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Title: Haikyu! Volume 12
Author: Haruichi Furudate
Illustrator: Haruichi Furudate
Date Published: June 6, 2017

Publisher: Viz Media LLC
Age group: 13-17 years old
Reading level: 7th to 9th grade
Pages: 216
Theme: Perseverance and Teamwork
Topic: Volleyball/ sports
Genre: fiction
Illustrations: ink

Synopsis: After winning the match to get into the inter preliminaries, the Karasuno volleyball team is all set to go into their first official volleyball match against a highly-skilled private school. It turns out that there are many obstacles that the team will need to face which include tall blockers and skilled setters, some wild cards that are hard to read along with sustaining several injuries in the way. The players from Karasuno aren't too concerned though because they have prepared for this very moment and have several tricks ( and trick shots) up to their sleeves.

My reaction: I am not one for sports, little less volleyball. I seriously came into this series thinking that it would be boring with all the technical terms and watching the same thing happen over and over again. Surprisingly, I really enjoyed this manga because the humor and the characters really went well together. The characters really are highschools students and so their behaviors really match that fact which I like because I am not sure I like characters who act high and mighty. These characters have flaws and their own tribulations that are visible to the readers.

Subject Connections: Physical edcuation

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Title: One Smaart goose

Author: Caroline Jayne Church
Illustrator: Caroline Jay Church
Date Published: April 2005

Publisher: Orchard
Age group:3-5 years olds
Reading level: Pre-K
Pages: 32 pages
Theme: Loneliness
Topic: Farm animals: predators
Genre: fiction
Illustrations: Acrylics

Synopsis: The goose lives on a farm with other geese. The other geese aren't very nice to him and treat him as an outcast because he does have a clean coat or a shiny beak. It isn't until that pesky fox comes back around that the other geese give Goose a chance.

My reaction: Again, I love books with charismatic waterfowl its my weakness, and I just can't help but pick books with waterfowl protagonists. I love how smart Goose is in this book and how kind he is too. He could have chosen to withhold information that the other geese needed but he didnt. He was a good sharer and a good friend which makes Goose a great example for young readers.

Subject Connections: Kindness

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Title: Judy Moody and the not so bummer summer
Author: Megan Mcdonald
Illustrator: Peter H. Reynolds
Date Published: 2011

Publisher: Candlewick
Age group: 7-9 years old
Reading level: First to Fourth Grade
Pages:208
Theme: Friendship and Childhood
Topics: Vacation, family, and friends
Genre: fiction
Illustrations: watercolor, tea, and ink

Synopsis: Judy Moody is determined to have the best summer ever with her best friends. When her best friends reveal that they cant spend time with her this summer due to their family vacation plans, Judy is devasted and ready to call off summer vacation and stay in her room until school starts up again. When her fun aunt Opal shows up, however, things start to look up.

My reaction: I loved the Judy moody books growing up. They were one of my favorite series growing up and I can't help but reread them with a smile on my face. Rereading the story helped me understand some of the themes of growing up and going through disappointing moments that life throws our way. The book helps resolve some of that disappointment by helping Judy see the opportunities she has to have fun and make the best of things

Subject Connections: Life lessons

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Title: Sign off
Author: Stephen Savage
Illustrator: Stephen Savage
Date Published: May 7, 2019

Publisher: Beach lane books
Age group: 3-5 years old
Reading level: Preschool- Third Grade
Pages: 56
Theme: Imagination
Topic: Road signs
Genre: Fiction
Illustrations: Acrylic

Synopsis: This is a wordless book but somehow captures the story without them ( words). The symbols on the sign are jumping right off and heading off to the top of the hill to meet each other.  Now, what are they up to?

My reaction: This book was really entertaining and I like how it told a story without words but retained a steady plot. There was a reason all the symbols on the sign were jumping off and meeting at one place and that was because it turned out they were helping the sunrise! That was a fun twist that I didn't expect and I think would be delightful for younger readers.

Subject Connections: Road structure and Symbolism

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Title: Dragons love tacos 2: The sequel
Author: Adam Rubin
Illustrator: Daniel Salmieri
Date Published: May 2, 2017

Publisher: Dial books
Age group: 3-5 years old
Reading level: Prek- kindergarden
Pages: 48
Theme: Enjoy what you have when you have it
Topic: Time Travel
Genre: Fiction
Illustrations: watercolors, gouache, color pencil, graphite pencil, color pencils, and digital shenanigans

Synopsis: Dragons love tacos! They will eat soft tacos and hard-shelled tacos severed any which way. At a taco place or at a huge taco party where dragons from all overeat tacos. One problem though; because of the huge taco party the dragons had earlier, there is a worldwide shortage of tacos. The dragons are devasted and decide to go back in time with a time machine from their garage. Can they find the right period to stop in to get those tacos?

My reaction: I think this author took things they know kids love, like tacos and dragons, and put them into a story together. This is the sequel to another book, dragons love tacos which I think is great that it got a second book. I loved how the conflict is resolved by planting a taco and how that taco became a taco plant you could harvest actual tacos from. It's so creative and something kids would enjoy seeing.

Subject Connections: Mythical creatures and fantasy

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Title: Sooty Paws: A cinderella story
Author: Maggie Rudy
Illustrator: Maggie Rudy
Date Published: 2020, January 28

Publisher: Henery Holt
Age group: 4-8 years old
Reading level: pre-k to 2nd grade
Pages: 40 pages
Theme: Kindness pays off and dreams do come true
Topic: Fairytales and Magic
Genre: Fantasy
Illustrations: Photography

Synopsis: Sooty paws have had a hard life. Both her parents died when she was young all she has now is her stepmom and step rat sisters who turned her into their maid. When it's announced that the prince is throwing a ball her step-rat sisters get to go and are excited to meet the prince. Sooty paws want to go to the ball too but don't have anything to wear. With a little bit of magic, she can go and have a spectacular time and get her happy ending but with a happy twist.

My reaction: I love the cinderella story and how there are so many different interpretations and versions depending on the culture. What I especially like about this cinderella adaptation is that instead of a human cinderella there is an animal one, a cute little mouse. All the other little characters are mice and the stepsisters are rats which I think is fitting. There's a twist I usually don't see at the end, where instead of marrying the prince and becoming a princess, little Sooty Paws changes her name to Rosie like was before her stepfamily came into her life and then went off to have adventures with the prince, who decided he didnt want to be a prince either and joined Rosie in her adventures. That's an ending I don't see very often but, its a happy one

Subject Connections: Art

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Title: Pedro and George
Author: Delphine Perret
Illustrator: Delphine Perret
Date Published: June 2, 2015

Publisher:  Atheneum books
Age group: Ages 4-8
Reading level: Preschool to 2nd Grade
Pages:32
Theme: Life is full of teaching moments
Topic: Nature
Genre: fiction
Illustrations: black felt pen and colored ink

Synopsis: Pedro is a crocodile. George is an alligator. They are cousins with many distinct characteristics but people keep getting them mixed up. They decide to travel the world and investigate why people on the other side of the world cant tell them apart and their travels bring them to the city, where they find a school and some school children. Specifically, Mrs. Muiches's class where students become good friends with and learn all about the two reptiles.

My reaction: I am glad this book teaches the difference between alligators and crocodiles. It's a random kind of fact but it's great to know the distinction. After reading this book, I can see the differences, if not in a silly way. George is an alligator who tried to eat someone's shoes and Pedro was a crocodile who hid behind the cupboard as George was being karate chopped.

Subject Connections: Biology and animal anatomy

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Title: Ducks Vacation
Author: Gilad Soffer
Illustrator: Patrick collins
Date Published: 2015

Publisher: Feiwel and freinds
Age group:2-5 years
Reading level: preschool
Pages: 48
Theme: Conflict can be intentional or non-intentional
Topic: Ducks and adventures
Genre: fiction
Illustrations: colored pencils and graphite

Synopsis: Duck is on a beach for his vacation. He is having a great time until trouble comes along in the form of us, the reader! Turning the page makes very silly things happen to poor duck and he just can't take it.

My reaction: What a silly book! It's very creative since I haven't seen anything like it before. It's definitely a book I could lead to my younger sister and we would laugh and have a lot of fun reading. I don't know what it is, but I love books about silly ducks. They are so much fun and very entertaining

Subject Connections: Biology ( like environments and what makes a good habitat)

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Title: The Little Guys
Author: Vera Brosgol
Illustrator: Vera Brosgol
Date Published: 2019

Publisher: Roaring Brooks Press
Age group: 3-6 years old
Reading level: 1st to 2nd grade
Pages: 40
Theme: Don't be greedy, share
Topic: Nature
Genre: Fiction
Illustrations: Dip pen, acrylic ink, watercolor, and photoshop

Synopsis: The little guys are little bearded creatures with big round noses and acorn hats that cover their eyes. They live on a little island in the forest and there are lots and lots of them because there is strength in numbers. They can cross rivers with each other's help. They find breakfast together and lift heavy things together to find things. They end up disturbing many animals such as squirrels, owls, foxes, and even bears! The little guys feel strong and unbeatable but they get in trouble and need the help of the other forest animals. After all, the little guys bullied all the other forest animals. Will the forest animals forgive them and step in and save them?

My reaction: This book was a fun read. The illustrations were fun, the plot went along nicely and the was a good resolution to the conflict and everyone was able to exercise forgiveness. I don't think it was easy for the animals to forgive the Little guys but somehow they found it in their hearts to forgive them when they saw them struggling. I thought that was kind of them and set a good example for their little ones and I think they did that not only because their little ones were watching but also because they were good animals who didnt want to see anyone hurt.

Subject Connections: Biology

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Title: Watch out!
Author: Jan Fearnley
Illustrator: Jan Fearnley
Date Published: 2004

Publisher: Candlewick Press
Age group: 4-7 years old
Reading level: preschool-second grade
Pages: 40
Theme: Listen carefully
Topic: Parent/child relationships
Genre: fiction
Illustrations: watercolor and ink

Synopsis: Wilf is a busy little mouse. He likes to play and jump around, but he's so reckless he's bound to get hurt. Oh, how his mom chastises him and asks him to slow down, but he doesn't listen. She really asks him over and over again to be careful but he just doesn't listen. She really wishes he'd listen and he does..... eventually.

