Final Reflection

I found this class to be very helpful especially when we took the time in class to discuss books we had read or genre/text sets where provided as resources to us. I learned a great deal not only about reading and how to teach some books that may be difficult but also myself as a reader, and how I chose books too. With my knowledge from this class I was able to be more productive with reading choices and such for other class activities and meeting with my reading buddy for Block A. I found it difficult to sometimes say what I wanted in class because of other students but in the end I was able to see not only my point-of-view on things but also others.

Miss Spider's Wedding

Miss Spider's Wedding by David Kirk

ANy book by this author is sure to be a favorite for adults and children alike. This one tells a great story of Miss Spider meeting a boy spider that she happens to like a great deal. Along the way however, a spider who likes her does not like the fact that she has found another spider and wants to get rid of him. Eventually the bad spider is gone and Miss Spider is able to be with her beloved Holley. They are married at the end of the story and the best part of this story is the rhyming and poetic writing that the author uses. It makes the story come alive along with the vibrantly colored pictures and fun insect characters.

My Teacher's in BIG Trouble & My Dog Ate My Homework

My Teacher's in BIG Trouble & My Dg Ate My Homework by Bruce Lansky

These two books of very funny poetry are great for children of any age. They have many poems throughout and are great for kids to relate to. As their are children trying to get out of going to school, not going to bed and the lunch ladies, there is sure to be something the will please every writer. These poems are also all illustrated with greatly detailed black and white sketches that help to further the readers love of the poem. I would recommend these for your classroom as well as the other poetry books by this author.

Love The Dog

Love That Dog by Sharon Creech

This book is quite a quick read and starts off with a little boy named Jack with his frustrations to write. His responses to his teacher are what make up this book and interestingly enough it is quite easy to follow with only one side of the conversation each time. He finally finds a poem he greatly enjoys and because of this he is able to better focus his writing about his dog. Although he states in the beginning that "boys don't write poetry, girls do!" he finds a love and pleasure in writing his own poetry.

The Wonder Book

The Wonder Book by Amy Krouse Rosenthal

This is one of the most extraordinary books i have read in a long time. THere is such great poetry and rhyming on each page that is also filled with an illustration that makes the poem or story even better. With so many things packed in this book that children can relate to it is perfect for using in your classroom. This book can be opened at any page and enjoyed all the same. I DEFINITELY recommend this great book!

You Read to Me, I'll Read to You

You Read to Me, I'll Read to You by Mary Ann Hoberman

I have never seen a book quite like this one that does a great job not only at being able to interest kids in poetry but also expressing voice and conversation in a written piece, something that many teachers struggle to teach and show. Each poem or story most often is told with two people. With different colored texts for each person, one reads the purple text and the other the magenta text. If there happens to be blue text, it makes it even more fun because the students are able to read it together and then continue on with their "conversation". If this book has you or your students interested their are many more like it in different versions from the same author.

Tales of Famous Americans

Tales of Famous Americans by Connie and Peter Roop

I think that this book is a great introduction to some of the people in our history that built, changed and challenged us all as a nation. These stories begin with things that kids can connect with and understand such as where they grew up and their childhood. Then they can learn more as they read about the accomplishments and stories behind such people as Pocahontas and Harriet Tubman to Helen Keller and Mia Hamm. I think this is a great resource to any classroom as many children have heard about these people within the pages but may not know why or who they really are. With dates and pictures that help you learn, i really liked this book myself.

Spacebusters The Race To The Moon

Spacebusters The Race To The Moon by Philip Wilkinson

I found this book to be very interesting and taught me a lot even as an adult. As it states in the beginning of the book, " In 1961 the President of the United States made a pledge that America would sen a man to the Moon before the end of the 1960s. Here is the story of the final stage of that races against time." I think it is a great resource for students who may or not be learning about space in science or significant events in social studies. With its great detail and pictures it is sure to excite any child.

John, Paul, George & Ben

John, Paul, George & Ben by Lane Smith

This greatly goofy book that is based on the tales of History we often hear in school, takes these four men and in a short story of each introduces them to the children. Some stories have a bit of exaggeration and some children might no understand the jokes that you can come across but I found this book to be very interesting and enjoyable. A long with the fact that their is a little bit of loose history in this book, the author takes the time to set the reader straight in the end of the book with a true false section to answer any unanswered questions.

