Khristina's Book Blog

I read freedom summer  by Deborah Wiles. This book didn't receive any major awards. This book is so sweet! It's from the point of view of a little white boy named Joe whose best friend is a little black boy named John Henry. There are things Joe can do that John Henry can't like swimming in the public pool, but that doesn't stop them from being best friends. They even built a dam in a creek to create their own swimming spot. However, there comes a day where the rules of separation are now gone, and John Henry and Joe could do things together now. The first thing they wanted to do together was go swimming in the public pool, but when they got there it was being filled with black tar. This made John Henry angry, so Joe had the idea of going to the general store to get ice cream, and that's exactly what they did, together. This is a very heart-felt book, and I love the truth it reveals about kids who were living in this time period. I think the appropriate grade level

I read Ellen's Broom by Kelly Starling Lyons. This book received the Coretta Scott King Book Award in 2013. I absolutely loved the illustrations in this book. The illustration on the cover is what caught my eye for this book because it's bright, colorful, and done extremely well. The story is in the time right after slaves were free, and the more specific focus in this story is that previous slave couples could now legally be married. So, Ellen's parents were already married in the eyes of God, but they wanted to be married in the eyes of the law as well. Ellen's parents told the story of how they were originally married, and the tradition of the broom which Ellen absolutely loved. In the end, Ellen decides that when she gets married she's going to keep the broom tradition alive. This was such a sweet story, and I would definitely read it in my future classroom in history when finishing up slavery. I think this is a beautiful story that portrays the happiness that

I read OX-CART MAN  by Donald Hall. This book received The Caldecott Medal in 1980. When I first saw and even flipped through this book, I thought it was going to be a pretty bland story with not much content. However, after reading the book I really enjoyed it. The book talks about the Ox-Cart Man and what he's loading up in his ox-cart to take to the market to sell. When he gets to the market he sells everything, all the way down to his actual ox. Then, the Ox-Cart Man goes back to his family, and they all start making the pieces they contributed to sell for next year. I think it's a sweet story, and it does a great job of showing this time in history. There is also lots of good vocabulary used in this book. I like this book, and would use it in my classroom incorporated with history. I think the appropriate grade level for this book would be first to fourth grade. A way I would use this book in my future classroom would be to do an activity where the students imagine they we

I read Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willems. This book is labeled as a Caldecott honor book. This book is about a little girl named Trixie who can't quite talk yet. Trixie went on an errand to the Laundromat with her dad, and got to help her dad do the laundry. However, after they had left Trixie realized she didn't have her favorite stuffed animal, Knuffle Bunny. Trixie tries to tell her dad that she doesn't have Knuffle Bunny, but he doesn't understand what Trixie is trying to tell him. When Dad and Trixie arrive back home, mom asks where Knuffle Bunny is, and they all quickly rush to the Laundromat. In the end, Dad saves the day and finds Knuffle Bunny, and Trixie says her first words "Knuffle Bunny." This is a cute story, and realistic because I've seen this happen multiple times where a parent just doesn't understand what their child is really trying to say. I would use this book in my classroom because I think kids would really enjoy it. This would be

I read NOT NORMAN: A Goldfish Story by Kelly Bennett. This book was Jumpstart's: Read for the Record book in 2015. This book is about a little boy who wanted a pet and got a goldfish named Norman, but he wanted a different kind of pet, not Norman. Throughout the story, the little boy is set on trading Norman for a different pet, but slowly but surly the little boy realizes how great Norman actually is. Norman is there for the little boy when he needs a laugh, needs someone to listen, or when he's scared. In the end, the little boy goes to the pet store, and sees all the great pets, but they're not Norman. I love this book because it's cute, but also teaches the importance of really seeing the value in the people and things in our lives. I would definitely use this book in my future classroom. I think the appropriate grade level for this book would be pre-k to fourth grade. One way I would use this book in my classroom would be to incorporate it in math by making a ba

I read Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst. This book received the ALA Notable Children's Books award. This book focuses on a boy named Alexander who definitely doesn't have the best day(that's an understatement). Starting with waking up with gum in his hair, ending with the pet cat wanting to sleep with his brother instead of him, and with a wide range of terrible, horrible, no good, very bad things in between. I love the last line of the book though which is, "My mom says some days are like that." This is something that everyone can relate to because we all have bad days sometimes, and that's okay. I would definitely use this book in my future classroom, and I think it would be the perfect book to read when there's just a day in the classroom where it's obvious that majority of everyone just aren't having that great of a day. I think the appropriate grade level for this book would range from pre-k all the

