Hiroshima

Hiroshima
Yep, Laurence
Scholastic Inc. NY,NY (1995)
Realistic fiction, Multicultural
2-4

Sachi is a twelve year old girl that lived in Hiroshima Japan in 1945. Sachi and her older sister Riko are effected greatly by the war. They both had to work at such young ages to support the war. Sachi worked with a crew of children that that tried to clean up the wreckage from American bombings. and Riko answered phones at an army headquarter. Only very young children were allowed to simply play. While the two girls are at work a B-29 bomber plane named the Enola Gay flown by Colonel Tibbets is heading toward Hiroshima. The Enola Gay is carrying a 8900 pound nuclear bomb. The bomb is dropped on Hiroshima and life there changed forever. There was massive destruction. Riko is killed instantly and Sachi suffered terrible burns that scarred her and immobilized her arm. Sachi's mother found her lying among a pile of dead and alive children outside a hospital. Sachi did not come out of her house for three years because she was ashamed of her scars and she did not want to be made fun of. Sachi is chosen to become one of the Hiroshima Maidens which were a group of girls that were sent to the U.S. to receive free operations and re constructive surgeries. Sachi undergoes many painful surgeries but she regains the use of her arm and her scars are greatly reduced. Sachi was among the only group of girls sent to the U.S. because many Japaneses people believed that the us should give money to be split by all of the people in Hiroshima. Hospitals are built in Japan to help people injured from the bomb. The author tells us that people are continuing to suffer and die from the effects of radiation from the bomb. He also tells us that sachi is a composite of several children who traveled to theU.S. for treatment.

This book emphasizes terrible thing our country did to the people of Hiroshima. This book is so sad. I felt sick when I thought about the pain Sachi must have gone through along with so many others. I am glad that Yep continually emphasized the lasting effects of our decision to drop the bomb. He said many times that people are still dying from the bomb. I think that everyone, not only children, should read this book so they can understand why we should never ever set off another nuclear tiomes. It seems that we are constantly in political unrest. For this reason, I want to share this book to my students and have them reflect through poetry how this book made them feel. I think that poetry speaks strait from the heart.

The Keeping Quilt

The Keeping Quilt
Polacco, Patricia
Simon and Shuster Books For Young Readers
Nonfiction, multicultural
k-3

In the Keeping Quilt, Polacco tels of the quilt her family has passed down from generation to generation. Patricia's Great Grandmother and Grandmother were Jewish immigrants from Russia to the United States. Her grandmother Anna was a child when she moved to a new country with a new language. She treasured her dress and babushka because they were the only things she had left form her old home. When She began to out grow the dress, her mother began to make a quilt out of it. She invited all of the neighbors to help her make the quilt. Anna's Babushka became the border of the great quilt. Anna treasured this quilt. Anna used the quilt as a huppa in her wedding. A huppa is placed over the couple's head as they are being married. She wraped her children in the quilt and eventually passed the quilt on to Patricia. Patricia slept with the quilt and used it as a make-believe tent when she was a child. When she grew older she two used as a Huppa in her wedding. she also wrapped her daughter in the quilt that would someday be hers.

I wish that my family had a family tradition the way Patricia's did. That quilt represented so many memories and emotions for the family. Patricia's Great Grandmother was able to preserve their heritage in part by this quilt. I think the women who had this quilt were empowered by it. The quilt represented the hard work they have put into their family. When I have my own classroom, I would have my students make their own Keeping quilt or a class quilt out of construction paper. They would come up with ways to represent their families heritage and what is important to them through their quilt. This book is a great way to introduce students to a culture that they may know little or nothing about. The double page illustrations in this book were sketches. The only color in the illustrations were the quilt. The quilt was brightly colored to show the the life and love that was in that quilt.

Becoming Naomi Leon

Becoming Naomi Leon
Ryan, Pam Munoz
Realistic fiction, multicultural
Scholastic, Inc. 2004
4-5

Naomi Outlaw was a young girl who lived with her great grandmother and little brother Owen who is physically disabled. Naomi and Owen had spent most of their lives with gram ever since their mother abandoned them. Naomi's last name was not really Outlaw it was Leon. Gram wanted her use Outlaw so they would have the same name. Naomi did not fit in well at school.The kids at her school made fun of her name, and she never had new clothes. Naomi's mother was American and fer father was Mexican. Naomi took after her father's side. She had dark hair, skin, and eyes. This meant that she did not look at all like her brother and gram. Naomi often felt out of place.

One day Naomi and Owen's mother showed up at grams trailer. Her mother had changed her name to Skyla. Gram was very upset about her arrival because she was an alcoholic who had spent time in rehab and in a half way house. Gram was worried that Skyla would try to take her kids away from the only family they knew. Gram, Naomi, and Owen were very close to their neighbors Fabiola and Bernardo who were originally from Mexico. Skyla gave Naomi lots of presents but she ignored her crippled son Owen. Owen was often made fun of for his deformities and unusual voice. Other kids called him a retard even though he was very smart. Owen was very insecure and always had to have tape on his shirt or he would panic. Skyla seemed to be embarrassed of her son and was only interested in Naomi. It turned out that Skyla only wanted Naomi so her and her new Boyfriend would get government welfare. Naomi did not want to live with her mother because she was unkind to her brother and had even hit her. She did not show up to her parent teacher conference which really hurt her feelings. Gram took Owen and Naomi on a trip to Mexico in their trailer. There, Naomi finally reconnects with her father. She discovers that he truly loved her and regretted the time they had lost. Her father agreed that his children should stay with Gram. Gram had to go to court but the judge also agreed that they should live with Gram. Naomi found herself at peace. She was no longer Naomi Out law. She is now Naomi Leon.

