Amelia Makes a Movie

This book is appealing for a few different reasons. The text is almost poetic as the author leads us through the process of Amelia having the idea to make a video,script writing, set building, editing, make-up, and screening. It is almost a how-to for a child.
Then, the play they do is shown in a graphic novel like format. They even decide to edit the play and show how they revised! Wow! This book shows the process of film making. The last page is dedicated to a glossary of film-making terms including "take five" and "it's a wrap."
I'm not a huge fan of the illustrations, but they are fine...just not over the top excellent. It is a great books for kindergarten and first grade.

The Cow that Laid an Egg

Hilarious! I love the cow's eyebrows and the egg that is spotted like a cow. The book is about Marjorie, the cow, who is kind-of ordinary. All the other cows can do handstands and flips. One day Marjorie lays an egg. She receives attention from all over the country. The other cows are jealous. They say it isn't really her egg. When a chicken looking creature comes of the egg, they are sure it is a chicken...until it says its first word!

The Chicken of the Family

I enjoyed The Chicken of the Family. It is about Henrietta, whose sisters tease her and convince her she is a chicken. Henrietta, as gullible as they come, believes them and runs away to find her family. She loves being a chicken! She can play games with her new family, get dirty, and play in the sun. Her sisters come to find her because their parents find out what has happened. The middle sister doesn't want to get in trouble anymore, so she decides to be a chicken, too!

Violet the Pilot

This is a cool book about a girl inventor! Violet started creating things when she was just a small girl. These beginning inventions led her to create flying machines! Of course, she was considered to be weird by her peers, so Violet was very quiet at school. The children made fun of her attempts to fly and the odd contraptions she built. Of course, in this story there has to be a but...they made fun of her until...and that is why you have to read Violet the Pilot.

sisters and brothers

This book is about the sibling relationships between animals. It is a non-fiction book with cut-out illustrations. The text is interesting, yet challenging. There is a lot to learn from this book. I think second and third grades would particularly enjoy this title.

Persepolis and Persepolis 2

I loved both of the Persepolis graphic novels! They are amazing! Although, I did love the first novel more than the second. I think I was ready for a new character by the end of the second book. However, I did appreciate her transformation as a character throughout both books. The books are the memoirs of Marjane Satrapi, the author, who lived in Tehran during the Islamic Revolution. She brings the ideas of perceptions of a young girl watching a war transform her people and her life to a closer sense of reality for a sheltered woman like myself. Her story was originally published in French and has been translated to English. Another difference in the format of the book is that it was first published as four parts. Now, it is sold as two books. It is also a Bildungsroman. That is an approach that an author uses to follow development of a character from childhood to maturity. Recommended for someone who is not adverse to reading a new format that still carries a story in a wonderful, quirky manner.

Come On, Rain!

Created with beautiful, poetic language, Come On, Rain! Really lets you experience the anticipation of waiting for the rain on a smoldering summer day. Tessie and her mama have been without rain in the heat for three weeks. Tessie wants to put her suit on, but her mom won't let her. Tessie smells rain and she runs to her friends house and tells her to put her suit on. They get their suits and run out waiting for the rain. It comes. The grown-ups come out to tell them to get quiet and the rain soothes them, so they play in the street as well. Everything becomes new. The combination of illustrations and poetic language make this an unforgettable story.

Hesse, K. and Muth, J. (2000) Come on, Rain! Scholastic: New York.

100th Day worries

100th Day Worries is about a little girl named Jessica, who is just like Wemberly from Wemberly Worries, she worries all the time. This time, Jessica is worried about what she will bring to school for her 100th day project. If your school celebrates the 100th day, this book is great on the days leading up to that special day.Counting and adding are involved when looking at the other children's projects.

Cuyler, M. (2000). 100th Day Worries. New York: Simon and Schuster.

Honey, I love and other love poems

This is the most beautiful, down-to-earth book of poems for children. Greenfield invites us into the life of a child with a rope rhyme. We experience riding on a train and keeping mom company all through the eyes of a child. There are sixteen poems that will become memorized out of love for them in your classroom. Even the illustrations are well done and provided by well known illustrators Dillon and Dillon. The children in my class love "Things." They repeat it even when we are standing in line. I used it to teach them about the rhythm in poetry.
Greenfield,E. and Dillon, L. (1978) Honey, I love and other love poems. Trophy: New York.

Kitten's First Full Moon

"Still, there was the little bowl of milk, just waiting." A black and white book, Kitten's First Full Moon almost magically draws children into the plot. The kitten sees the moon and he thinks it is a big bowl of milk. So, he jumps in the pond..."Poor kitten," climbed the tree, and tried his hardest to get that milk. When he can take it no longer, he goes back to the porch, and waiting for him is a bowl of milk. Children could make black and white illustrations using charcoal after reading this book. Every child knows what it is like to try for something and be disappointed. However, the kitten got his milk after all! He just had to persevere. Henkes, K. (1994) Kitten's First Full Moon. GreenWillow Books: New York.