Twenty-six Princesses

Twenty-six Princesses by Dave Horowitz

As the book goes through each letter in the alphabet there is a princess to go along with each one. As they are all getting ready to impress the prince at his ball. These princesses are full of personality and as soon as they make it to the royal ball, the prince will be wondering just what he got himself into. As the final ages state, " Put 'em all together and what do you get? A royal pain in the alphabet!" With its vibrant pictures and funny details it is a fun way for kids to practice their alphabets.

The Night Before the Tooth Fairy

The Night Before the Tooth Fairy by Natasha Wing

This magical story of a little boy whose tooth just wouldn't fall out, has him trying everything possible to get his very loose tooth to come out. FInally he loses the tooth, and wants so badly to meet the tooth fairy when she comes to collect his tooth. He tries very hard to stay awake but not bee seen when she finally arrives. As the story goes on he tells all about his experience in a very poetic and rhyming manner. In the end he loses his tooth but his brothers first tooth comes in. I really think this would be a great book to use as all your students start to lose their teeth.

So Far from the Bamboo Grove by Yoko Kawashima Watkins

I liked this book a lot better of the two paired books but I can definitely see how it would be very uncomfortable to teach for some. I feel like i have mixed views on this topic because I fell that in certain situations, that this book would be inappropriate because of your class make up or the are you may be in teaching. When the school is right and there is a go ahead from everybody I would approach these books by sending home a note and explaining to the children about the mature content they will be en counting, and this way I would be able to cover all of my bases. This would be a great book to use during a WWII unit about a Japanese family forced to flee their home in Korea.

Year of Impossible Goodbyes

Year of Impossible Goodbyes by Sook Nyul Choi

I found this book to be very interesting and I learned a lot more than I thought I would. As ten-year-old Sookan and her family must endure the cruelties of the Japanese military occupying Korea, as they try and break everything her family has made of themselves. It takes much more of course though to bring them down as they search for their freedom and will do anything for it. Although it was a fantastically interesting book I feel that I would not use it in my own classroom

Chicken Friend

Chicken Friend by Nicola Morgan

This book is great for 8 to 11 years old and is about a chicken, friends and a crazy family. A little 12 year old girl named Becca narrates the weeks past events as she sits in her chicken coop. As she rants about her father abruptly taking her and her brothers out of school and moving them to their now very rural community. His biggest worry is making new friends as she has to deal with her boring personality, weird family and being diabetic. This humorous tale takes us through her troubles and tribulations as she learns about herself. This book would be great in a classroom because of how many students are dealing with their "weird" families, moving or even being diabetic.

Family Huddle

Family Huddle by Peyton Manning, Eli Manning and Archie Manning


This book is for the avid sports fan who may also be a fan of the Manning family and there epic football dynasty. It tells the tale of how the two brothers grew up with their other brother cooper playing football all the time with the neighbor boys and their father. As they travel to visit with their grandparents they tell their stories of car games and as soon as their visit is over they head to the next set of grandparents house. This family is very moving and great for young kids to read as it tells a loving story of family and brotherly love.

The Three R's: Reuse, Reduce, Recycle

The Three R's: Reuse, Reduce, Recycle by Nuria Roca

This fantastic book is written in hopes of teaching children about the 3 R's, which are reduce, reuse and recycle. In our environment today it is important to know these things to help us become more green and help our children to understand what they need to do for their future world to survive. This story is written as a little girl learns right along with the reader just how to take care of her earth and the difference between the three r's.

Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus

Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems

This simple book is so true to life as anyone who interacts with young children. At the beginning of this book the bus driver must leave for a bit and asks the reader to not let the pigeon drive the bus. As the pigeon begins to ask if he can drive the bus he is obviously told no by the readers. After this the pigeon begins to escalate into even more silly bargaining. He gives excuses to the fact that he never gets to do anything and that he has never done it before so he could just steer. As the reader continues to say no, he says its not fair and that their mother would probably let him. He finally goes crazy losing his feathers, and eyeballs popping that he screams "LET ME DRIVE THE BUS!!" but the bus driver comes back just in time.

Russell and the Lost Treasure

Russell and the Lost Treasure by Rob Scotton


This fluffed-out sheep with his extremely long, striped wool hat named Russell is attempting to discover the Lost Treasure of Frogsbottom. He stumbles upon the buried chest after inventing a super-duper treasure seeker that helps to find the chest. Once he opens the chest he finds nothing but old junk and a camera that he takes to use later. He uses this camera to take pictures of his family that he later puts in an album that in the end he realizes is really the key treasure. The illustrations in this story really bring it to life with their color and such smooth lines.

