Let it Shine by Ashley Bryan

Let it Shine by Ashley Bryan

Summary: This book is a collection of three spiritual songs that are accompanied by Bryan's intricate collages. The first song is This Little Light of Mine which is about perseverance, endurance, and not being ashamed of the "light" that you have to offer. The second song is Oh, When the Saints Go Marching In, which is a song praising God in all his wonder and being there with him no matter what is going on. The final and third song is He's Got the Whole World in His Hands, which is about finding peace and security in God and in knowing that he is always there for you.  At the of this book, Bryan dedicates a page to talk about he significance and history behind these three songs.

Review: This book is appropriate for grade levels Pre-K - 5. This book is beautifully illustrated and celebrates spirituality and culture. This is a book that I would have in my classroom, because the book is so vibrant and is a book that I think children would love to interact with. This book would be a great read-a-loud to go along with a lesson for younger children who are learning about books and "reading" illustrations to connect them with what is being said in the text.

Beautiful Blackbird by Ashley Bryan

Beautiful Black Bird by Ashley Bryan

Summary: Long ago birds came in all pretty colors, only except for Blackbird. One day Ringdove a gray bird, called all the birds, even Blackbird, to his home. Once all the birds had arrived, their reflections shimmering in the pond, Ringdove and all the other birds declared Blackbird to be the most beautiful bird because he had all the colors of the rainbow. After they had celebrated how beautiful Blackbird was , Ringdove came up to Blackbird and asked to be just like him. However, Blackbird said that who are outside does not define who you are inside, but that the next day he will make black rings on Ringdoves neck. When Ringdove got his black rings around his neck from Blackbird, he looked so beautiful that all the other birds wanted some black markings, too. That following day all the birds, of colors, came to get black markings from Blackbird, and they rejoiced at how beautiful they now were.

Review: This is a beautiful book to have in any classroom with Kindergarteners to Second graders, maybe even Third grades. This is a kind of book that I want in my classroom. Blackbird celebrates diversity and teaches kids even though someone or something may be different, that are still beautiful.

Hansel and Gretel retold by Rika Lesser, illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky

 Hansel and Gretel retold by Rika Lesser, illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky

Summary: A poor woodcutter could barely feed his wife and two children, Hansel and Gretel. One night his wife convinced him to take Hansel and Gretel out into the woods and abandon them there. However, Hansel over heard their parents talking and went outside to gather some shiny pebbles. The next morning, as their parents lead them into the woods, Hansel would drop a pebble so that later on Gretel and him could follow the pebbles back home. They waited hours after their parents left them before returning home. When they got home, only their father was happy to see them. A few days later, their mother again convinced their father to take them deeper into the woods. Once again, Hansel overheard their plan and decided that this time he would leave a trail of bread that would lead them back home. Only this time when Hansel tried to look for the bread crumbs he had found that the birds had eaten them all up! Hansel did not give up, and instead took his sister's hand and walked through the woods. As they walked they came across a small house made of sweet treats! However, this sweet house was home to an old woman. This old woman invited the children into her home, only at night she took Hansel and put him in a stall. The told woman forced Gretel to feed Hansel, so that he could be fat enough for her to eat. Only, Hansel tricked the old woman into thinking that he was not getting any fatter as the days went by. Since the old woman thought Hansel was still skinny, she tried to trick Gretel into an oven, so that she could eat her instead. Luckily, Gretel knew what the old woman was trying to do and tricked her into getting into the oven instead. Once the old woman was trapped she began to burn in the oven and Hansel and Gretel escaped, taking some jewelry and other valuables from the old woman's house. Hansel and Gretel eventually found their home where their Father rejoiced and told the, the news that their mother had passed away. The woodcutter and his children, Hansel and Gretel, lived happily ever after.

Summary: Hansel and Gretel is a K-3 reading level, and is a classic story that all children are familiar with. However, I would be very cautious about which retelling I am putting in my classroom because they can be quite dark, such as this one, which uses words like "slaughter". Hansel and Gretel's story would be a good lesson, for younger students, about the dangers of talking to strangers.

The Ugly Duckling by Jerry Pinkney

The Ugly Duckling by Jerry Pinkney

Summary: As a mother duck awaits the hatching of her baby eggs. Finally, one day they all begin to hatch, except for the biggest egg in the nest, so the mother duck excitedly waits. When the egg finally hatches the mother duck is very surprised to see that this one is bigger and different looking than any duckling she has seen. When they are walking, the new duckling is called ugly by other ducks at the pond who try to chase him away, luckily the mother duck protects the ugly duckling. However, the ugly duckling cannot take anymore teasing and runs away only to cross paths with hunters and a dog before finding safety in an old woman's house. He stays at this Old Woman's house with a chicken and a cat, only he cannot lay any eggs and eventually grows tired of being inside. The Ugly duckling leaves the Old Woman's house just as winter begins. One day he gets caught in the ice out on the lake, luckily a man comes to save him. The man takes him inside where he is put by a fire to keep war and children come to play with him. Only, the ugly ducking has never played before and is so startled by the children that he runs out of the house. For the rest of winter the Ugly Duckling is cold and hungry. Finally, winter is over and the ugly duckling is tired of being cold and hungry so he decides to go where the Swans are. This time though, he is welcomed by all and when he looks down at is reflection he no loger sees an ugly ducking but reather a beautiful swan.