My reaction: What a darling book! The little mouse characters are adorable and I think that the illustrator perfectly captured the energy that kids have and how it's really hard sometimes to get them to listen. This book is a great example of the consequences one receives when not listening. In little Wilf's situation, he didnt get physical punishments like timeouts but he did get a scolding from his mom. This book depicts a healthy relationship between mom and son in how the mom watches out for the son and the son is able to see how his actions affect others. It's important to see how our actions affect others, even if it's too late.

Subject connections: Manners and responsibility

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Title: Beautiful Blackbird
Author: Ashley Byran
Illustrator: Ashley Byran
Date Published: April 19th, 2011

Publisher: Atheneum Books for young readers
Age group: 4-8 years old
Reading level: preschool to third grade
Pages: 40
Theme: Discovering the beauty within
Topic: Animals and heritage
Genre: fiction
Illustrations: Collage

Synopsis: Blackbird was the most beautiful bird in the forest with its shiny black feathers. The other birds had yellow, green, red, or blue feathers and they were jealous of the blackbird's feathers. They wanted to be as handsome as a blackbird with their black feathers, so they put places and lots of colors on their bodies and feathers. Blackbird, being the wise bird he is, told everyone they are fine just the way they are, and it's what is on the inside that counts. The other birds still insist, so they end up with a splash, a dot or line of black on some part of their body that is still there today on these birds.

My reaction: I think that this story is a wonderful example of beauty standards and how body image and the way we portray it affect others. Blackbird was flattered that everyone liked his feathers but that didnt mean he wanted everyone to be like him. He reminded them of their own individual beauty which I feel like sometimes I compare others' beauty without seeing my own merits. I know what I want but I overlook the traits that are fairly positive but seeing how someone else views me like how the blackbird views the other birds helps me see the good. This book teaches self-love which is subtle but important for kids and all ages.

Subject connections: Fables, world history and mythology

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Title: The Day You Begin
Author: Jacqueline Woodson
Illustrator: Rafael Lopez
Date Published: August 28th, 2018

Publisher: Nancey Paulsen
Age group: 5-8 years old
Reading level: kindergarten to third grade
Pages: 32
Theme: Identity and culture
Topic: Being yourself and having the courage to be yourself
Genre: Fiction
Illustrations: Acrylics

Synopsis: It's okay to be different and to feel different than others around you. Maybe the way you talk is different or the way you sing, play, and dance. It's hard to be different and notice all the ways you aren't like someone else. SO how do you do it, going out in the world and finding the courage to say who you are? This book explores the way to find your voice and understand who you are.

My reaction: I thought that this book helped my self-confidence. I know it's not my reading range or for my age group but something about it helped me find some confidence about who I am. I can't tell you how many times I was afraid to speak up about who I was and what I liked of the fear of judgment and jeering from others because of what I said. I still worry about what others think but I soon realized that it's not about them and what they think has nothing to do with me. What matters most is what I think of myself, my family, my traditions, beliefs, hobbies, likes, dislikes and so much more. There are going to be times people don't think the same way I do and that's okay. I didnt expect them to be just like me.

Subject Connections: The study of humans and actions ( anthropology)

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Title: My granny went to the market: A-around the world counting rhyme
Author: Stella Blackstone
Illustrator: Christopher Corr
Date Published: 2005

Publisher: Barefoot books
Age group: Kindergarten - third grade
Reading level: 5-8 years old
Pages: 23
Theme: Exploring the world is an adventure
Topic: world travels
Genre: fiction
Illustrations: Acrylics

Synopsis: Granny is going on a worldwide shopping spree by hopping on her magic carpet she got from Instanbul. She hopped from continent to continent and got some souvenirs from each country. She collects so many many souvenirs that she has to share her treasures with her granddaughters.

My reaction: This was a very silly book that very much gave me the 12 days of Christmas vibes. The grandma, err granny collects one thing, then 2, then 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 different things from each country which I think is a little selfish but it does teach about culture and different customs which is great but some of the depictions of people from different countries seem a bit off so I will make sure to explain to kids when reading this book about stereotypes.

Subject Connections: World History, Social Studies, and the study of people and behavior

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Title: Things to Do
Author: Elaine Ma
Illustrator: Catia Chien
Date Published: February 7th, 2017

Publisher: Chronicle Books
Grade level: Preschool- kindergarten
Reading level: 3-5 years old
Pages: 40
Theme: Beauty of simplicity
Topic: Nature
Genre: fiction (poem)
Illustrations: watercolor

Synopsis: Things to do is about natures purpouse. For example, Dawn's purpouse is to wake up the sun. The suns purpouse is to rule the sky with its shine. The skys purpouse is to stay clear and blue. Each element of nature has a purpouse, a wonderful important purpouse that we sometimes take for granted.

My reaction: This was a darling book. I loved the ryhmes and the sweet illustratins that were paired with the story. The story was told through the poems and each illustratation showed a little boy playing by the element of nature being discribed. Like maybe the kid is under the moonlight sky and admiring the fireflies and sounds of crickets. It made the the scene serene and it looks like the kid was admiring nature and living the moement. I loved that.

Subject Connections: Biolgly and art class

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Title: Willa the Silver Glitter Dragon (Dragon Girls, book #2)

Author: Maddy Mara
Illustrator: Maddy Mara
Date Published: May 4th, 2021

Publisher: Scholastic Paperbacks

Age group: 7 to 10 years old
Reading level: 2nd-5th grade
Pages: 144
Theme:  Believe in yourself and focus on the positive
Topic: Fantasy, swimming, mythical creatures, wildlife preservation, and heroism
Genre: Fantasy fiction
Illustrations: black and white pencil drawings

Synopsis:  Willa is one of the three dragon girls. She, along with her friends Naomi and Azmina can transform into giant dragons but only when they are called into the magic forest from the call of the true queen. This time around, for this adventure, Willa is in charge of leading the mission to make another potion, this time to clear the magic river of evil shadow sprites who polluted the usually shiny green river to a mute grey. The three ingredients for this quest include a tear from a donkey fish, invisible ink, and a perfect egg from the worrywart hen. All these ingredients sound silly and impossible to find. Will Willa be able to find all the ingredients before the shadow spirits completely overtake and weaken the water supply and the tree queen? Will Willa be able to overcome the harsh whisperings of the shadow spirits and lead her friends on this grand adventure?

My reaction: This is the second book in the dragon girl series. This time, the book is from the point of view of Willa, the silver glitter dragon of the group. She was the swimmer of the group and her talents helped the dragons on their quest to save the magic forest. The part I liked about this book is how it showed realistic reactions to fear and intrusive thinking. There were times the evil spirits whispered in Willa's ear that she couldn't complete the quest and she would let her friends down. She reacted to this by ( understandably) doubting herself for a second but then bouncing back when she realized that she was in control and she could do something about the situation, turning hopeful instead of fearful. I wish I had seen this message when I was younger because I could have used it.

Subject Connections: Mythology and mythical creatures

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Title: Azmina the Gold Glitter Dragon (Dragon Girls, book #1)

Author: Maddy Mara
Illustrator: Maddy Mara
Date Published: May 4th, 2021

Publisher: Scholastic Paperbacks

Age group: 7 to 10 years old
Reading level: 2nd-5th grade
Pages: 144
Theme: Working together solves problems
Topic: Fantasy, wildlife preservation, and heroism
Genre: Fantasy fiction
Illustrations: black and white pencil drawings
Synopsis: Azmina is new to town because she just moved here. She can make some good friends, Willa and Namoi at school and together they are the best of friends. They also share a magical secret; they can magically turn into dragons! Big sparkly dragons that can only be summoned by the call of the magic forest. The magic forest calls them when they need them the most and the forest needs the dragon girls' help when the evil shadow sprites start to block the sun's rays! Can Azmina, Naomi, and will gather all the ingredients for a potion in time to stop the shadow sprites from completely taking over?

My reaction: This book was cute, a bit simple, definitely not in my age group but still fun to read. I liked how the story focused on friendships and working together because you can never have too many friendship stories. This friendship story just had dragons, three best friends who were humans, and dragons.  Even though they were dragons, the characters didnt seem invincible or perfect, and throughout the book, they were overcoming some of their imperfections and mistakes. Like one character was extremely clumsy and another was so strongwilled that they reused help ( at first). It was through their friendship that this character realized that they didnt have to go through anything alone and that it's okay, they'll go through it together.

Subject Connections: Fairy tales and mythology

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Title: The Unicorn Whisper: Another phoebe and her unicorn adventure
Author: Dana Simpson
Illustrator: Dana Simpson
Date Published: October 8, 2019

Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing

Age group: 7-12 years old
Reading level: Grades 2 through 6
Pages: 176
Theme: Friendship is magic
Topic: Unicorns, seasons, unlikely friendships between creatures and school
Genre: Graphic novels, comics
Illustrations: Acrylic and hand-drawn

Synopsis: Unlike most little girls, Phoebe has her very unicorn named Marigold Heavenly nostrils who she meet when she helped Marigold look away from her reflection ( she got stuck and couldn't look away). Ever since that day, Marigold and Phoebe are the best of friends and go on all sorts of adventures. Form Going to school together (Marigold lets phoebe ride her to school), to hanging out with cute little goblins and a dragon named todd who can vomit candy ( wrapped of course). There's a splash of magic and a whole lot of fun with these two.

My reaction: Again, this is one of my favorite series in one of my favorite formats, graphic novels with fantasy themes. I love the humor in these books because they are subtle and even sometimes continuous in the series. It matches my sense of humor and it helps because the pictures match the jokes perfectly. I found myself giggling a lot through this book.

Subject Connections: Mythology and Myths

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Title: Rosetta's Dress mess
Author: Laura Driscoll
Illustrator: RH/Disney

Date Published: January 10th, 2012

Publisher: RH/ Disney
Age group: 6-9 years old
Reading level: Grade 1-4
Pages: 128
Theme: Creativity can come from many sources
Topic: Fairies, sewing, and friendship
Genre: Fantasy
Illustrations: Watercolor

Synopsis: Rosetta may be a garden talent fairy but she shes a garden fairy with a great taste in fashion. She loves hats, scarves, shoes, dresses, and accessories and isn't afraid to give fashion advice to anyone who seeks her help. When Rosetta gets the chance of a lifetime to design and model a dress for the upcoming fairy fashion show, she took it without a second thought. After a terrible accident involving a construction worker fairy and a wooden board, Rosetta loses her fashion sense and starts making wild fashion choices! Can rosetta gain her fashion sense in time to make a dress fit for the fashion show?

