Stargirl
Author: Jerry Spinelli
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
Copyright: 2000
Pages: 186
Reading Level: 6
Genre: Teen Books
Rating: ****

Summary:
Mica High is a high school where everyone pretty much dresses the same, act the same, and does nothing to stand out, that is until Stargirl shows up. From the moment she steps on campus everyone is talking about her. They want to know who the girl with the strange clothes is, why she doesn’t wear makeup, is her name really Stargirl? Everyone-including Leo Borlock. Stargirl is strange, she doesn’t do the normal things, and she doesn’t care. She is completely comfortable in her own skin. The thing about Stargirl that makes her the most unique though is not her clothes or her pet rat Cinnamon, but that everything she does is for others. She knows everyone’s birthday and sings to them, she hands out valentines to her whole homeroom, and more. In the beginning no one talks to her. She sits at a lunch table all by herself, but one day things start to change. And the more things she does (the outlandish things) the more popular she becomes. From dancing around the football field at half time to joining the cheer team, everyone wants to be Stargirls friend, and Leo, he watches from the side lines. The thing about Stargirl though is, she cares about everyone, not just her own school. So when for the first time in the history of ever, the school’s basketball team has the chance to go to state, every begins to get mad because not only does she cheer where they make a basket, but where the other team does a well. The final straw though, is when she goes to help care for an injured player on the opposition’s team. And then the school is against her. She is kicked off the cheer team, and no one will speak to her, except Leo and Dori. In the beginning Leo is just dazed by his love for her, but then he begings to hate the fact that she dresses weird, and doesn’t care what others think, he just wants her to be normal. Being the girl she is, and the love she has for Leo, one day she shows up, and instead of Stargirl, she is now Susan, an ordinary girl. Despite her change though, no one will still talk to her, and she goes back to being Stargirl. And it is at this point that Leo makes his choice that Archie (an old professor and teacher to all the kids in the area) told him he had to make all along, he had to choose who he loved more, what she thought or what they thought. In the end Leo chooses everyone else. He doesn’t take her to the dance, nor talk to her. This doesn’t stop her though. She shows up to that dance…and she dances. She dances all by herself, until finally one guy asks her to dance, they everyone gives in. And suddenly everything is back to how it was before the basketball fiesta, she is popular again and everyone is following her in the bunny hop. After that night, no one sees her again. In the end though, Leo goes back and visits Archie, and he talks about her. He finds that Macia High is not the same, there is now a group devoted to doing things for other, and at the high school reunions they always do the bunny hop. He realizes how stupid he was. He never hears from Stargirl, nor knows where she is but one year on his birthday years and year later he gets a gift in the mail, a porcupine tie.

Who would benefit from reading this?
Middle school kids need this book the most! Everyone in middle school is so pressured to fit in, and this is a book that lets you know it is okay to be different! Anyone that knows how the world is , and how much we are pressured to be just like everyone else would enjoy this book. It is different, but one that you will enjoy.

Potential problems/conflicts:
There is lots of cruelty from other students, but nothing more than you see every day in middle and high schools across the globe. Also there is the relationship of Leo and Stargirl, but nothing inappropriate happens, though some might not like the fact that this promotes high school relationships.

My reaction:
I won’t lie, when I started reading this book I thought it was a little weird, I wasn’t quite sure where the author was going with it. But now that I have read it all it hold so many great messages. That it is okay to be different. We are each unique, and it is okay. Stargirl shows us all the things that really matter. That isn’t being popular or the things most think are so important in the middle and high school years, the thing that is important is accepting everyone for whole they are, and just being nice! We can all learn a thing or two or seven from Stargirl.

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever
Author: Barbara Robinson
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Copyright: 1972
Pages: 108
Reading Level: 4
Genre: Children’s Chapter Book
Rating: *****

Summary:
The Herdmans are the worst kids, in the history of ever. They cuss, they smoke cigars, are always lighting something on fire, and beating each other or someone else black and blue. There were six of the Hermands: Ralph, Imogene, Leroy, Claude, Ollie, and Gladys. There was one of each of them in every grade and for the reason, not one of them ever got held back even though they never did their hw, or learned to read and more, because no teacher was willing to take on two Herdmans at once. Every year the church put on a Christmas pageant, but this year Mrs. Armstrong who ran just the pageant had broken her leg and Beth (the narrator of the story) mother is now in charge. So as I said, there is a Herman in every grade, well Beth’s younger brother Charlie has Leroy Herdman in his class, always stealing his lunch money and picking on him, he asks one day where Charlie always got his treats. Well Charlie made the mistake of telling him at church, and from the on the Herdmans came to church, the one place they had never stepped food. The Sunday they show up, everyone is informed that sign ups for the Christmas Pageant will be next Sunday. Well no one would have guessed it but the Herdmans want to be in it. Threatening to beat anyone up that volunteered for the main parts, the Herdmans become the stars of the pageant. The thing is though, things don’t turn out as awful as every predicts they will and has made such a fuss over. In fact, the Herdman’s make everyone think more about the Christmas story than anyone ever has. This goes about when they are told the Christmas story for the first time, and are shocked by how people treated Jesus. They are even so appalled with Herod the King that they go to the library the next day to find out how he dies. The Herdmans make it the best Christmas pageant ever, with their tattered clothes, black eyes and way of saying things. Because as Ollie Herdman the angel and soul line of the play says “Hey! Unto you a child is born!”…and everyone walks out with a whole new meaning of the Christmas story, the true meaning.

Who would benefit from reading this?
This is a great book for elementary, and even into middle school. The Herdmans will make you not want to put the book down. Kids will be laughing along with all the crazy things the Herdmans do as well as learn with them the true meaning of Christmas.

Potential problems/conflicts:
The Herdmans can have foul mouths (they say the "G" word once or twice) and are rather violent. If you are apprehensive for kids to be reading things like this I would suggest you read the book yourself first.

My reaction:
I forgot how funny this book was! From page one, chapter one I was laughing literally out loud. The Herdmans are that family, that you wonder how they are still alive after all they do to eachother, but entertaining none the less. The thing I enjoyed most about this book though, was how much the Herdmans put the Christmas story into perspective, how many of us have just read the Christmas story over and over, but never really thought about it. Well the Herdmans make you think, and I am greatful they did. It is funny to think how much I am learning from these second and third grade stories that I seemed to miss the first time I read them. A terrific story! A great read aloud, especially during the holiday season.

The Magic School Bus-Lost in the Solar System
Author: Joanna Cole
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Copyright: 1990
Pages: 29
Reading Level: 3
Genre: Picture Book/Science
Rating: ****

Summary:
Ms. Frizzle or as her students call her, the Friz, is not your average school teacher. A usual day in Ms. Frizzle’s class includes a field trip, and not just any field trip but one on the magic school bus. On this trip of the magic school bus the class is taken into outer space to learn all about the solar system. They learn about the order of the planets, gravity, what planets have rings and so on. As they travel to each planet and the moon they learn something new, but not only do they learn, we the reader learns too. Finally though, after an adventurous day, they finally get Ms.Frizzle back onto the bus and she drives them back to planet earth, through the atmosphere and back to school. Once back in the classroom they make charts about the planets and solar system replicas. Now if only people would believe the field trip they went on.

Who would benefit from reading this?
This book is meant more for younger kids, but I think it is good for any of us. There are so many magic school bus book, and on so many different subjects. They are very educational and teach you a lot! Great books to read to your kids, they will stay interested but also learn a lot!

Potential problems/conflicts:
This may have too much going on for some kids because there is not only the story text, but also commentary going on between the students. I cannot see any other problems though; there is no violence, language, or anything promiscuous.

