Pinkalicious by Victoria and Elizabeth Kann

Pinkalicious is the story of a little girl who bakes pink cupcakes with her mom. She loves pink and loves her pink cupcakes. She eats so many of them that in the morning when she wakes up she is pink! Her mother is worried and calls the doctor. When she goes into the doctor, he tells her she has a case of pinkititis. The only way for the pink to do away would be to eat green foods only. She did not care. She wanted to stay pink and be a pink princess. One night she was craving a pink cupcake. She found them on top of the fridge and ate one. The next morning when she woke up she was a deeper shade of pink. She was more red! She did not want to be red. There was only one thing to do. Eat lots of green food. She went into the kitchen and ate as much as she could. The next day she was back to her normal color, but her brother had eaten a pink cupcake and was now pink!

Pink was not my favorite color as a kid, but I still loved it because it was a girl color. I can see this being a book that little girls loves simply because most girls like the color pink. I thought the idea of the story was very cute. I also thought the title Pinkalicious was very clever and creative. The pictures are colorful and fun for kids. My only problem with this book is that it is very geared towards girls. There are books that are going to be geared towards boy as well, but I do not know if I would want to include it in my library.

This book would be good for first and second graders. I think the ended of the book is important for kids. It teaches them that it is important to eat their vegetables if do not want their skin to turn pink. Hopefully it does not scare kids from eating pink good thought!

Makeup Mess by Robert Munsch

Makeup Mess by Robert Munsch is a funny story about a young girl who spends all her money on purchasing makeup to wear. The only problem is that she does not know how to put make up on. She overdoes it and uses many different colors. She thinks she looks as pretty as a movie star. She ends up looking more like a clown. When she goes to show her mom and dad they both yell in shock. She then goes back upstairs to try again with her make up. She ends up looking even more ridiculous then the first time. Her mom and dad are in such shock that they fall over. She is very confused and washes all her make up off. When she goes downstairs they tell her how beautiful she looks. She then realizes she is beautiful without makeup and sells her makeup to kids in her neighborhood. She uses the money to buy clothes...for dress up.

I found this story to be a very funny one. I did not read Robert Munsch as a kid, but I am finding that I really enjoy his books and wish I had read them as a kid. I think they are so clever and funny. I can see students really enjoying them in the classroom. The themes in them can be quite bizarre, but the messages are very real and genuine. They send a good message to kids. I also LOVE the pictures. They really make you want to laugh out loud.

I can see this book being used in a classroom for kindergarten-2nd graders. I would want to include this book in my classroom library and maybe do it as a read aloud. I think that the positive message of this book about not covering up who you are is important. The girl wanted to wear makeup because she thought she would look more beautiful, but in fact she was already beautiful without it. I think this is a cute story and kids will respond to it.

Miss Nelson is Back by Harry Allard

Miss Nelson is Back is a story about a class and their teacher Miss Nelson. She has to be out of school for sometime because she has to get her tonsils taken out. The class hears from a big kid that the worst substitute teacher they can get is Viola Swamp. She is a witch! This scares the students. The next day they come to find that their principal is going to be taking over their class. The kids are excited about this at first, but then they find that he is incredibly dull and boring. Three of the students decide to come up with a plan. They are going to dress up like Miss Nelson and pretend she is back. The principal believes them and they leave school and go to the movies and to eat ice cream. They walk past Miss Nelsons house and she looks out the window and is shocked at what she sees. She decides to teach her class a lesson. She dresses up as Viola Swamp and comes to her class the next day. Her class is very frightened and they do everything that she says. Then Viola leaves the room and Miss Nelson returns. The class is so excited to see her...but wonders why Miss Nelson did not run into Viola Swamp in the hall.

I loved reading these Miss Nelson books when I was younger. I was always scared of Viola Swamp just like the class was. I think these books are very fun and will be especially fun in the classroom. Students sometimes love when they have a substitute teacher because that means they can get away with anything and do their work. This book proves that that is not always the case. You could always get a teacher like Viola Swamp and no student wants that. This book will make the students appreciate their teacher.

I think this book would make a fun read a loud to the class. I could see them laughing and really enjoying it. There are two other books that go along with this one. They are called Miss Nelson is Missing and Miss Nelson has a field day. They are all very fun books. I would recommend this book for first and second grade classrooms. They are just fun stories that are sure to bring laughs to the room.