My reaction: I love these series because they are so magical and they go back to a time when I was younger and going through a fairy phase. I am out of that phase now, but I love all things fairies and dream of flying off with my own set of wings. The book was just as great as I remembered, if not far below my reading level. It was nicely paced, the pictures were wonderful and I looked forward to turning the page and seeing the illustrations. There are strong themes of friendship which I appreciate because it depicts a healthy relationship where you can talk to someone about what's on your mind and those people won't judge you for it. That's what true friendship is about

Subject connections: Art and mythology

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Title: Supermarket

Author: Kathleen Krull

Illustrator: Melanie Hope Greenburg

Date Published: August 13, 2015

Publisher: Holiday House, Incorporated

Age group: 4-8 years old

Reading level: Preschool to 3rd grade

Pages: 32

Theme: Normalities of everyday life

Topic: Supply chains, agriculture, human behavior

Genre: Non-fiction

Illustrations: watercolors, colored pencils

Synopsis: A supermarket is a place where you can buy everything you need like food, toilet paper, flowers, and so much more. This book explores how products get onto the store shelves, where the food comes from, how it gets to the stores, what you can buy at the store, how you check out and buy groceries and so much more. The supermarket is not a new way for people to get food, the books reveal. People have been getting food in different ways over the centuries like trading items for food, having stalls and growing their gardens, and eating what they have to have small shops and storefronts on busy streets. The evolution of marketplaces is a fun learning experience with this book, with fun facts on each page and bright illustrations.

My reaction: What a fun book! it had so much information and fun pictures for each fact such as the illustrations for that page being specific to the text. The setting for the page could be the frozen food section and its refrigerators and what is in the freezers is what the text is referring to. My favorite picture captions combination is the part where the book talks about the deli and describes all the food there like sliced meats and the fish slapped on beds of ice shards. Those descriptions give me, the reader such a vivid picture in my mind of what the book was describing. I mean, I have been to the supermarket thousands of times in my life and I know what sort of things you can buy there but I thought it was great that the book could make me feel like I was experiencing the supermarket for the first time.

Subject connections: World history and social studies

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Title: Pura's Cuentos: How Pura Belpré Reshaped Libraries with Her Stories

Illustrator: Magaly Morales

Publisher: Abrams Books for Young Readers

Date Published: September 7, 2021

Number of pages: 40 pages

Reading level: 4 - 8 years

Grade level: Preschool through 3rd grade

Genre: Biography and Non-fiction

Theme: Everyone has a story and stories are meant to be shared

Book Cover: Bright colors made from watercolor. Shows Pura gesturing and telling a story to a group of kids listening eagerly.

Synopsis: Pura loved hearing the stories her Abuela told her growing up because she did it with such vigor and excitement with hand motions, voices, and volume. Pura learned much from these stories and took them into her heart as she moved from Puerto Rico to New York. She got a job as a librarian which she loved dearly but found that there weren't any stories that she was familiar with like the ones she grew up hearing so she told the stories during storytime at the library with the same vigor as her Abuela did all those years ago when she told the stories. Her audience loved the way she told a story, both young and old came to see her read. She built cultural bridges between all cultures in Harlem and she welcomed all to the library.

My reaction: I was really excited to see a stand-alone book about Pura Belpre the famous bilingual librarian. She was in the book Latinas: Celebrating 40 big dreamers and I was happy to see how one page from that book was expanded into 39 more pages of her wonderful life story. The illustrations were lively and fit with the story being told along with how the illustrations reflected the story in a bright and colorful way. I wish I heard of Pure Belpre sooner because reading her stories and about her life sooner would help me understand culture and identity better in the sense that it's individualized and each story from the cultures I read from is different. There are some similarities between the two people but differences in reaction, time, and place which make the most similar occurrences different. I just like how united and centered in purpose these women are. They were willing to put their lives on the line for their countries, families, and communities which is pretty legit considering that some people think women are weak and timid. These women broke those stereotypes and set a high standard for humanity

Subject Connections: History and social studies

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Title: Latinas: Celebrating 40 big dreamers

Author: Juilet Menendez

Illustrator: Juilet Menendez

Date Published: February 23, 2021

Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)

Age group: 8-12 years old

Reading level: Third and fourth grade

Pages: 120

Theme: Standing up for what you believe in takes courage, faith, and hope

Topic: Culture, identity, family, hobbies, ambitions, and dreams

Genre: Biography

Illustrations: Watercolors

Synopsis: Juliet Menendez is a teacher who taught students who were bicultural and had families from places like the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and Mexico. Menendez wanted her students to have some fresh historical figureheads to look up to besides people like Einstein, Benjamin Franklin, and Dali. Those are well-known historical figures and they each have a rich history that is well known but there are also some other historical figures with rich histories from places like Peru, Colombia, Cuba, and Ecuador. They all contributed to enlighten the population about issues affecting their people and didnt hesitate to step up and fight for what they believed is right. These figures were women, women of color and Latina descent, some of the bravest women throughout history

My reaction: This book was delightful. I learned much and even recognized several of the people in the book from other sources like TV shows and what my friends who are Latina tell me. The singer Selena Quintanilla was a familiar name I came across in this book and it was familiar to me from the fact my aforementioned friends talked about the singer often. They had some theories on what happened and how it was so hard to find her merch. I didn't know anything about her other than what my friends told me. I had to google some additional facts about Selena because I was curious to find out more about her. This book is a great way to explore culture and individuality because it looks at different women and the changes they made to the world. No two women have the same story although they have similarities like the death of a loved one, war raging in their country, poverty, or a beloved family tradition. Each girl was smart, generous, and accepting of others and they broke out of the traditional roles and expectations of society. They were courageous and true to themselves, something I think is amazing and necessary to teach young children. How to be brave and to have courage is something you can learn from these ladies.

Subject Connections: History, social studies, science

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Title: Born Ready: The true story of a boy named Penelope
Author: Jodie Patterson
Illustrator: Charnelle Pinkney Barlow
Date Published: April 20th, 2021

Publisher: Crown Books for Young Readers

Age group: 4-8 years old
Reading level: Preschool to Third Grade
Pages: 41
Theme: Be true to yourself and you would be stronger for it
Topic: Gender Identity
Genre: Creative non-fiction
Illustrations: Hand-drawn with a pencil. Loots of whimsical lines and patterns

Synopsis: Penelope has always known he's a boy. He's certain of it, just as certain that he's a skilled ninja. Hiya! His only problem is that people are doubting who he is and it kind of makes him upset. Why is it so hard to believe he's a boy? He knows he and understands it but he sees how difficult it is for others to accept it. His parents understand and encourage him to tell others he is a boy and to stand proud because he knows who he is. Penelope's confidence is catching and his friends and his family and teachers can understand who Penelope is inside. A ninja, a skateboarder, and a boy.

My reaction: This was a great book. It took me a bit to catch on to what was going on but I was able to realize what it was hinting at. The book didnt straight out say transgender but with the repeated use of Penelope's preferred pronouns, I understood what was going on. I thought it was awesome how everyone was so accepting and welcoming to this change. They made Penelope feel comfortable and supported her. They didnt ask invasive questions or make inappropriate comments but instead asked him what he wanted to be called and his pronouns which is the most healthy way to go about it. I know every story isn't going to be happy like this one but I am glad that it shows what a healthy environment looks like; a supportive environment with people who care.

Subject Connections: Social studies, and social anthropology studies

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Title: El Deafo
Author: Cece Belle
Illustrator: David Lasky
Date Published: September 2, 2014

Publisher: Amulet Books

Age group: 8-12 Years old
Reading level: Third Grade through Seventh grade
Pages: 248
Theme: Overcoming Challenges
Topics: Disabilities, communication, and integrity
Genre: Autobiography
Illustrations: Cartoon style

Synopsis: Cece is deaf. She became deaf after a bout of meningitis and had to learn how to speak and hear all over again when she got her hearing aid. She couldn't hear as well as she used to so she misheard people a lot and couldn't understand what the people on tv were saying. On top of that, her hearing device was huge and she was kind of embarrassed about it but as time went on, she got smaller hearing aids and was able to get through school. School wasnt easy for her at first but with some adjustments on the teacher's part and the curriculum, Cece was able to make good grades. Cece saw herself as a superhero because of her ability to hear differently.

My reaction: I like how this book was something that focused on disabilities. It's not very often I come across a book that positively depicts a disability, a little less an autobiography in graphic novel form.  I also think it brings to head how people want to be treated with disabilities. They don't want pity or to be spoken down to but instead to be talked to and treated fairly. They may have a disability but that doesn't mean they aren't a person. They want to laugh with you, share stories with you, play fun games, and tell jokes. That's what Cece wanted and it was hard for her to be seen as an equal but when she found the right people as friends who supported her for who she was. I have had friends who had disabilities and they were some of the funniest people I know. Our friendships created an environment where we were comfortable with each other and our differences. This book is a great way to bring awareness for disabilities and how to approach a topic like this for elementary kids. It might be new and uncharted territory for them so it would be very educational

Subject Connections: Health, Friendships, Social Studies

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Title: Ban this book
Author: Alan Gratz
Illustrator: None. There are no pictures in this book
Date Published: September 26, 2017

Publisher: Lothian Children's Books
Age group: 9-12 years old
Reading level: 4th grade to 6th grade
Pages: 256
Theme: Family and school injustice
Topic: Books, growing up, social justice
Genre: Fiction
Illustrations: None

Synopsis: Amy Anne Ollinger was upset to find that her favorite book, The Messed up files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler was removed from the shelf of her elementary school library. Why? Because it was banned. And who decided to do such a thing? The librarian wasn't one to do it but rather another student's mom who had a lot of bearing on the decision because of her connections and money. Mary Anne had the opportunity to speak up about the decision and state her feelings at a board meeting but lose her nerve and didnt speak up at the board, leaving her favorite book still off the shelf and still banned. More books are being banned because the same mom keeps making complaints about the books and the school board agrees and makes the school librarian pull them off the shelves. Amy Anne is furious. She believes no books should be taken off the shelves because they don't like what's inside of them! Heck, half the books they are banning are ones the school board never read but they are scared of the content inside the books. Mary Anne and some of her friends decide that there's only one thing to do to combat the censoring: start an illegal locker library of copies of the banned books donated by her fellow students.

