The Girl Who Wanted to Dance

Amy Ehrlich tells the story of Clara who lives with her father and grandmother. She has a wonderful relationship with her grandmother similar to best friends. When her grandmother becomes ill and dies, she with her father are deeply saddened and she doesn’t feel any joy anymore. One night, she heard music and was drawn to it, so she went outside to see where it was coming from. It was a trio of musicians and there were dancers as well; she loved it all so much. Clara’s father came to get her and led her back home but she still heard the music. The next night she thought of the dancers and decided to go looking for them in the forest. She found them and heard a woman singing nearby, and she asked the dancer if she could teach Clara how to dance. She told Clara if she was a true dancer, her feet would move to the music by themselves and they did. She went home in the morning wanting more and even though she wasn’t supposed to, she went back to see ‘her dancer.’ In this encounter, she finds out the dancer is her mother who chose to leave with this trio and dancers while she was married. Her mother dances with her father one last time and he understands that she has to leave. But Clara’s relationship with her father is restored when he offers to play the piano so she can dance.

Personally, I really liked this story overall but it made me really upset that this woman would leave her family twice to be a dancer. Her daughter is on the verge of being a teenager and I know girls really need their moms at this time and throughout their lives. But on a counterpart, I enjoyed that Clara had a new found relationship with her father. They definitely need each other at this time of their lives. The illustrations are wonderful; you can’t what each character’s ethnicity is. Clara’s mother looks Latina while her father looks Caucasian. I really enjoy stories about dancing so this story could be cause for discussing likes, hobbies, and passions. Also, I initially thought this story was going to be similar to "The Nutcracker" but it's not whatsoever. It'd be good for older kids but it's a bittersweet story.

Princess Hyacinth (the Surprising Tale of a Girl who Floated)

This story was not on my book list but I came across it while I was looking for other books. And I bought it just because the title was so literal and the story looked humorous; books I tend to like very much.
In this story by Florence Parry Heide, Princess Hyacinth has a very uncommon problem, she floats. It's only when she's dressed in all of her heavy royal clothing that she stays on the ground and this is what she must wear when she goes outside. She is only allowed to float in the safety of the palace walls where she will not float up up and away. But this is saddening to her because she sees all of the other children playing outside including a male character, called Boy who flies his kite with an image of her crown on it. One day she decides to go out and encounters a man with a large number of balloons and after persuading him to do so, she takes off all of her royal clothing and floats along with the balloons with a string tied around her ankle. But this poses some problems when the man accidentally lets go of some of the strings of balloons including Princess Hyacinth but in this time she has never felt freer. She only becomes concerned when she continues to float so she can't see her home anymore but comes across Boy's kite where she gets tangled and is eventually reeled back in. During this time, the balloon man has run to tell the king and queen and they don't seem very concerned especially because the king can still keep and eye on her with his binoculars. In the end, the problem of Princess Hyacinth's floating was never solved but she was never bored again with the help of Boy.
Oh my, I found this story very amusing because it's different and the little details make it fun to read. I thought it was so funny that the Princess' name is hard to pronounce while the boy in this story was called, Boy. Also, that her parents did not have more concern for her safety in the sky because they were comforted enough to have binoculars. The illustrations were enjoyable as well because again, of the small details which were included in keeping the Princess grounded and the text placement goes in line with the story. And it's straightforward in what's happening; there is no miraculous solution but she learned to live with her abnormality. This is what I think is a main theme of the story; being happy with yourself no matter what weird habits or things a part of you, you may have. It teaches acceptance and as expressed, it's fun to read in the process. I definitely recommend it. It's contemporary literature that would be fun to read in the classroom.

United or Die: How Thirteen States Became a Nation

Jacqueline Jules' narrative of how the thirteen colonies became one nation is told from the perspective of children in a school play. They cover the events as they occur including the Treaty of Paris, Articles of Confederation, Virginia Plan, two-house legislature, New Jersey Plan, Connecticut delegation, the house of representatives, the senate, executive, legislative, and judicial branches, constitution amendments, how documents become law, etc. The story includes conflicts states had and may have had with each other before uniting as one. The main text on each page describes what is happening while quote bubbles add and simplify what is happening. It's a fun and comprehendible take on this long and complicated process the United States underwent.

