Picture Book #8 Write-Up

Author: Marc Brown

Title: Arthur's Birthday

Illustrator: Marc Brown

Genre: Easy to Read, Children's Fiction

Subgenre: Picture Book

Theme: Arthur is excited about his upcoming birthday and shows how much he values friendship.

Primary/Secondary Characters: Arthur, his parents and other family, Francine, Buster, Muffy, his other classmates, D.W.

Award(s)/Publication Year: no awards presented/1990

Publishing Company: Little, Brown and Company

Brief Summary/Book Usage: Arthur has a birthday coming up and he is having a party. When he goes to school to invite all of his friends he realizes that his friend Muffy is having her birthday party on the same day as his party. The classmates ponder on which party they should go to since they are all good friends. The boys all end up deciding to stick together and go to Arthur's party, while all of the girls decide to go to Muffy's party. Arthur and his friend Francine come up with a plan to have his party and still make Muffy happy and have all their friends together at one party. They tell all of their friends to come to Arthur's party because they are coming to surprise Muffy. Arthur leaves Muffy a note to come to his house at noon the day of his party so he can give her the gift her got her that is too big to carry. Muffy arrives and is surprised to see all of her friends and shares the party with Arthur and celebrate both of their birthdays. Arthur shows how much he values friendship by finding a way to make all of his friends happy and at one party together. I would use this book in my classroom when discussing friendship and how to treat the friends you have.

Picture Book #7 Write-Up

Author: Jamie Lee Curtis

Title: Where Do Balloons Go? An Uplifting Mystery

Illustrator: Laura Cornell

Genre: Easy to Read, Children's Fiction

Subgenre: Picture Book

Theme: The narrator questions where balloons go after they are let go into the sky.

Primary/Secondary Characters: narrator

Award(s)/Publication Year: no awards presented/2000

Publishing Company: Joanna Cotler Books

Brief Summary/Book Usage: The narrator (most likely a child) of this story questions where balloons go after they are accidentally let go into the sky. They wonder if they get stuck into trees, if they just float forever, or if they pop soon after being let go. Different scenarios for where the balloons could have went are explained and illustrated throughout the story. I would use this book in my future classroom during story time to read aloud to the whole class and ask for their input on where they think balloons may go after they are let go into the sky.

Picture Book #6 Write-Up

Author: Nancy Coffelt

Title: Big, Bigger, Biggest!

Illustrator: Nancy Coffelt

Genre: Easy to Read, Children's Fiction

Subgenre: Picture Book

Theme: Animals are compared and described with other animals based on size and other features.

Primary/Secondary Characters: narrator, different animals

Award(s)/Publication Year: no awards presented/2009

Publishing Company: Henry Holt and Company (Christy Ottaviano Books)

Brief Summary/Book Usage: The book described different animals being compared to one another based on size, speed, how hungry they were, how slimy they were, and how sleepy they were. The book used many adjectives that helped describe the animals better. I would used this book in my future classroom when discussing habits of different animals or when comparing animals to one another. Also, if doing a lesson over adjectives, this book would be good to point out the use of adjectives while comparing the animals.

Picture Book #5 Write-Up

Author: Langston Huges

Title: My People

Illustrator: Charles R. Smith Jr.

Genre: Easy to Read, Poetry

Subgenre: Picture Book

Theme: The comparison of African American people to the beauty of the sun and stars.

Primary/Secondary Characters: narrator, African American people

Award(s)/Publication Year: Coretta Scott King Medal Winner/1994

Publishing Company: Atheneum Books for Young Readers

Brief Summary/Book Usage: The book is a poem comparing the faces of different African American people to the beauty they have in common with the sun and the stars. I would use this book in my future classroom when we are going over poetry or during Black History Month in Feburary.

Picture Book #4 Write-Up

Author: Jon Agee

Title: Nothing

Illustrator: Jon Agee

Genre: Easy to Read, Children's Fiction

Subgenre: Picture Book

Theme: A town becomes crazy over buying nothing.

Primary/Secondary Characters: Otis, Suzie Gump, Wally, Sam, Tubby Portobello, people of the town

Award(s)/Publication Year: Orbis Pictus Winner/2007

Publishing Company: Hyperion Books for Children

Brief Summary/Book Usage: Suzie Gump comes into a store owned by Otis and wants to buy nothing. Otis sells her nothing for three hundred dollars. The next day she comes back and wants to buy more nothing and Otis tells her he cannot sell her nothing, so she goes somewhere else to buy it. The town becomes crazy with people selling nothing and people wanting to buy nothing. Everyone is getting rid of their stuff to make room for nothing, so Otis soon has an antique store full of items again. Suzie Gump then comes and buys everything, and Otis is back to where he started from and refuses to sell nothing again. I would use this book in my future classroom during a reading activity or story time with the whole class.

Picture Book #3 Write-Up

Author: Gerald McDermott

Title: Arrow to the Sun

Illustrator: Gerald McDermott

Genre: Mythical, Children's Fiction

Subgenre: Picture Book

Theme: The Boy is in search of his father who happens to be the Lord of the Sun.

Primary/Secondary Characters: Lord of the Sun, the Boy, his mother

Award(s)/Publication Year: Caldecott Medal Winner/2004

Publishing Company: Viking

Brief Summary/Book Usage: The Boy is in search of his father and asks his community if they know where to find him. He asks the corn planter, the pot maker, then finally the arrow maker makes a bow and arrow and shoots him into the sun. Here he finds the Lord of the Sun and tells him that he is his son. The Lord of the Sun explains that the Boy must prove himself in order for him to know if he is his father. The Boy completes tasks asked of him by the Lord of the Sun and proves himself to truly be his son. I would use this book in my future classroom when discussing ancient day myths and how they have been passed down through generations and still told today.

