Reflection over the course

Jen,
As I have said in my first class reflection, I love children's literature! I am really excited that I have learned so much about all the different kinds of children's literature out there. I cannot wait to get into my classroom and use some of these books that we have talked about.

I know I will use children's books in a variety of ways in my classroom. I love the idea of opening a minilesson, author's study, literature study groups, or during shared reading. I want my students to love reading children's books and learn how to select the right book for them. I also really enjoy reading chapter books to the children as well because it is a good way for them to relax and just listen to a book.

I am glad that we created our own blogs because it is a way to look our classmates blogs and see what kinds of books that they recommend or did not like. Thanks for a great class!

Animal Dreaming

Mirri is a young boy from an Australian Aboriginal Tribe. They believe that long ago the earth was soft and had no form. Deserts, mountains, lakes, and prairies were created by the animals. Miri learns about his heritage, his people's past, and how the earth was formed, while learning the stories of animal dreaming.

I liked this book because it was an interesting view from a different culture. I like children's books from different cultures because a lot of the time, the children can relate how their heritage is somewhat like or dislike the heritage they are reading or learning about. I think it is important for all children to learn their heritage and learn about their families ancestors. There is a lot of fun activities that go along with a unit about one's heritage and I would use this book to help get the unit started.

Jane Goodall's Animal World Elephants

Elephants is a very informational book that answers any questions that a person would have about elephants. How do elephants live their daily lives? What do they eat? How do they raise their young? This book provides a close-up look at elephants.

I would use this book in my classroom only for reference use. I think that these series of books are great for the children to do their research. If they are writing a paper or making a book about elephants this would be a great research tool. I don't think that this book has universal usage in the classroom. I would not recommend this book for pleasure reading because it can be a little boring, especially if you don't like elephants. It is not like a picture book that the entire class might like. It would be great for the child to go to the library and find this book to do some research.

Safety on the Playground

Safety on the Playground is one book in a series about safety. There are topics in this book such as what to wear, broken equipment, safety on swings, safety on slides, safety during games, strangers, and climbing safety. I think these topics are very mundane and boring for children. The topics are very specific and I think that children will get bored with this book. Though the topic of playground safety is very important, I think as teachers and parents, we should come up with a more interesting and creative way to introduce this topic.

I would not use this book or series in my classroom. I don't think that reading a boring and mundane book about safety will ensure that kids will follow all the rules. I think it would be more beneficial if the class came up with their own rules would make the children be more creative and more likely to follow their own rules that they made.

Dolphins in the Wild

I love books about animals and I especially enjoy reading books about Dolphins because I think they are so cute and amazing! This book is in a series including true facts about different animals. Dolphins tells the readers about how they eat, grow, rest, hunt, and raise their young. There is also important information about the threats they face in the wild and also some important information about how we can help them to survive in the future.

I think having these books in my classroom would be beneficial to the kids because they would be able to look up and read about any different animal that they choose. These books are easy to read and have really awesome pictures. I think that the kids would like reading and looking up information about animals for their own use.

Harry the Dirty Dog

Harry was a white dog with black spots that liked everything.....except getting a bath. One day he hears the water running in the tub and decides to run away with the scrubbing brush. He buries it in the backyard and has a fun filled day getting dirty. He runs by the railroad, slides down the coal chute, and playes in the garbage yard with the other dogs. He comes home and his family doesn't even recognize him. All they see is a black dog with white spots. Harry finds out that getting a bath isn't so bad after all.

I like this book because it is about a dog. Many children love books about dogs. This is an older book that I think children will enjoy. I would like to have a section in my classroom library dedicated to different types and difficulties about dogs. I think that a lot of children would like to explore the different breeds and different ways to take care of dogs.

Peter and the Pigeons

Peter loves Pigeons. Peter's father takes him to the zoo to show him all the strange birds and wonderful animals that Peter hasen't seen before. He askes Peter which animals are his favorite. The entire time he tells his father that the zebra, hippo, polar bear, and lions are not his favorite animals. At the end he reaveals that the pigeons are his favorite animal. This just shows that Peter is familiar with the pigeons and is friends with them.

This is a sweet book about a boy that is friends with pigeons. It is an easy read and I enjoy the pictures.

Shibumi and the Kitemaker

As you can see from the cover, the illustrations in this book are amazing. I choose this book to read based on the cover illustrations. Mercer Mayer has beautiful illustrations and wonderful books such as The Rocking Horse Angel and East of the Sun and West of the Moon. This particular book is about a young princess that lives behind the walls of a beautiful garden in the palace. One day she peeks over to the town below. Much to her despair, the town is not as beautiful as she had imagined it. She sets out to convince her mother and father that things need to change. With the help of a kite maker dreams can come true.

I love the illustrations and the inspirational words that Mercer Mayer has given the reader. I really enjoyed reading this tale and I definitely would use this in my classroom. I also want to check out more books and illustrations by Mercer Mayer.