I really enjoyed this story of United or Die especially because I was curious how the author and illustrator would achieve telling a true process in simplistic terms so children would understand. This book could be used in a unit itself because although the process is described simpler than most, it still requires expanding on what happened and further explanation; it could be read over a week or two. I enjoyed the illustrations as well. They reminded me of the characters in "Hey Arnold!" and it's told in a comic book kind of way which makes it a story you could interact with. It's great to introduce this important event in our history and I'd recommend this book for 3rd grade and up because of the complexity of the events.

Spells

This story by Emily Gravett tells the story of a green frog who dreams big. He wants to go sailing on a pirate ship and live in a castle with beautiful princesses but he is "just a small green frog."

He is playing with this book of spells and all the pages are torn because of his day dreaming. He finds a piece that says, "Spell to become a Handsome Prince," and he becomes determined to put the spell together. The following pages are of spells put together that transforms him into different creatures until he finally finds the right spell. When he is a prince, he finds a beautiful princess, kisses her, and transforms back into a small green frog as the princess walks away. And the last page shows an image of a piece of a page in the spell book that shows "small print" warning that if he kissed a real princess, he would turn back into a frog.

Personally, I did not enjoy this book very much because I was so confused at how it was supposed to be read so I did not understand what was happening until I got halfway through the story. And the rest was just strange to me; for instance, when the frog turned into a prince, it was a little inappropriate because pieces of pages of the spell book were covering his private parts. And it was a bit cruel to me that the prince would turn back into a frog after all the work he had done to become a prince but I guess not all books can have happy endings.
Despite all that I didn't enjoy, the illustrations were great and drew me in as I read! I really like how the author used this book as the accessory that the frog used in the story. The author is known for her illustrations which did make the book fun to read at times. I wouldn't use this story to teach any particular lesson but as an example of interactive illustrations. It'd be good for any age group from kindergarten to second grade to practice reading and admire the illustrations. If you're curious, I'd definitely recommend it.

The Curious Garden

The Curious Garden by Peter Brown can be described as a "go green" type of book. A boy named Liam lives in this very industrialized city with no plant life any where in sight, isn't satisfied with his environment. One day he finds himself snooping around in areas which could possibly lead to surprising discoveries on a stairwell leading up to railway tracks. And at the top, he finds plant life trying to survive in places it has no business doing so; in between the railway tracks. Liam takes on the responsibility of caring for this new found life and each day he goes to a different part of the tracks, he finds more and more plants trying to survive. He nurtures all of it and it thrives in the spring, summer, and fall but is lost when winter comes around. When springtime is finally here again, he goes back to find more and more people caring and further nurturing what he started and before you know it, the whole city is thriving with plant life.

I really enjoyed this story of The Curious Garden because of what the story represents. Children would probably not think twice of the importance of greenery because it is every where and it's taken for granted. But this child only desired more of it after the discovery of a scarce amount. Similar to Dr. Seuss' The Lorax, it directs the significance of a story towards our environment which is rare in literature, at least most literature I've come across. I definitely recommend this book because of the importance of it's message. It's appropriate for students anywhere from kindergarten till maybe fourth and even fifth grade. The story is great and it makes you wonder what will happen next. I really loved the illustrations because they provide the perfect visual for what is described in the story. They may not seem as inviting as other more "bubbly" type of illustrations but I think it's what makes the story great as well.

The Super Hungry Dinosaur

The Super Hungry Dinosaur by Martin Waddell is a picture book story about a little boy, Hal and his dog, Billy. Hal and his dog are playing his yard when a hungry dinosaur comes who wants to eat him. And when Hal says he can't, the dinosaur then says, he's going to eat Hal's dad, mom, and his dog. They go through a chase in Hal's yard and with the help of Billy, they tie up the dinosaur with a hose. After asking "do you give in?" a number of times, the dinosaur finally gives up. He apologizes and cleans up the mess he made in the yard but he is still very hungry. But when Hal's mom brings out a big bowl of spagetti, and the dinosaur his happy. He says good bye to the family and leaves and that is how Hal saved his family from a super hungry dinosaur.

