have students practice their writing and reading strategies during process of expanding their knowledge of other cultures.

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A long time ago
Fiction-Chapter Book

This book was one of the few books that i really enjoyed.  You follow the journey of a boy who is transported to a red world by a blue light, where the grass and the leaves and everything is red.  He finds out that there is life when he befriends a monkey-like creature, and eventually finds humanoid life.  He then discovers that these humanoids are slave material to a more warior-like race. He becomes part of that race because he is almost twice the size of everyone else, eventually seizing control of the civilization.  Inexplicably, he is transported back home, swinging a sword and covered in hide clothing.

Maybe the idea of being transported to another world, being lost in something that is so similar, yet so different, is what appealed me to this. If you enjoy things like Harry Potter or other similar genres, this one is a good recommendation.

A teaching point for this book is taking the word situations and trying to work with them. Many students come from unfortunate backgrounds and I feel that exploring the character and his survival instincts can help assist those students to remain hopeful.

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A long time ago.
Fiction-Chapter Book

Stanley Yelnats finds himself in a bit of a predicament when someone's theft becomes his burden. He is sent off to the middle of a dried up lake where he is sentenced to dig holes. As he questions why they are digging these holes, he stumbles upon proof of his families curse. There, with his newfound friend Zero, he escapes the intolerable diggin sentence and discovers that he would soon be the one to break his families curse by fulfilling a long lost promise.  I love this book because it really shows friendship on all levels.  Across all fields.  It reflects what times were like in the past by giving flashbacks of when blacks and whites were not allowed to coexist.  It sends a strong message to keep promises and protect one another.

Students will be interested in this book because the characters are extremely relatable.  Some come from rough walks of life, some come from normal walks of life, but each one of them is treated unfairly.  Students can relate to a time when they were treated unfairly.

A perfect teaching point is to always analyze why you are doing what you are doing. Pulling examples of how Stanely becomes more aware of his surroundings, he begins to question whether or not there is character building going on. We must always analyze why we do what we do to make sure we make the right choices.

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11/27/16
Fiction-Picture Book

This book follows the larval life of one very hungry caterpillar.  He chomps his way through so much food until he is too large to do anything but sleep in a cocoon.  I like this book because it has the days of the week and counting in it using various foods the children can relate to.

Students will enjoy the colorful illustrations and humor behind how much the caterpillar can eat.  They may also enjoy how it transforms in the book and question why they do that.

A good teaching point is science, specifically changes of life. Do humans go through changes like this caterpillar? Do we have names for these phases?

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11/16/16
Fiction-Picture Book

It took me a moment to figure this book out.  I did not know the pigeon was talking to me until midway through the text.  A bus driver leaves you in charge of his bus and a pigeon is determined to pester you until you say yes.  (Spoiler.  Just say no.)

Students will enjoy this because of the way it engages its audience.  instead of it being a standard book structure, it directs the conversation towards the reader, forcing the reader, in essence, to answer back.

A good teaching point is keeping your word. Honoring agreements. But also, I can ask the students what would have happened if we would have let him drive the bus at different times of emotional states during the book.

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11/1/16
Fiction-Picture Book

This book is about a duchess who is very wild and carefree with her personality.  Always having wild parties and always wanting the best of the best.  Until one day a duke comes by with a grilled cheese sandwich and changes her life.  I loved loved loved this book.  It was funny.  It was engaging.  There was so much mastery of images and what they said.  my kids sat for 45 minutes engaged in this book with all its small details dotting the background.

Students will seem skeptical at first but after getting past the idea it is a girly book, they will see that it is very...whimsical and offers up a very good message of balance.

My teaching point could be about balance here. Letting the students know that while it's great to be great at one thing, know a little about everything else is also beneficial and offers up its own merits.