This is a very heart warming book. I admire Gram for taking in her grat grandchildren in when their mother left them. I fell that many children would identify with Naomi's life. She is from a mixed family which caused her great confusion. I think that children in similar situations would be comforted with how her problems worked out. I would like to use this story in the classroom to start a discussion on tolerance. Many made fun of Naomi and Owen because they were different. Children need to understand that we are who we are no one should be made to feel bad about how they look, act, or live. I would also like to incorporate an art lesson. I would have the students try to make their own soap carvings!

Away Is A Strange Place To Be

Away Is A Strange Place To Be
Hoover, H.M.
Fitzhenry and Whiteside limited, Toronto
Science Fiction
4-6

This book is set in the year 2349. In the book, humans have managed to build Habitats in outer space. The main character Abby is an orphan who live with her uncle Mochi in his Luxurious Inn. Many rich people from the outer space habitats stayed in Uncle Mochi's Inn. One of these guests was a very arrogant and spoiled boy named Bryan. Abby's uncle wanted her to entertain their young guest. While doing so Bryan and Abby were kidnapped one night while at an amusement park. The two found themselves in a child slave labor camp owned by the powerful VitaCon corporation that forced children to do manual labor in an unfinished Habitat. This was a horrible place where faceless people named after colors that called them selves instructors, drugged and threatened the students. They told the students who were mostly orphaned that they must work to build the new habitat. They were also told that there parents had sent them there on purpose to teach them discipline. Abby knew this was a lie and she longed to be able to return to her home at the Inn. Abby and Bryan decide to escape. They make it out of the compound and a man on parole for murder helps them get on a space ship so they could go home. The captin discovers them stowing away and is very angry. She is afraid that she will lose her job if the powerful ViaCom corporation finds out that she had a hand in there escape. She quietly gets the children to a port where they will be safe. The children go to the authorities and are able to communicate with Uncle Mochi and Bryan's mother. Bryan becomes physically ill when he find out that his parents did send him to that awful place. Abby discovers that the only reason she was kidnapped was because she was in the wring place at the wrong time. Bryan's mother makes arrangements for both children to be brought to her home instead of letting Abby go home. His mother made Uncle Machi sign a paper that said he would not sue her for Abby's kidnapping in return for a large sum of money before letting her return home. Abby and Uncle Mochi use the money free the other kidnapped children and give them a safe home with a college fund. After seeing the poor condition of the children in the camp, Bryan's mother finally felt guilty for sending him to that aweful place.

This book seems to be very obscure. When I googled the title my own blog entry came up! None the less, I really liked this book. Science fiction was always my favorite genre when I was young because I love the suspense and being transformed into another world. This book was most appealing to me because the characters were impossible not to connect with. Abby was a sweet, smart, and responsible girl who was very unpretentious. I admire her morals that separated her from Bryan. Unlike Abby, Bryan was very selfish and manipulative. In the beginning of the book I did not like Bryan at all but as the book went along I realized that his parents had raised him to be the way he was. Bryan was a good kid at heart. I cannot imagine the pain and rejection he must have felt when he realizes that his parents wanted to send him away. I bet that there are a lot of students that could identify with this. I would like to assign this to students in my class that are not fond of reading. I think that they might find an interest in this genre as I did. I after they read the book I would like them to write how they picture the year 2349. I think their imaginative storeys would be fascinating.

The Man Who Was Poe

The Man Who Was Poe
Avi
Avon Books NY, NY (1989)
Historical fiction, mystery
4-6

This book centers around an eleven year old boy named Edmund during the mid eighteen hundreds. He is from England but he, his aunt, and his twin sister travel to Providence Rhode Island in search of his mother. One day Edmond left his sister looked in their apartment in search of food after his aunt vanished during her search for his mother. Edmond was detained by an old man who claimed to be lost. When Edmond returned home his sister whom he calls sis, was also missing. Edmond begins a frantic search for his sister. While searching her meets a mysterious man named Mr. Dupin. He agrees to help Edmond find his sister only because he is a writer and feels that the experience would make a good story. Mr. Dupin wanted to know everything about Edmond and his family but, Edmond neglected to tell that his mother had come to America in search of his stepfather who had stolen all of her money. The two go to the docks where Edmond and his twin sister often went in hopes that they would find her there. At the docks the two make a gruesome discovery. Edmond's aunt's dead body had been pulled out of the water. Mr. Dupin begins to believe that his sister is dead but Edmond refused to believe this