The Teeny Weeny Tadpole by Sheridan Cain

The Teeny Weeny Tadpole is a story of a little baby tadpole who wants to jump like his mother does. She explains to him that one day he will be able to jump too. He goes off into the water and comes across a lamb. He asks the lamb if it can jump and it replies, "of course I can"! The lamb jumps and the tadpole wishes he could jump too. The tadpole then comes across a rabbit and a grasshopper. He asks them both if they can jump and sure enough they can. They both jumppity jump and hippity hop. Tadpole continues swimming until he comes across the big bad fish. The only way to escape is to jump. When he tries to jump, he realizes he is no longer a tadpole, but a frog! He jumps away from the big bad fish and realizes that he too can jump.

This story is a cute, but common story. I liked the book overall, but there are many books like this out there. I think children will enjoy this story and be able to relate to it. All young children all wish they could something that older kids can. They are impatient when adults say "one day you will be able to". They want to do it that very instant. The tadpole in the story is the same way. He wants to be able to jump like everyone else. The exciting thing is that the tadpole finally does learn to jump, and at the perfect time.

This book is a good story for preschool-1st graders. It is a book that all kids can relate to and has fun pictures. It is a quick read and could be a good read a loud book or just a book to include in your library. I liked this story, but I feel like I could find a better one that carries a similar message. I think children will like this story. It reminded me a little bit of the movie finding nemo which many children love.

Love You Forever by Robert Munsch

This classic childrens novel by Robert Munsch is a story of a mother and her child. When her son is a baby she rocks him in her arms back and forth and then sings him a song about who she will love him forever. Even though as he ages he sometimes drives her crazy, like most kids do, she continues to sneak into his room at night and sing him that very same song. Even when he is an adult she drives to his home and sings to him while he is asleep. Years pass and the mother becomes to old to sing anymore. Her son takes her in arms and rocks her back and forth and sings that very same song to her. He then goes up to his baby daughters room and holds her in his arms and sings that same song to her as she sleeps.

I can't believe I am going to type this, but I heard about this book through an episode of FRIENDS. It is Emma's first birthday party and Joey forgets to bring her a present so he decides to do a dramatic reading of one of her books. He picks up Love You Forever and begins to read it. At the end everyone is near tears and thought he did a great job. I always found that scene very funny and wanted to read the book for myself. I am very glad I chose to read it because it is such a sweet story. A great book to read to your child before bedtime.

This book would be good for Kindergarten and first graders. I find this as more a book for parents to read to their kids rather then a book I would read in my classroom. I would maybe include in my classroom library but not use it as a read a loud (Unless I could hire Matt LeBlanc from friends to read it to my class for me). The overall message in the book is very heart warming and sweet. Babies grow up and become parents and they teach their children the things that their parents teach them. The cycle of life is a beautiful thing. I think children will love this book just like I did.

We Share Everything by Robert Munsch

We Share Everything is a story about a brother and sister who have a hard time sharing. Amanda and Jeremiah are in kindergarten. When they get to class, Jeremiah wants Amanda's book and when she refuses to give it to him he screams. The teacher approaches them and explains that in preschool you are EVERYTHING. This does not seem to stick for the rest of the day they continue to fight over things like blocks and paint. The teacher explains again that they need to share. They discuss among themselves what they could share to prove to their teacher that they indeed can. They decide they will share their clothes. They switch outfits with one another. The teacher sees them in different clothes and get angry. They explain to her that they are in kindergarten and in kindergarten, we share everything!

This is another great book by Robert Munsch about the lesson of sharing. It is funny and entertaining for kids. This goes about the lesson of sharing in a fun way for kids. I could see using this book in my kindergarten and first class classroom. You can have discussions after reading the book about ways in which we can share in the classroom. The pictures are funny and kids will be sure to laugh out loud while it is read. It could be a great read aloud book. The pictures, illustrated by Michael Martchenko who illustrates many book by Robert Munsch, are funny and grab your attention.