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The Magic School Bus:  Lost in the Solar System

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The Magic School Bus:  Lost in the Solar System

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9/21/16
Non-Fiction-Picture Book

As Magic School Bus books are science related texts, this one specifically is pretty hearty in astronomical information.  The Frizz, the teacher, takes the class into space since the planetarium has closed down.  Going from planet to planet, starting with our Sun first, Ms. Frizzle teaches the students about each place.  When she gets lost and separated from the students, the children must teach themselves about the planets based on the teachers notes and make it back to save her.  I love Magic School Bus books, but I love astronomy the most so I chose this as my book.  It not only teaches my favorite subject, but also teaches the students that it is possible to learn on your own by seeking your own knowledge...but lets steer clear of the teachers things as best we can.

Students who enjoy humor and science will flock to these classics. It playfully teaches science and can explain topics in a more simpler, easier to digest, manner.

The teaching point here would definitely be space/astronomy. I want more children to be interested in the sciences, especially astronomy. I can also have the students do a group activity where I give the answers to the half the class, but have the other students look it up. And see if the answers are different, or more detailed. Something to show that collaboration yields greater rewards.

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9/20/16
Fiction-Picture Book

In this book, a Jewish family gets ready for the adoption of a baby from Vietnam.  The family, especially the two boys, are overly excited and want to learn as much as they can about Vietnam.  The mother flies alone to go get the baby and experiences her culture first hand.  What I love about this book is that it offers another Jewish cultural trait about the belief in a family no matter the race or ethnicity.  It even explains this in the author's notes along the inside of the cover.

Students who have been adopted or have adopted family members, or even know someone who is adopted, could relate to this text.  I know many kids who express interest in what it's like to be adopted.

The book itself offers up the teaching point about adoption. It even offers up activities for the children in the forms of finding the meaning of your name or checking out your background. Great activities for children to connect to who they are.

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11/4/16
Fiction-Picture Book

In this book, there are tigers of different stripes.  Three stripes are the best and bravest, no stripes are the most cowardly.  Baeoh must find courage to save his family and the lands of the Tigers from ferocious Hyenas who are launching an assault on the Tigers.  I like this book because, like many Japanese children's books, it promotes a need for a high level of honor and dignity in the main character and to be brave enough to do what needs to be done.

Students will like this because of the animals that are deeply personified with Japanese elements. I read this to my after school class and they were all very much engaged and transfixed by this book.  They said that they like that he was able to become brave and earn stripes by himself.  My older students loved it because they felt the message loud and clear to never believe that you are nothing, that you can achieve greatness if you believe.

I feel my teaching point will be what these students told me. I will teach the students how to find self worth in what they do. That mistakes are meant to be made in order to progress. To believe that they can achieve.

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10/17/16
Fiction-Picture Book

This book is about a young girl named Chrusanthemum and how she loves her name.  How proud she is of it.  But when she starts school, someone makes fun of her name and she goes through a period of doubt and then finally a hatred of her name.  Until she is honored with the birth of her teacher's baby, who is named Chrysanthemum as well.  I like this book because it shows that you should never cast self-doubt and self-hate because of what other people say.  That we are all beautiful in our own ways ad thanks to our differences.

Students who lack confidence in themselves because they may be different than the status quo will greatly benefit from this book.

A great teaching point is confidence. All the way. Confidence is something many students lack, especially those who do come from different backgrounds. They can connect to its simplicity while learning that it's both important to accept yourself and to not be cruel towards differences.

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Multiple times throughout my life.
Fiction-Picture Book

This book is about a man who happens upon a wonderful tree, the Truffula tree, and begins to demolish the forest. The Lorax appears to try and guide the man's conscious back to the right path.  The man's greed ruins the land and there is nothing left but...death and decay.  I love this book because it really shows what greed and in a deeper essence, capitalism, does to life.

Students will be engaged from the beginning as it is a very colorful and spirited book.  However, they will become further engrossed by impending doom of the forest thanks to man's greed.

A great teaching point is environmental disasters that have been man-made. Many people have ideas and have created ideas and this promotes a community activity for students.

