Review: A Green, Green Garden

Mercer Mayer is probably best known for his "Little Critter" series of books, but he also does wonderful wordless books that I love to use to get kids writing (but thats neither here nor there).  A Green, Green Garden is another in the Little Critter series, but this time, its an I Can Read book.

Here is the summary from Goodreads:
Little Critter and his family plant some vegetables. After lots of watering, weeding, and waiting, they enjoy a delicious meal—all from their green, green garden.

Written in a similar pattern to the other Little Critter books, A Green Green Garden is a great choice for a student wanting the next step up.  Its a procedural book, telling all the steps involved in creating a green garden (including picking rocks and getting so hot you need a drink of water), without being boring.  I like that it includes all the steps, as most planting books say something like, "First we planted.  Then we watered, then we waited."  with nothing in between.

I enjoyed the book, I thought it was cute.  Little Critter isn't my favorite character, but students enjoy his antics and attitude.

This is a Cybils nominated book by Kristen Harvey of The Bookmonsters. 

All opinions expressed in this review are mine, and not that of the committee.

Review: Mr. Putter and Tabby Ring the Bell

Mr. Putter and Tabby Ring the Bell by Cynthia Rylant is the latest addition to the ever-popular Mr. Putter and Tabby series.  Many of my students over the years have loved this series, and this book is another that they will love.

Here is the summary from Goodreads:

Dong! Dong! Dong!
The school bell is ringing. The crispy fall wind is blowing. Mr. Putter wishes he could go back to school—even for just one day. Then he has an idea: How about a visit during show-and-tell with Mrs. Teaberry, Tabby, and Zeke?
The teacher agrees, but there’s one problem. She and the students expect pet tricks. Will Tabby and Zeke be able to deliver?

What a cute book!  While the series is popular with my students, I haven't read any of them myself.  I think what I liked best about this series is that each book is a stand alone series, only the characters are reoccuring, you don't have to read all the others to understand and enjoy this one.

I loved that the book is a chapter book, but has wonderful illustrations and only (at most) 50 words a page.  Its a chapter book, but it isn't!  Its wonderful for readers of all ages---for younger students, it looks like a big bad chapter book; for older students, it doesn't look like a "baby picture book" (as I've been told by some students).

I would definitely recommend this book to my students.

This book was a Cybils nominated book in the Easy Readers category by Maria Ciccone of The Serpentine Library.

All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not that of the committee.

Review: Three Elephant and Piggie books by Mo Willems

 I must admit, I have never read any of the Elephant and Piggie books (horrible, I know!).  I enjoyed Knuffle Bunny and the Pigeon books (also by Mo Willems), and figured that the E & P books would have a similar humor and similar storytelling style.

Rather than writing three separate reviews, I figured I could group all the Cybils nominated Elephant and Piggie books (Happy Pig Day, I Broke My Trunk and Should I Share My Ice Cream) together and write one BIG review.

Happy Pig Day's summary from Goodreads:
Gerald is careful. Piggie is not.
Piggie cannot help smiling. Gerald can.
Gerald worries so that Piggie does not have to.
Gerald and Piggie are best friends.
In Happy Pig Day! Piggie celebrates her favorite day of the year! But will Gerald the Elephant be included in the festivities?
Using vocabulary that is perfect for beginning readers (and vetted by an early-learning specialist), Mo Willems has crafted a heartfelt story about celebrating the special occasions in life. Fans of the Geisel Award-winning duo will want to join the party!

Piggie is excited, its her favorite day of the year---a day to sing, dance, and be with her friends.  Gerald is happy for Piggie, but is sad because since he is not a pig, he thinks he cannot celebrate Happy Pig Day with her.  Happy Pig Day is a super cute book that teaches kids to include others.


I Broke My Trunk's summary from Goodreads:

Gerald is careful. Piggie is not.
Piggie cannot help smiling. Gerald can.
Gerald worries so that Piggie does not have to.
Gerald and Piggie are best friends.
In I Broke My Trunk! Gerald tells Piggie the long, crazy story about breaking his trunk. Will Piggie end up with a long, crazy story of her own?

I really like that this story builds on itself---introducing first Hippo; then Hippo and Rhino; then Hippo, Rhino and Hippo's (BIG) sister; then finally Hippo, Rhino, Hippo's sister and a piano.  However, thats not how Gerald broke his trunk, in a cute twist, we learn how excited Gerald was to tell his friend Piggie about his exploits and trips, falls and breaks his trunk.  Of course Piggie LOVES this crazy story and rushes off to tell others, with a pretty humorous ending.


Should I Share My Ice Cream? summary from Goodreads:

Gerald is careful. Piggie is not.
Piggie cannot help smiling. Gerald can.
Gerald worries so that Piggie does not have to.
Gerald and Piggie are best friends.
In Should I Share My Ice Cream? Gerald has a big decision to make. But will he make it in time?

Of the three books I just read, I think this one was my favorite.  Gerald is so happy to have his ice cream (and aren't we all?), but then can't decide if he wants to be nice and share his ice cream with Piggie or eat it all himself.  I KNOW this crisis of conscience is one that kids everywhere has (because I have them myself---should I share my candy with my husband?  He'll never know.  Well, he does really like this kind of candy.  But he's at work.  AH!...and now I want candy)  In the end, Gerald spends too much time deciding and all his ice cream melts.  But Piggie shows up.

I can see myself using this book as a kind of mentor text in my classroom to help teach adjectives.  Gerald goes to great lengths to describe how great his ice cream is, and uses some great synonyms and adjectives.