Stephanie's Ponytail by Robert Munsch

Stephanie's Ponytail is a story about a girl named Stephanie who asks her mom for a ponytail in her hair. When she comes to school with her ponytail, the other kids laugh at her and tell its "ugly, ugly, very ugly". This does not bother Stephanie because she likes it. The next day at school all the other girls had ponytails. The next day Stephanie wanted a side ponytail. When she went to school they all told her it was ugly yet again. The day after, everyone had a side ponytail. This went on for a few more days when Stephanie wanted a ponytail on the top of her head, and coming out the front of her head. Everyone still copied her. She told them that when she came to school the next day she would shave her head. When she came to school EVERYONE had shaved their heads, and Stephanie was wearing a pony tail. It is safe to say that everyone who shaved their heads were not happy.

This is a simple, cute story that a teacher can use when dealing with a classroom of leaders and followers. Stephanie was a leader. She wore her hair the way she wanted to an did not care what anyone else thought. Everyone made fun of her, but then they would copy her the next day. This is common in elementary, middle school, and high school. This could make for a great read a loud book. After reading you can discuss the theme of the book with the class. They can also share stories of times when something like this happened in their own life. They can make great text to self connections. I thought of many when I was reading this story.

This is a great book for K-2nd graders. The illustrations are funny and will definitely make the students laugh. An all around fun story that will make for a nice addition to any classroom library. Robert Munsch is a funny author and one that kids are sure to enjoy.

Midterm Reflection on Children's Lit

I have really enjoyed this class thus far. I am realizing that picking out childrens book to include is actually harder then I thought. If it were up to me I would probably fill my entire library with books that were all the same genre. The genre project really opened my eyes to different kinds of books that I never would have thought to read before. Realistic fiction picture books were ones that I had not read much as a kid. I chose Patrica Polacco for my author\illustrator project and she writes realistic fiction. I feel in love with many of her books. Her stories are easy to relate to and they deal with issues that may not be the easiest to read about, but in a way kids can understand. The genre project was incredibly helpful. I have also enjoyed our class discussions. Hearing everyone's interpretation of a book we read that may be different then me is also very useful. It makes me think about things I may not have thought about while reading. I have enjoyed the novels we have had to read. I read the giver as a kid, but reading as an adult gave me a new perspective on the amazing story. I have already learned a great deal about childrens book in such a short time for this class. I am excited for the remainder of this class and to fill my classroom library one day with tons of amazing books!

Year of Impossible Goodbyes by Sook Nyul Choi

Year of Impossible Goodbyes is the story of a ten year old girl named Sookan and her family during 1945. The Japanese military were occupying Korea. Captain Narita does his best to destroy everything of value to the family, but cannot break their spirit. Her father is with the resistance movement in Manchuria and her brothers are in labor camps. Her mother is supervising a sock factory and Sookan and her younger brother are forced to attend Japanese school. When the war ends the family believes that they are free and everything will be good again, but Russian troops are threatening that when they come in and take control over on North Korea. Their only escape is to South Korea which is controlled by the Americans.

This story took me a little while to get into, but once I got into it, it was hard to put down. Sookan seems wise beyond her ten years of life. She is a very strong child from a very strong family. There were parts of this book that were incredibly sad and sometimes hard to read. I read many sad books when I was younger from the holocaust and they did not faze me as much. I think is just something that comes with age. When you read these kind of book when you are young you do not fully understand the sadness behind them. When you are older and have more life experience it becomes more real.

I did not love this book, but I think when you pair it with So Far From the Bamboo Grove it could make an excellent lesson. I think this book could be read anywhere from 6th-8th graders. I am not sure how children will respond to this. Some may enjoy it, while others may find in hard to read. Some may find it boring. It is hard to predict. I think it depends on the students in your class and the maturity level. It is a story that is full of history and could not only help with reading but about learning a different side to the World War II that they probably did not know.

Rotten Richie and the Ultimate Dare by Patricia Polacco

The follow up to her story, My Rotten Readheaded Older Brother , this story was about a funny challenge between the two siblings. Trisha bet Richie he that could not dance ballet. He insisted that it was a piece of cake and he could do it. She challenged him to participate in her ballet recital. Richie said the only way he would do that was if she played hockey with his team. So the two shook on it. A week later Trisha was putting on her hockey gear reading to play with Richie and his team. It did not start out well. She spent most of the time in the penalty box because it was easier then staying on the ice. At the end a fight broke out and many of the players were in the penalty box. It was up to Trisha to win the game. She made a shot to the other teams goal and it went in. She won the game! A few weeks later Richie danced in Trisha's recital. He started out a complete disaster. Her partner got hurt and Richie had to fill in for a duet with her. He ended up dancing it perfectly. The two came to the conclusion at the end that both of their hobbies were hard and trying hockey actually helped her with dance and dance actually helped with his hockey.