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9/27/16
Fiction-Picture Book

This book is a little on the strange side. It may be seen as violent but what it really teaches is patience and understanding. As the daiymo seeks out warriors to defeat the rat that has taken over his castle, each warrior is defeated until he comes to an old, lazy warrior. The lazy warrior defeats the rat by letting the rat defeat himself. I like this book because the artistry is influenced heavily with Japanese elements.  Also, it shows that violence is not always the answer.

I think this would be a fun book for students because it shows a ridiculousness about violence and how it is not always the best option.  The cats are funny and and the book is engaging.

A great teaching point is how patience is better than action sometimes. Knowing that in the end, doing the wrong thing always comes back to you.

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10/14/2016
Fiction-Picture Book

This book is about Abby and her family moving to Israel, leaving her grandmother behind.  Abby experiences all the joys her community has to offer.  I like this book because it shows a part of the Jewish communities' desire to migrate back their homeland to reconnect with their histories.

This is a great book for kids because it introduces them to another cultures' beliefs in a very simple way.  Many children with families that live in different areas will connect to this book and see that different cultures have the same belief, just with different names.

My teaching point here could be about reconnecting with who we are and where we come from. Many students are disconnected from where they come from and its a great chance for a research project.

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Various times throughout the last year.
Non-fiction-Chapter Book

While not a traditional narrative, I chose to include this as a chapter book because of its advanced terminology and table of contents.  This book is not like a standard book but more like a textbook.  It discusses mathematics, physics, astronomy, biology, and chemisty in simple, but sophisticated, terms. As a science buff, I fell in love with this at first sight.  They hand draw graphics on each page depicting what is actually being spoken of.  For example, the nervous system will have a picture of the actual nervous system.

My little braniacs will eat this book up.  It has so many facts that can be tied into other facts.  Many illustrations.  Enough information to lead into further investigation of the information.

Literally each page is a teaching point if you are a math teacher or science teacher. I can ask my students to locate a topic in which to discuss, and then have them go off and research the topic. I can also teach them how science is more of a "web" of knowledge rather than a "tree" as that all science is connected somehow.

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11/16/16
Non-Fiction-Picture book

The story is about a young African American girl named Ruby Bridges who started going to an all-white school at a time when many white people did not want this change. It caused such a stir that the parents took their children out of the school and only Ruby was left. She formed a bond with the teacher and every day she went to the school, she endure what is considered one of the ugliest points in human history. This book really highlights the realities that many oppressed people feel even to this day. I know that I connected with the book based on the stories I have heard from many of my ethnic acquaintances.

Many students, especially African Americans, can benefit from this book.  Owing their strength and courage to the bravery of those in their past.  Other students who feel like they have been misrepresented equally benefit from the message being sent from this book.

This book is a good introduction to a woman who went on to do famous things. A brief history of the African American struggle and perseverance. We can also do a teaching point about great women of African decent viewed on a timeline from earliest known to most recent.

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9/29/16
Realistic Fiction-Chapter book

Philomena is a young woman who lives in a village near Prague, Bohemia.  At the age of 12, her grandmother passed away and she was shipped off to Prague to learn how to be servant girl and live with her aunt.  She is unable to find her aunt and instead begins speaking to her dead grandmother in strange ways and gets caught up in adventures, gaining friends and pets, like the one found when she caught two boys about to drown it.  She eventually finds her aunt and heads back to her village, longing for the life she knew and the loved ones left behind.  This book really shows strength and courage needed to face the trials Philomena was up against.  The strong willed young girl became tough and soon realized that being a servant girl was not enough.  I loved the fact that the very first chapter had me crying, remember my grandmothers passing and one minuter she was there, and the next she was gone.

Young girls will relate to this story if maybe they grew up around a male-heavy household.  It is very risque for today's standards in terms of it being very demeaning to women, but as a pre-World War I setting, that was the time in the Cezchoslovakian area.

