Peppe the Lamplighter

Peppe the Lamplighter

Title: Peppe the Lamplighter

Genre: Historical Fiction

Author: Elisa Bartone

Illustrator: Ted Lewin

Awards: 1994 Caldecott medal

Age group: 6 years old and up

This story is a heartwarming tale of a boy who tries to help his immigrant family in New York City by getting work. This book is a great and heartwarming read, with a great ending.

Summary:

The story begins with Peppe who is looking for a job to help out his family of sisters and his father who is sick. After trying everything he could think of, he finally gets a job lighting all the street lamps every night. When he tells his family all his sisters were exited but his father was not. Every time he lights a candle in a street lamp he makes a sort of wish for a better life in certain things for his family and friends. But when he comes home his father continues to be mean to him about lighting the lamps because he does not believe that his son lighting street lamps was worth coming to America. Then Peppe starts to feel ashamed of his job and in turn did not do it one night and then one of his sisters went missing. In a worried state, all of a sudden his papa wanted him to light the lights to help find his sister; he said it was important now that he lights the lamps. So he went and lite each candle till he lit the last one and that is where he found his sister. When he found her his sister she asked “why did you not light the lamps tonight” and he said he was sorry. When Peppe got back home, his father realizing what an important job Peppe had said “light the lamps Peppe, it is a good job make me proud”. So he continued to light the lamps each night and each to him was a like a promise for tomorrow.

I believe I would use this book in my classroom because this story teaches the idea that every job counts no matter how small. This is a great lesson I believe children need to know that every person’s effort counts .Another good theme from this book is if you love something don’t let anyone talk you out of loving it or changing your mind about it, do what you love.

I believe the appropriate grade level for this book would be 1st-5th grade because it does have quite a few words to a page and has some more mature vocabulary. But I believe this is a great book for educating about history and immigrant culture and it is also told through a child’s view so it is more relatable for kids.

I might use this book as a way to show a little bit of an immigrants experience and how their view points on life might be different than others. I would also have the students compare how living was like back then in the story to what living is now.

HAVE FUN READING!💙-Lacy

Henry’s Freedom Box

Henry’s Freedom Box

Title: Henry’s Freedom Box

Genre: Historical Fiction

Author: Ellen Levine

Illustrator: Kadir Nelson

Awards: Caldecott medal

Age group: 7-12 year olds

This book is about a man named Henry who goes through a roller coaster of emotions and challenges being a slave in the 1800’s. Though, thankfully this is a story with a happy ending.

Summary:

Henry lived on his master’s farm with his brothers and sisters, at the time he believed his master was good to him, but his mother knew that could change. When his master fell ill he was told he be given to his son and he had to say goodbye to his family. Henry then worked in his new master’s factory and it wasn’t the greatest. Then one day Henry met Nancy and he fell in love and they were married and then had some children. Henry felt so lucky, but his wife was scared that her master would sell their children. Then one day while he was working his friend told him that his children and wife were just sold at the slave market, at lunch time he ran to them but it was too late and he watched his family disappear. Henry was very sad. But then he thought of an idea, he would mail himself in a box to a place where there were no slaves. With help from a white man, who didn’t like slavery, he set this plan in motion. Henry would be mailed to friends in Philadelphia. Though to sneak out of work he had to get hurt so he burned his hand. Then the day came and he got in the box. At one point the box was turned upside down but some men fixed it to right side. Henry then awoke to his friends in Philadelphia, and at last Henry had a birthday, the day of his freedom and from then on everyone called him Henry “Box” Brown.

I believe I would use this book in my classroom because it is a good book to use when teaching about slavery and how slaves lived.

I believe the appropriate grade level for this book is 2nd -5th grade because this topic is a very important, yet is a sensitive topic that might be harder for the younger children to understand if they have not already learned about the subject. This book has very little text to a page and is easy to read; it also has great illustrations that help the reader really visualize the story.

I would use this book in a unit about the history of slavery and the hardships that slaves went through so that the students will better understand what it was like in that time period.

HAVE FUN READING!💙-Lacy

Coming On Home Soon

Coming On Home Soon

Title: Coming On Home Soon

Genre: Historical Fiction

Author: Jacqueline Woodson

Illustrator: E.B. Lewis

Awards: Caldecott Honor

Age group: 6-10 year olds

This story goes through a heartwarming tale of a little girl whose mother goes away to work during the time of world war 2, because woman are needed in the war. I love how this book, even when you think that hope is gone, it has a happy ending.

