Sweet Clara and The Freedom Quilt

Title: Sweet Clara and The Freedom Quilt
Author: Deborah Hopkinson
Historical Fiction (Primary Level)

Sweet Clara is a wonderful book about a young slave girl who is separated from her family and is taken to work in the fields of a planation. She soon discovers that fieldwork is not for her, and is permitted to work in the house, helping with the sewing and mending. She then begin to hear about others who have escaped their plight, and comes up with a brilliant idea. She uses the left over scraps of cloth from her sewing to begin to make her own quilt, this is a map that will lead her to her family and then ultimately to freedom.

This book is a great book for children to read for when their learning about slavery and freedom. I really enjoyed reading this book and I recommend that every teacher should use this book in their classroom. The style of this book is very creative and interesting.

Morning Girl

Title: Morning Girl

Author: Michael Dorris
Historical Fiction (Intermediate Level)

This book is a beautiful and powerful book that makes a distant culture familiar and its loss quietly devastating. This story is told through a lyric feel, with an ending that is incredible.

Morning Girl and her brother, Star Boy may not always get along but, when it counts they stand by each other. This book takes place in the 1400s. Morning Girl, and Star Boy's life is going to change forever. This book is told by alternating each chapter between siblings. Telling the story about their life and family living on a Bahamian island. At the end of the book Morning Girl meets a group of strangers.

I would recommend this book be read. This is because I believe that everyone can take from this book.

Indian Shoes

Title: Guy Time
Author: Sarah Weeks
Contemporary Realistic Fiction (Intermediate Level)

This book is about a thirteen year old, Guy Strang. Guy's life seems to have turned totally upside down. He parents are divorced. Guy is asked out by a girl, and for some reasons he just doesn't understand.Guy answers the question with a maybe and that is when the trouble really begin.

This book was a fun book to read because of the humor and the troubles that Guy gets into. I would recommend this book for all ages. This book really reminds me of the book, " The Absolutely True Diary of A Part Time Indian", this is because his best friend Buzz, will desert his forever if he goes soft. This book is a great story and everyone should read it.

My Name Is Yoon

Title: My Name Is Yoon
Author: Helen Recorvitz
Contemporary Realistic Fiction (Primary Level)

My Name Is Yoon is a story about a Korean girl who moves to the United States. The story is told through the perspective of Yoon. Her name in Korean means "Shining Wisdom," and Yoon absolutely loves how her name looks when written in Korean. Now that she is going to school in America, her father tells her that she has to learn how to learn her name in English. When her father teaches her how she becomes upset. She then tells how much more she likes to write her name in Korean because all of the lines in the character "dance together." Instead of writing her actual name on her papers, she wants to write other words that she learns because they make her happy.

I really enjoyed reading this book because it is a very creative and imaginative book. It is wonderful to see how the Yoon feels about her name when it is written in two different languages. I would recommend this book for all ages because it will teach everyone an important lesson.

CInderella

Title: Cinderella
Author: Barbara McClintock
Fantasy (Primary Level)

This book is a remake of Cinderella. Poor, Cinderella, who is relegated to a dirty room by her horrible stepmother and nasty stepsister, who never gives into hostility or revenge. Instead, Cinderella remains loyal to her kind and gentle ways. This tale of virtue rewarded as charming and rich as any prince.

This book is a good book for little children to read because everyone knows the story of Cinderella and this book is a little different and this could help them make connections. This book was a delight to read.

Twilight

Title: Twilight
Author: Stephenie Meyer
Fantasy (Intermediate Level)

This book I believe to be is an amazing book. It is a fun fantasy and romance combined. This book takes place in Arizona which then progresses to Forks, Washington. This is where Bella Swan moves to. When Bella moves to Forks, she believe it is going to be boring but she moved here because of her mother, her mother and her boyfriend went to Florida to pursue the boyfriends dream in playing in the majors. Bella is now living with her father. When Bella meets the mysterious and shimmering Edward Cullen, Bella's life takes an adventurous and terrifying turn. This book has girls dream about their prince charming and guys hating Edward for being so dreamy just in words.