Given the setting, a great teaching point would be equal rights among minorities. It is a current issue and this is a good book to see that it wasn't just the United States being crippled by this ideology, it was multiple countries. I can also use this as an author study as Kate Seredy is a Hungarian award-winning author and has other books that may give light into how non-American writers approach writing.

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10/15/16
Non-Fiction-Early chapter

This chapter book is based on the lady who at a very young age, lost her ability to see and hear due to an infection.  It was during a time when there was not much understanding of disabilities such as these and until her introduction to her teach Annie, Helen was out of control.  Eventually, Annie was able to get Helen to recognize words using a sort of word association method.  It also discusses how Helen grew up to be a prolific character in history, especial for civil rights for disabled persons.

Any child struggling with a disability will enjoy know that there are people who are famous and most of all, important, that have disabilities.  They can connect and understand how these people feel.

Teaching point is definitely about disabled people. I would focus lessons around located disabled people who have contributed greatly to society. Stephen Hawkins is probably the most renowned of them all.

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11/23/16
Fiction-Picture book

This book is about a group of pirates that love underpants. The captain readies his crew to find the fabled Golden Underpants. Unfortunately when they find the location of the Golden Underpants, another pirate crew has taken it. They have to locate the pirates and pull a stunt to get it back. I like this book because it was legitimately funny. The kids I read it to really enjoyed it and were engaged.

This book is suited for a younger audience.  They will like the humor behind it and cheer on the pirates who are seeking the underpants.

A teaching point could definitely be about stealing. The pirates took the Golden Underpants from another crew who found it first. It was not nice of them to do that and you can focus a lesson on this fact using this book as a mentor text.

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9/20/2016
Fiction-Picture book

This book is a rendition of the larger version of Sleepy Hollow where Ickabod Crane comes into the town of Sleepy Hollow and is told a tale of a Headless Horseman.  He begins to hear noises from a bridge each night he walks home until one day.  This is a great book for around Halloween time and is almost a time honored classic any student should be able to read.

This is a great book for students who love a nice horror/mystery book.  It is full of suspense and leaves questions as to the fate of Ickabod Crane.  (Even I was engaged with this short story.)

A great teaching point here is about pride. Crane was a prideful man and flaunted it. Maybe a secondary teaching point is a comparrison of the Disney classic to this and how the two characters Crane and Bom von Brunt almost have a personality shift in the two pieces.

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11/16/16
Fiction-Picture book

This book was very intriguing. It begins with a man who has been hit and a family that cares for him. During his time spent with the family, strange things begin to occur. He never speaks, and sooner or later he vanishes. You never know who he really is and the book leaves you with many questions. I like this book because I really wanted to know who he was. Who was this man? What was his purpose?

Students will enjoy this book because it has very beautiful artistic value as well as a strange story. It was engaging when I read it to my classmates and I am sure students would be engaged as well.

The teaching point for this book is character analysis. Here you have a character you believe to have amnesia, but there are so many details that surround him that suggest otherwise. Each student or group could do an analysis and probably come up with different ideas as to who this man is.

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2003 after it just came out
Fiction-Chapter book

While all Harry Potter books have their merit, this sequel introduced my all time favorite characters Luna Lovegood and Dolores Umbridge. Harry is forced to take action and form a fighting brigade when the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher refuses to teach practical spells. Umbridge becomes Head of Hogwarts and begins turning the school into a lifeless, robotic school, intent on denying the existence of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and his return.  As I said, I connect to the two characters above as Luna is very sweet and flighty, extremely bright but also kind weird.  Umbridge is hard and to the point.  She expects perfection and condones deviating from the curriculum, even if it means taking over the school.

Students will always enjoy the mystery and mysticism of Harry Potter. I will always recommend this and the others to students who may not have enough, or may feel so different they cannot connect with others.

