CSCL Picture Book Reviews

The Beatitudes

2011-03-21T21:37:00.005-04:00

Boston, Carole. The Beatitudes. Eerdman's Books. 2010. ISBN: 978-0-8028-5352-3.

This book was about slavery and civil rights. African Americans drew on the same faith during the segregation era as they did in the time of slavery. The Beatitudes tells a sad story in a hopeful way. The illustrator used water colors. I like it because they showed the presidents. I recommend this book. My favorite part was the civil rights where there is a poem across the bottom.

D.C. 4th Grade, Lagrange Elementary.

Monster Trucks

2011-03-21T21:33:00.003-04:00

Gigliotti, Jim. Monster Trucks. Marshall Cavendish. 2010. ISBN: 9780761443858.

Monster Trucks are one of dozens of super-sized machines that thrill me. I like the photos when Bigfoot was on top of the cars. I liked the wheelie photos too. My favorite part was when the car was jumping over the airplane.

D.U. 4th Grade, Lagrange Elementary.

The Boy in the Garden

2011-03-21T21:11:00.005-04:00

Say, Allen. The Boy in the Garden. Houghton Mifflin. 2010. ISBN: 9780547214108.

This book is about a little boy in the garden playing with a grateful crane but the bird is scared. It would not come near anybody unless it really liked them, because all birds are afraid of people. They would probably bite you or peck you, but some kinds of birds are kind.The paintings are pretty colors and they are good for the book. I would recommend this book to ages two through six. My favorite part is when the snowstorm stopped.

M.R.P. 4th Grade, Lagrange Elementary.

Up and Down

2011-03-21T21:01:00.006-04:00

Jeffers, Oliver. Up and Down. Philomel. 2010. ISBN:9780399255458.

Once there were two friends who always did everything together until the day the penguin decided he wanted to do something by himself: he wanted to fly. He had wings after all although they didn't seem to work very well. But that didn't stop the penguin from trying, but nothing worked and it wasn't long before he began to run out of ideas. The boy even offered him a ride in his plane, but it wasn't the same as flying and the penguin wanted to do it by himself. I like the characters of the book called The Lost and Found and I like the little legs of the boy and the trees looked like balloons and the boys feet look like sticks. I like this book so much that I read it four times and I like the characters of the book.

Y.A. 4th Grade, Lagrange Elementary.

My Friend has ADHD

2011-03-21T20:37:00.003-04:00

Tourville, Amanda. My Friend Has ADHD. Picture Window Books. 2010. ISBN:9781404857490

My story is called My Friend Has ADHD. It is about two kids named Marcus and Robby. Robby has ADHD which is attention-deficit-hyperactivity disorder. I really like this book. I hope the author writes some more books like this so kids can know what ADHD is. This book has good drawings and I like the colors. I will read this book to other kids and I hope they like it too.

J.H. 4th Grade, Lagrange Elementary.

Big Cats

2011-03-21T20:30:00.004-04:00

Hamilton. S.L. Big Cats. ABDO. 2010. ISBN: 9781604539912.

The black panther is one of the big cats in this book. Cheetahs can run up to 70 miles per hour. The photograph I loved was the one where you see a cat sharpening its teeth. My favorite cat is the black panther because they blend into the dark and I like the cheetah because they can run up to 70 miles per hour.

L.A. 4th Grade, Lagrange Elementary.

The Easter Egg

2011-03-21T20:00:00.006-04:00

Brett, Jan. The Easter Egg. Putnam. 2010. ISBN:9780399252389.

This book was so awesome to me. I like the pictures of decorated eggs in the book. I love the art in this book. It is so pretty and so colorful. Some pictures are happy and some are sad. My favorite part is when Hoppi dreams about helping the Easter Bunny all year long.

K.W. 5th Grade, Lagrange Elementary.

Football

2011-03-21T19:45:00.003-04:00

Gifford, Clive. Football. Marshall Cavendish. 2010. ISBN: 9780761444565.

My book is about how to play football and some real football players. This book is full of action photographs. The photos helped me learn more about football. I really care about this book because football is one of my favorite sports. My favorite part of the book was when the author talked about the real life football players. I do recommend this book for other kids, because I liked it and I am only in the fifth grade. I recommend this for grades second through eighth.

V.M. III. 5th Grade, Lagrange Elementary.

The Junkyard Wonders

2011-03-21T19:39:00.006-04:00

Polacco, Patricia. The Junkyard Wonders. Philomel Books. 2010. ISBN: 9780399250781.

The Junkyard Wonders is about a little girl who wants to stay with her dad for the school year because she got picked on with her mom. After she went to school she found out that she got put in a class with other kids just like her. What I mean about that is that she got put in a special class and it was called the junkyard, because they all had something wrong with them. The art in this book is very nice. The pictures are all perfect for this story. I couldn't think of any better pictures for this book. My opinion for this book is that it is great and I enjoyed reading it. The best part was when she started to feel comfortable with the other children. I think other kids should read this book. Also, I think people of all ages would love this book. I think it is great for everyone.

I.B. 5th Grade, Lagrange Elementary.

Grandma's Gift

2011-03-21T17:04:00.004-04:00

Velasquez, Eric. Grandma's Gift. 2010. New York: Walker & Company. ISBN: 9780802720825.

Grandma's Gift is about a Grandma and her grandson going shopping for ingredients and gifts, so they can make "pasteks" for the traditional Christmas dish for Puerto Ricans.The illustrations in my book are pretty because they look real on some of the pages. My opinion of theis story is that anybody would love to have Grandma's Gift because Grandma made a Christmas dish for Puerto Ricans. And she wasn't a grandma who didn't cook or do anything.

L.T., 5th Grade, Lagrange Elementary

Basketball

2011-03-21T13:49:00.005-04:00

Gifford, Clive. Basketball. Marshall Cavendish. 2010. ISBN: 9780761444558.

The story Basketball is about how to play, how many players, and that all ages can enjoy this sport. It is also about what basketball is, who plays it, and how they use their best effort to win at the end of the game. I really like the artwork because it is realistic and on the front page it's a boy in 3D. I think that is cool and on page 12 it shows the whole description of the court and where the audience sits during the game. My favorite part about the book was pages 6-27 because the whole story is great because it really gives details of basketball and that all ages can play. I do recommend it for other kids because from looking at the pictures ages 6-12 should be able to read this book.

J.H. 5th Grade, Lagrange Elementary.

The Famous Nini

2011-03-21T13:40:00.003-04:00

Nethery, Mary. The Famous Nini. Clarion Books. 2010. ISBN: 9780618977697.

My story is about a stray cat named Nini and a poor woman named Nonna. Nonna was a poor woman and her stray car gives a famous composer a music note that makes the angry Pope smile, settles an argument, and makes a girl who doesn't talk speak.I think they made it out of pastels. The pictures overlap like most do. Although the pictures are cartoonish it looks real. I link this book because it is a mostly true story about a famous cat who blesses people. And it tells readers that you don't have to be a human to bless people. My favorite part is when the queen and king are arguing about which snack to make. I don't just recommend this book for kids, anyone could like it. I mostly recommend it for mothers and anyone ages five and up.

A.R. 5th Grade, Lagrange.

One More Acorn

2011-03-21T13:33:00.005-04:00

Freeman, Don. One More Acorn. Viking. 2010. ISBN: 9780670010837.

My book is about a squirrel named Earl who was looking for acorns for his furry family. His older squirrel son is named Hickory and his younger squirrel son is named Filbert and his baby is named Hazel. The illustrations are cartoonish and show many pictures of the squirrel family. My favorite part is when the squirrel jumped over the people's heads and hands and when Earl was looking for acorns. I recommend this to young children.

H.R. 5th Grade, Lagrange Elementary.

Sea Monsters

2011-03-21T13:29:00.003-04:00

Veitch, Catherine. Sea Monsters. Raintree. 2010. ISBN: 9781410937889.

My book is about sea monsters. There are many sea monsters such as a Crazy Kraken. The art is very nice and the graphics are sketched out and then colored in. This book is so good it should probably should have more book pages, at least 50 pages. I do like the book.

C.R. 5th Grade, Lagrange Elementary.

Jacques and de Beanstalk

2011-03-21T13:23:00.003-04:00

Artell, Mike. Jacques and de Beanstalk. Dial Books. 2010. ISBN: 978080372165.

This story is about a little boy named Jacques who was poor and needed money to grow crops. Jacques went to town to sell a cow. A man traded Jacques some magic beans for the cow. The are looks both cartoonish and realistic. I think the book will be great for kids and some adults could read it to their children or child. My favorite part is when Jacques was running from the giant. I recommend this to my cousin Dear Marie, from me. I think this would be a good book for ages four through 9.

