The Sandwich Swap

       

       The Sandwich Swap is written by Kelly DiPucchio and Queen Rania of Jordan and illustrated by Tricia Tusa. Kelly DiPucchio has written many children’s books. This book is about two best friends that eat different sandwiches for lunch. They learn about each other’s sandwiches and how they are different. These two friends learn about diversity. They learn to try new things. They brought everyone together.

       The Sandwich Swap is a contemporary realistic fiction book. The situation depicted in the story happens every day. The girls overcame their diversity in a great way by bringing their school together as a strong community. According to Galda, this book is high quality because the problems are believable and are solved in realistic, culturally grounded ways. The illustrations are done with watercolor paints. They are realistically painted and the colors are very soft.  The illustrations show the diversity of the students throughout the entire book.

Discussion Questions:
·         Why do you think that they eat different types of sandwiches?
·         Do you think that they should stop being best friends because they eat different sandwiches?
·         Do you have friends that eat different foods than you?

Activities:
·         Have every student bring in their family’s favorite food. Build on this by discussing the background of the food.
·         Have the students complete a cause and effect worksheet that has them discuss how the characters treated each other.

Other books by Kelly DiPucchio:
·         Zombie in Love
·         Grace for President
·         Crafty Chloe
·         Everyone Loves Bacon

References:
·         Galda, L., & Cullinan, B. E. (2002). Literature and the child (7th ed.). Australia:                                                Wadsworth/Thomson Learning.
·         Rania, ., DiPucchio, K., & Tusa, T. (2010). The sandwich swap. New York: Disney-Hyperion                          Books.

No, David

     

     No, David is written and illustrated by David Shannon. David Shannon wrote the story based on situations he faced as a child. This book is about a young boy who doesn’t listen to his mother or to any rules. He doesn’t have any table manners, he jumps on the couch, and he breaks things. He hears his mother say, “No, David” a lot.

     No, David is a contemporary realistic fiction children’s picture book. I would consider the quality of this book to be high because of the realistic setting that supports the events in the story. Also, because young children can understand the plot of the book. The illustrations are done with a pencil outline and colored in with paint. The technique is interesting because it looks smooth but also has texture. He used many bright colors and the illustrations tell most of the story.

Discussion Questions:
·         What things does David do that he shouldn’t?
·         How should his mom handle his behavior?
·         If you were David’s friend, what would you tell him?

Activities:
·         For writing lesson, as a group have the students come up with adjectives to describe David. Build on this by having the students write about how he should act in contrast to the story.
·         For writing lesson, have students complete a worksheet that has to do with details about the main character of the story.

Other books by this author:
·         David goes to school
·         David gets in trouble
·         Good boy, Fergus
·         Too many toys
·         Duck on a bike

Reference:

Shannon, D. (1998). Nom David. New York: Blue Sky Press.

Anna the Bookbinder

     

      Anna the Bookbinder is written by Andrea Cheng and illustrated by Ted Rand. Andrea Cheng has written many children’s picture books, chapter books, and young adult novels.  Ted Rand has illustrated many children’s books since the 60s.

      This book is about a girl whose father is a bookbinder. He binds books by hand and over the years has taught Anna how to. Whenever Anna’s baby brother is born she helps her father by finishing up an order so he doesn’t lose the customer. They learn as a family that slow and steady wins the race. The family has to face the struggle of diversity because they are not a wealthy family and they bind the books in a much slower way. The strength of the family makes them overcome their struggle because they work together to get the order completed.

      Anna the Bookbinder is a historical fiction. The story is based in the time of binding books by hand with needle and thread. It is a fictional story because it is made up although it seems as though it is true. The illustrations are realistic but reflect the time frame that the story takes place. The illustrator uses watercolor. He uses a great technique that shows the characters emotions. Just by looking at the illustrations, you can see the love that the family has for one another.