Exploring the two characters of Luna and Umbridge and how they may share similarities and differences could be a very interesting teaching point. Also debating whether or not Harry should have created an "army" and gone rouge on the school

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9/31/16-10/4/16
Fiction-Chapter book

Wizard of Oz is a classic. Dorothy is sucked up in a cyclone from Kansas and dropped in a world of color and oddity called Oz. Here, she accidentally dispatches the evil Wicked Witch of the East and her sister, the Witch of the West vows to take her revenge.  Now, with the help of many friends along the way, such as a scarecrow, tinman, and a lion, she must defeat the witch and find the wizard to get herself back home.  I loved this book and movie since i first laid eyes on it.  It has just enough characters and just enough drama.

Students can relate to the mundane life of living in Kansas and the need to be free and get lost in another world, scary as it may be.  The scenery and landscape laid by the artist is easy enough to follow and engaging enough to pull focus.

A great teaching topic is to focus on the characteristics of each character. How they contribute to the stories purpose and function. Also, how we could relate to such unrealistic but, familiar characters.

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11/7/16-Current
Fiction-Chapter Book

Here we follow the dragon's child (yes they refer to him as this even though his name is Dando) and how he becomes separated from his mother as they try to escape the evil humans and Doggins, a savage rat-panther creature. The child is unable to fly due to having small wings than everyone else. Currently, my students and I in the process of reading this book, but i add it because it has a very engaging message about humans through the eyes of another intelligent creature.  You side immediately with the dragons, not knowing anything of humans.  But it also sends another message when the dragon's child befriends an orphaned bird AND an orphaned human.

Students will be immediately drawn to its odd shape, not in the standard rectangle form, its binding is shaped differently.  It also has beautiful images inside depicting the authors written interpretations of the characters, including the nasty Doggins.

A good teaching point so far is to state that not all things about people are true. Yes, there are bad people out there, but you cannot judge everyone of them based on what others have done. Giving everyone a chance to represent themselves as an individual has been the message so far. Another message is to not feel inadequate because how you not be growing as fast as everyone else. we all blossom in our own time

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11/9/16
Non-Fiction-Early Chapter

A book that details about the Native Americans that lived in the Great Plains of North America.  Since it was the time of Thanksgiving, I chose to read this book with my student so that she could gain more knowledge about the various Natives that lived in North America.  Spoecifically, this book spoke of those that lived in the plains, sometimes refered to as "Buffalo Indians."  I felt that this book was great in explaining what it was like to be a nomadic culture and to live with the land.

Students of Native American backgrounds, like many people who live in areas of Ohio, can possibly learn a little bit about their backgrounds.  Since much of the Native American culture has been destroyed, it's hard for these children to know where they come from.  Also, the book had a sense of humor that made me and my student chuckle on numerous occasions.

Using this to detail the lifestyles of the nomadic Native Americans on the plains and then cross reference it with the lifestyles of coastal Natives would be an interesting activity for my class. This could teach a lesson that not all Native Americans wore feathers and gave turkeys to settlers.

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11/9/16
Fiction-Graphic Novel

This book is an adaptation of the class novel by Jules Vern.  The professor, Arronax, find themselves on-board the Nautilus, piloted by the infamous Captain Nemo.  They know that this submarine is a technological marvel and that they are lucky to be found by Nemo.  But later, the professor and the others realize they are held captive.  When they escape, they never see Nemo or Nautilus again and wonder if they ever will.  I like this book because it is a graphic adaptation that is in the form of a comic book.  With the advent of Captain Underpants and its structural layout, this book was chosen by my reader because of this style.

Students who enjoy graphic novels like the Captain Underpants series will enjoy this book.  It is full of colorful images and meaning behind each picture.  students who use a lot of visual and meaning while reading would greatly benefit from this book.

A great teaching point could be how sometimes we react in a way that is not always the best. Nemo aggressively defends his technology and his crew at the expense of others. We could discuss what alternate reactions Nemo could have instead of destruction.

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11/16/16
Non-Fiction-Early chapter

This book is a non-fiction text that discusses what life was like in Colonial America.  It poses a question as its chapter and then proceeds to answer with decent detail.  It spoke about what clothing was like and how at the age of 6, children would begin dressing like adults.  It stated that the people drank beer all the time, even the children.  I loved this book because it immediately hooks students with its question.  I wanted to read more when i started analyzing the book, and my case study wanted to read more as well during her new book reading.

