Just the Two of Us

Title: Just the Two of Us
Author: Will Smith
Illustrator: Kadir Nelson
Publisher and date of Publication: Scholastic Press, 2001
Genre: Realistic Fiction, Picture Book
Age Range: K-2

Summary: This is a story written by Will Smith about becoming a father.
He talks about how much he loved his son when he was born and how he promised himself that he would be the best dad ever. With each page, the son gets
older and Smith stills talks about how he is trying to be the best dad and
how he would always be there for him.

Response: This book about made me cry. I didn't realize that the author was the famous Will
Smith. I loved seeing how scared he was when his son was born and how he
just loved him so much and how he would always be there for him. There's a
picture of Will Smith and his family on the back of the book but it was quite
a few years ago when it was taken. I didn't really know what this book was about when I checked it out but I loved it. I'm sure that his son loves reading
this book, knowing it was written to him. The illustrations are by Kadir Nelson and they're wonderful. Some words are bigger and emphasized to show how important
they are.

Teaching Ideas: This book does really have a lot of teaching ideas but I think children would love to hear it. Children could write what their parents say to
them or things that them and their parents do together. This book is sort of
a long poem so maybe the children could write their own poem about them and their parents. They may also pretend to be a parent to
their pet and write a poem to them. This would be a good discussion book for class. This may also be good for children in which their parents spilt up to understand that they still love them.

Clarice Bean Spells Trouble

Title: Clarice Bean Spells Trouble
Author: Lauren Child
Publisher and date of Publicatioin: Candlewick Press, 2004
Genre: Novel, Realistic Fiction
Age Range: 3rd-5th grade
Awards: 2005 British Book Awards Children's Book of the Year

Summary: In this book, elementary-age Clarice Bean, has trouble understanding why words are spelled the way they are. She has to be in a spelling bee at school but she isn't good at spelling. She stays in trouble all the time. Her and her friends also love Ruby Redfort, a television character. They love her mainly because she is good at getting out of trouble. She stays in trouble all the time at school but wants desperately to be in the school play, The Sound of Music. She ends up playing a nun in the school play.

Response: I think this is such a well written book. Child does such a good job at gettin inside the head of a young girl. I think that third-fifth grade girls would love to read about a young girl that feels the same as them. There may not be a Ruby Redfort now but there is a Hannah Montana that all young girls love now. I remember being in elementary school and participating in the spelling bee. I like the titles of the chapters...it's more of a sentence that describes what the chapter is about. I think if young girls read this book, they might feel like they aren't the only one that's feeling the way they do. I think that the Clarice Bean books are like a alot of other chapter books. They are written from a young girl's perspective about real issues that they are going through.

Teaching Ideas: I feel like this book is mainly a book that girls may check out from the library instead of one that we, as a class, reads. I doubt that young boys would want to hear about what this girl's problems are. Students could read this book and describe a time in their life when they felt like they weren't taking seriously, because Clarice Bean is never taken seriously by her teacher. Students might also read this book if they are getting ready to compete in the spelling bee at school.

Knuffle Bunny Too

Title: Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity
Author and Illustrator: Mo Willems
Publisher and date of Publication: Hyperion Books for children, 2007
Genre: Picture Book, Realistic Fiction
Age Range: K-1

Summary: Trixie's dad is taking her to preschool and she is excited to be bringing Knuffle Bunny with her to show and tell. When she gets to school, another girl, Sonja, has the same Knuffle Bunny. The teacher takes tham both away because they can't get along but returns them to the wrong girl. At 2:30 in the morning the girls realize they have the wrong bunny and, with their dads, rush across town to return the bunnys. At school the next day, Trixie and Sonja are friends and let each other play with their bunny.

Response: I really like this story. We read the first story in class but I have never read the second book about the Knuffle Bunny. I think this is such an updated, fun book. I really like the photographs in the book and the way that the photographs are real and in black and white. The people are drawn and in color. It makes the people stand out. I like the picture of the inside of the school, because it looks just like a classroom with a calendar and artwork. I also like the barber shop picture. This little girl reminds me of my three year old niece a lot because she has a dog that she can't sleep without.

Teaching Ideas: I think this book would be good to read to kindergartners about show-and-tell. This could show young children that they can have the same prized toy as someone else but it is no reason to fuss about it and not get along. If older children read this, they may enjoy the bright drawings and the black and white photos. This story doesn't have a lot of ideas to teach a lesson on. It's more of a story to just read and discuss with young students. Scholastic.com has a creative idea for this book.
http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3747842&FullBreadCrumb=%3Ca+href%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww2.scholastic.com%2Fbrowse%2Fsearch%2F%3FNtt%3Dchicka%2Bchicka%2Bboom%2Bboom%26query%3Dchicka%2Bchicka%2Bboom%2Bboom%26Ntk%3DSCHL30_SI%26Nr%3DOR%2528Resource_Type%253ALesson%2BPlan%252CResource_Type%253AInformal%2BLesson%2BArticle%252CResource_Type%253AUnit%2BPlan%2529%26Ntx%3Dmode%2Bmatchallpartial%26N%3D0%26Nty%3D1%22+class%3D%22endecaAll%22%3EAll+Results%3C%2Fa%3E