Review: The Ugly Duckling can be enjoyed by children ages 4 to 8 years old. This is a classic story to have in a classroom and I would most definitely have it in mine! This story is a great book to go along with a lesson about being different , tolerance, and even learning about different types of birds!

Chicken Little by Laura Rader

                                                               

Chicken Little by Laura Rader

Summary: Chicken Little was sitting under a tree when all of a sudden something falls from the sky and hits her! In fear that the sky is falling Chicken Little rushes to go tell the King. Along the way she runs into Henny Penny, Cocky Locky, Ducky Lucky, and Goosey Loosey, who all follow her to tell the King the sky is falling. When Chicken Little finally tells the King what had happened, he checks her tail to find an acorn and explains that that is what had fallen onto Chicken Little, not the sky. The book ends with everyone's panic gone and laughter at the silliness of Chicken Little.

Review: This book is geared towards toddlers, who I think would enjoy the silliness of Chicken Little. Since it is a fun read for students I would love to have it in my classroom! Chicken Little is a great lesson on making sure things are what they think they are as well as a lesson on it being okay to tell someone when you think that something is wrong even though they might not be.

Wonder by R.J. Palacio

Wonder by R.J. Palacio

Summary: August (Auggie) Pullman was born with a condition that, not only kept him in and out of the hospital since he was born, but also made him look very different from everyone else. Auggie had always been home-schooled not because of he looked different but because he had not been healthy enough, but he is now. Auggie's parents were sending him to the fifth grade at Beecher Prep Academy Middle School. As Auggie began school, the other kids stared, they talked about him behind his back, gave him mean nicknames, and even played mean games about him. But luckily, August had his friends Summer and Jack. Summer and Jack also faced mean peers, who did not understand why they were friends with someone who looked so much different form everyone else and sometimes the peer pressure got to them. Auggie also had his sister Via who was starting high school at a new school. Via was always very understanding that Auggie had to be put first, even though that meant her parents couldn't go to her soccer games or help with her home work. But, Via didn't want to be put on the back burner anymore, and this causes her to push her family away. As Via starts high school, she finds that her best friends Miranda and Elle have changed their image and Via is left to find a new friend group. Through the school year we get to experience the halls of Beecher Prep and Via's new teenage life though the perspectives of Auggie, Summer, Jack, Via, Justin - Via's boyrfriend, and even Miranda. Through bullies, school trips, dating, and just a tough school year, in the end Auggie has won the hearts of everyone at Beecher Prep and the Pullman family is closer than ever.

In Reality: I fell in love with all the characters in this novel and I know that when introduced to a group of 4th and 6th graders, they would too! I would use Wonder in a Critical Thinking lesson, where students are taught that there is more to a story than just a story. For example, students could reflect on how they would react in situations the characters where in and why they would act that way or even think of their own precepts like Mr. Brown's class did from the book.

The Elephant's Child by Rudyard Kipling

 

The Elephant's Child By Rudyard Kipling

Summary: In this book elephants do not have long trunks like they do now, instead they have large, bulgy nose. This was until a young elephant is filled with curiosity, so much so that it could fill all of Africa, changed everything. The elephant's child would always be scolded for the many questions he asked, but he never let is discourage him. One day he asked his family a question that he has never thought of before: "What does a crocodile have for dinner?". After his entire family scolds him for asking such a question he meets a Kolokolo bird who tells him where he can find a crocodile. So, the young elephant packs his things, says good-bye to his family, and sets off in search of the crocodile down in the Limpopo river. There is only one problem, he has no idea what a crocodile looks like, and once he reaches the river he has to ask a python where the crocodile is, but the python gets mad at him for asking such a question. After walking around he sits down on a log, only to discover it was actually the crocodile he had been searching for. However, things did not turn out the way the young elephant thought they would because right after he asks the crocodile his question, the crocodile tried to eat him, pulling down on the elephants nose, stretching it and stretching it. Eventually the python he met earlier came to help him get free. After they got away from the crocodile, the young elephant's nose was is a lot of pain, so he waited three days for it to feel nomal again but it never did. Now, the elephant's child had a long trunk, but he didn't now how to use it. Fortunatly, the python decided to help the young elephant learn the new things he could do with his new trunk. When he returned home his whole family was so amazed by what they saw that they all went down to visit the crocodile to get one.

In Reality: I would love to read this book in class room because I would think that the character is someone they can relate to. At this age they are constantly asking questions and a lot of they can be scolded for it, but in this book we get to see someone who did not give up and who's curiosity actually helped everyone. Its importat the children are able to see themselves in characters, and know that its okay to be curious, even if no one wants to answer your questions. This book would be most appropriate for ages 4 to 6 year olds.You could use this book in a lesson where you are teaching students about why its import to ask questions.