Historical Fiction 3: (my favorite ) Number the Stars

Title: Number the Stars
Author: Lois Lowry
Publisher:Mass Market Paperback
Date: February 9th, 1998
IBSN: 0440227534

Summary: The story follows ten year old Annmarie Johansen, and friend Ellen Rosen in 1943. They live in Copenhagan and the Nazi soldiers are marching everywhere, the food is growing scarce, and school is starting to become the least of there worries. The war is a huge impact on all there lives, and soon there is to be a bigger issue on Annmarie and Ellen's hands. Annmarie must help her friend on the most dangerous mission ever. 


Evaluation: This book once I read it in 4th grade stuck to me, and impacted me greatly. I knew about the holocaust. I knew about it vaguely, and to a 4th grader, the details were not yet fully explained about the true horror of the event. This book however, gave such a great perspective, and feel for how it was life in Denmark, and Germany at the time when the Nazi's were invading. I remember later in 5th grade seeing a play for school about the Holocaust,  and hearing a actual survivor, and hearing that while thinking of this book really opened my eyes, and I think this book is a great read. I recommend reading this, and having it in your library. 

Historical Fiction 2: Magic Treehouse

Title: Twister on Tuesday
Author: Mary Pope Osborne
Publisher:Random House Books
Date: March 1st, 2001
IBSN: 0679890696

Summary: The Magic Tree house series does it again with another story of Jack and Annie going back in time. This time the time period where Jack and Annie land is in the 1870's. They land near a one room school house which is really cool, and all but something big, scary, and destructive may hinder there fun journey. Can you guess what?


Evaluation: I love this book. This was my go to read when I read this series, and I personally loved the tornado aspect of the book. This series although it has the magic aspect of the time machine tree house, it does give a sense of what time period, and what it was potentially like back in the time period when the story takes place. I enjoy these books, and I think future students will too. 

Historical Fiction: Samantha: An American Girl

Title: Samantha: An American Girl
Author: Susan S. Adler
Publisher: American Girl
Date: January 1st, 1986
IBSN: 0937295809 

Summary: Samantha Parkington is from the Victorian time period. She has a wonderful life living with her Grandmother in the year 1904. She has everything she every wanted with happiness, and care. She soon comes to learn though, that everyone else may not have the same luxuries, and things she may have. Her soon to be best friend Nellie who moves in next door, and she makes it her mission to help her best friend in the hardest of times.


Evaluation: I really enjoyed these books as a child, and I have the Samantha doll myself from when I was little. This series does give an idea the time period to which the story was set, and even though the characters are not real, it gives an idea the clothing, the morals, the society and how people were viewed back then. The series has many different eras, and it is very popular among young girls. 

Informational 3: Eyewitness: Cat

Title: Cat
Author: Juliet Clutton
Publisher: Knopf Books
Date:January 1st, 1960
IBSN: 0679814582 

Summary: The Cat book from the eyewitness series is great to show the anatomy and the timeline to which felines have evolved into. I loved reading this book for the pictures, and the facts they gave about the history, and they really planned each page with solid information about cats. The cats book is really cool because it also talks about the history back during the Egyptian time when supposedly cats were popular among the Egyptians. 

Evaluation: This series has so many books on so many various topics, its amazing how many topics they have done since the series first came out. They even have a book on "monsters" aka gross animals and weird animals that in the TV series it aired around Halloween so it created the somewhat scary effect. I remember watching that episode in my class. Even though the book series gives sometimes silly concepts like monsters, it gives serious interesting information that really opens your eyes to the different topics, and things in the world, but at the same time giving really cool topics like Cats, and planets. 

 

Informational Text 2: Eyewitness: Rocks and Minerals

Title: Rocks and Minerals
Author:Steve Parker
Publisher: Knopf Books
Date:April 12, 1988
IBSN: 0394896211

Summary: The Eyewitness series dives into Rocks and Mineral for this book, and it talks about all the different kinds including gems, gemstones, and everything in between. The pages explain all kinds of information about these different rocks, while displaying beautiful pictures as a visual for students to see what each rock, mineral, gem, and gemstone look like.