R.W. 5th Grade, Lagrange Elementary.

Off Like the Wind!

2011-03-19T14:54:00.008-04:00

Spradlin, Michael. Off Like the Wind! Walker. 2010. ISBN: 9780802796523.

This story is about a new company called the Pony Express. A man named Johnny Fry has to carry mail from St. Joseph, Missouri to Sacramento, California. He had to go if it was raining, snowing, hailing, or sleeting, if it was winter, or summer, day or night. I liked the art work because if looked really realistic. The worlds, Native Americans and all the people, and the horses all looked real. He did a great, awesome job on the art work. My opinion on the book is that it is a real nonfiction book. It is really nice to read. My favorite part was all of it. I will share this book with my sister the next time I get to read it. I would recommend this to kids 8 and older.

S.C. 4th Grade, Lagrange Elementary.

Sleepover at Gramma's House

2011-03-19T14:20:00.006-04:00

Joose, Barbara. Sleepover at Gramma's House. Philomel. 2010. ISBN:9780399252617.

This story is about the grandma and the granddaughter, and the granddaughter is going to stay over at the grandma's house for a couple of days. They are having fun together and the grandma plays as if she is a child and the granddaughter plays the grandma. My favorite part is when they start painting and get messy and paint goes every where. The illustrator of this book is a great painter. I hope I get to read another book from this library and the illustrator should paint more. My favorite part of this book is when they read stories to each other and the granddaughter said "I'm going to change into my pink warmily p.j.s".

R.J. 4th Grade, Lagrange Elementary.

Trixie and Jinx

2011-03-19T14:12:00.008-04:00

Koontz, Dean. Trixie and Jinx. Putnam. 2010. ISBN:9780399251979.

It is about two best friends that do everything together. They go on a picnic and they play together. They play video games and read books together. Jinx says his family is leaving without Trixie and she has to find a new friend. The artist has tried to capture how someone is feeling. Its watery and beautiful. My favorite part was when her friend comes back so they can do the stuff they do. I recommend this book to kids cause when their friend goes away they can find a new one.

K.W. 4th Grade, Lagrange Elementary.

Portuguese Water Dogs

2011-03-19T14:02:00.005-04:00

Wheeler, Jill. Portuguese Water Dogs. ABDO. 2010. ISBN: 9781604537840.

This book is about Portuguese Water dogs and what they are like. The feeding, the dog family, what they are like, coat and color, size, care, things they need, and puppies are all in this book. The photographs are real and show photos of real dogs and what they are like. My favorite part was when it told about puppies. Protuguese Water dogs have a litter up to six puppies. The puppies stay with tehir mother until they are 8-12 weeks old. then they can find a new home with a different family.

T.B. 4th Grade, Lagrange Elementary.

Clemente!

2011-03-17T17:37:00.003-04:00

Perdomo, Willie. Clemente!. 2010. New York: Henry Holt and Company. ISBN: 9780805082241.

Clemente was a boy. His dad named him after his favorite baseball player named Roberto Clemente. His dad is the president of Clemente fan club. His uncle is another big Clemente fan. The boy at school is going to pick him to write about for hero day. He studies the baseball player, Roberto Clemente, who gets on an airplane. He is going to help people who lost their homes. The plane never got across the ocean; it was too heavy. Roberto disappeared. His family stands by the water and hoped he would come home. The art looks so real, and it does a good job. I love the book. My favorite part was when he said "En el dia mas grande de mi vida para los nenesme echen la bendicion." I think other kids will love it.

S.H., 4th Grade, Lagrange Elementary

All Star!: Honus Wagner and the Most Famous Baseball Card Ever

2011-03-17T17:00:00.003-04:00

Yolen, Jane. All Star!: Honus Wagner and the Most Famous Baseball Card Ever. 2010. New York: Philomel Books. ISBN: 9780399246616.

At the beginning Honus Wagner was born, and he had legs like a hunting arrow. After sixth grade he worked in the mines with his dad. He could lift two tons, and he was stronger than some men. But on Sundays, he went to church and played baseball. When he was 16, he joined the Mansfield Semipro team. Then after that he joined the Pittsburgh Pirates and won championships in 1900, 1903, 1904, 1906, 1907, 1908, 1909, and 1911. Then he had two little girls and taught them how to play baseball. The art is done in paintings. The art was good and showed lots of action. The colors made them look like old fashion paintings, too. My favorite painting was on page 20 when the crowd was throwing bottles at the team. My opinion about it is it was good, but I don't like baseball. I like basketball. The book was still good. My favorite part was when Honus picked up the kid and carried him on his back because he was the slowest kid on the team.

D.M., 5th Grade, Lagrange Elementary

The Blue House Dog

2011-03-17T12:45:00.003-04:00

Blumenthal, Deborah. The Blue House Dog. Peachtree. 2010. ISBN: 9781561455379.

There was a dog who was half German Shepard and something else. One eye was sapphire blue and the other was brown. He used to live with an old man until the man died. After the man died the dog was a stray. Then a boy tried to get him to come to him, but he wouldn't. He fed and watered the dog, but he still didn't come. The boy's dog got sick and died, so he wants the dog named Bones to be his.The pictures are very colorful and bright. They describe the words and show emotion. My opinion about the book is that it is very nicely done, but it need more description to grab the reader's attention. my favorite part was when the boy saves the dog from getting run over by the car. Yes, I recommend this book to kids. I think first through third graders would love this book. I definitely think that 5 to 7 years old is the perfect age group.

M.V. 5th Grade. Lagrange Elementary.

Alligator Wedding

2011-03-17T12:38:00.005-04:00

Jewell, Nancy. Alligator Wedding. Holt and Co. 2010. ISBN:9780805068191.

My story is about a big alligator wedding, which makes it a fiction story. It has lots of illustrations with swamp animals and things which are real animals, but they have clothes and can walk and play instruments. I like the pictures and I like the neat words the author uses to write the story. I also like the front cover with its big letters that are crazy. I like this story because it is fiction and I love fiction stories. I wish it had more at the end of the story too, because it was a great story. I recommend this story to little kids and older kids too. But I know I like this story.

M.D. 5th Grade, Lagrange Elementary.

Shrek

2011-03-17T12:30:00.005-04:00

Steig, William. Shrek. Farrar Straus Giroux. 2010. ISBN: 9780312384494.

This is a story about a boy named Shrek and he is uglier then his mother and father. Shrek's parents decided it was time for him to leave the black hole and Shrek went. He was walking down the road giving off his awful fumes going to find the princess so they could live happily ever after. The book says horribly ever after!The art in the book was okay, and I loved Shrek at the end with the princess. My opinion about the book was that I loved it, but some of the words I really didn't understand. Some words were there that didn't have anything to do with the pictures. I recommend this book to K-3rd grades and my favorite part was at the end when Shrek and princess were getting married.

L.P. 5th Grade, Lagrange Elementary.

Soccer

2011-03-16T18:02:00.003-04:00

Gifford, Clive. Soccer. 2010. New York: Marshall Cavendish Benchmark. ISBN: 9780761444602.

This story is mostly about how to play soccer. It shows how you are supposed to pass the ball, and they also show lots of positions and interesting pictures. You are also supposed to read the words that are under the pictures because you can understand it a lot better. The photographs are very interesting, and they capture pictures that you never thought photography could capture. They show action and lots of other stuff. My favorite part is when the pictures show famous soccer players. I do recommend this to other kids like my little brother. He is 10 years old. All ages interested in soccer would enjoy this book.

A.B., 5th Grade, Lagrange Elementary

Blast of Gas: the Secrets of Breathing, Burping, and Passing Gas

2011-03-16T17:12:00.003-04:00

Stewart, Melissa. Blast of Gas: the Secrets of Breathing, Burping, and Passing Gas. 2010. New York: Marshall Cavendish Benchmark. ISBN: 9780761441557.

This book is about breathing, burping, and passing gas. I liked it because it tells how you make yourself burp. (You are supposed to suck in air down your throat.) I learned from the book what gases are in the air: nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon dioxide. I learned the people can hold their breathe in for a minute. A world record is 15 minutes and 2 seconds. The book had both artwork and photographs. I like the pictures. They are real and neat. It shows a lot of art also. I would recommend this book to ages 5 to 17.

D.M., 4th Grade, Lagrange Elementary

Mimi's Dada Catifesto.

2011-03-15T17:31:00.003-04:00

Jackson, Shelley. Mimi's Dada Catifesto. 2010. Boston: Clarion Books.

My book is about a cat that is homeless, but the cat gets in big trouble and destroys something that belonged to an artist. The cat wrote a letter to the artist, and the cat got a home. I say the art is great. I just love the art; it is so good. The book is great because that cat gets to go everywhere. I would recommend this book to ages 8 to 12.

