A Ball For Daisy by Chris Raschka

A Ball For Daisy author and illustrator: Chris Raschka
Copyright: 2011 Reading Level: Ages 3-7 
Book Description: Daisy is a playful puppy who loves her ball. She and her owner make a trip to the park to play where she finds another dog to play with her and her ball. The ball pops and Daisy is sad. The good news is that the other dog brought a new ball for them to play with and Daisy gets to take it home.

Integrated Ideas: Students will revise the book and the story line and then explain the main idea and plot to the teacher through sign. The students will gather their reasoning for the feelings of the book’s character, Daisy the dog, based off of their visual interpretations from the author’s illustrations. After the students describe the story, they will then play an outside game with a red balloon. If the students pop the red balloon, then another student must be willing to share their blue balloon with the class. 

Reviewer's name and affiliation: Bethany A. Loggins, Valdosta State University

Rain School

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: James Rumford

PUBLISHER: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt                     

PUBLICATION DATE: 2010

AWARDS:  Smithsonian Notable Children’s book for 2010

GENRE: Foreign    READING LEVEL: 5-8years

BRIEF OVERVIEW: In the country of Chad, Thomas is excited to learn, and the first lesson is to build the school. They build their schoolhouse and get to use it for nine months before the rain washes it away at the end of the school year. Thomas and his classmate will return and learn all over again next school year.

INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: Extend learning about this country by incorporating traditional Chad Dance, and to get students active.

REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: Jennifer Bacon – VSU