Where the Wild Things Are, Written and Illustrated by Maurice Sendak

Where the Wild Things Are
Written and Illustrated by Maurice Sendack
Grades: Pre-K to 3rd
Awards:

• Winner, 1964 Caldecott Medal
• Notable Children's Books of 1940-1970 (ALA)
• 1981 Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for Illustration
• 1963, 1982 Fanfare Honor List (The Horn Book)
• Best Illustrated Children's Books of 1963, 1982 (NYT)
• A Reading Rainbow Selection
• 1964 Lewis Carroll Shelf Award
• Children's Books of 1981 (Library of Congress)
• 1981 Children's Books (NY Public Library)
• 100 Books for Reading and Sharing 1988 (NY Public Library)

Max is in his wolf suit and runnning around his house. His mother calls him a wild thing and sends Max to his room. Max is very mad about having to go to his room. He imagines his room turning into a fantasy world full of other wild things like himself. Max is the greatest wild thing so the monsters make him thier king. Max eventually feels lonely and wants to go back home. When he is home again he finds that everything is the same and his mom still loves him. 

In the classroom this would be a good book to read to show students that your imagination can take you anywhere. It will also show them that no matter how you act your mom still loves you. 

The illustrations in the book are great. The pictures grow as Max's imagination grows big. The pictures also go down as Max realizes he misses home.  

When Sophie Gets Angry - Really, Really Angry... Written and Illustrated by Molly Bang

When Sophie Gets Angry - Really, Really Angry...
Written and Illustrated by Molly Bang
Genre: Fiction, Picture Book
Grade Level: Pre-K - 3
Awards:
Caldecott Honor Book 2000
Charlotte Zolotow Award Winner 2000

Sophie is a little girl who is told to let her sister have a turn playing with a truck and a gorilla. Sophie does not want to give up her turn, so when her sister grabs her gorilla, she gets very angry. Her emotions inside are compared to a volcano about to explode. Sophie leaves her house and goes for a walk. She finds a large tree and climbs up high. While Sophie is in the tree her emotions calm down by the views around her and the quiet. After sitting awhile she climbs down and walks home. At home everything is normal.

The pictures are bold and bright in this book. It shows children that there are ways to calm down. They can go for a walk, climb a tree,  or just sit and take in the air and views around them. Thier parents will still be there when they come home. 

In the classroom this is a good book to open discussions about emotions ways to deal with them. 

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Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day written by Judith Viorst

Alecander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
Written by Judith Viorst
Illustrated by Ray Cruz
Genre: Fiction, Comedy
Grade Level: K-2
Awards: 

• ALA Notable Children's Books
• George G. Stone Center Recognition Of Merit
• Georgia Children's Book Award
• Reading Rainbow Book

Alexander wakes up and his day gets off to a bad start. He fell asleep with gum in his mouth and it is now in his hair. As the day goes along it does not get any better. One bad thng after another just keep happening througout his day. Alexander says Australia would be a much better place to be because he believe his day would be better there. His mom cooks a horrible dinner and even that is horrible. When the day is over and his mom puts him to bed, she assures him everyone has those days. Horrible days are just a part of life everywhere, even in Austrialia. 

Teachers can use this book to show students that some days are just bad days. We all have them and we all get through them. It does not matter where you live or who you are there are bad days. We just get through it and hope the next day is better. One day we can look back and laugh on it. 

The teacher could then have a duscussion with the students about thier bad days. What happened? Did they get better and how? It did not stay a bad day forever did it?

The Dot Written and Illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds

The Dot
Written and Illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds
Genre: Art; Fiction
Grade level: K and up
Awards:
The Christopher Award

Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award Winner
Irma S. and James H. Black Honor--Bank Street College of Education
Publishers Weekly - STARRED Review
Booklist - STARRED Review
Chicago Public Library Best Books for Children and Teens
School Library Journal - STARRED Review
Nick Jr. Family Magazine - "Best of 2003" Awards - "Most Inspiring Book"
Borders Original Voices Selection"Best Book of the Year" - Valerie Lewis "Children's Book Review"/Hicklebee's
Book Sense 76 selection
Babyzone Amazing Book Awards 2003
Book Links Editor's Best of 2003
Chapman Awards for Best Classroom Read-Alouds

Vashti is in Art class and does not think she can draw. Her teacher encourages her to just to make a mark. Out of frustration Vashti throws her pencil on the paper and makes a dot. The teacher uses the dot to encourage Vashti to draw and paint more dots. Vashti's dots make her an artist and it all started with just a little dot. That little dot showed Vashti she can do anything if she just tries a little bit. Vashti then encourages others to just try and they can do it too. 

This story shows children if they just try something new, they may surprise themselves. Vashti did not know she could paint or draw until she tried. Teachers could discuss with the students about things they have tried and succeeded at doing. It may also encourage others to try something new too. 

9/11 remembering 15 yrs later with The Little Chapel That Stood written by A.B. Curtiss and Illustrated by Mirto Golina

     This hardcover book is 40 pages. It is for ages 9 to 12, but grades Preschool to 3rd. My son, Dawson, recieved this book in 2006 from his Aunt. It is also signed by the author. 

•       Diquesne University had this book declared an historic artifact so it could be part of the doctoral program.
•       It is also a feature book at the Smithsonian Institutes Our Story interactive program for school and librairies.
•      The 9/11 Memorial Museum at the World Trade Center Educational Program has picked this book to be a part of the books to be read to the visitors. A film adaption of the book is also shown.
• Best children's about 9/11 written according to reviewers and teachers. 
• Librairies have this book as a reference book.

The little Chapel was built in the 1700's and was a place of worship for George Washington. It has stood for many years and has seen many changes in the world. It has seen war. It has seen buildings rise high above it and into the sky. The chapel was 100 yards from the twin towers. Government officials, Police, and Fireman have all come to worship at the chapel. 

On 9/11/2001 when the planes hit the twin towers, fireman and first responders used the fence outside of the chapel to hange thier shoes. People came into the chapel to pray. When the towers fell, the chapel stood. The fence held shoes that were never reclaimed. 

The last page reads:

Hear the bells of freedom

and what they say

Terror may come

but it will not stay

It will shake our world 

but we will not sway

I will block our path 

but we will find our way

Free beneath the stars

that shine

both night and day.

Optical Illusions by Kieth Kay

Optical Illusions by Kieth Kay is part of the Little Giant Book Series. It is a small paperback that is 352 pages. It is for ages 8 to 12 and grades 3rd to 7th.

This really interesting book is not a story book, but a book that makes you think outside the box. It has many pictures that can be an illusion and not what the eye sees at first. If you look more closely at the picture it could be something else if you turn it or look at the lines and shading another way.

Optical Illusions have been around for a long time. The last picture I have posted is from 1915, but there is also one in the book from the early 19th century.

My son who is very technology driven and loves video games, spent hours looking at the book trying to figure out all the different pictures.  I think this is a great book for kids and adults. I enjoyed it as well.

When you read the page it gives you a hint on
what you are you looking for. 

                           When you turn the page after looking at the frog.

This makes you look for the magician's rabbit.
It doesn't give  you any direction to to turn the page. 

This picture actually gives you an
arrow hint to turn the page to see the rabbit. 

The rabbit.