Get Out of Bed!

The main reason I read this book is because it is written by Robert Munsch. I absolutely love Munsch books. They are really creative and hilarious. I also love the pictures. Get Out Of Bed was a little bit of a disappointment. I did not really like this book because it didn't have a twist or different sort of ending much like the other Munsch book that I enjoy.

Get Out Of Bed! is all about a girl that won't get out of bed. Her brother, mother, father, teacher, and principal all try to wake her up but she stayed out too late the night before. She misses breakfast, lunch, dinner, and even goes to school in her bed.

As I said before, I love Robert Munsch books and I know I will have a large collection in my classroom. I enjoy these books and have read many with young children and I know they will enjoy them.

Daddy's Wedding

Daddy's Wedding is a poor attempt at explaining to children about gay couples. Nick is a 10 year old boy that lives with his mother and stepfather. He gets to be the best man in his father's wedding with another man.

The reason that I didn't like this book is because everything in this book was so happy and nothing was complicated. I'm not saying that it should be complicated, but Nick doesn't even ask any questions about his father and his roommate. They just all of a sudden show up and tell Nick that they are getting married and they want Nick in the wedding. I would expect Nick to ask a few questions about their marriage together and point out the fact that they are two men.

I would like there to be questions raised in this book, because I know a child in this real situation would want some questions answered. I believe that if this book answered a few of those questions then it would be more realistic for the reader and they could relate to it more. I would not use this book in my classroom.

Meet Tricky Coyote!

This selection of stories was originally told by Native Americans. Coyote shows us the values of being different, the advantages of being smart, and the dangers of being too proud. These Native American tales give us a familiar and interesting twist to the older American tales that we all know very well.

I would use this book in my classroom because it is a pretty easy read and the tales are not too long. I think that there is a clear moral at the end of each tale that the kids can relate to. I also like these tales because they are almost like our all too familiar American tales that we tell each other. I believe that the kids will be able to make distinctions between the two tales and maybe come up with some on there own!

Year of Impossible Goodbyes

I really enjoyed this book because it was very intense and it kept me reading to see what would happen next. Sookan is the main character along with mother, Inchun, grandfather, Kisa, and Aunt Tiger. She tries to escape the Russians in Northern Korea and make it to freedom below the 38th parallel with her mother and Inchun. The family is separated half way to the south. They are helpless and alone until the kindness of an elderly man helps them make it to the south.

I liked this book because the author used a lot of detail when she wrote. I like how she explains the way things feel, taste, and what she sees. I am glad that the family ends up together in the end. The story is about hope and love that kept the families going through the hardest of times.

I would love to have this book in my classroom. I liked reading So Far From the Bamboo Grove and this book one after the other because it gave me great insight into the two different lives of a Korean child and a Japanese child. I would definitely have my students read both novels and talk about the differences and similarities that the two girls had in common.

So Far From the Bamboo Grove

So Far From The Bamboo Grove is a very powerful and amazing story of Yoko, a 12 year old Japanese girl in the middle of World War II. Her story is about the journey of her, her mother, and her oldest sister, Ko trying to make it to safety and not get captured by the Koreans. There were many points in this story that were so sad and depressing but it made me realize that these things actually did happen.

I think the main point of this story is that the Kawashima family is remarkably strong and they love each other very much. Mother just wants to get her girls to safety and try and find her son. I believe that she feels a sense of safety when they travel back to their homeland, Japan. She dies at the train station but I think she felt a little sense of piece knowing that her girls were safe and in school. Their family stays together despite the effects of war. The girls continue to show their mother great respect even while they are refugees. This shows that respect is a very important aspect to keeping a family together.

Another overlaying theme in the story is the relationship between the two sisters Yoko and Ko. Throughout their journey, Ko must take control and lead the family to safety. Right before their brother left, he told Ko to take care of the family. She takes the lead as Yoko's mother after mother dies at the train station. She keeps Yoko in school and does odd jobs in order to raise money.

One of the most interesting facts of the story is that Ko and Yoko had to dress like the enemy soldiers. They wore their uniforms and also shaved their heads to look like boys. I thought that this was very smart of them because it kept them alive. They were encountered by many men that wanted to rape them or harm them, but because they looked like boys, they were left alone. Also, the uniforms kept them from being killed because they didn't look like Japanese.

I really enjoyed this book and I know I will use it in my classroom if I teach older grades. I liked the story line and the devastation that the family went through is very relevant during a time like this. Our country is at war and the effects that the war has on others is a very important topic to discuss. I cannot wait to read Year of Impossible Goodbyes because the story perspective is from the opposite side of the war.

Fudge

I love dog books. When I was younger, all I ever read, drew, and dreamed about were dogs. I finally got a dog when I was 6 years old. I named him Buster and we were best friends. I really like this children's novel because it is about a young boy that loves his dog Fudge and in the end he gets to keep him too just like when I finally got a dog. I also love to visit the humane societies here and play with the dogs and cats.