Mr. Dupin is an alcoholic who seems to care little about saving sis. He seems to only care about his story and his love interest a wealthy widow named Mrs. Whitman. Mrs. Whitman did not approve of their relationship and wanted her to instead marry a man named Mr. Ratchett. We later discover that Mr. Ratchett is in fact Edmond's step father and that Mr. Dupin is the famous writer Edgar Allen Poe. We also discover that Mr. Ratchett and his accomplice Mr. Peterson had kidnapped his aunt, mother, and sister. They wanted sis to aid them in a gold heist because she was small enough to crawl through a shaft and bring them the gold. The two me killed their aunt thinking she was her identical twin sister, and they kept sis as a hostage.Mr. Ratchett wanted his wife dead so he would be free to marry Mrs. Whitman without scandal. Edmonds mother managed to escape from the men and he finally found his mother in a church. The next morning Edmond set off to rescue his sister. Mr. Dupin and Mr. Throck, who was a private investigator that only wanted reward money, were passed out drunk so he had to leave without them. Edmond found Mr. Peterson at the docks and tried to get him to return his sister. Mr. Ratchett hit him in the head from behind which knocked him out. Mr. Dupin and Mr. Throck finally sobered up and and rushed to the docks. Mr. Throck helped Edmond save his sister but Duplin was very angry that sis lived because he thought his story would be better if she were dead.

This was a very sad book for many reasons. First of all, I was very saddened for Edmond who was all alone and could find no one who cared about him. Times must have definitely changed because today a boy in Edmond's position could have gone to the police for help. Instead, people shooed him away because he was poor. they did not care that he was terrified and hungry. Also sad and unnerving was the character Edgar Allen Poe. He was an alcoholic and had psychiatric problems. He was tortured by his childhood and was very depresses. All of this made him go mad. He was so was obsessed with writing a story about all of Edmond's family dying that he really wanted them to die. He seemed to lack human empathy. I found this a very interesting book but I don't see this book with a place in my classroom. I might recommend it to certain students who like mysteries if I was teaching a grade level where they would be reading the works of Edgar Allen Poe. The book does cause the reader to think about the man Edgar Allen Poe.

My Name is Maria Isabella

My Name is Maria Isabella
Ada, Alma Flor
Thompson, K. Dyble
Realistic fiction novel, Multicultural
Atheneum Macmillan Publishing Company NY, NY, (1993)
4-6

Maria Isabella Sanchez Lopez is a girl who was born in Puerto Rico and began school there. Her family move to the united states and she attended a new school where her and her teachers spoke Spanish. Maria Isabella liked that school and had dear friends there but she and her family had to move because her dad got a new job as a superintendent ant the apartment complex where they would be living. She was very nervous about starting in her new school. Her new school was taught only in English and her teacher did not understand her culture. Maria Isabella is named after her grandmothers, grandfather, and her father. It was her family's custom to be named after family members whom were very important to the child. Maria Isabella was very proud to be named after her family members. Her teacher called Maria Isabella Mary out of convenience because their were all ready other Maria's in the class. She did not know how to tell the teacher how she felt. The teacher became very annoyed with her when she did not answer questions when the teacher referred to her as Mary. Maria Isabella was not used to answering to her new name. Because of the two's miscommunication, Maria Isabella was left out of the class performance. The teacher thought that because she did not immediately answer she did not want to participate. Nothing could have been farther from the truth. Maria became very sad that she was not in the Hanukkah performance. Maria Isabella was having a very difficult time at school and at home. Her family was full of love but they were struggling financially. Her mother had to find a job outside the home which was a hard adjustment for her. She became lonely when she was home alone. Maria Isabella finally found the courage to tell her teacher through a writing assignment how much she wanted to be called by her name and sing in the performance. The next day her teacher addressed her by her full name and asked her to lead their song. Maria Isabella was very happy that her teacher now understood her and that her parents could see her sing.

I found this book very touching. The author did a wonderful job making understand the characters in this book. For this reason I don't think that the sketched illustrations were necessary.I felt so bad for Maria Isabella when her teacher decided to ignore her name and gave her a new one. I don't think her teacher meant to hurt her feelings I think she was probably just trying to organize her class. When I was tutoring in after school I tutored a girl who was in a similar situation. Her name was Elizabeth but she wanted to be called Beth because that is what her family called her. Her teacher and all of the after school staff continued to call her beth. Every day she marked through the Eliza in her name that her teacher wrote on her papers. I don't think that Beth was as upset by being called something other that what she wanted, But it did have a clear impact on her.

The Hispanic population in our country is rapidly growing. For this reason teachers need to find ways to expose students to Hispanic cultures as well as being sensitive to Hispanic students who may feel out of place. Many people in our country bare a prejudice against Hispanic Americans. I feel that most prejudice is a result of a lack of understanding of the cultures around them. For this reason, teachers should try to incorporate as many different cultures within their curriculum as possible. I think this multicultural book would be an excellent way to introduce students to The Hispanic culture and to help them see that Maria Isabella's Hispanic family were good, hard working, and loving people. All students should be able to identify with Maria Isabella's struggle to fit in. I would like to read this book to my class within the first week of school and have a discussion about how people are different and how we are all the same. I would then have the class write a narrative about how their heritage and culture is important to them. I feel that this activity would make students more aware of the world around them as well as them selves.

