Picture Book-Intermediate:Multicultural/Caldecott

Title: Martin's Big Words

Author: Rappaport, Doreen

Illustrator: Collier, Bryan

Publisher: Hyperion Books for Children, 2001

Genre: Picture Book-Intermediate

Age Range: grades 4-6

Summary: When Martin Luther King Jr. was a little boy he wondered about the "white only" signs. He listened to his dad preach and admired him. He then went on to do great things to help African Americans obtain freedom. He had them do so by using love, not fists.

Response: This was a good way to portray Martin Luther King Jr.'s life to young children. It teaches you about history and about a powerful man. It also teaches that it is okay to follow your dreams and be who you want to be.

Picture Books- Intermediate/Caldecott

Title: The Relatives Came

Author: Rylant, Cynthia

Illustrator: Gammell, Stephen

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division, 1985

Genre: Intermediate Picture Books

Age range: grades 4-6

Summary: This book was about a family that lived away from their relatives. The relatives were from Virginia and came to visit each summer. They would eat and breathe together and their relatives would stay for weeks.

Response: This is a book that many children can relate to. Especially now, in North Carolina, so many young kids have relatives who live in other states. As I do, many people only see relatives once a year or maybe even every two years. This book makes you realize that many people are going through the same thing. It is difficult not seeing your family members often. But, when you realize it is more common than it seems, it makes it a little bit better.

Picture Book-Primary:Multicultural/Caldecott

Title: Smoky Night Author: Bunting, Eve
Illustrator: Diaz, David
Publisher: Harcourt Brace & Company, 1994
Genre: Primary Picture Book
Age range: K-3
Summary: This book is about riots in Los Angeles. A young boy named Daniel is afraid during the riots where he lives. A fire starts in his apartment building. Daniel and a lady named Mrs. Kim lose their cat's during the fire. They then have to go to a shelter and they worry about their cats. In the end, Daniel and his mother become friends with Mrs. Kim, all because of the riots and their cats.
Response: I thought this was a good story. It had beautiful artwork and backgrounds. It also makes the reader aware what riots are and how they affect other children. It teaches that you can be friends with everyone and it is important not to judge people before you get to know them. This book had a lot of good lessons.

Picture Book-Primary/Caldecott

Title: The Man who Walked Between the Towers Author: Gerstein, Mordicai
Illustrator: n/a
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press 2003
Genre: Primary Picture Book
Age range: K-3
Summary: This is the story about a man who walked on a tightrope from the World Trade towers. He did this in 1974 when the towers were first built. After he walked on the tight rope, he was arrested for it. Although, his punishment was to perform in front of children, which he enjoyed doing.
Response: This is a true story about when the towers were first built. I had never heard this story before and I thought it was very interesting. I feel like this would be a good book to read around September 11th. You could tie in a lesson about the towers on the day that you read this book.

Easy Reader Book

Title: Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse

Author: Henkes, Kevin

Illustrator: n/a

Publisher & Date: Greenwillow Books, New York; 1996

Genre: Easy Reader

Age Range: K-3

Summary: This book is about a rodent named Lilly.  She loves school and her teacher, Mr. Slinger.  When Lilly gets a purple purse with her grandmother, she just can't wait to show it off.  Her teacher doesn't like that idea and Lilly ends up doing something that she regrets.

Response: I thought this book was very cute.  I think it would keep the students interested, especially because the setting is a classroom.  Girls would relate more to this book but it is good to young boys to hear books related more towards girls, too.  It is an attention grabber.  

Predictable Book

Title: Have you Seen my Cat?

Author: Carle, Eric

Illustrator: n/a

Publisher & Date: Aladdin Paperbacks, New York; 1987

Genre: Predictable Picture Book

Age Range: K-3

Summary: This book is about a boy who lost his cat.  He is trying to find it by asking many people.  Those that he asks show him many cats from the wild, thinking that they are the boys.  Eventually, he does find his cat. 

Response: This book had a lot of repetition of the same phrase, "have you seen my cat?"  It was not a very fun read by I do always love the illustrations in Eric Carle's book.  It was almost too repetitive.  Some children may enjoy it, I do not think I would have when I was younger.  I feel as though there just was not much to it to grab a reader's attention.  It was definitely a predictable and an easy read.  It got the point across, but it was not a very fun read.

Counting Book

Title: One Boy

Author: Seeger, Laura

Illustrator: n/a

Publisher & Date: Roaring Brook Press, 2008

Genre: Counting Picture Book

Age Range: K-3

Summary: One Boy, teaches the reader to count to ten.  It uses animals and other objects.  This book also uses occasional rhyming to remember the numbers.  It is a fun way to learn to count. 

Response:  I like the way this book has holes in the pages.  The hole shows what is on the next page and allows the reader to to put the two subjects together when counting.  The two pages are related and I thought that was a helpful was for students to learn and remember.  I always enjoyed reading books more that had holes or texture in them.  I think it keeps the attention of young children.  

Alphabet Book

Title: 3-D ABC

Author: Raczka, Bob

Illustrator: n/a

Publisher & Date: Millbrook Press Minneapolis, 2007

Genre: Alphabet Picture Book

Age Range: K-3

Summary: This book teaches children the alphabet in a way that is not very common.  It uses artistic sculptures to teach the alphabet.  The sculptures relate to each letter in a certain way.  It also opens your eyes to creativity.

Response:  I thought this book was very interesting in the way that it teaches you about art and sculptures as well as ties in the alphabet.  Instead of just using "A is for Apple" It shows a sculpture and says that sculptures can be abstract.  This book was very appealing to me and if there are students in the class that enjoy art, this would be a good way for them to learn the alphabet.