My reaction: I liked this book. it had me on edge, wondering what would happen next but if anything, it was a bit predictable. I knew that Amy Anne would pull through and get all the books unbanned while finding her voice and standing up for herself. I also knew she would get in trouble for what she was doing and in the end, she would get out of trouble and be the hero. Besides that, it was a really good book. It had the right amount of humor, the characters matched their ages meaning they didnt act older or more mature than they were and they acted like normal elementary students. The adults were supportive and kind but they were not the ones making a change because their kids were making a change which drives the point that the book was made about kids being able to change the world in their ways. I remember reading the book The Messed up files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. It was for my third-grade class. I can't remember most of the things that happen in the book, little fewer things about it that would get it banned. I couldn't believe it was banned! For what, supposed immortality? Okay, I can understand the concern but I highly doubt my third-grade teacher would let us read something if it was as bad as they assume. Of course, this was in 2009, before cancel culture and widespread media usage so maybe that's why.

Subject Connection: World History, Social studies, Language arts

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Title: The breadwinner
Author: Deborah Ellis
Illustrator: Deborah Ellis
Date Published: January 1st, 2018

Publisher: Groundwood books
Age group: 10 to 14 years old
Reading level: Fifth Grade to ninth grade
Pages: 80
Theme: Courage
Topic: War, bravery and family
Genre: Fiction
Illustrations: Watercolor (?)

Synopsis: Parvana is 11 years old and living through the events of the afghanistan war in 2001. She lives with her mom, her dad, her baby brother, and her older sister. There isn't much food or water to around so Parvana and her family have to make food stretches. When they don't have money for food, Parvana and her father try to sell some of their items for some money but her father is wrongfully convicted. Parvana's family is heartbroken and tries to live with him but it seemed impossible when everything they did requires his presence. Little Pervana tried to get him freed from jail but she failed miserably. So as a last resort, she cut her hair, changed her name, and lived as a boy to help provide for her family.

My reaction: Holy cow this book hit hard. I had to remember that this was historical fiction for a second and not some dystopian society book. This book was based on real events, a real scary event that happened to real people. It takes place in 2001. I was only a baby at the time so I couldn't possibly understand whats going on but my parents might have. They were exposed to the news and the broadcasts and the articles that came out. I think that's right around the time the internet was reaching popularity and getting used to information and sharing information. Anyways, I never realized how severe the conflict was in afgastian. I don't know the sides. I don't know who won. I don't know if the U.S intervened or not but I do know it doesn't sit right with me how those women are treated. They weren't allowed to leave their homes without their husbands. They weren't allowed to read or write. The daughters were to married off at a young age and so many other things that just make me mad. This book perfectly triggers the right emotions and gives the reader a strong resolve to be a better person. I know that that conflict has long since been over for the last 20 odd years but I know that there is still a conflict happening over there and history is repeating itself. I am glad that I get to learn about these things through books and not things like the news and the internet.

Subject connections: World history, Current events, and social studies

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Title: Leo: A Ghost Story
Author: Mac Barnett
Illustrator: Christian Robinson
Date Published: Agust 25th, 2015

Publisher: Chronicle Books LLC

Age group: 3 to 5 years old
Reading level: Preschool to Kindergarten
Pages: 52 pages
Theme: Isolation, loneliness, and friendship
Topic: Friendship
Genre: Fiction, ghost story
Illustrations: Cut paper collage

Synopsis: Leo is a ghost. Not many people can see him but we the readers can. He happily spends his night coloring or playing with his toys but when a family moves into the abandoned mansion, things change and Leo is no longer alone in this house. He's more than happy to have people to keep him company but they didn't feel the same way so he had to leave and find somewhere else to live. He finds a  place to live with a little girl named Jane who can see him and isn't scared of him. Jane and Leo have a lot of fun together and Leo proves that he is more than an imaginary friend when a burglar breaks in.

My reaction: This book was cute. Very fitting for the supernatural and suspense subcategory for the Fantasy genre. A little boy who is a ghost from times of the past makes friends with a girl in the present. Despite that, they have a lot of fun which I think is good because despite their differences they have fun and they can connect which brings the message to young readers of getting along with people different than yourself and creating friendships based on shared interests. Not only that but trying to maintain friendships and basing them on trust.

Subject Connections: Social studies (studying people and their interactions)

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Title: The Gardener
Author: Sarah Stewart
Illustrator: David Small
Date Published: May 1st, 2007
Age group: 4-7 years old
Publisher: Square Fish
Reading level: 1st and 2nd Grade
Pages: 40 pages
Theme: Staying positive in the face of adversity
Topic: Hard work and perseverance
Genre: Fiction
Illustrations: Watercolor, pen, and ink

Synopsis: Lydia Grace finch lives in the countryside with her grandma, dad, and mom. She loves to tend to her garden and listen to the stories her family tells. One day, her dad loses her job, and can no longer take care of her family. Lydia is sent off to live with her Uncle Jim in the city. Uncle Jim is her mom's brother who runs a bakery in the city and Lydia goes to live with him until dad gets a job again. She keeps in touch with her family through writing letters and tells them everything going on over in the city. This whole book is told through the letters Lydia writes. She talks about how she helps out at the bakery, plants flowers, and tries to make her uncle smile, a challenge she is willing to accept. She does manage to make others smile and she brightens up their day.

My reaction: This book was delightful. It was colorful, meaningful, and a great example of historical fiction. It is about a little girl being rehomed because her father lost his job from the great recession and so she had to live with Uncle Jim in the city. Before I read this book, I haven't heard about rehoming children because of the great depression. I mean, I have read about the great depression in children's books like American girl, but the girl in those books got to stay with her family. The girl's name was Kit Kitteredge and her family, like other families during this era, was affected. The Kitteredge family started a boarding house for people who lost their houses from the recession. I guess that these two books helped me see different perspectives on the same historical event which makes me think that the American Girls book I read and the gardener would make a great book pair.

Subject Connection: social studies and history

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Title: Dumplings for Lili

Author:  Melissa Iwai

Illustrator: Melissa Iwai

Date Published: June 1st, 2021
Age group: 6 to 8 years old
Reading level: Preschool to 3 grade
Pages: 43 pages
Theme: Friendship and intergenerational care
Topic: Cooking and Sharing
Genre: fiction
Illustrations: a combination of watercolors and acrylics

Synopsis: Lilli is so excited! She gets to make baos with Nene ( her grandmother), which is her favorite pastime. Boas is a sweet dumpling made with delicious filling and sweet dough. There's a special way to make boas and Lili shares with us how to make them taste delicious. There's just one little snag; they're out of lettuce, an important ingredient in making their boas! Oh no. Not to fear. Lili runs up the stairs to ask the sweet old lady up on flour 4 if she had any lettuce to spare. Little Lili can get the lettuce from the grandma but that sparks a quest to get another ingredient
for this woman from another floor, and then that spiraled into Lilli getting more and more ingredients for people on different floors.  Lili can fulfill all these orders in time to bring back the lettuce for the Baos with her Nene.

My reaction: This is an adorable book. It's so much fun to read. I liked seeing how kind Lili was and how she went the extra mile. She didn't have to go up down all those flights of stairs just for one or two small things but she did. That showed how kind she was and how helpful she was too. On another note, I liked how some of the books I have read this semester share the theme of cooking with a loved one. I have lots of memories of cooking with my grandma and sisters. We would make peanut butter cookies, preserve jam, cook some delicious but greasy sausages, and my personal favorite, her muffins that she makes from a mix. My favorite part was mixing the batter for the muffins and swiping a taste of the batter before grandma could see me out and chew me out. Preparing the food was the best but not as fun as eating the finished product which was always so yummy. I am glad that Lili got a chance to eat the Baos she made

Subject Connections: Social studies, language, and cooking.

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Title: Kiki's Delivery Service
Author: Eiko Kadono
Illustrator: Akiko Hayashi
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Date Published: January 25th, 1985
Reading level: Ages 10 to 12
Pages: 202
Theme: It's difficult becoming an adult
Topic: Strength of women, maturity, and dreams coming true
Genre: Fantasy fiction
Illustrations: Pencils and ink

Synopsis: Kiki is a witch. She came from a long line of witches on her mother's side. Witches are slowly becoming a rare breed,  with the magical practices they possess dying out and becoming lost techniques that no one can learn. Kikis's mom has the special witch talent for broom flying and medicine making. Kiki wasn't much for medicine making but she could skillfully ride a broom. It's almost time for 12 almost 13-year-old kikis to go out on her own for her coming of age. She has to find a city to live in, all on her own, on the night of the full moon after her 13th birthday. After a tearful goodbye, Kiki flies off on her mother's broom with her black cat Jiji and together they find the wonderful city of Koriko, a town by the seaside. Kiki quickly discovers people who do want her there and people who do, if not with a little bit of bais. She can find a kind woman, a baker, who takes her and gives her a home. With a little help from the baker and her family, Kiki finds a way to be useful to the town of Koriko by using her broom to deliver packages big and small. After a while, the town becomes used to Kiki and is glad to have her there.

My reaction: I am guilty of watching the studio ghibli movie before reading this book. Granted, I watched the movie like 6-7 years ago and liked I but I can't remember much of what happened but I do have the list of the main events. Let me tell, you the book was nothing like the movie. The book focused more on her interactions with others and looked at her friendships. The movie focused more on the bigger events and kind of kept the original plot parts like the artist in the woods, Tombo, and the bakery family. From what I remember the movie takes a lot of liberties and switches up a lot of plot points so the whole time I was reading I was mentally comparing the book and the movie, waiting for certain elements I remember seeing in the movie but that didn't happen. SO I was relying heavily on my knowledge of the movie which wasn't a bad thing but it meant I was coming into it expecting it to be exactly like the movie. I enjoyed reading the book though and I enjoyed seeing the illustrations and seeing my favorite characters written out.

