Literature and Technology Project Reflection

I thoroughly enjoyed this project. I loved reading children’s books, especially the pictures books! I think I have broadened my love of books. I used to hate nonfiction books because I found them boring. For this project, I chose nonfiction books that were about interesting topics such as football and Will Smith, and now I learned that I actually like reading nonfiction books! I also had fun reading books that I remembered loving with I was a kid, such as the American Girl books and Freckle Juice.
I also had fun trying out various technologies. Blogging, using voice thread, and using Inspiration were all exciting! My favorite technology was probably the voice thread. I had never even heard of voice thread before this year, and now I plan on using it in the future with my students and just for fun! I found lots of great websites and resources that contained tons of lesson plans that integrate literature and technology. These will be wonderful to refer back to once I become a teacher. These websites are great time savers because they already have great lessons written, and they are even already broken down by grade level!
My favorite part of the project was probably teaching my students about voice thread. They seemed to “into it” and captivated! The students kept talking about voice thread for the next few weeks! They are about to use voice thread again for a science class, and their teacher was excited to hear that they already learned about voice thread from me! It is great to see how technology can be used in all content areas, including science, literature, social studies, math, language arts, etc.
I think that I now have a great understanding of various technologies. By using the technologies, teaching about the technologies, and researching about technologies, I now feel very well informed. I will remember to use these when I teach. Technology is great for kids of all ages, and it is definitely wonderful for third-fifth grade. Technology can be great for advanced or gifted students because it gives them an opportunity to extend and apply their knowledge. Technology can also be great for students who struggle to write or have messy handwriting. Some students cannot write well, but they thrive when given a chance to express themselves using their vocal skills, so voice thread would be great for these students! Visual learners would do well with technologies such as Inspiration and the fun Wordle site that we used in the beginning of the semester. English Language Learners can enjoy technology as well. Some technologies allow for translations, so this would be a great way for students who are still learning English to get involved! Our world is rapidly creating new technologies, and after learning how fun and exciting technology can be, I plan on staying informed about the new technology that becomes available! I plan on using technology, especially when teaching literature, as often as possible when I teach!

Freckle Juice by Judy Blume, illustrated by Sonia O. Lisker- Fiction/Freebie/Chapter Book

“Freckle Juice” is a short fictional chapter book about a little boy named Andrew Marcus. Andrew desperately wants freckles like his classmate, Nicky's. Andrew thinks that if he has freckles, his mom would not know if his neck was dirty, so he would not have to wash in the morning and be late for school. A mean girl in his class named Sharon overhears that Andrew wants freckles. She tells him she has a recipe for freckle juice, and she will sell it to him for fifty cents. Andrew buys the recipe from her, and he drinks the freckle juice. The freckle juice, of course, does not work. It is made up of random items such as grape juice, ketchup, salt, pepper, onion, lemon juice, mustard, etc. Andrew does not get any freckles, but instead he gets a very bad stomachache. He feels so sick that he has to stay home from school for a day. When he feels better, he still does not want to go to school because then Sharon will make fun of him and see that he has no freckles. He decides to draw freckles on his face with a marker, but he only has a blue marker. Everyone laughed at his blue “freckles” and his teacher helped him remove the blue specks from his face. The book ends with Nicky, the boy with lots of freckles, saying that he wants to get rid of his freckles. The tricky girl, Sharon, tells Nicky she has a secret recipe for removing freckles. One can imagine that Sharon will play a similar trick on Nicky.
This book is a chapter book, but it is still short and has lots of pictures, making it a great “first” chapter book for students. The book is also great for anyone who has freckles, because they can see that some people desperately want freckles, so they will feel great about their own freckles! This book is silly and fun for kids, and I remember loving it as a child. I still enjoy reading this book today. Kids can relate to the book because they probably all have something that they would like to change about their appearance, just like Andrew and Nicky. They can learn from the book that most people look good just the way they were made, and it is better to stay who you are instead of trying to change. This is one of those books that I think both genders and almost any age group would enjoy, so I would definitely put it in my classroom library!

Katy No-Pocket by Emmy Payne, pictures by H.A. Rey- Fiction/Freebie

This is a very cute story about a mother kangaroo. For some reason, Katy Kangaroo does not have a pocket, so she cannot carry around her little kangaroo, Freddy. Katy was very sad, so she decided to ask other animal mothers that did not have pockets how they carried their children. She asked a crocodile, and the crocodile carries her baby on her back. Katy tried this with Freddy, but it did not work. She asked the monkey, and she carries her monkey in her arms. Katy’s arms are too short. After asking several animals, Katy asks the owl, who knows everything, what she should do. The owl told her that in the city, they sell pockets. Katy went to the city and saw that most people had pockets. She saw one man who had an apron covered with pockets. The kind man gives Katy the apron, and she is able to fit Freddy in a pocket. Katy ends up being able to carry other animals as well, such as rabbits, lions, and lizards, in her pocket. Katy is happy because she has more pockets than any other mother kangaroo!
This is a very sweet and heartwarming book. Children who love animals, especially kangaroos, would love this book. This was one of my favorite books as a child. In addition to being a cute story, children can learn a lot about animals from this book. There are pictures of animals and the book describes how various mother animals carry their babies. Children who are lower readers would love this book because it is an easy read. Children can really connect to this book because they have probably all felt sad, different, or self-conscious about something, just as Katy was about her lack of a pocket. Students can really feel what Katy is feeling. This book would also be great for problem solving. Before reading the end of the story, students could brainstorm solutions for Katy. These problem-solving skills would help students solve personal problems in their future!