      The family does great work so they end up being respected by their customers. One of Saint Leo University’s core values is respect. Saint Leo University believes that “we value all individuals' unique talents, respect their dignity and strive to foster their commitment to excellence in our work.” Anna’s family definitely is respected for their talented work.

Discussion Questions:
·         What do you think the title means by bookbinder?
·         Does anyone you know ever some home smelling like their workplace?
·         Do you think you could have bound the books yourself like Anna did?

Activities:
·         For older grades, have students write their own book about something that is important to them. Build onto this activity by having them bind their book themselves just like in this book.
·         For younger grades, have students complete a beginning, middle, and end worksheet to check for comprehension.

Other books by this author:
·         The Year of Three Sisters
·         The Year of the Fortune Cookie
·         The Year of the Baby
·         Etched in Clay
·         Brushing Mom’s Hair
·         Where Do You Stay?

      Reference:

Cheng, A., & Rand, T. (2003). Anna the bookbinder. New York: Walker.

Two Ways to Count to Ten

     

      Two Ways to Count to Ten is written by Ruby Dee and illustrated by Susan Meddaugh. Ruby Dee was an actress. This book is about a king leopard that is looking for someone to marry his daughter and take his place as kind one day. He tells all of the animals to throw the spear and count to ten before it falls to the ground. Only one animal is able to do it because he is clever and counts in a different way.

      Two Ways to Count to Ten is a folklore children’s picture book. This folklore story has talking animals and has been told before by a different author. The illustrations are a combination of color pencil and water color paint. The texture of the color pencil in combination with the water color paint compliments the text. The animals were drawn in a more realistic fashion rather than a cartoon fashion. The illustrator used many details that enhanced the text in a way that even young readers would be able to understand how the characters were feeling.

Discussion Questions:
·         Who do you think will be the next king?
·         Why did the animals dance for the king?
·         Why did the king have the animals throw the spear and count to ten?
·         Why did the antelope count in a different way?

Activities:
·         For older grades, using this book have the students complete a worksheet about folklore stories and fables. Build onto this by having them fill out a chart to discuss the moral of this story.
·         For younger grades, have students write a story about how they would have counted if they were an animal in the story.

Other books by this author:
·         Why Mosquitos Buzz in People’s Ears
·         My One Good Nerve: Rhythms, Rhymes, Reasons

Reference:

Dee, R., & Meddaugh, S. (1990). Two ways to count to ten: A Liberian folktale. New York: H. Holt.

Snow, Snow

Snow, Snow: Winter Poems for Children is written by Jane Yolen and illustrated by Jason Stemple. Jane Yolen was inspired to write these poems by the photographs taken by Jason Stemple. Jane Yolen is the writer of many children’s books. She writes poems as well as fantasy and science fiction books. She is a teacher and a reviewer of children’s literature. Her books have won many awards. Jason Stemple is an award winning photographer. The photographs in this book were the inspiration for this book. The details in the photographs really enhance the poems because you can visualize what you are reading. Looking at these photographs of snow make you think about it differently.

This book is full of poems about snow and the season of winter. After reading these poems, I now look at snow in a different way. Children who do not live where it snows can imagine life in the snow. Children can imagine the joy of skiing, riding a snowmobile, and the look and feel of snow. The poems are so detailed it is easy for the reader to imagine being there in the photographs.

I enjoyed reading this book because every poem was written in a different way. The author used poetic devices that are appealing to children. Imagery is one of them. Imagery is the use of words that make the reader use their senses. I believe that this really enhances the quality of the poetry.

Discussion Questions:
·         What do you know about snow?
·         Can you imagine the way it looks and feels?
·         When does it normally snow up north?
·         What animals live in the snow?

Activities:
·         For science lesson, have students complete a worksheet on winter. Use the book as a reference for snow.
·         For writing lesson, have the students write their own poems about winter. Build onto this activity by having them write poems about other seasons.