Marvin Redpost: Class President

Title: Marvin Redpost: Class President
Author: Louis Sachar
Illustrator: Amy Wummer
Publisher and date of Publication: Random House Inc., 1999
Genre: Novel, Realistic Fiction
Age Range: 3rd-5th grade

Summary: It's hole day at Marvin Redpost's school. Everyone dresses with holey clothes but when they gets to school, Mr. McCabe, the principal, announces to Mrs. North's third-grade class that the President of the United States will be at their school today. The president
arrives with security and newscrews to talk to Mrs. North's class about what a good citizen is and how to be a good citizen. Everyone gets to ask the President personal questions and it aires on the news that night. Marvin is suppose to come home right after school so that his mom could take everyone to
get new shoes. After the school day was over Marvin forgot to come home and when he did, everyone was upset with him and made him go to his room.

Response: This book didn't have a lot to it. I read it in one afternoon but enjoyed reading it. I think that third-graders would enjoy this book because it talks about the president and that's some powerful guy that's in charge of everything to them. It also has a couple pictures so it would help children that are reading themselves and growing out of picture books to understand and follow the story. I just think it's a cute book for children. From what I understand, their is a Marvin Redpost series of books but I have never read them. From my opinion, I think that this series may be more for boys. I read more of the Babysitter's Club books than Marvin Redpost. Meeting the President would be a huge deal for adults much less children. The name of this book is Class President, so I thought this book would be about a little boy running for class office but it has nothing to do with this. Although he does kind of take charge of his class, as the president. I think young boys and even girls would enjoy this short chapter book.

Teaching Ideas: If I was teaching this book in my class, I would have my students to write a question for our current president. The president wouldn't come see my class but maybe I could send the questions to the President, if it was possible. Boys would also enjoy reading this on their own too. Students could also write about what they would do if they were president.

Ramona Forever

Title: Ramona Forever
Author: Beverly Cleary
Illustrator: Tracy Dockray
Publisher and date of Publication: Harper Collins Publisher, 1984
Genre: Realistic Fiction, Novel
Age Range: 3rd-6th grade

Summary: In this book from the Ramona Series, Ramona is a normal third grader doing normal things. She stays at her friend Howie's house after school until his Uncle Hobart visited and picked on her. She also got in trouble for "not watching" Howie's little sister when she sat on Hobart's accordian and broke it. She convinces her parents for her and her sister, Beezus, to stay home by themselves. They become closer after they bury their cat, Picky-Picky. Then the family finds out that Ramona and Beezus are going to have a baby sibling. Then, to make things worse, Ramona's aunt gets married to Uncle Hobart! At the end, Ramona has a baby sibling, Roberta, but Ramona can't go see the baby because she is too young!

Response: When I was young, I enjoyed series books like this one. I really liked that there were a few pictures in the book, just to help children see what was going on. I think lots of young girls would enjoy reading this novel. Ramona becomes a middle child and lots of children from 3rd to 6th grade are probably getting a baby in the family and can understand where Ramona is coming from. I think this book is a cute book for young readers to sympathize with, although at the end, Ramona couldn't go see her little sister. In reality, at all the hospitals I've been at siblings can go in the hospital room to see their sibling, it's just other children that can't. I can't imagine them turning a young sibling down and making them sit in the waiting room by themselves.
The Ramona series are fun series to read but they don't teach alot about history or fantasy. They teach more on life lessons, which I enjoy reading. They write from a children's point of view so that children identify with the character.

Teaching Ideas: I think that children would read this book more for fun instead of as class. I would suggest
that students that are middle children or expecting a baby in their family read this and write about how they feel, in comparsion to Ramona. Also, I found a wonderful website with lesson plans for this book: http://pirate.shu.edu/~medealyn/Ramona/RamonaIndex.html

Junie B. Jones is (almost) a Flower Girl

Title: Junie B. Jones is (almost) a Flower Girl
Author: Barbara Park
Illustrator: Denise Brunkus
Publisher and Date of Publication: Random House, Inc., 1999
Genre: Novel, Realistic Fiction
Age Range: 1st-3rd grade

Summary: Six-year old Junie B. Jones has just broken up with her boyfriend and is devistated. Then she finds out that her aunt Flo is getting married. She tells her friends and they are excited for her and show her how to act like a flower girl but then Junie learns that Aunt Flo has already asked someone else, the groom's little sister, to be the flower girl and Junie is jealous and crushed. At the end, Junie compromises and she holds the train and helps the flower girl get ready.

Response: I liked reading this book and I think that young readers, first-second grade, would enjoy hearing Junie's story. Children this age are usually the right age to be flower girls or ring bearers so they understand how Junie feels. The illustrations are well drawn in the book. They are not in color but they help children to understand the book when they can see a person to put with the story. It could help children that are moving from picture books to chapter books to still a picture every now and then to help catch them up. In the end when the real flower girl and Junie became friends, it shows readers that you can become friends with your enemy.

Teaching Ideas: I think this book would be a good read for young readers transitioning from picture to chapter books. I think girls would enjoy this book becaus a lot of young girls enjoy playing dress-up or being in a wedding. This story could teach kids to find a way to get along with you enemy and be happy for them.