W.B., 4th Grade, Lagrange Elementary

The Sandwich Swap

2011-03-15T17:03:00.005-04:00

Abdullah, Queen Rania Al. The Sandwich Swap. 2010. New York: Disney-Hyperion Books. ISBN: 9781423124849.

I knew what the book was going to be about. The title is The Sandwich Swap. I knew it was going to be about sandwiches. It's about two girls who were friends. One friend had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and the other friend had a hummus sandwich.The illustrations took up the whole page. I would recommend this book for ages 7 to 10.

N.A., 5th Grade, Lagrange Elementary

The Monster Princess

2011-03-14T21:36:00.006-04:00

MacHale, D.J. The Monster Princess. Aladdin 2010. ISBN: 9781416948094.

"Deep in a cave there is a story it seems, of a sweet little monster with very big dream. She wished she was pretty. She wished she could dance. She wished to be special and this was her chance." This is how the Monster Princess begins. The princess pretends to be her friend but really tricked her, and they played a horrible joke that broke Lala's heart and spoiled her dreams. Then she saved them from a monster and they tried to be her friend. The End. The illustrations are great art. They shows a lot of action, feelings and color. I like the part when the girls first see the monster princess and they almost faint.

D.M. 4th Grade, Lagrange Elementary.

Naked Mole Rats

2011-03-14T21:31:00.004-04:00

Petrie, Kristin. Naked Mole Rats. Abdo. 2010. ISBN: 978-1-60453-738-3.

This story is about naked mole rats. It is about when a queen makes baby mole rats they stay with her for ten weeks. The queen can have 300 to 800 little rats. In Africa some people call the naked mole rats "sand puppies". Naked mole rats live happily in zoos and even in several national parks in Kenya. Some photographs have little puppies eating and some have where they live, where they sleep, and what they look like. This book also explains where they can be found. My favorite part is when it tells about the babies.

K.K. 4th Grade, Lagrange Elementary.

Recording

2011-03-14T21:26:00.003-04:00

Witmer, Scott. Recording. Abdo. 2010. ISBN: 978-1-60453-6942.

My book is about how music is recorded. It tells about equipment, music studios and home recording. This book has many photographs. This book was ok. I would recommend it to kids that are into music.

D. 4th Grade, Lagrange Elementary.

Chinchillas

2011-03-14T21:16:00.004-04:00

Handford, Tom. Chinchillas. Heinemann. 2010. ISBN:9781432938529.

This is a nonfiction story and it tells about the life of chinchillas and how their bodies work. It also tells how they use their feet and what happens when they eat. It tells us what colors they are and what happens if they nip or scratch someone. I think they used photographs to illustrate this book. I like the photographs because chinchillas are adorable and small. My favorite part is when the baby chinchilla is drinking milk from the mom chinchilla. I recommend it to my sister because I know she would like it. I think kids 9 and up would really enjoy this book.

K.D. 4th Grade. Lagrange Elementary.

Rain School

2011-03-14T21:08:00.005-04:00

Rumford, James. Rain School. Houghton Mifflin. 2010. ISBN:9780547243078.

Rain School is about the first day at school in Chad, Africa and the students have to build their own school. They did not know how at first, but it did not take long and they were happy when they got to sit inside and learn. Well I think it is a very good book and I think children would love it very much in many way. Rain School has very good art in it. I love that there is white in the color because it looks nice. I love it so much and others will too. I recommend Rain School to young girls and boys that love the outside and school. I think a lot of people will love this. It is great in many ways.

T.M. 4th Grade, Lagrange Elementary.

I Repeat, Don't Cheat

2011-03-14T19:52:00.003-04:00

Cuyler, Margery. I Repeat, Don't Cheat. 2010. Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing. ISBN: 9781416971672.

This story is about a girl named Jessica who was worried about everything: like falling off of her bike, seeing aliens in the backyard, and getting bit by a spider and feeding her dog Wiggles. The art is colorful and cartoonish and the colors are bright. I didn't really care for this book because they did not spell things right and the pictures were bad because of the lines in the hair and stuff but besides that it was good. I recommend this to my sister because she would like it.

A. W., 5th grade, Lagrange Elementary

The Rooster Prince of Bestov

2011-03-14T18:14:00.004-04:00

Stampler, Ann R., The Rooster Prince of Bestov. Clarion Books. 2010. ISBN: 9780618989744.

My book, The Rooster Prince of Brestov, is about a prince who had more than he wanted. The prince is in the middle of a lavish lunch when he jumped out of his chair, ripped off his clothes and shoes, and squatted on the marble floor and said buck-buck-buck. He clucked scratching the marble floor with his toes and pecking at crumbs. My book has a lot of colors in it and has a lot of designs in it with the colors. I like the book I reviewed. It was a very nice book to read and I think it would be nice if my cousin Kayla would read it.

K.S. 4th grade, Lagrange Elementary.

Elephants

2011-03-14T17:37:00.008-04:00

Schwabacher, Martin. Elephants. 2010. New York: Marshall Cavendish. ISBN: 9780761443438.

My book was about elephants, and it was interesting. Elephants are the largest living land animals on earth. Elephants are so big, they can grow taller than one whole school bus. Plus I like that they compared African elephants and Asian elephants, and I see thay are complete opposites. I don't really have much to say about page 17. I hate the people who killed them. I would recommend this book to animal lovers.

H.R., 4th grade, Lagrange Elementary

Sneezenesia

2011-03-09T12:23:00.003-05:00

Lucke, Deb. Sneezenesia. 2010. Boston: Clarion Books. ISBN: 9780547330068.

Sneezenesia is about a boy who sneezed so hard he forgot a lot of stuff, like his own name. He also forgot what his mom looked like. He sneezed so hard he forgot where he was and how he got there. He sneezed so hard that things he learned came out of his nose like an "eight," then a "six" and then a "two." He sneezed Pilgrims planting corn and a hanky's worth of Presidents. He sneezed all of his thoughts out, but how will he get them all back in? The illustrations are mostly on black backgrounds and some of it rhymes. I can't pick one favorite part because I liked it all.

T. L., 4th grade, Lagrange Elementary

Once Upon a Royal Superbaby

2011-03-09T11:41:00.002-05:00

O'Malley, Kevin. Once Upon a Royal Superbaby. Illustrated by Kevin O'Malley, Carol Heyer, and Scott Goto. New York: Walker & Company. 2010. ISBN: 9780802721648.

This book has three stories in one. First, two little kids, who we don't know their names, are told by their teacher to write a story together. The other story is about a royal superbaby who helps save people. The third story is about a queen, Tenderheart, who got married. The baby has superpowers and can talk to birds. Eventually the superbaby saves his mom and dad, the queen and king, by swooping in on the queen's unicorn and rescuing them and the family was finally together. The art in this book is a cartoon and I recommend this for anyone to read. It doesn't matter if you are old or young. I think this was a good book and I like books with cartoon characters. My favorite part was when the superbaby was saving people from things like the cyclops and my favortie picture is the one where the superbaby was on the motorcycle looking cool with everyone around him.

S.S. 5th grade, Lagrange Elementary

The Daily Comet: Boy Saves Earth from Giant Octopus

2011-01-12T10:18:00.002-05:00

Asch, Frank. The Daily Comet: Boy Saves Earth from Giant Octopus! Kids Can Press. ISBN: 978-1-55453-281-0

Hayward’s dad works for The Daily Comet, a newspaper that only seems to publish ridiculous, positively-untrue stories about monsters and historical figures. Hayward knows that the stories cannot be true, which is why he believes the odd encounters his father and he have during Take Your Son to Work Day must be exaggerated or staged. Or are they? Told in a style befitting any tabloid, Frank and Devin Asch capture Hayward’s disdain so well in both the text and illustrations that the reader believes Hayward’s assumptions have to be right. I had so much fun anticipating what outrageous event would be waiting each time I turned the page. From Elvis to a giant octopus, this one is fun to read and believe.

Kellie Tilton, BGSU librarian

Shrek

2011-01-12T09:58:00.002-05:00

Steig, William. Shrek! Farrar Straus Giroux. ISBN: 978-0-374-36879-1

Most of us are, by now, familiar with the movie Shrek and its multiple sequels. Many may not be aware that the popular animated movies came from a book of the same name by William Steig. There are, as in any book-to-film translation, some similarities and some differences. The book’s Shrek doesn’t have the emotional side that the movie’s titular character does. Steig’s Shrek does still have the bad manners, ogre appearance and general disdain for everyone that makes anyone from 0 to 99 giggle as he storms the castle looking for his princess. With Donkey’s role much more reduced, I’m not sure how those who have seen the movie first will react to the original material, but the gruesome drawings and Shrek himself should win some over, I would hope.

