Book Review-       Bibliography: Grimes, N. (2013).  WORDS WITH WINGS . WordSong.     Plot Summary: Gabby's world is filled with daydreams. However, what began as an escape from her parents' arguments has now taken over her life. With the help of a new teacher, 'Gabby the dreamer' might just become 'Gabby the writer' and the words that once carried her away might allow her to soar. This verse novel is a celebration of imagination, friendship, of one girl's indomitable spirit, and a teacher's ability to reach out and change a life.     Critical Analysis: Grimes created real characters with very real problems, characters that kids can relate to and see themselves in. The language at the beginning of the poem instills a feeling of hope present in Gabby, the charming and creative main character who  finds solace in her daydreams . Her daydreams play a major role in a moment of her life, when everything she’s known...

  Book Review-       Bibliography: Frost, H. (2015). HIDDEN. Square Fish.     Plot Summary: When Wren Abbott and Darra Monson are eight years old, Darra's father steals a minivan. He doesn't know that Wren is hiding in the back. The hours and days that follow change the lives of both girls. Darra is left with a question that only Wren can answer. Wren has questions, too. Years later, in a chance encounter at camp, the girls face each other for the first time. They can finally learn the truth, if they're willing to reveal to each other the stories that they've hidden for so long. Told from alternating viewpoints, this novel-in-poems reveals the complexities of memory and the strength of a friendship that can overcome pain.     Critical Analysis: I thoroughly enjoyed this book, not even realizing that it is written in non-traditional poetry form. The flow of the interchanging viewpoints was seamless and written in language ...

                                                                     Book Review- Bibliography: Myers, W. D. (2008). JAZZ(C. Myers, Ill.). Holiday House. Plot Summary: Fifteen poems, infused with the rhythm and wordplay of jazz music, are paired with bold, stylized illustrations of performers and dancers to convey the history and breadth of this unique musical style. From bebop to New Orleans, from ragtime to boogie, and every style in between, JAZZ takes readers on a musical journey from jazz's beginnings to the present day. Critical Analysis: The rhyme and rhythm of JAZZ make this story a lyrical celebration. The book in its entirety includes 15 Poems infused with flowing illustrations about the history of jazz music. The poems seamlessly tie together popular jazz songs and artists of the Harlem Renaissance. They...

  Book Review-     Bibliography: Hoberman, M. (2006).  THE LLAMA WHO HAD NO PAJAMA  (B. Fraser, Ill.). Clarion Books.   Plot Summary: Topics covering everything from centipedes to whales, from swinging on swings to ice-skating in winter, from eating applesauce to celebrating birthdays, the delightful poems in this extensive collection convey the experiences of childhood with a fresh timelessness.   Critical Analysis: This is a collection of assorted poems focused on a wide range of topics and would be great to read aloud to kinder-4 th graders. The illustrations are adorable and add to the playful tone of the poems.   The language expresses emotion, such as the llama’s sadness at the beginning of the poem and his excitement at the end of the poem. There is a good variety of words throughout the poems, which would help students build on their vocabulary. The rhyme and rhythm of the poems are perfect, without having short lines ...

  Book Review-       Bibliography: Flor Ada, A., & Campoy, I. (2006).  TALES OUR ABUELITAS TOLD: A HISPANIC FOLKTALE COLLECTION (F. Davalos, S. Guevara, L. Torres, & V. Escriva, Ills.). Atheneum Books for Young Readers.     Plot Summary: This folktale collection of stories has journeyed over mountains, deserts, and oceans, was carried by the wind, and passed on to the authors by their ancestors. Now, luckily, they have found their way to us. All the elements of these stories are captivating, and consist of a sly fox, a bird of a thousand colors, a magical set of bagpipes, and an audacious young girl, to name a few. The stories are a mixture of popular tales and literary folklore. This collection celebrates Hispanic culture and its many roots. Campoy and Flor Ada have retold 12 stories that embody the lively spirit and rich heritage of Latino people. The illustrations by Latino artists highlight the collection by reflecting t...

