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.