I read Miss Nelson is Missing!  by James Marshall. This book hasn't received any major awards. This book is about a class that is the worst-behaved class in the whole school, and their teacher Miss Nelson decides there has to be something done about this. So, the next day, Miss Nelson doesn't show up for class, but a new teacher names Miss Viola Swamp does. The kids definitely realize that they had it so much easier with Miss Nelson. Miss Swamp makes them do endless work, and even cancels story hour. The kids decide that they should try to find Miss Nelson, so they go to the local detective who doesn't seem like he'll be much help. The kids come up with bizarre ideas of what could have happened to Miss Nelson, but no one can quite figure it out. In the end, Miss Nelson returns unwilling to say where she had been, and the kids are so grateful to have her back that they are much better behaved. However, the reader is able to tell that Miss Nelson was secretly Miss Viola S

I read Henry's Freedom Box by Ellen Levine and illustrated by Kadir Nelson. This book was recognized as a Caldecott Honor book in 2008. This book is historical fiction and it is evident why because the main character, Henry, is a slave, and the book does a great job of portraying what life as a slave looked and felt like. The book starts out with Henry as a young boy, but when his family's master becomes ill Henry is sold to another master to roll tobacco. Henry's life changes when he meets a sweet girl named Nancy. They end up getting married and have children, and they even get to live together even though they have different masters. Nancy's master is having financial problems, so he sells Henry's wife and children before Henry could even say goodbye. After that, Henry comes up with the idea to mail himself to a place where he can be free. With help of others, and being tossed around in a box a bit, he finally makes it to Philadelphia where he is finally free. I

I read  Star Wars The Clone Wars: Watch out for Jabba the Hutt by Simon Beecroft. This book hasn't received any major awards, but just the fact of it being a Star Wars book means it's written to get kids engaged in reading. The book is about Anakin, a Jedi, and at the beginning he warns us to watch out for Jabba the Hutt. Through the book, the reader is introduced to Anakin's friends, and also his enemies. In the end, the reader officially meets Jabba the Hutt, and learns that he can never be trusted and, ultimately, to watch out him. The appropriate grade level for this book would be kindergarten to second grade. This book is a level 1: beginning to read book, but I think these type of books are super important because they incorporate children's interests at a level they are able to read and understand. I also think it would be great to introduce students to the concept of Star Wars being science fiction, and that there are other books that are similar that they mig

I read  Star Wars The Clone Wars: The New Padawan adapted by Eric Stevens from the movie: Star Wars: The Clone Wars.  I think the appropriate grade level for this book would be first grade to fourth grade. The book is about a battle against the Separatist. The main characters are Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi. They are overwhelmed with the amount of droids the Separatists have. A Padawan, Ahsoka, is sent to be trained by Anakin who didn't want an apprentice. However, by the end of the book, Ahsoka has proved herself to Anakin by helping in the battle against the Separatists that Anakin agrees to train her. This book hasn't received any major awards, but Star Wars is super popular among boys. This book would become very useful in the classroom for encouraging those boys to read if they can read something they're interested in.

I read Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix. Along with Haddix being a  New York Times  bestselling author, this book also received the California Young Readers medal along with many other recognitions and awards. This book's main character is a boy named Luke who lives with his mom, dad, and two older brothers, Matthew and Mark. However, the government has made a law that each family is only allowed two children. So, Luke lives every moment of his life in hiding. Luke is a shadow child. Luke's family live on a farm in the middle of the woods, so if Luke was cautious he was allowed to be outside and help in the barn. However, when Luke was twelve the government came in and cleared out the woods for new houses. Luke wasn't allowed to look out the window, let alone go outside. Luke stays in the attic, and discovers a vent that he can look out to observe the neighbors. Luke catches a glimpse of a third child in the window of the neighbor's house, so he decides to g

I read The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. This book by Suzanne Collins was recognized by the New York Times as #1 Best Seller and Notable Children's Book of 2008 along with many other awards and recognitions. The book's main character is a teen girl named Katniss Everdeen. Katniss lives with her mom and younger sister in the country of Panem, which is ran by the Capitol, in the twelfth of twelve districts. Every year there is something called The Reaping which is where a boy and a girl are randomly picked from each district to participate in the Hunger Games. The Hunger Games, is a blood-thirsty, last man standing battle broadcasted for everyone to watch. The Gamemaker is over the hunger games, and his job is to make the games interesting for the audience. In district 12, Katniss' sister is chosen, but Katniss volunteers to take her place along with Peeta Mellark as the boy. The middle dives into all the pre-game traditions that Katniss and Peeta hate, but Peeta has fee

I read the book Interrupting Chicken by David Ezra Stein. This book is a Caldecott Honor Book. This book is an animal fantasy because both of the main characters are chickens who talk. The story is about how Papa is reading Little Red Chicken a story to get him to fall asleep. However, Little Red Chicken keeps interrupting the bedtime stories with this creative, alternative ending. In the end, Little Red Chicken tells Papa a story that ends up making Papa fall asleep. This is a super cute book, and the repetitive nature of the book makes it interactive for kids. I think the appropriate grade level for this book would be pre-k to second grade. One way I would use this book in my classroom would be to introduce the idea of creating alternative endings. The assignment would be for each student to pick their favorite book, but to add their own creative ending. I would encourage them to be the authors and illustrators of their new book.