Yeh- Shen

Yeh-Shen
Louie, Ai-ling
Young, Ed
Putnam and Grosset Group NY, NY (1982)
Fairy Tale, Traditional Literature, Multicultural
k-3

Yeh-Shen is the orphaned daughter of a chief. Her father and her mother's death meant that she must live with her mean and spiteful stepmother and stepsister. They did what ever they could to make Yeh-Shen's life miserable. She only had one friend in the whole world. This friend was a fish that swam in the pond near her home. The fish was very wise and comforted Yeh-Shen. She hid the fish from her stepmother out of fear of what she might do. Her stepmother found out about the fish and killed it out of spite. Yeh-Shen was devastated and kept the remains of the fish. The fish bones still held the fish's magical spirit and he was able to help Yeh-Shen with her wish to go to the festival where her stepsisters hoped to find a husband. Her stepmother forbid her to go to the festival because she did not want her to over shadow her daughters. The fish bones transformed her old ragged clothes into beautiful silk robes and golden slippers. The fish warned her not to lose the slippers and off she wen to the festival. All of the people were in awe of Yeh-Shens beauty but she was forced to flee when her stepsister became suspicious about her identity. Yeh-Shen ran so fast that she lost one of the Gold slippers. Yeh-Shen's beautiful clothing vanished and so did the fish's soul. She was once again devastated by the loss of her friend. The lost golden slipper was found and made it's way to the king. He was enchanted by the tiny shoe and he wanted to find the woman that the shoe belonged to. Many women came to try on the slipper including the stepsisters, but no one has feet tiny enough to fit into the slipper. Yeh-Shen snick out to get the shoe after the crowd of women left. The king discovered that the Yeh-Shen was the woman he had been searching for. She married the king and lived a very happy life but her step family were crushed by a rock slide.

This is a Chinese version of the Cinderella story. This version serves as a good tool to expose students to the Chinese culture but it is far from my favorite version. The author did not do a great job of tugging at my emotions. I did not feel the sympathy for Yeh-Shen as I did for Vasilisa and the Rough Faced Girl. To me, this tale was just a tale not a story of someone that could have really lived. She did not show the selflessness that the others showed. Despite this concern I thing I would use tis version as a part of a Cinderella unit. I think that this book, along with the others, would be a good way to get students to research the history of monarchs in each of the Cinderella tales. Each of the tales speak of the leader of that culture's nation. The students could research not only the monarchs themselves, but also those county's systems of government and how they might have changed trough time. This book could also be used to inform students of the Chinese culture, such as the importance of women having small feet. The kink was first stuck by how tiny Yeh-Shen's feet were.

The illustrations were painted in watercolor within a block design which was quite fitting for this Asian tale. I like block illustrations because they make the illustrations seem as though they are snapshots in time like a slide show. I liked the color combination that Young chose. He used a lot of pastels that were calming and gave the reader assurance that the story would end well. The Illustrations were very beautiful but I do feel that the story could have stood alone without them because they failed to capture the emotion in the story.

The Rough Faced Girl

The Rough Faced Girl
Martin, Rafe
Shannon, David
Putnam and Grosset Group, NY, NY (1992)
Fairy Tate, Traditional Literature, multicultural
k-3

The Rough Faced Girl lived in Lake Ontario Canada in an Algonquin village long ago. She had two sisters who treated her terribly. They made her set so close to the fire that she became burnt and scared only so that she could constantly feed the fire and keep them warm. The laughed at her and felt no pity or guilt for the way the rough faced girl was forced to live. Their father gave his oldest daughters whatever they wanted and allowed his youngest daughter to live such a miserable life. The oldest daughters were very beautiful and wore the best of clothes but there poor little sister bore terrible scars. The oldest sisters believed that because of their beauty they would be able to marry the rich and powerful invisible being who hid himself. In order to marry the invisible being the girls had to have seen him. They lied to the Invisible Being's brother telling them that they had seen him. He knew the girls were liars when they were unable to tell him what the Invisible Being's bow and sled was made of. He turned the girls away despite their beauty. The Rough Faced Girl became convinced that she was supposed to marry the Invisible Being. She made herself the best outfit she could out of the scraps her father had given fer and set off to see the Invisible Being. The Invisible Being saw her inner beauty and allowed her to see him. She wen to the Invisible being's wise sister and told her she had seen him. She was able two answer the wise woman's questions about her brother. The Rough Faced girl bathed in the lake and all of her scars disappeared. The two were married and and live a happy life together.

This adaptation of the Cinderella story is much different from Perrault's version. The Rough Faced girl did not have and evil stepmother. Instead, she had a weak father who did nothing to protect his daughter. I think that this is even worse than the evil stepmother because his daughter was his flesh and blood whom he was supposed to protest. I wish the story gave more insight on why her father behaved this way. Why were the two older sisters so evil when the youngest sister was so kind? I think that this book is an excellent book to use to get students thinking about the characters beyond what the author writes. I would like to have the students rewrite the story and have them fill in the blanks and answer all of the questions the class comes up with during class discussion. One third grade class in Terryville wrote and illustrated their own endings for the story. I think kids would like this discussion because they have endless creativity. I would also use this book to help students understand the traits of traditional fiction and their similarities to one another. This is an excellent book to make a creative vinn-diagram with that compares this version to another.