My reaction:
I love Ms. Frizzle. I remember watching the TV show as a kid. Little did I realize how much I was learning. As I was reading this book, I realized how much I didn’t know about the solar system, for example the names of the two moons on Mars are Phobos which is 18 miles long and Deimos which is 9 miles long. This book is full of facts and has a ton to learn, but it is all put into such a fun story that you hardly realize you are learning. This book makes learning fun. I would highly recommend the magical school bus books, or even shows to all parents and teachers out there.

Holes
Author: Louis Sachar
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Copyright: 1998
Pages: 233
Reading Level: 6
Genre: Fiction Chapter Book
Rating: ***

Summary:
I am sure you know the story of Holes, so I will do my best to sum this one up quickly into a nice little nutshell. I say this only because if you haven’t already read the book, you most likely have seen the movie and unlike most books turned into movies, they are 99% one in the same. So here is is…Holes is a camp for juvenile boys. At Holes they dig holes all day everyday in the hot sun. Once their hole is dug (the requirements being it has to be as deep and as wide as their shovel) they can go back to camp out of the scorching heat. Stanley Yelnats and his family have horrible luck. This is all due to his pig stealing great grandfather who went to Madam Zeroni so that he could win the woman’s hand he loved, she gave him what he needed, but he never kept his end of the deal. So thus she cursed all of his decedents. Well one day Stanley is walking below the overpass and shoes fall from the sky, well these shoes end up being a famous mans shoes that had been stolen that day, and Stanley is thrown in jail. He can choose to either stay in jail, or go to camp Holes. Naturally he chooses camp. Once he is there he like the other boys is given a nickname, unlike barfbag or twitch he gets caveman. Now when he is there he meets Zero, zero is a fast digger but he can’t read. So they make an arrangement. Stanley will teach him how to read, if he will help Stanley with his hole. Well one day the kids start fighting and it comes out that they are helping each other and Mr.Pendanski forbids them to help each other and tells Stanley that Zero is too stupid to learn to read. Zero hits him in the head and runs away. The next day Stanley being the friend to Zero that he is, goes to find him and bring him water. Well he finds him, next to a boat. This turns out to tie into another part of the story, the part with the great grandfather. Well the boat ya see was Kissin Kate Barlows, and she canned peaches, and those peaches are what not only keeps the boys alive, but is half the cure for Stanley father’s food odor formula. So the boys are out on the dry lake for quite some time, when Zero gets very sick. So Stanley takes him and carries him to the top of the mountain, where they finally find water. Once they are rejuvenated, they head back down and into camp to find the money from Kissin Kate, which is the whole reason the boys dig whole every day. Now they go to the whole where they found a tube of her lipstick and they dig, and dig and they find that chest, but it is covered by poisonous lizards. So when morning comes the warden finds them and they are stuck. Lucky for them though, Stanley’s parole officer shows up, Zero says the chest says Stanleys name one it, and they return home. They agree to give half the fortune to Zero because it is because Stanley carried him up the mountain that the curse was broken, him being Madam Zeroni's great grandson. They spilt the money, the Yelnats luck returns, and they find Zero’s mom and they all live happily ever after.

Who would benefit from reading this?
This is a good book for all kids, but boys especially I think would enjoy reading it. It is overall a great story of friendship. The friendship of Stanley and Zero can be an example for kids to look to.

Potential problems/conflicts:
Some problems with the story is it has some violent parts. Mr. Pendanski is just all around evil and it does have the fact that Stanley was arrested in it.

My reaction:
I have discovered something about myself, if something is talked about a lot and most every likes it, I usually don’t. This book is always raved about, and though it was good, I don’t think it was all it was talked up to be. Had I read it at a younger age, and with less bias I think it would have been better for me. It is a good book, but not one that I will probably ever choose to read again just for my own pleasure. I will keep it around though, for my kids to pull off the shelf and read if they so wish to some day. I do like that it jumps between the past and the present in this story, it makes it a more challenging read, but a more interesting and diverse one.

The Story of Ruby Bridges
Author: Robert Coles
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Copyright: 1995
Pages: 26
Reading Level: 3
Genre: History/Non-Fiction Picture Book
Rating: ****

Summary:
Ruby Bridges was born in a small town in Mississippi. Around the age of four, her family packed up and moved to New Orleans to find work, her father became a janitor and her mother scrubbed floors at the local bank by night. Every Sunday, her family went to church, because no matter what the Bridges want their kids to grow up near God’s spirit from the very start. In 1960 though, school were still segregated in the South, which was against the law. So a judge orders Ruby and three other black girls to go to white schools. The other three girls went to one school, and Ruby went to first grade in the William Frantz Elementary all by herself. The Bridges were proud that their daughter had been chosen, and that Sunday prayed that they could get through this and that Ruby would be an example. And she was! From day one, too weeks, too months Ruby walked through an angry mob of people into the school escorted by marshals to sit in a school and classroom all alone. This never bothered Ruby though. Each day she was brave and walked through the mob to school and was eager to be taught, never was she scared. One day though, Ruby stopped. Right in the middle of the mob, and began what looked like to her teacher Mrs. Henry to be talking to the crowd. When Mrs. Henry asked Ruby what she had said, Ruby a little irritated said she didn’t talk to the mob. Twice a day, on her way to and from school Ruby would stop and pray for the people, and today she had forgotten until that moment when she was walking through the mob. So she was not talking to the mob, no she was talking to God. Her prayer was this:
"Please, God, try to forgive those people.
Because even if they say those bad things,
They don’t know what they’re doing.
So You could forgive them,
Just like You did those folks a long time ago
When they said those terrible things about You.”

Who would benefit from reading this?
This book is a great way to teach kids about the history of our country. More than that though, this book is a great reminder and an example to all of us what true faith and love for one another looks like.

Potential problems/conflicts:
If someone does not believe in God, then they might take offense to this book. Honestly though, it is history, and though you may not like it, it still happened.

My reaction:
I love the story of Ruby Bridges. One thing that I really liked about this version was that it wasn’t just the story; there were lots of quotes directly from the family and Ruby herself. It is hard to look at her walking through those crowds all alone, and sitting in that class all by herself, but this is what happened. This was not too long ago what the world looked like, and how people were. She really was quite the girl of faith, and I especially could learn a lesson from her.

The View from Saturday
Author: E.L. Konigsburg
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Copyright: 1996
Pages: 160
Reading Level: 6
Genre: Fiction Chapter Book
Rating: ****

Summary:
Mrs. Olinski teaches the sixth grade, and is a paraplegic. Each year all the classes in the middle school compete in the Academic Bowl. This year though, was the first year that any sixth grade class had ever beaten a seventh grade class. Not only that, but also beat the eighth grade, gone to districts, and regionals and the finals. But this year, Mrs. Olinski’s sixth grade class had done all that, and on top of that, they won. As you are going through the novel it flips back and forth between the different character speaking. Everyone wants to know how Mrs. Olinski chose her team of Nadia, Julian, Noah, and Ethan. Their questions go unanswered though, because she doesn’t really know. She says lots of good thing, but never does she have an answer. The rest of the book follows each of the team members and a story about each of them. With Nadia, we hear of her going to visit her father one summer in Florida after her parents’ divorce and spending most days with her grandfather who has recently remarried to what just happens to be Ethan’s grandma. We follow Ethan on his many long bus trips. Noah we follow to Florida as well, to Centuryvillage where he happens to be the best man at Nadia and Ethan’s grandparents wedding. Finally there is Julian. He has traveled on a cruise ship for many years with his father and they have finally come to Epiphany to settle down and open a B&B. Julian in fact, is the one who brought the four of them, “The Souls” together. In the end, after winning at the finals they all come back to the B&B where Mrs. Olinski asks “The Souls” if she choose them or if they chose her and the reply is “Yes”. No one knows the answer, but the only conclusion that anyone could come to was that they had all been on a journey, and had come home. They had learned on their journey what Mrs. Olinski had learned at the B&B, kindness. They had all found it in others, and now knew how to find it inside themselves.

