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Night of the Ninjas By: Mary Pope Osborne

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Night of the Ninjas By: Mary Pope Osborne

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Date Read: 10/7/2017
Genre: Fiction (Early Chapter)

Night of the Ninjas is the fifth book of the Magic Tree House series. In this edition, Jack and Annie are walking around Frog Creek looking for the tree house for days, and after three days they are convinced that it must have disappeared. This makes the siblings quite sad because they enjoy going on the adventure in the tree house so much. The tree house finally appears and the children are ecstatic! The tree house takes them to Japan hundreds of years ago where they meet two ninjas. At first the children are nervous and scared of the ninjas, but they actually end up being very helpful. They are taken to the ninja master who tells them that they can have his help if they can make it back out of the forest without making their presence known to the samurai. They are able to do so, and when they return to the tree house the ninja master is waiting for them with a gift. It is a moonstone, which is the final object that the siblings had to collect before returning home. Yet another riveting book from this series!

Age/Audience:
It seems as though most of the Magic Tree House books are level M, as is this one. I know that Lego Ninjago is really big for kids right now, so this book would be great for students who like those books. This piece would also be suitable for readers who enjoy adventure books.

Teaching Points:
Night of the Ninjas would be great for teaching students about perseverance and Japanese culture.

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Sunset of the Sabertooth By: Mary Pope Osborne

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Sunset of the Sabertooth By: Mary Pope Osborne

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Date Read: 10/7/2017
Genre: Fiction (Early Chapter)

Sunset of the Sabertooth is the 7th book in the Magic Tree House series. It is one of my favorites from the collection because it is filled with action-packed moments. Siblings Jack and Annie travel back in time and space to the Ice Age. Here they discover that a sleeping bear is in the cave where they wanted to take shelter, so they run away as fast as they can! The children find another cave where they infer that Cro-Magnon people must live. They borrow coats from the family to keep warm and
Annie discover as narrow passageway with tons of drawings of prehistoric creatures. They then come across a mammoth that Annie decides to name Lulu, and Lulu lets the children ride on her back. After surviving an encounter with a bear, another with a sabertooth tiger, and the freezing cold, the children are finally ready to return home to Pennsylvania. Lulu takes them back to the tree house and they go back home. What an interesting tale!

Age/Audience:
Also a level M book, this one is especially exciting and would probably become a favorite of an adventurous reader such as myself.

Teaching Points:
This book could be used as a link to teach students about hieroglyphs and prehistoric civilizations.

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Date Read: 9/18/2017
Genre: Fiction (Early Chapter)

Pirates Past Noon is yet another hit story in the Magic Tree House series. Jack and Annie visit their tree house on a rainy day, and Annie decides to look at a book with a parrot on the beach. Soon Jack and Annie find themselves on this beach surrounded by ruthless pirates! Captain Bones employs the help of Jack and Annie since he is not able to read the clues on his map, but once he realizes that the clues aren't making much sense , he locks the siblings away in his ship until they can be of more assistance. Jack and Annie attempt to help the pirates uncover their treasure, but a storm starts to brew while they are digging for the treasure. The siblings decide to rush back to the tree house where they find Polly transforms into an enchantress who goes by Morgan le Fay. Morgan explains to the children why they are the only ones who are able  to see and interact with the tree house and the youngsters are quite flattered.

Age/Audience:
Similar to the other Magic Tree House books, this one is a level M text that caters to readers that have an exceptional imagination.

Teaching Points:
Pirates Past Noon exemplifies the meaning of character realignment, and this text could be used to teach this topic.

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Polar Bears Before Bedtime By: Mary Pope Osborne

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Polar Bears Before Bedtime By: Mary Pope Osborne

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Date Read: 9/17/2017
Genre: Fiction (Early Chapter)

Polar Bears Before Bedtime  is the 12th book of the Magic Tree House series. In this story, Jack and Annie arrive in the Arctic tundra where they must solve a riddle to become Master Librarians. Jack and Annie are in search of something that covers what's real, hides the truth, and promotes courage. At first, Jack and Annie are concerned about freezing to death, but they eventually become accustomed to the climate. A seal hunter appears at the siblings' window and informs them that he had a dream that they needed his help. Jack and Annie realize that the secret to the riddle proposed to them by the tree house this time can be answered with the seal masks provided by the seal hunter. However, the siblings discover that the true answer to their return is "home". The siblings are then awarded magic library cards that classify them as Master Librarians.

Age/Audience:
This level M book is well-suited for readers that have vivid imaginations and wish to become more involved in their library at school.

Teaching Points:
Since polar bears are considered to be an endangered species, this book could be used in tandem with a science lesson on humans' effects on the environment.

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Date Read: 9/29/2017-10/1/2017
Genre: Fiction (Middle School)

The Giver is a very interesting novel that is taught in many school systems across the entire United States. The protagonist, Jonas, is an eleven-year-old boy who finds himself in a controlling society that decides everything about one's future. Jonas is chose to be the "Receiver of Memory" for his career. Jonas is allowed certain privileges as a result of his career assignment,  but these privileges do not come without their negative drawbacks. Jonas finds out that when individuals are released from society they are executed. Jonas learns of a plan  to 'release' Gabriel with very short notice and he decides to steal him away in order to save him. Will Jonas and Gabriel survive?! I remember reading this book in middle school and it was quite interesting to see all of the twists and turns that the plot took.

Age/Audience:
This is our highest level book so far at the level Y, and it would be great for middle school students who have had a difficult time growing up to read this text.

Teaching Points:
The Giver has been used in Georgia public schools for many years and I remember making a plot diagram for this book in seventh grade. This book would be great for the introduction of plots and how they are developed.

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The Sign of the Beaver By: Elizabeth George Speare

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The Sign of the Beaver By: Elizabeth George Speare

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Date Read: 9/23/2017-9/25/2017
Genre: Fiction (Upper Elementary)

The Sign of the Beaver is a riveting book about a young man's struggles to be the man of the house while his father is away. Matt Hallowell is left by his father to take care of things while the rest of his family is retrieved from Massachusetts. Matt's only rifle is stolen by a vindictive guest, and as a result, he has a good bit of trouble surviving on his own. A Native American tribe called the Penobscots come to accept Matt and invite him to move with them for the winter, but Matt decides to wait for his family to arrive. The Penobscots leave Matt with the necessary tools to survive the winter, and eventually his family arrives. Without Matt's bravery, the family might not have had a home to call their own.