No More Homework! No More Tests!

No More Homework! No More Tests! by Bruce Lansky

I cannot help but pick up this collection of poems and not be able to put it down until I have completed the entire book. Bruce Lansky has done a great job at taking common elementary school topics such as math, reading and lunch ladies and writing such funny poems about them that kids can relate to. Each poem has a greatly detailed picture to go along with it that helps to further detail the poems.

Big Words for Little People

Big Words for Little People by Jamie Lee Curtis

This book helps little people communicate in a big person's world. To many times in today's society kids get caught up in a world that is much to old for them and this books helps kids learn what some of the words they may be hearing meaning. Some of these grown-up words include, cooperate, respect, patience and consideration. THrough out this book a family celebrates the power of language and discovers that words no matter how big or little are what connects us all together.

I'm Gonna Like Me: Letting Off a Little Self-Esteem

I'm Gonna Like Me: Letting Off a Little Self-Esteem by Jamie Lee Curtis

This book is fantastic for young children because it helps explain self-esteem to kids in away they can understand and to help them feel better about themselves. This book is a great tool in the classroom when talking about self-esteem and feelings as the greatly detailed pictures help to show the story even better.

Where Do Balloons Go?

Where Do Balloons Go? by Jamie Lee Curtis

This book is about where not only balloons go when you let go but also where you imagination goes when you let it go dreaming as well. It follows the journey a one balloon that a little girl lets go of at a birthday. Following into the sky and past people it helps children maybe understand more of where that balloon that most all of us has let go of goes.

Today I Feel Silly & Other Moods That Make My Day

Today I Feel Silly & Other Moods That Make My Day by Jamie Lee Curtis

I love this book a lot because it is so great for little kids who don't understand their changing moods. It goes through different days and your changing moods and how it is okay to feel these ways. Some of the moods she takes a look at in this book is being joyful, confused, mad, quiet, excited, cranky and lonely. With fun little riddles to go along with each the story of one little girls moods is great for all children and great for the classroom. What's fun about the end of the book is that their is a mood wheel that allows children to turn the wheel and pick the mood that their in and this interactive tool is great for children.

Tell Me Again About th Night I Was Born

Tell Me Again About th Night I Was Born by Jamie Lee Curtis

At first glance the book may give off a vibe of being about maybe where the birds and the bees come from and when she was born, like i thought it might be, but it is the complete opposite. This is a story about adoption and belonging to a family. Is the experience of adoption from the child's point of view. I think this book is great for children that have been adopted and helping explain to them what it is they have been apart of. It is also great for other children to understand why their friend is adopted and what it all means.

When I was Little: A Four Year Old's Memoir of Her Youth

When I was Little: A Four Year Old's Memoir of Her Youth by Jamie Lee Curtis

This is a great book written from a four years old perspective of themselves growing up. SHe learns about getting bigger and understanding that who you are keeps changing as you keep growing up and learning new things. I think this story would be great for younger kids and in a classroom of Kindergartners to help them understanding the things they may be going through at their young age. THe illustrations in the book as well as all of her books are greatly detailed and fun and inviting for children.

Class Experience

So far this class has been a great experience for me. I enjoy reading and children's books but I never have taken a book and been able to look inside and find everything that this class has been able to show me is within a book aside from a story. Being able to take the book, cover, spine and everything else and be able to use it to understand the story or teach a lesson makes reading for some children a lot more fun. This class has also helped to introduce me to more genres and how to use them within the classroom in great ways that keep students intrigued.

Glogster

The Lorax

THe Lorax by Dr. Seuss

A little boy comes upon a place where the Once-ler still lives, and where Lorax once was. He questions the Once-ler about where the Lorax went and why, and then he begins the story of what the Lorax was. Explaining that there was a place where the grass was still green, ponds where still wet, clouds clean and overall it was a glorious place with fantastical creatures. As the Once-ler goes on he explains about his Thneed business and how the Lorax came to tell him his factories where putting out to much smoke. This book has a environmentally feel to it, but some of the major controversy came when loggers said the book was unfair to loggers and put Lake Erie into a bad light. Eventually the comment about Lake Erie was take out many years latter after the lake was cleaned up, but this books still continues to create controversy for some. I like this book and the ideas you could teach behind it, being the environment is good and how to keep it clean.

