The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Copyright: 2007
Number of Pages: 525
Age: 12+ years
Summary:
In the story of Hugo Cabret, is a boy who lives on his own, surviving through theft and living in a clock tower in the train station. Before this Hugo lived with his father. Him and his father loved to fix things, mostly clocks. One day Hugo's father found a machine in the attic of the musem that he worked at. It needed a lot of fixing, however, this machine was special. It was a robot that was able to write. They both believed that there was a secret message in the machine. So the father spent some time trying to fix the robot. One night the father was accidently locked in the attic while working on the robot and the museum caught on fire. The father died tragically that night. That was when Hugo went to work for his Uncle in the clock tower in the train station. One night Hugo's uncle disappeared and never returned. Hugo didn't want to be put in an orphanage so he tried to run the clocks himself, pretending to be his uncle.
The rotbot was the only thing left in the fire, so Hugo took it back to his tower. It became his obsession to fix it, because perhaps the message the robot was going to write was from his father. In order to fix this he had to have the right parts. So he went and stole various parts from the toy stand across the street. One day the old man who owned it caught Hugo. He took Hugo's notebook that had his notes in it to fix the robot. Hugo wanted it back so badly that he kept coming back asking for the notebook. The old man said that he had to him why Hugo wanted the notebook back so badly. Hugo refused to tell. So the old man kept the book. Hugo ended up working for the old man to earn back his notebook. Hugo met a little girl that worked there too. She tried to help Hugo to get his notebook back. When Hugo went back to his tower one night he stared fiddling with the robot to see if he could fix it without his notebook. He eventually figured it out without his notebook. The only piece missing was a key in the shape of a heart. Hugo saw that the necklace around the little girls neck looked like it would fit, so he stole it. Right when he was about to put in the key the girl came running in, seeing that he sole her key. They turned the robot on together and the message was a picture from Hugo's fathers favorite childhood movie. Eventually through various events the children found out the old man who owned the toy stand used to make famous movies. He was the director of Hugo's favorite childhood movie. The children took their discovery to the old man and he became inspired again from his old movies. The old man was later on celebrated for all the movie works that he had done. Hugo ended up living with the old man, his wife, and the little girl.
Who would benefit from this book?
Anyone could. This book is a vey interesting book because of the twists and turns that it provides. It would definately be a book for older children to read because younger children may not be able to comprehend what would be going on in the story.
What problems might this book cause?
The problem would be with Hugo's behavior. He steals and that could put out the message that its ok to do that.
My reaction:
I really enjoyed this book because of the plot, it kept me guessing. Also because of the style of writing. It was a good chunk of pictures that told part of the story.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Friday, February 12, 2010
Hop on Pop
Hop on Pop by Dr. Seuss
Publisher:Random House Inc.
Copyright: 1963
Number of Pages: 64
Age: 4-5 years
Genre: Fantasy
Summary:
This book is about nothing too much. Its its about a bunch of rhymes of different characters. An example would be "Pat Pat, they call him Pat. Pat sat on a cat."
Who would benefit from this book?
Young childern because they are a lot of basic words that would help children learn how to read.
What problems might this book cause?
none.
My reaction:
It was a fine book for young children. I got bored because it didn't have a plot but like I said it woud be good for young children.
Publisher:Random House Inc.
Copyright: 1963
Number of Pages: 64
Age: 4-5 years
Genre: Fantasy
Summary:
This book is about nothing too much. Its its about a bunch of rhymes of different characters. An example would be "Pat Pat, they call him Pat. Pat sat on a cat."
Who would benefit from this book?
Young childern because they are a lot of basic words that would help children learn how to read.
What problems might this book cause?
none.
My reaction:
It was a fine book for young children. I got bored because it didn't have a plot but like I said it woud be good for young children.
What was I scared of?
What was I scared of? by Dr. Seuss
Publisher: Scholastic
Copyright: 1997
Number of Pages: 25
Age: 4-5 years
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Scholastic
Copyright: 1997
Number of Pages: 25
Age: 4-5 years
Genre: Fantasy
Summary:
This is a story about a little Who boy who isn't scared of anything, so he thinks. He walks along and sees a pair of empty pants flying in the air. The pants start to fly after him and the Who gets scared. Through the book the pants follow the Who. The Who boy eventually gets cornered and starts to scream for help. The pants start to cry and the Who boy was confused but then tries to comfort the pants. The pants and the Who boy then become friends and from now on they both would say hello to each other neither one being scared.
Who would benefit from this book?
Young children because its a great little story for young children. It also kind of sends a message that you shouldn't judge something by the way it looks. You should get to know it first.
What problems might this book cause?
None.
My reaction:
I enjoyed reading the book because it was a short rhyming book that had a fun message. The Dr. Seuss books are almost always fun to read for me.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
You Are Special
You Are Special by Max Lucado
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Copyright: 1997
Number of Pages: 26
Age: 8-9 years
Genre: Folktale
Summary:
This story is about wooden creatures who live in a wooden town created by a man named Eli. The wooden people walked around every day giving each other either dots or stars. The ones who were special got stars, the ones who were ugly or had scratches got dots. One character named Pinchenello always got dots. He got dots for everything that he did. One day he met a girl who didn't have any stars or dots. She said that she had been going to Eli everyday and that if he did then Eli could help him. The next day Pinchenello ges to see Eli. Eli tells him that he is special because he made him and that he shouldn't care what the other wooden people thought. As Pinchenello started to leave a dot fell off.
Who would benefit from this book?
Everyone because it has a wonderful message that everyone should always remember; we shouldn't care about what other people think and that we are special no matter what.
What problems might this book cause?
None.
My reaction:
I loved this book ever since I heard it the first time. I love the message behind it all. Its so important and it puts the message in a story that is fun to read with characters that are fun to look at.
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Copyright: 1997
Number of Pages: 26
Age: 8-9 years
Genre: Folktale
Summary:
This story is about wooden creatures who live in a wooden town created by a man named Eli. The wooden people walked around every day giving each other either dots or stars. The ones who were special got stars, the ones who were ugly or had scratches got dots. One character named Pinchenello always got dots. He got dots for everything that he did. One day he met a girl who didn't have any stars or dots. She said that she had been going to Eli everyday and that if he did then Eli could help him. The next day Pinchenello ges to see Eli. Eli tells him that he is special because he made him and that he shouldn't care what the other wooden people thought. As Pinchenello started to leave a dot fell off.
Who would benefit from this book?
Everyone because it has a wonderful message that everyone should always remember; we shouldn't care about what other people think and that we are special no matter what.
What problems might this book cause?
None.
My reaction:
I loved this book ever since I heard it the first time. I love the message behind it all. Its so important and it puts the message in a story that is fun to read with characters that are fun to look at.
Love That Dog
Love That Dog by Sharon Creech
Publisher: Harper Trophy
Copyright: 1987
Number of Pages: 86
Age: 6-7 years
Genre: Contemporary
Summary:
In this book its about a little boy who tries to write poems but doesn't think that he can. As time goes on through the book his writing develops and the teacher likes to share his poems with the class. He eventually grows more confident with his writing and starts to understand poems more and how to write his own poem.
Who might benefit from this book?
I think that anyone could. It probably might need to be explained to some children because the only person talking is the little boy. The little boy responds to peoples questions in the book but it doesn't show other people talking but the boy.
What problems might this book cause?
None.
My reaction:
I thought it was a cute, simple book that anyone could read and understand most of it aside from what I said about how the boy is the only one talking.
Publisher: Harper Trophy
Copyright: 1987
Number of Pages: 86
Age: 6-7 years
Genre: Contemporary
Summary:
In this book its about a little boy who tries to write poems but doesn't think that he can. As time goes on through the book his writing develops and the teacher likes to share his poems with the class. He eventually grows more confident with his writing and starts to understand poems more and how to write his own poem.
Who might benefit from this book?
I think that anyone could. It probably might need to be explained to some children because the only person talking is the little boy. The little boy responds to peoples questions in the book but it doesn't show other people talking but the boy.
What problems might this book cause?
None.
My reaction:
I thought it was a cute, simple book that anyone could read and understand most of it aside from what I said about how the boy is the only one talking.
Holes
Holes by Louis Sachar
Publisher: Yearling Books
Copyright: 1998
Number of Pages: 236
Age: 12+ years
Genre: Contemporary
Summary:
This is a story about Stanley Yelnats. He is a young boy who has the worst luck because of the curse that was placed on his family by his old great great grandfather. Stanley was in the wrong place at the wrong time. He was caught with a pair of shoes that he didn't steal. So he was sent to Camp Greenlake. In the camp all the trouble maker kids had to dig holes. What they didnt know was that what they were really looking for was a buried treasure. Stanley becomes friends with Zero. Zero was teased a lot in the camp because he didn't say much. Then one day he was fed up with being teased. He hit one of the administrators head and started running away. Stanley after a few days ends up going after Zero. Stanley finds Zero and they both start to climb up a big mountain called God's thumb. Stanley has to carry Zero up the mountain because Zero could barely climb anymore. Once they got to the top there was water and Stanley started to sing a song. Once he sang this song the curse was broken over Stanley's family. The curse could only be broken through someone in Stanley's family carrying up someone from Zero's family. However, they didn't know that at the time because Zero is related to the old woman who put the curse on on Stanley's family. After the curse was broken Stanley and Zero go back to the holes at the camp and start to dig while everyone was still sleeping. The dug until finally they found the treasure that was buried. The boys were caught but they were able to keep the treasure because it had Stanley's name on it. The treasure was collected by a woman named Kissing Kate Barlow. She robbed every bank around and also stole Stanley's great grandfathers trunk that had his name on it which was Stanley Yelnats. Stanley's family got the money and they were able to buy a big home and live happily with Stanley and his friends from camp.