Age/Audience:
This level T text would be perfect for young readers who are interested in Native American culture as well as those who enjoy adventure,.

Teaching Points:
This piece could be used as a great link between Social Studies and Language Arts seeing that the colonization of America wasn't as characteristically amiable as this particular instance.

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Date Read: 9/17/2017-9/19/2017
Genre: Fiction (Upper Elementary)

Coyote Autumn is a tale about Brad, a 13-year-old boy from Chicago, who wants a dog to spend time with. Brad's family moves to Oklahoma which is much more rural than Chicago. Brad discovers a family of coyotes that live on his parents' property. Unfortunately, local hunters take out the mother and father of the coyote pups that are being raised on Brad's property, but Brad and his friend Nolan discover a coyote pup in a weather drain near where they are fishing. Brad decides to keep the pup a secret until his birthday (when his parents reveal that they have gotten him a puppy). When his parents learn about the coyote Brad is in a lot of trouble, but eventually 'Scooter' wins the hearts of Brad's entire family. Brian is lucky enough to keep both pets. Scooter gives Brad's family an idea of what it feels like to live in a world dominated by humankind.

Age/Audience:
Coyote Autumn is a P-level text that would speak to the hearts of young readers who are enthralled with nature.

Teaching Points:
This piece would be excellent for teaching the differences found between regions of the United States. This could be linked to ideas found in Social Studies.

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Date Read: 10/6/2017
Genre: Fiction (Upper Elementary)

Brian's Hunt is the 5th and final book in Brian's Saga. This particular book depicts Brian as an independent young man that is used to surviving in the Canadian wilderness. He has made many strides in maturity since his first encounter with nature, and in fact, he is actually one with nature at this point. While camping out on his own, Brian finds and injured dog that he decides to take care of. He also starts to get an uneasy feeling about his Cree friends that are located north of his camp. He has an intuition to head their way and finds out that a rogue bear has attacked and killed a couple that he knew quite well. The bear eventually comes after Brian and he is able to kill the bear before it kills him (barely). However, Brian realizes that killing the bear didn't bring his friends back. The only thing left was a dead bear that he would skin and take meat from, nothing more and nothing less.

Age/Audience:
Although this book is only a level S, one should be mindful of a student's maturity level when assigning or offering up this text. There are some graphic events that might be unsettling for certain readers.

Teaching Points:
This book would be beneficial in teaching students about resourcefulness as well as appropriate responses to traumatic events.

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The Tower Treasure By: Franklin W. Dixon

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The Tower Treasure By: Franklin W. Dixon

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Date Read: 10/5/2017-10/6/2017
Genre: Fiction (Upper Elementary)

The Tower Treasure is the book that started it all for the Hardy Boys. Early one morning on the outskirts of Bayport (the city where the Hardy Boys live), the brothers are nearly injured/killed by a reckless driver while riding their motorcycles. Many crimes are committed within the next few days and the boys believe that one person might be responsible for causing all of the mayhem. A friend of the boys' father, Mr. Applegate, has a large sum of money and jewels stolen from his safe and one of his workers is framed. Thankfully, the boys find the treasure near a railroad station in a water tower which confirms the guilt of a criminal named Red Jackley instead of the worker (Mr. Robinson). As mentioned with regard to one of the other Hardy Boys books, it has been a great joy to revisit the excitement found within the pages of these books.

Age/Audience:
The Tower Treasure is an R-level text that exemplifies what a children's mystery book should be. If students start with this book while reading the series, they will probably be hooked from the very beginning.

Teaching Points:
As mentioned with the other Hardy Boys texts, this book would be excellent for analyzing plots or practicing with character dialogue.

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The Hidden Harbor Mystery By: Franklin W. Dixon

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The Hidden Harbor Mystery By: Franklin W. Dixon

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Date Read: 10/4/2017-10/5/2017
Genre: Fiction (Upper Elementary)

The Hidden Harbor Mystery is the 14th installment of the Hardy Boys series. This time the Hardy Boys find themselves in big trouble when they are framed for a crime which they did not commit. Joe, Frank, and their friend Chet Morton are accused of robbing Mr. Blackstone, when the boys are inclined to believe that it was actually Mr. Ruel Rand who assaulted him. This makes perfect sense because the Blackstone's and the Rand's have been feuding for years. However, the boys find out (after much excitement) that Mr. Blackstone was actually robbed by a boy named Luke Jones, who was supposed to be a servant of Mr. Blackstone's. The boys force Luke to confess to the crime as well as to the plot to ensue more hatred between the feuding families. Amongst all of the excitement, the boys were also able to find concrete evidence to win their father's current case.

Age/Audience: This piece is also a level S book that would be perfect for students who are interested in mystery books and law enforcement.

Teaching Points:
This particular Hardy Boys book would be great for teaching students about predictions and assessing whether or not theirs are correct.

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The Secret Warning By: Franklin W. Dixon

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The Secret Warning By: Franklin W. Dixon

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Date Read: 10/5/2017-10/6/2017
Genre: Fiction (Upper Elementary)

The Secret Warning is the 17th installment of the Hardy Boys series. Frank and Joe Hardy are brothers, and one day their father receives a mysterious threatening telegram that they proceed to investigate. A man named Mehmet Zufar is the owner of a million-dollar golden pharaoh's head, and he claims that this head was aboard the freight boat "Katawa" when it sank not far from Whalbone Island. The boys and their father are suspicious that Mehmet might be trying to commit fraud, and they are bound and determined to find out the truth. The boys eventually catch Mr. Zufar attempting to sell the real pharaoh's head and also collect the insurance money for a fake duplicate. I enjoyed reading this book as a child and was glad to revisit it.

Age/Audience:
This level S book is a must-read for  upper elementary/middle school students who enjoy mystery books.

Teaching Points:
This book would be excellent for teaching plot diagrams as well as for practice with dialogue between characters.

