My Favorite Books! by Madison Anderson https://padlet.com/madison_reese_anderson/zm1pcgp63dj1 Great books for developing readers! en-us 2017-09-13 13:14:34 UTC 2025-09-26 06:30:09 UTC hello@padlet.com Freight Train: Tren de carga by Donald Crews madison_reese_anderson https://padlet.com/madison_reese_anderson/zm1pcgp63dj1/wish/187155445 This Caldecott Honor book follows the story of a freight train passing by. With Donald Crews vivid colors and imagination, you are able to feel as though you are right in front of a train. This book allows you to use your imagination to see the train passing by. You will be able to picture the bright colors of the train, what the train is carrying, the cloud of smoke that it leaves behind, and so much more!

*** Best for Grades PK - 2 ***

Critique: 5 out of 5 Stars!
This book is in my Top 5 Favorite Books! I feel like this book is also culturally relevant to the world today because under each sentence in the book, it has the sentence written in Spanish too. I LOVED that Crews was able to include that because it allows other students to see, and try to read, the book in another language. It also allows the native Spanish speakers to feel included because they will be able to read a book in their own language, as well as read it in the language that they are now being asked to learn. The flow of this book is incredible. It really works well with the words on the pages and the illustrations because the movements of the train and the words that are describing it allow the readers to imagine a train right in front of them. So, it is a kind of flow that allows you to vividly see what is going on in the story and make you feel as if you were really standing there watching a train. I highly recommend this to everyone! Especially to those who are native Spanish speakers because I feel as though they will be excited to have a book in their native language and they will feel included in today's society.]]> 2017-09-13 13:26:33 UTC https://padlet.com/madison_reese_anderson/zm1pcgp63dj1/wish/187155445 Nicolas, where have you been? By Leo Lionni madison_reese_anderson https://padlet.com/madison_reese_anderson/zm1pcgp63dj1/wish/187156393 This picture book follows the story of a young mouse named Nicolas and his journey to find the juiciest berries ever. Suddenly, Nicolas gets snatched up by a bird and gets dropped in its nest. Read this book to see what happens to Nicolas next!

*** Best for Grades PK - 2 ***

Critique: 4 out of 5 stars! 
The book connects with younger children very well! The pictures are excellent. The only thing that I did not really like was that one part of the story did not really make much sense to me, but I do see why Lionni put it in his story. Overall, the message of the story was really good. It reminds young children to never wonder off by themselves because something could happen to them like when Nicolas got snatched up by a bird because he wondered off by himself. I believe that the subject matter is somewhat relevant today, even though the perspective of the book is seen through the eyes of a mouse. It is important that we remind children to not wonder off on their own and to stick with your family or friends that are around you so that nothing happens to you. I recommend this book to those who like animals, need reminders about not to wonder off alone, those who want a cute book or a good laugh because it is very entertaining!
]]> 2017-09-13 13:28:22 UTC https://padlet.com/madison_reese_anderson/zm1pcgp63dj1/wish/187156393 Today I Will Fly! By Mo Willems madison_reese_anderson https://padlet.com/madison_reese_anderson/zm1pcgp63dj1/wish/187157132 This book follows the story of Piggie and Elephant Gerald and Piggie's goal to fly. At first, Elephant Gerald was reluctant to the idea of Piggie being able to fly, and told Piggie that she would never fly! Does that stop Piggie from trying to reach her goal of flying? NO! Piggie reaches out to a friend for help. Does the friend help her to fly? Read to find out!

***Best for Grades PK - K ***

Critique: 5 out of 5 Stars! 
This book is cute for ages 3+! I really recommend this book for the younger ages, but anyone can benefit from the lessons that you learn from Piggie and Elephant Gerald. The pictures throughout the story are great because you are able to see how Piggie and Elephant Gerald are feeling through the emotions shown on their faces! The lessons in this book are also important for children to learn at a younger age. You will get to learn persistence, perseverance, how to lean on a friend, and how to follow their dreams. I feel as though this book is relevant in today's society because we are teaching our children how to persist and persevere through their struggles or hardships. We are also encouraging children to follow their dreams, even if their dreams seem a little bit "out there" like Piggie's dream to fly. We are also teaching children that it is alright to lean on those around you. That sometimes it takes a village to get through something and that's alright. I highly recommend this book to anyone because I feel like people of all ages could get something from the story! It is also a really cute and fun read! I also recommend this to students who need help with context clues because the book has very well done illustrations with the characters faces and how it goes along with the words in the book.
]]> 2017-09-13 13:29:40 UTC https://padlet.com/madison_reese_anderson/zm1pcgp63dj1/wish/187157132 Stick and Stone by Beth Ferry madison_reese_anderson https://padlet.com/madison_reese_anderson/zm1pcgp63dj1/wish/187163323 Have you ever heard of the saying, "Sticks and stones may brake my bones, but words will never hurt me". Well, this book follows the story of the stick and the stone in their adventures of becoming friends. In the beginning, the stick and the stone are all alone, and the stone ends up getting bullied by a pine cone. That was until the stick came to the stones rescue, and that starts the wonderful friendship for the stick and the stone. One day, there was a terrible storm, and the wind blew the stick away from the stone. So, the stone set out on a mission to find his long lost friend, stick. Does stone ever find stick? Read this book to find out!