Another part was during all of this the father of Stanley was trying to come up with a material to put into shoes to make them not stink anymore. Once the curse was broken it came true and that added to their fortune.
Who would benefit from this book?
Anyone. It didn't have too many guidelines other than it should be for older children because they would understand it more then younger ones.
What problems might this cause?
That everything always works out in the end they way they want it to.
My reaction:
I really enjoyed the book. I thought it was a fun story line that was unique and a good page turner. Kept me guessing what was going to happen.
Publisher: Yearling Books
Copyright: 1998
Number of Pages: 236
Age: 12+ years
Genre: Contemporary
Summary:
This is a story about Stanley Yelnats. He is a young boy who has the worst luck because of the curse that was placed on his family by his old great great grandfather. Stanley was in the wrong place at the wrong time. He was caught with a pair of shoes that he didn't steal. So he was sent to Camp Greenlake. In the camp all the trouble maker kids had to dig holes. What they didnt know was that what they were really looking for was a buried treasure. Stanley becomes friends with Zero. Zero was teased a lot in the camp because he didn't say much. Then one day he was fed up with being teased. He hit one of the administrators head and started running away. Stanley after a few days ends up going after Zero. Stanley finds Zero and they both start to climb up a big mountain called God's thumb. Stanley has to carry Zero up the mountain because Zero could barely climb anymore. Once they got to the top there was water and Stanley started to sing a song. Once he sang this song the curse was broken over Stanley's family. The curse could only be broken through someone in Stanley's family carrying up someone from Zero's family. However, they didn't know that at the time because Zero is related to the old woman who put the curse on on Stanley's family. After the curse was broken Stanley and Zero go back to the holes at the camp and start to dig while everyone was still sleeping. The dug until finally they found the treasure that was buried. The boys were caught but they were able to keep the treasure because it had Stanley's name on it. The treasure was collected by a woman named Kissing Kate Barlow. She robbed every bank around and also stole Stanley's great grandfathers trunk that had his name on it which was Stanley Yelnats. Stanley's family got the money and they were able to buy a big home and live happily with Stanley and his friends from camp.
Another part was during all of this the father of Stanley was trying to come up with a material to put into shoes to make them not stink anymore. Once the curse was broken it came true and that added to their fortune.
Who would benefit from this book?
Anyone. It didn't have too many guidelines other than it should be for older children because they would understand it more then younger ones.
What problems might this cause?
That everything always works out in the end they way they want it to.
My reaction:
I really enjoyed the book. I thought it was a fun story line that was unique and a good page turner. Kept me guessing what was going to happen.
Beauty
Beauty by Robin Mckinley
Publisher: Harper Trophy
Copyright:1978
Number of Pages: 247
Age: 12+ years
Genre: Fantasy/Fairytale
Summary:
This is the same story of beauty and the beast. There was a man and his three daughters who lived a rich life until the father sent out his ships to do business. A storm came in and over took the ships and all but two were lost. On one of the lost ships was a man who was in love with one of the fathers daughters. Because of this loss of ships the father decided to retire and they moved away to a small house far away. The house that they moved to was the house of one of the daughters husbands.
All the daughters were named something that they possessed ie. Grace, Hope, and Honour. However, Honour didn't like her name when she was younger so she changed her name to Beauty. When Beauty grew up she found that she hated her name because she didn't think it was true at all. She thought she was plain and ugly.
One day the father went riding his horse and got lost in the forest. Once he was lost he found a trail (once you are lost in the forest everyone will find this trail, it leads straight to the castle). This trail took him straight to a castle which was known to be dangerous. The night was coming on and the father needed a place to stay so he stayed at the castle and he was taken care of. As soon as the father was leaving the next day he stopped at the front gate and saw a beautiful flower that he wanted to give to Beauty because she asked for flower seeds. As soon as the father cut the flower the Beast came towards the father and said that he was going to kill the father because he tried to steal one of his flowers. The Beast gave the father a month to be with his family then he had to return to the castle. The only way out would be that someone would have to come in his place and that person would have to live in the castle forever. Once the father returned home he told his family and Beauty said she would go. She was so stubborn that no one could convince her otherwise. So Beauty left to the castle.
Over her time there she began to fall in love with the Beast. One night the Beast showed her a magic bowl he had that he could see outside of the castle. Beauty wondered what happened to the ships that were lost. It showed one of the ships that had returned. On the ship was Beauty's sisters love. Beauty new she had to tell her sister before she married another. So the Beast let her go. Beauty rushed to tell her. Beauty then had a week to be with her family then she must return. However, Beauty stayed one extra day and as she woke to return to the castle she was overwhelmed with worry that the Beast was dead. She ran to the castle found he Beast half dead and she cried her love for him and that she would marry him. The Beast awoke and his spell was broken. He turned into a handsome prince and Beauty became his bride. Beauty's sister married her long lost love and they all lived happily in the castle.
Who would benefit from this story?
Everyone! This is an awesome story of Beauty and the Beast. It it magical and very mysterious. Its a joyful book to read.
What problems might this book cause?
None.
My reaction:
I loved this book so much! It was much better then the disney series. It was well written and it made me feel like I was there because of all the details. All the characters were wonderful and fun to read about.
Publisher: Harper Trophy
Copyright:1978
Number of Pages: 247
Age: 12+ years
Genre: Fantasy/Fairytale
Summary:
This is the same story of beauty and the beast. There was a man and his three daughters who lived a rich life until the father sent out his ships to do business. A storm came in and over took the ships and all but two were lost. On one of the lost ships was a man who was in love with one of the fathers daughters. Because of this loss of ships the father decided to retire and they moved away to a small house far away. The house that they moved to was the house of one of the daughters husbands.
All the daughters were named something that they possessed ie. Grace, Hope, and Honour. However, Honour didn't like her name when she was younger so she changed her name to Beauty. When Beauty grew up she found that she hated her name because she didn't think it was true at all. She thought she was plain and ugly.
One day the father went riding his horse and got lost in the forest. Once he was lost he found a trail (once you are lost in the forest everyone will find this trail, it leads straight to the castle). This trail took him straight to a castle which was known to be dangerous. The night was coming on and the father needed a place to stay so he stayed at the castle and he was taken care of. As soon as the father was leaving the next day he stopped at the front gate and saw a beautiful flower that he wanted to give to Beauty because she asked for flower seeds. As soon as the father cut the flower the Beast came towards the father and said that he was going to kill the father because he tried to steal one of his flowers. The Beast gave the father a month to be with his family then he had to return to the castle. The only way out would be that someone would have to come in his place and that person would have to live in the castle forever. Once the father returned home he told his family and Beauty said she would go. She was so stubborn that no one could convince her otherwise. So Beauty left to the castle.
Over her time there she began to fall in love with the Beast. One night the Beast showed her a magic bowl he had that he could see outside of the castle. Beauty wondered what happened to the ships that were lost. It showed one of the ships that had returned. On the ship was Beauty's sisters love. Beauty new she had to tell her sister before she married another. So the Beast let her go. Beauty rushed to tell her. Beauty then had a week to be with her family then she must return. However, Beauty stayed one extra day and as she woke to return to the castle she was overwhelmed with worry that the Beast was dead. She ran to the castle found he Beast half dead and she cried her love for him and that she would marry him. The Beast awoke and his spell was broken. He turned into a handsome prince and Beauty became his bride. Beauty's sister married her long lost love and they all lived happily in the castle.
Who would benefit from this story?
Everyone! This is an awesome story of Beauty and the Beast. It it magical and very mysterious. Its a joyful book to read.
What problems might this book cause?
None.
My reaction:
I loved this book so much! It was much better then the disney series. It was well written and it made me feel like I was there because of all the details. All the characters were wonderful and fun to read about.