  Book Review-     Bibliography: Isaacs, A. (2000). SWAMP ANGEL (P. Zelinski, Ill.). Puffin Books.     Plot Summary: In this entertaining, inspiring folktale Isaacs creates an unlikely heroine, Angelica Longrider who was born in 1815 who was "scarcely taller than her mother and couldn't climb a tree without help. She is affectionately nicknamed Swamp Angel (after saving passengers of a wagon train that "got mired in Dejection Swamp") and can lasso a tornado and drink an entire lake dry. She single-handedly defeats a fearsome bear known as Thundering Tarnation, wrestling him from the top of the Great Smoky Mountains to the bottom of a deep lake. Zelinsky's stunning folk-art paintings are a perfect match for the exaggeration, and humor of this original tall tale set on the American frontier.     Critical Analysis: In this traditional tall tale, Isaacs uses exaggeration and a primitive style of wording to...

  Book Review-   Bibliography: Wiesner, D. (2001).  THE THREE PIGS . Clarion Books.   Plot Summary: This version of the classic 3 little pigs story starts out seemingly familiar as three pigs are preparing to build houses out of straw, sticks and bricks. But when the Big Bad Wolf comes looking for a snack, he huffs and puffs the first little pig right out of the story and into the realm of pure imagination! From there begins a freewheeling adventure as they wander and fly through other stories, encountering a dragon and a cat with a fiddle, among others. This familiar tale will never be the same old story again.   Critical Analysis: The fable contains many common features associated with the fairy tale, with some fun surprises. This story is told from the point of view of the three pigs.  The pigs eventually join up with others, to travel to different stories and settings.  Once the characters leave their story, they inherit word...

  Book Review-       Bibliography: Colandro, L. (2014).  THERE WAS AN OLD LADY WHO SWALLOWED A FLY!  (J. D. Lee, Ill.). Cartwheel Books.     Plot Summary: The bestselling Old Lady series created its own version of the original, classic song: there was an old lady who swallowed a fly! In this story, the old lady swallows animals one after another until she ends up with a full house of lovable pets.   Critical Analysis: In this story, the plot is simple yet full of action and nonsense. When reading the text, there is a sense of rhythm and rhyme that makes it easy for students to follow along. The style of writing is simple and repetitive making it perfect for younger readers. The illustrations by J.D. Lee are detailed, hilarious and set the scene for the whole story.       Review Excerpts: Booklist Review- “Although there are many versions of this perennial favorite, this is one of the funniest an...

  Book Review   Bibliography- Viorst, J. (1987).  ALEXANDER AND THE TERRIBLE, HORRIBLE, NO GOOD, VERY BAD DAY.  (R. Cruz, Ill.). Atheneum Books for Young Readers.   Plot Summary- This is a cute, humerous story about a boy named Alexander. He could tell it was going to be a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day because he went to sleep with gum in his mouth and woke up with gum in his hair. Then he got out of bed, tripped over his skateboard and by mistake dropped his sweater in the sink while the water was running. It was definitely a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. Nothing at all was right and everything went wrong, right down to lima beans for supper and kissing on TV. What does Alexander do on a day like that? Well, he contemplates going to Australia, of course! This story might make you feel glad to find that some days are like that for other people too.   Critical Analysis- The theme of this story is simple, everyone ...

  Book Review   Bibliography- Mattick, L. (2015). FINDING WINNIE: THE TRUE STORY OF THE WORLD'S MOST FAMOUS BEAR.  (S. Blackall, Ill.). Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. ISBN- 0316324906 Plot Summary-   In this book , Harry Colebourn is a veterinarian on his way to tend horses in World War I, who follows his heart and rescues a baby bear. He named her Winnie, after his hometown of Winnipeg, and he ends up taking the bear to war with him. Harry Colebourn's real-life great-granddaughter tells the true story of a remarkable friendship and an even more remarkable journey--from the fields of Canada to a convoy across the ocean to an army base in England and finally to the London Zoo. Winnie then made another new friend, a real boy named Christopher Robin. Critical Analysis- Blackall illustrated the book with Chinese ink and watercolors. Her simple illustrations are matched well with the simple text. The details in the illustrations perf...

 Website Review- I chose to evaluate The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators' website:  https://www.scbwi.org This website is an international professional organization for authors and illustrators of books for children and young adults. I thought this organization was very cool because they are a nonprofit organization and the only professional organization specifically created for individuals who write, illustrate, and translate for children and young adults. Their mission is to support the creation and availability of quality children’s books all around the world. They hold conferences, annual events, and digital workshops for anyone and everyone interested in children's literature. SCBWI publishes a monthly newsletter, Insight, that features current children’s book hot topics, helpful hints, interviews, and monthly contests. One of my favorite sections of the website is the  Masterclass  section, where famous authors such as Tomie DePaola and Rich...