Kellie Tilton, BGSU librarian

Animal Crackers Fly the Coop

2011-01-12T09:53:00.002-05:00

O’Malley, Kevin. Animal Crackers Fly the Coop. Walker & Company. 2010. ISBN: 978-0-8027-9837-4

Animal Crackers Fly the Coop is perfect for joke-lovers. Packed full with wise-cracks and play-on-words, we follow four wannabe-comedian animals looking to make it big when things go bad on the farm. The illustrations are good, although the highlight is the thought bubble jokes that accompany the illustrations – jokes that are bound to keep anyone giggling for days. The story is a cute one and, as I mentioned above, has wry jokes hidden within the text, which makes it great for older kids. This means, though, that some of the punch lines will go above the heads of younger readers. Overall, a book filled with laughs and giggles.

K. Tilton, BGSU librarian

The Junkyard Wonders

2010-11-10T13:17:00.002-05:00

Polacco, Patricia. The Junkyard Wonders. Philomel Books, a division of Penguin Young Readers Group. 2010. ISBN: 3780399250781

In The Junkyard Wonders, Patricia Polacco recounts her experiences of being put in a class for special needs as a child and meeting Mrs. Peterson, the class' teacher. In an incredibly touching tribute to both her former teacher and her fellow "tribe" members, Polacco combines text and colorful, pencil-lined drawings to indicate how bullies affected her life and how Mrs. Peterson and her classmates helped recognize Trisha's potential and inner-genius. The ending is incredibly heart-warming and will have many reaching for tissues.

The Junkyard Wonders is slightly text-heavy, but it would be a great read-and-discuss book for any child. The pictures are done roughly, but provide bright color and illustrate each scene incredibly well.

Kellie Tilton, BGSU Librarian

One Too Many : A Seek & Find Counting Book

2010-11-10T13:09:00.003-05:00

Marino, Gianna. One Too Many: A Seek and Find Counting Book. Chronicle Books LLC. 2010. ISBN: 9780811869089

One Too Many is a beautifully illustrated book that encourages visual learning and counting techniques. We begin on page one with 1 flea and with every turn of the page another group of animals joins our flea in the barnyard. The illustrations of each animal are similar in coloring, forcing readers to hunt for each new animal as they join the gathering group of barnyard cronies. The ending also is surprising and funny, which is always great to see in education-based books.

There is little text on each page, usually just a number in the upper-right corner. The final spread does have a bit of text, however, as it provides the answer for the seek and find game and suggests more difficult seeking games to play throughout the book for fun re-reads.

Kellie Tilton, BGSU Librarian

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

2010-05-14T14:48:00.004-04:00

Furman, Simon. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. IDW Publishing. 2009. ISBN: 9781600104558.

My book is about a Decpticon named Wheelie who was tortured. Then he was led to see a Seeker named Jetfire. Jetfire teleported everyone to Cairo, Egypt. The final battle was going to assault the Decepticons in New Jersey. Optimus Prime was brought in to negotiate. Sam was heading to the Star Harvester. The twins started to fight in the tomb. Optimus joined the fight. Sam put the Matrix dust in his sock. A portal opened and the Ancient Decepticon appeared. For the illustrations, I did not think all the Primes matched the movie. Their forms and weapons are different. I really liked the comic book illustrations though. I think they look like a big kid version of Transformers and that's what I like.

J.K., Homeschooled Group, 3rd grade.

Chicken and Cat Clean Up

2010-05-14T14:37:00.004-04:00

Varon, Sarah. Chicken and Cat Clean Up. Scholastic Press. 2009. ISBN: 9780439634083.

The lesson in my book is about Chicken and Cat's cleaning service and how Cat couldn't do anything right. So Cat got kicked out! When he was outside a wanted mouse stole something. So, Cat caught the mouse and turned him in. For doing that Cat got a reward and bought a turtle. In the end, Cat found the one thing he was good at and now it's Chicken and Cat's Cleaning and Mouse Catching Services. The art in this book is cartoonish. My opinion on this book is that if I were babysitting a child ages 1-3, I would LOVE to show and this book to him/her.

M.T., Homeschooled Group, 5-6 Grade.

Errol and His Extraordinary Nose

2010-05-14T14:10:00.004-04:00

Conway, David. Errol and His Extraordinary Nose. Holiday House. 2010. ISBN: 9780823422623.

This book is about a little elephant who is trying to find a special talent that he has. There is a talent show coming up at his school. Everyone else has talent and he doesn't. The lesson could be that everyone is special in their own way. Everyone has something unique that they can do. The artwork is cartoonish and brightly colored. It is also expressive in showing what the character is feeling. It is very big and easy to see. The pictures also show the mood and time of day it is. I liked the book because it shows a good lesson that everyone is special in their own way. It is also very colorful and illustrated in a way that is very attractive. The page where the chameleon brothers sing the song, "Sing a Rainbow". I really like it because it says their best talent is making friends, which is a good way to end the book. I think that younger kids would enjoy it. Kids 3-7 years old would benefit and enjoy it especially. Any age group would enjoy it but I think this is the age group it is focused on.

J.D., Homeschooled Group, Upper Grades.

Ten in the Bed

2010-05-14T14:03:00.004-04:00

Didion, Griffin. Ten in the Bed. Holiday House. 2006. ISBN: 9780823420278.

This book is about animals falling out of bed and imagining they are someone else. The pictures are very bright and the animals are friendly looking. My favorite part was when the animals were dressed as pirates. It made me laugh. I would recommend this book to newborns to 4 years old.

G.D., Homeschooled Group, 2nd grade.

The Longest Night

2010-05-13T16:39:00.005-04:00

Bauer, Marion Dane. The Longest Night. Holiday House. 2009. ISBN: 9780823420544.

The story was about a moose, crow, and fox trying to get the sun back because it is winter and they're tired of the cold. This little chickadee is tired of the cold too. The moose and fox say they can bring the sun back because they are big and strong. The crow says it can bring the sun back because it can fly better. But, the wind says they are not the right ones to awake the sun. The chickadee is really small but the wind says it was the right one to awaken the sun. The lesson is no matter how small you are, you can always do it. The illustrator really put his time in it because it was really detailed. It was with dark colors but it was still really cool. My favorite part was at the end when the wind said that the chickadee could awaken the sun. I definitely recommend this book to other kids. I would reccommend it to smaller kids because the chickadee was small and could still awaken the sun and to kids who are interested in nature.

M.C., Homeschooled Group, 5-6 Grade.

The Underground Gators

2010-05-13T16:27:00.004-04:00

Casey, Tina. The Underground Gators. Dutton Juvenile. 2009. ISBN: 9780525472131.

This book tells you the opinion of what the kid is thinking about, which is, what the alligators do in the city. The art is descriptive and humorous. It has some what cartoonish illustrations. I think this would be a good book for kids 2-6 years old.

W.D., Homeschooled Group, 5-6 Grade.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars

2010-05-13T16:16:00.005-04:00

Gilroy, Henry. Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Dark Horse. 2009. ISBN: 9781595823496.

This book is about Anakin, Obi-Wan, R2-D2, and Ahsoka. They went to a ship to see if any slaves were on it. They didn't find them. So, they are going to go to an auction to find them in the next book. The pictures are darker colors. They are comic pictures because it is a graphic novel book. My favorite part was the middle because they were fighting the bad guys on the ship. I would recommend this book to people who like Star Wars.

D., Homeschooled Group, 2nd grade.

Love That Puppy

2010-05-13T16:05:00.005-04:00

Jarka, Jeff. Love That Puppy. Henry Holt and Co. 2009. ISBN: 9780805087413.

This book is about a little boy who decided he wanted to be a dog. The lesson is just be happy with who you are. The colors of the illustrations described feelings. It was creative, comic, cartoon art. It was a fun family book. My favorite part is when Peter told the teacher he ate his home work. I would recommend this book for families with kids 3-9 years old.

H.C., Homeschooled Group, 4th grade.

Winnie Finn, Worm Farmer

2010-05-13T15:55:00.004-04:00

Brendler, Carol. Winnie Finn, Worm Farmer. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. 2009. ISBN: 9780374384401.

This book was about a girl named Winnie Finn who loved to care for worms. It was a creative book with more realistic pictures. I loved how expressive Winnie's cat was. It's hilarious! The lesson was that something little doesn't always do little things. It can do big things too. I love this book because she cares so much for something most people find disgusting. I like when everyone wins first place and Winnie gets a new wagon. I would reccomend this book to kids 5-10 years old. I thought it was fun!

A.C., Homeschooled Group, Upper Grades.