Fairytales by Perrault
Fairytales by Perrault: Little Red Riding Hood, Puss-in-Boots, The Faires, and The Foolish Wishes
Publisher: Clarion Books
Copyright:1993
Number of Pages:122
Age: 12+ years
Genre: Fairytale
Summary of: The Faires
In this story its about a mother and her two daughters. One was so beautiful and kind the other was mean and not much to look at and she was the spinning image of her mother. So the mother and the ugly daughter didn't like the pretty one. One day the mother told the beautiful daughter to go to the stream to fetch some water. When she did she saw an old woman and the woman asked if she could have some water. The kind girl gave the old woman water and the woman said because of your kindess I grant a blessing unto you that everytime you speak jewels and flowers will come from your mouth. The girl returned home and told her mother and sister of what happened. The mother then sent the other daughter to do the same. The ugly daughter refused to fetch water but the mother bade her to go. So she went and when she went she was snobby to the woman and she woman said I grant a curse that because you are unkind everytime you speak a lizard will come from your mouth. The girl went home and showed her mother. The other and ugly daughter were bitter towards the pretty daughter so she was kicked out of the house. The girl sat in the forest crying when a prince came along and saw how beautiful the girl was and the wonderful gift that she possessed. He took her to be his bride and the mother and ugly daughter sat in their house with bitter hearts.
Who would benefit from this book?
Anyone old enough to understand it. It was a great tale that was different and had a great moral that showing an act of kindness can lead to good and great things.
What problems might this book cause?
None that I could think of.
My reaction:
I liked this story because of the different storyline. I enjoyed the moral of the story and how important it is to show kindness because that is what truly matters.
Publisher: Clarion Books
Copyright:1993
Number of Pages:122
Age: 12+ years
Genre: Fairytale
Summary of: The Faires
In this story its about a mother and her two daughters. One was so beautiful and kind the other was mean and not much to look at and she was the spinning image of her mother. So the mother and the ugly daughter didn't like the pretty one. One day the mother told the beautiful daughter to go to the stream to fetch some water. When she did she saw an old woman and the woman asked if she could have some water. The kind girl gave the old woman water and the woman said because of your kindess I grant a blessing unto you that everytime you speak jewels and flowers will come from your mouth. The girl returned home and told her mother and sister of what happened. The mother then sent the other daughter to do the same. The ugly daughter refused to fetch water but the mother bade her to go. So she went and when she went she was snobby to the woman and she woman said I grant a curse that because you are unkind everytime you speak a lizard will come from your mouth. The girl went home and showed her mother. The other and ugly daughter were bitter towards the pretty daughter so she was kicked out of the house. The girl sat in the forest crying when a prince came along and saw how beautiful the girl was and the wonderful gift that she possessed. He took her to be his bride and the mother and ugly daughter sat in their house with bitter hearts.
Who would benefit from this book?
Anyone old enough to understand it. It was a great tale that was different and had a great moral that showing an act of kindness can lead to good and great things.
What problems might this book cause?
None that I could think of.
My reaction:
I liked this story because of the different storyline. I enjoyed the moral of the story and how important it is to show kindness because that is what truly matters.
Norwegian Folktales by Asbjornsen
Norweigan Folktales by Asbjornsen: The Boys Who Met the Trolls in the Hedal Woods, The Princess Who Always had to have the Last Word, The Ash Lad Who had an Eating Match with the Troll, The Fox as a Shepherd
Publisher: Pantheon Books
Copyright: 1982
Number of Pages: 189 (Whole Book)
Age: 13+ years
Genre: Fairytale
Summary of: The Ash Lad Who had an Eating Match with the Troll
Publisher: Pantheon Books
Copyright: 1982
Number of Pages: 189 (Whole Book)
Age: 13+ years
Genre: Fairytale
Summary of: The Ash Lad Who had an Eating Match with the Troll
In this story its about a man named Ash Lad who has two older brothers. The father wants the trees cut down out in the forest by their house. The oldest goes and when he came to a tree a large troll comes and says if you are trying to cut down my forest I will kill you. The oldest boy flees back to the house and tells the dad and brothers the story. The dad said that the boy was a chicken and that the trolls didn't scare him when he was younger. The second boy goes out and the same thing happened. Finally the third boy goes out and no one had faith in him because he never even left the house before. The youngest goes out and meets the troll. The boy pulls out a piece of cheese from his sack and says that if the trolls eats him then he will squeeze the troll like he is sqeezing the water out of the stone in his hand. The troll decides to help the boy instead. The troll then invited the boy to to his place to eat some food. When they go back the boy ends up killing the troll by stabbing him in the stomach and he goes back to the house with his bundle of wood and told his family the whole story.
Who would benefit from this book?
I think that anyone who is old enough could either enjoy the book or dislike it.
What problems might this book cause?
What I thought was the troll showed kindess in the end and the boy still killed him. This story could portray that even if you show an act of kindness you still will suffer. Thus maybe the reader might not want to show an act of kindness.
My reaction:
I didn't like the story too much. I didn't like how the troll had to die in the end. It made me dislike the character in the end which wasn't a very good ending.
English Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs
English Fairytales by Joseph Jacobs: How Jack went to Seek his Fortune, Jack and the Beanstalk, The Story of the Three Little Pigs, and Teeny Tiny.
Publisher: Schocken Books
Copyright: 1967
Number of Pages: 237 (Whole Book)
Age: 12+ years
Genre: Fairytale
Summary of: Jack and the Beanstalk
This is the same typical story of Jack and the Beanstalk. Jack goes and sells his mothers cow because they were getting poor. He goes and sells it for a few magic beans. Jacks mother was furious so she took the beans and threw them out the window. The next morning the beans grew to the sky. Jack climbed up the beanstalk and found two giants living there. The woman giant was nice and helped Jack a few times but the man giant wanted to eat Jack. Jack however, kept going up the beanstalk and every time he went up he would take some thing of great value such as gold. The third time Jack went up the man giant caught Jack and started chasing him. Jack got to the bottom and axed the beanstalk and it fell and the giant never caught Jack. Jack and his mother lived well off because of all the gold that Jack brought into their lives.
Who might benefit from this book?
I think anyone could. Its a typical story of Jack and the Beanstalk so it would be fine for story time or even a bed time story.
What problems might this book cause?
The only thing I could think of was stealing. Children might think that it was OK to steal other peoples things. In the story Jack stole the giants things and that wasn't fair to him even though the giant wanted to eat Jack.
My reaction:
This story was fine. I already new the story of Jack and the Beanstalk so it was predicatable as to what was going to happen.
Publisher: Schocken Books
Copyright: 1967
Number of Pages: 237 (Whole Book)
Age: 12+ years
Genre: Fairytale
Summary of: Jack and the Beanstalk
This is the same typical story of Jack and the Beanstalk. Jack goes and sells his mothers cow because they were getting poor. He goes and sells it for a few magic beans. Jacks mother was furious so she took the beans and threw them out the window. The next morning the beans grew to the sky. Jack climbed up the beanstalk and found two giants living there. The woman giant was nice and helped Jack a few times but the man giant wanted to eat Jack. Jack however, kept going up the beanstalk and every time he went up he would take some thing of great value such as gold. The third time Jack went up the man giant caught Jack and started chasing him. Jack got to the bottom and axed the beanstalk and it fell and the giant never caught Jack. Jack and his mother lived well off because of all the gold that Jack brought into their lives.
Who might benefit from this book?
I think anyone could. Its a typical story of Jack and the Beanstalk so it would be fine for story time or even a bed time story.
What problems might this book cause?
The only thing I could think of was stealing. Children might think that it was OK to steal other peoples things. In the story Jack stole the giants things and that wasn't fair to him even though the giant wanted to eat Jack.
My reaction:
This story was fine. I already new the story of Jack and the Beanstalk so it was predicatable as to what was going to happen.
Tales and Stories of Hans Christian Anderson
Tales and Stories by Hans Christian Anderson: The Tinderbox, The Princess on the Pea, The Little Mermaid,and The Sweethearts
Publisher: University of Washington Press
Copyright: 1980
Number of Pages: 246 (whole book)
Age: 12+ years
Genre: Fairytale
Summary of: The little Mermaid
In this story it is about the typical little mermaid until near the end. The little mermaid always wanted to to be a human. She sees the prince on his ship right before a storm comes and starts to sink the ship. The little mermaid goes and saves the prince before he drowns. She pulls him ashore and talks to him as he slept. As soon as she heard someone coming she fled back to the sea.
The little mermaid wanted to be a human so badly so she could be with the prince. So she goes to the wicked sea witch. She made a deal with the witch that she needed to get the prince to kiss her as his one true love or she would turn into the dust and mold of the sea (also that she would lose her voice while she was a human). If the prince kissed another as his love then she would then disperse to the sea as the mold and dust. Another part of the deal was that every time the little mermaid went to walk she would feel little knives at the bottom of her feet. However, the little mermaid accepted the terms and she went to the sea top and turned into a human. She was taken ashore by the waves. Soon the prince came and took her in. As the little mermaid spent her time in the castle the prince thought he wanted to marry the little mermaid until another one came along and the prince started to fall in love with another. The prince wanted to be married to this new maiden. Before the wedding the little mermaids sisters came to the sea top and told the little mermaid that if she took this dagger and stuck it in his heart then she would be free from the deal that she made with the wicked witch. However, that night the little mermaid looked at he prince and knew she couldn't. So she forfited her life.
At the wedding the prince kissed his new bride and the little mermaid was fled to the sea. She was so sad because she knew that as soon as her life was over it was over and her soul could not carry on anymore like the humans. Then right when she was changing and being pulled to the ocean a spirit came and took her by the hand. She told the little mermaid that because of her sincere heart and desire to serve she will have her spirit continue on as she tries to serve others as a spirit. The little mermaid was confused because of the deal she made but she was so happy. And the prince lived happily with his bride.
