Book Review: Sleepy Head / Dormilón by Natasha Balseca

 

Book: Sleepy Head / Dormilón

Author: Natasha Balseca

Illustrator: Dana Daniel

Publisher: Monarca Press

Publication date: 2011

Categories: 

Supports Diverse Protagonist

Picture Book 

Bilungual

Online Material

Lexile Score: Not Available

Target Audience: ages 4-7

Brief Summary

This is the story of Matteo and his struggle to fall asleep. He tells his mom that he can't sleep and she tells him to think of certain things such as sleepy on a cloud in the sky or or in a boat in the deep blue sea or lying in a bed of flowers. Nothing seems to help Matteo sleep until his mom tells him to picture him snuggled in his bed with him mom's arms wrapped around him. Matteo finally feels comfort and his falls asleep.

Evaluation: 30/32

Illustration - 4

Storyline - 3

Appropriateness - 4

Problems/Resolutions - 4

Stereotyping -4

Relatability 4

Readability/Cohesiveness - 4

Critical Thinking - 3

This is a very short story but it can be relatable to a lot of young children who struggle to fall asleep at night. It includes a lot of use of imagination and imagery so students can use that in the classroom. This book is bilingual so it has the diversity and it has a glossary in the back to help students figure out words. This book is something I would use in the classroom due to its simplicity and it would be easy to dive into the Spanish language.

Literary Elements

1. Imagery - This book uses a lot of imagery to help describe what Matteo should think about to help him fall asleep. The use of the descriptive words would help the reader imagine their own picture if there were no illustrations. If I were to teach a lesson on imagery, I could use this book and others to show how the use of adjectives and other descriptions can help a reader create their own illustrations. The students could create a story without pictures and allow another student to create the illustrations and see how close the illustrator can get to the author's intended purpose.

2. Theme - The theme of this book is thinking of calming places to allow yourself to relax.

3. Simile - An example of a simile from the book is "“Colorful fish swim around you like little rainbows that light up your dreams.”

Book Review: Diary of a Wimpy Kid The Long Haul by Jeff Kinney

 

 

Book: The Diary of a Wimpy Kid The Long Haul

Author and Illustrator: Jeff Kinney

Publisher: Amulet Books

Publication date: 2014

Categories: 

Supports Diverse Protagonist

Graphic Novel

Written in the last 4 years

Engage middle school readers

Lexile Score: 1000L 

Target Audience: 3rd - 7th Grade

Age Range: 8-12 years old

Brief Summary

Summer vacation has just started and Greg's mother announces that the family is going on a trip. They have too much stuff because of all of the people in their family so Greg's dad suggests that they use his boat to store the extras. They end up staying at  run down motel, eating frozen pizza and having trouble getting a good night's sleep because of the Beardo family making too much noise. Throughout this trip, the Beardo family seems to be everywhere Greg's family is like the beach where they think the Beardos stole their belongings out of their car. Everything in their boat flies out so now they are essentially left with nothing. They try to get everything back but have no luck. The next day they lock themselves out of their car and have to get a ride home from two brothers who don't speak English. It is a long trip that they will never forget especially when Greg realizes he had what they needed all along.

Evaluation: 29/32

Illustration - 4

Storyline - 4

Appropriateness - 4

Problems/Resolutions - 4

Stereotyping - 3

Relatability - 4

Readability/Cohesiveness - 3

Critical Thinking - 3

This book would be something I would recommend for students who want a good laugh and the Wimpy Kid series is one that a lot of students enjoy. Most of the students can relate to some type of situation like the ones in the book and that is why I think most students would enjoy reading this book. 

Literary Elements

1. Onomatopoeia - An example of some onomatopoeias form this book are "sploosh" and "sloosh."

2. Exaggeration - The author creates exaggeration in the writing by putting certain words in all capital letters and that shows the reader that it is being emphasized and exaggerated.

3. Point of View- This book is good example of a point of view piece of writing because you are reading it and experiencing events through Greg's point of view. If I were to teach a lesson on point of view writing, I could use this book and others to use as examples and allow students to see what they need to create a good piece of writing. Point of view writing will be a simple task for them because they have to write down exactly how they would tell a story to someone and it would already be in their point of view. 

Book Review: Junie B., First Grader (at last!)

 

 

Book: Junie B., First Grader (at last!)

Author: Barbara Parks

Illustrator: Denise Brunkus

Publisher: Random House

Publication date: 2001

Categories: 

Supports Diverse Protagonist

Early Chapter Book (with illustrations)

Lexile Score: 250L 

Target Audience: 1st-4th Grade

Age Range: 6-9 years old

Brief Summary

Junie B. Jones is starting a new school year and she is finally in First Grade. She has a new class and a new teacher and a bunch of new classmates. But then, Junie B. finds out that she might need glasses because she is struggling to see the board and it will be hard for her to learn if she can't read the board. Junie B. tries to convince her parents that she doesn't need glass but ends up getting them and all of her friends in class love the glasses that she wears. Now she can concentrate and the read the board without the fear of missing out on something.

