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)

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

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

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

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 

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)

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.

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)

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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)

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

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

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

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)

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 

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

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

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

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 

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

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