The single page illustration's by Shannon are very moving. His illustration of The Rough faced girl being burned by the sparks made by hart sink. Her pain and helplessness was so evident. It is not until the very end of the story when she washes away her burns that he allows us to see her whole face. This leads the reader to believe that he is not showing us her face in order to protect us from the horrible agony that is shown on her face. With out his illustrations I dont think I could have never fully understood her pain. The author and illustrator do a wonderful job showing us her soul. She is beautiful, kind and pure even when her body is scared and burned. My favorite part about this book is that it gives the message that beauty is truly more than skin deep.

Baba Yaga and Vasilisa the Brave

Baba Yaga and Vasilisa the Brave
Mayer, Marianna
Craft, K.Y.
William Morrow and Company, NY, NY (1994)
k-3
Fairy Tale, Traditional Literature, Multicultural

Baba Yaga and Vasilisa the Brave is about a girl named Vasilisa. She was orphaned after the death of her father and was left in the care of her step mother. Vasilisa's step mother was an evil witch who treated Vasilisa horribly and forced her to cater to her and her two daughters every need. Vasilisa's stepsisters were equally repulsive and cared nothing about Vasilisa. Her only friend was a magic doll that her deceased mother had made her shortly before she had died. The doll could talk and move like a person and gave Vasilisa hope and encouragement. As her and her stepsisters grew older, Vasilisa's stepmother became worried that because of Vailisa's great kindness and beauty, her unattractive daughters would not beable to fid husbands. For this reason she decided to get rid of Vasilisa. She sent her into the forest to borrow a light from the evil cannibal Baba Yaga. Everone was afraid of Baba Yaga and Vasilisa feared theat she would never return but she did as she was told and went into the forest. Vasilisa saw a magical pale horseman at dawn and a red horseman at sun rise. Vasilis finaly arived at her horrid destination. Baba Yagas house was surrounded by skulls and Baba Yaga herself was quite terrifying. Baba Yaga gave Vasilisa near impossible cooking and cleaning tasks to complete the next day before she returned home. The magic doll helped Baba Yaga complete the tasks on time. The next day baba Yaga gave her even more tasks and Vasilisa and the doll managed to finish them all. After completing her tasks Vasilisa was allowed to return home with a skull lantern. When Vasilisa reterned home the lantern incinerated the evil stepmother and step sisters. Vasilisa then went to live with a kind old woman. She was very happy there and began to wave beautiful cloth. The Tzar saw her beautiful fabric and married her for her inner and outer beauty. Vasilisa lived a happy life from then on.

This book is a version of a Cinderella story that is set in Russia. Previous to reading this book I had never heard of the Russian Cinderella but after a little research I found other versions of this tale which differ a bit. I found this version of Cinderella fairly similar to Perrault's version of Cinderella that was adapted by Walt Disney which is most common in our country. In this story Vasilisa has an evil stepmother and two evil step sisters as did Cinderella. Yet, Vasilisa the Brave is a much darker story. The character of Baba Yaga is quite terrifying and the step mother and step sisters die a gruesome death. This story almost seems fit for Halloween! I like that this book has a darker side because I think boys would get more interested in this version that that of the Disney version. Most fairy tails are more geared to girls which leaves boy out in the cold to get bored and restless. I think this book would be welcomed by boys because of the skulls and bones and all of the other features that boys think are the coolest thing in the world. I f I were doing a unit on Cinderella story's, I would want to defiantly incorporate this book for the guys in the class and also because it is a great way to start a discussion on the Russian culture.

The illustrations in this book were rendered in oil, gouache, and watercolor. The left side of the page has a mini scene that features the first letter of the first word of the page. Below the text is boarder like scene. The right page has a boarder that surrounds an illustration that depicts the text on the opposite page. Craft's illustrations are quite detailed. The illustrations of Baba Yaga are so scary and eerie that I almost cringe when I see he horridness. For the most part I think that the story can stand on its own without the illustrations, But you have to see Baba Yaga to believe how terrifying she must have been.

Yellow Elephant

Yellow Elephant

Larios, Julie
Paschikis, Julie
Harcourt Inc. , Orlando Florida (2006)
Poetry

Red Donkey

Red clay road.
Red donkey braying.
He has a red temper.
He's probably saying,
This load is too heavy.
I'm hungry
My feet hurt!
I'm tiered!
I'm hot!
It's
not
fair!
Red donkey sits down.
Someone shouts, "Come!"
But he won't come.
Red donkey tantrum.