I really enjoyed this story because of how simple it is as well as the fact that it doesn't necessarily teach a lesson but it's an entertaining. It's great for early readers and as a read aloud story for kids in grades from kindergarten to about second grade. You can involve kids with almost the entire story but more, it's a wonderful tool to teach sequencing in a story and the order of events as they occur. Even while I was reading it, I wanted to read only the text on the left then the right page but this book forces you to read all across one line. It only makes sense if you do so this way so it helps to recognize how the story is supposed to be told over what we are used to as readers. The illustrations by Leonie Lord are adorable for this type of story and they tell it as much as the text does because on some pages there is no text but pictures displaying how the chase went between Hal and the dinosaur. I highly recommend this book; it's a cute story and a wonderful teaching tool.

I thought this would be cool to share. This could even be an activity. Gather a lot of different types of foods, some food coloring, even dessert items and enact this story so it makes sense in order as the events occur. I know I'd love to do something like this when I become a teacher.

Firefighters In The Dark

Firefighters in the Dark by Dashka Slater contains a new, fun, unique take on modern day heroes and who their admires are. When a young girl hears fire truck sirens at night, she knows exactly where they are going and who they are going to help next.
The first is a castle where a king, queen, and fifteen princesses are trying to escape the flames caused by a dragon who only wanted to cool down his food.
The second, a garden far away in Mexico where a woman's mouth is on fire from eating a hot chili pepper.
And the third, to save boy who bounced so high off of his bed that he wound up in outer space near Pluto.
In between each rescue, the firefighters we come to know as King, Almondine, Penelope, and Bruce each try to live as normally as they can but when help calls, they never hesitate to arrive as quickly as possible. Their last rescue in this story requires the help of the little girl who finds security in their feats to cool of the stars in the night fulfilling her ultimate desire to be like them.

When you find a book you can enjoy as an adult just as much as you enjoy as a child, it's a pleasant surprise. I really enjoyed this story because of how outrageous it is. Firefighters are heroes and it's cool that this sentiment comes from the perspective of a little cool. The norm would be that a little boy would admire and aspire to be a firefighter. I also like the fact that this little girl finds comfort in the sound of the sirens because as you get older, you become more aware of the realities when you hear them; I know it doesn't necessarily make me feel safe at night. I'm a fan of books that go beyond what's physically possible and the fact that these firefighters are able to help in impossible situations involving dragons and floating in outer space makes this story intriguing. There's imagination utilized to tell the story and it allows the reader to visualize and aspire to do seemingly possible things. The illustrations are strong in that they portray exactly what's described with vivid images adding and further strengthening the story. It's a fun take on every day heroes and the lives they lead and it supports them in their efforts giving kids motivation to do good no matter what it is or how impossible it seems.

"The Doll Shop Downstairs" by Yona Zeldis McDonough

The Doll Shop Downstairs is told from the point of view of nine-year-old Anna who is the middle child between her older sister, Sophie and younger sister, Trudie. Through the story, she doesn't feel as special as her sisters who are more clever and in need of more attention. The Russian Jewish family lives in New York where they own a doll repair shop and depending on the time the dolls will be there, the girls spend their time playing with them. They become attached to three in particular and proceed to name them: Victoria Marie, Bernadette Louise, and Angelica Grace. It's in the doll shop where Anna feels she is special with her doll, Bernadette Louise. She forms a very special bond with this doll even after her sisters become distracted with other things.
The time is set during World War I and when Germany declares war on Russia, the future of the doll shop is in jeopardy because most of the parts needed are shipped from Germany. All but six dolls are shipped back to their owners with apologies but fortunately, the dolls Sophie, Anna, and Trudie have grown attached to are among the six left behind. Anna suggests that they start making dolls and selling them, beginning with their first original doll, Nurse Nora. Her father and mother are hesitant but do so and after a slow start, they are quite successful with their original dolls: Nurse Nora, a queen, and a fairy.
The owners never come for Victoria Marie and Angelica Grace but Bernadette Louise's owner does claim her doll and Anna is heart-broken. Her sisters are kind enough to share their dolls with her but it's not the same, she loves Bernadette Louise. After a time, she decides to write a letter to her and soon the owner of her beloved doll comes back to the shop. She tells Anna that Bernadette Louise's new home will be with her because this doll was given to her by her grandmother and she was looking for someone who loved her as much to take care of her. The story ends with this lady, Miss MacKay, having tea with Anna, Bernadette Louise, and Anna's mother.