*** Best for Grades PK - 3***

Critique: 5 out of 5 Stars!
I loved, loved, loved this book, and it's positive message with the power of friendship! This book is definitely in my Top 5 favorite books of all time! This book is a very good read for children who need a good laugh because it is very entertaining. It also gives out really good life lessons that anyone and everyone could benefit from. Those include, how bullying hurts others, how to stick up for those who are getting bullied, and what the power of friendship can do. Not only is this a book that most people can relate to, but it is one that will bring a smile to the faces of those who read it. I feel as though this book is very culturally relevant in today's day and age because every school has an anti-bullying campaign, and this book can go hand in hand with that. We are also trying to teach our children that having friends is a good thing, and that sticking up for others is something that you should do when someone is in the wrong. This book has a very good flow to it because there is a plot twist to the story when the stick is blown away from the stone, and the stone sets off on its journey to find the stick. That twist makes you want to keep reading the book to find out if the stone ends up finding the stick after all. The illustrations and words will captivate any reader that reads it! I highly recommend this book to everyone!]]> 2017-09-13 13:40:44 UTC https://padlet.com/madison_reese_anderson/zm1pcgp63dj1/wish/187163323 The Sound of All Things by Myron Uhlberg madison_reese_anderson https://padlet.com/madison_reese_anderson/zm1pcgp63dj1/wish/187175155 This book follows the story of a young boy who has two deaf parents in the 1930s. It follows their afternoon at Coney Island. While strolling around the park, the boy's father asks him about what the boy can hear because he wants to know what was happening around him. Although the main message of the story revolved around the boy's interactions with his father, Uhlberg was also able to show that the father used his other senses in order to get the full effect of the amusement park.

*** Best for Grades 1 - 4 ***

Critique: 5 out of 5 Stars!
This book is definitely in my Top 5 favorite books! This book was based on Ulberg's life as a child with deaf parents. This book allows you to get the feel of what it would be like to have deaf parents, and how they want to be able to imagine what it is like to hear what is going on around them. While reading this book, you will be able to see the struggles of what deaf people go through, as well as through the eyes of the child that can hear because it is difficult for him to live life with deaf parents too. Although telling his father every detail about what he can hear, he learns to enjoy telling his father about it because he sees that it makes his father happy. Seeing the bond between the two is something that will pull at your heart and get you into your feelings! This is culturally relevant to what is going on in the world around us because we are trying to include deaf people in every aspect of life. The deaf community is a large community, and it is one that does not get put into the lime light often. So, it is nice to see people write about it for the hearing folks to get an insight as to what it is really like to be deaf. The flow of this book is very good, and it is a book that will captivate you from beginning to end. I did not want this book to end! I highly recommend this to anyone and everyone!]]> 2017-09-13 14:01:15 UTC https://padlet.com/madison_reese_anderson/zm1pcgp63dj1/wish/187175155 Oh, the Places You'll Go! by Dr. Seuss madison_reese_anderson https://padlet.com/madison_reese_anderson/zm1pcgp63dj1/wish/187179107 Oh, the Places You'll Go! is a book about accomplishments and exciting things to come in your future! It follows the story of a boy, who is not named, and the paths in life that he takes. It not only shows the paths that he takes, but it shows the struggles that come, and how the boy got through the struggles that came his way. 