Summary:

Her mamma has to leave to go work in Chicago where they are hiring colored woman because of the war. She really misses her mother. But after a while of not hearing from her mother, she and her grandma start to worry. She adopts a kitten who comes to the house one day. Finally after waiting one day she receives a letter from her mama and it has money in it and says she will be coming home soon. In the last page there is an illustration of her mother walking up to the door of the house.

I believe I could use this book in my classroom because it is a short, but easy, book and is a great example of being able to be strong when a family member moves or has to go away.

I believe the appropriate grade level for this book is 1st-5th because it deals with topics that younger kid might not understand or that they have not learned about yet. This book has quite a few words to a page as well, but is easy to read and follow. This book also has beautiful illustrations to go along with the story.

I believe I could use this book in the classroom when talking about World War 2 and how the roles of woman changed from staying at home to going out to work because that was needed during the war. This book could also be a good book for kids about how to deal with a family member having to go away and how you must be strong.

HAVE FUN READING!💙-Lacy

Train to Somewhere

Train to Somewhere

Title: Train to Somewhere

Genre: Historical Fiction

Author: Eve Bunting

Illustrator: Ronald Himler

Awards: None

Age group: 8 years and up

This story takes place in 1877; the story follows an orphan girl named Marianne, back in this time orphans were sent by train from New York City to small towns and farms in the Midwest in hopes of placing these children in loving home.

Summary:

The story begins with the 14 orphans boarding a train for going west along with a chaperone named Miss Randolph. There is another orphan named Nora who thinks of Marianne like a sister but she knows that they cannot probably both be adopted together. They stop at many places throughout their journey and the kids are sort of auctioned off at each stop for homes, many kids will get placed even Nora, though she gets upset when they aren’t both taken together. But throughout this Marianne doesn’t believe she is an orphan ,she thinks her mother will be at one of these stops because her mother said she would come back for her when she was left at the orphanage; she even has a feather that she kept from her mother’s hat. After the second to last stop only Marianne is left and then she starts to worry if she’s not going to see her mother or even get adopted. At the last stop there is only one old couple there, and they brought a toy train thinking it would be a boy, and the woman asks is this the only one left. But then she looks at Marianne and smiles and they sort of discuss how they both were not what they had hoped for .But they still took her in anyway. Even though Marianne was disappointed, she believed she was ready to let go of her mother and begin this new life.

I don’t believe I would use this in my classroom because I can’t really see how to fit it in with any learning theme, but I believe it was a good heartwarming story to read.

I believe the appropriate grade level for this book would be 3rd grade and up, because it is a more complicated topic to read about and this book has a lot of words to a page. Though I believe this book is an easy story to follow (but does have some flash back moments that could be confusing) this book has some great illustrations to follow along with and it really helps you see the story come to life.

I believe I could use this book as a good way to help the students compare and contrast how living in the past is different from living now and then  I would have them write down what things in life might be the same still or different on a chart.

HAVE FUN READING!💙-Lacy

How I Learned Geography

How I Learned Geography

Title: How I Learned Geography

Genre: Historical Fiction

Author/Illustrator: Uri Shulevitz

Awards: Caldecott Medal

Age group: 7-12 years old

This story takes place during World War 2 and is told through the eyes of a boy who loses everything at first, but in the book he finds a happy twist to his horrible situation in a map.

Summary:

When World War 2 hit they lost everything and fled east to another country. Where they lived on the floor with a couple they did not know. One day the father was sent to get bread because they were very hungry, but he came back with a huge map instead. At first the son was angry at his father because they were starving and he started being jealous of the couple that they lived with for eating bread. But then he started studying the map and saw how it brought such colors to once drab room, and he started to imagine going on some adventures around the map, such as deserts, beaches, snowy mountains, temples, fruit groves, palm trees, and tall buildings. All this made him forget about his hunger and his horrible situation. In the end he forgave his father for he was right about the map.

I don’t believe I would use this book in my classroom, because I don’t really see a learning theme in the story. But I do believe it could still be a good book for a child who maybe going through a hard time and this book might inspire them to make the best of their situation.