Who would benefit from this book?
Anyone would. Its a great story that even adults can enjoy because its not the typical story about the little mermaid and having her perfect ending.
What problems might this book cause?
None that I could think of.
My reaction:
I enjoyed the book but I thought it was sad how she went through all tha suffering for nothing. It is true that you don't always get your perfect ending but it was sad because she had to suffer so much more then in the typical story of little mermaid.
Publisher: University of Washington Press
Copyright: 1980
Number of Pages: 246 (whole book)
Age: 12+ years
Genre: Fairytale
Summary of: The little Mermaid
In this story it is about the typical little mermaid until near the end. The little mermaid always wanted to to be a human. She sees the prince on his ship right before a storm comes and starts to sink the ship. The little mermaid goes and saves the prince before he drowns. She pulls him ashore and talks to him as he slept. As soon as she heard someone coming she fled back to the sea.
The little mermaid wanted to be a human so badly so she could be with the prince. So she goes to the wicked sea witch. She made a deal with the witch that she needed to get the prince to kiss her as his one true love or she would turn into the dust and mold of the sea (also that she would lose her voice while she was a human). If the prince kissed another as his love then she would then disperse to the sea as the mold and dust. Another part of the deal was that every time the little mermaid went to walk she would feel little knives at the bottom of her feet. However, the little mermaid accepted the terms and she went to the sea top and turned into a human. She was taken ashore by the waves. Soon the prince came and took her in. As the little mermaid spent her time in the castle the prince thought he wanted to marry the little mermaid until another one came along and the prince started to fall in love with another. The prince wanted to be married to this new maiden. Before the wedding the little mermaids sisters came to the sea top and told the little mermaid that if she took this dagger and stuck it in his heart then she would be free from the deal that she made with the wicked witch. However, that night the little mermaid looked at he prince and knew she couldn't. So she forfited her life.
At the wedding the prince kissed his new bride and the little mermaid was fled to the sea. She was so sad because she knew that as soon as her life was over it was over and her soul could not carry on anymore like the humans. Then right when she was changing and being pulled to the ocean a spirit came and took her by the hand. She told the little mermaid that because of her sincere heart and desire to serve she will have her spirit continue on as she tries to serve others as a spirit. The little mermaid was confused because of the deal she made but she was so happy. And the prince lived happily with his bride.
Who would benefit from this book?
Anyone would. Its a great story that even adults can enjoy because its not the typical story about the little mermaid and having her perfect ending.
What problems might this book cause?
None that I could think of.
My reaction:
I enjoyed the book but I thought it was sad how she went through all tha suffering for nothing. It is true that you don't always get your perfect ending but it was sad because she had to suffer so much more then in the typical story of little mermaid.
Grimm's Fairytales
Snowdrop, Rumpelstilskin,The Twelve Dancing Princesses,and The Golden Bird
Publisher: The Viking Press
Copyright: 1973
Number of Pages: 127(whole book)
Age: 12+ years
Genre: Fairytale
Summary of: The Twelve Dancing Princesses
Publisher: The Viking Press
Copyright: 1973
Number of Pages: 127(whole book)
Age: 12+ years
Genre: Fairytale
Summary of: The Twelve Dancing Princesses
In this short story it was about a king and his 12 daughters. Every night the king locked his daughters in their room before bed, and every morning when we went to get them he saw that the soles of their shoes were worn in but he didn't know why. So the king sent a message to all that whoever could figure out why the princesses had worn out shoes in the morning would have one of his daughters to marry. Many came but because none prevailed they all died as a result of not having an answer within the three days time.
Not too far was a soldier coming home and he didn't know what to do with himself. He ran into an old woman who asked him what he was doing and he responded that he was wandering around finding what to do. The old woman told the soldier of the kings request. The soldier thought that it would be a fun adventure to take part in. So the old woman told him "do not drink the wine the princesses bring you, it will put you to sleep. Take this cloak, its invisible so you can follow the girls." The prince did as he was told and that night he pretended to fall asleep. Once the princesses thought was out they said "oh we have cut the heads off of so many men, this one surely will die too!" as soon as the princesses were done snickering they escaped out of the castle and took a small boat to the near by castle where they met other princes and danced the night away. While this all was happening the soldier was following in his invisable cloak. He had figured out their secret. So he ran back to the castle before the princesses came back so they would see he was still asleep. The soldier wanted to keep going back so he used all of his 3 days and on the third day he told the king. The princesses could not deny what they were up to, so the soldier took one of the princesses to marry.
Who would benefit from this story?
I would say girls because it has the princesses in it but I don't think so because it shows the nasty characters that they have. I would just say anyone 12 and older.
What problems might this book cause?
I think this book could cause girls to see the princesses differently. Young girls see princesses as wonderful characters and in this story it shows that princesses aren't wonderful but rather a little bit evil. That could destroy a young childs admiration of a princess.
My reaction:
I really enjoyed this story actually because it was again different then other stories that I have read. It kept me guessing what was going to happen and when it did happen it took my by surprise.
The Tale of the Tricky Fox
The Tale of the Tricky Fox by Jim Aylesworth
Publisher: Scholastic
Copyright:2001
Number of Pages:30
Age: 6-7 years
Genre: Fantasy
Summary:
In this story its about a little fox and his brother. The tricky fox says to this brother that catching a chicken has become to easy and that the wants to catch a pig from a human. The tricky fox's little brother doubts that he can do it so he offers that if the trick fox could do it he would eat his hat. So the tricky fox went off to the first little house of an old woman. He asks if he can stay there because he is so tired. He brought with him a sack that inside he put a log of wood. The old woman says "yes you can stay here, but no tricks" the fox says "of course not, I'm only worried about my sack, I don't like people looking in it." The old woman said that she would take the sack but promised not to look in it. So the wolf pretended to fall asleep and the woman went and peeked in the sack...considering she couldn't resist. Then she went and fell asleep. As soon as she was sleeping the tricky fox went and took the log out of the sack and placed it in the fire. The next day the fox says to the old woman "what happened to my loaf of bread?!" the old woman was about to say that the fox didn't have a loaf of bread but she remembered her promise that she wasn't going to look in the sack, so she said "I'm not sure. Here have one of mine". Once the fox took the bread he left to the next house. The fox repeated the same scenario with the next 2 houses he went to. The second house he claimed he had a chicken, so the lady gave him a chicken. Then the last house was a pig, however, the old woman was about to give him one of her pigs but as she went outside to fetch the pig she thought she should watch him through the window to see what he would do. She caught him talking about how smart he was, so the old woman went and put a large bull dog in the sack instead. The fox went home and opened the sack with his brother. Once the sack was opened the bull dog chased the foxes away.
Who would benefit from this book?
I think that anyone could benefit from this book. Its a fun story with a good moral that you shouldn't trust anyone that seems to try to decieve you. The old women knew that he as lying and yet they still gave him something of the possessions. Beware!
What problems might this cause?
I couldn't think of any problems this would cause because the fox learns his lesson in the end.
My reaction
My reaction to the book was that I enjoyed it. I really liked seeing how clever the fox was. I thought it was very tricky what he did. I wouldn't have thought of that on my own.
Publisher: Scholastic
Copyright:2001
Number of Pages:30
Age: 6-7 years
Genre: Fantasy
Summary:
In this story its about a little fox and his brother. The tricky fox says to this brother that catching a chicken has become to easy and that the wants to catch a pig from a human. The tricky fox's little brother doubts that he can do it so he offers that if the trick fox could do it he would eat his hat. So the tricky fox went off to the first little house of an old woman. He asks if he can stay there because he is so tired. He brought with him a sack that inside he put a log of wood. The old woman says "yes you can stay here, but no tricks" the fox says "of course not, I'm only worried about my sack, I don't like people looking in it." The old woman said that she would take the sack but promised not to look in it. So the wolf pretended to fall asleep and the woman went and peeked in the sack...considering she couldn't resist. Then she went and fell asleep. As soon as she was sleeping the tricky fox went and took the log out of the sack and placed it in the fire. The next day the fox says to the old woman "what happened to my loaf of bread?!" the old woman was about to say that the fox didn't have a loaf of bread but she remembered her promise that she wasn't going to look in the sack, so she said "I'm not sure. Here have one of mine". Once the fox took the bread he left to the next house. The fox repeated the same scenario with the next 2 houses he went to. The second house he claimed he had a chicken, so the lady gave him a chicken. Then the last house was a pig, however, the old woman was about to give him one of her pigs but as she went outside to fetch the pig she thought she should watch him through the window to see what he would do. She caught him talking about how smart he was, so the old woman went and put a large bull dog in the sack instead. The fox went home and opened the sack with his brother. Once the sack was opened the bull dog chased the foxes away.
Who would benefit from this book?
I think that anyone could benefit from this book. Its a fun story with a good moral that you shouldn't trust anyone that seems to try to decieve you. The old women knew that he as lying and yet they still gave him something of the possessions. Beware!