Picture Book #2 Write-Up

Author: Ezra Jack Keats

Title: The Snowy Day

Illustrator: Ezra Jack Keats

Genre: Easy to Read, Children's Fiction

Subgenre: Picture Book

Theme: Peter experiences a fun snow day at home.

Primary/Secondary Characters: Peter, his mother

Award(s)/Publication Year: Caldecott Medal Winner/1996

Publishing Company: Puffin Books

Brief Summary/Book Usage: Peter wakes up and sees the streets of the city covered with snow. He gets dressed to go outside and enjoy the snow. He plays all day in the snow and then comes in to take a bath. He becomes sad because he is afraid the snow is going to go away. He goes to bed and wakes up the next morning to see that it is snowing again. I would use this book in my future classroom during the winter time to read aloud to my students during story time.

Picture Book #1 Write-Up

Author: Doreen Cronin

Title: Diary of a Fly

Illustrator: Harry Bliss

Genre: Easy to Read, Children's Fiction

Subgenre: Picture Book

Theme: A fly keeps a diary of daily experiences.

Primary/Secondary Characters: Fly, Worm, Spider, parents of Fly

Award(s)/Publication Year: no awards presented/2007

Publishing Company: Joanna Cotler Books

Brief Summary/Book Usage: Fly explains the daily entries of the diary that is kept. Fly goes through the daily experiences of a fly and the author gives details about flies in general. Fly talks about wanting to become a superhero and explains all of the amazing things flies can do. I would use this book in my future classroom when we start to discuss insects, because alot of details about flies is presented in this book in a very colorful and bright way that would interest young students.

Chapter Book #4 Write-Up

Author: Beverly Clearly

Title: Ramona the Pest

Illustrator: Tracy Dockray

Genre: Children's Fiction

Subgenre: Comedy

Theme: Ramona is excited about starting kindergarten and letting the world know about it.

Primary/Secondary Characters: Ramona, Beezus, her parents, her new classmates

Award(s)/Publication Year: no awards presented/1991

Publishing Company: HarperCollins Children's Books

Brief Summary/Book Usage: Ramona is nervous and excited about starting kindergarten. She is determined to show that she is the best kindergarten student there is. She wants everyone to know about her going to kindergarten, no matter who she annoys. Her sister Beezus gives her the nickname "Ramona the Pest" due to her on-going antics and obnoxious habits. Ramona is not affected by the nickname and still continues to show how good in kindergarten she really is. I would use this book when talking in the classroom about starting school for the first time to see how the students relate to how Ramona felt in this book. Starting school for the first time can be exciting, but also very scary.

Chapter Book #3 Write-Up

Author: Barbara Park

Title: Junie B. Jones, First Grader: Jingle Bells, Batman Smells! (P.S. So Does May.)

Illustrator: Denise Brunkus

Genre: Children's Fiction

Subgenre: Comedy

Theme: Junie B. Jones learns to get along with her other classmates.

Primary/Secondary Characters: Junie B. Jones, her parents, her teacher Mr. Scary, May, her other classmates

Award(s)/Publication Year: no awards presented/2005

Publishing Company: Random House Children's Books

Brief Summary/Book Usage: The children of Junie B. Jones's first grade class are having a holiday sing-a-long and she is dealing with getting along with her classmates. She is constantly arguing with May, a girl in her class that she calls a blabbermouth and who tells on her all the time. In the spirit of the holiday season, Junie B. Jones puts her differences aside and gets along with everyone to make a successful sing-a-long possible. I would use this book in my future classroom when talking about how we should all treat each other fairly and try to get along. It also would make a good read when the holidays are coming up in the school year.

Chapter Book #2 Write-Up

Author: Beverly Clearly

Title: Socks

Illustrator: Beatrice Darwin

Genre: Children's Fiction

Subgenre: Comedy

Theme: A cat name Socks dealing with the arrival of a new baby in his household.

Primary/Secondary Characters: Debbie, George, Socks, Marilyn and Bill Bricker, baby Charles William Bricker

Award(s)/Publication Year: no awards presented/1993

Publishing Company: Morrow Junior Books

Brief Summary/Book Usage: Marilyn and Bill Bricker adopt Socks when he is just a kitten. Being a newly married couple, Socks is the center of their attention. Marilyn becomes pregnant and soon the couple is bringing a baby boy home named Charles William. Socks has to deal with no longer being the center of his owners attention, although he fights for the attention the new baby is receiving. I would use this book in my future classroom when talking about the arrivals of new brothers and sisters in a household to see if the children could relate to how Socks felt in this book.

Chapter Book #1 Write-Up

Author: Barbara Park

Title: Junie B. Jones, First Grader: Aloha-ha-ha!

Illustrator: Denise Brunkus

Genre: Children's Fiction

Subgenre: Comedy

Theme: Junie B. Jones experiences her first vacation.

Primary/Secondary Characters: Junie B. Jones, her parents, her teacher Mr. Scary, her classmates

Award(s)/Publication Year: no awards presented/2006

Publishing Company: Random House Children's Books

Brief Summary/Book Usage: Junie B. Jones goes on her first vacation and she goes to Hawaii. While she is there with her parents, she is asked to keep a photo diary of her trip to show her class when she returns. She experiences snorkeling for the first time and cannot wait to tell her classmates. I would use the book in my future classroom when we discuss family vacations and the activities that are experienced on them.