Baker, K. (2010). LMNO Peas. New York, NY: Beach Lane Books
Interest Level: Ages 3 to 7
Genre: Picture Book
Subjects/Themes: ABCs, Peas, Occupations, Rhyming
Plot: From A to Z little green peas described their many favorite occupations.
Personal Thoughts: A must have ABC book. Each “alphabet pea” is a small smiling green circle with little arms and legs. The rhyming text smoothly names the different occupations of peas, from “acrobats” to “zoologists.” Occupations named range from the familiar “teachers” to the possibly less so “electricians.” Depicted in large block font with brightly texturized colors, each letter is surrounded by the different peas. A great addition to an ABC or occupation storytime theme, the last “Who are you?” line provides an opening into a “what do you want to be when you grow up?" talk.
Other Books by Baker: Quack and Count; Hickory Dickory Dock.
Author Website: http://www.keithbakerbooks.com/ (Retrieved September 14, 2010)
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Good Night Moon (Book)
Brown, M. W. (1947). Goodnight moon. New York, NY: Harper & Row.
Interest Level: Ages 3 and under
Genre: Picture Book
Subjects/Themes: Bedtime Stories, Rabbits
Plot: A little rabbit, getting ready for bed, names all the items in the "great green room" and then proceeds to tell each of those items goodnight.
Personal Thoughts: The illustrations in this book, done by Clement Hurd, are seemingly simple yet full of detail. The text with its simple rhymes has you searching the room for each of the items named. The reader can feel time pass and the night grow darker with each new page of the room. The last page is especially reminiscent of bedtime with the lights turned off and splashes of brightness coming from the fireplace and windows. A long time classic book that has withstood 50+ years this book is great for a bedtime themed storytime or flannel board story.
Other Books by Margaret Wise Brown: Runaway Bunny; My World.
Interest Level: Ages 3 and under
Genre: Picture Book
Subjects/Themes: Bedtime Stories, Rabbits
Plot: A little rabbit, getting ready for bed, names all the items in the "great green room" and then proceeds to tell each of those items goodnight.
Personal Thoughts: The illustrations in this book, done by Clement Hurd, are seemingly simple yet full of detail. The text with its simple rhymes has you searching the room for each of the items named. The reader can feel time pass and the night grow darker with each new page of the room. The last page is especially reminiscent of bedtime with the lights turned off and splashes of brightness coming from the fireplace and windows. A long time classic book that has withstood 50+ years this book is great for a bedtime themed storytime or flannel board story.
Other Books by Margaret Wise Brown: Runaway Bunny; My World.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie (Book)
Numeroff, L. J. (1985). If you give a mouse a cookie. New York, NY: Harper & Row. ISBN: 978-0-0602-4586-3
Interest Level: Ages 3 to 7
Genre: Picture Book, Fiction
Subjects/Themes: Cause and Effect, Consequences, Mice,
Plot: A little boy gives a mouse a cookie and as a result the mouse starts asking for one thing then another, starting a chain reaction of requests that ultimately results in asking for another cookie.
Personal Thoughts: The illustrations in the book, done by Felicia Bond, are simple and flow perfectly with the words in the book, helping to draw your eye from left to right while reading. As a child, I remember my amusement that one action (giving the mouse the cookie) would cause a series of reactions that would ultimately lead back to the mouse wanting another cookie. Which would also mean I would want to return to the first page to reread the book immediately. The story definitely teaches young impulsive children to try and think ahead and to be aware of possible consequences to their actions. I really like that the book teaches about consequences in a positive and funny manner, rather then a negative one.
Other Books in the Series: If you give a moose a muffin; If you give a pig a pancake;
Author Website: http://www.lauranumeroff.com/ (Retrieved September 5, 2010)
Interest Level: Ages 3 to 7
Genre: Picture Book, Fiction
Subjects/Themes: Cause and Effect, Consequences, Mice,
Plot: A little boy gives a mouse a cookie and as a result the mouse starts asking for one thing then another, starting a chain reaction of requests that ultimately results in asking for another cookie.
Personal Thoughts: The illustrations in the book, done by Felicia Bond, are simple and flow perfectly with the words in the book, helping to draw your eye from left to right while reading. As a child, I remember my amusement that one action (giving the mouse the cookie) would cause a series of reactions that would ultimately lead back to the mouse wanting another cookie. Which would also mean I would want to return to the first page to reread the book immediately. The story definitely teaches young impulsive children to try and think ahead and to be aware of possible consequences to their actions. I really like that the book teaches about consequences in a positive and funny manner, rather then a negative one.
Other Books in the Series: If you give a moose a muffin; If you give a pig a pancake;
Author Website: http://www.lauranumeroff.com/ (Retrieved September 5, 2010)
The Lightning Thief (Book)
Riordan, R. (2005). The lightning thief. New York, NY: Miramax Books.