Students who love history and love historical facts will enjoy this book.  This explains what life was like for the Europeans who colonized the New England states.  It also hooks them with the question as stated above.

This book itself is a teaching point. There are so many great ideas to use this book for. It could be put up against books about Native American life and see how everything was different, but what ideals were the same, if any.

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9/3/2016
Fiction-Picture book

Miss Nelson decides to teach her class a lesson by disappearing and bringing in a friend to get her class into shape. The children do not know what to make of this and desperately want Miss Nelson back.  I like this book because many students deal with substitute teachers and many students rely on their teachers presence.  Even those without the best of behaviors.

I like this book for kids because it lets students know that your behavior has a consequence.  It also lets students know that you should respect your teacher or else, something might happen.

A good teaching point is using this to teach consequence or cause and effect.

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9/1/16
Fiction-Picture Book

This book is about an alien boy who is set on making the best racer in the galaxy.  He is desperate to make his debut and he asks for help to make this a reality. I really like this book because at the end, it asks questions about the book at the very end.  So, as an independent read, it offers up its on comprehension questions.  Also there are stickers.

This book would be interesting to students who are into space aliens and building.  It promotes hard work and collaboration efforts.

My teaching point could be having kids work together to build something better and to have faith in oneself.

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10/11/2016
Fiction-Picture Book

In this book, the Dinotrux are preparing for their first day at school.  Just like children going to school for the first time, they are all concerned with what their future holds.  I like this book because one, its cute, two, it has the names of the characters on a separate page because they are really hard to pronounce and may require extra time.  In this way, you can study the names without losing out on comprehension.

This book would be interesting to kids who are afraid of their first days of school.  It may be more intriguing to male students than female but I feel all students can benefit.

My teaching point could be acceptance and preparedness for the unknown. Preparedness now saves grief later.

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10/3-14/16
Fiction-Chapter Book

In this classic, Stuart Little is an adopted mouse struggling to live in a human society.  He is a gentleman and believes in honor and being well groomed.  Eventually he befriends a bird name Margalo.  As he falls in love with her, she flies away.  Grief stricken, he begins his journey to find her.  Along his way he meets many friends, including a human who is just as tall as he is.  I love this classic as it offers up almost a hidden love story of boats, as Stuart is a man of the water, and mice mischief.  He never stops being a gentleman and it gives male students someone to look up to.

Students may enjoy the timely classic and get into the character of Stuart as he is a stranger to the Little household.  He works hard and always tries to do whats right.

A good teaching point is focusing on Stuart's inner monologue. What does he say when he struggles with things humans take for granted? Do we ever feel that way in our real lives?

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19 years ago
Fiction-Chapter Book

This book will always bee dear to my heart.  Sunflash, Veil, and Bella of Brocktree will forever have a place in my heart.  Sunflash, an orphaned badger, vows to slaw the evil Swarth Sixclaw, father of Veil.  Veil, orphaned at the great Redwall Abbey, grows eviler by the day until Bella demands he be exiled from the great abbey.  Byrony, a mousemaid ordered to be his protector, goes after him.  Sunflash is captured, and Veil happens upon his father.  Sixclaw attempts to kill Veil's foster mother and takes the hit for her.  As he dies, Sunflash destroys Sixclaw and returns to the abbey, to meet his mother, Bella.

Students have so many characters to latch onto.  If you feel like you are a bad kid but inside you really want to do the right thing, Veil is your guy.  If you have honor and pride and devotion, you are Bella.  If you are strong and fearless...sometimes bullheaded, you are Sunflash.

Character connections could be a great teaching point. The author is great at giving so much emotion to each character that by the time the book is through, you feel like you are among friends. Comparing and contrasting the characters to ourselves is a great way to figure out who you are.