Who would benefit from reading this?
This is a good book for those in middle school or advanced readers in the elementary years. The story line is exciting, and you have to stay on your toes and the book transitions from one person’s story to the next. A fun read that keeps you on your toes as you follow with “The Souls” and Mrs. Olinski on their journey to discover kindness and win the trophy in the Academic Bowl.

Potential problems/conflicts:
A problem with this book might be that it can be hard to follow along and transition between the each person’s stories. There are also some bullying scenes that some might not want their kids to read.

My reaction:
At first I was hesitant where this book was going, but it turned out to be a great book. One with lots of life lessons and the power friendship can have. These four kids grow together despite their difference and all over four o’clock tea. I would recommend this book to all those in the hard teenage years to read and relate to. I enjoyed it, though I honestly wasn’t expecting to.

Little Miss Sunshine
Author: Roger Hargreaves
Publisher: Price Stern Sloan
Copyright: 1981
Pages: 31
Reading Level: 2.2
Genre: Picture Book
Rating: ****

Summary:
There is a place called Miseryland, and all anyone does in Miseryland is cry. When the birds wake up they cry, and the King sits on his thrown all day and just crys. Well one day Little Miss Sunshine is driving along and she sees the sign for Miseryland. She has never heard of such a place, and she pulls up to the sign that reads: “ You are now entering Miseryland smiling, laughing, chuckling, giggling FORBIDDEN BY Order of the King.” She drove on and came to the castle, where at soldier stopped her and she…SMILED AT HIM. She was instantly arrested. The soldier then marched her through the castle and to the King. The soldier then explains that she had been arrested because she smiled at him, and what did Little Miss Sunshine do? She LAUGHED, then she CHUCKLED, and then she GIGGLED! The King burst out into tears, before she had shown up he was miserable, now he was twice as miserable. Little Miss Sunshine looked at the King then and asked why would he not want to be happy. His only reply was that because it was Miseryland, and that is how it always had been, everyone was miserable. Little Miss Sunshine took the King then and put him into her car and drove him to the sign in front of the city. Once they were there she pulled a pen from her purse and changed the sign to read: “You are now entering Laughterland smiling, laughing, chuckling, giggling PERMITTED By Order of the King.” She told the King that now he and the people could be happy, but he didn’t know how. Little Miss Sunshine just looked at him and told him to try it. So he smiled, then he laughed, and chuckled and giggled. And then Little Miss Sunshine drove home from Miseryland, which no longer exists because it is Laughterland now.

Who would benefit from reading this?
These stories are great for kids. Not only is there Little Miss Sunshine but an array of others in the collection. Each one teaches a valuable lesson/moral about life and are great to read to children.

Potential problems/conflicts:
Technically Little Miss Sunshine breaks the law, and is then arrested. Some parents may feel this is conveying the message that breaking the rules is okay if you change them.

My reaction:
I grew up on these books as a kid and I still love them to this day. Little Miss Bossy is one of my favorites, but even now as an adult they have left an impression. If a book leaves a good impression over years, that says more to me than anything else. A great book and I would read it again in a heartbeat.

The Kissing Hand
Author: Audrey Penn
Publisher: Tanglewood Press
Copyright: 1993
Pages: 29
Reading Level: 2
Genre: Picture Book
Rating:****

Summary:
Chester is a raccoon and he doesn’t want to go to school. He would much rather stay home with him Mom, and play with his toys and friends and read his books. His mother though, as any would tell him how much he will love school and all the new people he will meets, books he will read and so on. On top of that she tells him she knows a secret, a very old one that will make his nights at school just as comfortable as when he is home. She takes Chester’s hand and she spreads his fingers into a fan and reaches down and kisses him right in the center of his palm. Now that kiss raced from Chester’s hand to his arm and right up into his heart. This was the kissing hand, now whenever he felt sad, or lonely, or missed home he just had to hold his hand up to his face and think his mother loved him, and that kiss would jump right from his hand to his face and fill him with warmth. Chester loved his kissing hand, and now is mother’s love could go with him wherever he went. That night, before he left for school, he reached out and grabbed his mother’s hand and kissed her right in the center of palm. Now when he was gone she could know that Chester loved her. As he left for school she pushed that hand to her face and she could hear it singing, “Chester loves you”, and fill her heart.

Who would benefit from reading this?
This is a great book for anyone in any transitional phase from the first time going to school, leaving home for the first time, or saying good bye to a loved one for a while. A simple book, that holds a very special message.

Potential problems/conflicts:
I can’t see one problem that anyone would have with this book.

My reaction:
When I read this book I instantly feel in love with it. Though my mom never kissed my hand when I left home, or to school for the first time I have those things that remind me of those I love. Those things that when I am feeling sad or alone, bring me comfort and remind me that I am loved! I made all my roommates listen to me read it to them, and they like me liked it instantly as well. I don’t doubt why it is the New York Times #1 Bestseller.

The Missing Piece Meets the Big O
Author: Shel Silverstein
Publisher: Harper Collins
Copyright: 1981
Pages: 96
Reading Level: 1
Genre: Picture Book
Rating: *****

Summary:
There is a missing piece, and it is looking for its thing to complete. It sat and waited for someone to come along. Some came along and fit, but they could not roll. Others didn’t know anything, or had too many pieces, one too many pieces missing, some were to delicate, and others put it on a pedestal and left it. It learned to avoid the hungry ones, and others came. But some looked too closely and others didn’t notice. It tried to make itself flashy or more attractive but that didn’t work either. Finally one came along that fit just right. And things were good but suddenly the missing piece began to grow, and grow, and it didn’t fit. That someone left saying that it wanted someone that wouldn’t increase, and the missing piece was alone again. Until, the Big O came along. The missing piece wanted to be a part of the Big O, but the Big O was already complete, but it told the missing piece that though it couldn’t roll with it, but it could roll on its own. Now that missing piece was a triangle and triangles don’t roll because they have corners. The Big O asked if the missing piece had ever tried, it said no. The Big O told the missing piece that corners wear off. So the missing piece sat there alone for a long time and finally one day it pulled itself up on one edge, and flopped down on the other side. “Then lift…pull…flop” it moved forward. As time went on the corners began to wear down, “lift, pull, flop” and its shape began to change. Then it stopped flopping and began bumping, and then bouncing and then rolling! And it didn’t care where it was going and it didn’t care where because it was rolling…and then you see that missing piece meet up with that Big O and they roll off together.

Who would benefit from reading this?
EVERYONE! This book doesn’t have very many changes, and each page only has a few words, but the significance behind it is amazing. Everyone can relate to being that missing piece, whether they are young or old or in-between. Everyone knows what it is like to have others come along. This book is one that everyone should read, not only to their kids, but they should read for themselves. At one point you have been, or still are the missing piece, waiting for your Big O.

Potential problems/conflicts:
As a kids book, this book might be boring. You have to dig deeper and relate the book to life, because that is what it is about, so if you can’t do that, this book may not be one you would want to read.

My reaction:
This book was exactly what I needed! Being in college, I am very much the missing piece. And I have met lots of other people, and like the missing piece, some didn’t fit, or they had too many missing pieces themselves and so on. This booked surprisingly helped me to put some things in my life into perspective, and helped me to start my “lift, pull, flop” forward. I may not be rolling yet, but I am somewhere in-between bouncing and bumping along. An amazing book!