Evaluation: 30/32

Illustration - 4

Storyline - 4

Appropriateness - 4

Problems/Resolutions - 4

Stereotyping - 3

Relatability -4

Readability/Cohesiveness - 4

Critical Thinking - 3

This book would be a helpful tool in the classroom when it comes to students who feel embarrassed because they can't see the board or they don't like the way their glasses look. A lot of students are scared to wear glasses because of what the other might think but this book can show these young readers that they have nothing to worry about and everyone will love their glasses. Some might even want glasses just because they think they look cool.

Literary Elements

1.Punctuation - The author uses many different forms of punctuation to insinuate the way one talks in the story. By using exclamation marks for excitement and ellipses to hold off on information, the reader is getting a full sense of the mood of the story at the time.

2. Sequence - The author creates uses sequential words such as first, then and next a lot and those would be helpful for any student who wants to be successful in writing. If I were to use this book to teach a lesson on using sequence of events, I could show the many examples and let the students see how the use of these terms allow for a better flow of reading. The students then can apply this new information to their own writing. 

3. Onomatopoeia - An example of a simile from the book is the use of "grr" to show anger a lot.

Book Review: The Book With No Pictures by B.J. Novak

 

 

Book: The Book With No Pictures

Author: B.J. Novak

Publisher: Dial Books

Publication date: 2014

Categories: 

Written in the last 4 years

Online material

 

Lexile Score: 380L 

Target Audience: Kindergarten - 3rd Grade

Age Range: 5-8 years old

Brief Summary

This book is a book that is very interesting to read out loud in a classroom. At the beginning of the book, the reader is told that there are no pictures in this book but that instead of pictures, the reader has to say everything that is on the page. Each page has a colorful world that the reader must say out loud and it is followed by and argumentative thought or something that the reader might be thinking after having to say that colorful word. The book is a wonderful tool to lighten the mood in a classroom.

Evaluation: 17/24

Storyline - 2

Appropriateness - 4

Problems/Resolutions - 2

Stereotyping - 4

Relatability - 3

Critical Thinking - 2

This book is very fun for children to listen to but it did not get the best score from my scale. I believe that this is a book that every student would want to read for themselves or aloud to a friend but it does not provide much of  storyline, there is not a problem or a way to solve it, and it does not offer a lot of different ways for students to use critical thinking. The only time I might use this book in a classroom was if students needed a little pick-me-up or some way to lighten the mood due to its comedy relief.

Literary Elements

1. Narrative -This whole book is a narrative being told by the reader because it is as if the story is the readers' story to tell. The use of the word "I" shows that the story is something that is being told to the reader from the reader. If I were to create a lesson on narratives, I might use this book and others to show students so that they can create their own narratives. Being able to see different examples will help the students see that there is more than one way to do everything.

2. Onomatopoeia - This whole book is filled with onomatopoeias such as "blork" and "blurf." These words create a sound just by saying the word itself.

3. Comedy -This story is a comedy because it causes the reader to say words that they never thought they would say and students tend to laugh at this book everytime it is read aloud to them.

Book Review: And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell

 

Book: And Tango Makes Three

Authors: Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell

Illustrator: Henry Cole

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Publication date: 2005

Categories: 

Supports Diverse Protagonist

Picture Book 

Lexile Score: AD720L 

Target Audience: Preschool - 2nd Grade

Brief Summary

This is a true story that is set in Central Park Zoo. The authors take the reader to the penguin exhibit of the zoo where they begin telling the story of two male penguins named Roy and Silo. They explain how the girl penguins started finding and mating with the boy penguins but Roy and Silo were always together. The zookeeper Mr. Gramzay noticed the pairing and realized that they were going to be together. He would watch the two and he noticed that they even tried to hatch a rock because they saw the other penguins keeping eggs warm. Mr. Gramzay saw that one penguin couple could only care for one egg at a time so he took their second egg and placed it in Roy and Silo’s nest. The two penguins took turns keeping the egg warm until one day it hatched. Mr. Gramzay decided to name the baby Tango because “it takes two to tango.” The story concludes with the authors telling the reader how the family has stayed together and nurtured each other throughout the years. 

Evaluation: 27/32

Illustration - 4

Storyline - 4

Appropriateness - 3

Problems/Resolutions - 4

Stereotyping - 3

Relatability - 3

Readability/Cohesiveness - 3

Critical Thinking - 3

This book tells the great story of Tango and how his story started. This story takes the reader through everything between his "parents" Roy and Silo and it is an amazing journey told through the illustrations. I would definitely read this story in a classroom to teach students about acceptance to others in the classroom when they have a family that might not be exactly like everyone else's.

