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.