What problems might this cause?
I couldn't think of any problems this would cause because the fox learns his lesson in the end.
My reaction
My reaction to the book was that I enjoyed it. I really liked seeing how clever the fox was. I thought it was very tricky what he did. I wouldn't have thought of that on my own.
Little Pierre
Little Pierre by Robert D. San Souci
Publisher: Harcourt
Copyright: 2003
Number of Pages: 28
Age: 7-8
Genre: Fantasy
Summary:
In this story its about 4 brothers with different versions of the name Pierre. Foolish Pierre, Wise Pierre, Big Pierre, and Little Pierre. Little Pierre was the smartest of them all and worked very hard. One day they heard that the richest man in the lands daughter was taken by an ogre. The one to find her would get to have her hand in marriage. So the Pierre brothers set out to find her. They eventually after a few days of trying come to the ogre's house. The ogre says they can stay there( but the ogres plan was to kill and eat them). Little Pierre figures everything out aboud fooling the ogre. An example would be when they made up fake bodies in the beds that they were staying in. The ogre comes in and hits the beds, thinking he killed the boys he goes to sleep. Then the boys grab the girl and sneak out of the house. The next day the ogre comes running to find the boys and girl. They were stopped in their tracks by a huge catfish that wanted to eat them too. So they each went up to the catfish saying eat my brother/sister thats behind me he/she is bigger then me! So when it came to the last Pierre boy he said eat the brother behind me he is much bigger. So they all passed the catfish, then the ogre came and the catfish said are you the biggest of them all? The ogre said yes I am the biggest there is...and the catfish jump and swallowed him up. The girl and boys got away and the girl decided to marry Little Pierre.
Who might benefit from this book?
I think that a child would really enjoy this book. Its a fun adventure about these kids figuring things out on this journey. It lets the kids see how creative the children in the stories are.
What problems might this cause?
I think something that could always be a problem would be how it could send a message that it always works out in the end. Which typically it does but its almost never the way that we want it or expect it.
My reaction:
I loved this book. I thought it was super cute because of the fun characters and their personalities. I also loved it because of the artistic hand in the book. The colors and characters were well drawn out.
Publisher: Harcourt
Copyright: 2003
Number of Pages: 28
Age: 7-8
Genre: Fantasy
Summary:
In this story its about 4 brothers with different versions of the name Pierre. Foolish Pierre, Wise Pierre, Big Pierre, and Little Pierre. Little Pierre was the smartest of them all and worked very hard. One day they heard that the richest man in the lands daughter was taken by an ogre. The one to find her would get to have her hand in marriage. So the Pierre brothers set out to find her. They eventually after a few days of trying come to the ogre's house. The ogre says they can stay there( but the ogres plan was to kill and eat them). Little Pierre figures everything out aboud fooling the ogre. An example would be when they made up fake bodies in the beds that they were staying in. The ogre comes in and hits the beds, thinking he killed the boys he goes to sleep. Then the boys grab the girl and sneak out of the house. The next day the ogre comes running to find the boys and girl. They were stopped in their tracks by a huge catfish that wanted to eat them too. So they each went up to the catfish saying eat my brother/sister thats behind me he/she is bigger then me! So when it came to the last Pierre boy he said eat the brother behind me he is much bigger. So they all passed the catfish, then the ogre came and the catfish said are you the biggest of them all? The ogre said yes I am the biggest there is...and the catfish jump and swallowed him up. The girl and boys got away and the girl decided to marry Little Pierre.
Who might benefit from this book?
I think that a child would really enjoy this book. Its a fun adventure about these kids figuring things out on this journey. It lets the kids see how creative the children in the stories are.
What problems might this cause?
I think something that could always be a problem would be how it could send a message that it always works out in the end. Which typically it does but its almost never the way that we want it or expect it.
My reaction:
I loved this book. I thought it was super cute because of the fun characters and their personalities. I also loved it because of the artistic hand in the book. The colors and characters were well drawn out.
Who's That Tripping Over My Bridge
Who's That Tripping Over My Bridge by Coleen Salley
Publisher:Pelican Publishing
Copyright: 2002
Number of Pages: 31
Age: 6-7
Genre: Fantasy
Summary:
In this story its about a troll that lives under a bridge. The three billy goats gruff want to cross the bridge but the troll says that anyone who crosses he will eat. The first goat goes across and the troll tries to stop him saying he will eat him but the goat says eat my brother who is behind me he is much bigger. So the troll lets him pass. The second goat comes and says eat my brother behind me, he is much bigger. So the third goat comes and the troll says that he will eat the third goat. The goat says that he will crush the troll for wanting to eat him, so he did just that. The goats got across and lived happily ever after!
Who would benefit from this book?
Anyone would. It doesn't seem to be targeted at any age range. Its a simple story that I could see as a bed time story or something simple.
What problems might this book cause?
I don't think it would cause any.
My reaction:
This book was fine. It wasn't that thrilling to me. It was predictable and the art in the book was hard to look at. It was very busy and in the pictures it was hard to depict the characters.
Publisher:Pelican Publishing
Copyright: 2002
Number of Pages: 31
Age: 6-7
Genre: Fantasy
Summary:
In this story its about a troll that lives under a bridge. The three billy goats gruff want to cross the bridge but the troll says that anyone who crosses he will eat. The first goat goes across and the troll tries to stop him saying he will eat him but the goat says eat my brother who is behind me he is much bigger. So the troll lets him pass. The second goat comes and says eat my brother behind me, he is much bigger. So the third goat comes and the troll says that he will eat the third goat. The goat says that he will crush the troll for wanting to eat him, so he did just that. The goats got across and lived happily ever after!
Who would benefit from this book?
Anyone would. It doesn't seem to be targeted at any age range. Its a simple story that I could see as a bed time story or something simple.
What problems might this book cause?
I don't think it would cause any.
My reaction:
This book was fine. It wasn't that thrilling to me. It was predictable and the art in the book was hard to look at. It was very busy and in the pictures it was hard to depict the characters.
Little Red
Little Red by Lynn Roberts
Publisher: Harry N. Abrams, Inc.
Copyright: 2005
Number of Pages: 31
Age: 5-6 years
Genre: Fantasy
Summary:
This story was about "Little Red Riding Hood" but it was about a boy instead who was the child going to see grandmother. In the story the little boy goes to see his grandmother by bringing her ginger ale and bread. On his way there to grandmothers house he sees apples that he wants his grandmother to have. So he takes his coat off to go get the apples. While the little boy gets the apples the wolf comes along and steals the little boys coat. The wolf then dashes to grandmothers house to pose as the little boy. The grandmother lets the wolf in and as soon as he could the wolf jumps and swallows the grandmother whole. The little boy came running because his coat was missing. He arrives to the house where the wolf poses as the grandmother. The little boy talks with his fake grandmother and soon enough the wolf says that he is going to eat the little boy. But the boy stops the wolf and says that he has ginger ale that tastes much better then him. So the wolf tires and onces he finished the bottle a large burp came out and up came grandmother from the wolfs mouth. The little boy knocks the wolf out and ties him up. As soon as the wolf woke up he said that he shouldn't eat grandmothers anymore...its too hard. The little boy made a deal with the wolf that if he stopped eating people he would always bring him ginger ale and the wolf gladly agreed!
Who might benefit from this book?
Any child would. This is a typical fantasy that children have heard before. I see this book as being just as common as Cinderalla.
What problems might this book cause?
None that I am aware of.
My reaction:
I enjoyed this book because of the different ending. It was nice to see for once that the wolf can turn out to be a good guy in the end!
Publisher: Harry N. Abrams, Inc.
Copyright: 2005
Number of Pages: 31
Age: 5-6 years
Genre: Fantasy
Summary:
This story was about "Little Red Riding Hood" but it was about a boy instead who was the child going to see grandmother. In the story the little boy goes to see his grandmother by bringing her ginger ale and bread. On his way there to grandmothers house he sees apples that he wants his grandmother to have. So he takes his coat off to go get the apples. While the little boy gets the apples the wolf comes along and steals the little boys coat. The wolf then dashes to grandmothers house to pose as the little boy. The grandmother lets the wolf in and as soon as he could the wolf jumps and swallows the grandmother whole. The little boy came running because his coat was missing. He arrives to the house where the wolf poses as the grandmother. The little boy talks with his fake grandmother and soon enough the wolf says that he is going to eat the little boy. But the boy stops the wolf and says that he has ginger ale that tastes much better then him. So the wolf tires and onces he finished the bottle a large burp came out and up came grandmother from the wolfs mouth. The little boy knocks the wolf out and ties him up. As soon as the wolf woke up he said that he shouldn't eat grandmothers anymore...its too hard. The little boy made a deal with the wolf that if he stopped eating people he would always bring him ginger ale and the wolf gladly agreed!
Who might benefit from this book?
Any child would. This is a typical fantasy that children have heard before. I see this book as being just as common as Cinderalla.
What problems might this book cause?
None that I am aware of.
