The Easter Egg by Jan Brett

I loved this story. My birthday is at the end of March, so Easter is always one of my favorite times of the year. My family would always decorate eggs a couple of days before Easter. Although it was always fun, none of them turned out as great as the pictures or as we had imagined. Also, this book reminded me of how much fun I had last Easter. My mom and Aunts and Uncles hid eggs all over the yard, and expected us, 16-22 year olds, to find them. We were all up for it, but being the crazy family that we are, an egg fight broke out. I think this story is able to connect with a lot of people that way.

Another reason I loved this book so much is because the plot is very cute. Hoppi, the rabbit, wanted to decorate the most beautiful egg for Easter, so he went around getting ideas from everyone else. He said that he couldn't do what they did, he needed to make an egg that was his own. While going home blue bird's egg falls out of the nest and Hoppi can not leave it to die. He ends up staying on the egg all spring until it hatches. For his hard work, he ended up wining the prize for the best egg.

This story just seems to warm my heart. I think everyone needs to read this story once a month to remind themselves how much more important helping people is than winning. Hoppi is truly a great rabbit that any Doe would be lucky to have!

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.