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Mighty Jack and the Goblin King By: Ben Hatke

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Mighty Jack and the Goblin King By: Ben Hatke

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Date Read: 10/4/201`7
Genre: Graphic Novel (Hot New Book)

Mighty Jack and the Goblin King is a riveting story about Jack and his little sister Maddy. One day, Maddy is kidnapped by an ogre and taken to another realm. Jack and his friend Lilly follow after her to rescue her from the ogre, but what they find in the portal is much more daunting than they had imagined. The friends aren't even sure if they will make it back home alive, even with the help of their magical plants. Jack and Lilly are horrified when they find out that the monsters grind up the bones of human children to feed to the beast. Help eventually comes from an unexpected place, the Goblin King! This is a marvelous retelling of the classic Jack and the Beanstalk that is much more relatable to children of this generation.

Age/Audience:
This Q-level graphic novel would be an excellent choice for students with exceptionally wild imaginations and/or a knack for adventure.

Teaching Points:
This piece could be used for a compare/contrast with Jack and the Beanstalk.

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All's Faire in Middle School By:  Victoria Jamieson

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All's Faire in Middle School By:  Victoria Jamieson

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Date Read: 10/3/2017
Genre: Graphic Novel (Hot New Book)

All's Faire in Middle School is a tale about 11-year-old Imogene (Impy for short) who has grown up around the Renaissance Faire and she decides that it is about time for her to become a squire. in order to do so, one must exhibit their courage. Impy chooses to exhibit her courage by going to public school (this made me laugh). Unfortunately, Impy isn't accepted very well in public school due to her unique lifestyle. Impy starts to feel ashamed about the way she dresses and how her family carries out unusual rituals, and she even does something mean just to fit in with the "in crowd". Impy must self-reflect on this situation because she thought that she was above doing things like that. I like this book because of the moral and I loved the pictures.

Age/Audience:
This level W text would be excellent for students who seem insecure about the way they dress or about their family's culture.

Teaching Points:
I feel that this text would be very rewarding for most students to read because it would teach them how it would feel to be an outsider. Connections to the Renaissance could also be made for Social Studies.

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The Last Kids on Earth and the Nightmare King By: Max Brallier

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The Last Kids on Earth and the Nightmare King By: Max Brallier

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Date Read: 10/2/2017
Genre: Graphic Novel (Hot New Book)

The Last Kids on Earth and the Nightmare King is the third installment of Max Brallier's graphic novel series. This series has been received very well by many middle school students and this comes as no surprise since they are so relatable. As illustrated in the earlier books from this series, life for Jack Sullivan has been great since the zombie apocalypse! He gets to ride around town with all of his friends, live in a super cool tree house, and even battle real-life zombies. However, the fun and games are starting to be overshadowed by a mysterious Nightmare King that is hunting them. Jack is scared that his friends will leave him if they find out that there could be more kids left on Earth after all.

Age/Audience:
This graphic novel is a level S book that would be great for students who enjoy playing video games and have a great sense of adventure.

Teaching Points:
Although this book is mainly for recreational reading, some moral lessons can be taken from the text like the fact that you should always be honest with your friends.

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Date Read: 10/4/2017
Genre: Graphic Novel (Hot New Book)

Swing It, Sunny is a fun coming-of-age tale that highlights the struggles of entering middle school along with some family issues experienced by the main character, Sunny. Sunny is apprehensive about going to middle school and it doesn't help that her brother Dale was sent off to boarding school. Sunny really misses him, and it doesn't even help when he comes home for Thanksgiving because he has changed a great deal since he's been gone. However, Sunny finds solace in her best friend, Deb, who spends a lot of time with her. The two friends watch TV shows, plan their Halloween costumes, and listen to records in their spare time.

Age/Audience:
Swing It, Sunny is an R-level book that would be great for students who are facing some struggles at home or with transitioning to middle school.

Teaching Points:
Since this book is set in the '70's, some of the popular culture found in this book could be used as a link for Social Studies.

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Dawn and the Impossible Three By: Gale Galligan

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Dawn and the Impossible Three By: Gale Galligan

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Date Read: 10/3/2017
Genre: Graphic Novel (Hot New Book)

Dawn and the Impossible Three is the fifth installment of The Baby-Sitters Club. The author decided to revamp the series by turning some of the original books into graphic novels. Dawn Schafer is the new girl in town in Stoneybrook, Connecticut. She is excited to get her first big job after she moves, but she soon finds out that the Barrett children aren't that easy to work with. She hopes to impress Kristy, one of the members of the Baby-Sitters Club, by proving that she can handle these kids. Dawn does her very best to take care of these wild children, but one day she decides that she just can't take it anymore so she talks to Mrs. Barrett. As a result, Mrs. Barrett promises to become more organized. Although I was never a big fan of these books while I was growing up, I feel that they will be received better as graphic novels. I really enjoyed looking at the graphics and some of them were actually quite humorous.

Age/Audience:
This is a level T book that would be a good read for students who have some trouble focusing with plain chapter books. Having plenty of pictures to look at can sometimes solve this problem and increase comprehension levels.

Teaching Points:
On a moral note, this book teaches readers that it is okay to respectfully talk to adults in order to communicate that you have a problem with the way things are going. If Dawn never spoke up about how put out she was with her situation, nothing would have changed and everyone would have been unhappy.

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Weather By: Penelope Arlon and Tory Gordon-Harris

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Weather By: Penelope Arlon and Tory Gordon-Harris

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Date Read: 10/5/2017
Genre: Nonfiction (Picture Book)

Weather is jam packed with facts that broadly cover many different types of weather. Classification of winds, the water cycle, rainbows, precipitation, and much more are discussed in this piece. This book basically compiles a lot of the information that is found in the previous texts and puts it all in one. However, this book does discuss firsthand accounts of people who have experienced the effects of extreme weather, which is really a nice touch.I like that this book could be used as a reference when talking about weather in general, and I would probably buy it myself!

Age/Audience:
This is another level R book that would be right up a scientifically-inclined reader's Tornado Alley! (Sorry for the pun).