*** Best for All Grades ***

Critique: 5 out of 5 Stars! 
This book is my all time favorite book! I recommend this to anyone and everyone. The life lessons in this book are great for people of all ages. It shows you that no matter what happens in life, you will always end up where you are supposed to be. So, you should keep chugging on no matter what. If anything happens along the way, you should get up and keep trying because tomorrow is a new day, and something great could come your way! The flow of this book is a good pace, and the illustrations keep you engaged and captivated. I recommend this to everyone! ]]> 2017-09-13 14:07:46 UTC https://padlet.com/madison_reese_anderson/zm1pcgp63dj1/wish/187179107 Barn Dance! by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault madison_reese_anderson https://padlet.com/madison_reese_anderson/zm1pcgp63dj1/wish/187180264 This book is about a young boy who was unable to sleep one night. While he was awake, he heard music coming from the barn. Instead of trying to get to sleep, he gets out of bed, and follows the music down to the barn where he sees the animals dancing along to the music the scarecrow is playing. The young boy decides to dance along, and they all danced through the night. In the wee hours of the morning, the boy slips back into his bed, just in time to get ready for his day.

*** Best for Grades PK - 3 ***

Critique: 4 out of 5 Stars!
Overall this book was an interesting read, and it is one that I will probably read again with my children in the future! It was a cute, rhythmic book that allows you to imagine what it would be like if a barn came to life! This book was a very fast read, and the flow to the book was one that allows you to want to keep reading. The rhythmic tone adds to the flow of the book because it makes reading the book more interesting and fun! I do not believe that this book is relevant to today's society, but it is one that I feel as though people will read because it is different than what most people are used to reading. I would recommend this book to those who like rhyming books, books that have a good tone and flow, those who like dance, and maybe even to those who like barns and barn yard animals. ]]> 2017-09-13 14:09:42 UTC https://padlet.com/madison_reese_anderson/zm1pcgp63dj1/wish/187180264 A Letter To Amy by Ezra Jack Keats madison_reese_anderson https://padlet.com/madison_reese_anderson/zm1pcgp63dj1/wish/187181032 This book follows the story of a young boy named Peter, and how he wants to invite a girl named Amy to his party. He decides to write her a letter and mail it to her. In a twist of events, Peter let go of the letter when the storm started rolling in. The question is, did he ever mail the letter to Amy? Did Amy ever show up to Peter's party? Read to find out!

*** Best for Grades K - 2 ***

Critique: 5 out of 5 Stars!
Overall this book was a great read! It is definitely cute for the younger ages because the pictures are excellent, and I felt like they could connect to this book better than the older kids. This story also had a great message that the children could learn from. This book followed the story of Peter, and how he wanted to invite a girl, named Amy, to his party. This can show the children that they need to include everyone, and that it is alright to be friends with the opposite sex. Also, the book shows Peter contemplating on whether to give Amy the letter or not. In the end, we see that Amy ends up catching the letter, and Peter attempts to get it back from her. He ends up retrieving the letter. Instead of giving it to her while she was in front of him, but he ended up mailing it to her. He did not hear back from Amy regarding her attendance to his party or not, but she ended up coming to it anyway. This can teach children that they should go after what they want, and to push through the obstacles that they might go through because in the end, the good comes out of the struggles. The pictures illustrated are extremely well done, and I believe that this is something that will get children's attention.The subject matter is relevant to what is going on in the world today because we are all about everyone being included in everything. We are also encouraging boys and girls to work together and be friends with one another. It also never hurts to encourage children to keep pushing through the bumps that life may give. I highly recommend this book to anyone! ]]> 2017-09-13 14:11:09 UTC https://padlet.com/madison_reese_anderson/zm1pcgp63dj1/wish/187181032 Tell Me About Your Day by Mem Fox madison_reese_anderson https://padlet.com/madison_reese_anderson/zm1pcgp63dj1/wish/187181690 This book follows the story of a boy who loved his bedtime. Every night before falling asleep, he would ask his stuffed animal friends about their day. The stuffed animal friends would tell them about their day and what they did. In return, his stuffed animal friends would ask him how his day was. 

*** Best for Grades K - 2 ***

Critique: 5 out of 5 Stars!
This book is in my Top 5 favorite books! The whole idea of the young boy looking forward to his bedtime because he got to see how his stuffed animals days were was so incredibly cute and interesting! It also sends a great message to children to care about those around  you and to ask how they are doing. The whole idea that Fox created was great because it is something that almost everyone can relate to at some point in their life. This book had really thorough illustrations that captivates your attention with the vivid colors and interesting drawings. I also believe that it is relevant for our younger readers because it allows them to have the imagination of talking to their stuffed animals and treating them as if they were real. It also shows them how to care for others, and that is something that we should all be encouraging for our young children The flow of this book is a relatively good speed, and it is one that will keep the attention of its readers. Overall, I would recommend this book to young readers who still have the imagination of talking to their stuffed animals, or those who need a lesson on how to care for others. ]]> 2017-09-13 14:12:17 UTC https://padlet.com/madison_reese_anderson/zm1pcgp63dj1/wish/187181690 Sector 7 by David Wiesner madison_reese_anderson https://padlet.com/madison_reese_anderson/zm1pcgp63dj1/wish/187182429 This wordless picture book follows the story of a young boy, who likes to draw, attending his class field trip to the Empire State Building in New York City. While at the Empire State Building, he befriends a little cloud. The little cloud ends up taking the young boy off to the sky to Sector 7. There, we see a lot of other clouds, and how they seem to be bored by their everyday normal shapes. So, they confide in the young boy about how they feel, and he ends up drawing them new shapes to be. 

