Erin's Reading Blog

 Dreamers Title: Dreamers Author: Yuyi Morales Illustrator: Yuyi Morales Genre: Historical fiction Ages: 4-10 Teacher Evaluation: This was an AMAZING story. It is another great book to read when you have students who may have just immigrated to America. It really went into depth about the struggles, and how they overcame them. It may give people hope of a better future. The author based the book off of herself, with a fictional storyline. She illustrated the book, and she added photos that reflected what happened to her when she moved her.  Summary: In the beginning of the book it begins showing the mom welcoming her baby. One day they packed up all their things, and they crossed a bridge to another place. They became immigrants. It looked unfamiliar. They were scared. They did not understand the language. They went all around the land until they found a library, and they were amazed. They got a library card, and they loved books. they learned to read and speak english through...

 A Packet of Seeds Title:  A Packet of Seeds Author: Deborah Hopkinson Genre: Historical fiction Grades 1-4  Teacher Evaluation: This is a great book to read when you have a new student, or a student just moved from far away. It makes it seem like it is not as hard as it should be, and would possibly give them comfort. you could also have all the students make a bag with seeds, and tie it with a lavender ribbon just like in the story.  Summary: Annie can tell her mom does not like where she lives, but she knows her mom would not as her dad to move back home. She misses home so much that she does not even name her own baby, but the older daughter knows what will cheer her up. Annie and her brother get an area read, and their mom notices the land, so she gets the seeds that her sister gave to her before they moved west. They plant the seeds and they become ready to start their new life. 

 Star in the Storm Title: Star in the Storm Author: Joan Hiatt Harlow Genre: Historical Fiction Ages: 11-14 Teacher Evaluation: I may use this book as an easy first read chapter book. It has some very good vocabulary, and it also is very mysterious with a happy ending, but it is at times difficult to read since it is a book based in a different country with different language.  Summary: Star in the Storm is about a girl Maggie, and her dog Sirius. She lives in Newfoundland, and the town made a law banning dogs that do not herd sheep. They banned them because there had been multiple sheep found dead, and people assumed it was Sirius. Maggie decided to keep Sirius as a secret. She finds a place to hide him in a cave. But one night there is a horrible storm, and a boat crashes into the rocks at a bay. Maggie knows Sirius can swim very well, so she takes him out of hiding and to the place of the crash. When they arrive there he jumps into the water to try and save the many people ...

 Once a Mouse Title: Once a Mouse Author: Marcia Brown Illustrator: Marcia Brown  Awards: Caldecott Medal Age Group: EC- 8 Teacher Evaluation: I would definitely use this book in the classroom. It can teach the students a lot of lessons about being kind to everyone and remembering where you came from.  Summary: Once A mouse tells the story of a Hermit who sees a mouse in trouble. He sees the mouse is going to be eaten by a cat, so he turns the mouse into a cat. A dog then comes looking for the cat, so he turns the cat into a big dog. Then a hungry tiger comes looking for the dog, so he turns the dog into a tiger. The tiger had so much proud, so the man told him to stop being so arrogant, and that without the man he would just be a little mouse. The tiger got mad and tried to eat the man, but the man read the tigers mind. He then sent the tiger off into the forest, and never saw him again. 

  Title: "The War that Saved my Life" Author: Kimberly Brubaker Bradley Genre: Historical Fiction Awards: Newbery Age Group: 12- 15 Teacher Evaluation: The book would be great to use in a middle school or early high school classroom, so I would not be able to use it as an EC- 6 Major. But if I were to teach high school I would use this book. It is diverse in what subjects you could use it in because it reflects onto WWII, and it also could be used in an ELA classroom for students to write reflections over.  Summary: Ada is a young girl who has a bad foot. She lives with her mom and brother in London, and WWII is approaching London. Ada's mom abuses Ada and her brother, so Ada and her brother decide to leave London. When they leave London they go to a town called Kent. Kent is a very small town. When they arrive to this small town they meet a women by the name of Susan ,and she pretty much takes in Ada and her brother. Susan gives them everything that they need, but Ada an...