Who Needs It? by Eleanor May

Who Needs It is a very fun, informative book that connects the reader to social studies. I like that it has boxes along the entire book that give informational facts about wants versus needs, which is really important to teach children at a young age. I know most children think everything is a need, so it is good to read about it in a fun book. I really connected with this story, because I can imagine if I went camping with a lot of my friends, it would have turned out very similarly. In the book the main character tries to survive camping on three small items, like his favorite book, while his friend brings everything from a air mattress to a TV, to his remote control monster truck. After being out there for a couple of hours, they concede and go inside to dry off, eat and relax. It is funny and kind of sad to think about, but I think a lot of people can relate this experience with one of their own.
I know when I was a child, after sleeping in a tent one night, I was ready to go to a hotel! I could not fall asleep, becuase the entire time I was listening for any little noises that I thought could resemble a large animal. In the morning the tent was so cold and damp, I felt like I did not sleep a wink. Camping always seems like a fun adventerous idea, until the next morning.

My Little Polar Bear by Claudia Rueda

I was immediately drawn to My Little Polar Bear, because of its beautiful cover. It is made of very glittery, powder blue paper, with the writing and and polar bears in white. I think this cover perfectly depicts the story and the polar bears in it. I found it so interesting that throughout the entire book, all of the text and pages are only filled with variations of white and blue. In some books I do not think it would work and may appear boring, but in this book it is really striking. Another aspect of this book that I love is that their are very few words and sentences on every page and they are very simple, so young children can help read this book, or even read it on their own.

In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak

In the Night Kitchen is a controversial book about a child who goes to a bakers kitchen in his dream, and arrives their naked. Nudity is something we are not exactly comfortable with in the United States, so I am surprised that the author would choose to depict the boy in the story naked for over half of it. Although the illustrations were not exactly photographs, they were quite revealing. Children, and even teens and adults, are often not mature enough to handle these types of pictures. I can not imagine having this book in my class, and having to deal with all of the talk about the pictures. I think it would cause way more trouble than the artistic and literary value. It may not be that big of a deal, but I do not think that this book is so great that I must have it in my room, regardless of reactions. I would not want to even try to explain why the girls in my class were looking at this book if their parents were to ask.

The Giver by Lois Lowry

This is a very fascinating book, that kept me drawn in until the very end. I loved the alternate, "perfect" world Lois Lowry portrayed. I do, however, believe some parts of this book are a bit crazy and scary to picture, based on my own reactions. I can also see how this book could be so controversial,especially in religious contexts, because it does not believe in a higher power that controls all. This society has the power to change colors and memories, or chose who is worthy of life. After reading this book, I found myself wondering if it was really a children's book, and what age range it was suggested for. I do not think I would know how to handle a book with such strong content and a strong message at age 11. I think that this is a great, moving book, but I would not recommend it for anyone younger than sixth grade.
When I read this book, it kind of reminded me of our lives in America, and how we have certain stages we are expected to go through, like the children in the book. I feel like there is a certain age were we are expected to give up our "comfort item" because it is no longer acceptable, and an age when we are supposed start riding a bike. When we turn 16 we are able to ride a car, and when we turn 18 we are expected to get a job, move out, or start college. I know a lot of people who would be relieved if they were told what career would be perfect for them, or who their perfect match is, so they did not have to worry about it or struggle with it themselves.
After thinking about this book for awhile, I have came to the conclusion that we all go through what Jonah went through when he turned twelve. Usually it is not until eighteen or even twenty-two years old, but eventually we all have a time when we realize that what we thought was a perfect world, is really messed up and clouded with crazy people. Leaving small town Iowa for Iowa City, arguably one of the most liberal cities in Iowa was a challenge. Realizing that teachers you once looked up to, are not as perfect as they seemed. Finding love and enduring heartbreak, while not as bad as never having the capabilities for such emotions, plague a lot of people during this time. Maybe having the option to choose your own identity and choices is what makes good people so special.

And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnel

And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell is another controversial book about being gay and also raising children. In this book there are two male penguins who love each other and are given an egg to take care of, so they can have a family like all of the other penguins in the zoo. I think this book has a great message, that as long as two people love each other and are capable of raising a child, then they should. I especially love that this is a true story, and it tells more about the penguins and where they live at the end of the book.