Literary Elements

1. Setting - The setting of this book is in Central Park Zoo in New York City.

2.Memoir -This book is basically the memior written about Roy's, Silo's, and Tango's lives as a family and how they were created. It is something that could teach children to use the good stories out there and make them into something important that others can read later on in life. If this were to be the main topic of a lesson, I would use this book and others to show students examples and then I would make them create their own memoirs or get together with a partner and write a memoir about their partner.

3. Rising Action - The rising action in this story is after Mr. Gramzay puts an egg in Silo and Ray's nest. The reader waits and waits for some build up that then creates the climax. This time when the male penguins are keeping the egg safe is a very important time in the book called the rising action. 

Book Review: Spike the Mixed-up Monster by Susan Hood

Book: Spike, The Mixed-Up Monster

Author: Susan Hood

Illustrator: Melissa Sweet

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Publication date: 2012

Categories: 

Supports Diverse Protagonist

Picture Book 

Written in the last 4 years

Bilingual

Lexile Score: AD470L 

Target Audience: Preschool -3rd Grade

Age Range: 4-8 years old

Brief Summary

Spike is a little confused about what he really is. He thought he had all the traits of a monster until he finds out that his only the size of a lily pad and he doesn't scare anyone. One day a Gila monster comes along and all of Spike's friends are scared of him. Spike tries to scare the Gila monster. The monster says he wasn't scared and that it was just that no one has ever smiled at him before. Spike becomes friends with the Gila monster and all his other friends are grateful that he saved them.

Evaluation: 29/32

Illustration - 4

Storyline - 4

Appropriateness - 4

Problems/Resolutions - 4

Stereotyping - 4

Relatability - 3

Readability/Cohesiveness - 3

Critical Thinking - 3

This book is a bilingual book but it is not your typical bilingual book. The book is written in English and some of the terms are in Spanish. To figure out what the Spanish term is, the author and illustrator worked together to create an image that the reader can use to determine what the word means. At the end of this book, real pictures of the animals from the story are shown so the reader can see what the creature looks like in real life. I think this is a wonderful book that can be useful if you were to ever come across a time where students are going through a self-discovery phase. It is a marvelous book.

Literary Elements

1. Dialogue - A lot of dialogue is used throughout this book to show a constant flow of conversation between the characters.

2. Onomatopoeia - The author uses onomatopoeias to represent the noises that the Spanish creatures are making.

3. Rhyming - The author's creative combination of onomatopoeias and rhyming definitely creates a follow and rhythm to the book. For example there is a part of the book that says "Flap and fly! Flap and fly! Dig and hide! Dig and hide!" These two combinations create a great lesson for students to see how they can combine literary elements to make their writing more fun and interesting for the readers. It may be something that is hard to create at first but once students get the hang of it, they can create their own writing with combinations of literary elements.

Book Review: ¡No, Tito, No! / No, No, Titus! by Claire Masurel

 

Book: ¡No, Tito, No!/ No, No, Titus!

Author: Claire Masurel

Illustrator: Sheri Halpern

Translator: Diego Lasconi

Publisher: NorthSouth Books

Publication date: 1997

Categories: 

Supports Diverse Protagonist

Picture Book

Bilingual

Lexile Score: Not Available

Target Audience: ages 4 & up

Brief Summary

Tito is a dog who doesn't know what his role on the farm is. He tries to go to school with the children and they tell him no. He tries to drive the tractor and the farmer tells him no. He tries to help milk the cow and chase mice and lay an egg. They tell him no. One night he is sleeping in his doghouse when he hears a noise and wakes to the sound of a fox trying to get to the chickens. Tito chases him away and realizes he has finally found his role on the farm.

Evaluation: 30/32

Illustration - 4

Storyline - 4

Appropriateness - 4

Problems/Resolutions - 4

Stereotyping - 4

Relatability - 3

Readability/Cohesiveness - 4

Critical Thinking - 3

This book is a bilingual book and I love the way it flows together. The pictures almost like each part was cut out of construction paper and put onto the page. The colors are very vibrant and I think children would love to read this book in the classroom. I think it is a simple way to combine languages because they are simple terms that children can learn. The story allows for students to really think about what their role might be in the house or maybe on a farm. I really enjoyed this book.

Literary Elements

1. Onomatopoeia - An example of an onomatopoeia from this book is when the author writes the words "Woof! Woof!" to represent the sound a dog makes.

2. Dialogue- The author uses dialogue a lot to show the conversation being had with the humans on the farm and the dog.

3. Setting - There are multiple settings in this book but there is one main setting which is the farm. There is also the school bus, the chicken coop, the cow barn, the field, and the forest the fox runs off into. If I were to teach a lesson on setting, this book would be perfect to show students that a whole story does not have to be set in one place. It can be multiple places. The students could write a story that is set in more than one place and share it with the class when they are done.