I believe this book to be an amazing book. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It has a mix of Beauty and The Beast and Dracula. This book was really easy to read and to imagine what is happening to the characters. The only down side to this story is that part with it makes guys look hopeless and there is no one good out there.

The Glory Field

Title: The Glory Field
Author: Walter Dean Myers
Multicultural/ International #3

This book is a great book to read. This story is about one family. A family whose history saw its first ancestor captured, shackled, and brought to this country from Africa. A family who can still see remnants of the shackles that held some of its members captive. This story shows the pride of a family and determination, struggle and love.

This book really hit home for me, this is because I really can't believe that this happened to people in the past and I feel horrible that it was my ancestors who did this. This family had to struggle for their lives and I feel that they deserve a better life.

I would suggest that third graders or above read this book because I feel that they can get the most out of what is happening. I would suggest this book to other people and teachers to read.

All for the better: A Story of El Barrio

Title: All For The Better: A Story of El Barrio
Author: Nicholasa Mohr
Multicultural/International #2

All For The Better A Story of El Barrio is about an eleven year old, Evelina Lopez during the dark day of the Great Depression. Evelina Lopez leaves Puerto Rico to live with her aunt in New York City. In this story Evelina learns that one person can make a difference as she adjusts to her life in her new home. Evelina in this story made a difference in her community.

I truly enjoyed this book because it was very enlightening to see what this girl had to go though during the great depression. I would recommend that children should read this book because it could help them see what hard times this was on people.

Too Many Tamales

Title: Too Many Tamales
Author: Gary Soto
Multicultural/International #1

This book was an interesting book to read because of the Mexican culture. This book is about a Mexican American Maria. Marie tries her mother's wedding ring on while she is making tamales for Christmas dinner. When the ring goes missing, Maria is sure it is in one of the tamales. She and her cousins try to eat their way out of trouble.

This book is a fun kids book for children to read. This is because of the mystery of where the ring is at. This book tells the lesson of why it is better to tell the truth rather than to panic and try to cover up a problem. I believe that parents will find this book fun to read because what Maria does is typical for any child to do.

Artemis Fowl The Eternity Code

Title: Artemis Fowl The Eternity Code
Author: Eoin Colfer
Series Study: Book #3

Artemis Fowl the Eternity Code is the third book in the Artemis Fowl series. This book is about a thirteen year old boy, again named Artemis Fowl II who is a criminal mastermind, who created a supercomputer which he calls the "C Cube", form a stolen fairy technology. This C Cube is more advanced than any human technology that has been made. This book now travels out side of Ireland, it goes straight to Chicago. This is where Artemis Fowl meets a businessman Jon Spiro, he is meant to show Artemis who the Cube works. Though out traveling to Chicago, Butler the trusty sidekick is killed by one of Spiro's staff. Spiro is quite a challenging opponent for Artemis. He has impressive security devices, and the vault containing the C Cube is nearly unbreakable. Then Commander Julius Root is concerned that Artemis is becoming too much of a liability to the people. Artemis and his staff have submitted to mind-wipes, which will erase anything fairy related from his memory.

This book is a very interesting one because of all the things that happen though out the book. I Still wouldn't recommend this book to any child who is younger than sixth grade because students might not understand what is happening in the story. Parents might have a problem with this book because of the fact of the mythical component.

I truly didn't enjoy this book, it reminded me too much of Harry Potter. I believe this book is not a good book for students to read in school.

Artemis Fowl The Arctic Incident

Title: Artemis Fowl The Arctic Incident
Author: Eoin Colfer
Series Study: Book #2

This book is the second book of the Artemis Fowl series. This book tells the story of Opal Koboi's rising alongside the rescue of the abducted Artemis Fowl the first and second. This book starts with Jerbal Argon, indicating that the book is a report on Artemis Fowl II's behavior, commissioned by the Lower Elements Police. After a quick flashback to the kidnapping of Artemis I, the book then has Artemis Fowl II undergoing an unsuccessful counceling session at the Saint Bartleby's School of Young Gentlemen. Then you read about Butler when he call informing Artemis that a movie file containing footage of the missing Artemis Fowl I had been emailed to him and that the Russian Mafia were responsible. Then going on in the book Artemis Fowl decides to create a rescue force and called in Holly Short (the fairy he kidnapped in the first book) to help rescue his dad. At the end of the story it end with a fight that deals with the return of the Artemis Fowl II and the Artemis Fowl I to the Fowl Manor.