The Sissy Duckling by Henry Cole

I enjoyed reading this book, although I can definitely see how it could be inappropriate for children to read. Elmer, a sissy duck, was teased and bullied by everyone, even his dad for the majority of the book. He ended up running away after hearing his dad disown him. He never once changed how he acted, ore who he was. He was always himself and was able to help make people realize that he is great in his own way. In the end, being himself was enough, and he was OK with that. I think that using the word sissy is never a good idea in children's literature, and will always cause controversy. Name calling is so prevalent in schools, they do not need to read negative words in the books they read to. I think that this book really does have the ability to reach more feminine males and help them see that they are special in their own way, and one day people will realize that.

The entire front of the book is based around things that are typically feminine. The title is in pink, glittery writing with butterflies and flowers. Elmer is wearing heart shaped sunglasses and a pink flower back pack. I think that this does help to drive the point home that being a sissy, equals being feminine. I think that it increases the likelihood of children to hold these stereotypes to be true as well. I am completely undecided about if I would read it to my own children or not, but I do not think it would be a part of my classroom library.

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

I think there are a lot of aspects of Where the Wild Things are that might make this children's picture book controversial. First off, the main character is an angry child who is being sent to bed without supper. Now a days this is called neglect and child endangerment. I do not think it is quite that extreme, but I do not support withholding food from a child who is being naughty. There is also talking monsters in this story, as if children do not already have enough night mares. These scary, weird creatures not only influence their dreams, but also their imagination. Having imaginary friends and creatures that your child plays with and talks to does not always reflect positively on the parents, a cause for concern.

I never read this book as a child, but through my experiences I know that a lot of children love this book. With the moving version coming out, I do not think this book is going to be going anywhere any time soon. I do not necessarily love this book, but I do not think that the content is going to stop me from letting children read it.

Daddy's Roomate by Michael Willhoite

This book is about a child who's parents got a divorce, and the father is now living with another man. Throughout the book it talks about things that the father and his roommate do, as well as things they all three do together. In the end it says that the men are happy and so is the boy. I can definitely see how this would be a controversial book, especially since it was published in 1990, twenty years ago. We are becoming more accepting of others every day, but I can not image what people who are different went through that long ago. I feel like this book is very modest and comes from the viewpoint of the child, making it perfectly acceptable for children to read. I think that it would be very important for children who have gay parents to read a book like this, because the main focus of it is that they are all happy, and that is all that matters.

The Old Tree by: Ruth Brown

The Old Tree by Ruth Brown is a wonderful story about all of these animals that live in a tree marked with an X. One of the great things about this book is that each of the animals have their own little story about their lives, directed by Pigeon, the mail man. He tells all of them, your tree has an x on it, do you know why? None of them know, until he gets to the top of the tree when Captain Crow realizes it means the tree is going to get cut down. The second reason why this book is great is becuase all of the animals, even though they do not get along, work together to save all of their homes. Once one person sparks an idea, they all went with it and tried their hardest, which is great for children to learn. The third reason why I loved this book so much is that the illustrations are beautifully done in acrylic and watercolor. The art takes up both sides of the open pages, with only one long rectangle for the writing. Not only are the pictures amazing, but the last page is a pop up of a giant tree with all of the animals celebrating around it, becuase they saved the tree. I love that they did this, because it works really well with the story, and adds a lot to it. I think that this pop up made the tree come alive for me, it even included window flaps, so you could see animals inside their houses celebrating. Overall, I think that this story has a good message and beautiful artwork to attract all ages.

Seven for a Secret by: Laurence Anholt & Jim Coplestone

Seven for a Secret is about a young girl writing to her sick grandpa that she has not seen in a long time. The whole story is in letters that they have written back and forth, revealing a lot about their life. I think that this format the author used really helped to enhance the book,not telling too much, but getting the view of both characters. In the young girl's letters she asks about her father, about magpie's, about his health, and tells him how excited she is for him to visit and for her baby brother to be born. He writes back about her father and how he used to sing him a song about magpies, a type of bird. In the song one magpies represents one thing and 2 represents another and so on. The magpies show up throughout the book, representing the meaning from the song, it is how the reader finds out that the grandpa has died. One magpie comes, which means sorrow. I think that this book could potentially be a controversial book, becuase it does deal with death. I think if children were reading this by themselves they would not understand the symbolism of the birds.

The Mitten by: Jan Brett

I think the most memorable aspect of The Mitten is the beautiful illustrations done by author, Jan Brett. Every inch of this stories pages are covered in her beautiful work. There is a wooden border around every page, with a mitten cut out on both the left and right side. I believe these cutouts are what make this book so unique. In side of them are glimpses of what the boy is doing and what animal is going to appear next and go inside of the mitten. I think that this forecast is great, and something that especially younger children will love, because they can guess what type of animal is coming next.

