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Ivy and Bean:  Doomed to Dance by Annie Barrows

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Ivy and Bean:  Doomed to Dance by Annie Barrows

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Published:  2009

Read:  3/12/2017

Review:  Friends, Ivy and Bean, are opposites, but they agree on one thing. They want to take ballet lessons. Their parents, having been through their enthusiasms before, insist the girls must not quit and must not complain.  However, the class isn't exactly what they expected. Instead of the "kicking" and sword they saw in a picture of the ballet Giselle, they are disappointed to be learning positions, pliés, and how to be butterflies. When they are cast as squids in their first recital, they come up with several ideas for how to get out of performing without breaking their promise not to drop out of class.

I like this book because of Ivy and Bean's strong friendship. I especially love the ways they stand up for each other. Bean stands up for Ivy in a loud, aggressive way , and Ivy stands up for Bean in a subtle, clever way.  This characteristic of their friendship resembles my relationship with my best friend and makes the characters very endearing to me.

Age/Audience:  Grades 2-3.  This book would appeal to girls who enjoy reading humorous stories about friends and the value of true friendship.

Teaching Points:  Because this story revolves around Ivy and Bean's attempt to keep their word, this is a good story to teach the importance of keeping your word and following through on commitments.

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The Miniature World of Marvin & James by Elise Broach

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The Miniature World of Marvin & James by Elise Broach

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Published:  2014

Read:  3/9/2017

Review:  James, a boy, is heading off for a week at the beach with his mother and brother, while his father and best friend, Marvin (a beetle), remain at home. At first, Marvin rolls himself into a desolate little ball, but then he finds himself having an adventure that is both exciting and terrifying when he and his cousin Elaine explore the inside of a pencil sharpener, only to find themselves trapped when the man sharpens a bunch of pencils and leaves one in the sharpener exit when he's called away from his desk. All turns out well, and Marvin is relieved and touched beyond measure to discover that James missed him just as much as he missed James.

I like this book, because it offers a different perspective to consider.  It is told by the beetle whose world looks very different from that of a boy, and it helps young readers to understand that their point-of-view is not the only one.

Age/Audience:  Grades 1-4.  This book would appeal to readers who have pets that they care for dearly and consider best friends or family.

Teaching Points: This book is about adventure and friendship, and is told from the perspective of the beetle. This makes it a good book for teaching point-of-view and/or seeing the world through the eyes of an insect which could be incorporated into a science lesson.

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Published:  2002

Read:  2/26/2017

Review: Gooney Bird Greene arrives at the door of her new second-grade classroom all alone, and she announces she has just moved from China (which turns out to be the name of a town, not the country).  She then demands "a desk right smack in the middle of the room, because I like to be right smack in the middle of everything." Dressed each day in another eccentric outfit, she relays to the class a series of stories that are "absolutely true" even though they initially seem anything but. Stretching the facts creatively, Gooney Bird explains how she spent time in jail (while playing Monopoly), acquired diamond earrings at a palace (they came from a gumball machine in an ice cream shop called The Palace) and directed a symphony orchestra (she directed the lost driver of the bus transporting musicians to the auditorium). Also, interruptions from her curious classmates heighten the fun throughout the story.

I enjoy this story, because I like language and wordplay. I find myself being particularly amused at the thought of Gooney Bird, a second-grader, possessing such a command of language and a pithy delivery.

Age/Audience:  Grades 1-3.  This book would be a great read for a confident strong minded girl or those who desire to attain such confidence.  It is also great for students who have vivid imaginations and a flair for story telling.

Teaching Points:  This is a great book to incorporate into the classroom, because it demonstrates the elements of a story and emphasizes the importance of the details that make a story great.

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Published:  2011

Read:  2/13/2017

Review: Claude is a small dog who wears a red beret and a red sweater. He belongs to Mr. and Mrs. Shinyshoes, who are always seen from their shiny shoes up to their knees. When Mr. and Mrs. Shinyshoes are out, Claude sets out on a adventure with his best friend, Sir Bobblysock, which is actually a bobbly sock. They decide to go to the city for the first time and have tea in a cafe.  They also go shopping and visit a museum, and the day seems pretty normal until  Claude accidentally foils a robbery and becomes the local hero.

I like this story, because it is fun and engaging for children due to its colorful illustrations and the humor throughout.

Age/Audience:  Grades 1-3.  This book is great for students who like to laugh as they read, because it is full of quirky illustrations and goofy humor.

Teaching Points:  The textual structure of this book varies from page to page, some with short simple phrases and sentences, and others with longer paragraphs and more difficult vocabulary.  This would be a good fit to teach text structure and sentence complexity to students at different ability levels - those who are just leaving the easy reader phase as well as those who are almost ready for longer chapter books.

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Mercy Watson to the Rescue by Kate DiCamillo

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Mercy Watson to the Rescue by Kate DiCamillo

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Published:  2005

Read:  2/9/2017

Review: Mercy is a pig who was adopted by a human family, the Watsons. When Mr and Mrs. Watson sing her a happy morning song, she feels as warm inside as buttered toast, but when the lights go off, Mercy is so scared she gets in bed with the Watsons. The bed breaks under the weight, which leads to a series of hysterical events. The Watsons think Mercy is on the way to call the fire department, when, in fact, she wants to see if next-door neighbor Baby Lincoln has any buttered toast. After another misunderstanding and a chase, the firemen arrive just in time to rescue the Watsons, who are about to fall through the floor. Mercy is a heroine (to the Watsons, at least), resulting in more songs and towers of toast for her.

I like this book, because Mercy is a funny character. She loves toast with a great deal of butter on it. This is funny because she is a pig and toast is the only thing she thinks about.  Also, in another part of the story, Eugenia, the neighbor, was chasing Mercy away from her house, but Mercy thought they were playing tag. Mercy was being playful, and Eugenia was mad which added to the hilarity.

Age/Audience:  Grades K-2.  This book would appeal to readers who prefer a fun and humorous story and are engaged by a bit of frantic action and silliness.

Teaching Points:  This book is an excellent transition between easy readers and more difficult chapter books. Like easy readers, it has a large font and pictures that give clues about the text. However, the vocabulary is more challenging than that of the earliest readers and would make for a good teaching point. There are also some compound sentences, and it includes some difficult words like disappointment and unbelievable, as well as some that would not be in a child's everyday vocabulary like porcine, snuffled,  and recalled.