Other books by this author:
·         Stone Angel
·         Sister Fox’s Guide to the Writing Life: Poems
·         Speaking in Pearls
·         How Do Dinosaurs Say I’m Mad
·         Romping Monsters, Stomping Monsters

Reference:

Yolen, J. (1998). Snow, Snow: Winter Poems for Children. Honesdale: Wordsong Boyds Mills Press.

Swamp Angel

Swamp Angel is written by Anne Isaacs. Anne Isaacs grew up writing at a young age. Her love for children’s books inspired to begin writing them. She was also a teacher. She has written many different children’s books that have won awards.

This book is about a girl named Angelica that was born taller than her mother. She built her first log cabin at just two years old. Ever since she was twelve years old she had helps travelers through the swamp. She was known as the Swamp Angel. She was tougher than any man or bear. She saved the town from a huge bear.

Swamp Angel is a fantasy children’s picture book. This book is full of details that are imaginative and logical for the story. I would consider this to be a high quality fantasy story because the writing is rich and the theme is meaningful. The story is so detailed that it seems believable. I enjoyed read in this book because it has a great sense of humor. Angelica had to face diversity because she was the only girl who could defeat the big bear. All of the town’s men tried to hunt the bear but we unable to capture him. The men made rude comments about her being there instead of being at home doing things women did back in that time frame. She proved herself though because she was able to capture the bear and get rid of him.

The illustrations are unique drawn by Paul Zelinsky. The pages are full of detailed illustrations. Paul Zelinsky paints beautiful pictures that look realistic. He uses textures that make you think that the illustrations are photographs. The illustrations are so big and detailed that the reader feels a part of the story while reading.

Discussion Questions:
·         How do you think everyone felt about a giant girl saving the day?
·         How do you think Angelica felt after she defeated the bear?
·         Does think book make you think about girls differently?
·         Do you think girls and boys are equal?

Activities:
·         For writing lesson, have students write their only tall tale. Build onto this activity by having them illustrate their story.
·         For history lesson, have students look at maps of the area during that time frame. Have them compare to maps of the current time. Build onto this activity by having them do a research project.

Other books by this author:
·         Meanwhile Back at the Ranch
·         Dust Devil
·         The Ghosts of Luckless Gulch
·         Pancakes for Supper
·         Cat Up a Tree
·         Treehouse Tales

Reference:

Isaacs, A., & Zelinsky, P. O. (1994). Swamp Angel. New York: Dutton Children's Books.

Out of this World

Out of this World was written by Any Sklansky. Amy Sklansky’s love for writing started at a young age. She was an editor before she was a writer. She has written poetry, board books, fiction picture books and nonfiction picture books.

                This book is about space. Space ships travel really fast and very far. Before space travel astronauts prepare for the trip. Astronauts have to wear special space suits that protect them from the environment of space. Different famous space travelers packed items that were important to them. The moon gets it light from the reflection of the sun. The moon’s surface is made up of rock particles. Past astronauts have left footprints on the moon. The first satellite was launched in the 1950s. Each planet has a different environment. People have grouped stars together to make constellations. Our solar system is full of planets, starts, the sun, and many moons.

                Out of this World is a book of poetry. There are different poems written for different facts about space. This poetry book is nonfiction because it has so many accurate facts about space throughout the story. Each poem is structured differently. They all have a different number of lines and different stanzas. Poets can use different poetic devices to discuss subjects in different ways. According to Galda, word choice, arrangement, and poetic devices all come together to create a poem.

                I really enjoyed reading this book because every poem was different. I believe that this keeps children interested in poetry. The book was also interesting because it was full of facts. I liked reading the facts then reading the poems about the facts. I feel that this enhanced the poems greatly. The illustrations by Stacey Schuette are amazing. The space scenes look like photographs because they look so realistic. She uses a combination of digital art and paintings. The vivid colors are great for the use of stars and planets.

Discussion Questions:
·         What planet would you like to visit?
·         What are the five layers of the atmosphere?
·         What are names of famous astronauts?
·         What is gravity?
·         What kinds of elements do the space suit protect astronauts from?
·         What would you take with you?
·         How are the planets different?

