Papa and Me

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Arthur Dorros/ Rudy Gutierrez

PUBLISHER: Harper Collins PUBLICATION DATE: April 22, 2008

GENRE: Multicultural/nonfiction READING LEVEL: K-2nd grade

BRIEF OVERVIEW: In this story a father and his son go 
through many adventures together. They make pancakes,
 sing together, splash in puddles, and much more. The father 
and son even race and the boy wins! At the end of this story the
 boy’s grandparents come to his house and they all end up 
together. Throughout this book various Spanish words are used
 and then described.

INTEGRATED ACTIVITY:  The teacher will put students into
 groups of three. Each of these groups will be asked to recall 
familiar events from the story regarding the activities the father
 and son did together and then share with the class. Students will then be asked what 
fun things they have done with the person in real life that takes care of them.

 REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: Mary Anna Dozier, Valdosta State University

Juliette Low Girl Scout Founder

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Helen Boyd, Morrison Higgins/ Cathy Morrison

PUBLISHER: Bobbs-Merrill Company PUBLICATION DATE: 1951

GENRE: Biography READING LEVEL: 7th-9th grade

BRIEF OVERVIEW: This book is solely in honor of the amazing Juliette Gordon Low.  It tells Low’s life story and how she was brought up with the incentive to create a Girl’s club/society for leadership and societal skills.  Her determined dream turned into the Girl Scouts of the USA.  Since being a former Girl Scout, I found excitement when discovering this book (biography).

INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: Help team up with a project the Girl Scouts are involved in by helping advocate the “Be a Friend First” message.  Inform the class of the detrimental measures bullying can lead to in and out of schools.  Tell students to embrace the free life they have been given and to cherish themselves and everyone around them.  Juliette Low would fight for this and would be proud to know people still take actions to prevent it. Also tell kids to support by buying a box of yummy cookies!

REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: Mary Anna Dozier, Valdosta State University

Peppe the Lamplighter

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Elisa Bartose/ Ted Lewis

PUBLISHER: Harper Collins Publishers PUBLICATION DATE: 
Library of Congress Cataloging-In-Publication Data

GENRE: Historical fiction  READING LEVEL: K-3rd grade

BRIEF OVERVIEW: This story takes place long ago when there was
 no electricity and the streetlights in Little Italy had to be lit by hand.
 In this story a young boy named Peppe comes from a poor family 
and although he is just a young boy he is searching for a job. This 
reflects how different life was for children in history.  Peppe’s father 
did not think a lamplighter was the best job for Peppe, however one 
night Peppe finally earns his father’s respect when being a 
lamplighter became “The best job in America”.
INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: The teacher will ask the students what jobs they remember 

Peppe trying to get before he became the lamplighter? These include a job at the bakery, 

the candy store, and the grocery store. The teacher will write these jobs on the board as 

the students answer. The teacher will tell the students that these were some common

 jobs during this time in history. Then the teacher will ask the students what other jobs 

are available today in their community? Examples could be fire fighters, car mechanics, 

a barber, actors, bakers, writers and many more.

REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: Mary Anna Dozier, Valdosta State University

Across the Alley

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Richard Michelson/ E.B. Lewis

PUBLISHER: PUTNAM CHILDREN PUBLICATION DATE: 2006

GENRE: Historical fiction READING LEVEL: K-3rd grade

BRIEF OVERVIEW: This story took place when people who were different colors or from different cultures were looked down 
upon if they became friends. However, a Jewish Caucasian boy and African American boy do not care what others think. The parents of these children even become friends at the end of the story. When walking down the street side by side these boys are stared at because they have become friends, but this does not bother them in any way. At the end of the story Willie learns how to play the violin like he has always wanted to and the young Jewish boy finally gets to play baseball like he has always wanted to.
 This story shows how sad it is that children of different color used to not be able to 
play during the day but at night when nobody was watching they were best friends…
INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: The teacher will then display a poster to the students that is broken into sections with the following titles: Theme, Conflict, Characters, and Resolution. The teacher will ask the students to state what each of these are regarding this particular story. The teacher will prompt the students if they cannot generate the answers. The theme of this story is that people can be friends regardless of what they

 look like. The conflict in this story is that the boys are scared to act like they are friends in public and the characters are Willie, the Jewish boy, his grandpa, and Willie’s father. The resolution occurs when Willie and the Jewish boy decide to walk down the alley together side by side regardless of what other people in the town think.

REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: Mary Anna Dozier, Valdosta State University

The Three Witches

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Joyce Carol Thomas

PUBLISHER: Harper Collins               

PUBLICATION DATE: 2006

GENRE: Fiction Picture Book                       

READING LEVEL: 1st - 5th grade 

BRIEF OVERVIEW: The three bad witches are out to get two children. They may have teeth that are longer than their lips and they may wear high heels, but they are NO match for two smart children, their brave grandma, three hound dogs, and a fast-running snake. 

INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: Write an alternate ending for the story of another the way the three witches could have died. If you want, write an alternate ending to how the three witches didn’t die and were able to eat the children. 

REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: Jerre' Robinson - VSU 

My name is Jorge: On Both Sides of the River

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Jane Medina

PUBLISHER: Wordsong              

PUBLICATION DATE: 

GENRE: Single Author Poetry                       

READING LEVEL: Kindergarten - 4th grade

BRIEF OVERVIEW: Jorge is trying to learn the ways of his new country. He wants to fit in at school, but he doesn't want to forget his homeland, Mexico. These poems, both English and Spanish, were told from the point of view of Jorge

INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: Use a computer and write a short poem about your first day of school. Then use the English-Spanish translator website and see how your poem looks in another language. Try to read it in Spanish as well.

REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: Jerre' Robinson - VSU

Maniac Magee

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Jerry Spinelli

PUBLISHER: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers               

PUBLICATION DATE: 1990

GENRE: Realistic Fiction                        

READING LEVEL: 4th - 6th grade

BRIEF OVERVIEW: After living with his unhappy and uptight aunt and uncle for eight years, he decides to run--and not just run away, but run. This is where the myth of Maniac Magee begins, as he changes the lives of a racially divided small town with his amazing and legendary feats.

INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: What are some ways that a student can relive their stress. Try to find a marathon in the community that you can run (5k, Breast Cancer Walk, etc.)

REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: Jerre' Robinson - VSU Student

Siddharth and Rinki

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Addy Farmer/Karin Littlewood 

PUBLISHER: Transworld Publishers             

PUBLICATION DATE: 2010

GENRE: Nonfiction                       

READING LEVEL: Pre-k - Kindergarten

BRIEF OVERVIEW: Siddharth doesn't like his new home in England. Only his toy elephant Rinki understands, but when Rinki gets lost at school, Siddharth feels lonelier than ever. Then his classmates join him in the search for Rinki, and suddenly Siddharth doesn’t feel so lonely after all!

INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: Learn and discuss the different types of ethnicity's there are around the world. Learn that there is more than black and white.

REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: Jerre' Robinson - VSU 

The Leopard's Drum

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Jessica Souhami

PUBLISHER: Frances Lincoln Children's Books            

PUBLICATION DATE: 1995

GENRE: Traditional Non-Euro Book                        

READING LEVEL: Pre-k - 2nd grade

BRIEF OVERVIEW: An Asante Tale from West Africa about Osebo the leopard who has a magnificent drum. All try to take the drum - the monkey, the elephant, even the python - and all fail. The tortoise might succeed though.

INTEGRATED ACTIVITY:Incorporate some movement by doing a dance move when a specific word is said throughout the book.

REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: Jerre' Robinson - VSU 

Spectacular Science

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Lee Bennet Hopkins/ Virginia Halstead

PUBLISHER: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers PUBLICATION DATE: July 1, 2002

GENRE: Poetry READING LEVEL: 1st-3rd grade

BRIEF OVERVIEW: In this story many different authors talk about different types of science children should learn about at young ages.

INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: The teacher will proceed to ask the students if they have ever seen someone plant seeds before. Then the teacher will write on a piece of chart paper “What does a plant need to grow ?” The children will then try to list different things such as water, sun, and soil. The teacher will guide them in brainstorming things a seed needs to grow. Once the chart is made the students will chorally list the things a seed needs to grow aloud as the teacher points to them.

REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: Mary Anna Dozier, Valdosta State University

Animals Animals

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Eric Carle/ Eric Carle

PUBLISHER: Paw Prints PUBLICATION DATE: April 9, 2009

GENRE: Poetry  READING LEVEL: 3rd-5th grade

BRIEF OVERVIEW: In this book many different poems are put together that talk about many different animals. Illustrations of the animals are shown, as well as what some of them do, where the animals live, and what the animals eat. This book discusses over fifty different types of animals and includes amazing illustrations of them all. This book also focuses on the sounds particular animals make and truly is a phenomenal book.

INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: After this poem is read the teacher will review with the students that alligators eat small fish and live in the water. The children will then be given construction paper and crayons. They will be told to draw a picture of the alligator that was talked about in the story and to draw what they heard and observed through the illustration shown in the book. This image will be drawn to reflect the illustration the students observed when the poem was shown and read to them. This will reinforce students’ knowledge of what an alligator looks like, where an alligator lives, and what an alligator eats. When drawings are complete the students who volunteer will share their picture with the class and then talk about a time they have seen an alligator before in real life and where they saw the alligator.

REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: Mary Anna Dozier, Valdosta State University

Butterflies for Kiri

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Cathryn Falwell/ Cathryn Falwell

PUBLISHER: Lee & Low Books PUBLICATION DATE: 2008

GENRE: Realistic fiction READING LEVEL: 4th grade

BRIEF OVERVIEW: In this story a young girl named Kiri who loved to draw, paint, and make things received a gift from her grandma one day that had a book that taught people how to make different shapes of origami. These shapes included a turtle, a boat, and even a butterfly. Kiri then realized how folding paper could make such wonderful things! She began to practice every day because she wanted to make a butterfly. Kiri tried and tried again and again but kept failing. Kiri continued to practice day after day and one day she saw a butterfly in the park and that became her motivation. Kiri went home and tried just once more to make an origami butterfly, and this time she did! Practice makes perfect Kiri learned! She was happy she never gave up.

INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: The teacher will explain to the students that origami is a common work of art found in the Japanese culture. The teacher then will give each student a piece of origami paper and lead the students through the directions given on the last page of the book. This involves 14 simple steps that will lead students to create their own origami butterfly. Many pieces of extra paper will be kept to hand out to students in case of errors made. This will show students that if they have patience and practice they can master this task. A certain amount of time will be given for students to make their butterfly. The students who cannot finish will be given more time another day. Students will then be asked to brainstorm parts of their own culture that describes them. (artwork, language, celebrations ext.) A list will be made on the board.

REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: Mary Anna Dozier, Valdosta State University

A Luna Moth's Life

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: John Himmelman/ John Himmelman

PUBLISHER: Scholastic PUBLICATION DATE: August 1, 1998

GENRE: Nonfiction/ picture book READING LEVEL: Kindergarten

BRIEF OVERVIEW: This book explains how a luna moth starts in creating a new baby luna through the laying of eggs…turning into larvae/caterpillar…wrapping into a cocoon…and hatching out to become a moth.  Himmelman’s illustrations help infer to children that moth’s are not meaningless “light” bugs.

INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: Give each student a paper plate and tell them to divide it using black marker into four pieces.  Then give each group some dried lima beans, straight noodles, spiral noodles, and butterfly noodles.  Ask them to glue the bean in one of the divided pieces for the egg..the straight noodle in the next, for the cocoon, the spiral for the caterpillar, and the butterfly for the ultimate moth.  This can represent the life cycle of a moth and/or butterfly.
REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: Mary Anna Dozier, Valdosta State University

The Land of Many Colors

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: The Klamath County, YMCA Family/ Rita Pocock

PUBLISHER: Scholastic PUBLICATION DATE: June 1, 1993

GENRE: Traditional  READING LEVEL: Pre-k-1st grade

BRIEF OVERVIEW: In this story many individuals only talk to, eat, and have pets that are the same color as they are. When these people of many colors need more food and toys all of the different colored people begin to fight the people who are not the same color as them. However, this situation changes when someone tells them to STOP!! When the colored people turn to look at this person, they cannot tell what color he is. He then shows them how alike they all are on the inside and the colored people all become friends and share.

INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: Students will list a few colors that were not mentioned in the book. Then they will be asked what food and pets people that are those colors would have liked before the war, and what food and pets they would have liked after the war. Students will answer in choral response.

REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: Mary Anna Dozier, Valdosta State University

Grimm's Fairy Tales

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Jacob & Wilhelm Grimm/ Philipp Got Johann, Robert Leinweber

PUBLISHER: Grimm Brothers PUBLICATION DATE: 1812

GENRE: Fantasy/folklore READING LEVEL: K- 2nd grade

BRIEF OVERVIEW: This is an entertaining collection of old German fairy tales like “Rumpelstilskin,” “Snow White,” and “The Frog Prince.”

INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: List out each of the seven dwarfs from Snow White and then pick seven students to each act out how the name infers itself.  Lastly, ask students which dwarf should each of us try to characterize like in our own personalities. (Happy, not Dopey, Sleepy, Grumpy, etc.)

REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: Mary Anna Dozier, Valdosta State University