Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln
By:  Amy L. Cohn and Suzy Schmidt
Pictures by:  David A. Johnson
Copyright 2002
Scholastic Press
Biography Genre

                                                                  Abraham Lincoln

     This biography tells the life of Abraham Lincoln as a story. While it begins by telling about Lincoln's childhood and ends with the story of his death, it is very vague. This book is similar to an outline of Lincoln's life. It has ink and water-colored illustrations, which I found kept the book interesting. The lack of detail during the events of Lincoln's life makes the book less interesting, in my opinion. This would a good book to read to very young students to explain in a simpler way about what Lincoln did for the United States. At the end of the book there is a timeline of important dates in Lincoln's life. I think this is a great addition to the book.

Ella Fitzgerald (The Tale of a Vocal Virtuosa)

Ella Fitzgerald (The Tale of a Vocal Virtuosa)
By:  Andrea Davis Pinkney
Illustrated by:  Brian Pinkney
Copyright 2002
Hyperion Books for Children
Biography Genre

                                            Ella Fitzgerald (The Tale of a Vocal Virtuosa)

     This book is not like the typical biography. There are quite a few things I love about this book. Mainly I love the detail in Ella's biography. While this is a picture book of a biography, it provides a lot of information about Ella's success as a musician. Although it does not begin with the day and place of Ella's birth, it goes into great detail about how Ella always loved music and how she became a successful singer. I would not recommend this book as a biography, because it does not provide information about Ella's entire life and death. I really appreciated the illustrations in this book and the fact that it is told from the perspective of a character, Scat Cat Monroe.
     At the end of the book, the author provides a more detailed biography, under the title "A Note From the Author". I wish theses facts would have been put in throughout the entire book, but I think the main goal of this book is to tell how Ella began her success. This was a fun read, but I would not read it with my students because the story does not give students the entire life of Ella Fitzgerald. It would still leave the students with a lot of questions.

Michelle Obama

Michelle Obama
By:  Jill C. Wheeler
Copyright 2010
ABDO Publishing Company
Biography Genre

                                                                   Michelle Obama

     When most people think of important American political figures, they are more likely to think of a President before they think of first lady. As students learn about the American government, I think that it is important for students to also have a background about the president's family. This is one reason I really love this book, Michelle Obama. It provides its readers about Michelle's childhood, education, career success, how she met President Obama, being a mother, and a wife to such a successful political figure in America. The photographs in the book are interesting because they include ones from her childhood and wedding. I think this book would be great to read with young students, because it is a quick read, has a lot of photographs, and provides young readers with enough information to understand who Michelle Obama is.

Betsy Ross

Betsy Ross
Written and Illustrated by:  Alexandra Wallner
Copyright 1994
Holiday House
Biography Genre

                                                                        Betsy Ross

     Betsy Ross is the woman that the United States of America gives credit for making the first American flag. This book is a biography of Betsy's life. It begins with a brief description of her life as a child. It then goes into how she became involved with sewing and working as an upholsterer. Betsy Ross, the book, describes Ross' three marriages, how President George Washington proposed the idea of the American flag, and Ross' death.
     What I like about this book it that it provides an overall summary and story of Betsy Ross' life. It has colorful illustrations and a "how to" section at the end of the book, teaching readers how to make a star with five points. Overall, I think this would be a fun book for students to read as they learn about the important of the American flag.

Trick-or-Treat Smell My Feet

Trick-or-Treat Smell My Feet
By:  Lisa Desimini
Copyright 2005
The Blue Sky Publishers
Fantasy Genre

                                                       Trick-or-Treat Smell My Feet

     Trick-or-Treat Smell My Feet is one of the few books that I have read this semester and laughed out loud. It is about twin witches that cast a spell on trick-or-treaters so when they go trick-or-treating at the different houses they say "smell my feet". To make the spell they use dirty socks, but the spell goes wrong when a clean baby sock is thrown into the cauldron. The spell ends up turning the twins into babies.
     I would love to read this to my students during Halloween. It was very cute and silly. I think a lot of the humor comes from the illustrations. Overall this was an excellent book.