Bitter Bananas by Isaac Olaleye, illustrated by Ed Young- Fiction/Freebie

Bitter Bananas by Isaac Olaleye is a wonderful and interesting book for people of all ages. The book is written in a repetitive style that makes it easy for all students to comprehend, but the illustrations and varied text placement keep the readers interested. In this book, a young boy, Yusuf, lived in an African village. He loved to drink palm sap and would sell it at the market to help his family. However, someone started taking his palm sap! After hiding at night he found that it was baboons that were drinking his palm sap. Yusuf came up with several ways to try stopping the baboons from taking the palm sap. He tried charging out of a bush and yelling at them, hacking down the trees near his palm tree so they could not leap onto his tree, scaring them with a scarecrow, and tricking them into thinking a gourd was a person. None of these plans worked! Finally, Yusuf bought calabash bowls, ripe bananas, and palm sap from the market. He mixed palm sap, ripe bananas, and green juice from wormwood leaves in the calabash bowl. Yusuf placed the bowls at the foot of the tree and the baboons came to eat it. They never came back again!
Despite being a juvenile fiction book, this story provides children with a glimpse of life in Africa. Students who are interested in Africa might want to read this book. There are wonderful illustrations, and a few cultural traditions are mentioned and drawn. Also, this book contains animals, making it enticing and exciting for many children. This book would be great for students who love animals. Even if the upper elementary students feel too old to read this book, it provides an excellent gateway for a creative invention project. Teachers can have their students design ways to prevent the baboons from stealing the palm sap! This will allow students to be creative, share their ideas with the class, and compare their ideas to those in the book! This book would be excellent for lower readers because it is a pretty easy read, but it is still interesting. Bitter Bananas is an excellent choice for any teacher to use in his or her elementary classroom!

Hannah Montana: Crushes and Camping, based on the television series "Hannah Montana," stories by Poryes, Peterman, and Dontzig- GRAPHIC NOVEL

This book was a graphic novel of the popular Disney Channel television show, “Hannah Montana.” There were two short stories in this book. Hannah Montana is a famous pop star, and her “real” name on the show is Miley Stewart (Miley Cyrus in real life.) In the first story, Miley has a friend named Oliver. Oliver is in love with Hannah Montana, and he does not know that Miley is really Hannah. Oliver does crazy things to meet Hannah Montana, such as crawling into her limousine through the opening on the top. When Oliver talks to Miley, he talks about how much he likes Hannah. Miley does not know what to do because she does not like Oliver romantically, so she does not want to hurt his feelings! At first, she tries to keep it a secret that she is Hannah Montana. She tries to make Oliver not like her by being rude and chewing gum, which Oliver hates. She even blows a huge bubble and pops it in her face! Oliver still loves her, so she finally tells him the truth. They decide that he is not really in love with her, and they remain friends. In the second story, Miley and Lilly, her best friend, get stuck sharing a tent with their enemies, Ashley and Amber, on a camping trip. Miley tries to get out of the trip by pretending to be sick, but her father does not fall for it. Miley and Lilly try to get along with Amber and Ashley, but Amber and Ashley continue being mean. They end up getting back with Amber and Ashley by tricking them into thinking a bear is outside of their tent. In the end, Miley and Lilly get in trouble for their trick because they end up with poison ivy! The stories were told using pictures, thought bubbles, captions, and speech bubbles since this is a graphic novel!
This book would be very popular with third-fifth graders. “Hannah Montana” is an extremely popular show, and many kids watch it. Lots of the fifth graders that I work with wear “Hannah Montana” t-shirts to school. Since they like the show, they would definitely enjoy the book. The graphic novel style makes this book good for elementary students as well. The pictures and captions can make the book an easy read for struggling readers. The pictures seem to be straight from the television show, so it really brings the story to life, and it makes the book easy to follow. Perhaps some students that do not like to read and prefer to watch television will learn to love reading if they read books like this. They can still get that pop culture entertainment, but just through a book instead of television!

A Picture Book of Harriet Tubman by David A. Adler, illustrated by Samuel Byrd- Nonfiction/ Biography

This book was a biography, which is a type of nonfiction book. The book discussed the life of Harriet Tubman. She was born in 1820 or 1821, and she was one of eleven kids. Harriet, her parents, and her siblings were all slaves. Harriet was often disobedient and got in trouble. Her master would whip her for punishment. During this time, abolitionists began to speak out against slavery. Also, Nat Turner led a rebellion against slave owners and their families. Harriet saw him as a true Moses, and she wanted to be like him, leading people out of slavery. Meanwhile, Harriet met a man named John Tubman and married him. One day, Harriet escaped with three of her brothers. Her brothers ended up going back home, but Harriet left again a few days later. She traveled along the Underground Railroad and became a free woman! Harriet ended up helping other slaves to freedom as a “conductor” on the Underground Railroad. Many people called Harriet Tubman “Moses,” and this was a compliment for her. Harriet Tubman was never caught. In 1860, while Tubman was still alive, Abraham Lincoln became president and soon after that, the Civil War began. In 1865, slavery was ended in the United States. Harriet Tubman was always very brave, and many people long ago and still today admire her.
This was a very informational book. This would be a great book to have in the classroom for students to use for research. I remember writing a report on Harriet Tubman in elementary school, and this book would have been very helpful. This book might also be used during Black History Month. Many students have heard of Harriet Tubman and admire her. They might want to read this book, so it would be great to always have it available. The book has lots of information, but it is still on a level that kids can understand. The details were basic and not too complex, making it a great book for doing basic research. The pictures in the book are great, and they can really help children connect to Harriet Tubman and what she went through. Some students might have had ancestors who were slaves, and they might especially want to read this book. Harriet Tubman is a hero for many people, and therefore her biography is very important for everyone, including elementary students!

