Erin's Reading Blog

Title: If I Built a School Author and Illustrator: Chris Van Dusen Genre: fantasy and Science Fiction Awards: Bluebonnet Award Teacher evaluation: I would read this book in the classroom. Not for a lesson, but just because it is very funny and entertaining. It is important for us to read books like this because it gives the children more things to imagine.  Summary: Jack thought the playground was plain and the school was boring, and he had a plan. It would have puppies at your feet, and a zoo to greet you. It would have a tube where you would get right to the room. The rooms would be made of towers. and the roofs who open up. You would also write in the air. You would have hover desks that did not touch the ground. There would be holograms that would have the guests. the library would come to life. In the gym there would be a pool with submarines a bounce house, rock wall and sky diving wind tunnels. There is a robot chef to make whatever you want. The playground has ziplines, twi...

Title: Ways to Make Sunshine Author: Renee Watson Illustrator: Nina Mata Genre: Realistic fiction Awards: Bluebonnet Teacher evaluation: This is a good book to read as a class or alone. It is very easy to read, and it has a great story line. the main character is a great friend who is very understanding.   Summary: Ryan and her family moved to a new home. Her dad lost his at the post office, and his new job doesn't make him much money. Ryan misses her old house, and she is not happy about all the changes that are happening. She says her house is smaller than a bungalow, and that there are no stairs for her to play on. She did not change school, so she has a lot of her old friends. They sold one of their cars, and are having a lot of struggles financially, but Ryan learns how to make sunshine out of the hardships that she is going through. Ryan is very nice to anyone, and she ends up being the hero at the end of the story by 

Title: The Crossover Author: Kwame Alexander Genre: realistic fiction Awards: Coretta Scott King Award and a Newbery Award Teacher Evaluation: This is a great read that is written in poems, so it is good when teaching poetry lessons. I would use this book and read excerpts in the book. It is a really nice book with a lot of details. It is also Hard to read because it is a bit sad towards the end. It will get the students thinking.   Summary: Josh is narrating his day through his basketball Game. He calls himself Josh Bell, but he is called Filthy McNasty. He is tall and wants to be a basketball star. His dad has a favorite Jazz Artist Horace Silver. Josh is not interested in his work, so his dad dedicated a song to Filthy McNasty. Josh did not like the nickname, but when he started doing very good at basketball, he began liking it. Josh has a twin who goes by JB. He likes to bet. Their dad was a professional player, and Josh wants to know if Dad misses playing. Dad really like...

Title: Sarah, Plain and Tall Author: Patricia MacLachlan Genre: Historical Fiction Awards: Newbery Award winner Teacher Evaluation: I love this story. It was very interesting and a pretty easy read for 5th-6th graders. I think it is a great book to do a read aloud with in class, but it also has an interesting message since they found Sarah through an Ad in the newspaper. I would read it but also make a lesson about life and how to be truly happy out of the lesson.  Summary: This story is about a Family searching for their mom. They live in the country with their father. They are very isolated because their neighbors are so far away by wagon. Anna and Caleb's mother died when giving birth to Caleb. Caleb always asks Anna about having a mom and Anna feels so bad when that happens. Their dad then puts an ad in the newspaper looking for a mom. A woman from Maine replies. Sarah loves Maine but she wants a home of her own. Anna Caleb and her father write to Sarah and she replies saying t...

Title: The Giver Author: Lois Lowry Genre: Fantasy and science fiction Awards: Newbery award Teacher Evaluation: This is a great book. It could definitely not be read in elementary school because they will probably not be able to fully comprehend it. When i first read this book, it was in 6th grade, so if I teach 6th grade then I would probably read this book. It also has a movie that you can watch towards the end of the book.  Summary: The Giver is about Jonas a boy who lives in a society that has no war, fear, pain or hate. Each family has two children, and they are born from someone else. The person who births them is a full-time pregnant person. everyone functions as a society with jobs that are assigned to them. Jonas lived with his mother and father. Jonas did not care what job he was going to have. His society is black and white because color represented pain. They get assigned jobs at 12 and Jonas got assigned the Giver. The giver gets memories from the past good and bad. W...

Title: Fry Bread Author: Kevin Noble Maillard Illustrator: Juana Martinez- Neal Genre: Historical Nonfiction, multicultural Teacher Evaluation: This is a great book and it has such great explanation explaining the Native American culture, and their food. The illustrator I have seen images from before and she does a great job. I really enjoy this book, and it could be read when you are in the classroom learning about America's history, because Native Americans are an important part of America's history.  Summary: Fry Bread is a Native American story. It is a food made of flour, salt, water, cornmeal, baking powder, milk and sometimes sugar. It is mixed all together. It is shaped by hands in any shape. They then fry it in oil. It makes a loud sound. It is a golden brown and warm. It is flavor which brings people together. It is when you can spend time with your family. while making and eating it. It is also art. It has history of how it evolved. It is from all over the place in A...