A Book or Two: Children's Literature Reviews

Find a perfect children’s book to share or read, and information on new, classic, and favorite children's literature, reviewed by university professors, teachers, librarians, graduate students, and teachers-to-be! Browse A Book or Two by title, genre, or topic! HAPPY READING! This is a closed site, to prevent inappropriate postings. You won't be able to add your own comments. Communication should be sent to the site organizer, Dr. Deb Marciano (dlmarciano@valdosta.edu).

Showing posts with label SCHOOL. Show all posts

10/23/14

Biscuit Goes to School

Author: Alyssa SatinIllustrator: Pat Schories

Copyright: 2003 Genre: Fiction Reading Level: Age 6 Activity Grade Level: First Grade
Book Description: Biscuit is a dog who gets to go to school for the day. He explores the different things that are available to do at school. He loves going to school.
Integrated Activity: The students will write a story about their favorite things to do at school. They need to include a topic sentence, three details, and a closing sentence.
Reviewers name and Affiliation: Lexi Simmons Valdosta State University

I'm Your Bus

TITLE: I’m Your Bus

AUTHOR:Marilyn Singer ILLUSTRATOR: Evan Polenghi

PUBLISHER: Scholastics, Inc. PUBLICATION DATE: 2009

GENRE: Fiction PB READING LEVEL: age 6

BRIEF OVERVIEW: Describes the daylong job a bus has and how accountable a bus can be to a child to get them to school. No matter if it is morning or evening the children can count on the bus to keep them safe as well as their belongings. As the story is read aloud the students will clearly hear the rhyming text.

INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: This book will be great to introduce a lesson on transportation (most of the children ride the bus so they can relate to the book). Students will share their ways of transportation and other possible forms of transportation. They will categorize the forms of transportation by land, air, or water.

REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: (Nancy Guerrero, Valdosta State University ECSE)

LABELS: Fiction, school, transportation, rhyming

10/21/14

The Lunch Thief

AUTHOR: Anne C. Bromley

ILLUSTRATOR: Robert Casilla

PUBLISHER: Tilbury House PUBLICATION DATE: June 15, 2010

GENRE: Nonfiction READING LEVEL: Age 10

BRIEF OVERVIEW: A student is faced with a challenging situation when his lunch is stolen one day. Later on, he realizes the thief is staying in a hotel with his family, he decides to bring the student something to eat.

INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: Have the students write about a time they had to help a person who was less fortunate than them. Or what they would do if they were ever faced with that situation.

REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: Briana Cuyler, Valdosta State University ECSE

10/20/14

I am Too Absolutely Small for School

Author/Illustrator: Lauren Child
Publisher: Candlewick
Publication Date: 2004

Genre: Fictional Picture Book
Grade Level: 2nd Grade
Brief Overview: Lola gives every excuse why she is not ready for school, while her brother, Charlie, tries to convince her why school is important.
Activity Level: 5th Grade
Integrated Activity: Students will write a letter to themselves stating why they think their education is important and what they think they will do with it in the future (i.e. We learned how to count money. In the future, I will know how to buy groceries/I will be a banker). They can also write other goals they have for their future selves.
-Publisher: Shakela Primrose (Valdosta State University ECSE)-

10/19/14

Cam Jansen and the Tennis Trophy Mystery

TITLE: Cam Jansen and the Tennis Trophy Mystery

AUTHOR: David A. Adler ILLUSTRATOR: Susanna Natti

PUBLISHER: Puffin PUBLICATION DATE: Reprint Edition, February 17, 2005

GENRE: Transitional READING LEVEL: 3^rd grade

BRIEF OVERVIEW: Cam loves reading mysteries, and she loves solving them even more. When Mr. Day’s trophy goes missing, Cam goes looking for clues. But will she be able to find it?

INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: Have a classroom scavenger hunt. Divide the class up into different groups. Hide a trophy somewhere and make up different clues that the groups have to decipher in order to be able to find the trophy.

REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: Faith Summers, Valdosta State University ECSE

LABELS: transitions, SCHOOL, curiosity

10/17/14

My Great-Aunt Arizona

TITLE: My Great-Aunt Arizona

AUTHOR: Gloria Houston

ILLUSTRATOR: Susan Candie Lamb

PUBLISHER: Harper Collins

PUBLICATION DATE: 1992

GENRE: Picture Book

READING LEVEL: Ages 6-8

BRIEF OVERVIEW: It all begins when Great-Aunt Arizona was born in a log cabin, then grows up and gets her education, eventually returning home to become one of the greatest teachers ever.

INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: Students will draw a picture of their favorite teacher and write a few sentences about what made him/her so great.

REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: (Jennifer Davis, Valdosta State University ECSE)

LABELS: Non-Fiction, School

Frindle

TITLE: Frindle

AUTHOR:Andrew Clements

ILLUSTRATOR: Brian Selznick

PUBLISHER: Aladdin Paperbacks

PUBLICATION DATE: 1996

GENRE: Transitional

READING LEVEL: 4th Grade

BRIEF OVERVIEW: Nicholas is finally in the 5th grade where his teacher loves words and everything about them. He decides to create his own word and he watches his word spread throughout the entire school.

INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: Students will create their own words complete with definition, origin, picture, and it used in a sentence.