The Leanin' Dog

Nazum, K. A. (2008). The leanin' dog. New York:  Scholastic, Inc.

Genre: Realistic Fiction
Age Level: 8-12

Summary:  The Leanin' Dog is an incredible story of loss, pain, and suffering, in the beginning.  The young girl in the story, Dessa Dean, is in conflict with herself.  She lives with her father, lost her mother in an unforseen accident, and longs to leave the four walls of her cabin.  However, she can't even make herself walk father than the edge of her porch.  In her mind, her mother's death was her fault and the pain that she has from this accident further increases the pain she feels from the frostbitten ears she deals with each and every day. 
     The setting of this story is in the mountains of Colorado during a harsh winter.  The scenery can be felt in almost every line of the book.  Dessa Dean used to love this time of the year, until it was partly responsible for her mother's death, and fully responsible for her own pain with her ears.  She must wear a hat at all times, and pull it way down over her ears, if she is even near the cold coming from the doorway.  That is, until one day she hears the sound of a dog coming from outside.  She forgets about her pain and longs to find the companionship of a friend, in this case, a beautiful brown dog.  The dog is not used to humans, but quickly warms up to her as long as she is outside the cabin.  However, he finally figures out it is warmer inside the cabin and ventures inside only if the door is left open.
     There are many ups and downs in this wonderful story.  However, the climax of the story comes when the dog fights off a bear who is trying to attach Dessa Dean.  Both the dog and bear run off into the woods and Dessa Dean fears that the dog is hurt.  She finally leaves the cabin for her one true friend, and does not come home empty-handed.

Reflection: I am a complete dog-lover, with four of my own at home.  If I see a book with a dog on the cover, it is sold.  I bought this book two or three years ago at a book fair at school and just added it to my collection of dog books in my home library.  If I had know how wonderful it would be, I would have read it sooner.  I could not put this book down!
     I think my students would love this book.  It would be a great, suspenseful read-aloud for the classroom.  I think I will do that in my own classroom before Christmas break, since it does make reference to Christmas in some of the chapters.  I also think it would be helpful in teaching students good character and willingness to sacrifice yourself for others.  It is important that we teach our students this today because many of them do not learn that in their own homes.  It is so important to worry about others, even if they are in the form of an animal. 
     OMG! I LOVED THIS BOOK!!!! It would be one of my top most recommended books for others to read.

Knots on a Counting Rope

Martin, B., Jr., & Archambault, J. (1987). Knots on a counting rope. New York: Henry Holt and Company, Inc.

Genre: Poetry
Age Level: All ages

Summary: Knots on a Counting Rope is a narrative poem involving two main characters - Grandfather and Boy-Strength-of-Blue-Horses.  This poem is full of dialogue between these two characters.  The boy often asks his grandfather to tell him the story of when he was born and how he was given his name.  The counting rope is used to show how many times the story has been told and it's significance is used to show the passage of time, referring to the fact that grandfather is getting very old.  Knots on a Counting Rope is a wonderful depiction of the special relationship between a grandfather and his grandson.
     This poem is full of simile and personification.  The wind is compared to the crying sounds of a bobcat and the boy is said to have raced darkness, as a human may compete in a race.  These elements add to the meaning of this poem and allow more interaction between the poem and the reader.

Reflection:  I am so excited to have discovered this wonderful poem.  For years, I have had copies of this book in my classroom, but never taken the time to actually read it.  I also found a Reading Rainbow video that goes along with this book, and am planning to use it just as soon as my class begins poetry.
     I think this book would be neat to share with the class as a read aloud.  I would also like to use this to show how simile and personification are used throughout poetry.  There are so many good examples inside these pages.  I also think that the students would be able to visualize the comparison very easily just by reading the words.  Another idea would be to discuss how each student got their name.  We all have a story of where our name came from and this book would be a great introduction to an activity where the students researched how they got their name.

Big Questions: What is a counting rope? What do you think it means to race darkness and win? Why did they name the boy as they did? How did you get your name?