Interest Level: Ages 9 to 12
Genre: Fantasy Fiction
Subjects/Themes: Olympian Gods, Action Adventure, First Person Narrative
Plot: Percy Jackson is the son of Poseidon, the Greek God of the Sea, and a mortal woman named Sally. Being the half-blood son of a Greek God means that Percy will develop some of the gifts of the gods but it also means that he has ADHD and dyslexia since his brain is meant to read and write in ancient Greek. His two best friends are Grover, a satyr (half man and half goat), and Annabeth, the daughter of Athena the Greek Goddess of Wisdom. Together they travel to Los Angeles on a quest to find the entrance to the Underworld where they hope to find Zesus’s Master Lightning Bolt which has been stolen. Along the way they must battle Medusa, the Furies, and Ares, the Greek God of war.
Series Info: Book One of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series. Sequel: The Sea of Monsters.
Awards: YALSA Best Book for Young Adults 2005; A Best Book of 2005, Child Magazine; A Best Book of 2005, School Library Journal
Personal Thoughts: Written in first person, this book is an action packed rollercoaster ride. Each chapter is short but filled with something exciting happening. The main character is struggling with a variety of personal issues that teens can relate to such as: in school Percy has both academic and behavioral problems; he has a terrible step-father; and he is struggling with finding out his real dad is alive. The was a movie made based on the book. Check out the Percy Jackson Movie Website for more details.
Similar materials: Yolen, J., & Robert, J. H. (2001). Odysseus in the serpent maze. New York, NY: HarperCollins.
Interest Level: Ages 9 to 12
Genre: Fantasy Fiction
Subjects/Themes: Olympian Gods, Action Adventure, First Person Narrative
Plot: Percy Jackson is the son of Poseidon, the Greek God of the Sea, and a mortal woman named Sally. Being the half-blood son of a Greek God means that Percy will develop some of the gifts of the gods but it also means that he has ADHD and dyslexia since his brain is meant to read and write in ancient Greek. His two best friends are Grover, a satyr (half man and half goat), and Annabeth, the daughter of Athena the Greek Goddess of Wisdom. Together they travel to Los Angeles on a quest to find the entrance to the Underworld where they hope to find Zesus’s Master Lightning Bolt which has been stolen. Along the way they must battle Medusa, the Furies, and Ares, the Greek God of war.
Series Info: Book One of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series. Sequel: The Sea of Monsters.
Awards: YALSA Best Book for Young Adults 2005; A Best Book of 2005, Child Magazine; A Best Book of 2005, School Library Journal
Personal Thoughts: Written in first person, this book is an action packed rollercoaster ride. Each chapter is short but filled with something exciting happening. The main character is struggling with a variety of personal issues that teens can relate to such as: in school Percy has both academic and behavioral problems; he has a terrible step-father; and he is struggling with finding out his real dad is alive. The was a movie made based on the book. Check out the Percy Jackson Movie Website for more details.
Similar materials: Yolen, J., & Robert, J. H. (2001). Odysseus in the serpent maze. New York, NY: HarperCollins.
I Spy (Book)
Marzollo, J., & Wick, W. (1997). I Spy: Little book. New York, NY: Scholastic.
Format: Board Book
Interest Level: Baby to 3 years
Subjects/Themes: Puzzle, Board Book
Book Information: The I Spy book is based on the old children’s “I Spy with my little eye” game. The reader is prompting by riddles or lists, often written in rhyme, to find the different objects hidden within a picture. The reader is prompted to look for two items per picture with the picture of each item shown with the text making it a great vocabulary tool. This also makes it unnecessary for the child to be able to read words and yet still enjoy the book making it age appropriate. In its board book format, this series also helps a child learn to read from left to right. The left page has the text with the matching pictures while the right hand page has the picture search.
Personal Thoughts: I think these books are absolutely wonderful! The use of pictures of real objects are a fun way to help teach a child to identify different objects and their spelling. A great choice for children developing their sight word recognition skills.
Series Info: Adapted from the I Spy Picture Book series by Jean Marzollo & Walter Wick.
Website: http://www.scholastic.com/ispy/books/index.htm (Retrieved September 5, 2010).
Similar materials: Sheppard, K. (2010). Animal I spy: What can you spot?. New York, NY: Kingfisher.
Format: Board Book
Interest Level: Baby to 3 years
Subjects/Themes: Puzzle, Board Book
Book Information: The I Spy book is based on the old children’s “I Spy with my little eye” game. The reader is prompting by riddles or lists, often written in rhyme, to find the different objects hidden within a picture. The reader is prompted to look for two items per picture with the picture of each item shown with the text making it a great vocabulary tool. This also makes it unnecessary for the child to be able to read words and yet still enjoy the book making it age appropriate. In its board book format, this series also helps a child learn to read from left to right. The left page has the text with the matching pictures while the right hand page has the picture search.
Personal Thoughts: I think these books are absolutely wonderful! The use of pictures of real objects are a fun way to help teach a child to identify different objects and their spelling. A great choice for children developing their sight word recognition skills.
Series Info: Adapted from the I Spy Picture Book series by Jean Marzollo & Walter Wick.
Website: http://www.scholastic.com/ispy/books/index.htm (Retrieved September 5, 2010).
Similar materials: Sheppard, K. (2010). Animal I spy: What can you spot?. New York, NY: Kingfisher.