Martha Speaks

Martha Speaks
By:  Susan Meddaugh
Copyright 1992
Sandpiper
Fantasy Genre

                                                                     Martha Speaks

     There are a lot of children who seem to love animals and animal stories. This is one reason I think students would really enjoy this book. Martha Speaks is about a dog that acquires the ability to speak after eating alphabet soup. At first Martha's owners find it impressive that she can speak. They begin asking her all kinds of questions. However, after a while, Martha's family gets embarrassed by Martha's lack of social skills and aggravated by her chattering. The book ends with Martha saving her family's home from begin robbed. While this has not been my favorite book I have read this semester, I do think that students would enjoy the humor and fantasy of a speaking dog. I know that this book is also part of a series. It would be great if the students got interested in this book and wanted to continue reading, especially with the other Martha books.

Love From Your Friend Hannah

Love From Your Friend Hannah
By:  Mindy Warshaw Skolsky
Copyright 1998
HarperCollins Publishers
Historical Fiction Genre

                                                       Love From Your Friend Hannah

     Love From Your Friend Hannah is such a fun and fast read. The story is told through a collection of letters that 9 year old Hannah writes and receives. Hannah begins writing letters to her best friend, Angie, who has moved away, but Angie never writes back. Her teacher suggests that Hannah chooses a pen pal from drawing on her desk. Hannah picks a boy, Edward, but he is not as interested in being a pen pal as Hannah is. In her efforts to use writing letters as a hobby, Hannah writes to her grandma, aunt, President Roosevelt, Mrs. Roosevelt, and the president's secretary (Missy LeHand). The best part of the book is when the Roosevelts write back to Hannah. I think readers of all ages would feel so excited for Hannah to receive letters from them. Through the course of the book, Hannah and the Roosevelts build a solid friendship that includes discussions of FDR's radio shows and exchange of his stamp collection.
     While this is a fictional book, it tells the story of what life was like in 1937. This was the time of The Great Depression. Hannah did not have a television to watch, so she would listen to the radio. She especially liked the radio talks by President Roosevelt. Hannah talks about some of the shows in the book. I think this would be a great read for students to have fun while learning what life was like during this time.

Meet Felicity

Meet Felicity
By:  Valerie Tripp
Illustrations By:  Dan Andreasen
Copyright 1991
Pleasant Company
Historical Fiction Genre

                                                      Meet Felicity (An American Girl)

     This is a fun book for children to read. While it is an adventurous story about 9 year old Felicity, it sets the image of what life was like in America during 1774. Felicity is expected to be prim and proper like the other girls her age, however, she very much dislikes wearing dresses, corsets, and sewing. What Felicity does like are horses. In Meet Felicity, Felicity grows fondly of a horse she names Penny. This horse is neglected and abused by Mr. Nye, a "cold-hearted scoundrel (Tripp 8)". Felicity ends up setting Penny free at the end of the book by dressing in the clothes of her father's apprentice.
     What I love about this book is how driven Felicity is. It brings a connection that readers from any era can relate to. I would definitely recommend this book to my students. It's easy to build a connection with Felicity and I really like that at the end of the book they have a section that talks about what life was like in America during the 1770s. They even include some illustrations and photographs which are beautiful. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Punctuation Takes a Vacation

Punctuation Takes a Vacation
By:  Robin Pulver
Illustrated by:  Lynn Rowe Reed
Scholastic Inc.
Copyright 2003
Informational Book Genre

                                                           Punctuation Takes a Vacation

     This book is absolutely precious. I think it is the bright and acrylic illustrations that help make the story like this.  It is a different kind of informational book. It tells the story of punctuation marks going on vacation and leaving Mr. Wright's to realize how important they are in order to make sense. It is informational in the way that it is organized. When the question mark speaks, it speaks with questions. When the commas speak, they use lots of commas. This drills the proper ways to use various punctuation marks while telling a story. Even the dedication page uses a variety of punctuations. The last page of the book lists the types of punctuations and the rules that go with them.
     I really like this book. While it is not a traditional kind of informational book, it can be helpful to students in various ways. I would love to read this to my class after a long lesson of punctuation. It would be a good idea to read the rules, that are in the back, before reading the book. I would then have my older students read the book and discuss the ways in which the punctuations are being used.
     The author of this book does not provide way in which he is credible for writing on this topic. However, any author needs to know the proper uses of the types of punctuations. For this reason, I would say that the author is credible. This book would be a great way to reinforce the correct ways to use punctuation.
    