Teaching Points:
This book is really an all-in-one guide to weather that could be used in many applications (especially for science). You could use this book as an aide for talking about natural disasters, clouds, the water cycle, air movement; the possibilities are endless!

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Date Read: 10/5/2017
Genre: Nonfiction (Picture Book)

Thunderstorms is yet another riveting book from this Scholastic series. Many things are discussed in this piece such as how thunderstorms are formed, what constitutes a severe thunderstorm, surviving such storms and how to do so, and how scientists predict the path of thunderstorms. Cumulonimbus clouds are known as thunderstorm "factories" according to this book, and water droplets form inside of these clouds that eventually become too heavy to float. Lightning can pass from part of one cloud to another part of the same cloud, from cloud to cloud, and also from clouds to the ground. The odds of getting struck by lightning in any given year are one in 600,000! All of these facts are interesting ones that I gleaned from the text, and this is definitely one of my favorites.

Age/Audience:
This book is a level R and it would be quite interesting for students that are curious about storms/lightning. Students who like science in general would probably be big fans of this book.

Teaching Points:
This book would tie in nicely with teaching the water cycle to your students. The formation of lightning/thunder is pretty much unanswered with respect to the water cycle, so it would probably be interesting for them to learn where these elements come from.

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Date Read: 10/4/2017
Genre: Nonfiction (Picture Book)

Extreme Weather shows the different types of natural disasters that can/have occurred in this region of the world. Tornadoes, hurricanes, heat waves, droughts, wildfires, blizzards, and global warming's effects on extreme weather are all discussed within this text. Some more interesting facts are presented in this book like the fact that about 1% of thunderstorms produce tornadoes in the U.S., wildfires can produce their own wind as the grow, and severe winds cause an average of 51 deaths in the U.S. each year. Extreme weather is all around us and we must be mindful of the dangers associated with them. I like the fact that this book keeps a focus on staying safe during extreme weather events.

Age/Audience:
This is a level R book that would be great for readers that are fascinated by nature and like to learn about storms. A scientific mind would benefit a lot from this book, as well as readers who have a survivalist point of view.

Teaching Points:
This book would be great to teach students about natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina. Hurricane Irma also could have been described to students by using this book in order to create a personal connection.

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Date Read: 10/5/2017
Genre: Nonfiction (Picture Book)

Wetlands gives a wonderful insight into one of my favorite types of ecosystems. The biodiversity found in these regions is remarkable and the wildlife depicted in this book is awe-inspiring. Hurricane Katrina is mentioned in this book because parts of New Orleans actually used to be a wetland. Therefore, when the hurricane broke land the soil reverted back to its original state and held the water that surged inland. Different types of unique plants are discussed in this book, because many plant species grow partially underwater in these regions. The importance of the wetlands is heavily emphasized in this text, and I am glad that students will be able to get an idea about saving these disappearing habitats.

Age/Audience:
This level Q text would be of great interest to students who are interested in wildlife and different types of ecosystems.

Teaching Points:
It is important for students to become aware of the dire need associated with saving our planet's habitats. This book shows students what could be lost if we do not take care of our environment. Hopefully it would inspire them to make a difference.

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Date Read: 10/5/2017
Genre: Nonfiction (Picture Book)

The BP Oil Spill illustrates the unfortunate event that occurred in 2010 that affected so many people and so much wildlife. The book discusses what happened to the Deepwater Horizon, what happened that caused the oil to spread, the cleanup after the disaster, and the lasting effects of the event. As with most of these Scholastic nonfiction books, there is a multitude of interesting facts that are presented in this text. I learned that the plume of smoke from the rig could be seen from space, an oil slick that was 5 miles long was in the Gulf of Mexico, and that another disaster involving the Exxon Valdez in Alaska is still having effects on the environment.

Age/Audience:
This level Q book would be excellent for readers who care about the environment and also readers who are interested in things like mechanics and infrastructure.

Teaching Points:
This piece could be used to discuss topics within ecology in Science class. This event is a prime example of the effects that humans can have on the environment.

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Date Read: 10/4/2017
Genre: Nonfiction (Picture Book)

Nuclear Meltdowns outlines some of the major nuclear events that have happened throughout history.  The book teaches readers about  what nuclear fission is, how meltdowns occur, the Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, and Japan's nuclear crises, and the future of nuclear power. Although this topic is somewhat unsettling, it is still very interesting to learn about. Most people understand that nuclear meltdowns are dangerous, but they probably don't have much of an idea about why this is so. This book piece really lays the information out so that a proficient understanding can be achieved.

Age/Audience:
This S-level text would be great for students who are interested in energy or have mechanical minds. A student's maturity level might need to be assessed before giving them this text because there are some disturbing facts about deaths from nuclear meltdowns.

Teaching Points:
This book would be great for teaching nuclear energy to students in Science, and the idea of nuclear meltdowns could also be linked to Social Studies.

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Date Read:10/4/2017
Genre: Nonfiction (Picture Book)

The Sun gives readers a wonderful background about the source of energy for our planet. In the book, many topics are discussed such as: the size of the sun, where light is created in the sun, orbiting, the debate of what the center of our universe is, and how the sun is studied today. The fact that people take the sun for granted is also brought up in this piece. If the sun was not in our solar system all life on Earth would end. The reader is taught that the sun is comprised of mostly hydrogen with a little bit of helium. So many facts are presented in this book and I found them very intriguing.

Age/Audience:
This level P book is also a good choice for students who are interested in outer space. This would be a good choice to introduce students to nonfiction picture books because the text is not as difficult as some of the others I've mentioned.

Teaching Points:
This text would be perfect for teaching students about the life cycle or as a link to the solar eclipse (which happened not so long ago).

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Planet Venus By: Christine Taylor-Butler

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Planet Venus By: Christine Taylor-Butler

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Date Read: 10/5/2017
Genre: Nonfiction (Picture Book)

Planet Venus provides an excellent introduction for our galaxy's second planet. It explores Earth's similarities to Venus, the planet's environment, volcanoes on Venus, and thoughts on why it is important for us to study Venus. The text offers many interesting facts that keep the reader involved. The book tells us that 25 spacecraft have traveled to the planet, standing on Venus would feel like being under half of a mile of water, and the planet has over 1,600 major volcanoes.