The Best Book of Bugs by Claire Llewellyn, illustrated by Forsey, di Gaudesi, and Wright- Nonfiction

This was a nonfiction book about bugs. The book discussed the difference between insects and spiders because this is something that people commonly confuse. Insects have six legs, while spiders have eight. Insects have three parts to their bodies- the head, thorax, and abdomen, while spiders only have two parts- the head and thorax at front and the abdomen at the back. Something that spiders have in common with insects it that they both have exoskeletons. After explaining these differences, the bug discussed different types of spiders. These included the broad types- spinning spiders and hunting spiders, as well as more specific spiders such as spitting spiders, jumping spiders, water spiders, and sheet-web spiders. Different types of insects were discussed as well such as bees, ants, beetles, butterflies, moths, and dragonflies. The book discussed the differences in moths and spiders, which is something else that many people confuse. The book had wonderful pictures to further describe all of the different types of insects and spiders. In addition, there were diagrams of body parts, life cycles, etc. This book provided lots of information about insects
The topic of bugs is interesting to many children. Some children love bugs, and therefore would love to read about bugs. Some children are afraid of bugs, so a book about bugs would be good so that they could learn more about which bugs are safe or harmful. I personally used to be very afraid of bugs, but I took the course “Insects and People,” and now I find bugs very amazing! Hopefully reading a nonfiction book about bugs can allow students to appreciate bugs instead of simply being afraid of them. The pictures and diagrams make this book great for students of all reading levels. Students could read this book simply for fun, but it would also be a great book to use for research for a project or report on insects or a specific type of insect!

The Illustrated Rules of Football by R.L. "Buddy" Patey, illustrated by Patrick T. McRae- Nonfiction

This book was a nonfiction book. It discussed the rules, players, equipment, etc., involved in football. There were fifteen basic rules discussed. These topics of these rules included the field of play, the ball, the goalposts, yardage chain and down marker, required player equipment, the officials, game time, scoring, the captain, the teams, starting the game, putting the ball into play, formations, out-of-bounds, and fouls. The players were also discussed in detail, and these included the linemen, the backfield players, the pass receivers, the linebackers, and the kicker. The book also showed and described some important signals used in football. This book was written in very simple language and terms, and lots of pictures were used to help describe the rules. The important words were written in bold letters, and there was a glossary at the end of the book defining these words. One good thing about this book was that they usually discussed the differences in youth, high school, college, and professional football so that people would not assume the rules were the same for all levels of football. The book also mentioned several times the importance of having good sportsmanship when playing football, which is a great thing to have reinforced for kids.
This book is great for third-fifth graders. Many kids enjoy playing or watching football, so they would probably find this book entertaining. There are other people, like myself, who like to watch football but do not know all of the rules. This book really breaks down and simplifies the rules of the game. The pictures and diagrams help to explain everything, and these elements along with simple language make this book appropriate for English Language Learners or struggling readers. Of course, strong readers would like it too if they like football! Some students know nothing about football, and they might want to read this book to understand why their peers enjoy this sport. This is a great book to have available for students, because many of them will enjoy it! I actually dreaded reading non-fiction books for this project because I thought they were all boring, but when I chose non-fiction books that were on topics that interested me, I actually loved them! Hopefully books like this can help students to appreciate nonfiction books as well!

Grow Your Own Gargoyle by Valerie Hardin, illustrated by Carol Moore- Modern Fantasy/Science Fiction

This story is a very short modern fantasy/ science fiction story. A girl named Wendy liked to order toys out of her “Slime Sisters” comic book, such as talking fish, living pet rocks, and giant super heroes. Usually, the toys she orders end up breaking, being extremely small, and overall, they are disappointing. Wendy is starting to think that she should not order any more things from the comic book, but then her mom brings her a package. Wendy had ordered a “grow your own gargoyle” kit. The kit had two toy gargoyles, and the instructions said to put them in separate bowls of water over night. The next morning, the gargoyles had come to life! Wendy was scared but did not scream because she knew that gargoyles were cranky. Wendy ended up being friends with her gargoyles and keeping them. The gargoyles liked the same things as Wendy, such as pillow fights and drawing. They even get Wendy in trouble by messing up her room while she is at school! The gargoyles ask Wendy to get more gargoyles, but Wendy decides that two are enough for her.
This book is great for kids that love fantasy stories about creatures that come to life. Many children have wild imaginations and love this kind of story! The book is a quick and easy read, so it is great for struggling readers. However, I know plenty of advanced readers that still enjoy books like these! I know lots of boys who love books about creatures such as gargoyles, goblins, and vampires. Also, kids can relate to the beginning of this story because they have probably ordered a toy that ended up not being as good as they expected. I remember ordering toys when I was little, such as toys mentioned on the back of cereal boxes, and they usually ended up being a disappointment. I actually found this book on a website called MagicKeys.com, and it has free storybooks online! The books are divided into levels, which include books for young children, older children, and young adults. This story was in the “older children” category. There are books of many genres on this website, including other science fiction stories, such as one about aliens. This is a great website for any school because it expands the classroom library greatly! Just a few simple clicks on the computer can bring up tons of stories! There are even pictures online, so they are just like real paper copies! Websites such as these are especially helpful for schools that do not have a lot of money. If a school cannot afford to buy a lot of books, they can find tons of free books online (as long as they have Internet access.) A class can go from having thirty books to two hundred books! If teacher look for more websites like this, the numbers can be even larger.

http://www.magickeys.com/books/gargoyle/index.html

Dinosaurs Before Dark- Magic Tree House- By Mary Pope Osborne, illustrated by Sal Murdocca- Modern Fantasy and Science Fiction and a Chapter Book