I think this book was an interesting read because of what happened though out the book. I believe that this book should be read in middle school because I think this book is to far fetched for children any younger that they might not be able to understand the story.

Artemis Fowl

Title: Artemis Fowl

Author: Eoin Colfer

Series Study: Book #1

This book is a very interesting book. The book takes place in Ireland with a eleven year old boy named, Artemis Fowl. This book is interesting because of how the book is told. Artemis is a evil mastermind who is trying to get his families fortune back. In this book there are fairies, elves, trolls, and other mythical creatures. After the disappearance of Artemis's father his mother has been in denial and Artemis is left on his own. Along with Artemis he has a trusty sidekick called, Butler. During this book Artemis and Butler end up kidnapping a fairy which, makes the LEPrecon's go nuts.

This book is a good book for children to read because it will help them evolve their imagination. This book is similar to the Harry Potter series because of the out of the box creatures. This book will also help children who read this book be able to create a whole new world for themselves. The only problem I feel I have with this book is that it is a way out there kind of book and it talks about stealing and kidnapping that it could send the wrong message to children and could effect their morals.

Rumble Fish

Title: Rumble Fish
Author: S.E. Hinton
Author Study Book #3

Rumble Fish is an emotional book. This book could be considered a banned book because of the references to drugs, sex and alcohol. This book is a good book for middle school age students because I believe these students could relate the most because they don't know what they want in life. Also, these students tend to get into the most trouble. I would recommend this book to be read in a classroom because students can see the difference in the lives of different characters. This book also touches on abuse and identity.

This book is very emotional but, without meaning for it to be. In this book to learn about what happened to a friendship and also a family. This book is an example of survival of the fittest. This book is emotional because in the first paragraph it sets the theme of the story with the reuniting of old friends. Through out the book unfortunate events take place and things just go down hill.

I really enjoy this book, it is not a typical happy ever after book that kids are forced to read in elementary and middle school. This book is a good change a pace and can teach children different lessons without them realizing it.

Tex

Title: Tex

Author: S.E. Hinton
Author Study Book #2

This book is about life changes for Tex, Tex wants to avoid dealing with the young adolescent side of himself. Tex tries to escape his problems so he goes to a local fair. While Tex was at the fair he ran into a fortuneteller. The fortuneteller informs Tex that change is inevitable, but it doesn't have to change him. Then one day as Tex comes home from school to find that his borther Mason has sold his horse, Negrito, as well as his own horse, Red, because they have run out of money. Tex then goes to look for his horses and runs into his friends Jamie and Johnny Collins.

Through out this book it shows different obstacles that Tex has to over come. He is sick of being the man of the house. I believe this book is not really a good book to read. This is because I would recommend That Was Then, This is Now and The Outsiders over this book. I really didn't enjoy reading this book. I feel students would get bored of reading this book and that they would find the main character to much of a complainer.

That Was Then, This is Now

Title: That was then, This is now
Author: S.E. Hinton
Author Study Book #1

This book I feel is a good book for middle school children to read. It deals with different lessons that each student could take away from. This book is about Bryon Douglas and his foster brother Mark. I really liked how this book teaches children the lesson of friendship and doing what is right vs. what is wrong even though it means losing a great friend. When the story starts, Bryon is concerned only about himself and Mark. Bryon meets Cathy, M&M's sister, and falls in lover with her. As they begin dating more, Bryon has started to stop thinking about himself. Bryon also makes the transition from feeling that he can do whatever he wants to and gets away with it to somebody who makes sacrifices and who understand that his actions have consequences. The

This book I feel with teach students valuable lessons and will learn from the characters actions. While reading this book the theme that is aquired is coming of age during the time of adolescence. Some thing that could be challenged with this book with parents is that it talks about beating people up, drugs and alcohol.