Subject connections: Social studies

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Title: Arnie the doughnut
Author: Laurie Keller
Illustrator: Laurie Keller
Publisher: Square Fish
Date Published: May 10th, 2016
Age group: 4 to 8 years old
Reading level: 2nd grade to 3rd grade
Pages: 40
Theme: People can be friends despite their different backgrounds
Topic: Friendship
Genre: Fiction
Illustrations: Bright acrylic colors ( they are great for covering up mistakes)

Synopsis: Arnie the doughnut is just that, a dought. A sweet pastry made from chocolate dough, a sweet glaze, and lots and lots of sprinkles. He is more than excited to join the front display case in the bakery and was ecstatic to be chosen by a customer named Mr.bing. However, things didn't go as planned when Arnie realized that Mr. Bing planned to eat him! Ahhhh!

My reaction: This was such a cute book. The illustrations matched the pictures perfectly, the story was smooth and even evenly paced with great conflict resolutions. When I was watching Chris O Dowd read the book out loud, he did different voices for each silly character but I thought was essential. Doing different voices means you make each character unique and give them characters appropriate for their character. When Chris read this story he gave Arnie a cute, high-pitched voice because he was a small little pastry and he wanted to show that. He gave Mr.Bing an old man voice that was slow but calm and that showed what Mr. bing was like. He was kind and thoughtful and was able to make an unlikely friend

Subject Connections: Art. Maybe this would be a good story for learning about relations and different kinds of friendships so social studies.

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Title: The Rough Faced Girl
Author: Rafe Martin
Illustrator: David Shannon
Date Published: April 13, 1998
Age group: 4 to 8 years old
Reading level: grades 3 to 8
Pages: 32
Theme: You can't hide the intent of your heart
Topic: History, fairytales
Genre:  fairytales
Illustrations: Beautifully painted with acrylics

Synopsis: The rough-faced girl lived in a beautifully painted wigwam in a small Indian village. She lived with her father and two beautiful sisters. The roughed-faced girl got her name from all the soot and scars she got from tending to the fire. Her sisters were wicked in hard, vain, and unkind and they wished to go see the Invisible man, who lived at the edge of the village. He was invisible and it was said that if you could see him, you would be able to marry him and become rich. Many girls tried and failed to see him, going as far as lying straight to the invisible man's sister who was monitoring who could and could not see him. The rough-faced girl wanted a chance to see him, so she dressed
up and walked to his wigwam. She was successful and was able to marry the invisible man.

My reaction: I remember reading this book in elementary school. I love it as much as I did then. It was a great story about a young girl who believed in herself and was honest with who she was and what her intent was. I loved how the young girl, the rough-faced girl was able to be seen for more than her scars when it came to seeing the invisible man. She was seen for her intelligence, gentleness, and kindness, not for her outward appearance. I also see this story as having different perspectives, not only because it's a different version of cinderella but also because it showed how one perspective can change your life. For the rough-faced girl, she answered
the invisible man's sister's questions in a way that allowed his sister to trust her, the rough-faced girl. I would have never thought to look up into the sky and say that the man's bow is made from a rainbow or his sled is made from the stars but the rough girl knew. She's creative and smart, which I think is an important aspect of this character. Not very often is cinderella portrayed as smart and creative, more often than not portrayed as a pretty dish maid or servent, and those being her only qualities.

Subject Connections: Social studies, language arts, and history

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Title: Cendrillon: A Caribbean Cinderella
Author: Robert D. San Souci
Illustrator: Brian Pinkney
Publisher: Aladdin
Date Published: January 1st, 2002
Age group: 5 to 10 years old
Reading level: Kindergarten to fifth
grade
Pages: 40 pages
Theme: Compassion and a good heart will get you far in life
Topics: Fairytales, friendship, and family
Genre: Fairytale
Illustrations: Oil pastel and acrylics

Synopsis: Cenderrillion starts like any other book. There's a young girl, her parents aren't in the picture, and she's raised by someone non-related. The twist in this version of cinderella is that she's raised in a home full of people but as a house servant and was raised primarily by her nonmagical godmother. Cinderrilion gets a chance to go to the ball, go through a magical transformation, meet the handsome man she had her eye on, leave the ball in a hurry, leave a slipper, the prince found the slipper, Cinderillion tries it on and happy ever after.

My reaction: I remember reading all the different cinderella stories from around the world because my elementary school library had a section just for cinderella and other fairytales. I read almost every book in that section, with some I read twice. I had my favorites and i knew what I liked in a fairytale. I like the part where the cinderella character got what she deserved and was able to find true love. What i found with these different cinderella versions is that each one is different than the last. I like how sometimes there was a little bit of shock factor in the storytelling that makes it unique and fun. With this story, I liked how it displayed a healthy relationship between Cinderellion and another character that she considered family. Every other cinderella story has a super abusive family, and cinderillion does have a abusive family of sorts but its more of like her employer is abusive. Cinderillion has her godmother who lives and works side by side and she love cinderillion dearly. Most cinderella characters have to face their hardships alone but cinderillion had a loving parental figure in her life. I like seeing how this element affected the story and made it better and a little more happier

Subject Connections: Social studies and history

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Title: Love and Roast chicken
Author: Barbara Knutson
Illustrator: Barbara Knutson
Date Published: November 1, 2013
Publisher: Carolrhoda Books

Age group: 5-9 years old
Reading level: Kindergarten through third grade
Pages: 40 pages
Theme: Brain over brawn
Topic: Problem-solving, food chain, culture, and wildlife
Genre: Fiction
Illustrations: I think that this book was created using oil pastels and acrylic paint because the book has such bright colors and the pictures are made of swirls of lines and dots.

Synopsis: This story begins with Cuy the Guinea Pig and who lives in the Andes mountains. He is awfully hungry so he's out searching for food. Tio Antonio the fox tries to eat him for lunch over and over but time after time again little Cuy outsmarts Tio Antonio and leaves him frustrated. Cuy does get in a little bit of trouble involving a farmer and his Alfalfa fields, which then allows Tio Antonio to close in and get a chance to finally catch Cuy. Will little Cuy be able to get out of this sticky situation and outsmart Tio Antonio the fox?

My reaction: This book was a fun read. It personified animals in a way that made them smart and intelligent along with entertaining. Foxes are usually portrayed as sly and smart in folk tales but in this story, the fox is on the receiving end of the slyness from an animal much smaller than it. I wouldn't expect a little guinea pig to be sly and clever but I remember hearing once that size has nothing to do with how brave you are. Bravery or some other characteristics do not rely on size. They came in all sorts of shapes and sizes for different people, in different ways. I think that's wonderful because far too often do we assume what people are like based on their outside appearance and what we need to do is look inside, not by outside appearance. I mean, it's easy to compare yourself to a tiger or lion because they have natural enemies and are all big and tough. But an itty bitty guinea pig does have natural predators but still dares to yell at something 20 times bigger than it because its lettuce is a little wildly. Appearances can be deceiving. It's all about who you are on the inside.

Subject Connections: Culture, Social studies, and science ( zoology)

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Title: Just Right Jillian
Author: Nicole D. Collier
Illustrator: NA. This book does not have illustrations
Publisher: Versify
Date Published: February 15, 2022
Age group: 8 to 12 years old
Reading level: 3- 7th grade
Pages: 215
Theme: Believe in yourself for that is the place to start.
Topic: Self-identity and self-confidence
Genre: Fiction
Illustrations: Again, there aren't any pictures in this book but there are little pencil sketches of chicken eggs and chickens at each chapter headings

Synopsis: Jillian is a shy 5th-grade student who is trying to overcome her anxiety and shyness. She tries to fit in, wearing the same clothes and having the same hairstyles as her peers but quickly finds that it leaves her feeling unsatisfied. She turns her to her parents for help but finds that even then she's too shy to open up to them. Through some positive self-talk, gentle encouragement from parents and teachers, some new friends, a trivia competition, and 12 chicken eggs, Jillian finds her voice and discovers who she is inside.
My reaction: I wanted to read this book the moment I read the title because my name is Jillian! I have never seen another book use the name jillian for the main character. Side characters, sure, but not the main characters. This jillian has the same two nicknames as me; Jilly and Jillybean. My parents and close family members call me that but to everyone else, I am jillian. Because of the name similarities, I was very interested in the book. It was like a reader insert every time the character jillian was referred to. I could relate to some of the things this jillian went through because I was in fifth grade once. I had friendship problems. I have astigmatism and nearsightedness that required glasses ( I still do) which was diagnosed in 5th grade, so I can share some of the experiences that character Jillian had. Maybe they didn't happen just like my experience but they were similar enough that I connected with them. I was able to enjoy the highs and lows with this jillian, to feel her pain, her happiness, and her concerns. I like a book that can do that without being overly complex. This was simply the point book but still was able to capture the complexities of family, grief, fear, and anxiety in a way that was realistic but entertaining in the sense that it didn't stray away from tender moments and not so pretty moments. It showed the humanity of people and the way they see the world. I loved it

Subject connections: Science, trivia, and Social studies

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Title: My new friend is so fun!
Author: Mo Williams
Illustartor: Mo Williams
Date Published: June 3, 2014
Age group: 6-8 years
Reading level: Grades 1-3
Pages: 61
Theme: It's okay to have multiple friends. They aren't trying to replace you.
Topics: Friendship, conflict resolution
Genre: Fiction
Illustrations: Hand drew cartoon sketches

Synopsis: Piggy and elephant are best friends. At least elephant hopes so. Piggy is hanging out with brian the bat a lot lately and the elephant can't help but wonder what they are up to. Elephant gets talking to Brian Bat's best friend Snake. The two get talking and realize that they might be replaced as the best friend if Piggy and Brian get along! Will Elephant and snake keep their best friends status or will they work it out with their friends?

My reaction: This book was fun to read and relatable to the audience it was meant for, which was for students who are 6,7, or 8 years old. This is a critical time where students are learning about friendships and friendship dynamics which are different for each student. Some students have no problems making and keeping friends and are good at resolving tensions, conflict, and misunderstandings. Others would have a hard time with those things and will develop fears of losing the friends they have. This book is a great representation of some of those friendship fears, which is healthy, and gave a great example of how to approach the problem.