The Story of Babar the Little Elephant

The Story of Babar the Little Elephant by Jean De Brynhoff

Another controversial book in the eyes of some, I see Babar as a childhood book that I often read and watched the movies.It wasn't until this past time of reading it that I even remembered that Babar's mother is killed by hunters who also then chase him to try and kill him. His cousins also run away and he is often found remember his dead mother. Aside from a few of these very strong feelings the books carries, its not unlike our world today. Their is deaf and murder and crazy people running around and for our children to understand these things, having a story such as this about an elephant, I see it is as just another children's book that might also help children to understand death or animal cruelty, or just enjoy a good story,

In the Night Kitchen

In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak

In the Night Kitchen is one of my all time favorite books that I ever read when I was little. I probably read it 2 or 3 times a night sometimes and know it is still somewhere at my parents house. Although I definitely understand why some parents would find this book offensive, my own mother who wouldn't let us have a Ken doll to go along with Barbie, allowed us to read this book. With this imaginative story of a boy who floats away in his sleep to a Night Kitchen where bakers are ready to bake a morning cake. He is mixed in and eventually the cake batter forms clothes for the little boy as he continues on his journey. By the time morning comes Mickey is taken back to his bead where just a memory of his Night Kitchen experience lingers. This has great illustrations and with a comic book set up on some pages, it keeps you turning the page to see what will happen next.

Daddy's Roommate

Daddy's Roommate by Michael Willhoite

Daddy's Roommate is about a little boy whose parents just got a divorce and now his father has a new partner. This partner however, is another man and we learn about how his father has taken on a new homosexual relationship. THe book goes through everything the boy experiences with his dad and his friend, which turns out to be just about everything a heterosexual couple would run into or experience together. I can definitely see where this book is controversial and a lot of families may not want their children reading but my thoughts about it are the same as every other book I have read. I think it is a great tool to help children understand this type of relationship and how it is the different from their parents or how it can be the same in many ways. I do believe that it would be better to allow parents to share this book with their children rather than reading it aloud in a classroom, but that would only be to steer away from the controversy that it would cause with some parents. It would be a great book for children of all ages.

Smokey Night

Smokey Night by Eve Bunting

This book has been considered to be controversial because of the subject matter it takes on with the Las Angeles riots and cultural differences. While a young boy watches below his apartment window with his mother, they witness the looters roam the streets. Along with their cat going missing, they have discovered that their neighbor who they don't talk to because of cultural differences is missing as well. As soon as the community comes together in the end to escape the fires and the two cats eventually teach the humans a lesson about getting along with each other. The authors illustrations atop great collages help to illustrate the looting on the street.

The Giver

The Giver by Lois Lowry

The Giver is written from the perspective of a little boy named Jonas. Jonas lives in a world where everything is predictable and safe and everyones lives are planned out for them. There are no luxuries and no one decides anything without the help of the community. Even children are decided upon and a married couple chosen by the community are allowed one female and one male child. With Jonas's upcoming Ceremony of Twelve coming up he will now be a new adult member of the community. At such a young age Jonas will be trained and given the memories that he must keep, which cause inflicting situations. Having never read the book before and I enjoyed it. The way The Giver ends can leave some hanging without knowing what just happened, but can create a lot of great discussions. One thing i really liked from the beginning of the story was when the family went around the table and told an emotion that they had experienced from the day. I think it would be a great activity in the classroom to get kids talking.

A Nice Walk in the Jungle

A Nice Walk in the Jungle by Nan Bodsworth

This book takes a look at a class who is going to go on a jungle walk. It begins just fine until one little boy named Tim, spots the Boa Constrictor following the class. Every time he tries to tell his teacher however she does not listen, and each time she finds something new there seems to be fewer and fewer classmates of Tim's around. It's not until she and Tim are the only ones left and he finally gets her attention that she realizes that the children have been swallowed up by the snake. WIth one swift knock of the nose the snake spits them all back out and the class goes on to enjoy lunch. This book is funny for the children to read and lets them use their imaginations. It has great illustrations of all the jungle animals as well.

Deep in the Jungle

Deep in the Jungle by Dan Yaccarino


Deep in the Jungle is a great book to read to young children to help them understand that everyone matters and it is not just about themselves. While in the beginning the lion is king of the jungle and makes everyone do everything for him. Finally the lion is given a chance to join the circus where he thinks he will be appreciated. After realizing that he is having no fun and being told what to do he leaves for the jungle but not before running into his old friends from the jungle. He makes a brave decision to release them all from their cages so they can ALL go back to the jungle and live together with no one animal better than the next.