-Julie Larios

Red Donkey is a poem in an anthology of poetry called Yellow Elephant. All of the poems thirty in the anthology are about thirty different animals that are an unusual color. The poems are written in the lyrical form. Some of the poems rhyme in some way but some do not rhyme at all. None of the poems have a clear rhythmic pattern. The author uses colors as metaphors of the the personality's of the animal. For example, the red donkey is not a happy donkey he is actually quite contrary. He is RED with anger. The donkey is fed up with having to haul stuff around in the hot weather and he has finally had enough! There is also a pink kitty who is cool and lazy.

I really like this particular poem because I think everyone can identify with being sick and tiered of having too do things they don't want to do. This is especially true for children who are prone to tantrums. This poem is an excellent tool to use to introduce children to metaphors. Children can be asked to explain why they think the author chose that color to represent that particular animal. You could even ask the students to pick a color to represent themselves and explain why it would be a metaphor for them. This anthology is also a great way to expose children to forms of poetry other than the "Mother Goose" poems that they are probably most familiar with. Children who do not like writing structured, rhythmic poems might really enjoy reading an writing Lyric poems. I think that there are endless teaching opportunities with this book.

The illustrations in this book are quite spectacular. Paschkis painted the illustrations with gouache on arches paper. The first animal we see is the front of a yellow elephant on the title page. The following pages of poems follow the same format. The left page has a rectangular block illustration at the far left of the page that spans the length of the page. This illustration is like a preview of the main course. The main course is the illustration that is locates on the right page. this page has no text. All of the illustrations are beaming with bright and brilliant colors like all of Paschkis' work. I think that these vibrant illustrations are a great visual compliment too the the poetry in this book.

The mirror of Erised

A person's inter most desires are what rules our actions and lives. Rowling's book was all about finding inner peace with your life and living life in a virtuous way. The mirror of Erised is a symbol of this idea. The mirror showed whom ever looked into it what that person desired the most. Harry wanted to know his family more than anything in the world so when he gazed into the mirror he saw his entire family. Harry loved seeing his family but Dumbledore warned him that the mirror did not show reality and that many people had become consumed with the mirror be cause it showed them what the wanted most.

I can understand why a mirror with that power could have such a hold on someone. Trying to obtain an inner most desire can drive a person mad if you want it bad enough or if you can never have it. I believe that every one has a strong inner desire even though Dumbledore claimed to only desire a very trivial thing. I am sure that he wanted something a little more profound than socks. He may have wanted world peace or no evil in the world but he had to have wanted more than socks! I understand why Dumbledorf may have wanted to keep his desire to himself. What is in one's sole is very sacred and private. He may have not thought Harry should know about his desire of maybe he just didn't want to share it but I am sure he passionately wanted something.

I would love to be able to look into the mirror of Erised. I want many things but I am not sure what my most desired thing in life is. I think that I want health, happiness and security most but I don't know exactly what that would look like. I think that I might be very surprised by what I saw.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
J.K. Rowling
High Fantasy, Fiction
Sixth grade reading level
Scholastic Press New York 1998

Harry Potter became an orphan when his parents were murdered by the evil wizard Voldemort. After his parent’s death, Harry was left on his aunt and uncles doorstep by good wizards. Harry's aunt and uncle Petunia and Vernon Dursley were ashamed to have been related to Harry's parents who were a wizard and a witch. For that reason they also disliked Harry and resented having to care for him. The Dursley's never told Harry what really happened to his parents there for Harry was completely unaware that he was a wizard. The Dursley's treated Harry horribly. They forced him to live in the cupboard while their spoiled son Dudley used the spare room to store his toys. The Dursley's gave Dudley everything under the sun but deprived Harry of almost everything. Harry was treated worse than an animal and Dudley was allowed to make Harry's life miserable.

Harry lived this miserable life until one day a mysterious letter came addressed to Harry. The Dursley's took the letter from Harry before he could read it and destroyed it. Each day more and more letters came and Vernon and Petunia became very upset. Vernon nailed the mail slot shut but even more letters came. Vernon was very worried about the letters and ordered that all of them get in the car and leave. They went to a hotel where the Dursley's felt they would never be found but a letter still came. Horrified, the Dursley's and Harry set off again. This time they went to a small house on a remote island. That night an abnormally large man named Hagrid came bursting in. He informed Harry of about his family. He was irate when he found out that the Dursely's had not told Harry about his parents or that he was a wizard. Harry did not even know that Wizards and magic existed. Hagrid informed Harry that he had been accepted into the Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Hagrid forced the Dursleys to allow Harry to attend and gave Dudley a pig's tail.
Hagrid showed Harry his vault full of gold that his parents had left him and told Harry about what a legend he was because the evil dreaded Voldemort was unable to kill him. Hagrid helped Harry buy all he needed to begin school at Hogwarts.