Friday, September 3, 2010
Geronimo Stilton (Book)
Stilton, G. (2006). Valentine’s day disaster. New York, NY: Scholastic.
Interest Level: Ages 9 to 12
Genre: Fiction, Humor, Stories told by Animals
Subjects/Themes: Mice, Newspapers
Plot: Geronimo Stilton, a mouse and newspaper editor, is getting ready to throw his annual Valentine’s Day party for all of his friends. Unfortunately Geronimo keeps running into problems, such as the newspapers not getting delivered, the food getting ruined, and the lights going out, as well as running into things and getting hurt. Luckily for Geronimo Cheesy Lou, a cowmouse country singer, helps him solve all of his problems throughout the day.
Personal Thoughts: Noticing that the entire series of Geronimo Stilton is almost ALWAYS checked out at my library, I decided to review this book. Personally I found the book a bit difficult to read due to the graphic text used throughout but I could see why the same thing might interest tweens. The book is riddled with countless pictures that help tell the story and would be useful to struggling readers. The story itself goes very quickly with events constantly happening and being resolved. The only thing that bothered me with the story was it was never explained why Cheesy Lou, a complete stranger, was helping Geronimo. The book also contains useful information about Valentine’s Day history, safety tips, and activity ideas.
Series Info: While the author credit is given to Geronimo Stilton (the main character of the book), the actual author is Elisabetta Dami who originally wrote the series in Italian. The series currently contains 42 books. There is also a spin off series about Stilton’s sister Thea.
Similar materials: Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo (harder read); Captain Underpants by Dave Pilkey (same reading level)
Interest Level: Ages 9 to 12
Genre: Fiction, Humor, Stories told by Animals
Subjects/Themes: Mice, Newspapers
Plot: Geronimo Stilton, a mouse and newspaper editor, is getting ready to throw his annual Valentine’s Day party for all of his friends. Unfortunately Geronimo keeps running into problems, such as the newspapers not getting delivered, the food getting ruined, and the lights going out, as well as running into things and getting hurt. Luckily for Geronimo Cheesy Lou, a cowmouse country singer, helps him solve all of his problems throughout the day.
Personal Thoughts: Noticing that the entire series of Geronimo Stilton is almost ALWAYS checked out at my library, I decided to review this book. Personally I found the book a bit difficult to read due to the graphic text used throughout but I could see why the same thing might interest tweens. The book is riddled with countless pictures that help tell the story and would be useful to struggling readers. The story itself goes very quickly with events constantly happening and being resolved. The only thing that bothered me with the story was it was never explained why Cheesy Lou, a complete stranger, was helping Geronimo. The book also contains useful information about Valentine’s Day history, safety tips, and activity ideas.
Series Info: While the author credit is given to Geronimo Stilton (the main character of the book), the actual author is Elisabetta Dami who originally wrote the series in Italian. The series currently contains 42 books. There is also a spin off series about Stilton’s sister Thea.
Similar materials: Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo (harder read); Captain Underpants by Dave Pilkey (same reading level)
Phineas & Ferb (Cartoon)
Walt Disney Television Animation. (2007). Phineas and Ferb [Animated television series]. Burbank, CA: Disney Channel.
Interest Level: Ages 6 to 14
Genre: Comedy, Musical, Cartoon
Subjects/Themes: Stepbrothers, Friendship, Siblings, Family, Creativity, Imagination.
Plot: Phineas and Ferb (stepbrothers) create incredible projects in an attempt to find something to do during each day of their summer vacation while their older sister Candice tries to convince their mom of what the brothers are doing when she’s not around to see. Meanwhile unknown to anyone, their pet platypus Perry, aka secret agent P, foils the attempts of Dr. Doofenshmirtz from taking over the city.
Personal Thoughts: This cartoon is great for those children who grew up with shows like American Idol . Almost every cartoon in the series contains a new catchy jingle related to the story. The cartoon itself is very positive in nature with strong themes of friendship, family and creativity. While the story line is simple making it more appropriate for young children, tweens watching the cartoon will be able to relate to the older sister while still enjoying the cartoon.
Awards: 2008, 2009 & 2010 Emmy Nominations; 2009 & 2010 Kids Choice Award Nominations.
Interest Level: Ages 6 to 14
Genre: Comedy, Musical, Cartoon
Subjects/Themes: Stepbrothers, Friendship, Siblings, Family, Creativity, Imagination.
Plot: Phineas and Ferb (stepbrothers) create incredible projects in an attempt to find something to do during each day of their summer vacation while their older sister Candice tries to convince their mom of what the brothers are doing when she’s not around to see. Meanwhile unknown to anyone, their pet platypus Perry, aka secret agent P, foils the attempts of Dr. Doofenshmirtz from taking over the city.
Personal Thoughts: This cartoon is great for those children who grew up with shows like American Idol . Almost every cartoon in the series contains a new catchy jingle related to the story. The cartoon itself is very positive in nature with strong themes of friendship, family and creativity. While the story line is simple making it more appropriate for young children, tweens watching the cartoon will be able to relate to the older sister while still enjoying the cartoon.
Awards: 2008, 2009 & 2010 Emmy Nominations; 2009 & 2010 Kids Choice Award Nominations.
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