I thought this story was a great story for kids. It is a great way to break down those sexual stereotypes we have for girls and boys. Hockey is known as a boys sport and dance as a girls sport. Both may seem easy to do at first glance, but a big hockey fan I know that is much harder then it looks. I also know that when i tried dancing as a kid, it was not very easy. I think having them try the other sport out was a clever idea. It allowed them to see things for another perspective. In the end they both realized that the other sport was not so bad and actually helped them.

I think this is a story that third and fourth graders would enjoy reading. That is around the time they start participating in extra curricular activities. It shows boys and girls that their should not be sports that are just for girls or just for boys. All sports can be played by both sex and just because a sport is a considered a "boy" sport, it does not make it harder then something considered a "girl" sport. I think this book is a great addition to any classroom library.

For the Love of Autumm by Patricia Polacco

For the Love of Autumm is a sweet story about a teacher named Miss Parks. She has just moved to Washington to start a new teaching job with her cat Autumm. She is not yet married, and explains to her students that she knows the one of her is out there and she will know when she meets him. Autumm and Miss Parks eat popcorn together and sit on the couch by the fireplace. One stormy night Autumm goes missing. Miss Parks searches for her everywhere but never finds her. She returns one day with a gash on her tail and covered in blood. As Miss Parks goes to help her she runs away. Miss Parks was very upset and worried. All her students came to her house to help her search for Autumm, but they were not successful. Weeks went by and Autumm never returned. Then one day, when Miss Parks had given up hope, Autumm returns! Miss Parks is so happy, but Autumm seems to keep running off for a days at a time and then returning. One day she returns with a collar on and a phone number. Miss Parks calls the number and finds out that a man had found her and took her in as his own cat. She was upset about this, but then invited him over to meet him since he took care of Autumm when she was injured. When she saw him at the door she knew he was one. They were married a year later and they lived together, a long with their cat Autumm.

I really liked this story. I was not sure what it was going to be about when I first started reading it. I was not expecting her to meet a man at the end. That was a nice twist. It was nice how their mutual love for Autumm is what brought them together. I could see students in 2nd-4th grade enjoying this story. It is a longer book and deals with some more mature topics. I think it could make a nice addition to a classroom library. The illustrations in it, also done by Patricia, are beautifully done. They are colorful and realistic. This book was a little different then the other books I have read by Patricia. The themes of love and friendship are still ever present, but I liked that this story was different. This book is very cute I think it would be a fun book for my classroom library.

Mrs. Katz and Tush by Patricia Polacco

Mrs. Katz and Tush is the touching story of a women from Poland named Mrs Katz and her relationship with her young neighbor Larnel. Larnels mother would visit Mrs. Katz all the time because her husband had passed away and she was all alone. Larnel found a little kitten in the basement of their apartment and decided to give it to Mrs. Katz so she would have someone to keep her company. Mrs. Katz named the kitten Tush, a yiddish name for your bottom because the cat had no tail. Larnel came over to Mrs. Katz every day to help with Tush and hear stories from Mrs. Katz. The two became close friends and Mrs. Katz would share stories and teach Larnel about her Jewish background. Passover, a very important Jewish holiday, was approaching and Mrs. Katz had no one to share it with. Larnel said he would come over and have a passover meal, better known as a seder, with her. As time went on, Larnel grew up and got married, but still stayed very close with Mrs. Katz.

I really related to this story because I am Jewish. I understood all of the Jewish words and the holiday traditions because they are things that I have done since I was little. I think this book does a good job and teaching the reader about the Jewish holiday Passover in a way that is easy to understand. Mrs. Katz is teaching Larnel just as Patricia is teaching her readers. This wonderful story also shows readers that age does not matter in friendship. The two were very far apart in age but became very close friends.

I would recommend this book for students in second and third grade. It could be a good book to do as a real aloud around passover to teach students about this Jewish holiday. Passover is right around Easter time so they could also do a lesson on Easter. It is important to learn about many different holidays from all different religions. Some teachers may find religion a touchy subject and just steer clear from the topic all together. I probably would try to include this book along with other books relating to other religions and holidays.