Activities:
·         For poetry lesson, allow students to choose a fact out of the book and have them write their own poem based on the fact. Build onto this by displaying all of the poems and reading them together.
·         For science lesson, have students label the different planets and have them label the different moons.

Other books by this author:
·         Where Do Chicks Come From?
·         You Are my Lille Pumpkin Pie
·         You Are My Little Cupcake
·         My Daddy and Me
·         From the Doghouse
·         Skeleton Bones & Goblin Groans

Reference:

Sklansky, A.E., (2012). Out of this world: Poems and facts about space. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.

Freedom Song

Freedom Song: The Story of Henry “Box” Brown is a children’s book written by Sally Walker. Sally Walker has been writing books since she was a young child. It all started when she was daydreaming about writing books in elementary school. Her father was a storyteller and both of her parents were very supportive of her writing. She believe that every young child should have a library card so that they have time to wander around the library daydreaming and time to read what they enjoy.

                This book is about a young boy named Henry that grows up in slavery. He often sung different songs depending on what he was doing. During the night he sang a freedom song to himself. When he grew up he married and had children. He sang love songs because his heart was full. One day he came home from work and his family was sold by their master. After this, he put himself in a box and was shipped to freedom land in hopes of finding his family.

                Freedom Song: The Story of Henry “Box” Brown is a historical fictional picture book. This book is historical because it is written about the slave era. It is a fictional story that tells about the lives of slaves.  I would consider this book to be high quality because it is accurate according to history books. Slaves really did find ways to run away to the land of freedom and they really did take the Underground Railroad.

                I enjoyed Freedom Song: The Story of Henry “Box” Brown. The illustrations were done by Sean Qualls. He used such a great technique that really enhanced the strength of the story. The paintings have great depth and texture. I liked how his paintings were somewhat realistic.

Discussion Questions:
·         What are slaves?
·         Why do you think Henry sang?
·         Why did Henry make up a freedom song?
·         Why did Henry stop singing freedom songs and start singing family songs?
·         Why was Henry’s family sold?
·         Do you think Henry cut his finger at work on purpose?
·         Why did he ship himself in a wooden box?
·         Do you think he found his family?

Activities:

·         For the whole class, have the students as a group come up with a song that represents their class. Have the students write about their song and explain why they chose what they chose.

·         For individual students, have the students map out the journey that Henry took in his wooden box. Build on this activity by giving the students different maps from that time period.

Other books by this author:
·         Winnie
·         Druscilla’s Halloween
·         The Vowel Family
·         The 18 Penny Goose
·         The Search for Antartic Dinosaurs
·         Early Bird Earth Science
·         Nature Watch series
·         Frozen Secrets: Antarctica Revealed

Resource:

Walker, S. M., & Qualls, S. (2012). Freedom song: The story of Henry "Box" Brown. New York:                  Harper.

Sacagawea: Brave Explorer

Sacagawea: Brave Explorer is a children’s book written by Jodi Shepherd. Jodie Shepherd is an award-winning author. She is the author of the series Olivia, Sesame Street and The Backyardigans. She a;spo rites under the name Leslie Kimmelman.

                This book is about the American Indian named Sacagawea. Sacagawea was a young women who led a group of explorers across the country after the Louisiana Purchase. She had to overcome diversity because she was the only female on the expedition. She had a major part in the expedition. She helped interpret, guide, cooked, and even was a peacemaker. She has been named one of America’s earliest heroes. Without her, Lewis and Clarke would not have been able to make it through the wild country. 

                Sacagawea: Brave Explorer is a biography. It is a part of a series called Rookie Biographies. It was written for children in first or second grade. The story tells information about the history of Sacagawea and how she helped on an important exploration. This book is considered to be a biography because it is about the life of someone real. According to Galda, the subjects of biography are usually people who are famous, such as national leaders, artists, sports figures, writers, or explorers. I would consider the quality of this book to be high because “the details are vivid, accurate, and linked to the individual’s accomplishments (Galda). Also, because the writing style of comprehensible and the theme highlights her special qualities.