This book is an example of modern fantasy and science fiction, and it is also a chapter book. The book includes time travel, magic, and encounters with dinosaurs. A boy named Jack and his littler sister Annie find a very high tree house in the woods. Up in the tree house, there are tons of books. Jack loves dinosaurs, so Annie hands him a book about dinosaurs. He sees a picture of a dinosaur called a Pteranodon and says that he wishes he could see a real one. Suddenly, it got windy and the tree house spun around. Jack and Annie have just traveled back to the time of dinosaurs! They see a Pteranodon, a Triceratops, lots of Anatosauruses, and a Tyrannosaurus rex. Some of the dinosaurs are nice, and the Pteranodon even saves Jack from the T-rex in the end. Jack uses the dinosaur book to learn about the dinosaurs, and they learn things such as not to be afraid of the Triceratops because it only eats plants! Jack has to escape a T-rex in the end. The T-rex is about to get them, even though they are in the tall tree house. Jack finds a book about their hometown, Frog Creek, Pennsylvania, and he wishes to be back home. Sure enough, the tree house spins and takes them home! Jack and Annie decide to not tell anyone about their adventure because no one will believe them. Them know their adventure was not a dream because Jack found a gold medallion during their trip and it was still in his pocket when he got home. Jack and Annie decided to come back to the magic tree house the next day.
This book would be great for any students who like action and adventure. What is more adventurous than running from dinosaurs? It would also be great for students interested in dinosaurs. There are facts about dinosaurs throughout the book that help the children deal with the dinosaurs. If a student is interested in time travel, they would find this book interesting too. The book is a pretty quick and easy read considering it is a chapter book, so it could be a great way for struggling readers to begin reading chapter books. There are also lots of pictures in the book that add to the book, showing what various dinosaurs look like and guiding the story. Reading this book would probably inspire students to use their creativity and write action stories. The characters in this book loved to read, so this could inspire students to want to read. They see that they can have adventures by reading books. Even though they obviously will not actually travel through time, they can feel as though they were traveling anywhere in time or in the world just by reading!

Graphic Classics: Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne, Illustrated by Penko Gelev- Modern Fantasy or Science Fiction and a Graphic Novel

This book, originally by Jules Verne and retold by Fiona Macdonald, was an example of science fiction, and it was also a graphic novel. A Professor named Professor Otto Lidenbrock finds a hand-written book from Iceland. Inside this book, a piece of parchment falls out that is written in a strange code. The Professor’s nephew, Axel, eventually cracks the code and reads that to reach the center of the Earth, one must descend into the crater of Sneffels. The Professor wants to go explore the center of the Earth, and he makes Axel go with him. Axel is scared and sad to go because he has to leave the girl he loves, Grauben. However, he goes with the Professor. They first travel to Denmark and then to Iceland. A guide named Hans the Hunter goes with them on their journey to help them out. They end up going into the volcano and having many adventures. They almost die of thirst, find rushing water, get separated from one another, travel in darkness, find a strange island with giant mushrooms and dinosaur bones, see strange prehistoric animals that they believed to be extinct, see a geyser, get shipwrecked in a storm, see a prehistoric man, survive a volcanic explosion, and have many more adventures. They eventually end up in Sicily, which is not where they originally planned on going. Their compass had gotten messed up by lightning during their adventures. Finally, Axel and Grauben are reunited and get married. The Professor tells everyone about their crazy adventures, and everyone is happy. This book is written in the style of a graphic novel, so there are lots of comic-book style pictures, captions, and speech bubbles. This made the book flow quickly, and the crazy adventures could truly be “pictured” by looking at the wonderful pictures!
This book would be great to have in a third to fifth grade class. Many children, often boys, love adventure books, and this book is certainly full of adventure and action. This book could also be great for struggling readers since it is written as a graphic novel. There are not long sentences and paragraphs, and a struggling reader or English Language Learner could easily read this book by looking at the pictures. Besides being exciting, this book also has lots of information. Some of the events in the book are impossible, but this is cleared up at the end. There is a “fact and fiction” section that explains which parts of the book could and could not really happen. This book would be great for any students who love science fiction, action, or graphic novels! Perhaps students could create their own graphic novels after reading this. The excitement of the book could also spark creativity, and students could write a science fiction story of their own!

Addy Saves the Day by Connie Porter, illustrations by Dahl Taylor, Vignettes by Graef and Bourget- Realistic or Historical Fiction and a Chapter Book

“Addy Saves the Day” is part of the American Girl series. This book is a great example of realistic or historical fiction, and it is also a chapter book. Addy is a little girl who lives with her Momma and Poppa in Philadelphia. They used to be slaves, but slavery had recently ended and they were free. However, they had gotten separated from Addy’s little sister, Esther, and older brother, Sam. Esther was still on the plantation with Addy’s aunt and uncle, but they did not know where Sam was. The book was about how Addy and her parents worked hard to raise money so that Poppa could go search for Sam and Esther. They bought a small plot of land to plant vegetables. They also helped with a fair at their church that was raising money for many families, including theirs. Addy built spool puppets, Momma baked pies, and Poppa built slide whistles and a puppet stage. In addition to being sad about her siblings, Addy also gets in arguments with a girl named Harriet. By the end of the book, Addy and Harriet make up and become friends. At the fair, an older girl tries to steal their hard-earned money, and Addy and Harriet work together to stop her and save the day. At the very end, Addy’s brother, Sam, shows up at the fair! He is missing an arm, but he is safe and free! I was glad that this book had a happy ending.
This book is a great way to teach children about the impacts of slavery and the Civil War. Slavery, plantations, and the harsh conditions that Addy and her family went through are mentioned in the book. Addy’s family, like many other families, got separated because of slavery. In the book, only white soldiers marched in a parade, even though African American soldiers fought as well. Students can learn about the Civil War and slavery from the perspective of a girl who is about the same age of them, which make it easy to connect with. Children can connect with the fights that Addy had with Harriet, because many children have hard times getting along with classmates. If the students have family members fighting in Iraq, they can connect with the uncertainty of not knowing how a loved one is doing. The end of the book had lots of pictures and facts about life in 1864, focusing on outdoor life. This part told about segregation and the unsanitary conditions during that time. I definitely loved reading American Girl books when I was in fifth grade, so I know that many children will still love reading these books. They are interesting as well as informational! I would definitely recommend this book, along with all of the other American Girl books, to anyone!