Age/Audience:
This T-level text would be of great interest to upper-elementary students who are curious about space/astronomy.

Teaching Points:
The planet Venus will definitely come up in science class so it would be beneficial to have this book handy in order to share interesting facts.The book could also be used for making predictions. One could ask their students if they thought we could live on Venus and they could make predictions. This book could either confirm or reject their predictions.

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Date Read: 9/9/2017
Genre: Fiction (Early Chapter)

Dinosaurs Before Dark is the first installment of the Magic Tree House series. This book started it all for me, and I believe that I read most of the books in this series as an elementary school student. Jack and Annie, who are brother and sister, are exploring near their house in Pennsylvania. They come across a tree house that is filled with books, and whenever they open a book about dinosaurs they find themselves amidst prehistoric creatures. They come across many different types of dinosaurs. When the siblings come across a Tyrannosaurus Rex, they decide to run for the hills! They return home and decide to not speak of their journey to their parents. They plan to go on another adventure tomorrow.

Age/Audience:
This is level M book that would be of great interest to students who enjoy nature and imagination. The entire series is well-suited for adventurous young minds.

Teaching Points:
This book could be used as a link between Science and Language Arts. Students could also use this book to teach plot diagrams.

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Date Read: 9/15/2017-9/20/2017
Genre: Fiction (Middle/High School)

Hatchet is a riveting tale about a young man named Brian who is forced to make a crash-landing in a lake due to the pilot having a heart attack. Brian survives the crash, but the pilot does not. He must survive on his own in the wilderness, which proves to be quite the experience. Brian encounters many struggle during his time in the wild, but he is able to overcome them in order to survive. Initially, Brian feels sorry for himself and is somewhat helpless, but he really pulls it together and grows to be independent and a stronger young man.

Age/Audience:
This is a level R book that is well-suited for young readers who are interested in adventure books and nature.

Teaching Points:
This piece would be great to show examples of imagery to your students because there are countless instances where imagery is used.

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Date Read: 10/2/2017
Genre: Nonfiction (Picture Book)

Birds is an interesting nonfiction piece that introduces readers to our winged friends. The book tells readers about what characteristics make a bird a bird, the classification of birds based on their habitat, courtship and mating, and how humans interact with birds. Interesting facts like hummingbirds being able to eat twice their body weight in a day encourages the reader to keep on going while reading the text. A chart with quick facts about common birds is even included in the text which would give the reader a nice reference to look at when learning about birds in his/her environment.

Age/Audience:
This book is suited for Q-level readers that enjoy learning about birds and nature in general.

Teaching Points:
This book could be used to reference facts about birds when teaching students about characteristics of life or linking facts about birds to bird protagonists in other stories.

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Date Read: 10/2/2017
Genre: Nonfiction (Picture Book)

Pandemics is a nonfiction book that tells readers about various pandemics such as smallpox, cholera, influenza, and HIV/AIDS. This topic can be a little unsettling, but it is important for kids to know that things like pandemics can happen. Although they are terrible occurrences, it is important to be aware of just how much we can be effected by widespread sickness. The first pandemic, smallpox, played a major role in the colonization of the Americas after Columbus landed in 1492. Without this widespread sickness it would have been a lot more difficult to overtake these civilizations. I like that the book has a realistic standpoint on the effects of pandemics.

Age/Audience:
This book would definitely be targeted toward upper-elementary and even middle school students simply because of the topic. It might not be a good idea to introduce thousands of people dying to young readers. It's a good thing that this book is leveled at R so that only more advanced readers can understand it. However, students who are mature enough would benefit from the scientific thinking involved with pandemics.

Teaching Points:
This book would be useful in explaining the topic of pandemics in Social Studies such as colonization or the Black Plague

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Date Read: 10/2/2017
Genre: Nonfiction (Picture Book)

Reptiles is an extremely informative text that goes over where reptiles can be found, what kind of animals are reptiles, what they eat and where they live, communication and reproduction, and how reptiles interact with people. Some of the interesting facts included in this piece tell us why tortoise's legs are round and stumpy, that rattlesnakes get a segment added onto their tale every time they shed their skin, how some reptiles spend their entire lives in the water, and much more!

Age/Audience:
Reptiles is also a Q-level text (it seems that nonfiction books must become more interesting for readers at this level). Many young readers like reading about reptiles because they truly are intriguing creatures.

Teaching Points:
Reptiles are main characters in many children's books (i.e. A Color of His Own, The Yucky Reptile Alphabet Book, The Snake Who Said Shhh, etc.) and this book could be used to answer questions that might come up while reading these fiction books.

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Date Read: 10/2/2017
Genre: Nonfiction (Picture Book)

Tundra is another informational text that highlights what kind of wildlife live on the tundra, endangered species, why the tundra matters, and how we know that the tundra is warmer that it has been before. So many interesting facts are represented in this book that it's almost overwhelming...almost! Topics such as global warming are discussed, and subsequently what that might mean for the world's tundras. Many people who visit the tundra come to appreciate its beauty, and I too would like to visit this region one day.

Age/Audience:
Tundra is a Q-level text that would be interesting for students who are  enthralled with nature because many endangered species live in tundra regions.

Teaching Points:
This text would also be beneficial for talking about world climates in Science. Also, this book could be used as a nonfiction link to Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear

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Date Read: 10/2/1017
Genre: Nonfiction (Picture Book)

Deserts is a great nonfiction text that highlights tons of interesting facts about what deserts are and where they can be found, the types of weather found in the desert, and who/what lives in the desert. Interesting facts like how some of the people who live in the Atacama region have never seen rain in their entire lives are very intriguing and really grab the reader's attention. The images found in this book clearly illustrate life (or the lack thereof) found in the deserts around the world. Interesting topics of study such as desertification are also brought up within the text. I enjoy all of the interesting facts that are included withing this book because I didn't even know a lot of them.

Age/Audience:
This is a level Q book that would be quite interesting for students who are curious about Science and various climates. Many desert-dwelling animals are also discussed so it might be a good idea to present this to readers who are interested in animals.

Teaching Points:
This book could be used for describing different types of climate in your Science lessons.