In all I would recommend for teachers to have students read this book during school. I feel that students will take a lot out of the characters mistakes.

Everett Anderson's Friend by Lucille Clifton

Title: Everett Anderson's Friend
by: Lucille Clifton
Illustrated: Ann Grifalconi
(Extra Book)

This book was about Everett Anderson who had to say good bye to one of his friends and he is awaiting to see who is moving into that apartment. When he finds out that it is a girl he talks about how three is a perfect number for a group. This is because he didn't want to girl Marie a chance. But, one day when he lost his apartment key Marie opens the door and invites him in until his mom came home from work. Everett learns that even a girl is fun to hang out with and that four is a better number for a group.

I would suggest this book in the classroom, this book is full a great knowledge that every elementary student should learn. The messages from this book are so strong that any teacher who wouldn't want to use this book, is depriving their students. The message in this story is, saying good bye is hard and making new friends is harder. Also, in the book it deals a little with sexism because Everett would not play with Marie.

In the end this book is a great book, the illustration has its one meaning behind it and every child I feel should read this book.

Shooting the Moon

Title: Shooting the Moon

Author: Frances O'Roark Dowell

Rebecca Caudill Nominee

Justin and the Best Biscuit in the World

Title: Justin and the Best Biscuit in the World

Author: Mildred Pitts Walter

Coretta Scott King Award Winner

This book is about a Ten-Year old boy named Justin who doesn't want to make his bed, fold his clothes, clean his room, or wash the dishes to help out around the house. His sister and his mother all are frustrated with him until their Grandpa visits and offers to take Justin back to the family ranch and off their hands. Justin is thrilled to see the big rodeo and festival, and Grandpa is going to teach him how to do real "men's work" like mending fence and handling horses. At the ranch, after Grandpa makes breakfast, he asks Justin if he would like to wash or dry the dishes. Justin replies that he doesn't want to do, then watches as his Grandpa carefully. By the example from his Grandpa, he is able to slowly able to show Justin that the division of labor is not quite what he had thought. Grandpa then makes his bed to have a warm welcome after a hard day on the ranch. Little by little, Justin learns the pleasure of taking care of himself, and even learns to bake Grandpa's special Best Biscuits in the World as well as a delicious pork dinner for his mother and sisters.

I believe this book to be a good book for children to teach them what is fair and that everyone is equal. There is no "girl jobs" and "boy jobs". This book teaches good life lessons and morals that children should learn. I believe that parents would really like this book because it shows that the children should be helping around the house rather than sitting around and watching their mother or father do all the chores. I would recommend this book for people to read.

Half a Moon and One Whole Star

Title: Half a Moon and One Whole Star

Author: Crescent Dragonwagon

Illustrations by Jerry Pinkney

Coretta Scott King Award Winner

This book was a good book. The illustrations was really good and it was a poetry based book, which I thought really helped the book. This book is about what a little girl, Susan, dreams when she falls asleep and what is going on around her. This book talks about what happens under half a moon and one whole star.
This book would be really good to use in a classroom when teaching rhyming words and poetry. This book wasn't an emotional book but, could teach children great language art skills. I would recommend this book to any teacher who need help with language art lessons.

Everett Anderson's Goodbye

Title: Everett Anderson's Goodbye

Author: Lucille Clifton

Illustrated by Ann Grifalconi

Coretta Scott Kind Award Winner

Everett Anderson's Goodbye is about the feelings Everett is feeling as he is coping with an accident that occurred in his life. I really like the way this book was written because it adds to the dramatic side of the story. I feel that every student should read this book because it can help students cope with something they have just lost. I really enjoyed reading this book. The illustrations were amazing and I feel that those really added to the book also.

This book really helped me cope with things that I am dealing with at this time, this is why I feel that anyone could get something out of this book. Everett Anderson's Goodbye is a great book. I loved everything about it.