Babymouse: Queen of the World! by Jennifer L Holm & Matthew Holm

Babymouse is a graphic novel series that shows all of the adventures that Babymouse goes on. This is my first graphic novel that I have ever read, and I am undecided on it. There are many aspects to this book that I did not like, such as the flow of the words in all of the different boxes. I felt like I was a little lost half of the time and wanted more storyline to go with the amazing pictures.

One thing that I loved about this particular graphic novel is the cover. The front cover shows Baby mouse on top of the world with all of her friends behind her cheering. When you turn the book over there is one picture that shows she is dreaming this. The next picture shows she is dreaming this in the middle of class, because her teacher is standing over her, upset. The inside cover give a brief description of who Babymouse is and an overview of the novel, all done in the graphic novel format. Also, this whole book is in black, white, and pink which would presumably be aimed more at girls, which is probably why I chose it in the first place, now that I think about it. In class we discussed in the genre presentations how graphic novels are written for and read more heavily by boys, so it is good to know that their is some variation out there.

After reading this particular novel, I was intrigued. I wanted to know more about this book and the rest of the books in the series, so I googled "Babymouse." I found that there is an entire website devoted to this series and the authors have a blog about all of their work. With the technology available to children, I think that having a website that ties to the books really help increase the readable factor.

The Lonlely Only Dog by: Adele M. Brodkin

The Lonely Only Dog is about a dog named Harry who is happily living a life that a lot of dogs dream about. He has his own pillows, food and water bowls, he gets treats and goes on walks, and he has owners who play fetch with him in the house. One day he realizes that all the other dogs he sees has dog friends and he has none and becomes lonely. After he gets another dog to play with he realizes how much better his life was before. This story about Henry reminded me of the classic phrase, "the grass isn't always greener on the other side." What we think we want or what we think is great, isn't necessarily the way we picture it to be. I think that this is a good story for children, because a lot of kids think that their pets want another pet to play with, or even need an entire pet family to be happy, and will beg for days and weeks to get them it. Parents can read this book to them, or have them read it to show that it is not always the case. Pets are happy when they get taken care of and played with.

What the No-Good Baby Is Good For by: Elise Broach

What the No-Good Baby is Good For is a clever story in which the older brother, John, discovers that his baby sister is not all bad. In the story he starts off by saying a bad thing that she always does, and then sees a positive in it. I think that this story is good, because a lot of older siblings have issues when their is a new baby in the family. I know that my youngest sister was really upset when a new baby was brought home, and I think this book would really help her see that she actually likes the baby. I love how the mom in this book is able to show John just how much he would miss her if she was gone, by agreeing to get ride of her and taking her to grandma's house. The mom did not just come out and say, "I think you would miss her if she was gone forever," instead she says and does things to make John realize it on his own. This self realization is so much more powerful, and really helps to increase the meaning in the story.

Princess Pigtoria and the Pea By: Pamerla Duncan Edwards

Princess Pigtoria and the Pea is about a poor princess pig that wants to find someone to marry so he can fix up her house. She finds an add for a prince Proudfoot looking for a bride, but he turns out to be to into himself. Pigtoria ends up falling in love with the pizza delivery guy, they get married, open a chain of successful pizza places, and live happily ever after. I think this story is a cute twist on a classic. I like that she went with her heart, and it ended up being the best decision. I especially like the fact that they started a successful business together, a pizza restaurant,which brought them together. I think we can all learn from Princess Pigtoria, and choose the path that seems to be best in the long run, rather than the current easiest path.

The Magic School Bus: At the Waterworks By: Joanna Cole & Bruce Degen

The Magic School Bus series is shaped around Miss Frizzle,"the strangest teacher in school." These books are very informational and creative. Another reason I think this particular book is great, is because it includes interesting facts about water and the purification system throughout the book. Water is so important to all of our lives, it is good for children to know where it comes from and how much we need it. It is so much more powerful that this information is in a fun picture book, rather than a text book, or some other format that is less relateable for the students. I think Ms. Frizzle is the kind of teacher a lot of us want to be. I hope that I am able to be as creative and present information that my students can relate to, and, ultimately, understand and teach others.