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Date Read: 10/1/2017
Genre: Nonfiction (Picture Book)

Rocks is an informational text about, you guessed it, rocks! The text gives a pretty broad overview about where rocks come from,  the forces that affect them, and how people have used rocks throughout history. The structure of the Earth itself is described in order to explain how rocks are generated. Many interesting facts about rocks are mentioned within the text and multiple diagrams that depict information such as the rock cycle.  Some outrageous and true statistics are also found in the back of the book.

Age/Audience:
Rocks is a level N book that would be interesting to students who like science or are interested in rocks/fossils. Many interesting facts are shown in this book, so it might be interesting for students who just like to learn fun facts.

Teaching Points:
This book would be excellent to use in Science. Many young students become fascinated with rocks while playing on the playground, so a link could be made between the rocks they find and the science that goes behind them.

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Night Flight: Amelia Earhart Crosses the Atlantic By: Robert Burleigh 

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Night Flight: Amelia Earhart Crosses the Atlantic By: Robert Burleigh 

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Date Read: 10/1/2017
Genre: Nonfiction (Picture Book)

Night Flight: Amelia Earhart Crosses the Atlantic is a wonderful representation of the courage and wonder that occurred during Amelia's flight across the Atlantic. Every twist and turn is felt by the reader because the author gives such vivid descriptions of various events. When the engine cuts off and Amelia goes into a tailspin towards the water it is such a heart-wrenching moment. The fact that the author was able to do this in such a short children's book is quite impressive. The illustrations are also crisp and detailed, which really gives the book some extra flare.

Age/Audience:
Night Flight is a P-level text that would be of interest to many girls. Boys and girls alike who enjoy adventure would also be interested in this piece.

Teaching Points:
Night Flight would be excellent for teaching students Social Studies seeing that Amelia Earhart's flight across the Atlantic is an extremely significant event in U.S. History.

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Date Read: 9/30/2017
Genre: Fiction (Picture Book)

Where's My Teddy? is about a boy named Eddie who sets out to find his lost teddy bear, Freddie. Eddie comes across a giant teddy bear in the woods and wonders how Freddie got to be that size. Meanwhile, a gigantic bear is also looking for his teddy bear friend and is wondering how his got to be so small. The bear and Eddie end up meeting, and the encounter is horrifying for all parties involved. However, both of them end up with their teddy bear friends right back in their comfy beds.

Age/Audience:
Where's My Teddy? is an I-level text that should be suitable to the interests of most readers, unless of course they do not like teddy bears or real bears.

Teaching points: This piece would allow for a lesson on character perception, because it seems as though the bear is just as startled at the sight of a boy as Eddie was at the sight of a bear. Perception is everything in reading and in life.

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Nana Upstairs and Nana Downstairs By: Tomie dePaola

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Nana Upstairs and Nana Downstairs By: Tomie dePaola

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Date Read: 9/22/2017
Genre: Fiction (Picture Book)

Nana Upstairs and Nana Downstairs is about a young boy named Tommy who loves to go visit his grandparents on Sundays.
At his grandparents' house, Tommy's great-grandmother stays upstairs because she is 94 years old. Since Tommy's other grandmother stays by the stove downstairs, he decides to call them Nana Upstairs and Nana Downstairs respectively. One day, Nana Upstairs passes away. This makes Tommy very sad and he decides to just call Nana Downstairs Nana from then on. Eventually his other Nana passes away too, and at that point Tommy says that  they are now both Nana  Upstairs.

Age/Audience:
This is a level P text that would probably be relevant for most students as long as they have a relationship with their grandma.

Teaching points:
This book brings up a topic that is extremely difficult to introduce to young children; the passing of a family member. This topic might be triggering for certain students if they have already lost a loved one so it is a good idea to tread softly.

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Date Read: 9/21/2017
Genre: Fiction (Picture Book)

Are You My Mother? is another one of my favorite children's books. In the story, a baby bird falls from his nest while his mother is away. He starts walking to find his mother and comes across various animals and objects along the way. He asks everything and everyone that he encounters if they are his mother. The fruitless search finally leads the little bird to an excavator, which ends up picking the little bird up and putting him right back in his nest. The mother returns without even knowing that any of this has occurred. I love this book because it has a happy ending after a sad chain of events.

Age/Audience:
Are You My Mother? is an I-level book that would yet again be recommended for readers who like animals and adventure.

Teaching points:
This book teaches readers perseverance and hope even when the situation isn't looking good. This book could also be used to practice with the inflection related to asking questions.

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Edwina, the Dinosaur Who Didn't Know She Was Extinct By: Mo Willems

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Edwina, the Dinosaur Who Didn't Know She Was Extinct By: Mo Willems

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Date Read: 9/21/2017
Genre: Fiction (Picture Book)

Edwina, the Dinosaur Who Didn't Know She Was Extinct, is an excellent piece by Mo Willems. Everyone in town loves Edwina, except for Reginald Von Hoobie-Doobie. He tells people in the town that dinosaurs are extinct, but no one cares enough to listen to him. He finally decides to tell Edwina that she is extinct in a vindictive manner, but she simply doesn't care. The situation is resolved and Reginald is just happy that someone took the time to listen to him.

Age/Audience:
This is a K-level book that would be interesting for students who like dinosaurs and it's really just interesting in general.

Teaching points:
This piece would be great for teaching students how to react to a bully. If someone is being mean to you, you should try your best to not let it bother you.

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If You Give a Mouse a Cookie By: Laura Numeroff

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If You Give a Mouse a Cookie By: Laura Numeroff

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Date Read: 9/20/2017
Genre: Fiction (Picture Book)

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie is one of my favorite children's books of all time. In the story, a boy gives a mouse a cookie and then the mouse comes inside for a glass of milk. The mouse's needs keep growing and the boy caters to these needs without fail. Eventually the mouse begins to miss his family and decides to go back home. I love this book because as a child, I could see myself doing the same things that the boy in the story did. (Truthfully, I always wished that I was the boy in this story.)

Age/Audience: This is a level K text that would be well-suited for students with a wild imagination and a love for animals.