Overall, what a cute series of books!  I can't believe I waited this long to read them!  I know kids like them as I always see students reading them.  And, not just young beginning readers, I see older readers with these books as well.  The words are easy and somewhat repetitive and the pictures stark.  But man, Mo Willems can do a lot with so little! 

 

I Broke My Trunk was nominated by Becky of Becky's Book Blog

Should I Share My Ice Cream? was nominated by Sarah Wendorf of Page In Training

Happy Pig Day! was nominated by Danielle Smith of There's A Book

*The above opinions expressed are mine alone and not that of the Cybils judging panel.*

Review: Katie Woo Has the Flu by Fran Manushkin

Having the flu stinks.  You're hot, you're cold.  Your stomach hurts, your body aches.  All you want to do is sleep.  In her book, Katie Woo Has the Flu, author Fran Manushkin explored this and helped kids understand having the flu a little better.

Here is the summary from Goodreads:

It all starts with a sneeze! Katie Woo catches the flu. She feels yucky and has to miss a few days of school. Will she ever feel like herself again?

Poor Katie Woo has the flu.  She's achy.  She's hot, she's cold.  She's grumpy and she doesn't want to eat.  I hate to spoil the ending, but she does eventually get better and makes it back to school!

Kids get sick, but do people take the time to explain that the symptoms are normal, and that they will get better?  Unfortunately, not always.  This book does a great job explaining that its ok to feel sick, that these symptoms are normal for the flu and that it will eventually go away. 

I liked that this book was an easy reader (easy words), but was divided into chapters.  This makes the book immediately more appealing to older readers.  The illustrations were somewhat cartoonish, but cute.   

Nominated in the Easy Readers Category by Jennifer Glidden of Capstone Connect

*Opinions expressed in this review are mine, and not that of the Cybils judging panel.* 

Review: Fly Guy vs. The Flyswatter! by Tedd Arnold

"A boy had a pet fly.  He named him Fly Guy.  And the Fly Guy could say the boy's name---"BUZZ!"" pg 1.

The 10th book in the Fly Guy series, Fly Guy vs. The Flyswatter offers the same humor, short chapters, easy words and fun illustrations as the other nine Fly Guy books.

Here is the summary from Goodreads:

A hilarious new Fly Guy adventure — when Fly Guy joins Buzz's class on a trip to a flyswatter factory, it's the "best field trip ever!"
When Fly Guy goes to school with Buzz, they learn that his class is taking a field trip to a flyswatter factory! BAD NEWZZ! Fly Guy tries to hide in Buzz's pocket, but when the tour guide starts insulting flies, Buzz cannot help but stick his head out. A robotic flyswatter named the Super Swatter detects Fly Guy, and Fly Guy causes a hilarious ruckus in his efforts to escape.
At the end of this zany adventure, the flyswatter factory announces an end to its factory tours and the students use their free flyswatters as art to celebrate the "best field trip ever!"

I'm a huge fan of the Fly Guy series.  The books are cute and funny, Buzz and Fly Guy are great friends and nice to people, the words are easy AND there are chapters!  This installment teaches us to be brave and help those who might not be able to help themselves.

These books are perpetually popular in my classroom---I always have at least one checked out.  For those wondering, Fly Guy's are usually a late first grade/early second grade reading level, but I have 5th graders checking these books out.  I can't wait to get my own copy for my classroom. 

Nominated in the Easy Reader Category by Laura Wadley  

*The opinions expressed in this review are mine and not that of the judging panel.*

Cybils: Its nominating time!

(in my head, I said that title like The Thing from Fantastic Four, when he says, "Its clobberin' time!"  I know, I know...)

From now until October 15th, use this form to nominate your favorite books that were published this year (or rather, from October 16th of last year to October 15th of this year).  For more eligibility requirements, click here.

The categories include:  book app, easy reader/early chapter books, fantasy and science fiction, fiction picture books, graphic novels, middle grade fiction, non-fiction picture books, non-fiction: middle grade and young adult, poetry, and young adult fiction.  

And (here's my favorite part of this post), here are the list of Easy-Readers / Early Chapter Books that have already been nominated:

Easy Readers:

Dixie (I can read book 1) by Grace Gilman
Dodsworth in Rome by Tim Egan
Fly Guy #10:  Fly Guy vs. the Flyswatter!  by Tedd Arnold
I Broke My Trunk! (an Elephant and Piggie book) by Mo Willems
Max Spaniel: Best in Show by David Catrow
Pony Scouts: Back in the Saddle (I can read 2) by Catherine Hapka
Should I Share My Ice Cream? (an Elephant and Piggie book) by Mo Willems

Early Chapter Books:

Frankie Pickle and the Mathematical Menace by Eric Wight
Invisible Inkling by Emily Jenkins
Like Pickle Juice on a Cookie by Julie Sternberg
Marty McGuire by Kate Messner
Marvin Monster's Monsterific Adventures by Tabatha Jean d'Agata
No Room for Dessert by Hallie Durand
No. 1 Car Spotter by Atinuke Atinuke
Sally's Bones by MacKenzie Cadenhead
The One and Only Stuey Lewis: Stories from the Second Grade by Jane Schoenberg

So how this works (to my understanding) is:  people have until October 15th to nominate books.  A book can only be nominated once (so check to make sure before you nominate).  After October 15th, the first round judges take over (and I sit back).  The first-rounders read all the books that were nominated and make a short list of like 5-10 books they want to nominate (all this by January 1st).  Once January 1st rolls around, I shake off the cobwebs and read all the books that the first-round judges nominate by mid-February.  During that time, my fellow second round judges and I will discuss and determine which one we think is the best book of the year.  Sounds good, right?