Evaluation: Even though the Eyewitness series is the same concept, the topics never get boring, and it is such a great series, that the only thing I thought of when thinking of informational text, was this series. This series is such a great series to have in your library because we have read these books during our primary school experience, and it would be great to have our future children, and students reading these.

Informational Text: Eyewitness: Horse

Title: Eyewitness: Horse
Author: Juliet Clutton
Publisher:Alfred A. Knopf
Date: January 1st, 1960
IBSN: 067981681X

Summary: The Eyewitness book that is being mentioned in this blog is about horses. This informational book does not give a story line. The book does give information about horses, and gives pictures on every page that help readers understand all the aspects of a horse which is why the Eyewitness series is so popular, and has been for a while.




Evaluation: This book series is my all time favorite informational book series. Between the books, and the hit TV series that we watched all the time in our Science classes in Elementary school, I always loved the information they gave, and how they explained the information. The books give bursts of information on every spot on the pages, and the illustrations are so bold, vibrant, and big. If you saw the Horse book, and opened it up, the pictures would be so bold you could get a great sense of all the characteristics and details of a horse just by looking at the image. I really enjoy these books because even though the information may be all over each page, and it can be a lot to look at, it is information that interests you to go on, and look at every single detail, that is why my other two blogs are going to talk about two different eyewitness topics.

Fantasy Post #3 The Wonderful Wizard of OZ by: L. Frank Baum

Title: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
Author: L. Frank Baum
Publisher: Penguin
Date:May 17th, 1900
IBSN: 0140621679

Summary: The famous tale of the Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a classic that focuses on the girl with the blue and white dress with pigtails and her little dog Toto. When a tornado whirls through her town in Kansas she ends up getting thrown into a magical land and must find her way home. With the help of the Tin man, Scarecrow, Glinda the good witch, and the Cowardly Lion they must try to get to the Emerald City to see the Wizard. Let's hope the Wicked Witch of the West  with her winged monkey's do not get in there way too much. 

Evaluation: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was always my favorite, and when the movie came out it made me re-imagine the whole fantasy world of Oz all over again. Children will definitely love this story, and they will fall in love with all of the characters. I think this is a fantastic classic fantasy story that should be read at some point to your students/children. I highly recommend this story.

 

Fantasy Post #1 Matilda by: Roald Dahl

Title: Matilda
Author: Roald Dahl
Publisher: Puffin
Date: June 1st, 1988
IBSN: 0141301066

Summary: The story of Matilda is about a young girl who has a gift. She can do so many mature things at such a young age that most people do not do until there way into there young adult lives. Matilda is a curious, smart, and sweet girl  who only wants to go to school, and make friends. According to her new teacher Miss. Honey, she is a remarkable child, and is destined for many great accomplishments in life, but to her family, and her new principal Miss. Trunchbull, they think otherwise and not in the good way.


Evaluation: The story of Matilda is a touching story filled with laughs, sad moments, and situations that you cannot help but relate to while reading. I remember I always wanted a teacher like Miss. Honey, and I feel like all children would love a teacher like that. This is a great story to read because  I think children will be able to relate to it in some aspects, and it will be great for discussions. I recommend this book, and I personally will be having this book handy to read at some point whether it is in my class or with my own children in the future.

 

Fantasy Post #2 Charlie and The Chocolate Factory

Title: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Author: Roald Dahl
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf then Puffin Books
Date: 1964
IBSN: ISBN 9783125737600 

Summary: We all know the story of young Charlie Bucket who dreams of getting a golden ticket to visit the one and only Mr. Willy Wonka. The story of Willy Wonka follows the famous group of children who find the iconic golden ticket to visit Mr. Wonka along with one of there parents. The story goes to each child and what happens along the way though the tour of Mr. Wonka's factory. 

Evaluation: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory is a great story that was a personal favorite along with the movie that followed staring Gene Wilder as Mr. Willy Wonka. It is a great story for older students to read, and even great for teachers to read in segments to give students a great fantasy story that incorporates magic within human situations, and events. I would highly recommend reading this story to your students, having it in your library, and reading it to your kids.