Personally, I really enjoyed this book because of the imagination Anna portrayed throughout. She had such a special bond with Bernadette Louise and never grew tired of playing with her. It kind of reminds me of Toy Story and the fact that for kids, certain toys matter so much and when the toy is being played with, the toy's purpose is being fulfilled. It's unfortunate that we live in a world so consumed by technology and imagination is rarely used anymore. This story intrigued me because it reminded me of the games I played as a child with my sisters. We played make-believe games all the time and it was the best time of my life because it was freeing and it made me feel like anything was possible.
It is realistic fiction because the story is altered, based on a real family who did live in New York. It teaches that every person in a family is special, whether they notice it right away or not. Siblings are stronger together which the three girls prove on many occasions in the story. We all have different talents that make us unique and therefore, special. Kids, teens, young adults, and even adults feel the need to compare themselves to others. After all, isn't that what society teaches? How to make your way to the top for your benefit alone. The Doll Shop Downstairs also teaches about the importance of family as well as the importance of being considerate and patient. Our society teaches that getting what you want now is the most important thing but these girls display an attitude that most kids have lost or not even learned to obtain. Now, it's more common that kids throw fits when they don't get what they want. This story teaches kids, valuable lessons about how special each of them are, how precious family and earned possessions are, and mostly, how each person has the potential to do more than they think they are capable of. I definitely recommend this book, not only because it teaches these lessons which seem to be lost in a way, but also because imagination is such a wonderful attribute we all have.

Magic Tree House: Tonight on the Titanic

"Magic Tree House: Tonight on the Titanic by Mary Pope Osborne is one story of the many adventures two children have in their magic tree house. Jack and Annie are able to travel to the places they read about in different books by simply pointing and wishing. On a stormy night, Annie hears a voice and wakes up Jack to join her at the magic tree house. When they get there, there is a dog which they have never seen before. It pushes a book called, "The Unsinkable Ship" and they children go on their adventure with the dog. On this adventure, they must find four gifts to break the dog's spell; they find the first on this adventure. Jack and Annie arrive two hours before the sinking of the Titanic and although they are frightened, they cannot understand why the passengers aren't. As they continue through the ship, Jack refers to the book and knows facts such as one that explains how no other ship is remotely close enough to be able to save everyone. They make their way to third class where, with the help of the dog (who they end up naming Teddy), they come across a young boy, William, and his older sister, Lucy, who have no knowledge of the ship's sinking. All four of them make their way to the deck and when confronted with the lifeboats, Lucy and William do not want to go because they feel safer on this big 'unsinkable' ship over a small frail boat on this ocean. Annie helps with encouragement and ultimately sparks a bit of bravery for the children. After some concerns are shared for Jack and Annie's safety, Lucy and William are reassured that they will be safe. And as a parting gift, Lucy give Jack and Annie their father's watch as a gift for good luck. When Annie is lifted onto a lifeboat, Jack is later able to get her off and they begin searching for the tree house. The ship begins to sink and chaos for the children starts in their search. As the ship sinks, they find it with the help of their furry friend and enter leaving the sinking ship behind. When they are home, both are overcome with grief at the horror of this ship sinking with people still aboard. The dog disappears after saving the lives of these children and Jack and Annie return home remembering the Titanic in this book which keeps its memory alive.

The story is inspiring because even children, when called to the task, must and can be braver than most. Annie provided encouragement and they saved the lives of these children while their dog saved theirs. It's an exciting adventure as well as educational because of the facts Jack reads from his book. It also introduces a sad situation very delicately for young readers, in that being on a sinking ship with no hope of survival is beyond frightening. Also, it's sad because so many people lost their lives that day. However, as expressed, the lessons obtained from this story include courage and hope as well as being exposed to a bit of grief because of the scary situation and sad event that happened when the Titanic sank.