Safari Journal

Safari Journal by Hudson Talbott

In this great journal about the Safari in Kenya, you get to follow along with a young girl named Carey and his friend Maasai who is 12 years old. They discover how to track wildlife, learn swahili, dodge a wildebeest migration and see how they take on an international ring of animal poachers. This book is full of great facts about Kenya and many other cultural topics. The way this book is set up, every page looks just like you are reading from someone's journal and learning all about their adventures. With some much information it is sure to keep a young readers attention while masking the fact that they are really learning all new things along with the main character Carey.

David Gets in Trouble

David Gets in Trouble by David Shannon

Another great story in the David series by David Shannon. This time it seems that David is always getting into trouble and always coming up with excuses. This book takes you through all of them and in the end he finally says, "Yes! It was me! I'm sorry. I love you , Mom." He understands that he can't always make excuses for himself and must admit to his wrong doings. This can be great for kids who need a little help understanding that everything might not be so bad if you just admit what you have done wrong and apologize. One of the HUGE reasons I enjoy these books is that the illustrations just pop of the page. They are so vibrant and really help to tell David's stories each and every time.

Game Day

Game Day by Tiki and Ronde Barber


This great football book was written by two NFL players that happen to be brothers and twins. They tell a story about them when they were young and playing on a little league team called the Vikings. The brothers run into some problems when one is being praised more than the other but both are working hard on the team. Through help from their mother the boys find out how important it is to have teamwork and in the end everyone wins. This story is great for helping children to understand teamwork and working with others because sometimes at a young age they can get so caught up in the "me, me, me" craziness that they need a little help. Although this book has a lot of references to football and may be a little confusing from that standpoint, it still carries a great message for all.

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller

This graphic novel surprised me quite a bit because I have never read one and it seems that I may still need to look into this genre. This book was fantastic with artwork that were very well put together and done, but for me it was hard to follow along in its comic book feel. I am not used to reading all over the page like you must do with some of these pages and so I found myself at times lost in the story. I do enjoy the story of Batman himself and because of this I was able to grasp some of the concepts but others I was left lost with.

The Great Gilly Hopkins

The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson

This well written book geared for 3rd grade and up will have many kids wondering what Gilly Hopkins will think of next to get out of foster care. After spending all most all her life in foster care Gilly is determined to get her real mother to save her from the awful foster homes she seems to think she is in. After being one of the most notorious foster kids around, and when he is finally sent away to a new family, she finds out that they might be one of the strangest families yet. This is when she comes up with her elaborate plan to get her mother to "rescue" her, but things seem to go a different direction for her.

Barack by Jonah Winter

Barack by Jonah Winter

This greatly illustrated book about Barack Obama is a great way to introduce our 44th president to children. This story begins by telling where Barack Obama is from and where his family cam from. He lived in many different places with many different hardships that he had to deal with. Through out the book he continuously asks himself two questions; Who am I? and Where do I belong? His book helps to answer these questions and tell his journey to the White House and in a way that children can understand.

Aunt Harriet's Underground Railroad in the Sky

Aunt Harriet's Underground Railroad in the Sky by Faith Ringgold

This book with its beautifully painted pictures tells a story of Harriet Tubman and her journey to freedom. The story beings with a young girl Cassie and her brother Be Be learning about the Underground Railroad through an imaginary journey the two of them take through the sky. The board a train with the conductor who just happens to be their Aunt Harriet, who tells them all about the underground railroad and what the life of an escaping slave in the south was like. The train then takes off but Cassie is left behind to search for her brother, and along the way learns first hand what it is like to be a fugitive slave. The two are reunited in the end and just in time to celebrate the anniversary of Harriet Tubman's first flight to freedom. This book also contains great information about Harriet Tubman in the end pages.

The Yellow Star

The Yellow Star by Carmen Agra Deedy

The Yellow Star is a story about people living in Demark who were just Danes until the Germans came and life began to become very difficult. It was especially dangerous when Jews were instructed to sew onto all of their clothing a yellow star. King Christian X was determined to keep all of his jewish citizens safe. He worked very hard to protect his people. This great legend is crossed with many great facts and helps children to understand an era when things were very different from what they are today. The story is accompanied by many great oil paintings that help to tell this story.