Junie B. Jones Smells Something Fishy By: Barbara Park

Junie B. Jones Smells Something Fishy is about their class pet day. Although Junie B. starts off being excited she soon finds out that her dog will not be allowed in the school. She becomes very upset, which can be seen throughout the book. I think that this author, Barbara Park, did a great job portraying Junie B's excitement, sadness, and anger. The punctuation and capitalization really made me feel like I think Junie felt. Not only is Park able to convey these emotions, but the reason I like this book the best is because she was able to capture the witty sense of humor and eclectic speech that children use.

Don't Look Now By: Ed Briant

Don't look now is a very interesting children's book that is designed in a comic book format. There are very few words, which is why it is so important that the illustrations are amazing. They are very bright and vibrant, helping to bring the story alive. There are two boys in this book that go on an adventure, finding and creating things that cross from reality to fantasy and back again. The lack of words do not make this book any less climatic or interesting.

Amelia Bedilia's First Day of School By: Herman Parish

Amelia Bedilia is a student that a lot of teachers dread. Unfortunately a brand new teacher has Amelia in her class and she definitely has her work cut out for her because Amelia takes everything she says literally. I can definitely relate to this situation, as I have many younger brothers and sisters who innocently mistake what I am trying to say. Although this story is very funny, I can see my self getting very frustrated in this situation. After all, who would really glue themselves to their seat?!

Annie's Chair By: Deborah Miland

I enjoyed reading Annie's Chair,especially because I was surprised by the ending. All throughout this book it is made known that Annie loves to do everything in her chair and no one else is allowed to sit in it. Near the end of the book she finds her dog, Benny, sitting in her chair, so she tries everything to get him out of it, but nothing works until she starts crying. Annie crying makes Benny cry, they end up consoling each other and Annie tells Benny never to sit in her chair again, without her. I can relate to this story, because I have certain things that I do not like lending people, but I do not mind as much when I am with them.

Best Buds: The Adventures of Max and Pinky By:Maxwell Eaton III

This book is so simple, but I found my self laughing out loud while reading it. This book is about two best buds, Pinky and Max who love adventure and have an adventure day every Saturday. One Saturday Pinky did not show up so Max had to figure out where he was. I found this book to be quite entertaining, becuase when Max was looking for him and thinking of possible explanations, every aspect of it was quite random. I also love the fact that they are shown playing tricks on each other at the end of the book, because I think that that is one important aspect of friendship that does not get played out enough and is thing that I personally love about have good friends.

Chester's Way by Kevin Henkes

When reading Chester's Way, the first thing I noticed was how much the watercolor paintings added to the story. The story was about Chester and how unique he and his friend Wilson are. They are best friends and do everything together, until Lilly moved to the neighborhood. Chester and Wilson ignored Lilly until she stuck up for them one day and then they all became best friends, sharing their uniqueness with each other and acquiring some of their habits. The watercolors add so much, because there is a small picture for nearly every sentence. Without the pictures, I do not think the story would be as enjoyable, or make as strong of a point. A couple of times in the story Henkes does not even write what they are doing, but the beautiful pictures are enough to fill in the blanks and make this story come alive.

The Big Game by Louise A. Gikow

The Gig Game by Louise A. Gikow leaves me with some mixed feelings. Overall, I do think that this book presents many positive messages. First off, this book does have a group of divers students depicted. Secondly, I like that it rhymes, especially since it is for beginning readers. Thirdly, I think it does show that you may not be good at everything, but everyone does have things that they are better at and some things that they are worse at.

One aspect, however, that I do not like is that the main character is a typical character for this story, a Mexican male named Jose. I know that soccer is a universal sport, but when I think of it, I think of people of Mexican decent playing it. I may have this stereotype because we did not have soccer in my town growing up and one of my friends from Mexico loved the sport so much. I think that is crucial to have diversity in books, but when this diversity comes in the same typical areas it does not have the same affect.

The Secrets of Droon;The Hidden Stairs and the Magic Carpet by: Tony Abbott

Finding a magical land with new creatures and powers is something that most every child dreams of. The Secrets of Droon is a series of books about three friends that go on adventures in a magical land that they stumbled upon, named Droon. The first book is about their very first discovery and is filled with tons of action. The ninns, evil flying lizards that work for the evil Lord Sparr, are depicted so beautifully that I could imagine them flying over head shooting flaming arrows at me. This creature was first described as a flying lizard. After getting a closer look they could see that it had a red, puffy, fat face and slitty, close-set eyes and a pointy chin and ears. I think that this is a perfect description of a children's book villain, because it was just the perfect amount of scary. I am one that gets scared easily, and I was pleasantly on the edge of my seat the whole time in anticipation of the climax.