Teaching points:
This book could inadvertently be used to teach students about cleanliness and organization. I never noticed how messy these two were in the story until I read it as an adult, but they really could've cleaned up after themselves!

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Date Read: 9/20/2017
Genre: Fiction (Picture Book)

Hunwick's Egg exemplifies everything that a children's book should be for me. The main character, Hunwick, is a bandicoot who lives in the desert with friends such as the cockatoo and echidna. One day a large storm comes and blows an egg next to Hunwick's burrow. Hunwick decides to take care of the egg until it hatches, which proves to be quite the task. Hunwick keeps waiting and waiting for the egg to hatch and all of his friends seem skeptical that it will actually happen. Hunwick finally comes to the conclusion that the egg isn't an egg at all, it is just an egg-shaped rock. However, Hunwick chooses to love the rock as his friend anyway.

Age/audience:
This is an L-level text that would be perfect for animal-lovers and adventurers alike.

Teaching points:
This book teaches students to love people/things regardless of their expectations. I feel that this is an important moral lesson that I will most definitely teach to my students.

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Date Read: 9/19/2017
Genre: Fiction (Picture Book)

Owl at Home is a book comprised of a few short stories. During these stories, Owl has quite the time interacting with different household situations. He lets Winter inside for a visit and discovers that Winter is not a very nice guest. Owl also has "Tear-water Tea" after filling up a kettle with his own tears. Owl also interacts with the moon during the last short story of the book. He tells the moon that he does not have enough dinner to share with him, but the moon follows him home anyway. Owl discovers that the moon is outside his window when he is almost ready for bed and decides that the moon is a good friend for following him all the way home. I enjoyed this book because of its creativity in describing certain aspects of life.

Age/Audience:
Owl at Home is a level J book that would be interesting for readers who like animals. I feel that this book would be quite interesting for the majority of students.

Teaching Points:
This book could be used as an effective example when talking about seasons or the moon. One could ask students if Owl is right for thinking that the moon actually follows him or that Winter actually came inside Owl's house.

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Date Read: 9/19/2017
Genre: Fiction (Picture Book)

Armadillo Rodeo is a fun story about an Armadillo named Bo who goes off in search of what he perceives to be a new friend. Bo has mistaken a young girl's pair of boots for another armadillo and he wishes to be friends. Meanwhile, Bo's mother is chasing after him since he has gone missing. Once Bo finally realizes that his "new friend" was just a boot, his mom finally catches up with him to take him home. I liked that this book had an emphasis on family relationships and support.

Age/Audience: This is an N-Level book that would be interesting for students who like animals and stories about adventure.

Teaching Points:
The importance of following directions and not wandering off from a group could be a moral lesson taught by this book. The idea of slang or vernacular could be brought up from this book because there are many instances of dropped endings for a Southern accent.

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Knots on a Counting Rope By: Bill Martin, Jr.

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Knots on a Counting Rope By: Bill Martin, Jr.

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Date Read: 9/21/2017
Genre: Fiction (Picture Book)

Knots on a Counting Rope is an inspirational piece that highlights aspects of Native American culture and promotes students' courage. In the story, a young boy, Boy-Strength-of-Blue-Horses, asks his grandfather to tell him a story that he has heard countless times before. The boy's grandfather reluctantly tells the story again with the help of the grandson. The story is about the boy racing his pony around a mountain despite the fact that he is blind. The boy is learning to face his blindness and still be confident in his abilities.

Age/Audience: This is a P-Level text that would spark the interest of students who like adventure, nature, and horses.

Teaching Points:
This piece would be a great example for overcoming challenges in one's life and not letting disabilities or exceptionalities get in the way of having a meaningful life.

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Date Read: 8/25/2017
Genre: Nonfiction Picture Book
Caldecott Winner

Locomotive is an exciting tale about westward expansion in the United States. I loved all of the vivid illustrations found in this book because they really help to support the text. Everything in the text is also described so vividly that you can almost hear the sounds from the setting. The excitement of crossing the country on the transcontinental railroad is captured by this piece with the help of the illustrations, vivid text, and interactive onomatopoeias (WHOO-OOOOOO, CLANG-CLANG, etc.).

Age/Audience:
This is a Level O text that would be ideal for students who are interested in trains, adventure, and history.

Teaching Points:
This book would be excellent for teaching the concept of onomatopoeia because there are so many instances of train sounds being represented in this manner. Westward expansion/manifest destiny could also be taught with the text, but one might run into issues with appropriate grade level here.

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The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963 By: Christopher Paul Curtis

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The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963 By: Christopher Paul Curtis

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Date(s) Read: 9/11/2017-9/14/2017
Genre: Fiction (Upper Elementary or Middle School
Newbery Honor and Coretta Scott King Winner

The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963, is a very moving text that illustrates the life of an African American family from Michigan, the Watsons, who decide to visit the maternal grandmother in Birmingham in an attempt to straighten out their oldest son, Byron. The plan seems to be working because Byron saves his brother Kenny (the protagonist) from a whirlpool at a place called Collier's Landing. On the following Sunday the boys' little sister Joetta (Joey for short) decides to attend church with her grandma's neighbors. During the church service a bomb goes off and everyone is mortified thinking that Joey might be hurt or deceased. Joey turns out to be okay, but Kenny is torn up about not being brave enough to try and save his sister. I really enjoyed this book because I was able to revisit my emotions from reading it in middle school. I also like that the piece is historically significant because the bombing actually occurred; it was the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing.

Age/Audience: This is also a Level U text that is meant for grades 6-8. Kids who enjoy action/adventure and historical facts would enjoy this book.

Teaching Points:
I could also use this book to introduce ideas about race relations and to reflect on our nation's dark past. The parts of a story could also be demonstrated well by this text because the climax is very profound.