Tops and Bottoms
Author: Janet Stevens
Publisher: Harcourt Brace and Co.
Copyright: 1995
Pages: 32
Reading Level: 2
Genre: Picture Book
Rating: *****

Summary:
Bear is lazy. His father being a business man had given Bear all his money, but all Bear wanted to do was sleep, all the time! Now Hare, Hare had lost a bet to a tortoise and had to sell all his land to Bear to pay off the debt. But Hare and his family had no money, and the kids were starving so they come up with a plan. The next day Hare and his wife went to Bear, they said that they would plant, harvest and do all the work on the far, if they could just use Bears land. Then when the crops were all ready to harvest they would spilt it 50/50. Bear agreed and Hare and his family went to work, with the condition that Bear would get the top half of everything. So Hare and his family worked and worked and harvest came. So Hare and his family pulled up all the carrot, radishes, and beets. Giving all the tops to Bear and keeping all the bottoms. Now Bear knew he had been tricked and he ordered Hare to plant again, this time he would be bottoms and Hare would be tops. So once again they go to work and harvest comes and they wake Bear up. Then they split all the harvest into tops and bottoms. Hare taking all the lettuce, broccoli, and celery and giving all the bottoms to Bear. Now Bear was even more upset because he had been ticked again. Once more he ordered Hare to plant the crops but this time he wanted tops AND bottoms. Again Hare and his family went to work and Bear went back to sleep. Harvest came, and they brought in what they had planted, Hare keeping the corn (the middle) and giving Bear everything on top and bottom as he ordered. Now Bear was really awake and told Hare that he would do the planting and harvesting himself and keep all the tops, bottoms and middles! Bear never slept through another planting season and Hare was able to buy his land back from the profits of his crops. Bear and Hare lived just fine as neighbors from them on, but never would they become business partners again.

Who would benefit from reading this?
Kids would benefit from this book. It is a great lesson about the value of work, and doing it yourself. A fun book because unlike most that you read from left to right, this one you read from top to bottom. Great pictures and a fun/funny story, you have to appreciate the wit of the Hare.

Potential problems/conflicts:
A problem with this book could be that it might give the impression that it is okay to trick people for your own financial gain. Which it most definitely is not!

My reaction:
I loved this book. Each time the Hare went to work I was guessing what he would plant. When the Bear said he wanted tops and bottom, I thought the Hare was going to get his payback, but sure enough he outsmarted the Bear and me. This book has great artwork, so pictures even continue right off the page. A fun read for kids and adults alike.

Cupid Doesn't Flip Hamburgers-The Bailey School Kids
Author: Debbie Dadey and Marcia Jones
Publisher: Scholastic-A Little Apple Paperback
Copyright: 1995
Pages: 76
Reading Level: 3
Genre: Children’s Chapter Books
Rating: ****

Summary:
Nothing is ever normal at Bailey Elementary. From their teacher Miss Jeepers to now the new lunch lady Mrs. Rosenbloom things just keep getting weirder. It all started in Miss Jeepers class when everyone was making valentines. Eddie was bored stiff with the girlyness of valentines and instead of making his valentine he crumpled it up and threw it into Carey’s blonde head. Carey yelled back at Eddie, and Mrs. Jeepers turned around, flashed her green eyes at Carey and rubbed her brooch. Mrs. Jeepers is a strict teacher, and whenever one of her students does something out of line she will flash her green eyes, and rub her brooch. Lunch time finally rolls around, and they line up, making predictions what the new cafeteria lady will have for lunch. They enter the cafeteria to see an explosion of red, hearts, and anything valentines related all over the cafeteria. Even the food is red, heart shaped meat loaf and jello, and an apple and tomato cut into the shape of a heart, all thanks to Mrs. Rosenbloom who embodied everything valentines herself. Her red hair, big red lips, red dress and so on. Though the food is good, things start changing around Bailey School. Everyone is acting like they were bit by a love bug, but the only one who seems to be noticing is Eddie. Especially since his arch enemy Carey is suddenly drooling over him. On top of that even Mrs. Jeepers and Prinicple Davis are acting different and love struck. Eddie decides that it all has to be due to Mrs. Rosenbloom, everyone she gives a cookie to and heart pin can do nothing but ooo and aww over some new love interest. He isn’t about to let this happen though, he has to stop it. Just when he is thinking of a plan, Howie approaches him and says he thinks he is right, Mrs. Rosenbloom has given everyone a love potion. For the rest of the day the boys avoid anyone with a heart pin, and after school they head to Eddies house. Here they come up with the solution. They are going to give everyone the opposite of love which is “sugar and spice and everything nice”, they are going to make something with puppy dog tails and more, and slip it into Mrs. Rosenbloom love potion cookies. After making quite the concoction, they slip it into Mrs. Rosenbloom cookies the next day at school, but Eddie almost gets caught. She didn’t notice he added anything to her cookies, but she managed to make him eat a cookie and pin a heart on him. Now Eddie is as head over heels for Carey as she is him, and the fate of Bailey Elementary is left to Howie. Thankfully the cookies get handed out and everyone takes a big bite into them, and the spell is broken. Everything sour and awful in those cookies Howie and Eddie made brings everyone right back to their senses. Mrs. Rosenbloom is never seen or heard of, for now at least, and everyone at Bailey is back to being enemies or friends as it should be, and was.

Who would benefit from reading this?
This book is good for any elementary age child, boy or girl alike. This is just one of a pretty large series about the Bailey School Kids. It is a great book for kids to read on their own, and it not too long, but long enough to last them for a couple days to weeks reading.

Potential problems/conflicts:
The only problem I could potential see would be that the kids in this series have a lot of personality and can be mean and pick on each other. So parents may not want their kids reading that.

My reaction:
I read this book and many others in the series when I was a kid and it was fun to go back and read one again. The characters brought me back to being a kid, and how I viewed the world. The books are a quick read now, but I remember taking a week or two to read them every night before bed as a kid. Fun stories, you won’t want to put the book down. I found myself laughing to myself several times.

Junie B. Jones Is a Beauty Shop Guy
Author: Barbara Park
Publisher: Random House
Copyright: 1998
Pages: 67
Reading Level: 2
Genre: Children’s Chapter Book
Rating: ****

Summary:
Junie B. Jones. If you don’t already know her this book gives you a glimpse into all her fun quirks and witty personality. In this story of Junie B. is into two things, becoming a beauty shop guy and changing her name. The book starts off with her deciding that she is going to be called Pinkie Gladys Gutzman, name tag and all. After announcing the news to her family, she is informed that she going to being going to the barber shop with her dad, only it isn’t a barber shop he goes to, but a beauty shop. Once she is there they meet Maxine the beautician, and Maxine lets Junie B. be her helper. She holds the towel, but then she has to sneeze, and it goes right in that fluffy towel. Then she gets the job of sweeper, and she sweeps right over a customer’s fit and looses that job as well. Leaving the shop, she decides she is going to be a beauty shop girl. After several reminders from her parents that it takes, years and years to be one she set to work. She starts off with her bunny slippers. Sadly though, those bunnies moved too much and their trim did not look good so she hides them under her bed. Her next attempt, shampooing. After several dunks in the bathroom sink, her teddy head will no longer stay up and she hides him under her bed as well, and that is when her dog comes in. this is when she has another light bulb moment and she grabs her shiny scissors and she sets to work. Sadly, that hair cut didn’t go well either. Luckily though, dog hair unlike bunny slipper hair grows back. But AHHHEA she thinks of yet another thing, dog hair is different than human hair, so she goes about cutting her own. Her first cut goes well, but by the end she looks in the mirror and her bangs are all slanted, and she can’t seem to get them even. And when she is done her hair is everywhere. How can she go to school like this? Once more an ingenious idea comes to her, she will wear her devil horn at, and below that a shower cap in case anyone steals her hat, and under that her ski mask, just in case. At school though, the kids laugh and Mrs. her teacher takes her into the hall and gets down to why Junie B. is wearing all her hats. She then tells her to wear only the devil horn one and she tells all the students to leave Junie B.’s had alone. At the end of the school day, instead of boarding the bus, in walks her father. He takes Junie B. and once more they go and see Maxine. She quickly fixes her hair, and Junie B. loves her new hair. She then realizes if it wasn’t for her cutting her own hair, this new haircut wouldn’t have happened, so all her hopes and dreams of being a beauty shop guy aren’t crushed after all, and she reaches into her drawer and pulls out an extra pair of scissors.