Morning Girl by Michael Dorris- Realistic or Historical Fiction and a Chapter Book

“Morning Girl” is an example of realistic or historical fiction, and it is also a chapter book. The chapters alternate back and forth between the perspectives of a girl named Morning Girl and her little brother, Star Boy. Morning Girl loves to wake up early and she enjoys being alone in the morning. She goes out and swims, looks for shells, walks around the island, etc. Star Boy, on the other hand, likes to stay up at night and he loves looking at the sky. He usually sleeps a lot during the day. Morning Girl and Star Boy are like the typical brother and sister- they fight and annoy each other, but they stick up for each other when they need to. Star Boy once embarrassed himself in front of lots of people by running ahead and grabbing food during a large gathering. Morning Girl stuck up for him by running and grabbing food as well, telling everyone that they were all very hungry after searching for Star Boy during a big storm. Star Boy is very grateful for his sister after this, and he calls her “The One Who Stands Beside.” Throughout the book, Star Boy and Morning Girl describe all of their adventures, such as the terrible storm that Star Boy almost died in, when Star Boy hid in the rocks because he forgot to tie up his father’s canoe, and when Morning Girl’s family is sad because the new baby sister was never born. At the end of the book, Morning Girl is swimming and sees a canoe full of strange people. Morning Girl is very polite and speaks to these people, even though she thinks they dress and act very strangely. The epilogue then shows a journal entry from 1492 written by Christopher Columbus, and it turns out that the strange people Morning Girl met were Christopher Columbus and other explorers. I could tell that the book was set in a time long ago, but I did not realize the exact setting until the epilogue.
This book would be a great way for students to learn what life was like in America before it was “discovered” by Christopher Columbus. They can learn what life was like for Native American children and families, and they can see that the Native Americans actually did just fine before Columbus and others came. Students always learn the story of the discovery of America from the explorers’ points of view, but this tells the story from the perspective of the Native Americans. Students can also really connect to this book. Many of them have brothers and sisters that annoy them, but they also stick up for them in times of need. Children know what it is like to be embarrassed just like Star Boy was several times in the book. Star Boy and Morning Girl were supposed to get a new baby sister, but the baby died before it was born. Many families experience miscarriages, so students can relate to this as well. Some parts of the book are strangely worded, so parts might be confusing for students, but overall, this was a great book. Students can really enjoy this book, connect with the characters, and learn about life in America in the 1400’s!

Changes for Molly by Valerie Tripp, Illustrations by Nick Backes, Vignettes by Keith Skeen- Realistic or Historical Fiction and Chapter Book

This book is a great example of realistic or historical fiction, and it is also a chapter book. The book is about a ten-year-old girl named Molly McIntire and her friends and family. The book takes place in 1944 during World War Two. Molly, her mother, her siblings, and her friends, are all at home while Molly’s father is in England taking care of wounded soldiers, since he is a doctor. Molly’s father is about to come home, and Molly wants him to think she is grown up, so she works really hard to get the role of Miss Victory in a tap dance that would be the finale in a big show called, “Hurray for the U.S.A.” The show was going to be put on at a veteran’s hospital for all of the hurt soldiers and the whole town. Molly lands the role of Miss Victory, but on the day of the big show, she gets sick and cannot perform. She got sick because she had been sleeping and going to school with wet hair every day so that her hair would be curly for the show. Molly was very sad because her whole family went to see and perform in the show while she was at home, sick in bed. Plus, Molly’s father sent a telegram saying that he cannot come home yet. The story ends with Molly’s father surprising Molly and coming home that night! Since everyone else is at the show, Molly is the first to see her father, and they are both very happy!
This book is part of the “American Girls” series. I remember loving the American Girls series when I was in elementary school. I even had costumes and dolls that looked like the American Girls! This book would be great in a third-fifth grade class because in addition to being interesting, it is very informational. Throughout the book, references to the war are made. Molly and her friends talk about people that they know who got hurt or killed in the war. The idea of rationing food and other products was also mentioned. At the end of the book, there is a section called “A Peek Into the Past- Looking Back-1944.” In this section, there are pictures and lots of information about what life was like during World War Two. The pictures showed things such as soldiers returning home, the atomic bombs, and the changes that women made during the war. This part was completely informational, and students could learn a lot. This book would be great to teach students about World War Two. Students could also connect to the book because of the current War. Students might have friends or family who are fighting in Iraq, and they could relate to Molly. The book has a happy ending, so that might help to boost morale. Although girls typically read this series more than boys, I think that both boys and girls could learn a lot from this book! Some children think of historical books are boring, but this one includes lots of fun and mischief that Molly gets into as well, making it very interesting!

Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears by Verna Aardema, pictures by Leo and Diane Dillon- Traditional or Folk Literature

“Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears” is a great example of traditional or folk literature. This book gives an explanation of why mosquitoes buzz in people’s ears, just like the title says. It was all caused by a big misunderstanding. An iguana was annoyed by a lie that a mosquito told him, so he put sticks in his ears. The iguana’s friend, the python, said hello to the iguana, who did not hear him due to the sticks in his ears. The snake was afraid the iguana was mad and was planning on tricking him, so he went into a rabbit hole. This scared the rabbit, who ran as fast as she could, which startled a monkey. The monkey warned everyone of danger, and he accidentally knocked off a tree limb that fell onto an owl’s nest, killing an owlet. Mother Owl was very sad and confused, so she did not wake the sun like she was supposed to. The king of the jungle, King Lion, called a meeting of the animals, and they figured out what happened. Mother Owl has happy to find out what really happened, so she began waking the sun again. The mosquito overhead the animals talking and felt guilty, so the mosquito still goes around asking and buzzing in people’s ear, “Is everyone still angry at me?” That is why mosquitoes still buzz in people’s ears.
This book is great for children. It can be used to spark creativity and used for a creative writing activity. This book provides a silly and creative explanation of why mosquitoes buzz in people’s ears. After reading this book, students could write stories explaining other things in life, such as why the sky is blue or why cows moo. Students could have lots of fun doing this while also practicing writing skills and getting their creative juices flowing! The book is also excellent for students because of the wonderful pictures. The book won the Caldecott Medal in 1976 for its wonderful pictures, which used cutout shapes, watercolor airbrush, pastels, and India ink. In addition to enjoying the words and the story, the children can enjoy the pictures as well! Finally, this book could be used to teach children to not jump to conclusions. All of the animals in this story caused a crazy mix-up simply because they did not take the time to ask what was going on. The python assumed the iguana was mad, when really he just did not hear him! Kids in third-fifth grade often have similar misunderstandings, and this book could teach them to talk to their peers in order to get their facts straight and prevent arguments.

Beauty and the Beast retold and illustrated by Jan Brett- Traditional or Folk Literature

This book told the familiar fairy tale of “Beauty and the Beast,” and it is an example of folk literature. A beautiful girl named Beauty is forced to live with a hideous beast so that the beast would not kill her father, who stole one of the beast’s roses. The Beauty is scared at first, but ends up enjoying the beast’s company. The beast asks Beauty to marry him each night, but she always turns him down. One day, Beauty begs the beast to let her go home and tell her family good-bye for the last time, and then she will live with the beast forever. The beast told her to be back in a month or else he would be heartbroken. The beauty had so much fun at home that she lost track of the date and forgot to go back. One night, she had a dream about the Beast dying, and she realized that she loved the Beast, so she went back to him. The Beast was about to die, but Beauty told him she loved him and wanted to marry him, and her tears landed on him. The beast suddenly turned into a handsome prince. The beauty had broken a spell, and Beauty and the Prince lived happily ever after!
Like “Snow White,” this book was pretty easy to read and many students are familiar with the story. Therefore, it would be great for English Language Learners or struggling readers. The easy words and familiarity of the story would help the students be able to read the book. Strong readers would enjoy this book as well because many children love fairy tales, and children must not forget the fun and joy of reading a good book. This story would also be a great way to teach the children a moral. Today, everyone seems very caught up in appearances. This book shows that it is what is on the inside, not the outside, that counts. The beauty fell in love with the hideous beast because he was kind to her. Even if he did not turn into a handsome prince, she would have still loved him. This book can teach children that they must get to know people before judging them, and that looks and appearances can be deceiving. Hopefully this might prevent any bullying or mean comments about students who are not extremely attractive. Folk literature is great for teaching morals!

Walt Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs illustrations by the Walt Disney Studio adapted from Grimm's Fairy Tales- Traditional or Folk Literature

This book was actually the Disney version of "Snow White," so it was basically the same as the movie. "Snow White" is a fairy tale, which is an example of folk literature. A King and a Queen had a beautiful baby named Snow White, but the Queen soon died. The King remarried many years later to a beautiful but cold and cruel woman. The new Queen looked at herself in the mirror and asked the magic mirror who was the fairest or prettiest woman. The Queen feared that one day the mirror might say Snow White since she was turning out so pretty, so Snow White was forced to wear rags and clean all day. Despite her rags, one day, the mirror said that Snow White was the fairest of them all. The Queen told a huntsman to kill Snow White in the woods and bring back her heart in a box. The huntsman did not want to kill Snow White, so he told her to run and hide in the forest and to never come back to the castle. Snow White was scared, but some animals led her to a tiny house. It ended up that seven dwarfs lived there. Snow White lived with them and helped them cook and clean, and they were all very happy. The Queen learned one day that Snow White was alive, and she disguised herself as an old woman and brought Snow White a poison apple. Snow White fell into a deep sleep, but one day a handsome Prince came to the forest and kissed Snow White since she was so pretty. Snow White woke up, and the Prince carried Snow White away to his castle and they lived happily ever after.
This book would be great to use with elementary-aged students because many of them have heard the story before. The book is a quick and easy read, so it would be helpful for struggling readers. Since many children know the story, struggling readers could figure out the words more easily! This book could also be great for English Language Learners because most of the words are small, and they might be familiar with the story already as well. This book would also be great for average and strong readers because thanks to Disney, many children, especially girls, seem to love fairy tales. I know that I still enjoy reading fairy tales! This book would be great for a fun read for students of any ability level, and third-fifth graders need to remember the fun and joy of reading instead of always being forced to read long, hard books. Sometimes kids get turned off by reading when they are forced to read books that they do not find interesting, so it is important to allow them to read some books that they find interesting even if they are easy books. Last week, I read this book to a third-grader that I baby-sit for, and she enjoyed reading it! We took turns reading the pages, and she really loved this book! This showed me that even strong readers (she can read very difficult books) still love classic fairy tales!