Lon Po Po

Title: Lon Po Po

Author: Ed Young

Caldecott Award Winner

This book was a great book to read. The illustration really was fantastic in the book. I would suggest for a teacher to use this book when comparing different version of stories.

This book is another version of Little Red Riding Hood. Instead of Goldie Locks going to see her grandmother, the grandmother came to the children. Yes in this book there is not one girl there are three little girls who out smart a wolf.

This book really opened my eyes because it showed me a different side of a children classic book. It was great to see teamwork. When reading this book to children, the children will learn about teamwork with brothers or sisters and don't talk to strangers.

Walk Two Moons

Title: Walk Two Moons

Author: Sharon Creech

Newberry Award Winner

Walk Two Moons is an exceptional book. This book is filled with mystery, fun and excitement. This book is about a girl, named Salamancha, who is forced to move after her mother had left her father and her. Through out the book you really get to understand Sal as a person and what emotions she is going through. During the book she is traveling with her grandparents to Lewiston, Idaho to go and visit her mother on her birthday. She feels that seeing her mother on her birthday is the only way she is going to be able to persuade her to come home. During this road trip with her grandparents she tells a story about her friend Phoebe and a lunatic. During the story Phoebe undergoes an experience like no other, that is very similar to what Sal has went though. As she gets closer and closer to Idaho her story gets more and more interesting. There are secretes that are shared about Sal and her family and reasons to why her mom had left her and her father.
This book is a great book to have middle school children read because it teaches you about "walking in someone else's moccasins", and "treating a day as if it matters". This book can really teach children that you can't judge a book by its cover. This book is like no other, and is a must read.

Weedflower

Title: Weed Flower

Author: Cynthia Kadohata

Required Reading

Weedflower is a great book, it is a story about a twelve- year old Japanese- American. Her story takes place before the events of Pearl Harbor and what her life is like after the Pearl Harbor. I can't believe we kind of did what Hitler did to the Jewish people. It is sad to think that America put the Japanese people into internment camps. This story really shows me how much we discriminate against the Japanese, this book also reminded me of 9-11, because we did the same thing to the Muslims in our country.

The main character in Weedflower is, Sumiko. She tells the story of what happened to her family after Pearl Harbor and their experience was during that time. She shows how horrible it was because of the loss of their home and flower business. Through out this book it shows the strength of her family that helped guided them through the rough time and situation. I really liked in the story that Sumiko and Mr. Mom decided to put some flowers around the camp to help it feel like home.

I really liked Weedflower, I feel that it is an excellent book and I would recommend it to all students and adults. Just like the other books that I have read the books theme was "hope". The flowers were the sign of hope. The only part that I didn't like in the book was the ending this is because I really wanted to know what happened after they had left the camp.

Esperanza Rising

Title: Esperanza Rising

Author: Pam Munoz Ryan

Required Reading

This book was a very sad book, but tells an amazing story about a young girl who has to live through many struggles in her life that all happened within a year. In the beginning of the book after the first page I had said to my sister, “This book reminds me of the Lion King” and after I had said this and kept reading, I wished I never would have made that prediction. My prediction was exactly right, and by the third chapter I was sobbing. Esperanza and her family had to go though horrible situations. I could not imagine being her, I think I would have given up.

I liked this book for many reasons. This book had caught my attention right away. The main character, Esperanza quickly went from a rich life style to a poor lifestyle working to help her family. I felt that Esperanza really does deserve her name, because her name means “hope” in Spanish. In the book they did a great job of explaining new Spanish vocabulary words. As I was reading the book I felt that I was there with her going though her situation.

Overall, I really like this book. I would tell everyone to read this book because it is a good motivational story. I like how the author told the story as she did. This story talks a lot about hope and how to achieve it and all the struggles Esperanza had to go though. I loved the ending of this story, this story showed how Esperanza had grown within a year and all the responsibilities she had acquired.