Stone Soup

Brown, M. (1947). Stone soup. New York: Simon & Schuster.

Genre: Traditional
Age Level: 4-8

Summary:  Stone Soup is a Caldecott Honor Book.  This book is based on an old French tale from many years ago during war time.  It has been passed along from generation to generation and country to country, where we received this version of a wonderful story.  Even though the story has changed in some ways, the main theme of the story has held true. 
     Stone Soup is actually a story about three soldiers who have gone days without eating.  They want desperately to find food, but not one person whom they come in contact with will give them even a morsel to help take away their hunger.  The soldiers know that the people of the village are lying to them and find a clever way to get them to feed them.  The soldiers tell them that they will just have to make "stone soup".  During this time, the people of the village are intrigued by the soldiers use of just small stones to make something wonderful to eat.  All of a sudden, there is a huge pot of stone soup for everyone to share.  How and when did that pot of stone soup become available?

 
Reflection:  I had actually heard this story before, but had never read the book or seen the wonderful way the illustrations depict the story.  The arrangement of elements in the picture share this story in a clever way.  The colors of gray, black, white, and red are seen on every page, and nothing else.  This is also reflected on the cover of the book as well.  I think these illustrations added to the understanding of how selfish people can be, and how often we are tricked into doing things by others when we are trying to be that selfish person.
     I think that my students would like this book very much.  I also think they would automatically ask if we could make stone soup in our classroom.  It would be a great experience to teach the students how to follow a recipe that is drawn out through the pages of a book.  Then, it would be even better if they were able to share the outcome of their recipe  with others. 

Big Questions: What is stone soup? Have you ever eaten stone soup before? Would you be willing to share your food with people who didn't have anything to eat? How might our class be able to help people in need?

The Jack Tales

Chase, R. (1943). The Jack tales. Boston:  Houghton Mifflin Company.

Genre:  Multicultural
Age Level: All ages - depending on the story told

Summary:  The Jack Tales are a compilation of stories that are meant to be oral but were written down by the author Richard Chase.  Most of these stories started out as English folktales, but were later shared in other countries as well.  So, therefore, these stories are also to be considered multicultural because each culture puts their own spin on the stories.  No two people, or cultures, will present one of these tales in the same way. 
     In this particular version of The Jack Tales, the author has been told the stories by the Ward and Harmon families from North Carolina and Virginia.  Even though these stories have been written down, if the members of the families were to tell them again, there would most definitely be differences in the stories. That is why these stories are so unique.
     Each story follows a similar pattern.  Jack sets out to find his fortune.  Along the way, he meets many kinds of "enemies", whether real or imaginary, which adds spice to his adventures.  Jack is always clever and is usually, practically most of the time, the heroic one at the end of the story.  Some of the tales are - "Jack and the Bean Tree", "Jack and the Varmints", and "Jack and the Giants' Newground".  There are many others included in this compilation.

Reflection:  Of course, over the years, I have heard many different versions of these stories myself.  "Jack and the Beanstalk" was always a favorite of mine as a child, but the version in this book was different than what I remember being told.  I think it is important to share our Appalachian heritage with students and this book is one that can be very useful and kid-friendly.  I would especially find The Jack Tales helpful in teaching Arts and Humanities - Drama.  I am responsible for teaching my students about storytelling and where it actually came from.  I can share these stories with my students and complete an activity where I actually let them retell the stories to see how similar the two stories are.  It would also be beneficial to wait a few weeks and bring the story back to their minds and actually see how close their version is at that time.  After working with these stories, I could then have the students come up with their own stories, tell them, write them down, and then check to see how similar their own real-life stories turn out.

Big Questions: Who is Jack? Where did Jack come from? Do you think Jack is a real character or one that was made-up? Why do you think Jack always appears to be a hero? Would you like to be Jack for a day?

The Mouse and the Motorcycle

Cleary, B. (1965). The mouse and the motorcycle.  New York: HarperCollins Publishers.