I believe the appropriate grade level for this book is 2nd-5th grade, because it is a little more mature of a topic for younger grades to understand. Even though this book has very little words to a page, there is a deeper meaning in the topics in the story that is why I might recommend this book for older kids.

This book could be used as book to read when talking about World War 2 and what being a refugee is like. You could also use this book as a way for the students to view learning geography as a magical thing, and that geography that can open up doors to new experiences.

HAVE FUN READING!💙-Lacy

Merci Suarez Changes Gears

Merci Suarez Changes Gears

Title: Merci Suarez Changes Gears

Genre: Newbery

Author: Meg Medina

Awards: Newbery Medal

Age group: 4^th-6^th grade

This book definitely has its ups and downs for poor Merci that’s for sure. For this book being a Newbery winner though, I do have to say I expected more, but it is still a good read for kids. What surprised me about this book is it’s definitely a more modern book because it does have more current technology such as cell phones and snapchat.

Summary:

Merci Suarez Changes Gears, is about a Latina sixth grader who goes to Seaward Pines Academy on a scholarship and the challenges she faces juggling school and home life. She lives with her whole family in three houses that are connected called Las Casitas. She has one brother named Roli, who she believes is super smart and will be going to college soon. At school she faces many changes and challenges such as social problems like transitioning from elementary to middle school life, becoming a sunshine buddy to a new kid named Michael (who is a boy) which makes Edna(her previous sunshine buddy/new frenemy) very jealous. Edna throughout the book gets on Merci’s last nerve and tries to get Merci in trouble. She even goes as far as destroying the costume her Abuela made for Michael for a project. There also is problems at home that she deals with throughout the book with her grandfather, who she loves and looks up to the most, but finds out that he has Alzheimer’s disease (even though her parents tried to hide it from her in the beginning) which means he becomes very forgetful and needs more help to do regular things. She also has to deal with always babysitting the twins to help the family, which leads her to not being able to try out for the soccer team which she really looked forward to. Despite getting in a car wreck, having do deal with Edna, and helping with the great tomb project; Merci finds that even though change is hard, without change things can’t get better. You must sometimes change “gears” in order to go faster. In the end, she ends up getting the bike she was saving up for and looks forward to what will happen next year and she now thinks she is ready.

Since I am aiming more towards teaching the younger grades, I would personally probably not use this in my classroom since it is more of a long chapter book meant for older kids. I also believe this book is more meant for a personal reading book, so if a student is interested I could always recommend it. I did like finding out more about the book at Meg Medina’s author talk I went to. Knowing her experiences and how much they related to the book really made the character come to life for me.

I believe the appropriate grade level for this book is 4^th-6^th grade .Since Merci is in the 6^th grade, middle school would be the best age since it is the right age for coming of age topics to relate too. Though I believe any age could still enjoy this story. The actual text was easy to read not too many big vocabulary words and relatively short chapters.

If I were to use this book in the classroom it would probably be in a unit about understanding other cultures and respecting one another. This book has some great examples of family and cultural traditions through Merci’s point of view to a Cuban/American family life.

HAVE FUN READING!💙-Lacy

The Berenstain Bears Go to the Doctor

The Berenstain Bears Go to the Doctor

Title: The Berenstain Bears Go to the Doctor

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Authors: Stan Berenstain

Illustrator: Jan Berenstain

Awards: None

Age Group: 4-8 year olds

This is a great book that can relate to children’s experiences of going to the doctor or if they’ve never been this book could help them not be as worried about it. It gives a great description of what really happens at the doctor’s office.

Summary:

The night before Mama Bear tells them that they will be going in for a checkup tomorrow at the doctors and Sister has never been to one of those before so she is worried about it a little. On the way to the doctors Sister asks if Mama or Papa has ever had a checkup and Papa says I don’t need them because I never get sick. Then the doctor did some routine things such as taking their weight, checking their ears, checking their temperatures and more. But then the doctor says that it is time to get some shots, at first Sister is scared but the doctor talks her through it and all of a sudden it’s done and she realizes it didn’t even hurt that bad, she was so proud of her self. But then Papa sneezed a huge sneeze, so the doctor checked him out and it turns out he WAS sick, and so the doctor gave him some medicine and Sister got to take care of him.