Germs Make Me Sick

Germs Make Me Sick
By:  Melvin Berger
Illustrated by:  Marylin Hafner
Harper Collins Publishers
Copyright 1985
Informational Book Genre

                                                              Germs Make Me Sick

         This book is a factual book about how germs make you sick. It is told in a simple way but detailed enough for readers to learn a lot about bacteria. I really like this book because while it is very informative, the illustrations are cartoon-like and fun. Without the illustrations, I think that it would not hold children's interest as well.
         The book does not specifically say in what ways the author has credibility for writing this book. However, it does say that the books in this series, Let's Read and Find Out Books, are checked for accuracy by experts in the specific fields. The information about germs covers, what they are, how you find germs, what germs do, and how you can get rid of germs. The information is presented like a story book, but very informational. I would definitely read this to my young students to explain why we need to wash our hands after going to the bathroom.

So You Want to be President

So You Want to be President
By: Judith St. George
Illustrated by:  David Small
Scholastic Inc.
Copyright 2000
Informational Book Genre

                                                           So You Want to be President

     This is a great book to provide young readers with some facts about the United States presidents. It does a lot of comparing and contrasting, between the presidents, to show the readers that anyone really could be president. I also like that at the end of the book, St. George includes more facts about each president. The way it is written is like traditional picture books, however this one is non-fiction. The illustrations create a sense of humor to facts. They are bright, colorful, and almost like cartoons. 
     The author of this book includes a bibliography at the end, with credible sources. Since this book was published, there have been two new presidents. The last president this book includes is Bill Clinton. This would make the book out of date. More contrasts and comparisons could be made.

The Field Guide to Ocean Animals

The Field Guide to Ocean Animals
By:  Phyllis Perry
Illustrated By:  Roger Hall & Eddee Helms
Silver Dolphin Books
Copyright 2007
Informational Book Genre

                                                      The Field Guide to Ocean Animals

      This book is written like a journal. The narrator, Warren Wilmott, is a marine biologist. This book is a collection of notes he has taken on the wildlife he saw while visiting the Great Barrier Reef. Each page is a new wildlife entry. It includes an illustration, facts and descriptions, and location found. Some have puzzles so the reader can assemble the creature on their own. I like this book because I think it is interactive and interesting.
      Based on information in the book, I cannot identify credibility the author for writing this book. The introduction to the narrator gives a very detailed description of his credibility for telling the story, however, he is not the author of the book. The facts in this book are up to date. The entries for the wildlife is too challenging to read. It does not go into very much depth. I think for this reason, it would be a fantastic book to have in the classroom. The illustrations, diagrams, and puzzles will definitely interest students and foster inquiry.

Washington, D.C. (A Scrapbook)

Washington, D.C. (A Scrapbook)
By:  Laura Lee Benson
Illustrated by:  Iris Van Rynbach
Charlesbridge Publishing
Copyright 1999
Information Book Genre

                                                     Washington, D.C. (A Scrapbook)

      This book is teaches about Washington, D.C. through a narrative by the main character, Danny. It also is formed like a scrapbook. There are illustrations that are similar to photographs and souvenirs. Personally, I wish really photographs would have been included, but the illustrations are bright and colorful. Each page includes, not only Danny's narrative, but also blurbs with facts about the sites Danny visited. While the narrative tells of a fictional story, it is intriguing to read and learn about the district. I really like that way this book was written because it held my interest. I think it would certainly intrigue young readers to learn more about Washington, D.C.
      The author of this book includes the resources she suggests for learning more about Washington, D.C. Benson did not include where she found her research from or why it is that she knows so much about the U.S. capital. Significant facts found in the book include a Washington, D.C. timeline, its history, and how the U.S. government works.