Erika-san

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Allen Say

PUBLISHER: Houghton Mifflin     PUBLICATION DATE: 2009

GENRE: Realistic Fiction           READING LEVEL: 3rd-5th Grade

BRIEF OVERVIEW: Erika has always dreamed of traveling and living in Japan. After she graduates, she gets a teaching job and receives a culture shock of how many people actually live there. She finally settles down on a remote isle and finds love.

INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: (TAES4.4): Design the costumes used in the story. How does the attire change as the story goes on? What colors are prominent?

REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: Shelby Varchmin, VSU Student

Becky the Brave: A Story About Epilepsy

AUTHOR: Laurie Lears ILLUSTRATOR: Gail Piazza

PUBLISHER: Albert Whitman and Company  PUBLICATION DATE: 2002

GENRE: Realistic Fiction          READING LEVEL: Ages 7-10

BRIEF OVERVIEW: Sarah thinks her sister Becky is the bravest person.  But Becky has epilepsy and is afraid that her friends might find out. One day she has a seizure and refuses to go to school. Sarah tells the class about Becky’s conditions and Becky says Sarah is the bravest.

INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: (MCC2.MD.10): With assistance from the teacher, students will come up with 4 situations in the book they thought was the bravest and graph the responses. They will answer the questions: 1. Which category has the most; 2. Which has the least?; 3. Which are even?

REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: Shelby Varchmin, VSU Student

The Incredible Book Eating Boy

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Oliver Jeffers

PUBLISHER: HarperCollins     
PUBLICATION DATE: 2006

GENRE: Fiction Picture           
READING LEVEL: PreK-3rd Grade

BRIEF OVERVIEW: A boy likes to eat books instead of food because it makes him smart, but soon he feels sick. 

INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: (ELACCKRF3): Students will create a list of other “B” words Henry could have eaten, instead of books.

REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: Shelby Varchmin, VSU Student

Four Feet, Two Sandals

AUTHOR: Karen Lynn Williams & Khadra Mohammed ILLUSTRATOR: Doug Chayka

PUBLISHER: Eerdmans Books  PUBLICATION DATE: 2007

GENRE: Realistic Fiction        READING LEVEL: Ages 8-10

BRIEF OVERVIEW: Refugee Lina finds a sandal one day that fits her foot, but another girl has the same sandal. They decide to share the shoes and switch every other day. One day Lina gets news she is going to America and both girls keep a sandal to remind them of one another. 

INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: (MCC4.OA.2): Students will be given word problems following the story line. A question could be: “If Lina and Feroza switch the sandals for 14 days, how many times do both girls get the wear the sandals?”

REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: Shelby Varchmin, VSU Student

My Brothers' Flying Machine

AUTHOR:  Jane Yolen ILLUSTRATOR: Jim Burke

PUBLISHER: Little, Brown Books    PUBLICATION DATE: 2003

GENRE: Historical Fiction         
READING LEVEL: Ages 8+ 

BRIEF OVERVIEW: Katharine is the younger sister of the Wright brothers. She tells the story of her brothers and their plight for flight.

INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: (M4GM.2): Students will adapt a musical instrument, such as a drum, to create a piece about the Wright brothers’ first flight. This will be done individually.

REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: Shelby Varchmin, VSU Student

Every Cowgirl Loves A Rodeo

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Rebecca Janni/ Lynne Avril 

   PUBLICATION  DATE: 2012

AWARDS: Children's Choice Award

GENRE:  Fiction READING LEVEL:  3-5 years

BRIEF OVERVIEW: Nellie Sue desires to win the Bike Rodeo against her friend A J Pickett. 

INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: Students will discuss the importance of honesty and color a picture of things one might see at a rodeo. 

REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: Morgan Rigsby, Valdosta State University 

Robot Dreams

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Sara Varon

PUBLISHER: First Second   PUBLICATION DATE: 2007

GENRE: Wordless picture book/graphic novel   READING LEVEL: Ages 8-12

BRIEF OVERVIEW: A comic book about a dog that makes friends with a robot, but then leaves him, and the robot begins to dream stories.

INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: (PE4.2): Students will reenact the Frisbee game dog and robot played on the beach together. They will use the correct technique in tossing the disk.

REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: Shelby Varchmin, VSU Student

Ella Enchanted

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Gail Carson Levine 

PUBLISHER: Harper Collins          PUBLICATION DATE:  1997

AWARDS: 

Newbery Honor Book Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children’s Book Award (Vermont) Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Award

California Young Reader Medal Iowa Teen Award Arizona Young Readers’ Award

GENRE: Fantasy     READING LEVEL:  8-11 years

BRIEF OVERVIEW: Ella is given the "gift of obedience" as a newborn baby from a fairy named Lucinda.  Throughout her life, she must do anything that she is told to do. Ella goes out on a search for Lucinda in order to reverse this gift. 

INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: Before reading the book, students will discuss with their teacher the elements that make up a fairy tale. After reading the book, students will write and illustrate their own fairy tale, 2-3 paragraphs depending on age level. 

REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: Morgan Rigsby, Valdosta State University

Emma Dilemma

AUTHOR: Kristine O'Connell George ILLUSTRATOR: Nancy Carpenter

PUBLISHER: Clarion Books     PUBLICATION DATE: 2011

GENRE: Poetry             READING LEVEL: 1st-4th Grade

BRIEF OVERVIEW: Emma isn't always a good little sister to Jessica. She’s always making trouble. Jessica loves her, but what is she to do? Told via poems, this cute story revolves around sisterhood.

INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: (ELACC2L5): In the text, student will find verbs that are closely related to one another and create a list. Required 5 different word lists meaning different things.

REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: Shelby Varchmin, VSU Student

Wild Berries

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Julie Flett

PUBLISHER: Simply Read Books  PUBLICATION DATE: 2013

GENRE: Cultural Fiction  READING LEVEL: Ages 5-8

BRIEF OVERVIEW:Clarence and his grandmother pick berries. They meet many animals and experience beautiful landscape. This book is in English or Cree.

INTEGRATED ACTIVITY:Students will create a graphic organizer that compares their life with Clarence’s life.

REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION:Brooke Larsen, VSU

Madeline

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Ludwing Bemelmans 

PUBLISHER: Pengin Group         PUBLICATION DATE: 1939  

AWARDS:  Caldelott Honor Book Award

GENRE: Classics      READING LEVEL:  3-8 years 

BRIEF OVERVIEW: Madeline is a story about a young girl in France who lives in an orphanage for girls. She is so fearless, that not even a visit to the hospital can scare her!

INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: Students will study a lesson on the Eifel tower and learn facts about when it was built, who built it, and what reason it was built for. 

REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: Morgan Rigsby, Valdosta State University

Subway

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Christoph Niemann

PUBLISHER: Greenwillow Books   PUBLICATION DATE: 2010

GENRE: Fiction Picture      READING LEVEL: PreK-1st Grade

BRIEF OVERVIEW: It’s a cold and rainy day, so a dad and his 2 kids are going to ride the subway. They go from Harlem to Brooklyn to Far Rockaway. They end the day dreaming of subways in their beds.

INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: (CCGPS.K.MD.2): Students will work on a worksheet that is comparing subway train track lengths. They will need to determine which is longer or shorter than the other.

REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: Shelby Varchmin, VSU Student

Stephanie's Ponytail

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR:Author: Robert Munsch

Illustrator: Michael Martchenko

PUBLISHER: Annikins    PUBLICATION DATE: 1996

GENRE:    Realistic Fiction   READING LEVEL: Ages 5-8

BRIEF OVERVIEW:·       Stephanie tries to do her hair different every day at school.

People continue to copy her and she threatens to shave her hair off!

INTEGRATED ACTIVITY:Students will write a narrative about the craziest thing they have ever done with their hair.

REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: Brooke Larsen, VSU