I believe this is a great book to have in the classroom, to have for individual reading time as a way to have a first time experiences type of book for the students to read and maybe relate.

The appropriate grade level for this book would be Kinder-2nd grade. This book does have quite a few words to a page but has big text so it is easier to read. It is also a part of a “first time” series of books so you could have the whole collection if you wanted but this book would probably be more suitable for younger grades.

This could be a book to read aloud for a unit on important jobs in the community, this one could be a read aloud for the job of a doctor. Also this book can be used on a unit of experiences that the student might go through as well.

HAVE FUN READING!💙-Lacy

Junie B. Jones is a Beauty Shop Guy

Junie B. Jones is a Beauty Shop Guy

Title: Junie B. Jones is a Beauty Shop Guy

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Author: Barbra Park

Illustrator: Denise Brunkus

Awards: None

Age group: 6-9 year olds

I have always loved the Junie B. Jones series and I can relate to this book a little because when I was a kid I also used to pretend to do beauty shop with my toys as well. So this is a great book option for younger readers.

Summary:

In this book Junie B. visits the beauty shop with her dad for his hair cut. The lady cutting her dad’s hair said she could be her helper and Junie B. loved it and decided she wanted to be a beauty shop guy. So she started practicing just like her dad said. She sneakily started with her bunny slippers but they didn’t turn out so good. So someone recommended she be a shampoo girl, so she tried it on her elephant but that didn’t turn out so well either. Then she decided to cut the dog’s hair and her mother found out and took away her scissors. But Junie B. thought about it and blamed the dogs hair for it turning out bad. So she tries it on her own hair but in a moment of frustration she accidentally cut her bangs all over the place and ended up not liking it so she tried to hide it with a hat. But her dad found out and took her to the beauty shop where the same lady who cut her dad’s hair, fixed her hair and she loved it. But then she realized that she had technically started that haircut that the hair lady fixed so maybe she can still be a Beauty shop guy after all and she found her extra extra scissors.

The end

I do believe I can use this book in the classroom because Junie B. Jones books are always great independent reading books for younger children.

The appropriate grade level for this book would be 1st-4th grade. This book has very short chapters, big text and is very easy to follow along with. The book is from Junie B.’s point of view so is very relatable for kids. It would be a great independent reading book.

I could use this book for a unit on good authors to look for, for children, and use this book as an example because this book is a part of a series of Junie B Jones books written by the great author Barbra Park. Then after learning about authors, the children would go home and find an author that they really like or they will pick one of the authors from a list given and find a book to read from that author.

HAVE FUN READING!💙-Lacy

Ella Sarah Gets Dressed

Ella Sarah Gets Dressed

Title: Ella Sarah Gets Dressed

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Author and Illustrator: Margaret Chodos-Irvine

Awards: Caldecott Honor

Age group: 2-5 years old

I think this book is very cute and whimsical. I also like that it has an underlining lesson of always be yourself no matter what others say which is a good thing to teach younger kids.

Summary:

In the beginning Ella Sarah knows what she wants to wear today and is very specific she says I want to wear “pink polka dot pants, dress with orange and green flowers, purple and blue striped socks, yellow shoes, and red hat.” But her mom says her choice is too dressy and recommends blue dress with matching socks like hers. But Ella refuses and repeats what she wants again what she wants to wear she says pink polka dot pants, dress with orange and green flowers, purple and blue striped socks, yellow shoes, and red hat. Then her father says it is too fancy and recommends a yellow T-shirt with white shorts and tennis shoes more masculine like him. But she refuses and repeats again what she wants to wear and begins to grow more angry. Then her big sister said that her outfit is too silly and recommends she wear her overalls that are too small for her and her old boots. But Ella says NO! She wants to wear what she wants to wear and yells this! Then she goes back to her room and puts on her outfit with her pink polka dot pants, her dress with orange and green flowers, her purple and blue striped socks, her yellow shoes and red hat. Then she looks in the mirror and thinks her outfit was just right and so did her friends who were also wearing their silly outfits and then they had a tea party.

I believe I could use this in my classroom if it was for a group of younger students like kindergarten but I don’t know about reading this to older grades because the content is very little and what it stands for doesn’t really apply to them much anymore.