Who would benefit from reading this?
This is a fun book for all kids. Everyone has a little Junie B. deep down. It is also a great read aloud, ther are lots of exciting parts to leave the readers hanging.

Potential problems/conflicts:
A potential problem is that Junie B. is rather feisty and she could give kids the wrong kind of motivation at times. Another problem I see is that she gets into a lot of trouble, but she is never in very much trouble which could encourage kids to test the limit.

My reaction:
I loved Junie B. Jones as a girl, and I still find her hilarious. She always has a unique way of looking at things and never fails to surprise. Along with this, she makes lots of mistakes but it never holds her back and with each lesson she learns we learn one as well. She is your typical curious girl, with a big personality and witty humor to boot. I love Junie B. Jones and could read her books all day and never stop laughing.

The Ugly Duckling
Author: Hans Christian Andersen
Copyright: 1844
Pages: 3-8
Reading Level: 4
Genre: Fairy Tale
Rating **

Summary:
So I am going to give you the short version of this tale. By a lake, on a farm there is a young mother duck whose eggs have all hatched but one. Everyone tells her to abandon the egg, that it must be a turkey egg but she will not. Finally her egg hatches, but this “thing” is not pretty like her other children, but ugly. To test and see if it is a duck she jumps in the water and has the other ducklings follow suit, assuming the ugly one will not know how to swim, but he does. So the mother takes all her ducklings (including the ugly one) and goes up to the farm. Everyone on the farm is mean to the ugly one. The people, the other animals, and even the own ducklings siblings are mean to him. So he fly away. He finds a pond and he stays there, and the other ducks say he can stay as long as he doesn’t try and marry anyone in their family. Then some other ducks approach him one day, and ask him to be their protection to another pond when gun fire breaks out. The guns keep going and blood is falling into the pond, and the dogs are coming to get the ducks, but they don’t even bother him. After the gun fire is over, he flies to another place and stays in a cabin with a woman for a while. The cat and the hen tell him that he is not use and that he is weird because he wants to swim. They tell him to learn to purr or to lay eggs and he will be worth something, so one day he flies off to another pond and stays by himself. There he sees swan, and he feels a connection, but they fly away and then winter comes, and the pond freezes over and a man comes to save him. He wakes up in the mans house and when he finally gets out it is spring. He comes then flies and finds a grow of swans. He knows they will kill him because he is ugly, but he decides that is better than having everyone be mean. But instead of killing him, they welcome him because he has turned into a beautiful swan.

Who would benefit from reading this?
This is a good story for kids to read because it shows that true beauty comes from the inside. While also pointing out that things are better after you have had to work for them, than if you were just handed them. A fun story for kids, but I would suggest the shortened version.

Potential problems/conflicts:
There is a lot of cruelty is this story as well as it may be too long for kids to stay focused.

My reaction:
I thought I knew this story but I was wrong…I only knew about a fourth of it. I knew the beginning, and I knew the end, but somehow in all the stories of The Ugly Duckling I had been read, everything else had been left out. Honestly though, I don’t think I missed anything. The main point of the story was still conveyed in the shortened versions that I assume stemmed from this author. Good story, and even better moral, but long.

Sisters
Author: David McPhail
Publisher: Harcourt, Inc.
Copyright: 2003
Pages: 27
Reading Level: 1
Genre: Picture Book
Rating***

Summary:
This book is very simple. It is about two sisters. The book begins by telling how they are different. One is big, and one is small. One likes to get up early, one likes to sleep all day. One like’s baseball, and one finds it boring as so forth. It then goes in to how they were different, but also alike in many ways. They both liked horses, playing in puddles, jumping in the leaves, dance, piano, making cookies, drawing and more. But they were most alike in one thing, and that thing was the most special of all, they loved each other.

Who would benefit from reading this?
This is a great book for sisters of course. It would be good for siblings to read together because at times older siblings can get annoyed with the younger one and vice versa. This book though teaches them how they are different, and the same, but also what is most special about being a sister.

Potential problems/conflicts:
A problem this book has is that you have to have a sister to feel a part of it. So for kids that don’t have sisters or those that are boys, it could be not as well received.

My reaction:
I thought this book was cute. It brought me back to being a little sister and always looking up to my older sisters. I was the one that found baseball boring. They were the ones that wanted to sleep in and so on. But now, we are all grow up and our similarities and differences don’t matter as much, what matters most is that we love each other. Sisters/siblings rock, and this book was a great reminder in a simple way.

Those green things
Author: Kathy Stinson
Publisher: Annick Press Ltd.
Copyright: 1995
Pages: 27
Reading Level: 2
Genre: Picture Book
Rating**

Summary:
Kids love to ask question, this book is a perfect example of that. This little girl loves to ask what the green things are. Over and over in the book the little girl and her mother go through the same routine only with different green things:
Girl: “What are those green things”
Mom: “What green things?”
Girl: “Those green things in the…”
Mom: “They are your”…. socks, crayons, garbage bags, garden hose and so forth
Girl: “Oh, I thought they were..” lizards eating my t-shirts, bugs and worms, lumpy bumpy monsters and more.
Finally after numerous questions the little girl asks what the green things are and her mother replies, that they are martians, and they are coming to take her to Mars so she can’t ask her anymore questions about the green things. The little girl asks what she is talking about, sits for a minutes and then asks “What are those green things on your sandwhich?”

Who would benefit from reading this?
This book would be fun for kids, more than that though it would be great for parents to read on those days that their child asks too many questions, and then they can know they are not alone. Kids would also enjoy it because they can identify with the little girl by what she thinks the green things are.

Potential problems/conflicts:
A problem I could possibly see would be if this book causes kids to just ask questions because, not because they are really curious.

My reaction:
This book was alright, I wasn’t as impressed by it, but it is still a fine book. The artwork was not my style and at times there was too much going on in the pictures to be able to focus on it for very long. Also, I won’t lie, it made me a little annoyed by all the questions. This is one that a kid could easily read to themselves though and enjoy.

A Bad Case of Stripes
Author: David Shannon
Publisher: The Blue Sky Press
Copyright: 1998
Pages: 31
Reading Level: 3.5
Genre: Picture Book
Rating****

Summary:
Meet Camilla, she loves lima beans, but she never eats them. Why, because no one likes lima beans and she wants to fit in. As she is getting ready for her first day of school…trying on outfit after outfit she finally decides on one and looks into the mirror. What does she see? STRIPES..all over her body. From head to toe, even her tongue is covered. Her mother makes her stay home from school and calls Dr. Bubble right away. He takes a look, gives her a cream and tells her the stripes should go away in a few days. At school though, the kids laugh and giggle, and as they are saying the pledge of allegiance, Camilla turns into a flag. This is too much for the kids, and they all start calling out things and as they do she changes, polka dots, triangles, green, red and more. After this the teacher request that Camilla not come to school until the stripes are gone. Her Father offers to get Camilla anything she wants after her bad day, and what she really wants are lima beans, but she still won’t say because no one likes lima beans. Dr. Bubble is then called again and he calls in the experts, they prescribe some pills that should do the trick and then go. The next morning Camilla does not have stripes, but she is a pill bottle, and things only get worse! One day a therapist comes and tell her to be one with her room and that should do the trick, and it does, she turns into her room. Her mouth as the bed, the pictures as her eyes and so on. Now just about when everyone has lost hope there is a quite knock at the door, and a little old woman comes in. She says she knows just what Camilla needs to cure the stripes. So she offers her some lima beans, but Camilla turns them down, still not wanting others to know she loves them. Just as the woman is about the leave, Camilla decided she doesn’t care what others think and has the lima beans. Suddenly the room is spinning and she turns back into herself. After that, Camilla didn’t care what others thought, and she eats lima beans every day.

