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Valdosta, GA, United States
Welcome to: A Book or Two: Children's Literature Reviews, a blog site that offers information on new, classic, and favorite children's literature, reviewed by university professors, classroom teachers, librarians, and those studying to become teachers. We hope you will find "just the right book" to share with others. Our goal is to keep the site updated with information about children's authors, book awards, and new releases. Each entry will include the book cover picture, a brief overview, bibliographic information, and suggested uses for families, librarians, and teachers. We will categorize books in several different ways, to facilitate searching.

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12/5/13

Adelita: A Mexican Cinderella Story

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Tomie dePaola
PUBLISHER: Penguin Group                PUBLICATION DATE:  2004
AWARDS:  Caldecott Honor Award , Newbery Honor Award
GENRE: Multicultural                          READING LEVEL:  3rd
BRIEF OVERVIEW: After Adelita parent’s death, she is badly mistreated by her stepmother and stepsisters
 INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: Have students fold a large sheet of paper into six sections.  They will illustrate and label the story elements in the squares:    1.Characters     2.Setting       3.Problem      4.Events     5.Solution     6.Ending
REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION:  Daphne Wright - Valdosta State University

Who Sank the Boat?


AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Pamela Allen
PUBLICATION DATE: 1982
GENRE: Fiction
BRIEF OVERVIEW: The reader is invited to guess who causes the boat to sink when five animals of varying sizes decide to go for a row.
INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: After reading the book, have each student chose who they think actually sank the boat. Then draw a picture and show which animal actually did it.
REVIEWER'S NAME & AFFILIATION: Sarah Bessenger, Valdosta State University

Otis

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Loren Long
PUBLICATION DATE: 2009
GENRE: Fiction
BRIEF OVERVIEW: When a big new yellow tractor replaces Otis, the friendly little tractor, he is cast away behind the bard, but it is only Otis who can come to the rescue when trouble happens.
INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: Students can talk about how just because new people or things come into our lives, it is still important to remember what we have is still important and special as well.
REVIEWER'S NAME & AFFILIATION: Sarah Bessenger, Valdosta State University

The Wildlife A.B.C: A Nature Alphabet Book

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Jan Thonhill
PUBLICATION DATE: 1990
GENRE: Picture Book
BRIEF OVERVIEW: Introduces the letters of the alphabet through a variety of illustrations of North American animals and brief rhyming texts.
INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: Each student could be assigned a letter of the alphabet and they will have to color the outlined shape of their letter and make it into an animal.
REVIEWER'S NAME & AFFILIATION: Sarah Bessenger, Valdosta State University

The Tiny Seed

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Eric Carle
PUBLICATION DATE: 1987
GENRE: Picture Book
BRIEF OVERVIEW: Describes a flowering plant seed's life cycles as it travels all over and during all the different seasons.
INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: Students can make a circle chart with the lifecycle of a seed and add petals around the outside of the chart to make it to look like a flower.
REVIEWER'S NAME & AFFILIATION: Sarah Bessenger, Valdosta State University

The Complete Tales of Winnie the Pooh

AUTHOR: A.A Milne
ILLUSTRATOR: E.H. Shepard
PUBLISHER: Dutton Juvenile
PUBLICATION DATE: 1996
GENRE: READING LEVEL: Third Grade
BRIEF OVERVIEW: The complete work of Winnie the Pooh which is a story about a young boy and his bear living in a forest with their friends and their daily adventures. This book consists of Winnie the Pooh and House at Pooh Corner
INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: This book would be used to teach different types of problem solving and critical thinking. You could also use it to look at different ways children solve the same types of problems. 
REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: Nicole Stuart- Valdosta State University



I am a living thing

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Bobbie Kalman & Crystal Sikkens
PUBLICATION DATE: 2008
GENRE: Nonfiction
BRIEF OVERVIEW: We are living things and we are made up of many things. Because we are living things, we need things to keep us living and to make sure that we stay that way.
INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: Students could make themselves a paper bag and fill it with pictures and words that we as living things need to keep living.
REVIEWER'S NAME & AFFILIATION: Sarah Bessenger, Valdosta State University