The appropriate grade level for this book would be Pre-K-1st because it is a very easy to read book with very few words to a page. Also this subject is only probably relatable to younger grades, so the older grades probably wouldn’t enjoy reading it as much.

If I used this book it would be in a unit about how to take care of yourself, like brushing your teeth and how to tie shoes and more. I would also add a fun little activity to go with the read aloud, where the students would have a paper doll coloring sheet and they would be able to color whatever outfit they wanted on it and then they will write why they choose that outfit.

HAVE FUN READING!💙-Lacy

The Night Before Mother’s Day

The Night Before Mother’s Day

Title: The Night Before Mother’s Day

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Author: Natasha Wing

Illustrator: Amy Wummer

Awards: None

Age group: 3-5 yrs. old

This little book is so cute and is a great feel-good story. It could also give the students some ideas for what to do for Mother’s Day. I also enjoyed how this book rhymed throughout.

Summary:

In the beginning, the day before Mother’s Day, they got their mom distracted by making her go running with her friends. Then with the help of dad they made a cake, and then they made mom a card and a special coupon. Then they went to sleep and couldn’t stop thinking about Mother’s Day the next day and how great it was going to be. The next morning they gave her a giant flower bouquet and said Happy Mother’s Day. They gave her a spa session in the house with the mud mask, a pedicure and manicure and served her a special brunch. Their mom was so pleased and wished it could be Mother’s Day every day of the year.

I do believe I could use this book in the classroom because it is a short and cute little book that kids can really relate to. It also has a bunch of rhyming words which is fun.

The appropriate grade level for this book is Pre-K-1st.This book is short and easy to read and has rhyming words throughout.

This book could be read when it’s getting close to Mother’s Day, because it goes with the theme and then after reading the book the students will make Mother’s Day cards to give to their own moms.

HAVE FUN READING!💙-Lacy

Froggy’s Baby Sister

Froggy’s Baby Sister

Title: Froggy’s Baby Sister

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Author: Jonathan London

Illustrator: Frank Remkiewicz

Awards: None

Age Group: 4-7 year olds

I think this book is so cute and it helps kids understand what things they might go through when their parents are having a baby, the subject is big deal and very real, but in this story it is just told through frogs which is fun for the kids but they can still relate to it.

Summary:

The story begins with Froggy asking when his baby brother is coming, and mother says soon but it can be a little sister, but Froggy wanted a brother so he could teach him how to play. Then his parents left for the hospital. Froggy was too nervous that he couldn’t sit still. Finally his father got home and he found out it is a baby sister. In the beginning Froggy expects his sister to do everything he can but finds that his sister Polly couldn’t do anything with him yet because she was too young and his parents would not let him take care of her quite yet. He started getting sick of playing with her because she couldn’t do anything. Then finally one day Polly (his sister) is able to walk and his parents gave him permission to take care of her. He was so excited, but then she starts crying and Froggy tried to solve the problem .He asked if she was hungry and showed her how to catch a fly and so Polly tried it. But she still kept crying so he tried to change her diaper as best he could. Then the next night Polly started crying and would not stop until Froggy picked her up and then she stopped and fell asleep in her brother’s arms.

I believe I would have this in my classroom because it is a good book to have over the subject of new experiences such as a baby brother. This book also is an easy read.

The appropriate grade level for this book would be Pre-K -2nd grade because it is very short, has few words to a page, easy vocabulary, and might be more relatable for the younger grades.

One idea I had to go with this book is after reading the story, the students can do a creative writing activity where they have to write about an experience they had that was similar to the events that go on in this book. Examples to write about might be getting a new puppy or kitten, losing a tooth, getting braces for the first time, and more.

HAVE FUN READING!💙-Lacy

Tom Thumb

Tom Thumb

Title: Tom Thumb

Genre: Fantasy

Author and Illustrator: Richard Jesse Watson

Awards: Golden Kite Award by the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators

Age group: 5-7 years old

This book tells of the classic story of Tom Thumb, a very little boy and his journey to become the knight of the round table. The lesson it teaches is that you are never too small to make a difference. This is a fantastic book with great illustrations.