Who would benefit from reading this?
This would be a great book to read to kids in the later elementary years who are so concerned with what others think. This can show them that it doesn’t matter what others think, be you. It is also filled with fun pictures and the story line is far from boring.

Potential problems/conflicts:
A potential problem may be that it unrealistic and parents may only want books that are believe able. Another conflict I can see is if a kid liked lima beans before this might cause him to be self conscience.

My reaction:
I thought this was a great way of letting kids know it is okay to be different. It showed that it is okay to like other things, be true to yourself. I also enjoyed the pictures. They are very detailed and I found myself looking at them for quite a while. You can literally see Camilla change before you. A very fun book, I am sure I will read it to my kids some day .

Mary Smith
Author: Andrea U’Ren
Publisher: Farr, Straus and Giroux
Copyright: 2003
Pages: 30
Reading Level: 2
Genre: Biography/History
Rating**

Summary:
Mary Smith is the town “knocker-up”. Now you are probably thinking, what is that? Back in the olden days before alarm clocks, people had to have a way of getting up on time, so for a few pennies they would pay a “knocker-up” to come and wake them. This book follows Mary on a usual day. She wakes up, well before anyone else does, and with her rubber tube and dried peas she sets off on her way through town. As she reaches each person’s house she will stand on the street below, take a dried pea, and shoot one at the window. She will continue to do so until, the person comes to the window and shows they are awake, and then she is off to her next client. Mary wakes the train conductor, the baker, and even the mayor. When she is finally done though, she heads home, to find her daughter still in bed. She is mortified that the town “knocker-up” let her daughter sleep in. Then she finds out that her daughter did not sleep in, but was sent home from school for trying to wake someone in class like Mary did every morning, by shooting a pea at them, but she had missed and hit the teacher. So the story ends with Mary and her daughter practicing their aim. A very informal but, a fun and simple way to learn history for children.

Who would benefit from reading this?
This would be a good choice for teachers to read to their children for history because it isn’t very long, but it still teaches you something. I for example had no idea that “knocker-ups” were how people were woken up in the olden days. Informational, but still entertaining for kids.

Potential problems/conflicts:
A problem with this book could be that all the facts might not be exact, or maybe that it teaches kids a new bad habit. Honestly though, there are no conflicts that I can foresee other than these at the most.

My reaction:
I thought his was a good book, especially for a history book. Most history books bore me, but this one is just short enough that you still get the history lesson but without getting bored. It is also nice because it teaches a part of history but makes it more relatable by focusing on one “knocker-up” Mary Smith. A great book for childrens history classes.

Pig Pigger Piggest
Author: Rick Walton
Publisher: Gibbs-Smith
Copyright: 1997
Pages: 31
Reading Level: 2.5
Genre: Fairy Tale Spinoff
Rating****

Summary:
This is a fairy tale spinoff of The Three Little Pigs, in case you hadn’t already guessed it. So of course there are three pigs: Pig, Pigger, and Piggest. One day their father the King called them in and told them how much he loved them, but the house was just not big enough for all of time and it was time for them to go off on their own. So they each went off. Pig found a nice mud spot and he built his house of mud bricks. His other brothers follow suit except, of course, that Piggers mud spot is a little bigger and his walls tallER, and thickER. While of course Piggests mud spot is the biggEST, and his walls the tallEST, and bricks the thickEST. Well one day a witch comes along, and she wants to buy the first pigs house. Surprisingly he says no, not by the wart on her “warty-wart-wart”. So she sends the winds Huff and Puff to blow down Pigs house, so the winds come, and they rain and it makes a big mud puddle. And the same happens to Pigger, and Piggest. The next day the all just happen to show up at the same time at a hut in the forest, the hut of the Witch and her two sisters. And what to do they do? They ask them to marry them, because they love them because they made them the best mud they had ever seen. So if they would marry them, the Witches could make them mud, and the Pigs would build them houses. So Witch, Witcher, and Witchest all say YES! And of course, they all live happily ever after. Some happy, some happier and some the happiest of course:)

Who would benefit from reading this?
This would be great to read to kids along with the classic fairy tales. It has the same back bone as The Three Little Pigs, but with a completely different ending, one that I find to be far more entertaining.

Potential problems/conflicts:
One problem may be that witches could be scary to children. Other than that minuet possibility it is a problem free book.

My reaction:
I loved this version the mostEST of any of the version of The Three Little Pigs I have read. It could possibly be due to the fact that pigs are my favorite animal, but the whole book was fun because it was predictable, yet not. I thought I knew what was going to happen, but the author had changed it just enough that I was surprised. Definitely a keeper I say.

The Runaway Pumpkin
Author: Kevin Lewis
Publisher: Orchard Books
Copyright: 2003
Pages: 32
Reading Level: 2.5
Genre: Picture Book
Rating***

Summary:This story starts off like a fairy tale, though it’s not, can you guess the first line? That’s right once upon a time. So once upon a time there were three siblings, Buck, Billy, and Lil Baxter, whom like most kids loved to go out and wander. On Halloween day, they were out wandering when they went up a big hill and found a HUGE pumpkin. Now those boys saw the pumpkin, and they couldn’t pass it up, so they began pushing and pulling at it, the only one who saw the problem was Lil and she was too late. The next thing any of them knew that great big pumpkin was rolling down the hill. As it went, it first passed the mother who thought of her pumpkin pie. Then on down to grandpa in the chicken coop, who thought of pumpkin soup. Finally, it approached dad down on the tractor, but using his head, he thought of pumpkin bread and plowed a pumpkin bed. The pumpkin then came to a stop and they all gather round. Finally pushing it into the house, they waited while grandma started the cooking. When it all done, they gathered round the tale, eating everything they’d thought of.

Who would benefit from reading this?This would be a good choice for younger children. Not only would it grab their attention with the topic of Halloween but it also teaches about other things that go on during Halloween, such as the many uses of pumpkins other than just for carving. Also it would make a great read aloud with the rhyming and fun art work.

Potential problems/conflicts:If a family does not celebrate Halloween, then this would not be a good book choice for them. Other than that there honestly are no problems or conflicts that I can see.

My reaction:This book captured me because not only do I love pumpkin, but the whole story rhymes. So the story not only catches you, but the pictures are captivating. They fill the page, and the writing is in a fun font and curved or jumbled around the pumpkin typically on every page. It is a very pleasing book to the eye and the ear. I don’t know that I would run out and buy this book, but it is a fun read especially for around Halloween.

Love You Forever
Author: Robert Munsch
Publisher: Firefly Books
Copyright: 1986
Pages: 26
Reading Level: 2.5
Genre: Picture Book
Rating: *****

Summary:
This book is a perfect example of the love of a mother for her child, and a child for their mother. The story begins with the mother and her newborn son and each night as he sleeps she sings to him “I’ll love you forever, I’ll like you for always, As long as I’m living my baby you’ll be.” And the boy grows, and he grows and he grow, but whether he is two and getting into everything or all grown up and moved out on his own she will still sneak into his room, and when she knows he is really asleep she picks him up and rocks him back and forth and sings to him. Like her son though, the mother grows and grow and grows and she finds she has grown very old, and she tells her son to come and visit. Once he is there she trys to sing to him, but she is too old and sick. At this point the son picks up his Mother and he rocks her back and forth, back and forth and he sings to her. “I’ll love you forever, I’ll like you for always, as long as I’m living my mommy you’ll be.” He then leaves his mother and goes back to his own home, where goes upstairs and picks up his newborn daughter and he rocks her back and forth and back and forth and he sings to her “I’ll love you forever, I’ll like you for always, as long as I’m living my baby you’ll be.”