Yellow Star

Title: Yellow Star

Author: Jennifer Roy

Required Reading

When I first heard the title of this book I was hesitant about reading it. I knew exactly what the book was going to be about, I really wasn’t happy about reading another Holocaust book. Then when I first started reading I became amused with the life of Silvia. This book once I got started was really hard to put down. I can’t believe what Silvia and her family had to go through. I could not imagine being in her place. She had over come and survived a great victory. This book was a different kind of Holocaust book, this book didn’t talk about the torture or the pain that they had suffered. This book talk about how she and her family had out smarted the Germans. I really enjoyed reading this and think this was a great read that is for everyone.

Silvia and her family had survived one of the worst massacres in the world. Silvia was the youngest in her family. There were many parts in the story that really caught my attention, but the one that I remember the most was when her father had out smarted the Germans. This story did a great job of really getting to know the characters. It was really interesting to hear about the Holocaust in a child’s perspective. This book did have many sad parts, but I think it is a very well written story. I really like the ending, it really showed how much Silvia had grown though out the years.

I really enjoyed reading this book, even though it was another Holocaust story, but it wasn’t. I love the way the story talked about the Holocaust. I love how at the end of the story there was a unity within the camp. I feel like I have learned a lot from this story.

Leon's Story

Title: Leon's Story

Author: Leon Walter Tillage

Art by: Susan L. Roth

Required Reading

Leon's Story is an emotional roller coaster. The way the author started writing this story was carefully thought out. In the beginning of book the grammar in was terrible, well bad enough for me to have to go back and reread a couple of sentences. Then by the end of the book, after Leon had gotten more educated the grammar was easier to read. I thought this book did a great job of letting the readers understand the key points in Leon's life. In this book there were a few chapter that really took me by surprise, for example in one of the chapters there was a connection between Esperanza Rising and this book. Leon had a tough childhood he was the second from the oldest. It is amazing how far Leon has come and how much he has achieved since his sharecropping days. This is a motivational book, that can really help readers be determined to follow their dreams. Something I also found interesting in the book was the art, there was art after every chapter. I thought it was important because it was a black and white design that formed unity.

This book is not like a "typical" black history book, but it is a book from a children point of view who had to make his own discussions. He had to figure out how to survive and make the right choices for himself and his family members. It was great to read a book that wasn't about Martin Luther King Jr. (no offense to the people who like him, I do, but reading the same type of book over again can get old) and how he helped with Black rights. It was nice to see how a citizen took charge and helped the cause. Leon did a great job of explaining all the events that took place when he was marching.

At the end of the book it was great to see that Leon after working thirty years was honored by the school he was working at. I recommend that everyone should read this book. It is great the see the struggles that someone had to face and still learn about the history of slavery. In the beginning of the book I had made a connection with Leon, "I remember as a young boy I used to look in the mirror and I would curse my color, my blackness, but in those days they didn't call you "black". They called you "colored" or "nigger"." These sentences really hit home for me, no I am not black but I have vitiligro (lack of skin pigmentation in certain areas) and I remember as a young girl looking in the mirror also, and hating the way I looked. I had kids in school calling me "cow legs". This book is a very good book that everyone should read.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

Title: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

Author:Sherman Alexie

Art by: Ellen Forney

Required Reading

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is a story filled with endless possibilities. The style of writing makes this book feel as if it were happening at that moment as if you were in the story. The illustrations in this story helped understand the events in the book and help get to know the main character. There were a few events in the book that really opened my eyes. I could have never imagined going through what this brave boy had been though, especially as a teenager.

This book did a great job of introducing all the characters. I think this book did a good job of explaining the controversies that had risen throughout the book. This book was told through the narrators own experiences, the author did a great job of telling his story. He included not only great memories about his past, but had wonderful illustrations that helped explain how he was feeling. Junior is a character that everyone can relate to in some point in their life. I really started to like him as I was reading, I really got to know him through his character. Junior had to over come some tough situations in his life.

Overall, I feel this book did a great job of letting the readers know what life was like on the Indian Reservation. I really do recommend everyone to read this book. I think everyone could get something out of this book. This book has inspired me to work to achieve all my dreams. This book show how Indians live and the struggles that the children and adults have to face. Again, I do recommend that everyone should read this book.