The Secret of Old Zeb

AUTHOR: Cameron Agra Deedy
ILLUSTRATOR: Michael P. White
PUBLISHER: Peachtree Publishers
PUBLICATION DATE: 2002
GENRE: Transitional Chapter Book
READING LEVEL: First Grade
BRIEF OVERVIEW: A small boy goes to live with his great aunt for the summer and while he is there, he meets and befriends a man who teaches him to live life and chase his own dreams instead of the dreams of others through the building of a boat.  
INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: This book would be to help children learn about dreams and the differences between wanting something for yourself and for somebody else.  During this book, boats and boating terms would be discussed. 
REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: Nicole Stuart- Valdosta State University



The Food We Eat

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Jill C. Wheeler & C.A. Nobens, Kirsti Schaeppi
PUBLICATION DATE: 1991
GENRE: Informational
BRIEF OVERVIEW: All the food we eat comes from somewhere and is made somehow. Food comes from plants, crops, animals, and more and is sent places so that we can have food to eat.
INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: Students could come up with food they like and trace it back to where it came from and how we get it.
REVIEWER'S NAME & AFFILIATION: Sarah Bessenger, Valdosta State University

Toilet: How it works

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: David Macaulay, Sheila Keenan
PUBLISHER David Macaulay Studio
PUBLICATION DATE: 2013
GENRE: Nonfiction
READING LEVEL: Second Grade
BRIEF OVERVIEW: This book explains what toilets are, how they work, and it also delves into the workings of sewers and water treatment plants and tells why they are important to have.
INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: This book would be used when starting to learn about the intestinal tract and waste disposal. 
REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: Nicole Stuart- Valdosta State University


Fire Engines

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Marcia S. Freeman & Gail Saunders-Smith
PUBLICATION DATE: 1999
GENRE: Nonfiction
BRIEF OVERVIEW: Fire engines are big trucks that fire fighters drive around when there is a fire that they have to handle, The engines have a lot of equipment on them which is explained in the book.
INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: Students could take a blank copy of a fire engine and label all the parts that were described in the book.
REVIEWER'S NAME & AFFILIATION: Sarah Bessenger, Valdosta State University

The Sky is Full of Song


AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATORAuthor: Lee Bennett Hopkins

 Illustrator: Dirk Zimmer

GENRE:Poetry                 READING LEVEL: 1st-2nd
BRIEF OVERVIEW:This is a book has poems about the different seasons and items found during that season.
Integrated Idea:Students as a group will write a poem about the season that they are in and the things that they see.

Reviewer's Name & Affiliation:      Kaele Johnson VSU Section C

Gumbrella

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Barry Root
PUBLICATION DATE: 2002
GENRE: Fiction
BRIEF OVERVIEW: Gumbrella wanted to help all her animal friends when they were hurt, so when they were hurt she kept them to take care of them. She didn't want any of them to leave, but when they all left because she wouldn't let them, then they got to take care of her.
INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: Talk about how being a good friend means taking care of your friends and making sure that they are okay.
REVIEWER'S NAME & AFFILIATION: Sarah Bessenger, Valdosta State University

Little Cloud


AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Eric Carle
PUBLICATION DATE: 1996
GENRE: Picture Book
BRIEF OVERVIEW: Little Cloud is left behind the rest of the clouds in the sky and did what he wanted to do. Once the other clouds saw what he was doing, they asked him to come back and be a big cloud with them and he did.
INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: Students could make textured white paper and assemble it into could forms that they would like to see in the sky.
REVIEWER'S NAME & AFFILIATION: Sarah Bessenger, Valdosta State University

Old Penn Station


AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR:William Low    GENRE:Non Fiction                READING LEVEL: 3rd-5th
BRIEF OVERVIEW:This is an informational book about Penn Station as well as the Pennsylvania Railroad that runs through it and how they were built.

