If You Decide to Go to The Moon

AUTHOR: Faith McNulty

ILLUSTRATOR: Steven Kellogg

PUBLISHER: Scholastic Press

PUBLICATION DATE: 2005

AWARDS: Parents' Choice Award Fall 2005

GENRE: Speculative Fiction

READING LEVEL: Grade 3

BRIEF OVERVIEW: This book gives children an imaginary image of what it is like to travel to the moon. The book gives real facts like where the first explorers landed, The book also gives fictitious instructions and tips for someone who would to make that trip.  

INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: Each student will create their own playlist of songs to listen when the travel to the moon. 

REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: Shaneiga Prise, Valdosta State University ECSE

LABELS: Space, award-winning, moons, GR K-3, fun

Astronaut Living in Space

ILLUSTRATION JPEG:

TITLE:  Astronaut Living in Space

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Author: Kate Hayden

                                             Illustrator: Peter Dennis

PUBLISHER: DK Publishing                      PUBLICATION DATE: 2000

GENRE: General Nonfiction                      

READING LEVEL: Grades K-2

BRIEF OVERVIEW: This book tells the story of an astronaut living on a space shuttle. It discusses the steps and required training to becoming an astronaut. It describes the space shuttle and it talks about the daily routines in the life on an astronaut in space.

INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: Have students imagine they were the first kid chosen to spend a week in space. Ask them to write a short story about what they think their experience would be like. Ask them to include information about the food they would eat, the clothes they would wear, and what they might do for fun.

REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: (Devin Jones, Valdosta State University ECSE)

LABELS: (science, picture book, space).

If You Decide to Go to the Moon

AUTHOR: Faith McNulty

ILLUSTRATOR: Steven Kellogg

PUBLISHER:   Scholastic Inc. 

 

PUBLICATION DATE:  10/28/2005

 

GENRE:  Non-Fiction Informational Picture Book 

                    

 READING LEVEL: 4th grade

BRIEF OVERVIEW: A young boy travels through space, discovering even the darkest parts of our solar system! He is able to answer questions like, "what is the milky way?" or "what is our moon made up of"? So, come along and hang on tight! It's time for a space adventure!

INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: The students will make a 3D representation of a moon phase, assigned by the teacher.

REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: Hannah Banbury, Valdosta State University ECSE)

LABELS: Science, Moons, Space

Zathura

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Chris Van Allsburg
PUBLISHER: HMH Books for Young Readers; First Edition edition
PUBLICATION DATE: October 28, 2002
GENRE: Fiction
READING LEVEL: 3rd Grade
BRIEF OVERVIEW: Two brothers who constantly fight play a game that takes them on a space adventure.
INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: Students will independently read Zathura to themselves. After reading a short quiz will be given to check comprehension and to make sure reading was with accuracy. Students will then create their own board game using various materials. Students can use paint, clay, pencils, or markers to create their game.
Students will be required to incorporate multiplication and division into their game.
Students may have cards that they have to draw and answer before moving using multiplication/division problems such as 8x?=48, 10/?=5.
Students will break into groups and play other classmates games.
REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: Whitney Wetherington Valdosta State University

Stars

"A star is how you know it’s almost night.
As soon as you see one, there’s another, and another.
And the dark that comes doesn’t feel so dark.
What if you could have a star?" 


TITLE:  Stars
AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Mary Lyn Ray / Marla Frazee
PUBLISHER: Beach Lane Books PUBLICATION DATE:  October 4, 2011
GENRE: Contemporary Children's Literature READING LEVEL: 3-7 years 
BRIEF OVERVIEW: Modern twists on an ancient idea, “stars” are being described to children in ways they haven’t thought of before! The book connects to students lives by relating stars to things they see every day and ways to see different kinds of stars. The pictures are beautifully illustrated with the words small at the bottom, almost handwritten, with big pictures that take up the page. The color contrast in the pictures is beautiful; the darkness of the background really makes the stars stand out on the page. 
INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: This is an excellent book to help teach students’ self-esteem. The star is a symbol for self-esteem and self-love, (“always keep a star in your pocket for dark times”), this could be used to help children understand that life is not always bright and beautiful, but even in the darkest of times there can still be something beautiful. Children could physically draw out stars to keep in their pockets, or desks, etc., to look back to for self-esteem help. On the back of each star they will write one positive thing about themselves.
REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: Patricia Price - VSU Teacher Candidate - LITR 3110 A

**If you have chance- look at a few of the illustrations from the book! Each picture is drawn so beautifully.