Every Cowgirl Needs a Horse

2010-05-13T15:39:00.004-04:00

Janni, Rebecca. Every Cowgirl Needs a Horse. Dutton Juvenile . 2010. ISBN: 9780525421641.

This book is about a cowgirl who wanted a horse. The pictures are friendly. My favorite part was the end because she got a horse. I would recommend this book to 4-6 year olds.

M., Homeschooled Group, 2nd grade.

Tough Chicks

2010-05-13T14:43:00.003-04:00

Meng, Cece. Tough Chicks. Clarion Books. Illustrated by Melissa Suber. 2009. ISBN: 9780618824151.

This book is about 3 chicks; Penny, Polly, and Molly. They are very tough and do not act like normal chickens. It was a very cartoony book with nice fictional, colorful pictures. I thought it was very cute. It teaches that some people are not as bad as you think. You might like them anyway. I thought it was cute and funny. I liked how they always went over and beyond on everything they did. I liked how they kept tinkering with the farmer's tractor. Funny! I think lots of kids would like this book, probably ages 5-9. I loved it!

A.C., Homeschooled Group, Upper Grades.

The Jellybeans and the Big Book Bonanza

2010-05-13T14:14:00.004-04:00

Numeroff, Laura. The Jellybeans and the Big Book Bonanza. Abrams Books for Young Readers. 2010. ISBN: 9780810984127.

This book is about girls who had to write a book report on something they liked. Only Anna wanted to do this. But she got her friends in the library, and then they liked it. But, Anna got scared when she gave her report. Her friends helped her. We should always stick with our friends. The pictures are pretty. I like the colorful jellybeans. The animals looked furry and soft even though I can't really touch them.

L.K., Homeschooled Group, 2nd grade.

Wolf Camp

2010-05-13T13:46:00.006-04:00

McKy, Katie. Wolf Camp. Tanglewood Press. 2009. ISBN: 9781933718217.

A girl named Maddie asks her mom if she can go to camp: wolf camp. When she got back she acted strange. She only ate meat, she scratched her head with her foot, and growled at the dog! Is Maddie turning into a wolf?! The artwork was pretty good. I think the expression was very accurate. The way the illustrator made Maddie look with the torn jeans, stuff in her hair, and other things like that helped me to imagine Maddie really acting the way she did. It was a very good book. I really loved it. My favorite part was when she was playing tug-o-war with the dog. It was a cute book. I recommend this to children ages 4+ and children who like animals.

R.C., Homeschooled Group, 5-6 grade

Drag Racing

2010-05-05T19:09:00.005-04:00

Kelley, K.C. Drag Racing. Marshall Cavendish. 2010. ISBN: 9780761443841.

Overall, the book Drag Racing is astonishing. It hands out facts everywhere. It really keeps the readers into the book. I think the inside stories were really awesome, too. The pictures really catch the readers eyes. There is one where the Mustang is exploding with fire like a bomb. For the benefit of kids across America, I would recommend this book to 4th graders. If they like drag racing, they will like this book.

J.N., St. Pius X School, 7th Grade

Monster Trucks

2010-05-05T18:55:00.003-04:00

Gigliotti, Jim. Monster Trucks. Marshall Cavendish. 2010. ISBN:978-0-7614-4385-8 .

Monster Trucks is about how monster trucks came into sports. Many monster trucks are just normal trucks with big tires. It also shows what is in the monster trucks. I liked this book because it was very interesting, and the photos were really cool. I would recommend this book to grade 5th through freshmen.

F.B., St. Pius X School, 7th grade

The Spartan Hoplites

2010-05-05T18:26:00.006-04:00

Park, Louise and Timothy Love. The Spartan Hoplites. Marshall Cavendish. 2010. ISBN: 978-0-7614-4449-7.

The Spartan Hoplites is an informational story on the rise and tragic fall of the once great city- state of Sparta. It tells of the life style of a boy from his day of birth to his day in battle. They were raised in a hard life style of training to make them strong. They would train for years, so they could fight for their leaders. The Spartans were a strong force, but when Persia was going to take power, 300 men were ready to die fighting for their leaders. Although they were defeated, they took a large number of the Persian men. I think that this book is a wonderful informational story. It is fascinating because it goes into detail anf is great for people who really like history. It is overall a great book to read. I think this book is great for ages 8 and up because you have to be a little bit older to understand it, but I would recommend this book to everyone because I really enjoyed it.

P.S., St. Puis X School, 7th grade

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Adventure of the Empty House

2010-05-05T17:32:00.003-04:00

Goodwin, Vincent. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Adventure of the Empty House. Magic Wagon. 2010. ISBN:9781602707245.

The Adventure of the Empty House is basically another adventure of the infamous Sherlock Holmes. In another murder thriller, Holmes along with his partner, Dr. John Watson, tries to catch a criminal that has been crafty enough to escape the fantastic mind of Sherlock Holmes. But not for long. The team of detectives came face to face at a waterfall somewhere in a remote area in Switzerland. The criminal then pulls a gun and there is a struggle. Both tumble and fall off of the cliff while leaving Watson up on the falls above. Will Holmes survive? At first, this book was sort of interesting. I thought that this book was extremely under my reading level, thus it was hard to follow. I also don't really like comic-type books. Otherwise, it was great!

This book would be great for people from the ages of early sixth grade down to the ending of fourth grade. I think they would really like it.

J.S. St. Pius X School, 7th grade

Revolution in Computers

2010-05-05T17:05:00.003-04:00

Jackson, Cari. Revolution in Computers. Marshall Cavendish Benchmark. 2010. ISBN:9780761443759.

I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to know more about computers. It begins with taking you back to the first "real" computers, known as the "Mark I". The book also gives a biography about Howard Aiken and how the Mark I worked. The author proceeds to explain how sharing music is illegal. Then she introduces Grace Murray Hopper. This book teached you about the Binary code, and gives a biography on Ms. Hopper. This book also tells you about PC's and a programming software called Net Logo.

We then go into the world of chips and the Microprocessor. We are introduced to Jack Kilby, Robert Noyce and the age old struggle between Apple and Microsoft. This book teaches us about the operating system (OS), and we see Mr. Bill Gates and Steve Jobs. To wrap it up, we take a quick look at Tim Berners-Lee, and Jaron Lanier. Who are they? Well, Tim made the internet and Jaron invented virual reality!

I like this book mainly because I am a computer person. I think it teaches basic facts and maybe a thing or two extra. I would recommend this book to kids who want to learn about computers. Not too young of kids though, but around the 4th grade level. The cute, comical pictures should help them to get through it.

B.C. St. Pius X School, 7th grade

Every Cowgirl Needs a Horse

2010-05-05T15:40:00.006-04:00

Janni, Rebecca. Every Cowgirl Needs a Horse. Illustrated by Lynne Avril. Dutton Children's Books: 2010. ISBN: 9780525421641.

I like the water color paintings in Every Cowgirl Needs a Horse. They are very well-painted and exciting. This book is about a little girl who thinks she needs a horse for everything. So for her birthday she receives a "horse" but she soon realizes it will be harder taming her horse than she thought. I think this book would be good for younger girls because of all the pink, pretty, and horse themed ideas in the story. I think girls from ages 4-7 would most enjoy this book.

B.S. St. Pius X School, 7th Grade

Xtreme Sports: Base Jumping

2010-05-05T15:30:00.004-04:00

Hamilton, S. Xtreme Sports: Base Jumping. ABDO Publishing Company: 2010. ISBN: 9781616130015.

Base jumping is about people going beyond skydiving. They jump off buildings, antennas and objects world wide. A lot of people have died from doing this. I did not like this book because I didn't find it interesting. I don't think it's a safe activity because people have died from it. I would recommend this book for ages 8-12 or anyone who is interested in extreme sports.

N.W. St. Pius X School, 7th Grade

Sylvia Jean, Scout Supreme

2010-05-05T15:21:00.005-04:00

Ernest, Lisa. Sylvia Jean, Scout Supreme. Dutton Children's Books: 2010. ISBN: 9780525478737.

Sylvia Jean is a pig scout who is trying to earn her good-deed badge. Her plan is to help her neighbor Mrs. Van Hooven who had broken her ankle, but Sylvia is banned from visiting her neighbor. So she thinks of an idea to dress up and secretly visit Mrs. Van Hooven. This book shows dedication to achieving goals. The pictures in this book are full of color. I liked this book because it shows how you can set your goals and even if something gets in your way you can achieve them. If you are not of younger age you would lose interest fast. I think more of younger kids would enjoy this book around the ages of 5-8.

K.B. St. Pius X School, 7th Grade

Big Cats

2010-05-05T12:26:00.005-04:00

Hamilton, S.L. Big Cats. Abdo Publishing. 2010. ISBN: 478-1-50453-991-2.