This story is sweet and the cover of the book draws people in. Everyone loves puppies and loves to read about them. This would be a great book to put in my classroom because the chapters aren't too long and the print is not too big. The age range of this book would be about 5th to 6th graders.

My favorite part about this book is the end. Chad gets to keep Fudge and Leslie gets to keep bear despite the fact that her sister is allergic to animals. She ends up taking allergy medicine so that they can keep the puppy. I love happy ending books. Our female dog never got to have puppies so I enjoy reading with about them!

UPDATE

Jen,
First off, I was so excited to start this class because I LOVE children's literature. I am known to stay home and read picture books and watch Disney movies on weekends. I think I own every single Disney movie and most of the Dr. Seuss books. My mom and dad read to me all the time so I love going back to the books I remember as a child and rereading them and figuring out why I liked them so much.

I had no idea that I could analyze picture books the way we do in class. I loved the presentation from the librarian about "how to" look at picture books with a critical eye and choose the best ones for your class. I really remember the different ways to look at picture books besides just reading them. The whole book really does tell a story from cover to cover. I think that this would be a great lesson for my class some day. The kids can find different ways that picture books are interesting and figure out why they like the books that they like. Speaking of my future class, I think that this class is really important. I loved the genera studies because I didn't even know that some of these books were out there. I'm glad that we got a list of tons of good books that we can use in our classrooms.

Overall, I really enjoy blogging. I like the fact that we can personalize our blogs and really make them our own. As students, we have to write word documents all the time and they become routine. I think that blogging is much more personal and I can write how I really feel about the book. I also like the fact that we can read eachothers blogs. I always look on other people's blogs to see which books are good ones.

Mommy Laid and Egg

This book answers the question....."where do babies come from." The whole book the kids are telling the story about where babies come from instead of their parents telling them.

This book is hilarious but I don't think I would use it in my classroom. There would definitely be too many questions, especially concerning the page with some of the ways mommy and daddy fit together. Sex talk is a very hard thing to talk about with your children. I don't know how I will discuss it with my daughter when she asks. I think I will just let her think what she wants and explain to her when she is older. I think this book is good for explaining it to older children but I don't think that the page with the sex positions is very appropriate. I think the message would get through without that page.

The Un-Wedding

This book is about....divorce. There are two children that have to put up with their parents fighting all the time and never agreeing on anything. They decide that it isn't their fault and decide that their parents should be un-married and live in separate houses. In the end the two children are happy and so are their parents.

This book puts a different spin on divorce. I think it would be helpful to read this book to children especially because divorce rates are so high these days. This book addresses the fact that it is not the children's fault that their parents do not get along. It gives the children perspective that their parents just maybe better off "un-married". There are so many children going through divorce and I think that this book could be helpful. Not every book should end with happily ever after because that is not the way life is. I think children should be exposed to some realizations that not everything is happy in the end.

King and King

King and King is about a Prince that cannot find a Princess to marry. He is introduced to many different prospects but cannot find one that he likes. They all show him their many talents, but none are good enough. Finally, another prince comes with his sister who is going to try and marry the prince. It is love at first sight. The two princes get married shortly after and they live happily ever after.

This book is a very modern version of a fairy tale. I understand why some parents might be angry if this book is available for their children to read in the school library. However, I am totally up for teaching students about what is in the real world. When they grow up they will not be sheltered from things such as gay couples. The parents of these children need to realize that they cannot shelter and "protect" their children forever. They will be exposed to it sooner or later. I would read this to my own daughter because I think that it teaches us that not everyone is the same and we need to accept others for who they are.

William's Doll

William's Doll is about a very young boy that wants a doll to love, cuddle, kiss, and take care of. His father doesn't want him to have a doll because boys do not play with dolls. Instead his father buys him "boy" toys and will not get him a doll. William's grandmother ends up buying him a doll in the end.

This story is controversial because William isn't supposed to play with dolls and the only reason he wants to play with one is that he is gay. I don't think that this story is trying to portray that William is gay at all. I think it is just about a young boy that likes other things besides the steriotypical boy toys.

I would read this story in my classroom to tell others that not always following "the norm" is an ok thing to do. Not all boys play with trains and basketball. I know some little boys that like barbies and dolls and that doesn't mean they are gay. This story can be interpreted any way that the reader chooses.

Rose Blanche

Rose Blanche is a book about a young girl experiencing the Holocaust without understanding it. Throughout the book she is walking to a Concentration Camp and bringing the Jewish prisoners food to eat. She brings it to them but never really understands why they are there. At the end the American soldiers are comming and freeing the prisoners but Rose gets shot.

I understand why this book may be controvercial in some schools. It is a very deep story about the war. Young readers may n0t understand the book's meaning. The book is interesting because it is not from the perspective of a little girl inside the concentration camp but from a little girl witnessing all the horrors happening. I would not use this book because it could cause some controversy and might be hard to explain to little children.