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Bud, Not Buddy By: Christopher Paul Curtis

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Bud, Not Buddy By: Christopher Paul Curtis

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Date(s) Read: 9/7/2017-9/10/2017
Genre: Fiction (Upper Elementary or Middle School)
Newbery Honor and Coretta Scott King Winner

Bud, Not Buddy, is a pivotal text for late-elementary and middle school students. The book discusses the hardships faced by a young African American boy from Michigan, Buddy, who finds himself on the lam in search of his father. The story takes place during the Great Depression and gives students a good representation of what it must have been like to live during this time. I also read this book in middle school and remembered how excellent it was and how much it spoke to me even at that age, which is why I chose to read it again for this project. So many bad things happen to Buddy on his way to meet his father, and even when he gets there his father rejects him. Thankfully, members of his father's band accept Buddy (who chooses to go by Bud from then on) and they give him a place to stay. Bud finds out that one of the band members, Herman E. Calloway, is actually his grandfather. I really like this story for its humorous moments despite its sometimes depressing elements.

Age/Audience: This is a Level U text that is beneficial for late-elementary and middle school students. Kids who like adventure and music would enjoy this book.

Teaching Points:
I could use this book to introduce ideas about race relations, the Great Depression, a main character's response to a challenge, and much more.

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Date Read: 9/19/2017
Genre: Fiction (Picture Book)
Caldecott Winner

Flotsam is a very interesting book compared to most of the others mentioned in this project because it is strictly a picture book! There is no text to be found on any of the content pages, which allows readers to make their own conclusions to an extent. A few things are obvious about the story, such as an underwater camera washing up on shore one day and the fact that children who encounter the camera take a picture with a picture of the person who previously had the camera. Other than that, the other pictures found on the film are somewhat open to interpretation.

Age/Audience:
Since there isn't any text to be evaluated, this book can be used for any grade level (K-5). However, it might be the most exciting for grades K-2 since most students above second grade are under the impression that they have "grown out of picture books". This book would also be well-suited for students with exceptionally wild imaginations because they can basically describe the pages in whatever way they wish.

Teaching Points:
This book could be very beneficial in emphasizing the use of pictures in students' personal narratives. Introducing the fact that pictures can tell stories almost as well as words can is something that most students probably have not been exposed to. Although it is quite simple, this book could also teach students about how much technology has changed since this book was published. It would be interesting to see how many students could even conceptualize the idea of getting your photos developed when everything seems to be in a digital format now.

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Date Read: 9/19/2017
Genre: Fiction (Picture Book)

Two Bad Ants is about an ant colony that discovers sugar and brings it back to their queen. Naturally after the queen tastes this "crystal" she says that it's the best she's ever had. At this, member of the colony strive to get the queen her sugar except for... two bad ants! These two ants go through trials and tribulations until they realize the it would be best if they just go home to the queen with two of the tasty crystals to share with her.

Age/Audience:
This book is a Level P for guided reading  purposes, but it could also be used for students in pre-K or Kindergarten to teach simple outcomes.

Teaching Points:
Morally-speaking, this book gives a  wonderful foundation for ethical decisions. Students can learn how their actions effect their everyday lives, as well as how defiance shown to your superiors is generally not the best idea.

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Date Read: 9/20/2017
Genre: Fiction (Picture Book)

A House for Hermit Crab is a great work by Eric Carle that shows lots of creativity and moral values. Overall this work is pretty lengthy for your average picture book, but the messages conveyed by the story are fully developed within the text. Hermit Crab meets lots of wonderful friends on his way to find a new home, and a lot of them follow him along the way. Although Hermit Crab is sad that he has to leave his friends behind, it is nice to know that they will be in good hands (or claws) when a new hermit crab comes along to .

Age/Audience:
As mentioned above, this book is a little long as far picture books go, so it might be beneficial to present this book to students that are exhibiting high levels of achievement in their reading groups based on their reading level. (This is an L-level text).

Teaching Points:
This book does an excellent job of teaching months of the year. Hermit Crab's journey is segmented with respect to the chronological months of the year, and if a student is having difficulty grasping this concept it might be beneficial to expose them to this text. This book also teaches students the moral lesson of not forgetting about your friends; even if you have to leave them behind.

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Harold and the Purple Crayon: Under the Sea By: Liza Baker

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Harold and the Purple Crayon: Under the Sea By: Liza Baker

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Date Read: 9/15/2017
Genre: Fiction (Picture Book)

Harold and the Purple Crayon is very similar to the story found in Where the Wild Things Are, but I like this story better because Harry is generally more polite to  the characters that he encounters. I remember reading this story as a child, so it speaks to me in a way that most stories cannot. I haven't encountered many books that evoke one's imagination as much as this one can, and this is remarkable seeing that I have encountered countless children's books over the years.

Age/Audience:
This book caters to an audience that is similar to the other books mentioned so far, but this specific piece stresses the importance of always returning home after you've gone on an adventure.

Teaching Points:
Harold and the Purple Crayon: Under the Sea stresses the importance of one's imagination, but it also considers the feelings of others. The lesson to be learned from this story is that no matter how far you wander from the amenities of your everyday life, you should always treat people with respect and understanding.

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Where the Wild Things Are By: Maurice Sendak

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Where the Wild Things Are By: Maurice Sendak

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Date Read: 9/20/2017
Genre: Fiction (Picture Book)
Caldecott Winner

This piece is an excellent example of an adventurous tale that goes awry. Max is upset that he is sent to bed without dinner, and as a result he decides to run away to "Where the Wild Things Are". Once he has his fun, Max grows tired of the antics and wishes to return home. He abandons his newfound friends to go back to the safety of his home and nothing seems to have changed.

Age/Audience:
This book would be perfect for students with a vivid imagination or adventurous tendencies. In theory, this book might also be catered to the interests of intellectually gifted students seeing that such students often display defiance toward authority figures.

Teaching Points:
This work would be a great example to show students that they should think about their decisions before they carry them out. (Not necessarily a standard, but an important life lesson).

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Date Read: 9/11/2017
Genre: Fiction (Picture Book)

Although this book was sad in the beginning, I liked that the chameleon was able to find a mate to share life experiences with. It is always nice to share both the joy and struggles of life with another being such as yourself. Even though the chameleon did not get exactly what he wanted, he at least found a companion.

Age/Audience:
This book would be well-suited for students who enjoy reading books about nature. Students who are creative and imaginative would more than likely enjoy this book as well.

Teaching Points:
This book would be an excellent example for teaching second graders the standard ELAGSE2RL3, which consists of characters responding to major events or challenges in a story.