                Sacagawea is a highly respected person in American history. According to Saint Leo University’s core value respect, we value all individuals’ unique talents, respect their dignity, and strive to foster their commitment to excellence in our work. I believe that this children’s book definitely shows respect for Sacagawea. There are only positive and nondiscriminatory information about her.

                I liked Sacagawea: Brave Explorer because of the way the information was presented. The text was easy to read, there were many illustrations, maps, Fast Facts, and even a glossary. This book is written in a way that allows younger students to read this on their own. The illustrations varied. There were photographs, water color paintings, and color pencil drawings. I believe that the different forms of illustrations made the book very inviting for younger readers.

Discussion Questions:

• Why do you think no one knows when Sacagawea was born?
• Why did the Shoshone Tribe move around so often?
•  What does the book mean by wild country?
•  Why did Lewis and Clarke need someone to guide them through the wild country?
• What challenges do you think they faced on the exploration?

Activities:

•  For social studies, have the students map out the route that the explorers took with Sacagawea. Build on this activity by having them pin-point certain important places on the map.
•  For writing, have the students use a worksheet to guide them to write about Sacagawea’s life and exploration.

Other books by this author:

• Johnny Appleseed
• Olivia and the Haunted House
• Olivia and the Babies
• Olivia Acts Out
•  Robot Rampage
• Safari Friends: Guess Who Safari Friends
•  Elmo’s World: Moon

SShepherd, J. (2016). Sacagawea: Brave Explorer. New York, NY: Children's Press.

The Case of the Vanishing Honeybees: A Scientific Mystery

Markle, S. (2014). The case of the vanishing honeybees: A scientific mystery. Minneapolis, M N: Millbrook Press.

The Case of the Vanishing Honeybees: A Scientific Mystery is a children’s book written by Sandra Markle. Susan Markle has written more than 200 nonfiction children’s books. She was an elementary and middle school science teacher before becoming a fulltime writer. Her work has been featured on children books that are served at Chick-fil-a!

This book is about how honeybees are mysteriously vanishing all over the world and how this could put our food supply in jeopardy. There are many different things that could be causing the bees to disappear. Some probable causes are the changes in habitat, overworking the bees, wireless cell phone interference, mites, deadly fungus, or even pesticides. Bees are important because they help with pollination and they make honey.

The Case of the Vanishing Honeybees is a nonfiction picture book. It is very informative. There are many facts that include the fact that we would not have foods that come from plants, the lifecycle of bees, the jobs of bees, where the bees live, and probable causes of the disappearance of bees. The pictures are photographs of real bees. This book is considered to be a non-fiction book because the whole book is information and factual. According to Galda, the term nonfiction describes books of information and fact about any topic. I would consider the quality of this book to be high because “the author indicates interrelationships between facts and theories (Galda). Also, because of the accuracy, design and style.

I liked The Case of the Vanishing Honeybees because of the photographs. I believe that the photography enhanced the text in a positive way. I enjoyed reading this book because it was written in a way that keeps your interest in learning about why the bees are disappearing. It was written by a science teacher and you can tell.

Discussion Questions:

• What is pollination?
• What types of foods do honeybees help us grow?
•  What are the different jobs that bees have?
• Why do you think the bees are disappearing?
•  Does reading this book change your mind about killing bees when you see them in your yard?

Activities:

•  For older grades, have students research about honeybees. Have them complete a research project and have them predict a reason for why the bees are vanishing.
• For younger grades, have the students complete a worksheet by having them paste different parts of the life cycle of bees in order on the worksheet.