I read the book The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley. This book is a Newberry Honor Book. I didn't realize how much I was going to love this book until I started it. Honestly, I was kind of dreading having to read it since it was historical fiction. They say never judge a book by it's cover, but I definitely learned to never just a book only by it's genre. The book's main character is Ada who has a little brother named Jamie. Ada was born with a disability labeled as a club foot, and her mother only sees her as disabled. Ada's mother doesn't allow Ada to go outside, and treats Ada horribly. Things have always been awful for Ada, but she hadn't even realized how awful it was for her until she got out of the abuse. The title fits the book perfectly because if it wasn't for the war Ada wouldn't have had anywhere to run away to. All of the children in the town were being sent away from London for safety from Hitler and his armies. So,

I read In The Deep Dark Deep by Ben Joel Price. I didn't find any major awards for his works, but he was asked to produce a birthday card for Queen Elizabeth which seems like a pretty big deal to me. The storyline of The Deep Dark Deep  is super cute, and it's even more fun because it rhymes. The story focuses on the adventure of Diver, Robot, and Monkey as they explore the deep dark ocean in their submarine. Except, they need to discover the mystery of the missing starfish who bring the light to the ocean floor. So, they follow a trail of green slime meeting tons of unique sea creatures along the way. In the end, after escaping an octopus attack, they find the starfish and make the plan to rescue them from the belly of an eel by making the eel burp. I thought this book was super precious, and I think kids would love it too. The illustrations in the book are phenomenal, and would be very intriguing to kids. I think the appropriate grade level for this book is pre-k to second gr

I read Under The Sun And Over The Moon pictures by Ian Penney and verse by Kevin Crossley-Holland. This book won the British Design and Production Award for 1990. This book is a poetry counting book, and I didn't realize that until I started reading it. The focus of the book is 10 secret gardens, and collecting the amount of the certain thing(s) from each garden putting it/them in the magic bag. By the end of the book, you've counted to ten. Something I really enjoy about this book is that along with counting, it's also an "I-Spy" book by encouraging the reader to find what is described. The appropriate grade level for this book would be pre-k and kindergarten because this is the age they put a focus on counting, and rhyming is a bonus for that age group. Another thing I love about this book are some higher level vocabulary words used throughout the book which is great for younger readers to be exposed to these words. I would use this book in my classroom to mesh

I read the book The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein, and even though this book didn't win any major awards that I could find, Shel Silverstein has won many other awards for his other works including a Grammy in 1970. The story of The Giving Tree  is about a little boy who who becomes best friends with a tree, and they spend all their time together. However, eventually, the little boy grows up, and needs money, a house, and then a boat, and the tree gives everything it can to the boy who is now all grown up. In the end, all that is left of the tree is the stump, but even then the tree is there for the boy, who is now an old man who all he needs now is to sit and rest. A very valuable lesson can be learned from this book, and that is that true happiness comes from giving. I think the appropriate grade level for this book would be kindergarten to high school because of the important lesson that's imbedded in this simple story. I would definitely use this classroom because the less

I read the book Life Doesn't Frighten Me the poem is by Maya Angelou and the paintings are by Jean-Michel Basquiat. There are no major award found for this work. This was a very interesting piece of children's poetry simply because the content along with the illustrations are very unique. The overall point of the book would be all the things in the world that might seems scary, especially to kids, but overcoming your fears by saying it doesn't frighten you at all. The book starts and ends with "Life doesn't frighten me at all." I think the appropriate grade level for this book would be 1st to 3rd grade. I think some of the content in the book might be a little much for some kindergarteners, but I think once they're in 1st grade they're more capable of separating real from fake. I think this is a great book for kids to see a different kind of art. I love how the biography of the illustrator is in the back of the book as well. Some kids would be fascin

I read The Itsy Bitsy Spider illustrated by Rebecca Emberley and Ed Emberley. This book didn't win any specific awards, but Ed Emberley has won the Caldecott award for another one of his works. This type of poem in classified into the more specific genre of poetry called nursery rhymes. This specific books has fantastic illustrations. The illustrations are created using the collage technique which really makes the spider come to life.  The story of the Itsy Bitsy Spider is pretty well-known and very simple. It starts with the spider climbing up the spout, but then it rains making the spider fall out of the spout. Lastly, the sun comes to the rescue to dry up all the rain which allows the spider to climb up the spout once again. I think the appropriate grade level for this book would be pre-k to second grade. This book is especially important in pre-k and kindergarten because of the simple display of rhyming words. I would definitely use this story in my classroom because it's c