Who would benefit from reading this?
This is a must for every parent and child. Kids from ages 1-100 can relate, and most love it. It’s also a good book for kids to read along with, for example I like to let the kid (or my roommates) sing the song that you hear over and over throughout the book. Everyone would benefit from reading this and should!

Potential problems/conflicts:
The only problem this book I can see having is, that if you are emotional it might make you cry. This and the fact that the cat in the pictures looks nothing like a cat are the only things I can possibly think of;)

My reaction:
As a kid this was one of my favorite books, and now that I am older I love it even more. To this day it gives me warm fuzzes every time that boy goes into his mother’s room and sings to her! This book is one that every parent should own, not only for their kids, but for themselves. I think it just might be impossible for someone to read this book and not fall in love with it.

Princess Smartypants
Author: Babbette Cole
Publisher: Sandcastle Books
Copyright: 1986
Pages: 29
Reading Level: 2.2
Genre: Picture Book
Rating:*****

Summary:
Princess Smartypants is rich and beautiful but unlike most Princesses, she does not want a Price. She likes being a Ms just fine, and spending all her time with her animals. But like most Mothers, the Queen wants her to get married. So Princesses Smartypants says that she will marry the Prince who can accomplish all the tasks she gives him. So, the Princes come, and off she sends them to do an array of tasks. Well, none of them succeed but, one, Prince Swashbuckle. He breezes through all the tasks she assigns him, and so Princess Smartypants give him a magical kiss...and he turns into a big ugly toad! After that no Princes came in search of gaining Princess Smartypant’s hand. She can be found living happily ever after, single and with all her pets.

Who would benefit from reading this?
This is a great book for young girls especially. Though I am the number one fan of getting married, I also believe that girls should be independent and their own person. You don’t need a man to be happy and this is a true Princess tale that conveys that message. A great read for all ages.

Potential problems/conflicts:
The problems that I see with this book are it may give the impression that girls should just be single. And a lot of parents may not want to read that to their children.

My reaction:
My reaction, HILARIOUS! This books his so much fun. You can’t help but laugh at the pictures, character names, and all the funny situations Princess Smartypants puts the Princes into. It has just enough story line to it, but is short enough to be a quick read, one of my new favorites by far. Honestly I found this book at DI and the title sold me, and lucky for me, the book is just as good as the title makes you suspect it will be.

The Hat
Author: Jan Brett
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Copyright: 1997
Pages: 30
Reading Level: 2.2
Genre: Picture Book
Rating: ***

Summary:
Who knew so much could happen due to one sock blowing off the line? Well in The Hat, you get a little idea of just how much can. Lisa, a young girl is getting ready for winter and takes all her winter clothes out and hangs them out to dry, but a gust of wind blows one of her socks off the line. Soon after a hedgehog comes along, like all of us would, he wants to know what is inside. So he sticks his head in, but when he comes out, the sock is stuck to his prickles. So as he makes his way through the forest all the other animals make fun of him, asking what is on his head? But for each question and joke made, he has a witty reply and tells the other animals that it is winter and everyone needs a hat, and off they run. Finally back at his den the hedgehog wants to get in, but his “hat” is too big. Then Lisa comes running after, and takes the sock off his head. As she goes back to her clothes line she sees all her winter things throughout the forest. All the other animals had gone and found their own “hats”. So in the end the hedgehog got to have the last laugh.

Who would benefit from reading this?
This is a fun book especially for younger children. The pictures are very detailed and each page gives a little clue as to what the next page will bring. It also helps to each about animals.

Potential problems/conflicts:
I honestly don’t see any problems with this book.

My reaction:
The story line was honestly a little slow for me, but it is a fun book especially for younger children. Honestly my favorite part is the pictures. They are filled to the top, and give a clue to what is on the next page and a snippet from the last page. If you want a great picture book, one literally for the pictures, this is a great choice.

The Twelve Wild Ducks
Author: Peter Asbjornsen
Copyright: 1845
Pages: 3-10
Reading Level: 4
Genre: Fairy Tales
Rating: ***
Other tales: Tatterhood, The Three Billy Goats Gruff, The Three Aunts

Summary:
This tale is similar to what most of us know as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs with a few twists. How the story goes is that there was a King and a Queen and they had twelve sons. But the Queen wanted a daughter and she said she would give up her twelve sons to have one, and no sooner had she said than a witch came and granted her wish. So once the young princess was born and christened who was a white as snow and red as blood as the witch had said the twelve brothers turned into wild ducks and flew away never to be seen again. Now Snow White grew up, but she was sad because she had no siblings to play with. It was then that her mother told her she had twelve brothers that she had given up so she could have her. At this point Snow White went off in search of her brother, and after three years she came to a little wooden hut, and inside were twelve beds and the twelve silver spoons that her Mother had made for each of her children. So after they discover their sister hiding under the bed one wanted to kill her but instead they said she had to break the spell. To break the spell she had to pick thistles and card it and weave it and make twelve coats, shirts, and handkerchiefs all while never talking, laughing, nor weeping. And so she set about it. And one day a King saw her and fell madly in love with her as princes do and they were married. But her step mother hated her because she was beautiful so each time Snow White had a child the Step Mother would take it and throw it into a snake pit and make it look like Snow White had eaten her child, all the Snow White could not speak for herself. So the day comes that Snow White is to be burned, but she finishes her clothes for her twelve brothers and the spell is broken and they come riding in on their twelve horses, and Snow White can finally speak for herself. At this point the Step Mother chooses her own punishment and is bound between twelve steed and the rest live happily ever after, including Snow White and the King and their three children whom were thrown into the snakes pit.

Who would benefit from reading this?
Like all the other fairy tales, these stories are great for kids. They are fun to read, and make for an entertaining bedtime story. It also teaches consequences at the end of these stories which are great for kids to hear and recognize.

Potential problems/conflicts:
A problem that one might encounter with this reading is that there is a lot of detail to follow and keep track of. Another problem along with all the fairy tales is the violence factor involved. Basically if you are looking for a happy story with no conflicts these are not the ones for you.

My reaction:
I liked these second of all the fairy tale authors. These stories had to same back bones as the tales I grew up on but with more of a twist. The stories were also longer and had more detail, which I enjoy as a reader, I am better able to picture the scene in my mind that way. I also liked the messages that were implied at the end of each tale. Well written and very fun to read.

Little Red Riding Hood
Author: Charles Perrault
Publisher: D.C. Heath and Co., Boston, New York, Chicago
Copyright: 1901
Pages: 3-10 for each tale
Reading Level: 4
Genre: Fairy Tales
Rating: ****
Other tales: Little Tom Thumb, The Little Glass Slipper, Blue Beard

Summary:
All the Perrault tales start out with the classic once upon at…so here we go. Once upon a time, there was a little girl who was loved by her mother and even more by her grandmother. So her grandmother mad her a little red hood to wear and all through town people called her fondly Little Red Riding Hood. One day her mother had her take some things to her grandmother who was sick. As she was walking through the forest she came upon a walk. Now the wolf would have eaten her then and there but there were wood cutters in the forest so he asked where she was going. When she said to her grandmothers he raced her there, acting as little red riding hood and gobbled the grandmother up and was in bed waiting for little red riding hood to get there. A little later she arrived, and comes to her grandmothers bedside. This is when we hear her state the classic lines such as, “Grandmother dear, what big eyes you have” and so forth. Then when she asks the classic line, “Grandmother dear, what big teeth you have” the wolf jumps on Little Red Riding hood and eats her up.