This book Big Cats is about lions, cougars, and black cats. The pictures in this book show what they eat, how far they can jump; like a cougar can jump 30 feet from a stand still. I liked this book because of all the interesting stuff in this book, like cougars sharpen their claws on trees and cheetahs are the fastest land animal. I would recommend this book to those who are eight years old and up.

Q.M., St. Pius X School, 7th grade

Over at the Castle

2010-05-04T18:47:00.005-04:00

Ashburn, Boni. Over at the Castle. Illustrated by Kelly Murphy. Abrams Books for Young Readers: 2010. ISBN: 9780810984141.

The setting is a kingdom in Medieval times. It tells about the different kinds of people and the types of jobs that they have. There are also two mischievous dragons and the soldiers are assigned to keep an eye on them in case of any unexpected tricks. The illustrations were done by Kelly Murphy, in bright paint, and were interesting to look at. This book had colorful pictures and fun, rhyming dialogue, therefore I enjoyed reading it. The paintings were nicely done and also comical, which I particularly liked a lot. The book has a promising storyboard for young children. I recommend this book for preschoolers through first graders. The pictures and rhyming are definitely best for young readers. I'm sure they would mostly enjoy the fun paintings.

M.L. St. Pius X School, 7th Grade

Errol and His Extraordinary Nose

2010-05-04T18:40:00.005-04:00

Conway, Errol. Errol and His Extraordinary Nose. Illustrated by Roberta Angaramo. Holiday House: 2010. ISBN: 9780823422623.

This book is about Errol the elephant. All of the animals in his school have special talents except Errol. Then the principal announces that there will be a talent show at school. Errol becomes sad because he thinks he doesn't have a talent. This book is about Errol's quest to find his talent. The illustrations in this book were wonderful. They fit the story perfectly. This is a very good book because it is entertaining to little kids while teaching them important lessons. I think this book is best fit for first grade and under. It teachers that everyone has a talent and that everyone is unique.

Q.W. St. Pius X School, 7th Grade.

Transformers: Revenge of The Fallen

2010-05-04T18:29:00.007-04:00

Furman, Simon. Transformers: Revenge of The Fallen. Spotlight: 2010. ISBN: 9781599617282

This book is about a group of autobots who are good and they try to stop the threat of the decepticons with a group of kids helping. There is not much to say about a comic book but I did like the story line although the illustrations were not the best. I think that grades 1-3 would enjoy this the most.

K.K. St. Pius X School, 7th Grade

The Little Red Hen and the Passover Matzah

2010-05-04T17:18:00.007-04:00

Kimmelman, Leslie. The Little Red Hen and The Passover Matzah. Illustrated by Paul Meisel. Holiday House. 2010. ISBN:978-0-8234-1952-4.

The book The Little Red Hen and the Passover Matzah is about a Jewish hen who plans to get ready for the Passover. The hen needs help with making the Matzah and asks her friends for help, but they don't help at all. The hen had to do all the work. I liked this book because it tells about the hard work Jewish families go through to get ready for seder meal. I read this book to my little sister, and she enjoyed the book as well. The artwork looks like it is painted. I like the way the different colors of paint come together. People who would enjoy this story would be the lower grades like 1st through 3rd grades. This book is good to tell about the Passover meal and Jewish traditions.

M.B., St. Pius X School, 7th grade

Biggest Animals, That's Wild!: a Look at Animals

2010-05-04T16:56:00.004-04:00

Murray, Julie. Biggest Animals, That's Wild!: A Look at Animals. ABDO Consulting Group Inc. 2010. ISBN: 978-1-60453-976-9.

Biggest Animals, That's Wild!: A Look at Animals is very factual. It has beautiful photographs, showing the facts about the biggest animals in the world. This book shows the wonder of animals. I liked this book because I like animals, and I liked learning all the facts about them. I would suggest this book to any grade from kindergarten to fifth grade because it has many facts about animals.

A.E., St Pius School, 7th grade

The Song of Francis

2010-05-04T16:30:00.004-04:00

DePaola, Tomie. The Song of Francis. G.P. Putnam's Sons. 2009. ISBN: 978-0399-25210-5.

The Song of Francis is a fiction book. As you can probably tell by the title, Francis sings a song. In this song, he tells about how God loves you. This is a very colorful book, and the pictures are very eye catching. I like this book because it does show that God loves everything and everyone. All the pictures grab your attention. I appreciate how the book ties in God. In addition to that, it tells us that we should admire the Lord. I think that people in kindergarten and first grade would benefit most from this book. The words are at a good reading level for younger kids.

M.J., St. Pius X School, 7th grade

Once Upon a Baby Brother

2010-05-03T20:46:00.005-04:00

Sullivan, Sarah. Once Upon a Baby Brother. Illustrated by Trisha TusaFarrar, Straus and Giroux. 2010. ISBN: 978-0-374-34635-5.

Ever since Lizzie was very little, she loved to tell stories. She told them to everyone she could. When her parents had her baby brother Marvin, no one at home had time to hear her stories. At least her teacher Mrs. Pennyroyal loved to hear her stories. Everyday when she got time to write at school, Lizzie wrote all she could. Then one day when she sat down to write, she couldn't think of anything. Will she be able to write a story again? I though this book was very good. It is exciting to read for almost any age. When Lizzie goes to school, it is an exciting part to read. I also thought that the strengths of the book were high. I would recommend this book to kids from ages 1 to 10. I liked it and think other kids will too. They will enjoy the book and will realize that even if you don't like something in the beginning, you may end up liking it after all.

E.G., St. Pius X School, 7th Grade

Tutus Aren't My Style

2010-05-03T20:13:00.004-04:00

Skeers, Linda. Tutus Aren't My Style. Illustrated by Anne Wilsdorf. The Penguin Group. 2010. ISBN: 978-0-8037-3212-4.

The book Tutus Aren't My Style is about when Emma gets a special package from her uncle and finds out it's a ballerina costume. Is she up to the challange to be a ballerina? Or will she crash and tumble through disaster? I think this is a really good book and tells you that you can make your own rules if other people tell you different. I enjoyed the creativeness in how the author thought of ways to show how Emma and her friends think of ways for her to become a ballerina. I would recommend this book to younger girl readers because girls will be able to understand why Emma would be having trouble being a ballerina and how she feels when she can make up her own rules for being a ballerina.

A.F., St. Pius. X School, 7th grade

How Big is your Water Footprint?

2010-05-03T19:47:00.005-04:00

Mason, Paul. How Big is your Water Footprint? Marshall Cavendish Benchmark. 2010. ISBN: 978-0-7614-4417-6.

How Big is your Water Footprint? is about how much we are use water. It talks about ways we can conserve water in the garden, outside, and anything else in our everyday lives. It tells you how more and more people are using water, and leaving "heavy footprints" on the Earth. Also, it lists ways to leave a lighter water footprint on the Earth, and what could happen if we don't. The pictures in this book are all photos, relating to the ways to conserve our water. I personally like this book because it showed me many ways that I am overusing water that I could fix. It shows the effects we will someday have on Earth if we keep using so much water, which makes me want to save the Earth's water even more. I don't think there is any definite age group for this book, but it would probably be most interesting/helpful to grade school kids. It lists ways we overuse the water that are most common, so in a way, we can relate, even if it is just telling our parents about how much water to use when they wash the dishes, take a shower, or do the laundry.

L.P., St. Pius X Scholl, 7th grade

The JellyBeans and the Big Book Bonanza

2010-05-03T15:43:00.002-04:00

Numeroff, Laura, and Nate Evans. The JellyBeans and the Big Book Bonanza. Illustrated by Lynn Munsinger. Abrams Book for Young Readers. 2010. ISBN: 9780810984127.

The book The JellyBeans and the Big Book Bonanza is about Anna and her best friends. It shows and talks about how much Anna likes to read and where she reads. Anna always wanted her friends to go to the library with her. One day, their teacher assigned a book report. Each student had to read a book about something they loved then write a report on it. So Anna and her friends went to the library but had problems finding their own books. What I liked most about this book was how close Anna was to her friends. I also liked how much Anna loved to read. One of the things that will catch the readers eye on every page is the illustrations. They are fantastic! The illustrations are water colors. The words are also amazing. Kids will definitely want to keep reading. I would recommend The JellyBeans and the Big Book Bonanza to kindergartens through fourth graders. They will love this book because of the words and because of the colorful and fun pictures.

E.C., St. Pius X School, 7th grade

Motorcross

2010-05-03T14:20:00.000-04:00

Stealey, Bryan. Motocross. Marshall Cavendish Benchmark: 2010 ISBN: 9780761443865.