Subject connections: Social relations and Mental health

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Title: In my heart: A book of feelings
Author: Jo Witek
Illustartor: Christine Roussey
Date Published: October 14, 2014
Age group: 2-4 years old
Reading Level: Preschool and up
Pages: 32
Theme: All feelings are valid
Topics: Emotions and Mental health
Genre: Fiction
Illustrations: Hand drawn with pencil and crayons

Synopsis: You and I have lots and lots of emotions. They are stored in your heart and mind, with some feelings being quick and other feelings being slow. All these feelings live in you like a big house and it's up to you what to do with them. We got to pay attention to what they make us feel. Does the feeling make you want to shout out loud from pure joy? Does the feeling make you want to scream out in frustration? Does the feeling make you want to hide in your closet and cry? Does it make you feel scared? It's important to pay attention to your feelings because they make you do many things.

My reaction: I like this book for the design. It has a heart cut out in the middle of the page and the heart gets smaller and smaller with each page to demonstrate each emotion. It symbolizes the layers of each emotion and how each one is connected to some experience or other emotion. I liked how this book didn't focus on just the sad and happy emotions because while those are the most recognizable ones, they aren't the only emotions. It shows how complicated humans can be and matches some simple experiences to the emotion described. For example, there's a page in the book that talks about getting hurt, feelings that is. Their feelings are hurt.  It describes the feeling as their heart hurts from some mean words others have said and describes how that makes them feel. " " It makes my heart hurt because my heart is delicate but can be healed with extra kisses." The illustrations show a little girl in a nurse costume with a first aid kit and wrapping a red cross that has a heart in the middle with gauze bandages. She seems sad as she tries to fix her broken heart.  I think it's amazing how this page describes emotions in such a simple way and tries to capture what they are and what they make you feel.

Subject connections: Mental health

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Title: The Fishy Treasure Caper: A Carmen Sandiego Graphic Novel
Author: Rebecca Tinker
Illustrator: Clarion Books
Date Published: October 1, 2019
Age group: 8-12
Reading level: 3-7 grades
Pages: 114
Theme: There are more important things in life than personal gains
Topic: Culture and geographical finds
Genre: Graphic novel, Comics, Fiction
Illustrations: This book is a graphic novel that has pop art and computer-generated images.
Synopsis: Carmen Santigo and her crew is headed off to Esacdour to find a sunken ship. The sunken ship holds a very special treasure; a gold Ecuadorian gold piece. After diving deep into the ocean to find it, she finds the coin but is quickly intercepted by henchmen sent from the VILE foundation ( Villains’ International League ) of Evil). A small underwater battle commences between the two and the coin is swallowed by a fish! The two groups, Carmen and her crew and VILE follow the fish and try to be the first ones to capture the fish and make it cough up the coin.

My reaction: I remember watching the tv show Where is Carmen Sandiego growing up. The show focused on different parts of the world, on specific cities and locations. The two kids, which are very similar to the ones in this series reboot ( they are going by different names) are trying to find Carmen Sandiego and stop her from causing chaos. In these graphic novels, Carmen is a chaotic good character on the good guy's side. She's just as smart, resourceful, and courageous as I remember. This series requires no additional information or for the reader (me) to understand what was going on. It includes a couple of character pages that explore the characters and their backgrounds which is a nice way to grasp the character's intents and motives. This is an action-heavy book that explores some elements besides violence and weaponry. It explores culture and geography, personal relations, and nurturing friendships which is very educational for young minds. It teaches them that sometimes there's more to adventure than the big moments. The small moments are just as defining for a story.

Subject connection: History, Social studies, and geography

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Title: Ice! Poems about Polar Life
llustrator: Douglas Florian ( he's an artist!)

Publisher: Holiday House

Date Published: December 1st, 2020

Number of Pages: 50

Illustrations: Collage, watercolor, and gauche paints.

Genre: Poetry

Grade Level: 7-10

Theme: Life on Earth is precious

Synopsis: Did you know that the earth has 2 polar regions? There's Antarctica,  which is the farthest pole to the South and there is the arctic, which is the pole in the North.  This book looks at both poles and the environment for each. Antarctica is dry and cold, the perfect place for penguins. The arctic pole has lots of plants and animals and so does the tundra, which is another environment explored in this book. It covers different animals, and descriptions and puts a fun spin on the animals and the facts about them. This book looks at some of the less known animals like krill, musk ox, and ptarmigans while discussing how some of these animals are endangered from their shrinking habitat and the ever-growing effect of global warming.

My reaction: I like this book. It had great colors, great information and it was easy to follow. The lyric involved in these poems are delightful and clever, which is subtle but fun. I like subtle humor. I also like things that are fun and educational and this book was both. It taught me things that I didn't know even as an adult, such as evolution, habitats, and animals' physical characteristics. I watch a lot of nature shows and read a lot, so I knew a little bit about the animals listed. There's always more to learn and i was glad to see so many animal facts i didn't know and i think that my students who love animals will love this book too.

Subject Connections: Sceince and geography

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Title: Goliath: Hero of the Great Baltimore Fire

Written By: Claudia Friddell
Illustrated by:  Troy Howell
Pages: 32 pages
Genre: Narrative Non-fiction
Publication Date: April 16, 2010
Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press
Age group: 6-9
Theme: Animals have a role in our lives, big or small
Topic: Animal Heros
Illustrations: I can't tell if the pictures are oil pastels or color pencils.Could be a little of both
Synopsis: Goliath is a huge type of horse called a fire horse. Fire horses arent horses engulfed in flames like a fire-type pokemon. They are horses trained to pull the 4-ton water pumps to the scenes of fires that pull out. It takes a team of 3 horses to pull the pump, unlike the modern firetrucks that go off engine power and four wheels. On February 4th, 1904 Goliath was, particularly on edge. He was stomping his hooves and tossing in main in distress. He knew something the other firefighters in Engine company 15 didn't; a huge fire was about to break out throughout Baltimore and it was going to rage day in and night out for roughly a day. About a thousand people were out of their homes and just as many were dead or injured. Firehouses around Marland pitched to extinguish these fires and Goitalth and firehouse 15 came to the rescue. Goliath took sustainable injuries but he lived through the experience and lived to extinguish more fires.

My Reaction: This isn't the first time I have heard about the Baltimore fires. I think I have read about it in other books but they didn't focus on the animal narrative as this story did. I like how this book had a different hero than expected because some of the other books I read focused on the human heroes that were putting out the fires kind of glossed over some elements like the helpers. Horses were needed back then to haul the heavy water pumps to put out fires and they were over 4 tons. Humans couldn't haul those pumps alone so they needed horsepower. I didn't know that and I think that this story made that fact very clear. It showed that horses were an important part of the community and for society, pointing out that they, the horses, shouldn't be overlooked. Animals are just as important as humans and animals can be heroes too
Topic Connections: Social studies, zoology, and History

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Title: All Thirteen- The incredible Cave rescue of the Thai Boys Soccer Team

Author: Christina Soontornvat

Illustrator: Karen Minot

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Date Published: October 13th, 2020

Number of pages: 188

Grade level: Ages 8 to 12 so second grade up to sixth grade

Genre: Non-fiction
Theme: Never give up
Topics: Geography, Science, Religion,  and Social Studies
Illustrations: Photographs

Synopsis: The members of the Thai soccer ball team are pretty close. They not only play soccer together but also ride bikes together, go to school, go hiking, and swim. One day after practice, they all make plans to go explore a local cave known as the Tham Luang cave, or the sleeping lady. The teams' assistant coach was their chaperone and approved the trip, thinking that the trip would take no longer than an hour or two. That hour or two turned into 5 hours and then overnight as the team realized that they were stuck; the entire cave system flooded from the heavy monsoon's rains. The boys and their coach were so far in the cave system that their only entrance was flooded and there was very little room under the water to pass through, little less get 13 people out. This is the story of their rescue and how several groups of people came together to help them.

My reaction: This book was set up like a textbook. It had photographs with captions underneath them with huge blocks of text. The text was in simple terms with language that students can understand and it contained complex thinking that was worded in a way the student can understand. I understood what was going on in the text and it was easy to understand but I had to reread a couple of sentences at times to understand what was going on, but there was enough context to help me understand. I remember following this story in real-time when it was happening in 2018 but it was only bits and pieces. This book helped me fill in the blanks and to get a feel for the people and emotions. I only saw some parts of the story on the news and it was some of the more dramatic parts that were broadcasted, like how the boys were never going to get out of there if the rains comes sooner, there was a huge chance they wouldn't make it out and more people would die. I think that there were some dramatic elements to the story because this was a tale of danger and rescues but there was more involved in this story besides those elements. There was unity, teamwork, strength, courage, fear, concern, anxiety, friendship, and country relations. All of these elements worked together to create the tone of the rescue. It was serious and all these characters reflected that attitude which I thought was appreciated for a book about a dangerous mission that they had to undertake. So many people in this story were so selfless, caring, and compassionate and I loved to see it. I loved seeing how so many people like vendors, medics, army men from all over, out-of-country deep cave divers and so many more came to help. The book talked about how sometimes these people clashed because of their cultural traditions and interactions but in the end, they came together for a shared cause; saving the boys. The news coverage certainly didn't cover that part but I am glad I got to read it for myself

Subject connections: Science, geography, world history, and social studies

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Title:  The Crossover
Author: Kwame Alexander
Illustrator: There's no pictures in this book
Date Published: March 18, 2014
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Age Group: 11-13 years old
Pages: 256
Theme: The bonds we make with family are important.
Topic: Family and growing up
Genre: Fiction
Illustrations: There isn't any pictures in this book. It does contain lymric though

Synopsis: 12-year-old Josh Bell, whose nickname on the court is Filthy Mcnasty, loves, lives, and breathes basketball. It's his favorite sport for many reasons. He loves playing ball with his twin brother JB. He likes the thrill of the game when he plays for his school team the Wildcats. He loves going to the rec center to play with his dad, who is a retired but famous basketball player. They go to crispy creme afterwords which is still Josh's favorite part since he gets to spend time with his dad. Things seem to be getting great in Josh's life but things seem to go downhill when he discovers something about his father's past. It explains a lot about his father's behavior and the hushed whisper yellings between his mom and dad. On top of this, Josh experiences for the first time being alone as his twin brother goes off and lives his own life. Choices were made, balls were thrown, choice words were said and feelings was hurt. Will Josh be able to get through all of these things and makeup with his brother? Will his dad's health get any better? Josh can only hope so.