Harry met new friends Ron, Hermione, and Neville who were also first year students while on the train to Hogwarts. Ron was one of the infamous Weasley brothers who had quite the reputation for being mischievous. Hermione was a very brainy girl who came from a family of Muggles which is what wizards called mortals. Neville was a very shy and easily bullied boy. Harry was also formally introduced to his new enemy Malfoy whom he had briefly met before when he was being fitted for his wizard robe. Malfoy was a snotty boy who seemed to believe that he was much better that the rest. Once at Hogwarts, Harry, Hermione, Ron and Neville were all placed in the Gryffindor dormitory house and began classes. Harry and his friends found their classes either very hard or very boring. Harry began to feel that his professor Snape disliked him and he believed that he had tried to kill Harry by putting a spell on him while he was playing the wizard game of Quidditch for which he was very good at. For Christmas Harry received a magic cape that made him invisible along with a note telling him that it had belonged to his father and to use it wisely. Harry began exploring the school at night while invisible. During this time he found a magic mirror which showed him his family. Harry later learned from headmaster Dumbledore, that the mirror showed who ever looked in it what the desired most. Harry had earlier discovered that there was a giant three headed dog owned by Hagrid guarding something very secret in Hogwarts. He later discovered that the sorcerer's stone was being hidden. The sorcerer’s stone was created by Dumbledore and his partner Nicolas Flamel and gave strength and eternal life to who ever possessed it. Harry also discovered the Voldemort wanted the stone and he believed that Snape was evil and trying to help Voldemort.

Harry and Hermione set off to protect the stone after Dumbledore was tricked into leaving Hogwarts. After they slipped past the dog, Hermione used logic to get Harry through a barrier of fire. Their Harry discovered that Voldemort's accomplice was not Snape. Instead, the innocent acting and stuttering Professor Quirrell was truly the evil one. They had been hiding the very ill and feeble Voldemort in his turban the whole time. Harry was able to kill Quirrill and save the stone. Harry was injured badly but he recovered and was once again a legend and now a hero. Dumbledore awarded Harry's house enough points to win the coveted cup for that year’s competition between the houses.

J.K. Rowling is an amazing author. I never felt lost or confused while reading her book because of her vivid descriptions of the characters and scenery. Her creativity amazes me. I never could have come up with this amazing book. I often get board with novels but that was impossible with this book because there was always something to keep you guessing. Rowling also did a wonderful job enthralling her readers into the lives of the characters. My heart bled for Harry while he was being forced to live such a miserable life with the Dursleys. I could just see the sad, miserable little boy setting alone locked up in that cupboard. She was able make the reader identify with the characters who were dealing with trying to fit in a new environment or being bullied like Harry and his friends were. Who has not dealt with these issues? Harry was small and awkward, but he was the most capable of them all to save humanity. He and his friend’s strength, intelligence, and bravery, helped them fight evil and end up on top. Harry and his friend’s bravery and intelligence helped the Gryffindor finally beat Slytheren who rarely used virtue to win. Their story is an inspiration to children who don’t fit in or feel unconfident because Rowling writes in a way that the reader can find a way to relate Harry’s trials and tribulations to every day life without the magic.

Rowling defiantly conveyed the message that being a good person can lead to success. Rowling managed to pull herself out of poverty by her boot straps and I think that she wants all children to know that it is possible to change your life for the better and that nothing is impossible as long as you work hard and keep your morals intact. I think this is an excellent book for students. This book is a great way to expose students to fantasy at a higher level. This book which is set in Great Britain could also be used to teach students about locations in Britain that are mentioned in the book and also could lead to a great discussion on similarities and differences in American and British customs and speech. I have also found many other teaching ideas from searching the internet. There are so many animals to explore such as owls, toads, rats, and many others that a classroom teacher could use to integrate reading with science and social studies. There are also endless possibilities for students to explore the characteristics of a novel and character traits through Rowling’s extremely high quality literature. I hope that I can convince my students to read this book in the future. I did not read this book when I was a child because I didn't think I would like it. Boy was I wrong!! This book was exciting and imaginative. I am very glad that I finally read this book and I plan to read all of the Harry Potter books.

The Story of Ruby Bridges

The Story of Ruby Bridges
Coles, Robert
Ford, Robert
Scholastic Inc. NY, NY. 1995
Picture book Biography

Ruby Bridges came from a very poor African American family who lived in New Orleans. Ruby's father worked as a janitor and Ruby's mother worked the night shift cleaning a bank. Ruby was chosen to be the first African American to be sent to a newly integrated elementary school in New Orleans. The parents of the white children who attended the school did not want black children to go to the same school as their students so they picketed the school and refused to let their children go to school with Ruby.


Ruby had to be escorted to school by an armed U.S Marshal so that none of the angry protesters would hurt her. The mobs said horrible things to her and a women even flaunted a black doll in a casket. Despite all of this, Ruby went to school day after day eager to learn. She was all alone in the school accept for her teacher Mrs. Henry. Mrs. Henry watched every day as Ruby made her way through the angry mob, But one day Mrs. Henry observed something different. She saw Ruby stop and say something to the mob that made them even more angry. Mrs. Henry asked Ruby what she had said and Ruby replied that she said a prayer for the people who were saying such horrible things about her. Ruby told Mrs. Henry that she prayed for God to forgive them for what they were doing and saying and she had forgotten to say the prayer until she got to school. Parents of the other students in that school finally gave in and sent their children to school.

