Karen's Blog

 Title of the book:Vroom! Hot Cars : FORD MUSTANG Author: Charles Piddock Genre: Nonfiction Awards: N/A Age group:6-10 years old Summary: This book is talking about the beginning of Ford Mustang and each car after that, it talks about the speed and everything that would interest someone who likes cars.  Teacher Evaluation: This book would be more of a free read or entertainment book for students. I know many students have different taste in books so this book would be for those students who enjoy cars and learning about cars. I love how its very detailed and provides many different pictures for the student to read. 

Title of the book: Begin with a Bee Author: Liza Ketchum Genre: Nonfiction Awards: N/A Age group: 4-9 years old Summary: At the beginning of this book the students are asked what is in a hole in the ground and the answer is Bee. From the beginning of the book we are told during what time Bee's come out and what they do everyday to survive and how they multiply.  Teacher Evaluation: I really enjoyed reading this book and although it is an informational book, I believe students will enjoy it was a read a loud/free read for entertainment. One thing that I really liked about this book especially was at the end of the book, the author talks about Rusty-Patched Bumble Bee's. There is also a page all about 10 things you can do to help the Bees. 

Title of the book: Christmas Author: L.L. Owens Genre: Nonfiction Awards: N/A Age group: 5-8 years old Summary: This book talks about one of my favorite holidays, Christmas! This is a great book for students to read all about the holiday if they do not know about it already. It is explained as to what Christmas is and when it is celebrated, as well as the Biblical story of Christmas. Traditional Christmas and decorations are explained and also how it is celebrated with gifts, food, parties, and Santa!  Teacher Evaluation: I would read this book to my class during the month of December when Holidays are closer. I believe this is also a cute and fun free read for the students to grab and read on their own. I loved this book because not only is everything explained about Christmas, it also has a cute Christmas carol in the back as well as a glossary. 

Title: I Have a Skeleton Author: Simone T. Ribke Genre: Nonfiction Awards: N/A Age group: 6-8 years old Summary: Throughout this book, the audience learns the definition of a skeleton, who has one and who doesn't, and all about the anatomy of the skeleton. On each page there is a different fun fact that provides with more information of the skeletal system. This book also provides a glossary at the end of the book as well as some riddles over the skeletal system. Teacher Evaluation: I would definitely read this book to my students during science class when were learning about the different systems in the body. I believe this book is filled with lots of information and basic facts that can help them in the future. 

Title of the book: Out of this World Planets Author: Aaron Deyoe Genre: Nonfiction Awards: N/A Age group: 5-8 years old  Summary: This book is basically a lot of facts about space and all the different types of planets. Each page that talks about a planet has its location from the sun, a couple of fun facts about the planet, and what it even looks like. Teacher Evaluation: I would use this book to have available for my students to read while I am teaching a lesson over Space and this provides them with another resource which they could learn from and find information that maybe I did not teach them over the planet. 

Title of the book: Families Are Different Author: Nina Pellegrini Genre: Contemporary Realistic Fiction Awards: N/A Age group: 4-8 years Summary: At the beginning of the book we meet a girl name Nicola, Nicola is talking about different types of families and how normal it is to be different. This book is a very good book when reading to young kids especially when teaching about family differences.  Teacher Evaluation: This book is a good book to read when teaching to students about differences in families and how it is normal and one should not judge. This topic may be a little sensitive, so this book puts things in a very light perspective. 

Title of the book: Corn is Maize The Gift of the Indians Author: Aliki Genre: Contemporary Realistic Fiction Awards: N/A Age group: 4-8 years old Summary: At the beginning of the book we are being taught on how maize is made, how long it takes to grow, and how it is harvested. We are also taught the history of maize and how it was passed on to others. Maize is used for many different things and is a very important grain.  Teacher Evaluation: I really enjoyed reading this book especially because it shows how the Indians taught the new settlers win America about maize and taught them traditions. This could be used to teach during lessons over settlers and when learning about tribes and all things involving the colonial time period. I loved this book because there was an activity at the end to complete by students to make a corn husk wreath. 

Title of the book: Let's Meet a Doctor Author: Bridget Heos Genre: Contemporary Realistic Fiction Awards: N/A Summary: In this book, students get a class visit from Dr. Zambil who is a pediatrician. The students learn everything about what he does in his profession and how processes go when people go to visit him. Dr. Zambil goes through everything children go through when they go visit the pediatricians office. He also talks about Doctor School and talks about how he became a doctor. Teacher Evaluation:  This book could be read to students for entertainment but it is also a good book about motivating children to be doctors. The medical field is very good and we want to push our students to strive for the best, this may not always be doctors, but anything they want to be. At the end of this book, an activity is included for student's to do as well (Make your own stethoscope.)

Title of the book: The Water Princess Author: Susan Verde Genre: Contemporary Realistic Fiction Awards: ALA Award for Notable Children's Book 2017 Summary: This book is about a young girl named Gie Gie who lives in Africa. Gie Gie walks every morning to the well with her mother and she shows the process and long journey she takes everyday to get to the well. Once they are at the well Gie Gie  Teacher Evaluation: This book could be used for entertainment purposes but it could also be used to teach students that a lot of resources that are free and available to us are not around other parts of the world, such as water. Gie Gie and her mother had to travel to reach water and then had to clean the water once they got back to be able to drink it. 

Title of the book: Un Caso Grave De Rayas Author: David Shannon Genre: Contemporary Realistic Fiction Awards: N/A Summary: This book is about Camilla Cream and her insecurities, she really cares about what other people think of her so she changes to please them. One day she wakes up with stripes on her body and the doctor cannot tell what is wrong with her besides the fact that she has a bad case of stripes. Every morning, Camilla wakes up with different patterns and stripes on her body until she becomes some type of bacteria that eats up the house. A lady comes into the house and gives Camilla lima beans and she turns back to normal. Camilla learns that it is okay to be different.  Teacher Evaluation: I would use this book as a free read and entertainment book for my class. There is a lesson behind the book and that is to be comfortable in your own skin and being yourself while not caring what anyone else thinks. 

Title of the book: If You Give a Mouse a Cookie Author: Laura Numeroff Genre: Fantasy Awards: N/A Age group: 4-8 years Summary: This book is basically about a mouse who has a request for a cookie and he demands a list of request afterwards because you gave him what he wanted in the first place.  Teacher Evaluation: This book is definitely a book for entertainment, I do not believe there is a point to the book just basically that if you ever gave a mouse a cookie (which hopefully you would not), he would have a list of demands afterwards. This book is very cute and friendly for students and I would use it as a free read. 

Title of the book:  Blancanieves Snow White  Author: Equipo Editorial Genre: Fantasy Awards: This book in particular does not have any awards but the original Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs has the Caldecott Medal in 1939 Age group: 6-10 years old Summary: This book is the traditional Snow White story but in Spanish and it was a very entertaining and traditional read. Snow White was going to be killed by a huntsman and the huntsman immediately did not want to kill her so he told her to run off. Snow White ran and met 7 dwarfs who helped her with a place to stay. Snow White was discovered still alive by the step mother and the dwarfs quickly took care of her.  Teacher Evaluation: I would read this book to my students for entertainment purposes and also as a fun refresher of fairytales. This book is also a lesson over vanity and how being envious of someone else and wanting to cause so much damage to them can reverse and hurt you.