*** Best for Grades 2-5 ***

Critique: 5 out of 5 Stars!
This is book is in my Top 5 favorite books! Although there is no words, the story and message are very clear throughout the whole story, and I believe that it is one that will get children's attention. The illustrations that Wiesner did were so incredible and beautiful that it will captivate the children'sit  minds and allow them to be creative in ways that they did not know they could be. One reason that I do love this book is that it encourages and applauds imagination and creativity. That is something that we do not see every day. We try to keep our children in a little box, but this book is allowing them to think outside of the box that they usually are in. This book is very fitting for today's day and age because of how it allows you to dream, wonder, and be curious about things. It allows you to be an extraordinary thinker, and that is something that we are encouraging even more now than ever before. There is a surprise ending to the book that I did not expect. The boy in the book was taken back to his field trip, and the students looked up to the sky to see the boys ideas of what the clouds shape should be. The book has a really nice flow to it that I believe will keep the readers interest from start to end. I highly recommend this book to anyone!]]> 2017-09-13 14:13:38 UTC https://padlet.com/madison_reese_anderson/zm1pcgp63dj1/wish/187182429 Jumanji by Chris Van Allsburg madison_reese_anderson https://padlet.com/madison_reese_anderson/zm1pcgp63dj1/wish/187183225 This Caldecott Honor book follows the story of two siblings, Peter and Judy, on the day their parents left them to go to the Opera. Their day quickly turned into a boring one, so they decided to try out this board game they found. This game was not like any other game, the game brought things to life. The game they played is called Jumanji. Every time they rolled the dice, some new event would take place, and they would have to make it through the event in order to keep the game going. Does Peter and Judy win the game? Or does the game defeat them? Read this book to find out!

***Best for Grades 1 - 4***

Critique: 4 out of 5 Stars!
This book is an extremely interesting read, and it is one that keeps you on your toes because you never know what is going to happen in the game next! The illustrations and interesting whim of events will keep any reader captivated in the book. It is one that you cannot put down because it will leave you wondering what will happen next! The only bad critique I will give the story is that it took a minute for the story to pick up in flow. The beginning is kind of a slow start, but once you are farther into the book it is a great read! I do not believe that this book is relevant to what is going on in today's society, other than the fact that you should not just pick something up if it is not yours because Peter and Judy found the game in the park and picked it up. That game changed their whole day around. Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys constant turn of events because this book is full of surprises! ]]> 2017-09-13 14:15:08 UTC https://padlet.com/madison_reese_anderson/zm1pcgp63dj1/wish/187183225 On Market Street by Arnold Lobel madison_reese_anderson https://padlet.com/madison_reese_anderson/zm1pcgp63dj1/wish/188255854 This Caldecott Honor book follows the story of a child who is going down Market Street to buy presents from A - Z. Lobel does a great job in capturing the uniqueness of this Market by showing us people dressed in many different outfits. There is someone dressed in a deck of cards, a girl wearing a lollipop dress, and so much more! 

