Nonfiction: Solar System

Solar System
Gregory Vogt
Scholastic Inc.
Copyright 2001
48 pages
Nonfiction

This story is all about our solar system. The book is separated into sections. Each planet gets its own section where they are described in detail. Components such as the stars, asteroids, comets, and moons are also mentioned in their own sections. At the end there is a glossary with all of the different vocabulary used throughout the book.

All of the pictures in the book are photographs. Some are taken from satellites in space. Some of the pictures are taken based on vibrations that give an idea of what the surface of the planet may look like. Venus is an example of a planet that is photographed in this way. I loved the pictures and found them very interesting!

This would be a great introduction to a science lesson on the solar system. The students could do a project on the entire solar system or just a single plant or element of the solar system. You could also do a creative writing lesson on what planet they would go to if they were an astronaut and why. A math lesson could be implemented by the students using the different charts showing the measurements of all the planets. They could compare the sizes of all the planets. This book has not been awarded any medals.

Multicultural: The Zuni

The Zuni
Petra Press
Compass Point Books
Copyright 2002
48 pages
Multicultural

This book is all about the Zuni tribe. The book discusses the Ancient People and the Zuni villages. It also talks about how they farmed in the desert and the way of the spirits. It goes on to talk aobut how they had to fight the Spanish and how they had to find a new way to live. In the end it talks about how they revuilt their homeland and what Zuni life is like today. There is a glossary, a section with some other interesting facts, important dates, and some resources you can use to learn more about the Zuni people at the back of the book.

The pictures are very beautiful.  I loved all of the colors! There are a mixture of photographs and drawings. The drawings are all done by the Zuni people so I would think that they are done with some sort of oil paint. There are also many pictures of maps.

This book would be wonderful to introduce a lesson on the Native American culture. They could do their own art projects based on the Native Americans drawings in the book. You could also do a math lesson on maps. The students could also make a time line based on the important dates in the book. This book has not been awarded any medals.

Multicultural: Greek Immigrants 1890-1920

Greek Immigrants 1890-1920
Rosemary Wallner
Capstone Press
Copyright 2003
29 pages
Multicultural

This book is about Greek Immigrants. It discusses the early Greek immigrants and about who they were. It goes on to discuss life in the old country and why the Greek people immigrated to America. Then, it discussed the trip over and the challenges they faced. In the end, it talks about the Greeks arrival and how they survived in America. It also talks about how the Greeks tried to maintain their traditions. At the end, it talks about some celebrities that are of Greek descent.

The pictures are all photographs. They are all black and white photographs. I found the pictures to be very informational. There are also many pictures of maps. That helped me to be able to see the distance the Greek immigrants had to go in order to reach America.

This would be a wonderful book to read to introduce a lesson on Greek culture. It would give the students an idea of how other people live in other parts of the world. It could also be a good book to use for a research project where the students find a celebrity they know who is of Greek decent and write about that person. It would make it more relevant to them and would also be a good writing lesson. You could also do a math lesson where the students measure on a map how long the journey was for the Greek immigrants. Thhis book was not awarded any medals.

Multicultural:Hanukkah Bear

Hanukkah Bear

Eric A. Kimmel

Mike Wohnoutka

Holiday House

Copyright 2013

15 pages

Multicultural

This book is about a bear who awakes from his winter slumber to the smell of potato latkes. He finds himself at Bubba Brayne’s house who does not hear or see well anymore. Bubba Brayne mistakes bear for the Rabbi who is to come visit later on for their Hanukkah celebration. The bear and Bubba Brayne partake in all sorts of Hanukkah tradition. They even eat all of the potato latkes! Will Bubba Brayne ever realize that her companion is really a bear? Read Mike Wohnoutka’s Hanukkah Bear to find out!

The illustrations in this book are so much fun! The pictures were created with acrylic paint. I love how the bear is portrayed as an actual character and not just an animal. There are no distinct lines in the pictures. There are a mixture of cool and warm colors throughout. I loved that there was no empty space on the pages and that it looks as though the text was typed right onto the pictures.

This book would be a great introduction to a lesson on Hanukah. It would give the students an idea of how some other cultures celebrate Christmas. It would also be a good science lesson where the students could make their own potato latke’s using the cafeteria’s kitchen. It could also be a good introduction to a history lesson and how Hanukah came about. This book was not awarded any medals.

Historical Fiction:Unspoken

Unspoken

Henry Cole

Scholastic press

Copyright 2012

18 pages

Historical fiction

This story does not contain any words. The pictures tell the story. A little girl finds a pair of eyes in her father’s corn. The girl feels compassion for those eyes and brings them food water and supplies. The girl ends up going on a journey with the stranger on the underground railroad. Will they make it? Open Henry Cole’s Unspoken to find out!

The illustrations in the book are absolutely breath taking. There are no words but they are not even needed. The pictures do more than just tell the story; they bring it to life. The pictures are done in lead sketches. It is all just in black and white.