My reaction: This book surprised me. It was colorful and descriptive, with a good pace, and had a great sense of humor. The characters were relatable, their feelings were relatable and the way they handled conflict was realistic. I could feel what the characters were feeling such as anger, pride, jealousy, fear, concern, and anxiety. Josh, the main character, had to go through some of these things alone, especially when he severed some of his ties with his brother. Then on top of that, he had to deal with family emergencies left and right. He had to choose basketball or go to see his father in the hospital one or two times and it wasn't easy on him.  It showed the inner conflict he felt and how helpless he felt at the time but what I like was how basketball was a symbol of peace for him before and after his fathers' death. He made friendships with people because of baseball, he strengthened family relations with basketball, he was able to find comfort watching the games and playing through them too. I think this book hit all the right points and the right emotions. You knew when to feel sad, surprised, jealous, angered and excited which is something I like about this book; it wasn't shy with emotions. Real emotions

Subject connections: Physcial education and Pycholgly

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Title: Bad Kitty: Kitten trouble
Author: Nick Bruel
Illustrator: Nick Bruel
Date Published: December 31st, 2018
Genre: Fiction
Publisher: Mcmillan Neal Porter books, Roaring Brook Press; Scholastic Corporation
Age Group: 7-10 years
Pages: 176 pages
Theme: Everyone has a place in this world
Topic: Immigration and Acceptance
Illustrations: There are words and illustrations. It's in black and white, with comic panels. It's in a comic format so it's more of a graphic novel.
Synopsis: Kitty can't catch a break. First, the dog goes and drools all over her, gives her little to no space, and constantly wants to play and then there's the newspaper boy. He delivers newspapers every morning and throws them so hard that they hit kitty on the head! Every. Single. Time. Kitty has enough of this and tries to get even, only for her to get more hurt in the process. She goes home only to find that her owner plans to adopt three more cats. Not just any cats. KITTENS. Kitty isn't too happy about that and she lets the three kittens know it. Her owner tries to reason with her about it, saying that the kittens are staying there only temporarily because of a conflict going on in the kitten's hometown, making it unsafe to live there. Thanks to a nightmare and the reasoning of Uncle Murray, Kitty soon realizes that it isn't about her and that these kittens do need a place to stay. It's not their fault for their circumstances but there is something kitty can do to help them.
My reaction: I think this is one of those books that have a deeper meaning than what it is on the surface. On the surface, it looks like it's about getting along and sharing what you have. That in itself is a great message, don't get me wrong but reading this book as an adult who is aware of some of the conflicts going on with our borders and some of the borders in other countries, I was able to connect some of the dots with my knowledge and see what the author was hinting at. Some of the clues were how there was a conflict in Kittys very own neighborhood and it was causing a rift between sides that made living there unbearable. People, er, cats, had to relocate to a different "neighborhood." One of the cats spoke a different language ( french) than the other cats in this "neighborhood." Kitty was acting very territorial with her stuff and wouldn't share any of it, even though she knew that the kittens didn't have anything they needed and that she had plenty to share. I think that summed up perfectly how some people act towards immigrants, or rather feel towards them. " They are going to take our resources away and we won't have any left for us." Immigration and immigrants are some of those topics that are complex and controversial. The way we see it defines how we talk about it and act toward those people coming in. Kitty is just a fictional character in the graphic novel but it describes perfectly what immigration is and some of the perspectives key to immigration. The book doesn't make it seem negative or upsetting, it just depicts it in a matter that seems so simple, so pure in truth. It focuses on showing a concept that matters in a way that kids can receive and understand.

Subject Connections: World History and social studies

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Title: Pandas on the East Side
Author: Gabrielle S. Prendergast
Illustrated by: Not available. ( no pictures)
Publisher: Orca Book Publishers
Date Published: 10/04/2016
Pages: 192
Genre: Fiction
Age Group: 9-12
Theme: Everyone needs a little bit of hope in dark times
Illustrations: None

Topic: Family and Social relationships

Synopsis: Journey Song is a 10-year-old girl living during the height of the Vietnam war. She may be living thousands of miles away from the live conflict where many soldiers are fighting but that doesn't mean she feels some of the consequences of wars. People around her like her teacher lost a loved one in the war. She heard how some people were thrown in jail for protesting the war and how some refused to even enlist because they disagreed with the war and why it was started. Journey may not understand some of the big words the people around her use to describe the war but she does understand how people are affected. She feels deep sadness for them and wishes to know how to help, which she settles on bringing hope. She can do so one day when she reads an article about two pandas coming to America from China and having to make an emergency stop at her cities dock. She is more than excited about the pandas and wants to make sure they are well taken care of. With the help of a Chinese-speaking shopkeeper, she can send a letter to the dockworkers taking care of the pandas. The letter she sends to them makes it in the newspapers
and soon everyone in the Eastside knows about the pandas and is just as excited as she is. This letter changes her life in ways Journey didn't have an impact and with the help of her friends and teachers, Journey learns how a little bit of hope and kindness goes a long way.

My reaction: This book was better than I hoped. I came into it thinking that it would be a mystery novel since the description was talking about missing pandas and discovering yourself. Instead, I got an inspiring story about a unique girl with a unique story. As I mentioned above, this takes place in the Vietnam era which was the late 60s early 70s. I don't know much about that war off-hand and thankfully the book didn't rely on me knowing a lot about it. The narrative supplied me with enough knowledge to understand what was going on and why that conflict was important. The book, while having some darker themes ( i.e death, grief, conflict, wars, divorce, and absent parental figures) was charming, funny, and well balanced. The main character, Journey Song didn't act like she understood everything and wasn't afraid to ask for clarification. I think that's what makes a good character because I feel like know days there's a lot of kid characters in kid books that are too smart for their good, like with 8th-grade vocab and reads at the college level and has extremes street smarts. Instead, this book has a main character who acknowledges her weaknesses ( not knowing big words or concepts) and understands that there's still much more to learn about herself and others. She's a good example, is self-aware, kind, compassionate, and open, all things I hope my students can see and look up to for this character.

Subject connections: Social studies and History

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Title:  Sakamoto’s Swim Club:
How a Teacher-Led an Unlikely
Team to Victory
By: Julie Abery

Illustrated by: Chris Sasaki
Publisher: Kids Can press
Pages: 38
Genre: Non-fiction
Age groups/grade level: Ages 5 to 8
Theme: The people who come into our lives can leave a lasting impact on our futures
Illustrations: This book has illustrations of little boys and girls, adults, plants, and animals. It's hard to place the art style but is fun and colorful, with bright colors and accurate human representation.
Topics: Sports and the Olympics. ( this is like the back story)

Synopsis: On a sugar plantation off of the Hawaii islands of Maui, some kids were cooling off in the canals system. They don't get to enjoy the cool after for long because here comes a policeman! The children are about to get in a lot of trouble before a science teacher by the name of Soichi Sakamoto swooped in and stood up for them under the guise that they are doing laps for swim practice for the sim team. From that moment forward, Sakamoto was their swim coach and he trained them to upstream and against all currents. The kids' impromptu swimming pool was upgraded to an inground pool, which helped the kids get closer to their dreams of the Olympics. Before they could, their world was plagued by war, and their dreams were put on hold. Some of the swimmers had to join the war effort and others had to give up swimming to take care of their families. In the end, by 1948 the war has ended and the swimmer's dreams are put back into the spotlight as they got to go to the Olympics for that year. Maui can take home a gold and teacher  Sakamoto is beyond proud of his team

My reaction: I don't think I have ever heard this story before but I am glad I get to learn about it now because I think it's a story that needs to get more attention. It has such strong themes of ambition, hope, and sacrifice that I usually don't see in a kids picture book but that changed here since it was a key point to the plant. It was inspirational but had a simple message. So simple in fact that I can't help but wonder if there was a movie about this swim team. There are always inspirational movies about sports teams and how they win despite all odds, with the focus on the struggles of one or two of the characters and how they overcome them. This is a team effort story not one star of the team story. What I like about this story was that it was an outside perspective looking in. There wasn't any prejudice or zoning in on particular aspects but instead looked at the story as a whole and didn't gloss over some of the darker parts of the story like the swimming group almost gave up on their dreams of going to the Olympics because of war was wracking their country. That is an integral part of this story since it challenges the characters' motivations and dreams, which then makes it difficult to do what they enjoy. That's how life is sometimes; sometimes it goes pretty smoothly and just the way you want it to and then everything is tugged away. That's what happens in the book, and since it's about a real-life event it displays these negative emotions the swim team must have felt. To know that other people have gone through some of the same emotions I have felt before would be helpful for my self-discovery.
Subject connection: Sports and social studies. History too

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Title: The Arabic Quilt
Author: Aya Khalil
Illustrator: Anait Semirdzhyan
Genre: Fiction
Page Numbers: 36
Age group: 6 to 8 years old
Theme: Fitting in doesn't always mean changing who you are
Topic: Acceptance and Awareness
Illustrations: This is a picture book that had printed pictures of the story to go along with the text. Its concrete artwork shows
pictures of people, cars, animals, and clothing. It's hard to place what the medium is for the pictures
Synopsis: Kanzi and her family immigrated to the united states from Egypt. Heer time in America is going well but she misses Egypt and her grandmother who couldn't come over to America with Kanis's family. She does have a quilt to remind her of home back in Egypt and it helps that it was made by her beloved Grandmas. As much as she wants to go to school, Kanzi cant keep but feel scared? What will her classmates think of her lunch? What about her name? or the fact her mom is singing along loudly to her favorite Arabian songs? She can't help but be embarrassed by her name and the reactions her classmates had to it. Some girls snickered and made fun of her for it, leaving Kenzi to feel a bit crestfallen about it. To help Kenzi work through her negative emotions, she writes a poem which is then found by her teacher. Her teacher helps her realize who is she, where she came from, and what language she speaks is valid and together they find ways to help Kenzi feel welcome. They settle on a class project of sorts that helps Kenzi connect with her fellow students and in turn, her classmates can get to know Kenzi and her Arabic background. Kenzi makes some friends because of this project and she can inspire other classes to participate in similar projects to bring awareness to other languages and cultures.