Genre:  Modern Fantasy
Age Level: 8-12

Summary:  The Mouse and the Motorcyle is an adorable book.  On the front cover of the book, it says, "Ralph is going to have the ride of his life!" Boy, was that an understatement! Ralph is a mouse, who has human-like characteristics, making this an animal fantasy book.  Ralph develops a relationship with a young boy named Keith, who comes to stay at the inn where Ralph's mouse family also lives.  Keith is an only child, so he has many toys, including a bright red motorcyle, to play with in order to pass the time.  Ralph can't take his eyes off the motorcyle, because it is just the right size for him to actually ride. 
     Keith and Ralph become good friends during the time that Keith's family is staying at the inn.  Not only do they enjoy each others company in the time that they can talk to each other, but they also begin to actually care for one another.  Keith's only request of Ralph is that he does not lose his beloved red motorcyle as he is riding it around the inn.  However, Ralph does not honor that request and the motorcyle is lost.  Ralph is beside himself trying to discover a way to find the lost toy.  During this time, Keith becomes very sick and must have some medicine to help bring down a fever.  Ralph to the rescue!! Who better to search the inn for a small pill that someone may have dropped a long the way? This intriguing story continues on with an amazing ending, which also shows how desperately Keith and Ralph care for each other.

Reflection:  This book is outstanding! I can't believe that I had not discovered this one before.  It has been on my shelf at school for years, and I had chosen not to read it until now.  Beverly Cleary has such a knack for making you actually feel like you are right there taking part in the story.  I think this would be a great book to use as a read-aloud in the classroom.  If I only had time to read one or two chapters a day, it would keep the students sitting on the edge of their seats waiting to see what happens next.  I could just hear them, "Awwww mannnn, please read one more chapter! We want to see what happens."
    I also think this book would be a good choice in teaching characterization.  Even though one character is a boy and the other is a mouse, it would be very easy to choose character traits for each of them.  It would also be easy to compare and contrast their character traits, as well.  The students would really enjoy any activity related to this book.

Big Questions:  Why do you think it is possible for Ralph to actually ride the red motorcycle? Is it possible for a mouse to care about a human? How are Ralph and Keith alike? Different? Why are Keith's parents afraid of Ralph, and why are Ralph's parents afraid of Keith?

The Grouchy Ladybug

Carle, E. (1977). The grouchy ladybug. China:  HarperCollins Publishers.

Genre: Picture Book
Age Level: 5-7

Summary:  The Grouchy Ladybug is a cute story of grouchy ladybug who is always looking for a fight.  She goes throughout her day from 6:00am to 6:00pm trying to find someone to fight with, whether it be a stag beetle, a sparrow, or even a whale.  No matter their size, big or small, she always tells each creature that they are not big enough and she takes flight to find the next creature. 

Eric Carle who is the author and the illustrator did an amazing job with this story.  First of all, he used die-cut pages for the composition of this book.  The pages are cut this way in order to allow the reader to see each of the clocks located at the top of the page.  This adds meaning to the text because it shows the reader that the concept of time is being used throughout the book.  The illustrations are also very bright which compliments the text and shows the personality of the ladybug.

Reflection:  I think The Grouchy Ladybug could be used for so many different kinds of lessons in the classroom.  Students could learn the concept of time and following a daily schedule by looking at the clocks as they follow the path of the ladybug.  Students could also learn a lesson in manners as they see how grouchy the ladybug is and how polite the other creatures are.  I think it would also be neat to use this book to introduce some of the different types of insects and animals portrayed in this story.  Not all students are familiar with a stag beetle or praying mantis. 

Another idea for this story could include repetition.  Throughout this story, "Hey you,", "Want to fight?", and "Oh, you're not big enough!" are repeated on just about every page.  It would be a great idea to have the students discuss with each other why they think these words are repeated and what impact it has on the story.

Big Questions:  Do you know how to tell time? Why do you think the ladybug is looking for a fight? Is she really looking for a fight, or is there something else? Why do you think the ladybug repeats the same words over and over throughout the story?