The book I read was about motocross. Motocross is a popular and extreme sport. You race on dirt bikes against other people on a narrow track. There is another type of racing in which contestants compete on a four-wheeled ATV. In this book you will find out about two different bikes, the 450 class and 250 class. You will also find what you need to wear to be safe. There are also a couple different tracks to race on. You will also read about some "Motocross Heroes". There is also a women's motorcross, it is not just a guy's sport. I liked this book a lot, I did not know any thing about motocross before. This book was a great book for me to read when I had no idea what motocross was. There was nothing that I disliked about the book. I would recommend this book to children who like motocross and also to children who want to get to know about motocross, around 4th to 7th graders.

S.R. St Pius X School, 7th Grade

The Taming of Lola: A Shrew Story

2010-05-03T09:30:00.005-04:00

Weiss, Ellen and Jerry Smath. The Taming of Lola: A Shrew Story. Illustrated by jerry Smith. Abrams Books for Young Readers. 2010. ISBN: 9780810940666

The Taming of Lola: A Shrew Story is about Lola a shrew who lived at the edge of West Meadow. Everytime Lola didn't want something that her parents did want, she had a fit. Lola always got her way because her parents did not want to fight with her. One day at dinner, Lola's parents made an announcement that her cousin Lester from the East Meadow was going to stay with them for awhile. Lola had four hundred and twenty-three cousins but had never met Lester. Eventually, she gave in. Lester was just like Lola, if he didnt want something such as spider pie, he would not eat it. Both Lola and Lester got into a screaming fight because Lola said that she was the only one that could talk like that in her family. After awhile their voices began to get tired although they began to fight again over which bed to sleep in and what to do the next day. The family then left them at the house to go on a picnic. Lola and Lester started to get hungry and Lola began to realize something very important. I really enjoyed reading the book The Taming of Lola: A Shrew Story because it takes me back to when my brother and I constantly fought about silly things. The story also has a very important point to it saying that its not fun to fight and you miss out on some very important things. Plus the story had GREAT pictures! That really brought the whole book together. The age that would benefit from the story The Taming of Lola: A Shrew Story would be seven year olds. The story teaches them how to not fight because you can miss some important things in life. Starting out young is the best way for kids not to be so selfish and learn that peace is better than fighting.

S.C., St. Pius X School, 7th grade

The Easter Egg

2010-05-03T08:37:00.004-04:00

Brett, Jan. The Easter Egg. The Penguin Group. 2010 ISBN: 9780399252389.

The Easter Egg is about a little bunny named Hoppi who wants to win the best Easter egg. Hoppi goes around his neighborhood hoping to get some ideas. As he looks at each egg, he grows more and more sad. When Hoppi gets to the woods, he finds a blue robin's egg. Hoppi promises the mother he will take good care of her baby and that he does. The artwork in this story is awesome! The pictures are extremely detailed and I would like to see more of this artwork again. I did not like this book, I loved it! The artwork is amazing and it must take a lot of time to make. The story has a beautiful ending. I would like to read more of the author's books. I would recomend the book The Easter Egg to anyone because this book has a great meaning.

J.T., St. Pius X School, 7th grade

My Friends the Flowers

2010-05-02T17:10:00.008-04:00

Lach, William, Doug Kennedy. My Friends the Flowers. Illustrated by Doug Kennedy. Abrams Books for Young Readers. 2010. ISBN: 9780810983977

Have you ever thought about how many friends a bee would have? Well in the book My Friends the Flowers, you will discover all of a bee's friends. From flowers to cactus's, a bee always has someone to hang out with. The art work in this story is very bold and bright. To a kid, these pictures would catch their eye and they would want to keep reading! However, of you don't really like the story in this book, you can look in the back. The back of the book is filled with different types of flowers and information on how to grow them. This book would be a great book for younger children. In the book My Friends the Flowers, I personally liked the pictures in the book. The pictures were very fine and bright. It always kept me going to see what picture was going to come next. Although the book was a little young for me, I very much enjoyed it. The first page in the book really caught my attention. It was very bright and beautiful. It really brought you into the story and kept you wanting to read. I think kids between the ages of 4 and 7 would enjoy the book My Friends the Flowers. I think girls would like this book. Young ages would like this book as well for the pictures and the older ages would like this book for the interesting facts at the end.

C.K., St. Pius X School, 7th grade

The Scandinavian Vikings

2010-05-02T16:45:00.001-04:00

Love, Timothy, and Louise Park. The Scandinavian Vikings. Marshall Cavendish Benchmark Books:2009. ISBN: 9780761444459.

My book was about the Vikings who terrorized Europe for many years. Vikings sailed on ships called long ships. They carried swords, battle axes, spears and daggers. They believed in Norse mythology. Some of those Gods are Oden, Thor and Loki. Today Vikings do not exist, but their legend will live on forever. I liked this book. It taught me many things about Vikings I did not know like where Vikings started out at and when they were defeated. Another thing that I didn't know was that the first European to touch North America was a Viking. The one weakness in this book is that some people will find it boring. The people who would most enjoy this book is people who want to learn about Vikings and people who want to learn about history. The age group who would enjoy this is middle school.

A.W., St. Pius X School, 7th Grade

Portugese Water Dogs

2010-05-02T15:07:00.001-04:00

Wheeler, Jill. Portuguese Water Dogs. ABDO: 2010. ISBN: 9781604537840.

This book is about Portuguese water dogs. Why this particular breed of dog you might ask. I think it's because they are so popular right now since the president has one. The book tells you what the type of dog is like and how to take care of them. It says to me "this dog would make a good dog for you". I think this is a very informative and interesting book. It tells you what having a Portuguese water dog is like without being boring. I feel the book talks to you about the dog instead of just telling you. I think I might get one of these dogs. I think this book would be good for anyone who can read because it's informative, but not so informative it overwhelms you and bores you.

A. St. Pius X School, 7th Grade

Green Wilma, Frog in Space

2010-05-02T14:15:00.002-04:00

Arnold, Tedd. Green Wilma, Frog in Space. Dial Books for Young Readers. 2009. ISBN: 9780803726987.

My book is about a spaceship landing on Earth and leaving with a frog instead of their alien child. The aliens thought the frog was ill because he wasn't blue like them. All kinds of crazy things went wrong in the spaceship. They went back to Earth and kicked out the frog and picked up Blooger, their kid. The illustrations are colorful and cartoonish. The pictures are in colored pencils and ink pen. My favorite picture was when the aliens booted Wilma out the door. It was a purple spaceship with yellow lights. The drawings were funny. My favorite part was when they picked up the wrong alien. It was funny when they picked up a green frog instead of a blue alien. I would recommend this book to a 3 year old because they would like the blue aliens, the frog, and the spaceship. The story has cartoonish aliens and a frog taking a dip.

D.Y., Kenwood School, 3rd grade

All God's Critters

2010-05-02T14:00:00.000-04:00

Staines, Bill. All God's Critters. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. 2009. ISBN: 9780689869594.

My book is about all the animals noises. It rhymes but not every word. The song is all music. It's about animals in an animal choir. The book has all animal characters. The illustrations are watercolors. Some pictures are bright and some are darker. My favorite part was the whole thing because I love animals! I would recommend this book to any person who loves animals because the book is full of them. Also for people who like to sing and to second graders.

M.S., Kenwood School, 3rd Grade

Killer Ants

2010-05-02T13:45:00.001-04:00

Nirgiotis, Nicholas. Killer Ants. Holiday House. 2009. ISBN: 9780823420346.

My book is about killer ants. Killer ants sometimes have to eat their eggs to survive. All killer ants develop from four different stages. They go get food in an army. It shows what the major worker looks like, how the ants work underground, and how fire ants stand guard to keep away enemies. The illustrations are fabulous. When I saw the illustrations I was astonished. The illustrations look shiny with the color brown. The illustrations are colorfully bright. They look so real like you took the pictures.

T.C., Kenwood School, 3rd grade

Looking Like Me

2010-05-02T13:30:00.001-04:00

Myers, Walter Dean. Looking Like Me. Egmont USA. 2009. ISBN: 9781606840016.

My book is about a boy who lists all of the things he is. The illustrations are kind of weird because there is a picture of someone jumping into the boy. I'm pretty sure it's a collage. My favorite part is when heads are sticking out of other heads. I would recommend this book to little kids because it is really easy to read.

S.G., Kenwood School, 3rd grade

Amy's Light

2010-05-02T11:34:00.001-04:00

Nutt, Robert. Amy's Light. Dawn Publication. 2010. ISBN: 9781584691280.

