Hooray for Diffendoofer Day

Hooray for Diffendoofer Day 

By:  Dr. Seuss (with some help from: Jack Prelutsky and Lane Smith

Suess, D. (1998). Hooray for diffendoofer day!. New York: Alfred A Knope.

Fiction

I love this book.  I believe it would be a entertaining read aloud in a 3rd-5th grade classroom.  This book is about a school that teaches students not only important content but also the importance of happiness and the ability to think.  This story also emphasizes the importance of learning things from the people and the world around us and not just the material for test.  This story has interesting characters like Mr. Lowe and Miss Bonkers.  I like that the characters are lively and always changing. 

I believe this book would be a great tool when introducing cause and effect.  This story starts with a problem, contains a solution to the problem and eventually the problem is solved and Diffendoofer school is able to keep their doors open. 

Favorite quote: " You've learned the things you need to pass that test and more- I'm certain you'll succeed. We've taught you that the earth is round, That red and white make pink, And something else that matters more- We've taught you how to think."   

Jack and the Beanstalk

Jack and the Beanstalk
By: Steven Kellogg
Kellogg, S. (1997). Jack and the beanstalk. New York, NY: William Morrow & Company.
Fantasy


I really enjoyed this book because it is a fairytale that I am familiar with.  This book has beautiful illustrations.  On the third page of the book there is an author's note that basically explains how this tale originated and how the tale has retained phrases such as "start shop" and "peltered". I like that this version of the fairytale ties back to the original tale that was told to Joseph Jacobs in 1860.

This book will be a great resource in my future classroom when we are researching fairytales.  This book would also come in handy during an activity in which you compare and contrast different versions of fairytales. 

Favorite quote: "Fee-fi-fo-fum! I smell the blood of an Englishman.  Be he alive or dead, I'll grind his bones to make my bread."

Michael Jordan

Michael Jordan

By: Nick Edwards

Edwards, N. (1995). Michael jordan. New York, NY: Scholastic Inc.

Nonfiction/ Biography

This is a biography of Michael Jordan.  This book contains random facts about Michael Jordan and it also follows his basketball career.  I like this book because it includes pictures of Michael Jordan through out his life.  The one negative part of this book is the author inserts his opinion a lot which takes away from the story.  It is easy to tell the difference between factual information and the authors opinion.  Another down side to this book is it is a little outdated.  

I believe this book would be a great resource in the classroom because it would interest boys who love basketball.  This book would also be a great book for students to use when researching famous people and their impact on society. 

Favorite quote: " Michael's parents taught him that being a great player doesn't matter as much as being a good person."

Paddle-to-the-Sea

Paddle-to-the-Sea

By: Holling Clancy Holling

Holling, H. C. (1981). Paddle-to-the-sea. Sandpiper.

Folk Literature/ Fiction

This book is about a little boy who carves a toy indian in a canoe. He writes on the bottom of the canoe Paddle-to-the-Sea. This book describes the toys journey to the ocean and the people and animals it meets on the way. This book is beautifully illustrated and a Caldecott Honor book(1942).   

I would use this book in social studies.  This book contains information about native americans and makes connections with the importance of nature.  Also another interesting resource is on the book's end pages.  The end pages contain a map that tracks the path Paddle-to-the-Seas traveled.  It would be great to create an activity in which the students track an object through the United States to learn various States and cities. 

Favorite quote: "You, little traveler! You made the journey, the long journey.  You now know the things I have yet to know."

Pink and Say

Pink and Say
By: Patricia Polacco
Polacco, P. (1994). Pink and Say. New York: Philomel Books.
Multicultural Literature/ Historical Fiction

This is a great book that tells a tale handed down from generation to generation.  This is a sad story
that includes many deaths but I believe it is an important story for students to read.  This book makes historical connections with the civil war and a confederate solider camp.  The main characters in this book, Pink and Say, are both young boys fighting in the war.  I believe this book would be a great book to use when researching the civil war from various points of view.

This book is different than other books about the time period because it is from the tales of two young boys.  I would use this book as an introduction to a creative writing activity in which the students write about what their life would be like if they were fighting in the civil war.  This would be a great compare and contrast activity.

Favorite quote: "This is the hand, that has touched the hand, that has touched the hand, that shook the hand of Abraham Lincoln.