The Polar Express

Van Allsburg, C. (1985). The Polar Express. Boston:  Houghton Mifflin Company.

Genre:  Picture Book
Age Level:  5-7

Summary:  The Polar Express is a Caldecott Medal book and has also been made into a major motion picture.  This book is an intriguing tale of what it means to still believe in Santa Claus.  The main character of the story, which we never learn his name, is at that pivotal point in his life where he doesn't know if he believes or not.  He finds himself on Christmas Eve being awoken by the sound of a steam engine, which will lead him on a magical journey to the North Pole.  There, he must decide whether he truly believes or not, and will be given the opportunity to accept the first gift of Christmas.

Chris Van Allsburg wrote and illustrated this wonderful book.  His illustrations are created in oil pastels all throughout the story.  This is seen vividly in the illustrations of the train ascending up the snow-covered mountains on the way to the North Pole.  It is also seen in the illustrations of the children aboard the train as they are about to leave the North Pole heading for home.  The illustrations are also realistic and represent natural forms.  This is seen in the illustration that shows the young boy accepting the first gift of Christmas.  The boys face is very vivid and real.

Reflection:  I can't believe how much I have enjoyed this book.  Christmas is one of my favorite holidays and this book and movie bring me so much joy during this time.  I am always in awe of the life-like images I see in this beautiful story.  The illustrations are what gives this book such dynamic meaning because they show the story without having to actually look at the words.  To me, this book is best used as a read-aloud during the last week of school before Christmas break.  Students should be treated to sweet candy and hot chocolate, while wearing their pajamas to school.  We have done this over and over at our school and it is always a wonderful experience for all of our students.  Most often, it is done with the movie instead of the book, but maybe that needs to change.

Big Questions:  Do you believe in Santa Claus? Why or why not? Why do you think the young boy can't hear the bell at first, but then is able to at the end of the story? What do you know about he Northern Lights? Would you get on board The Polar Express if it pulled up in front of your house?

Owl Moon

Yolen, J. (1987). Owl moon. New York:  Scholastic, Inc.

Genre:  Picture Book
Age Level:  5-7

Summary:  Owl Moon is a Caldecott Medal book.  This book is a sweet story of a young girl and her father who set out on an adventure.  This "owling" adventure will lead them through snow-covered hills and valleys in search of the great owl.  The young girl knows that this is an experience to treasure because not all who decide to go on this adventure get the privilege of seeing the majesty of the great owl.  Throughout the story, Jane Yolen uses many literary devices to add to the story.  For example, she uses metaphor when she wrote, "the trees stood still as giant statues."  She also used simile when she wrote, "...a train whistle blew, long and low, like a sad, sad song."  Her use of these devices adds to the text of the story and helps to relay the feeling of a calm, cold winter night.

The illustrator, John Schoenherr, used diagonal lines to depict motion all throughout the story.  These lines appear in the form of footsteps as the young girl and her father are walking.  This gives the appearance that they are walking uphill.  The shadows of the trees are also in the form of diagonals, which gives the sense that the two of them are either walking uphill, or downhill as they head home from their adventure.  The illustrations are a beautiful depiction of the calm of a winter wonderland during an "owling" adventure.

 


Reflection:  This book was so precious to me.  I know how special a bond is between a young girl and her father.  I couldn't believe I had never read this book before now.  Owl Moon would be a great resource to use when teaching literary devices, especially simile, metaphor, personification, and onomatopoeia.  Students would be able to discuss these devices based on the words chosen by the author.  They would also be able to explain with detail if given an open response type question asking them to describe one of these devices.  I think that I would also like to use this book as a read-aloud before actually beginning classwork on literary devices.  It would be a good introductory lesson.

Big Questions:  Why do you think the author calls this adventure "owling"?  What is the illustrator's purpose in using diagonal lines throughout this story? Where in this story can you find a simile or metaphor? What is the difference between these two devices?