Other books by this author:

• What If You Had Animal Teeth?
• What If You Had Animal Hair?
•  The Case of the Vanishing Golden Frog
• What If You Had Animal Ears?
•   Little Lost Bat
• A Mother’s Journey

The Buzz on Honeybees

The Buss on Honeybees is a children’s book written by Cathy Kaemmerlen. Cathy Karmmerlen is a professional storyteller and author. She has brought many stories to life for children when she is performing. This is the only children’s book that she has written but she has written a few books for adults.

This book is about a bee named Itty Bitty Betty that is a story telling bee that collects stories to tell. Many states have designated honeybees as their state insect. Honeybees help to pollinate crops which grows produce for us to eat. There are many different kinds of honey throughout the country. People use honey for many different reasons. Different types of bees have different jobs in a colony. Bees only sting whenever they feel threatened. Bees are very important!

The Buzz on Honeybees is a nonfiction picture book.. It is told from the perspective of a bee. There are many facts including the fact that bees have been named as many states state insect, their participation in pollinating crops, how they pollinate, the uses of honey, the different types of bees, different jobs of bees, how they travel to find new homes, and why they sting. The illustrations are done with watercolor paints. According to Galda, in nonfiction the facts and concepts are uppermost, with storytelling perhaps used as an expressive technique.

I like The Buzz on Honeybees because of the way it was written. It was written in a fun way. It was written from the point of view of a bee. Although it was a story told by the bee it was still full of facts and concepts that are accurate. I enjoyed the illustrations. The illustrator used watercolor paints and it was very colorful. The illustrator used a technique with the texture that made the bees look realistic.

Discussion Questions:

•  What states do you think have named their state insect the honeybee?
•  What would happen if there were no honeybees on Earth?
•  What is pollination?
• Why would athletes eat honey?
•  What are the three types of bees?
•  Who is more scared, humans or the honeybees?
•  What foods do you like to eat with honey?

Activities:

•  For older grades, have the students create a honeybee out of construction paper. Then, build onto the activity have them label the different parts of the honeybee.
•  For younger grades, have the students complete a worksheet by having them paste different parts of the life cycle of bees in order on the worksheet.

Other books by this author:

• ·         This is the only children’s book that she has written. I would be very interesting in reading other books from this author.

 Reference:

Galda, L., Cullinan, B.E., & Sipe, L.R. (2010). Literature and the child (7th ed.). Belmont, CA:                 Wadsworths, Inc.

Kaemmerlen, C. (2012). The buzz on honeybees. Gretna, La: Pelican Pub.

The Boy Without a Name

              The Boy Without a Name is a children's book written by Idries Shah. He was originally from India. His cultural background can be depicted in the illustrations. The illustrations were done by Mona Caron. This book is about a young boy who was not named when he was born. An old wise man told his parents not to name him because he was important and the man was supposed to name him. When the boy grew up he went to visit the wise man to find out what his name was. The wise man had magic boxes. The boy received the name Husni. The wise man also gave him a new dream. The book ends with the boy very happy and dreaming wonderful dreams.
               This book is a fictional picture book. The characters are realistic but have things happen to them that are fantasy. The story takes place in a real world but when the boy visits the wise man with magic box that is a fantasy. The illustrations are full of vibrant colors. Most of them are realistic but some have the magical effects. The book had English text and Spanish text. I think this book would be great for English Language Learners in the classroom.

Discussion Questions:

• Why do you think he didn't have a name?
• Why do you think he is so important to the wise man?
• How old do you think he will be when he gets a name?
• How do you think you would feel if you didn't have a name?
• Why do you think they sit on cushions instead of chairs at the wise mans house?
• What language do you think the names are written in?
• What is the significance of the boys receiving dreams?

Activities:

• For older grades, have students write about a wonderful dream that they've had. Build onto activity by having them draw and color a picture.
• For younger grades, have students complete a beginning, middle, and end worksheet by having them paste parts of the story in order on the worksheet.

Other books by this author: 

• The Silly Chicken
• The Old Woman and the Eagle
• Neem the Half-boy
• The Man with Bad Manners

Reference

Shah, I. (2007).  The Boy Without a Name. United States: Hoopoe Books.