Apples To Oregon

Apples To Oregon by Deborah Hopkinson

This fantastic story tell of the journey a pioneer took from Iowa to Oregon. He wanted to move to Oregon but did not want to leave behind his precious apple trees, or other fruits he had. Along the way the encounter many obstacles, such as huge rivers that can swallow you up, people who felt that their attempt to save the fruit was worthless and bad weather. His family and him did most anything they could to protect every tree and plant on their wagon. Eventually they would make it to Oregon where they planted all of the fruit they would continue to enjoy. This book tells a great story children will love, and included on the final pages is even more insight into how apples traveled from Iowa to Oregon.

Lincoln and Douglass: An American Friendship

Lincoln and Douglass: An American Friendship by Nikki Giovanni

This book tells the story of both President Lincoln and his dear friend Frederick Douglass. As it begins on March 4th, 1865 with the President and his wife attending a reception for his recent election into office. He tells her that a friend will be stopping by, and his name is Frederick Douglass. She is quite surprised because he is black, and there are usually no blacks at the White House. As they finally see each other and cross the room to meet another story continues of how both young men grew up with similar stories however, they were just in different places. This story is great for young children to see how the first attempts of abolishing slavery and how Lincoln was determined to, no matter what was being said about him or slavery. It has a great facts and included at the end is a timeline that shows events of both Lincoln and Douglass. The illustrations are great pictures done from cut-paper collages.

Drita My Homegirl

Drita My Homegirl by Jenny Lombard

At some point in our lives we either have to leave some one behind or someone else moves on with out us. In this story Drita has come to America to escape a war torn Kosovo. She knows no english and struggles a great deal to adapt to everything. It doesn't help when the popular girls in the fourth grade have made it a point of theirs to ignore Drita. It is not until one of these girls named Maxie and Drita are partnered for a project that things begin to change. WIth a rough start and all it really does make fr a great friendship to bloom. This book is well written with each chapter being a couple pages long but from either Drita or Maxies point of view. With the story going back and forth between the two, it is a great read for third and up.

Hooray for Fish

Hooray for Fish by Lucy Cousins

This fantastically colorful book full of fish either made up or real, ele-fish to sky fish, helps to show this little fish just who is most important to him. With a lot of word repetition that can be extremely helpful to beginning readers, i think this book is great. Along with the repetition, there is a lot of fun words for kids to say and read along with a lot of rhyming that kids are sure to pick up on. With very few words on each page it is definitely a quick read but great way to start learning how to read.

My Many Colored Days

My Many Colored Days by Dr. Seuss

I had no idea that this was a Dr. Seuss book until looking at the author but it was great and after reading about him seems to be one of his last great ideas. I really enjoyed reading about the comparisons between everyday things and colors that can describe out moods. Each color can be a different mood that everyone will experience sometime in their lives. This would be a great book for Kindergarten, 1st or 2nd grade, showing kids that it is ok to feel different ways on different days because no matter what you are always going to be you in the end and thats all that matters. These images created in the book are much different from the Dr. Seuss many of us grew up with, but are just perfect at getting the point of this story across.

Horton Hatches the Egg

Horton Hatches the Egg by Dr. Seuss

When one little bird needs a little rest from sitting on her unhatched egg all day, she asks non other than a giant elephant named Horton. He agrees and once she flies off he takes his place a top the tree, and on top of the little egg. Nothing stopped him from getting of of that nest, not rain, snow or even the men who came and took him away, tree, nest and all. He was taken across the world and put on display for all to see. As soon as the mother bird saw him she swooped down just in time to want her little baby bird back, but what hatches takes everyone by surprise. This is another one of my favorites because of Horton's lovable character and his dedication to help others. This book would be great for children who might not want to do all of the hard work to gain something, but just want it all to be given to them. A great lesson for all.

The Polar Express

The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg

This timeless tale of The Polar Express is one of my favorites, with its Christmas message for believers everywhere and beautiful illustrations. After one little boy boards a train to the North Pole, his questions of whether or not Santa is real, will be answered. Along with other children all in their PJs, we learn a little lesson about Christmas and Santa. For some of us just like those in the book, we no longer hear the ringing of the bell but their are always a few that still can and this is a great book for them. The images resemble a watercolor look and help tell this magical story.

Where The Wild Things Are

Where The Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

This magical tale of Max and how he travels to where all the WILD things are, is both imaginative and a great read for children and adults. After being sent to his room with no supper because of his wild behavior, Max's room begins to grow a forest in which he can now continue in his wild play. After being crowned king he realizes he misses a few things he once had. Before you know it his boat has journeyed back and he is once again in his bedroom with his supper that is somehow still warm after all this time. With greatly detailed pictures that keep you wanting to turn the pages to see what comes next, this book is exceptional at any age.