INTEGRATED ACTIVITY:Students will create their own railroad using items provided by the teacher. They will then write down their process of how they built it.

Reviewers Name & Affiliation: Kaele Johnson VSU Section C

My Fellow Americans: A Family Album

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Alice Provensen
PUBLISHERHMH Books for Young Readers
PUBLICATION DATE: 1995
GENRE: History/Social Studies Biography
READING LEVEL: Sixth
BRIEF OVERVIEW: Various biographies telling about the exploits of well known Americans throughout history. 
INTEGRATED ACTIVITY:  Use this to review several different Americans briefly to introduce them for things such as research papers and projects.

REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION
: Nicole Stuart- Valdosta State University



Winter's Tail: How One Little Dolphin Learned to Swim

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Juliana Hatkoff, Isabella Hatkoff, Craig Hatkoff
PUBLICATION DATE: 2009
GENRE: Nonfiction
BRIEF OVERVIEW: This book tells the true story about a dolphin that looses it's tail and the process of learning to swim again.
INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: Student's could read the book first then watch the movie that was made about Winter the dolphin.
REVIEWER'S NAME & AFFILIATION: Sarah Bessenger, Valdosta State University

The Underground Railroad


AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR:Ann Heinrichs
GENRE:Non Fiction/Informational     READING LEVEL: 4th-5th
BRIEF OVERVIEW:This is an informational book about the underground railroad and how Harriet Tubman helped in the process.

INTEGRATED ACTIVITY:Students will learn about the process of the underground railroad and the ability for slaves to escape as well as the hardships that slaves endured.
Reviewers Name and Affiliation: Kaele Johnson VSU Section C

What Can I Hear?

Front CoverAUTHOR/ILLUSTRATORSue Barraclough
GENRE:Traditional Non Euro       READING LEVEL: K-4th 
BRIEF OVERVIEW:This is a book about how everything makes a sound and the things you can hear.
Integrated Idea: Students will discuss different sounds that are created from different objects. Students will be able to bang on objects around the classroom and discuss the sounds they are making.
REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: Kaele Johnson - VSU Section C

The Game of Let's Go

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Herve Tullet
PUBLISHERPhaidon Press
PUBLICATION DATE: 2011
READING LEVEL: Prekindergarten 
BRIEF OVERVIEW: Close your eyes and place your finger on the velvet path that goes throughout the book and as you follow the path, you are to tell the story of your journey.
INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: Sit with your kids and have a couple of students tell their stories as they walk through the book and discuss how you can take the same journey and have different stories to tell.
REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: Nicole Stuart- Valdosta State University 

If You Give A Pig A Pancake

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATORAuthor: Laura Numeroff
 Illustrator: Felicia Bond
GENRE:Fiction                    READING LEVEL: 2nd
BRIEF OVERVIEW:If you give a pig a pancake they will want to do other activities that will lead back to them wanting more.
Integrated Activity:Make a pig out of cotton balls and make pancakes out of foam paper.
Reviewers Name and Affiliation: Kaele Johnson-Valdosta State University C


The Pagemaster

AUTHOR: David Kirschner, Ernie Contreras
ILLUSTRATOR: Jerry Tiritilli
PUBLISHER: Turner Publishing
PUBLICATION DATE: 1993
GENRE: Fictional Book
READING LEVEL: Fifth Grade
BRIEF OVERVIEW: A story about a boy who goes through life afraid to takes chances but when he is pulled in to the adventures of story books, he learns through the characters that life is all about taking chances.
INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: Teach readers that you can learn from books and that taking chances is okay to do. 
REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: Nicole Stuart-Valdosta State University

A Young Dancer: Life of an Ailey Student

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATORValerie Gladston and Jose Ivey
PUBLISHER:Henry Holt and Co. (BYR); First Edition edition   
PUBLICATION DATE     2009 
GENRE: Non-fiction informational picture book                            
READING LEVEL: Ages 9-13
BRIEF OVERVIEWA Young Dancer: Life of an Ailey Student is a book about a young 13 year girl with multiple artistic talents and her journey as she prepares for a big performance.
INTEGRATED ACTIVITYStudents will write a paper about what they plan on being when they get older.

REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: Briana Henderson Valdosta State University, Section A

A Dragon in the Sky: The story of a Green Darner

AUTHOR: Laurence Pringle
ILLUSTRATOR: Bob Marstall
PUBLISHER: Scholastic
 PUBLICATION DATE: 2001
GENRE: Non Fiction
 READING LEVEL: Fourth
BRIEF OVERVIEW: An educational book about dragon flies and other insects and how their life cycles work. 
INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: Discuss the types of insects and what climates, locations, and various living conditions that are required for full and productive lives. 
REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: Nicole Stuart - Valdosta State University

Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes.

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATORMem Fox and Helen Oxenbury
PUBLISHER: HMH Books for Young Readers; Brdbk edition  PUBLICATION DATE: August 23, 2010  
GENRE: Nonfictional Informational READING LEVEL:  3 and up
BRIEF OVERVIEWTen Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes is a story about babies who are born and they all have ten little fingers and ten little toes.  
INTEGRATED ACTIVITYStudents will learn to identify their body parts (i.e.: Hands, fingers, toes, eyes, ears, head, nose, etc…)
REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: Briana Henderson Valdosta State University, Section A

The Librarian Who Measured the Earth

AUTHOR: Kathryn Lasky
ILLUSTRATOR: Kevin Hawkes
PUBLISHER: Little Brown Books for Young Readers
 PUBLICATION DATE: 1994
GENRE: Biography
 READING LEVEL: Third Grade
BRIEF OVERVIEW: A colorfully illustrated biography of the Greek philosopher and scientist Eratosthenes, who compiled the first geography book and accurately measured the globe's circumference.
INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: Use to introduce math terms related to circumference and begin discussing how to find the circumference of an object that is unable to be measured given the technology at hand. 
REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: Nicole Stuart-Valdosta State University

The Girl Who Spun Gold

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATORVirginia Hamilton and Leo and Diane Dillon
PUBLISHER: Blue Sky Press; First Edition edition  PUBLICATION DATE:2000
GENRE: Traditional Non-European
 READING LEVEL4-8 years
BRIEF OVERVIEW:The Girl Who Spun Gold is a story about a young peasant girl who is made queen because the king believes that she can spin and weave golden objects. 
INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: Students will reinact the story. 
REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: Briana Henderson Valdosta State University, Section A

14 Cows in America

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATORCarmen Agra Deedy and Thomas Gonzalez
 PUBLISHER:  Peachtree Publishers           PUBLICATION DATEAugust 1, 2009
GENRE: Nonfiction Informational       READING LEVEL7-8 years
BRIEF OVERVIEW14 Cows in America is a story about the people in Kenya and how they receive a gift from an American Diplomat.
INTEGRATED ACTIVITY:Students will point out the important events that takes place in the book as they read the story
REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: Briana Henderson Valdosta State University, Section A

Robin Hood

AUTHOR: Paul Creswick
ILLUSTRATOR: N.C. Wyeth
PUBLISHER: David McKay
PUBLICATION DATE: 1917
GENRE: Traditional European Book
 READING LEVEL: Sixth grade
BRIEF OVERVIEW: A book about the legend of Robin Hood a man who robbed money from kings and higher status men and women of the community in order to give the money back to the people. He did so with the aid of the Merry Men of Sherwood Forrest. 
INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: Used to discuss morals and laws regarding the issues with bad things being done for good reasons.
REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: Nicole Stuart- Valdosta State University