My book is about a little girl named Amy who wishes that it was daytime. She goes outside and catches fireflies in a jar. She takes them to her room but the lights dim. She lets them go and they light up again. The illustrations are nice because they look like somebody's real house. I think that Robert Nutt did a very good job illustrating this book. I love looking at Amy's face on the front cover and all the other illustration in the book. My favorite part was when Amy let the fireflies out of the jar and they lit up again because Amy learned something. I think it is cool that the fireflies would not light up in the jar, only outside of the jar. I would recommend Amy's Light to little kids because they might understand how Amy feels and it might make them want to catch fireflies and see if they dim their lights.

I.B., Kenwood School, Third Grade

14 Cows For America

2010-05-01T22:45:00.000-04:00

Deedy, Carmen Agra. 14 Cows for America. Peachtree Publishers. 2009.

ISBN: 9781561454907.

My book is about a tribe that loves their cows.

J.H., Kenwood School, 3rd grade

Tractors

2010-05-01T22:40:00.001-04:00

Becker, Ann. Tractors. Marshall Cavendish Benchmark. 2010. ISBN: 9780761444060.

My book is about tractors. It tells you about all sorts of tractors, like a tedder, a tiller tract, and a cutter tractor. The illustrations are photographs because the pictures are all zoomed in on the tractors.

C.G., Kenwood School, 3rd grade

In the Belly of an Ox: the Unexpected Photographic Adventures of Richard and Cherry Kearton

2010-05-01T22:33:00.001-04:00

Bond, Rebecca. In the Belly of an Ox: the Unexpected Photographic Adventures of Richard and Cherry Kearton. Houghton Mifflin Books for Children. 2009. ISBN: 9780547076751.

My book is about two people who love nature and photograph it. The illustrations are water colors, pen, and ink. My favorite picture is the one where Richard has his apartment window and a cat is coming in his apartment because I like cats. My favorite part is when they get in the belly of an ox because it's silly to be in the belly of an ox. I would recommend this book to everyone because it is silly and it also has history.

K.K., Kenwood School, 3rd Grade

The Banshee

2010-05-01T22:31:00.000-04:00

Bunting, Eve. The Banshee. Clarion Books. 2009. ISBN: 9780618821624.

My book is about a boy who talks about a ghost and he gives a feather to the banshee but it is all in his head. The illustrations are very good because they have lots of detail to them. There are different shadings to the illustrations. My favorite part is when the young boy tells about his friend Colin who saw the banshee and when Mr. Caffery was very sick. After Colin saw the banshee, Mr. Caffery died. The boy thought the banshee killed him. I would recommend this book to 7-10 year olds because it is kind of scary and they would enjoy the story like I did. It is exciting but sad. I would recommend it to 6 year olds too but the banshee would be over-rated.

M.S., Kenwood School, 3rd Grade

Happy Birthday Bad Kitty

2010-05-01T22:28:00.000-04:00

Bruel, Nick. Happy Birthday Bad Kitty. Roaring Brook. 2009. ISBN: 9781596433427.

My book is about a cat that likes to sleep and it was the cat's birthday. The owner made the cat's favorite food and he ate it all. Then he went back to his bed and he burped out loud and got his first present.

D.V., Kenwood School, 3rd Grade

The Marshmallow Incident

2010-05-01T22:27:00.001-04:00

Barrett, Judi. The Marshmallow Incident. Scholastic Press. 2009. ISBN: 9780545046534.

My book is about two towns and each town thought it was the best. A right-handed person crossed the yellow line. Then they started to throw the marshmallows at him. They shot with catapults full of marshmallows. They even used sling shots. My favorite part was when the knights started throwing marshmallows at people. I would recommend this book to everybody because it's really funny.

J.B., Kenwood School, 3rd Grade

Elephants

2010-05-01T22:20:00.000-04:00

Schwabacher, Martin. Elephants. Marshall Cavendish Benchmark 2010. ISBN:9780761443438.

This non-fiction book is about elephants living large in the first chapter. In the second chapter, it's about elephant families. In chapter 3, it's about the last giants. The illustrations are photos of elephants painting, eating, and mating (which means they're finding their mate). My favorite part is when the book shows the baby elephant and the mama elephants finding a water hole. I would recommend this book to 6th graders because it gives a lot of information. I would say that this is a great book.

S.P. Kenwood School, 3rd grade.

Listen to the Wind

2010-05-01T22:19:00.000-04:00

Mortenson, Greg. Roth, Susan. Listen to the Wind. Dial Book for Young Readers 2009. ISBN:9780803730588.

My book is about children who lived in a little village called Korphe that didn't have a school. The illustrations are colorfull and look like they're made of cloth. My favorite part is when they are building the school because it's really colorful and cool to look at the pictures. I would recommend this book to people who like non-fiction because this is a non-fiction book. I would say that this is and okay book, but not great.

O.S. Kenwood School, 3rd grade

The Life and Times of Corn

2010-05-01T22:17:00.000-04:00

Micucci, Charles. The Life and Times of Corn. Houghton Mifflin Books for Children 2009. ISBN:9780618507511.

This non-fiction book is about corn. I think this is a book for people who want to learn about corn. The illustrations are different than any other book. It is like a funny book because if you look at the pictures you just want to laugh. My favorite part is when it talks about all the different kinds of corn, like the black aztec, mandan red, hopi pink, popcorn, and oxacan green dent. I would recommend this book to a person who likes corn because they will know more then they've ever known before. I would say that this is a great book.

P.B. Kenwood School, 3rd grade

Going Home: The Mystery of Animal Migration

2010-05-01T10:44:00.000-04:00

Berkes, Marianne. Going Home: The Mystery of Animal Migration. Dawn Publications. 2010. ISBN: 9781584691266.

Going Home is about what different kinds of animals do to survive. I like that it has enough types of animals to make it interesting but not too many to make it boring. The illustrations are nice because it shows the animal it talks about on that page doing what it is talking about. The background also looks very nice. I like the different shades of all of the colors. My favorite part was the part about the loggerhead turtle because I like turtles. I also liked the illustration on that page. I also think it is interesting how loggerhead turtles lay eggs and the baby turtles swim out into the ocean. I would recommend this book to any age because I think that many people would have a fun time reading it and would all like learning about what different types of animals do to survive.

P.N., Kenwood School, Third Grade

Punctuation Celebration

2010-05-01T10:15:00.000-04:00

Bruno, Elsa Knight. Punctuation Celebration. Henry Holt & Co. 2009. ISBN:9780805079739 .

This non-fiction book is about learning about punctuation marks and what their jobs are in sentences. In this story, they are having a game with all kinds of sports. Once we learn about the punctuation, the author writes out sentences for examples. The illustrations are drawings and water color paintings. There are punctuation marks on every page and people on every page. There is always an illustration that describes the example sentence. My favorite part is the beginning where the games starts. Some of the games were a potato sack race, a 3-legged race, a parenthesis jump rope, and a running race. I would recommend this book to my sister and my friend because I think they would like this book. I would say that this is an okay, but not a great book.

H.M. Kenwood School, 3rd grade

Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road?

2010-04-30T16:16:00.005-04:00

Cole, Joanna and Calmenson, Stephanie. Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road? And Other Riddles Old and New. Morrow Junior Books. 1994. ISBN: 0688122027.

My book is about old riddles and new ones. The illustrations are made of black and white pencils and ink. My favorite part is when the cow mows the lawn and when the skeleton was a detective and when the man's pants fell down. I would recommend this book to kindergartners because they might like it more than third graders would.

D.B., Kenwood School, 3rd grade

Martha Says it With Flowers

2010-04-30T15:50:00.003-04:00

Hirsch, Peter. Martha Says it With Flowers. Houghton Mifflin Books for Children. 2009. ISBN: 9780547210582.

My book is about a dog that can talk to her family. She can talk to her friends. The illustrations are pretty cool in this book. My favorite part was when Martha brought home some flowers without telling her family. Then she put the flowers behind a chair. She looked behind the chair and they were dead. I would recommend this book to kindergarteners because this would be easy to read.

J.S., Kenwood School, 3rg Grade

Trucks

2010-04-30T15:11:00.006-04:00

Dos Santos, Julie. Trucks. Marshall Cavendish Benchmark. 2010. ISBN: 9780761444077.

My book is about different kinds of trucks. Like pick up trucks, tow trucks, street cleaner trucks, garbage trucks, dump trucks, cement mixer trucks, cherry picker trucks, tractor trailer trucks, flatbed trucks, and monster trucks. The illustrations are photographs of all the different trucks that I listed above. The photographs were fantastic. My favorite part was when it told me about the monster trucks. It told me what the truck is all about. I would recommend this book to the 2nd grade because they could learn about these 10 different trucks.

K.B.S., Kenwood School, 3rd grade