Summary:

Long ago, there was a poor farmer and his wife. One day a beggar came to their house,but the beggar turned out to be Merlin the great wizard, and he noticed the farmer was sad and when he asked why they said it was because they wanted a child (even if he was the size of my thumb). Then Merlin blessed them with a tiny child the size of a fairy and they called him Tom Thumb. Though, as Tom got older he did not get bigger. Tom Thumb loved to explore which was dangerous; Tom felt that he was a burden on his parents sometimes. Then one day a crow picked up Tom by mistake and then dropped him and he landed in a dark castle. It was the castle of a giant. Most giants can be dangerous, but this one was not because the fairies had given him a special charm, a seashell so he could hear the soothing sound of the ocean, to help calm him. Forgetting that giants get startled easily, Tom yells at the giant, and the giant ends up breaking the shell. This made the giant mad, the giant picked Tom up and ate him. Though, the giant later spit the boy out over into the sea. Then a fish swallowed him, later the fish was caught by a royal fisherman, who was shocked to find him in the fish. The fisherman took him to the king who was delighted, then one day the cook dropped the king’s favorite dessert and blamed Tom for it so the king imprisoned Tom. Soon Tom missed his parents, then a mouse told Tom that King Arthur and the Knights of the Round table have gone to battle against a giant who is raging war for no reason. Tom knew why and set out with help from animals to get a new shell. Then in the mist of battle Tom gives the giant the new shell, and it calms the giant who goes back to his castle. The king was so grateful to Tom that he made him a knight and offered him gold to take back to his parents. So in the end Tom helped his parents and earned his place as the smallest knight of the round table.

I believe I could use this book in my classroom because it is relatively short and easy, with a great lesson and would make for a good read aloud. This exact book also has great illustrations that go so well with the story.

The appropriate grade level for this book is 1st-2nd grade, because this book does have a lot of words to a page, but the pictures really help the story come to life.

This would be a great read aloud and a way to introduce the fairy tale genre. You would ask them after reading “do you think this could happen in real life” and they would (usually) say no then you would explain how that makes it a Fairy tale/Fantasy book.Then the teacher would also recommend other books they can read in this genre.

HAVE FUN READING!💙-Lacy

The Tail of Emily Windsnap

The Tail of Emily Windsnap

Title: The Tail of Emily Windsnap

Genre: Fantasy

Author: Liz Kessler

Awards: None

Age group: 9 and up

I personally love this chapter book, it is the first book in the series that takes you through the adventures of a girl named Emily who finds out she is a mermaid.

Summary:

Emily Windsnap is a 12 year old girl who lives with her mom on a boat. Her life was very normal, until one day she finally convinced her mom to let her take swimming lesson when she started school. She had never learned to swim before because of her mother’s fear of the water. But when she gets in the water her feet start to glue together and started forming scales, she quickly got out of the water with help from the teacher. She was so shocked and scared that she avoided swimming lessons from then on. But that same night she tests the water out again and a tail appears and she ends up loving it and the water. After that she continues to sneak out to go swimming whenever she can. One day she meets another mermaid named Shona, who tells her the truth about her father who is a mermaid and that he was in prison for falling in love with a human, which is forbidden by Neptune. Emily decides to find her father and free him. After many obstacles, she finally reaches her father but it is harder to get him out then she thought. She, Shona, Emily’s mother and babysitter end up getting arrested and brought before Neptune to face the charges. But in the end he decided that Emily is right, that love should not be punished. Neptune offers them the opportunity to live like a family, although they have to do it on an island in a secure location for the rest of their lives. In the end, Emily gets to go to school one more time and with some help she reveals herself to them for a shining moment as a mermaid, before Mr.Beeston erases their memories. Then she joins her family and they live happily ever after. Till the next book…

I believe I would use this book in my classroom because it is a great story and is a chapter book series so once you read one, you can continue the story by reading the others which is a great thing for kids.

The appropriate grade level for reading this would be 2nd-5th grade. This book has mostly big letters and relatively short chapters and it is easy to read. It also has some little pictures in it at the beginning of chapters and some mini pictures to split up thoughts.

I believe I could use this book as a read aloud for throughout the year at a designated time for reading. This book can then be used as an example for story mapping. The teacher will use this book to show how to make a story map, such as looking for the beginning, middle, and end and the climax and more. Also this book has a great story that can get kids interested in reading on their own and if they want to, they can read more of the books from the same series.

HAVE FUN READING!💙-Lacy