Cendrillon- A Caribbean Cinderella by Robert D. San Souci, illustrated by Brian Pinkney- Multicultural and International Literature

"Cendrillon" is a Caribbean Cinderella story, and it is an example of multicultural literature as well as folk literature. The story is told from the perspective of a poor washerwoman, who turns out to be the “fairy godmother.” She was given the honor of being the godmother to Cendrillon, the daughter of a sick woman that the washerwoman took care of. After the mother died, the father married a mean and snobby woman, and they soon had a baby named Vitaline. Vitaline and her mother wore nice clothes, but they made Cendrillon wear rags and do lots of chores. Cendrillon was always still cheerful, but one day, she was sad because she was not allowed to attend a ball that is being thrown for a handsome and kind man named Paul. The washerwoman helps Cendrillon go to the ball by using a mahogany wand that her mother gave her long ago. Cendrillon went to the ball in a beautiful gown and in a carriage. Paul found Cendrillon very beautiful, and they danced. However, the magic of the wand ran out at midnight, so Cendrillon and the washerwoman, who was also disguised in beautiful clothes, had to run out quickly. Cendrillon dropped one of her pink slippers. Paul went around with the slipper to find the beautiful girl, and the washerwoman took Cendrillon to Paul. At first, the washerwoman changed Cendrillon into the beautiful gown, but Cendrillon made her change her back into her rags. Paul still loved her and found her just as beautiful, and they soon got married! Overall, this book was very similar to the Disney version of Cinderella, except that the pictures showed cultural Caribbean clothing such as turbans and bracelets. Also, the fairy godmother was a poor washerwoman. Another difference was that there was only one stepsister in this story. This book was actually written by the same auther as "Little Gold Star," and I found this interesting because the books were very different! He used different plots and VERY different styles of writing to show the cultural differences in these stories.
I really enjoyed reading this story. Fairy tales are amazing to me, and this story provided a cultural perspective to the traditional story. I would definitely use this in a class with third-fifth grade students. They can read many different versions of Cinderella and then compare and contrast the stories. This can be a great way to make students pay attention to detail in order to find similarities and differences. This book can also introduce students to the Caribbean culture. The pictures and style of writing, such as certain word choices and phrases, are different than many students are used to, and it helps to bring the Caribbean culture to life. Students can learn about the Cinderella story that many children who love in the Caribbean learn about! Learning about other cultures can always help children and people of all ages to connect to people who are different from them. This book can show students how even people who live far away enjoy reading similar stories! It helps to make the world feel a little bit smaller and to bring everyone a bit closer. Perhaps students could get Pen Pals from the cultures represented in vairous Cinderella stories, and they could learn more about that culture from other children around the world!

Little Gold Star retold by Robert D. San Souci, illustrated by Sergio Martinez- Multicultural and International Literature

"Little Gold Star" was a Spanish American Cinderella tale. It is an example of multicultural or international literature, as well as folk or traditional literature. It had some similarities to the traditional Disney Cinderella story, as well as some major differences. There was a sheepherder named Tomas whose wife died, and he married a mean widow who had two daughters. Tomas stayed away from the house as much as possible, and the widow and her daughters, Inez and Isabel, treated his daughter, Teresa, terribly. One day, Tomas brought everyone gifts, including a lamb for Teresa. The mean stepmother killed the lamb and made Teresa wash the fleece in the river so that she could make a pillow for the stepmother. At the river, a fish stole the fleece and Teresa was sad. Suddenly, a woman in blue came and asked Teresa to tend to a man and baby and to clean, and in return, she would bring back the fleece. Teresa did this and sure enough, she got her fleece back, along with a gold star on her forehead. The fleece became dirty when the widow touched it, so each of the stepsisters took it to the river. They disobeyed the woman in blue and ended up growing horns and donkey ears. Soon after this, a rich man named Don Miguel had everyone in the town over for dinner and dancing, and Don Miguel found Teresa beautiful despite her shabby clothes. He really loved her gold star and kindness. The evil stepmother made Teresa leave, and Don Miguel set out to find her. He eventually found her and they fell in love and got married after Teresa was forced to perform three seemingly impossible tasks for her stepmother. The woman in blue helped Teresa to get these tasks done. It turns out that the woman in blue was the Blessed Mary, and the man and baby were Joseph and baby Jesus.
This book would be great to use in a study of different versions of Cinderella. Students can see that there are many different versions of the story in addition to the Disney version. The students can compare the similarities and differences in the different versions. By using Cinderella stories from different cultures, students can see what things are important to various cultures. This version had lots of religious ties in it, so students can see that religion is important to the Spanish culture. Students can also research to find out which cultural representations in the different versions are accurate, made up, or perhaps even offensive. I know a teacher at Fuller Elementary School that teaches an elective called “Cinderella Around the World” for second and third grade students. The students love reading and comparing the different versions! Since most children have heard of Cinderella, Cinderella stories are an excellent choice to use to develop comparison skills.

Las Posadas- An Hispanic Christmas Celebration by Diane Hoyt-Goldsmith, photographs by Lawrence Migdale- Multicultural and International Literature

This book is about a tradition called Las Posadas, which is a Christmas celebration that many Hispanic people participate in. I would consider this a multicultural book, but it is also a non-fiction or realistic fiction book. The book told all about the tradition, where it takes place, when and how it started, how people celebrate it, etc. In addition to just mentioning activities such as food and songs, recipes and lyrics were given as well. There were lots of pictures showing different parts of the celebration, including the preparation of food and decorations as well as the actual celebration. The book specifically followed the activities of an eleven-year-old girl named Kristen who lives in New Mexico. She played the part of Mary on one of the nine nights of the festival. The basic idea of the festival was that for nine nights before Christmas, people in the town reenacted the story of Mary and Joseph by having different people play Mary, Joseph, innkeepers, and pilgrims or peregrinos. They sing songs that tell the Christmas story as well. After the “innkeepers” finally invite Mary and Joseph inside, everyone goes into a house to eat, sing, and enjoy time with friends and family.
I would definitely use this book in classes that have Hispanic students because many of them may celebrate Las Posadas with their families. They will feel special when they see their culture represented in the class library. This book also allows non-Hispanic students to learn more about the Hispanic culture and to feel closer to their Hispanic peers. They can see the similarities in Las Posadas and their personal holiday celebrations, which both may include eating, singing, and fun! This would be a great book to read before Winter Break. Many teachers do units on “Christmas Around the World” or “Celebrations Around the World,” showing how people celebrate Christmas, Hanukah, Kwanzaa, etc., and this would be a great book to include! Perhaps the children can go home and make the biscochitos cookies, tamales, or other delicious food that they read about in the book! I love learning about how other people celebrate, and I think that third through fifth graders would as well!