My reaction:
I enjoyed this book because of the different ending. It was nice to see for once that the wolf can turn out to be a good guy in the end!
The Golden Mare, the Firebird, and the Magic Ring
The Golden Mare, the Firebird, and the Magic Ring by Ruth Sanderson
Publisher: Little Brown and Company
Copyright: 2001
Number of Pages:29
Age: 10-12 years
Genre: Fantasy
Summary:
In this story it was about a man named Alexi who wanted an adventure. He came across the most beautiful horse while he was looking for an adventure while hunting. As he put his bow up the horse told him that she would help him with what he desired if he spared her life. So he did. He got on the horse and took Alexi to a kingdom where the king was looking for the best huntsman. Alexi was hired once he arrived, but the king loved Alexi's horse and wanted to buy it. Alexi said that the horse wouldn't listen to anyone else but Alexi. Bitter by this the king sends Alexi out to retrieve something from a hunt. As Alexi goes out he finds a beautiful feather from the Firebird. The king says bring me the whole bird or off with your head. So the horse helps Alexi get the firebird and he brings the bird to the king. The king being still bitter says that he wants the princesses in the far land as a bride. So Alexi goes after this maiden and once he gets to her he tells her that the king wants her to come and see the Firebird that all are coming to see. She decides to go with Alexi but Alexi feels bad not telling of the kings real intentions. When they arrive the king was surprised and said "my bride!". The princess says that she won't marry anyone without her grandmothers ring at the bottom of he Suns water. Alexi goes and gets the ring but the princess will still not marry because he is too old. She makes up a bath and says if you get into this bath it will make you young again. The king wanted it tested so he sends Alexi into the bath and he came out a little bit younger, but still a man. So the king jumps in and when he comes out he is a baby. The king was then too young to rule so Alexi was made king and he married the princess and they raised the former king as their child.
Who would benefit from this book?
Anyone could benefit from this book. Its just a fun story line to follow. Its pretty easy to follow along and I think that little children would be able to understand whats going on and be able to get something out of it.
What problems might this cause?
This book to me doesn't seem to cause any problems.
My reaction:
I enjoyed this book because it was a creative story line and it was fun to look at. It had a totally different ending then what I would have thought would happen. Those are the kind of stories that are worth reading!
Publisher: Little Brown and Company
Copyright: 2001
Number of Pages:29
Age: 10-12 years
Genre: Fantasy
Summary:
In this story it was about a man named Alexi who wanted an adventure. He came across the most beautiful horse while he was looking for an adventure while hunting. As he put his bow up the horse told him that she would help him with what he desired if he spared her life. So he did. He got on the horse and took Alexi to a kingdom where the king was looking for the best huntsman. Alexi was hired once he arrived, but the king loved Alexi's horse and wanted to buy it. Alexi said that the horse wouldn't listen to anyone else but Alexi. Bitter by this the king sends Alexi out to retrieve something from a hunt. As Alexi goes out he finds a beautiful feather from the Firebird. The king says bring me the whole bird or off with your head. So the horse helps Alexi get the firebird and he brings the bird to the king. The king being still bitter says that he wants the princesses in the far land as a bride. So Alexi goes after this maiden and once he gets to her he tells her that the king wants her to come and see the Firebird that all are coming to see. She decides to go with Alexi but Alexi feels bad not telling of the kings real intentions. When they arrive the king was surprised and said "my bride!". The princess says that she won't marry anyone without her grandmothers ring at the bottom of he Suns water. Alexi goes and gets the ring but the princess will still not marry because he is too old. She makes up a bath and says if you get into this bath it will make you young again. The king wanted it tested so he sends Alexi into the bath and he came out a little bit younger, but still a man. So the king jumps in and when he comes out he is a baby. The king was then too young to rule so Alexi was made king and he married the princess and they raised the former king as their child.
Who would benefit from this book?
Anyone could benefit from this book. Its just a fun story line to follow. Its pretty easy to follow along and I think that little children would be able to understand whats going on and be able to get something out of it.
What problems might this cause?
This book to me doesn't seem to cause any problems.
My reaction:
I enjoyed this book because it was a creative story line and it was fun to look at. It had a totally different ending then what I would have thought would happen. Those are the kind of stories that are worth reading!
The Rooster and The Fox
The Rooster and The Fox by Helen Ward
Publisher: Carolrhoda Books Inc.
Copyright: 2004
Number of Pages: 31
Age: 6-8 years
Genre: animal fantasy
Publisher: Carolrhoda Books Inc.
Copyright: 2004
Number of Pages: 31
Age: 6-8 years
Genre: animal fantasy
Summary:
In this story its about a rooster who was told that he was the finest rooster in all the land. He had a lovely hen who loved him and admired him as well. One day a fox came along and was so hungry. So he tried to decieve the rooster. He said "I admire your voice so much, would you stretch forth your neck and do a cock-doodle-doo for me?" the rooster loved so much to hear how someone admired him so he did as he was asked. Once he started the fox jumped up an bit the rooster on the neck trying to drag him away to kill. However, the lovely hen saw this and was shouting that the fox was taking away their rooster. So all the farm animals were after the fox. Once the fox reached the forest none of the animals could go further. However, with all the time the rooster had in the fox's mouth he decided to destract the fox by telling him how the fox should tell all the farm animals how tricky he was because the rooster was known as the most clever. As soon as the fox heard this he opened his mouth to speak and the rooster ran up the tree to safety and the fox trotted off still so hungry.
Who would benefit from this book?
Anyone because it has a great moral; be aware of false flattery because some will use it only to get what they want. This is something that everyone should know as they enter into the real world especially. Younger children I don't think need to worry to much about that moral though.
What problems might this book cause?
I couldn't think of too many. The only one that sticks out to me would be that people need to be aware of pride in themselves. The rooster became very prideful of himself and so that led him in higher danger of falling into a trap.
My reaction:
I thought that it was a cute book. Not one of my favorites but it was a good book because of the moral behind it all.
When I Was King
When I was King by Linda Ashman
Publisher: Harper Collins Publisher
Copyright: 2008
Number of Pages: 23
Age: 4-8
Genre: Contemporary
Summary:
In this story its about a little boy who used to rule his house and family. He ruled and had everyone's attention until his little baby brother was born. He hated it because everyone always focused on the little boy and never on him. The baby brother would always mess around with his things and break different toys. Finally the little king had enough and he started crying until his throat hurt. His mother came and held him telling him that it was ok. She told him about how big he is getting and all the different things he has done on his own. The little king felt proud of himself and so he started to see all the good things about being older then being the baby. An example would be when the little king got his favorite treat and his little brother got mashed peas. In the end the little brother hugs the little king and the little king says that he liked it and that he could share his crown with his little brother.
Who would benefit from this book?
I think that siblings would benefit from this book when they go through phases like these. It helps them see the love that they should have for their younger siblings and that its ok to not always have the attention on them, there are benefits to getting older.
Problems this book might cause?
There are no problems that I could think of.
My reaction:
I liked this book because it is very true that lots of children go through phases like that when not all the attention is on them. They have to learn to get used to not having the focus on them which is a big part of growing up.
Publisher: Harper Collins Publisher
Copyright: 2008
Number of Pages: 23
Age: 4-8
Genre: Contemporary
Summary:
In this story its about a little boy who used to rule his house and family. He ruled and had everyone's attention until his little baby brother was born. He hated it because everyone always focused on the little boy and never on him. The baby brother would always mess around with his things and break different toys. Finally the little king had enough and he started crying until his throat hurt. His mother came and held him telling him that it was ok. She told him about how big he is getting and all the different things he has done on his own. The little king felt proud of himself and so he started to see all the good things about being older then being the baby. An example would be when the little king got his favorite treat and his little brother got mashed peas. In the end the little brother hugs the little king and the little king says that he liked it and that he could share his crown with his little brother.
Who would benefit from this book?
I think that siblings would benefit from this book when they go through phases like these. It helps them see the love that they should have for their younger siblings and that its ok to not always have the attention on them, there are benefits to getting older.
Problems this book might cause?
There are no problems that I could think of.
My reaction:
I liked this book because it is very true that lots of children go through phases like that when not all the attention is on them. They have to learn to get used to not having the focus on them which is a big part of growing up.
Even More Parts
Even More Parts by Tedd Arnold
Publisher: Dial Books for Young Readers
Copyright:2004
Number of Pages: 28
Age: 4-5+
Genre: Contemporary
Summary:
In this story its still a continuation of Parts. In this book the little 5 year old is getting ready to go to school. He is going through all the things that he needs to remember so he doesn't fall apart. An example would be "could you lend me a hand" he takes that literally and through the book its going over all the sayings that he has heard as he prepares himself for school because he doesn't know what to expect.
Who could benefit from this book?
Children because it identifies the sayings that people say that aren't meant to be taken literal.
What problems might this book cause?
none
My reaction:
I didn't like this one as much as I did the others. But it still was a cute book. I did get a few laughs because of some of the things the little boy took literal such as "I keep changing my mind" he thinks of taking out your brain and changing it. ha!!