Who would benefit from reading this?
These tales are fun for every kid, not only is it good for kids to know the classic fairy tales, but these don’t add any fluff to the end. They are very realistic and the best part is the morals found at the end of every tale. They are not only catchy but relate to all ages of life.

Potential problems/conflicts:
Perrault’s tales don’t beat around the bush, the story ends just like it would in real life. So some parents or teacher might not want their kids to be reading such tales that don’t have happy endings.

My reaction:
These were my favorite fairy tales of all. I think the thing that I liked most were the morals at the end of every story. These were not only good for children to read, but people from every age group could relate. Here is one from Little Red Riding Hood.
“Little girls, this seems to say,
Never stop upon your way.
Never trust a stranger-friend;
No one knows how it will end.
As you’re pretty, so be wise;
Wolves may lurk in every guise.
Handsome they may be, and kind,
Gay, or charming never mind!
Now, as then, ‘tis simple truth—
Sweetest tongue has sharpest tooth!”

The Frog King
Author: The Brother Grimm
Copyright: 1812
Pages: 2-8 pages each tale
Reading Level: 4
Genre: Fairy Tales
Rating: **
Other stories read: Rapunzel, The Goose-girl, Hansel and Gretel

Summary:
There once was a King, and all his daughters were beautiful. But the youngest daughter’s beauty was so grand that even the sun marveled to shine upon her. Now each day the princess would go to the well in the dark forest and throw her golden ball in the air and catch it. But one day, she did not catch the ball and it fell into the deep well and she knew she could not retrieve it so she began to sob. As she was crying, she heard a voice that asked why she was crying. Looking up to see whom was there, she saw an ugly frog sitting in the water. When she told the frog her situation it said that it would go dive down to the bottom of the well and retrieved her golden ball if she would take him home and make him her playmate, feed him at her table, and let him sleep in her bed. The princess quickly agreed. The frog then quickly dove to the bottom of the well and retrieved the golden ball. Upon seeing it she exclaimed with joy, grabbed her ball, and ran home leaving the frog behind. The next night at dinner though, there was a knock on the door and there was the frog. The frog told her the rhyme for her to open up the door, but she slammed it on his face. Only after her father inquired why she had done so and who was at the door did the princess tell him her situation. Her father then told her she must keep her promise. After much complaint the princess let the frog eat with her and finally brought him to bed, but instead of bringing him to bed she leaves him in the corner. When he requests to come to bed she throws him against the wall and he turns into a handsome prince, the spell now broken. Then the next morning the prince takes the princess back to his kingdom after his faithful servant Heinrich picked them up in the carriage, his heart to swelling now that his master was back and the spell was broken.

Who would benefit from reading this?
This is a story for children to hear. It has a moral to every story, and can teach things important life lessons like “don’t judge a book by its cover” and so on.

Potential problems/conflicts:
The main problem I see is that the Grimm fairy tales can be on the gruesome/violent side at times. They aren’t any more descriptive than most cartoons, but they may be too graphic for some parents preference.

My reaction:
These tales could shock me at times by the descriptive deaths but they were very similar to the fairy tales I grew up on. I had never heard of the goose girl, but the others were much similar to the classic fairy tales I heard as a kid. I would not hesitate to share these with my children, but I might hold off until they are in the elementary years.

Henny-Penny
Author: Joseph Jacobs
Publisher: D. Nutt, London
Copyright: 1894
Pages: 1-2 (for each tale)
Reading Level: 3
Genre: Fairy Tales
Rating: **
Other stories read: The Story of the Three Little Pigs, Jack and the Beanstalk, and The Golden Arm

Summary:
Henny-penny was picking corn one day when something falls and hits her on the head. Her reaction naturally of course is that the sky is falling. So she sets off to tell the king the news. Along the way she meets several people. And with each one she meets they ask if they can come along to tell the King the sky of falling, and to each the reply is “certainly”. The first she meets is Cocky-locky, then Ducky-daddles, Goosey-poosey and Turkey-lurkey. And when they have almost made it to the Kings along comes Foxy-woxy. Foxy-woxy of course asks the group where they are going and if he as well can come along. The reply once more is the same as before, that the sky is falling and certainly he can come along. But, Foxy-woxy is not like the rest, he tells the group they are going the wrong way, and he tricks them all into coming back into his cave. He of course goes first and the rest follow starting with Turkey-lurkey and on down the line. As they each enter his cave he bites off their head and thrown their bodies off to the side. When he finally gets too Cocky-locky though, the first bite does not kill him and he calls out to Henny-penny. So Henny-penny runs home and never tells the King the sky is falling.

Who would benefit from reading this?
I don’t know that anyone would necessarily benefit from reading these tales, but kids of most ages would enjoy them. They can be a bit gruesome but there is far worse on tv today then animals getting their heads bit off.

Potential problems/conflicts:
The potential problems I see are that it can be rather gruesome for young children especially. These are not the happy ending fairy tales that Disney portrays, so some parents might find that offensive.

My reaction:
To be quite honest, the Jacob’s version of the fairy tales is not my favorite, though it is quite similar to most of the tales that I grew up on as a kid. For example, Jack and the Beanstalk was the same story I remember as a child. I was quite surprised how many of these stories I hadn’t heard, and the ones I had, the characters were generally very different from the tales I remember. For example, when I was a kid, it was not Henny-penny that cried the sky was falling it was a Hen.

The Eleventh Hour
Author: Graeme Base
Publisher: Puffin Books/Penguin Putnam Inc.
Copyright: 1988
Pages: 32
Reading Level: Ages 9 and up
Genre: Picture Book/Mystery
Rating:****

Summary:
Now this picture book is unlike most. Though its pages are brimming with color and detailed art, that is not the best part. The best part is that whether you know it or not, from page one you are solving a mystery. The story goes that Horace the elephant is turning eleven and is throwing a birthday party. So he makes a kitchen full of food and invites all of his friends over. So the day of the party arrives and all of his friends show up which include: the pig, the zebra, the rhino, the swan, a tiger, a mouse, a crocodile, a cat and last but not least the twin giraffes. Once they see all the food they are ready to eat, but Horace has a plan. No one will eat until eleven. Until then they are going to play games. Like good friends they all comply and play a variety of games like crochet, tug of war, chess and more. Finally the times comes and they all rush to the house to eat, when they enter and find, that someone has stolen all of the food! Everyone is being blamed, and blaming someone else. After much debate, Horace comes back from the kitchen with sandwiches and the cake which surprisingly had been left untouched and the book ends. Or so you think. But on the last page the reader is encouraged to find out who the thief was. And after much deliberation and lots of detective work you will find who the culprit is. Who do you think it is? If you would rather not know and find out for yourself don’t read on…otherwise, the thief is the one that you would suspect least of all. It is the mouse. He with the help of 111 other mice friends all ate the feast at eleven minutes till eleven.

Who would benefit from reading this?
This book is a great book for older kids, those in the mid to later elementary years. Not only for them to read on their own, but it would be a great book for parents and kids to solve together. There are more clues than you would think and by working together you would be able to solve more. Even if kids can’t understand the detective side of the book the pictures are phenomenal and the whole story rhymes.

Problems/Conflicts:
Some problems with this book may be one, it may be too challenging or too busy for many kids. The pictures are amazing, but there is a lot going on in them. Another conflict might be that it makes light of stealing.

My reaction:
I loved this book! It is one that I just read through first time and enjoyed the rhyming of the story along with the phenomenal artwork, but also one that I was able to go back and re-read over and over because there was so much I missed. This book has the pictures, the story line, and the fun that every good pictures book should. I will be reading this book to my kids one day, and enjoy watching them as they work to solve the mystery themselves, a mystery that is not so easily solved might I add.