*** Best for Grades PK - 3 ***

Critique: 5 out of 5 Stars!
Arnold and Anita Lobel do a great job at allowing you to be mesmerized by the uniqueness of this Market. The words and the interesting illustrations allow you to enjoy the unforgettable shopping spree of this young child. It is a book that will capture your attention from beginning to end! This book is somewhat culturally relevant because we are allowing people to be themselves out in the opened, and we celebrate people on their uniqueness and individuality. That is something that this book allows you to do! It also gives children the chance to see what it is like to have a giving heart and wanting to buy presents for those who are important to you! It also gives you the reminder to keep an eye out for the unique things you might see or experience a Market Street. The flow of this book is a nice speed for early readers, and allows you to work on your context clues while enjoying the well done illustrations. I highly recommend this book to anyone!]]> 2017-09-17 18:50:52 UTC https://padlet.com/madison_reese_anderson/zm1pcgp63dj1/wish/188255854 Wolf Hollow by Lauren Wolk madison_reese_anderson https://padlet.com/madison_reese_anderson/zm1pcgp63dj1/wish/188255911 This Newberry Honor book follows the story of a young girl named Annabelle, and the story of the missing girl, her bully, Betty. Annabelle lives in a town called Wolf Hollow, and she lives there with her parents, grandparents, aunt, and two brothers, James and Henry. Annabelle is extremely close to her parents, and she befriends her neighbor named Toby. Toby is an older gentlemen who fought in World War I and World War II. Because of fighting in the war, it has left Toby a troubled man. Betty, Annabelle's bully, was sent to live with her grandparents after being abandoned by her own parents for some unknown reason. Betty gets joy off of picking on other people, especially when it comes to Annabelle. One day, Betty turns up missing, and her disappearance is blamed on Toby. Once Annabelle gets word of this, she takes Toby, and allows him to stay in their barn. The question is, what happened to Betty? Did Toby really kidnap Betty? Read this book to find out!

*** Best for Grades 5+ ***

Critique: 4 out of 5 Stars! 
This book is extremely captivating and interesting! I believe that it is one that anyone can enjoy, and Wolf does a great job at getting the readers attention! This book does have a lot of twist and turns when trying to find out what happened to Betty, but once you find out who did it everything starts to come together! I feel as though the book is somewhat culturally relevant in the sense of bullying and the case of the missing girl. In almost every school, as stated in another post, there are anti - bullying campaigns. So, this is a book to read about what bulling can do to the victim as well as the bully themselves. This is also relevant in the sense that there is a missing persons case going on in the story. You constantly hear missing cases being reported on the news, and how you should not go off somewhere alone, especially if you are a young girl. This book shows that statement to be true. As for recommending this book, i,f you like mysteries, this is the book for you!]]> 2017-09-17 18:51:29 UTC https://padlet.com/madison_reese_anderson/zm1pcgp63dj1/wish/188255911 Hello, I'm Johnny Cash by G. Neri madison_reese_anderson https://padlet.com/madison_reese_anderson/zm1pcgp63dj1/wish/188264345 This book follows the story of a young boy named J.R., and his dream to become a famous country singer. It showed the struggles young J.R. went through to become who he is known for now, The Famous Country Singer, Johnny Cash. 

*** Best for Grades 3-12 ***

Critique: 3 out of 5 Stars!
This book was not my favorite book to read. The flow of the book was very slow, and I feel as though it was slow because there was a lot of information to take in. This was a Non - Fiction book, so it did have a lot of information packed in it. There were interesting stories that I did not know about Johnny Cash in there. Like, how he became famous, and how he went by J.R. before he was called Johnny Cash. Also, that he named himself Johnny so that he was able to join the army. I will say that this book is good for someone who is doing a project on Johnny Cash because it is very informative on his life. So, the book definitely does its job. The pictures in this book were very well done, the cartooned image of Johnny Cash really does look like him. They were very detailed and interesting to look at. As for recommending this book out, I would say that I would not read it for fun unless I was a huge Johnny Cash fan, or I needed quick information on his life for a project.]]> 2017-09-17 20:10:37 UTC https://padlet.com/madison_reese_anderson/zm1pcgp63dj1/wish/188264345 If You Give A Mouse A Brownie by Laura Numeroff madison_reese_anderson https://padlet.com/madison_reese_anderson/zm1pcgp63dj1/wish/188267304 This picture book follows the story of a mouse, and how a little boy gives him a brownie. When you give a mouse a brownie, he will need a lot of things to go with it in order for him to enjoy it! What all do you think the mouse will need if you give one a brownie?

***Best for Grades PK - 3***

Critique: 5 out of 5 Stars!
This book is one of the cutest books you will ever read! It is a comical story that allows you to imagine what would really happen if you gave a mouse a brownie. It is one that all ages can enjoy, but is mainly geared for the younger ages. This book is not really relevant for today's society, but it allows you to use your imagination as to what would happen if you gave a mouse a brownie. It also allows you to have a good laugh with the children that you read this with! It is one that is very enjoyable, and will leave you extremely happy at the end. The pictures and story line together allows the readers to stay involved in the story, and will keep them wanting to read the book all the way through. I definitely recommend this book to the younger readers, as well as those who want to enjoy a good laugh!]]> 2017-09-17 20:45:37 UTC https://padlet.com/madison_reese_anderson/zm1pcgp63dj1/wish/188267304