Publisher: Dial Books for Young Readers
Copyright:2004
Number of Pages: 28
Age: 4-5+
Genre: Contemporary
Summary:
In this story its still a continuation of Parts. In this book the little 5 year old is getting ready to go to school. He is going through all the things that he needs to remember so he doesn't fall apart. An example would be "could you lend me a hand" he takes that literally and through the book its going over all the sayings that he has heard as he prepares himself for school because he doesn't know what to expect.
Who could benefit from this book?
Children because it identifies the sayings that people say that aren't meant to be taken literal.
What problems might this book cause?
none
My reaction:
I didn't like this one as much as I did the others. But it still was a cute book. I did get a few laughs because of some of the things the little boy took literal such as "I keep changing my mind" he thinks of taking out your brain and changing it. ha!!
More Parts
More Parts by Tedd Arnold
Publisher: Dial Books for Young Readers
Copyright: 2001
Number of Pages: 30
Age Level: 4-5+
Genre: Contemporary
Summary:
In this book its a continuation of Parts. The little boy starts to learn more about the different things that people say. When he trips and breaks his toy his mother says "oh that must have broke your heart" when he hears this he takes it literally that his heart is broken and that everything is going to break. Or when he hears his next door neighbor say "it will crack you up" he gets worried that his parents are going to crack up literally while talking to their neighbor. It goes through the book of this 5 year old hearing the different sayings that people say and him taking it literally.
Who would benefit from this book?
I think that little children would. Children are intuitive to what the adults say and so they may take it literally when a parent or some one says something like "hold your tongue".
What problems might this book cause?
I don't think it woud cause any. I think it would educate children about some of the things that adults say, because in the book the parents once again clarify for their child that they don't mean those things literally.
My reaction:
I thought it was a super cute book. I never really thought too much about the sayings that we say and so this book put it into perspective that children could take it literally.
Publisher: Dial Books for Young Readers
Copyright: 2001
Number of Pages: 30
Age Level: 4-5+
Genre: Contemporary
Summary:
In this book its a continuation of Parts. The little boy starts to learn more about the different things that people say. When he trips and breaks his toy his mother says "oh that must have broke your heart" when he hears this he takes it literally that his heart is broken and that everything is going to break. Or when he hears his next door neighbor say "it will crack you up" he gets worried that his parents are going to crack up literally while talking to their neighbor. It goes through the book of this 5 year old hearing the different sayings that people say and him taking it literally.
Who would benefit from this book?
I think that little children would. Children are intuitive to what the adults say and so they may take it literally when a parent or some one says something like "hold your tongue".
What problems might this book cause?
I don't think it woud cause any. I think it would educate children about some of the things that adults say, because in the book the parents once again clarify for their child that they don't mean those things literally.
My reaction:
I thought it was a super cute book. I never really thought too much about the sayings that we say and so this book put it into perspective that children could take it literally.
Parts
Parts by Tedd Arnold
Publisher: Dial Books for Young Readers
Copyright: 1997
Number of Pages:28
Age Level: 4-5+
Genre: Contemporary
Summary:
Publisher: Dial Books for Young Readers
Copyright: 1997
Number of Pages:28
Age Level: 4-5+
Genre: Contemporary
Summary:
In this book its about a little 5 year old who starts to learn about different things that your body does. Its a very funny story. This little boy starts to wonder why skin was peeling off of his feet. Because it did he thought "Oh my goodness all my skin is going to fall off to the bone!". He goes through a bunch of different things like that and one little thing he will take to the extreme.
Who might benefit from this book?
I think its a great book for little children because they can learn that those things that your body does is normal and that its OK.
What problems might this book might cause?
There aren't any problems because in the book the parents clarify that its all normal and that its OK for your body to do those kind of things.
My reaction:
I thought that it was a super cute book. I thought that it was a fun way to teach children that your body will do certain things but that its normal. It also gave me a good laugh while I was at it.
I Like Myself
I like Myself by Karen Baumont
Publisher: Harcourt Books
Copyright: 2004
Number of Pages: 30
Age Level: 4-5 Years
Genre:Contemporary
Summary:
In this story it didn't have really any plot to it. It was about a little girl that talked about how much she liked herself. She talked about no matter what she looked like, what others thought, or how she acted she always enjoyed herself. She enjoyed herself because she was always happy and she was entertained which is the most important thing to her rather then how she looked or what others thought about her. The story was very cute because the characters were drawn with such fun colors and different looks. It also sends a wonderful message. Love yourself!
Who might benefit from this book?
I think everyone would! No matter your age. Its a fun book to let you know that you should love yourself no matter what! You should be your best friend and you shouldn't care about what others think!
What problems might this book cause?
NONE!
My reaction:
I loved this book. It was so simple but the message rang true. Its something that we all should take to heart. I think that children should learn that message at a young age then they can always appreciate themselves.
Publisher: Harcourt Books
Copyright: 2004
Number of Pages: 30
Age Level: 4-5 Years
Genre:Contemporary
Summary:
In this story it didn't have really any plot to it. It was about a little girl that talked about how much she liked herself. She talked about no matter what she looked like, what others thought, or how she acted she always enjoyed herself. She enjoyed herself because she was always happy and she was entertained which is the most important thing to her rather then how she looked or what others thought about her. The story was very cute because the characters were drawn with such fun colors and different looks. It also sends a wonderful message. Love yourself!
Who might benefit from this book?
I think everyone would! No matter your age. Its a fun book to let you know that you should love yourself no matter what! You should be your best friend and you shouldn't care about what others think!
What problems might this book cause?
NONE!
My reaction:
I loved this book. It was so simple but the message rang true. Its something that we all should take to heart. I think that children should learn that message at a young age then they can always appreciate themselves.
Lucia and the Light
Lucia and the Light by Phyllis Root
Publisher:Candlewich Press
Copyright:2006
Number of Pages:35
Age Level:5-8 years
Genre: Fantasy
Summary:
In this story its about a little girl who lives in the mountains with her mother. One day they wake up and the sun didn't rise. A few days go by and the sun still hasn't risen. The weather also had been changing and had been getting more stormy. It came to a point where their family was running low on food. So Lucia said to her mother and baby brother that she was going to go look for the light. She goes out to the point where the sun normally rises. While she was out she runs into a bunch of trolls! She was so afraid. She however, faced them and asked them about the sun. They told her that they had the sun and they wrapped it up so they wouldn't have to hide anymore and they could come out and eat whatever they wanted...includng Lucia. She frantically thought about what to do. So she lit a fire and told them that that was the sun. They said no we have the sun. She asked for it and they said you want it go get it. They threw the sun and Lucia went after the sun. As she did it unraveled and the sun broke out. Once it broke out the trolls turned to stone and Lucia ran home to her mother and little brother.
Who might benefit from this book?
I think anyone would benefit. Its just a fun creative story that doesn't have too much of an underlying meaning but a fun story line to follow.
What problems might this cause?
The only thing I could think of was if little children heard this book at night they may think trolls took the sun and that could scare them, other then that there weren't any problems.
My reaction:
I enjoyed this book a lot because it was different in its plot. It was interesting because it kept me wondering what was going to happen.
Publisher:Candlewich Press
Copyright:2006
Number of Pages:35
Age Level:5-8 years
Genre: Fantasy
Summary:
In this story its about a little girl who lives in the mountains with her mother. One day they wake up and the sun didn't rise. A few days go by and the sun still hasn't risen. The weather also had been changing and had been getting more stormy. It came to a point where their family was running low on food. So Lucia said to her mother and baby brother that she was going to go look for the light. She goes out to the point where the sun normally rises. While she was out she runs into a bunch of trolls! She was so afraid. She however, faced them and asked them about the sun. They told her that they had the sun and they wrapped it up so they wouldn't have to hide anymore and they could come out and eat whatever they wanted...includng Lucia. She frantically thought about what to do. So she lit a fire and told them that that was the sun. They said no we have the sun. She asked for it and they said you want it go get it. They threw the sun and Lucia went after the sun. As she did it unraveled and the sun broke out. Once it broke out the trolls turned to stone and Lucia ran home to her mother and little brother.
Who might benefit from this book?
I think anyone would benefit. Its just a fun creative story that doesn't have too much of an underlying meaning but a fun story line to follow.
What problems might this cause?
The only thing I could think of was if little children heard this book at night they may think trolls took the sun and that could scare them, other then that there weren't any problems.
My reaction:
I enjoyed this book a lot because it was different in its plot. It was interesting because it kept me wondering what was going to happen.
Just A Dream
Just A Dream by Chris Van Allsburg
Publisher:Scholastic
Copyright:1990
Number of Pages:45
Age Level: 7-10 years
Genre: Fantasy
Summary:
Publisher:Scholastic
Copyright:1990
Number of Pages:45
Age Level: 7-10 years
Genre: Fantasy
Summary:
In this story its about a boy who doesn't do much. He is interested in the future and having robots do things for him so he doesn't have to worry about those things. He thinks that its stupid to have a tree as a birthday present like his next door neighbor. One night though he falls asleep and he has these dreams where his bed is warped to the future and he comes to find that the future isn't anything like what he wanted. Soon he comes to appreciate what he has and he tries to be a better person. He even asks for a tree for his birthday. After his birthday he falls asleep and he warps to the future where his tree and his next door neighbors tree are full grown.