My reaction: This was such a beautiful book. It talks about being homesick and worried about how fitting in, something that everyone goes through and can relate to. I have been homesick before and it's hard. It gets easier as I grew up and had to spend more time away from home but I still got homesick once in a while. There's nothing wrong with missing home but sometimes you miss home so much you get sad and long to go home. Something that helped me with homesickness is having something on my person that reminded me of home. I keep a playlist of all my family's favorite songs on a Spotify playlist and I listen to it when I am away from home. Kenzi had a special quilt from her grandma. It was woven with beautiful patterns and made with love from Kenzi's beloved grandma. She looked at this special quilt when she needed some comfort. This book shows healthy coping mechanisms and healthy depictions of human emotions, meaning that students can directly relate to some of the emotions.

Subject connections: History, Ethics, and Social Studies

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Title: Big Red Lollipop

Author: Rukhsana Khan

Illustrator: Sophie Blackall

Date Published: March 4th, 2010

Genre: Fiction

Themes: Family and feelings

Age Group: 4 to 8 years of age

Page numbers: 40

Artistic Media: Printed

Topic: Patience
Summary: Rubina has been invited to a party! She is excited and can't wait to go home and ask her mom for permission so she can go. Rubina isn't too happy when her mom makes her sister come with her to the party and she can't go if she cant take her younger sister. Begrudgingly, she goes to the party, and it's kind of fun but her sister takes some of the fun away. Each sister is happy on the drive home because they each got a goody bag filled with treats. Rubina's sister eats them all at one but Rubina saves some for the next day. A fight ensues when Rubina discovers her sister consumed some of the candy she was saving. Her mom sides with her sister and Rubina is left to tears. In a turn of events, Rubina's sister is in the same position that Rubina was in; she was invited to a party! Will Rubina force her sister into the same position she was in earlier and demand to come to the party too or will she take the high road and let her sister go to the party alone?

My reaction: I think this book was something that raised all the right emotions. I was able to be angry right along with Rubina as her mom made her bring her sister along to the party. I was annoyed that her sister got away with everything and that her mom sided with her sister over Rubina. I was surprised to find how forgiving Rubina was instead of seeking retribution against her sister. That's something I would have done but instead, she forgave and forgot which couldn't have been an easy thing to do considering how hurt she was. I think that this book has a message that is important to learn but also hard to accept. It's easy to stay hurt and it's even easier to stay and dwell on those feelings and as an adult, it's really easy to stay stuck like that. Learning this concept at such a young age is something critical to mental wellbeing because it can be found in the simplest of everyday situations like family interactions and friend interactions. This book is a perfect example of how to deal with negative emotions, something I think students need to see more often

Subject connection: Ethics, Psychology ( mental health)

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Title: Dulcie's Taste of magic
Author: Gail Herman
illustrator: Disney Story Book artist
Date published: 2007
Genre: Fiction
Page numbers: 126
Age group: 6-8 years old
Theme: It takes courage to try new things
Topic: Trying new things
Illustrations: This is a chapter book with a couple of illustrations peppered in. There's a couple pictures
Synopsis: Neverland is a land full of fairies and sparrow men. Each one of them has a talent that they use to help around pixie hollow, their hometown. There are cooking talent faires, baking talent fairies, harvesting faires, animal talent faires, tinkering faires, and many other talent fairies. This story follows a baking talent fairy named Dulcie. Dulcie loves to bake and loves to serve the treats she makes but after an accident involving oversleeping and some blueberry muffins, Dulcie is forced to take time off and relax. She does so reluctantly and tries to keep her mind off the kitchen by going to the library and in the process, finding an old recipe called comfort cake that she believes can get her back into the kitchen. Will she be able to find and gather all the ingredients and make the cake before the next meal rush?

My reaction: I remember reading these books when I was in school. I didn't get a chance to read all the books in the series and think this one I didn't get to read but wanted to. The series was as good as I remember it, with good characters, a good message and it is even better because it's Disney and Disney is great at creating fantasy settings and creating that sense of whimsy. I found myself getting caught up in nostalgia when I read, getting excited when I saw characters I recognized, seeing how the fairies solved problems and used magic. I liked how the big reveal of the cake recipe was that it grew with the confidence that Dulcie had for her talents. She realized that she baked because she wanted to and that she enjoyed it, not because of the power it gave her when she got to tell other fairies what to do around the kitchen. Dulcie found that there was a reason for her talent and that she does it for herself first and the fruits of her labor are for others second.

Subject connections: Ethics

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Title: I dissent- Ruth Bader Ginsburg Makes her mark
Author: Debbie Levy
Illustrated by: Elizabeth Baddeley
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books
Date Published: 2016
Pages: 19
Age group/ grade level: Ages 4-8.  Pre-school to second grade
Theme: Fight for what you believe in
Illustrations: This book has illustrations and words.
Topic: Ruth Bader Ginsburg and her legacy

Synopsis: Ruth grows up in the 1940s. The 1940s had different expectations for women than for men. Men could go out into the world and do great things while women were expected to find a man and settle down. Luckily, Ruhs own mother thought that a woman has a role in this life outside of traditional social roles and they can still make an impact on the world. So ruth got into reading about strong influential women and what they did, proving that women can be anything. Throughout her life, Ruth saw more prejudice outside the gender split. She saw prejudice against immigrants, Jews,  African Americans, and Mexicans in places like shops and restaurants. It was on signs and advertisements to which Ruth never forgot the sting of prejudice reading those signs gave her. She kept these feelings in mind as she went to college, which at the time, was prejudiced against women and jews, two things that Ruth was. She was able to get through college despite these things, meet her husband, have two kids get a job as a lawyer, and become a justice for the supreme court under president Jimmy Carter. During her time as a judge, she would fight for the rights of people being discriminated against, such as working women getting paid as much as men and protecting voting rights for all citizens. She made a big impact on the united states as a whole and made sure no one felt like they didn't belong.

My reaction: I remember hearing about Ruth Bader Ginsburg a couple of years back from the news. She came down with something was admitted to the hospital and was taking time to recover. I didn't know much about her then but I do remember looking at her and thinking that she did need a break because she didn't look very good. Later on, like a couple of months later there was news of her passing and it caused a bit of a stir. That's when I started learning more about her, after her passing. I knew nothing about her legacy while she was alive but now I know a lot about her and how some people are trying to undo what she has accomplished. When I was reading this book, I got to see what she stood for and what she was able to accomplish as a supreme court justice in the last 27 years. She was a good person and wasn't afraid to show it. She was never one to shy away from telling the world what she believed was right and treating people right was something she believed strongly. This book can teach children, boys and girls to stand up for what they believe in and to find their voice to share it.

Subject connection: Social studies

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Title: Dooby Dooby Moo
Author: Doreen Cronin
Illustrator: Betsy Lewin
Date published: 2006
Genre: Fiction
Age group: 4-8 so maybe pre-k to second grade
Pages: 40
Theme: Practice and teamwork is important
Illustrations: This is a picture book with illustrations and words. The pictures are made in ink and watercolor
Topic: Talents
Publisher: Atheneum Books
Synopsis: Old farmer brown has a farm. It's not your typical farm with normal livestock. There are pigs, cows, and sheep, along with one naughty duck who always seems to be at the center of the trouble. In this book, the duck enters all the farm animals into the country fair talent show in hopes of getting the first prize; a trampoline. The animals choose to sing and dance, with their practices being late at night while farmer Brown sleeps. Can the farm animals practice and win the country fair talent show without Farmer brown finding out?

My reaction: I have read some of the other books from the same author and some of the books follow the same farmer brown and his farm animals. There's always a wacky adventure involving these animals and it's fun to follow. With this book, in particular, it was easy to follow and didn't rely on the reader reading the other book to understand what was happening in this one. The concept of the story is easy to understand and grasp. The farm animals need to practice for the country fair talent show and they know what they are going to do such as sing or dance. They practice late at night so they don't raise suspicion from the farmer, who would put a stop to their fun if he found out. Each of the farm animals seems so talented, with their personalities and talents. The cows can sing, in perfect harmony, I should add, the pigs can dance and smile at the same time, and the sheep can hold a tone. My favorite is the duck, (who I have referred to as naughty. He is. I am not exaggerating) sings a song and does so in a series of quacks. The duck is pretty obnoxious but makes up for it in talents so I can forgive some of his shenanigans. My favorite part of the book is the end where it revealed that the farm animals got first place and won the first prize which is a trampoline! I like the sound effects that were written next to the picture of all the animals taking turns jumping on the trampoline. It's very wholesome.

Moo! Boing! Boing!
baaaaah! booooooing!
quackquackquack Boing boing!

Subject connections: Music and Physical Education

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Title: The Ring Bearer
Arthur and Illustrator: Floyd Cooper
Publisher: Philomel books345 Hudson Street New York, NY 10014
Date Published: 2017
Genre: Fiction
Page Numbers: 15
Age group: 2 grade
Theme: You are never alone in this life journey
Illustrations: This book has printed pictures. These words and pictures, with the pictures in color
Topic: Responsibilities
Synopsis: Jackson has a really big job to do at his mama's wedding; he gets to be the Ring Bearer! As exciting as that sounds, Jackson is worried that he will accidentally mess up the wedding by tripping, falling, and losing the rings. It's a lot of pressure for him but his little sister Sophie doesn't seem to be so serious with her responsibilities as the designated flower girl. Will Jackson be able to make it through the wedding without any slip-up? He sure hopes so.

My reaction: The book was so darling. The characters were represented in a way that was positive and uplifting. I loved how there were several characters there to help Jackson with his task and that was through encouragement and helping him focus on the task at hand. No one got after Jackson for being too serious or not serious enough and the adults were supportive of him and what he had to do. They didn't dismiss his fears or said he was overreacting but legitimately took him by the hand and helped him. That's the kind of healthy relationship I want to see more of. I like how the story focuses on several different things like responsibility and how to handle it, normalizing asking for help, how to deal with your emotions and fears in a healthy way, and how family can be there for you. These are all wonderful messages I think that readers can relate to or learn from.

Subject connections: I say some of the messages in this book can directly look back to ethics, civics, psychology, and anthropology which is something social studies looks at