I Love Saturdays y domingos by Alma Flor Ada, illustrated by Elivia Savadier- Multicultural and International Literature

This book is an example of multicultural or international literature. It is about a little girl who spends the weekends visiting her grandparents. Her grandparent’s on her father’s side of the family speak English, and her grandparents on her mother’s side of the family speak Spanish. The book has alternating pages that go back and forth between her experiences with each set of grandparents. When describing her Hispanic grandparents, some of the words are written in Spanish. Even though they come from different backgrounds, both sets of grandparents are very similar and plan the same activities for their granddaughter, such as cooking breakfast, playing with pets, counting things, learning about the circus, looking at fish, etc. At the end, the girl’s whole family gets together to plan a special birthday surprise for the little girl. The Hispanic culture is represented by the words written in Spanish and by some of the activities described, such as playing with piñatas and singing “Las mañanitas,” a popular Spanish song, on her birthday.
This book would be great for any classroom to teach children about the Spanish culture and also to show children that people from different backgrounds are alike and enjoy similar activities! Children can also connect to the book if they have ever spent a weekend with their grandparents. The book is especially great for classes that have Spanish-speaking students. I read this book to a second grade class last semester, and the whole class loved it. The Spanish-speaking children seemed very excited to be hearing a book with some Spanish words! They even sang the song, “Las mañanitas” for me, because I did not know the tune. I think that 3rd-5th graders would love this book as well, especially readers who are a bit behind grade level or students who are still learning English. The pages basically say the same thing in English and then again in a combination of English and Spanish, so this could help them learn the language by seeing direct translations and connections!

Classroom Community RFL#2 Sara Hale

Both my partnership school, Swift Creek Elementary School, and my SBTE, Mr. Houghton, do a wonderful job of creating a sense of community. As soon as you step into the school, you feel a sense of community. In the morning, fifth graders, many of them from my class, greet people, hold doors, and monitor the school. This allows everyone to feel welcome when they enter the school, and it gives the safety patrol members a sense of authority and pride. Also, around the school, you can find many posters that say, “ROAR.” The mascot for Swift Creek is the cougars. Tying in with the cougar mascot, there is a school-wide behavior policy called “ROAR.” This stands for Respect, On the path to success, Act responsibly, Remember Self-Control. In addition to being posted around the school, the ROAR pact is also posted in my SBTE’s classroom. Also, every morning at the end of the announcements, the students say the ROAR pact together after saying the Pledge of Allegiance. They also state their graduation year. This builds a sense of community because graduation is a common goal for all students, and all of the students in each class have the same expected graduation year, showing a similarity in all students.
Another reason that there is a sense of community at Swift Creek is that student accomplishments are posted on the walls. There is tons of student artwork posted on walls throughout the school. This is great because it allows students to show off their hard work! In addition, on many teachers’ doors, there are cougar paw prints. Students can write about why they are appreciative of another student or teacher on a paw print and post it on their door. This allows the entire school to see the great things the students do for one another! By posting students’ work and good deeds on the walls, it shows the students that it is truly their school and their chance to shine.
Although Swift Creek does a great job of building community, Mr. Houghton seems to take it above and beyond in his classroom. Mr. Houghton and his students follow ROAR, but they also have their own classroom rules. These rules are posted in the classroom and outside of the classroom. What is amazing is that Mr. Houghton hardly has to remind the students of these rules. The students seem very well behaved! When the students are talking too much, Mr. Houghton simply says, “I’m waiting,” and the students get quiet. The students seem to respect Mr. Houghton, and for the most part, they do not act out or show disrespect.
Mr. Houghton also has a pledge to his students posted and signed. In this pledge, he promises to keep students safe, make things as fun as possible, make time to help the students, and show respect. There is a strong sense of mutual respect in the class, and I think that this “teacher pledge” may be one reason for that. Students can see that the teacher is willing to work hard and respect the students, so they are more willing to work hard and respect the teacher and their classmates.
Mr. Houghton has different jobs for the students. These include door holders, carrying the balls to the playground, carrying the first aid kit, wiping tables at lunch, etc. He writes these jobs on the board each day. By having jobs for the students, it allows the students to feel important and responsible. They feel that they are truly part of a community that must work together to get things done and to be successful.
I think that Mr. Houghton’s personality plays a major part in building classroom community. He is a very friendly, relaxed, funny man. He knows how to joke around with the students, but he never does so in an inappropriate way. The students laugh a lot in his class. Mr. Houghton knows how to have fun, but still get things done. He knows when there is a time for work and a time for play. He allows the students to work together often and to talk while working, as long as they get their work done. I think that it is great that he does not have to be too strict, yet the students still learn a lot!
Mr. Houghton also does a good job of building an atmosphere of community with the classroom setup. The desks are arranged in rows of three or four, and the students in these rows usually talk with one another. There are posters all around the room for students to look at. Some of these are educational, but there are also posters for the students’ interests. Mr. Houghton and many of his students love basketball, so he has tons of basketball posters. By having posters of an activity that the students love, the students instantly feel welcome and comfortable. Mr. Houghton also has some pictures of his old basketball team and of his wife on his desk, which all of the students have seen and told me about. By allowing the students to learn a bit about his personal life, the students really “know” him and therefore feel an even stronger sense of community.
I really like the sense of classroom and school community at Swift Creek and in Mr. Houghton’s classroom! When I teach, I definitely hope to have the same sense of community. I plan on creating a teacher pledge, posting class rules, hanging up student work, and having class rules. I would also love to have Mr. Houghton’s laid-back but efficient style of teaching! Mr. Houghton is definitely a great role model for learning how to create classroom community!