Who might benefit from this book?
I think that anyone could benefit from this book. Children obviously because it sends a message that you don't know what the future looks like so you want to do your best now to help make a better tomorrow.
What problems this book might cause?
I couldn't think of any problems.
My reaction:
I enjoyed the book and I thought tha it was very simple. It had fun ideas though about what the future will look like.
The Other Side
The Other Side by Jacqueline Woodson
Publisher: Penguin Putnam Books for Young Readers
Copyright: 2001
Number of Pages:32
Age Level: 6-8 Years
Genre: Contemporary
Summary:
This book was about back in the times where blacks and whites were segregated. The perspective in this story is from a young black girl. In this story her mother tells her that she is to never cross the fence because on the other side its dangerous and thats where the white folk lived. The little girl would always go play in the sun and when she did she always saw a little white girl sitting on the fence looking over at her. Eventually the little black girl goes and talks with the white girl and they become friends. They sat on the fence together and soon enough other little black girls came and sat on the fence as well. In the end the girls both agreed that one day that fence was going to be torn down. Some day.
Who might benefit from this book?
I think anyone would. To me it doesn't seem to target any typical age or tries to send a specific message to any certain age group.
What problems might this book cause?
I don't think that it would cause any problems. If anything children would ask why were blacks and whites segregated which would be good things for children to learn since its in our history.
My reaction:
I thought it was a pretty good book. It wasn't my favorite because it didn't have a climax. It was just a simple short story about a black girl and a white girl coming together on a fence. Nothing reached a peak in the story so it lacked that excitement.
Publisher: Penguin Putnam Books for Young Readers
Copyright: 2001
Number of Pages:32
Age Level: 6-8 Years
Genre: Contemporary
Summary:
This book was about back in the times where blacks and whites were segregated. The perspective in this story is from a young black girl. In this story her mother tells her that she is to never cross the fence because on the other side its dangerous and thats where the white folk lived. The little girl would always go play in the sun and when she did she always saw a little white girl sitting on the fence looking over at her. Eventually the little black girl goes and talks with the white girl and they become friends. They sat on the fence together and soon enough other little black girls came and sat on the fence as well. In the end the girls both agreed that one day that fence was going to be torn down. Some day.
Who might benefit from this book?
I think anyone would. To me it doesn't seem to target any typical age or tries to send a specific message to any certain age group.
What problems might this book cause?
I don't think that it would cause any problems. If anything children would ask why were blacks and whites segregated which would be good things for children to learn since its in our history.
My reaction:
I thought it was a pretty good book. It wasn't my favorite because it didn't have a climax. It was just a simple short story about a black girl and a white girl coming together on a fence. Nothing reached a peak in the story so it lacked that excitement.
Cinder Edna
Cinder Edna by Ellen Jackson
Publisher:Lothrop, Lee and Shepard Books
Copyright:1994
Number of Pages: 29
Age Level: 4 grade+
Genre: Fantasy
Summary:
This is a story about not only Cinderella but Cinder Edna. In this story both of the Cinder's live next door to each other. They both took different approaches towards their evil step sisters. Cinderella would mope around and be sad after all her hard work was done. She would look into the sky and wish for a different life. However, Cinder Edna took a different approach. She looked at everything she did as a great learning experience. She loved the different things she had to do because she knew so many things that most people didn't know; an example would be how to make a tuna cassoral dish 16 different ways! One day the prince was having a ball to find his bride. Both the girls found their ways to go. Cinderella of course wished for a fairy godmother to come help her do everything. Cinder Edna did it all herself. She wore a dress she had bought, she wore shoes that were great for dancing, and she took the bus to the ball. Of course we all know what Cinderella did, and she didn't do any of it herself. Both of the ladies went to the ball and there were actually two princes there! They were brothers. Both princes fell in love with both the Cinder's. At midnight both of the Cinder's had to leave so they dashed out of the palace, leaving behind one of each of their shoes. The princes went and searched for the Cinder's and they were both married in a duo wedding.
Who would benefit from this book?
I think just about anyone could benefit from this book. I think that young girls would be the best because they are the ones more targeted for the fairytale princesses.
What problems might this book cause?
I don't think it would cause any problems. Especially with Cinder Edna's side of the story, it makes it more realistic.
My reaction:
I loved it! I thought it was an awesome story because it showed how the ones who find their princes aren't always dolled up and live that way. Hard working girls can find them too. It also showed how we have the option of turning something negative to being positive.
Publisher:Lothrop, Lee and Shepard Books
Copyright:1994
Number of Pages: 29
Age Level: 4 grade+
Genre: Fantasy
Summary:
This is a story about not only Cinderella but Cinder Edna. In this story both of the Cinder's live next door to each other. They both took different approaches towards their evil step sisters. Cinderella would mope around and be sad after all her hard work was done. She would look into the sky and wish for a different life. However, Cinder Edna took a different approach. She looked at everything she did as a great learning experience. She loved the different things she had to do because she knew so many things that most people didn't know; an example would be how to make a tuna cassoral dish 16 different ways! One day the prince was having a ball to find his bride. Both the girls found their ways to go. Cinderella of course wished for a fairy godmother to come help her do everything. Cinder Edna did it all herself. She wore a dress she had bought, she wore shoes that were great for dancing, and she took the bus to the ball. Of course we all know what Cinderella did, and she didn't do any of it herself. Both of the ladies went to the ball and there were actually two princes there! They were brothers. Both princes fell in love with both the Cinder's. At midnight both of the Cinder's had to leave so they dashed out of the palace, leaving behind one of each of their shoes. The princes went and searched for the Cinder's and they were both married in a duo wedding.
Who would benefit from this book?
I think just about anyone could benefit from this book. I think that young girls would be the best because they are the ones more targeted for the fairytale princesses.
What problems might this book cause?
I don't think it would cause any problems. Especially with Cinder Edna's side of the story, it makes it more realistic.
My reaction:
I loved it! I thought it was an awesome story because it showed how the ones who find their princes aren't always dolled up and live that way. Hard working girls can find them too. It also showed how we have the option of turning something negative to being positive.
The Witch's Walking Stick
The Witch's Walking Stick by Susan Meddaugh
Published:Walter Lorraine Books
Copyright: 2005
Number of Pages: 32
Reading Level: 3rd Grade+
Genre: Fantasy
Summary:
In the story of The Witch's Walking Stick the story goes in a small area near a forest. The witch is walking a long the forest with her old stick and she goes and turns things into anything she wanted for her own amusement. She was a cold hearted woman. However, as she was turning creatures into different things a dog came and stole her stick!
In a village not too far was a little girl who was bossed around by her older siblings. The little girl was fed up with their behavior and decided to run away. Little later the little girl ran into the old woman and told her she would get the old woman's stick back. Once the little girl finds the stick she figures out what it does and starts to make her own wishes. She goes and changes things at home and makes her living there much better. After she was able to satisfy herself she went and returned the stick. However, because she made her wishes come true there was no more magic left. The wicked old woman broke the stick and ran away. The little girl returned home and was able to live contently with her siblings.
Who would benefit from this book?
I think that anyone could benefit from it as long as they were able to find the messages that were within the story.
Problems the book could cause:
This book I believe could cause conflict between siblings and for children to think that it was OK to treat their siblings the way that they do in this story.
My Reaction:
I actually didn't really enjoy this book very much. I thought it's storyline was fine but it wasn't that thrilling of a story. It didn't feel like it was completed. To me it felt like it could have gone more in depth with the story then it did.
Published:Walter Lorraine Books
Copyright: 2005
Number of Pages: 32
Reading Level: 3rd Grade+
Genre: Fantasy
Summary:
In the story of The Witch's Walking Stick the story goes in a small area near a forest. The witch is walking a long the forest with her old stick and she goes and turns things into anything she wanted for her own amusement. She was a cold hearted woman. However, as she was turning creatures into different things a dog came and stole her stick!
In a village not too far was a little girl who was bossed around by her older siblings. The little girl was fed up with their behavior and decided to run away. Little later the little girl ran into the old woman and told her she would get the old woman's stick back. Once the little girl finds the stick she figures out what it does and starts to make her own wishes. She goes and changes things at home and makes her living there much better. After she was able to satisfy herself she went and returned the stick. However, because she made her wishes come true there was no more magic left. The wicked old woman broke the stick and ran away. The little girl returned home and was able to live contently with her siblings.
Who would benefit from this book?
I think that anyone could benefit from it as long as they were able to find the messages that were within the story.
Problems the book could cause:
This book I believe could cause conflict between siblings and for children to think that it was OK to treat their siblings the way that they do in this story.
My Reaction:
I actually didn't really enjoy this book very much. I thought it's storyline was fine but it wasn't that thrilling of a story. It didn't feel like it was completed. To me it felt like it could have gone more in depth with the story then it did.
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