George Ford Used Watercolor, acrylic inks, and drawing inks to create the beautiful double page illustrations in the book. Ford used lots of light colors that gave me a sense of hope throughout the book. There is something about these illustrations that put them among my favorite illustrations in any children's book. They were all absolutely exquisite and very detailed. The illustrations helped me visualize the precious little Ruby and how strong she really was.

This is a wonderful book. Previous to reading this book I had not heard or read much about Ruby. I am glad that I know know about his book because I defiantly want to share her story with my students so they will know about the struggles many children in our country faced so they could go to school and get a good education just because of their race. I think it is so sad that Ruby had to be subjected to such cruelty at her young age. I think all children can relate to Ruby's story in some way because they have most all felt alone and scared by bullies. I think this book would be a great tool to use to lead into a lesson about the Civil Rights Movement and tollerence.

Rosa

Rosa
Giovanni, Nikki
Collier, Bryan
Scholastic Inc. NY., NY 2007
Picture book Biography


Rosa is a snapshot in history of Rosa Park's life. The book takes place during the Civil Rights Movement when African American's were being discriminated against. Rosa was a wife and a mother who worked as a seamstress. She was very dedicated and skilled at her job. Rosa often spent long hours at her job, but on December 1 1955, Rosa's boss let her leave early because her mother was ill. Rosa paid her bus fare and entered the bus from the rear as usual. She took a seat in the neutral section on the bus where she was allowed to set only if there were no white people that needed a seat. Rosa was not seated long before a white man wanted her seat. Rosa refused to get up so the bus driver had her arrested. Many people were very angry that Rosa was arrested for sitting in a seat that should have been rightfully hers. Because of this injustice, many African Americans refused to take the bus until the unjust law was changed. The boycott lasted almost a year until the supreme court ruled that segregation on buses was unconstitutional. Rosa became a very famous member of the Civil Rights Movement and is to this day admired by many.

The illustrations in this book by Bryan Collier were made from Watercolor and collage. Th Illustrator wrote that he used lots of yellows an dark hues to emphasize the hot temperatures in Alabama as well as to emphasize the fear and tension that was everywhere during the time of the Civil Rights Movement. The double page illustrations were outstanding and really did help me to understand the setting of this extremely moving book. I think that these illustrations are very important for readers to be able to understand how hard life was for African Americans during the Civil Rights Movement because our society is so different now. Collier's illustrations do a wonderful job showing Rosa's grit and determination as well as the injustice she endured.

I think that this is an outstanding children's book. I feel that children need to know about the injustices of the past so that they will not be repeated in the future. Rosa Parks was strong and courageous woman and she is a great role model for young girls and all Americans. I think the author did a great job of explaining the significance of Rosa's actions so that children could understand. I would definitely read this book to my students to make them more aware of the struggles African Americans have faced in our countries history.

Koko's Story

Koko's Story
Patterson, Francine Dr.
Cohn, Ronald Dr.
Scholastic Inc. N.Y, N.Y 1987
Informational

Koko's Story is about a gorilla named Koko who is taught sign language from the age of one. Chimpanzees were previously known to be able to communicate with humans, but Koko is the first gorilla to be taught sigh language. Dr. Patterson began working with Koko in 1972 at the San Fransisco Zoo. By the age of two, Koko was able to use sign language. At the age of three Koko left the Zoo and moved to the Grounds of Stanford University. At the age of five, Koko had a sign language vocabulary of over 2oo words. Koko was a very affectionate gorilla. In ways Koko was much like a child; she played, had temper tantrums and wanted lots of hugs. Koko had many human traits such as eating with utensils, and operating vending machines. Also at the age of five, Koko got a companion gorilla named King Kong. Dr. Patterson renamed King Kong Michael because she felt that his original name went against his gentle nature and reinforce a negative stereo type often associated with gorillas. Koko was very jealous of Michael but she eventually warmed up to Michael. Michael and Koko played together and Michael also learned sign language.

This is an adorable book. I knew that chimpanzees are able to communicate with humans but I did not know that gorillas are so intelligent and gentle. Koko was very much like a human. She became lonely, scared, happy, playful, and even jealous. I would very much like to meet Koko and play with her. I thought the it was so sweet that such a big animal was playing with a tiny little kitten. I couldn't believe that she became so attached to her first kitten All Ball. I was even more amazed that she remembered and missed the little kitten for so long after it died. The Photos in this book by Dr. Cohn were adorable. I loved the ones with Koko and Michael. The photos really captured the innocence of gorillas. I really enjoyed this book. It was very informative and Students could do research into ther animals and see how they are similar and different from us.

Watch Koko communicating with Mr. Rogers
Just for fun

Ruby Bio-poem

Ruby
Strong, Smart, faithful, Forgiving
Wife and mother of four children
Lover of her family, school, and New Orleans
Who feels love, compassion, and empathy
Who finds happiness in going too school and learning
Who needs to fight to do what is right
Who gives forgiveness to those who say mean things to her
Who fears injustice, hatred, and evil
Who would like to see all children have an equal education
Who enjoys working with her charity The Ruby Bridges Foundation and helping others
Who likes to wear clean and pretty dresses when she goes to school
Resident of New Orleans Louisiana
Bridges- Hall