Since this book does not have any words, it would be a good introduction to a writing lesson where the students could write their own words to go along with the story. The book could also be a good lesson on character education and what the girl might have been thinking throughout the book and what the students would do in that situation. The book could also be used as a history lesson talking about African American’s struggle for freedom. Also, it could be used as a lesson for the Underground Railroad. This book was not awarded any medals.

 

Nonfiction: We the People The story of our Constitution

We the People The story of our Constitution

Lynne Cheney

Greg Harlin

Simon and Schuster

Copyright 2008

30 pages

Nonfiction

This book lays out the story of how our constitution came to be. It goes through all of the events that led up to it. It also discusses all of the people who had a hand in writing it. Throughout the story, it gives direct quotes that were said by the men who wrote our constitution.

The illustrations were very beautiful. They really brought history to life. The pictures were done with various water media on watercolor paper. There are mostly cool colors used with a pop of red or orange here and there. There were not really any distinct lines throughout.

This book would be a wonderful way to introduce a lesson on the history the constitution. It could also be used to discuss the history of the United States in general. You could also do a lesson on different historical figures such as George Washington. You could do a math lesson by measuring the different routes the soldiers had to take to the different wars and battles. This book was not awarded any medals.

Multicultural: S is for Shamrock An Ireland Alphabet

S is for Shamrock An Ireland Alphabet

Eve Bunting

Matt Faulkner

Sleeping Bear Press

Copyright 2007

18 pages

Multicultural

This book is a typical ABC book but each letter has something to do with the Irish culture. With each letter, there is a word and a fact about what that word has to do with Ireland. It covers topics from Ancient Ireland all the way to their letter “z” which to them sounds like “zed”. Other topics covered were the Blarney Stone, the Irish journey to America. The information in this book was wonderful and very kid friendly!

I really enjoyed the illustrations in this book! I loved how the lines created texture throughout the pictures. The medium seems to be ink sketches colored in with water colors. I loved that there was no empty space on the page. It was all filled with colorful artwork.

This book could be used to do a lesson on other cultures. The book has a lot of very enlightening information. It could also be used as history lesson on Ireland and how they came to America. It could also be used as a math lesson where the students measure on a map how far away Ireland is from other countries such as the United State. This book was not awarded any medals.

Nonfiction: Volcanoes

Volcanoes
Lily Wood
Scholastic Inc.
Copyright 2000
48 pages
Nonfiction

This book is all about volcanoes. It is filled with all kinds of interesting facts. It discusses all of the different places all over the world that volcanoes can be found. It also discusses all of the different types of lava. At the end there is a glossary of all of the volcano specific vocabulary as well as an index. At the very end are some suggested ways to use this book.

The illustrations throughout this book are very informative. If you have no prior knowledge of volcanoes, these pictures give you a great visual to understand what the look like and what they do. The illustrations are all real life photographs. I really enjoyed looking at all the pictures. I feel that the students would enjoy this as well.

This book would be a good science lesson. The the kids could create a volcano of their own. This could also be used as a history lesson where the kids learn about where the first volcanoes formed. It could also be used as a math lesson where the students compare the sizes of the volcanoes. This book has not been awarded any medals.
 

Historical Fiction: Coming Home A Story of Josh Gibson, Baseball's Greatest Home Run Hitter

Coming Home
Nanette Mellage
Cornelius Van Wright and Ying-Hwa Hu
Bridge Water Books
Copyright 2001
15 pages
Historical Fiction

This book is written from the perspective of Josh Gibson's biggest fan. He tells of how in that time, 1930, that there was segregation. This held true for baseball as well. There was the major league and the negro league. Josh Gibson played for the negro league. The boy takes great pleasure in going to watch Josh Gibson play with his pop. He watches Josh's career unfold and experiences the talent of what many people consider the best hitter in history.

The illustrations are wonderfully done. I really enjoyed the story that they told. The illustrations look to be done in water color. There are no distinct lines throughout the illustrations. There are mostly cool colors in the pictures.

This book could be used in a lesson on famous athletes. It could also be used to introduce a lesson on the history of sports. It could be used as a writing lesson where the students could write about their favorite sport or the athlete they look up to most. It could also be a book to use to talk about African American rights. This book was not awarded any medals.

Historical Fiction: The Silent Witness A True Story of the Civil War

The Silent Witness A True Story of the Civil War
Robin Friedman
Claire A. Nivola
Houghton Mifflin Company
Copyright 2005
15 pages
Historical Fiction

This book is about a young girl Named Lula McLean who lives in Manassas, Virginia in 1861. She grew up with her mother, father, sisters, brother, and rag doll. Her story begins as Fort Sumter is bombarded by soldiers under command of General Pierre G.T. Beauregard. The book goes on to talk about how the war affects Lula's life. She ends up having to move from the home she grew up in. Who, in the end, is the silent witness? Read Robin Friedman's A Silent Witness to find out!

The illustrations are really beautiful. You can tell that this book is set in earlier time period. The medium of the illustrations are water colors as well as gauche. There are both warm and cool colors throughout the story but most are cool. There are no sketched lines throughout; it is just the paint and gauche.

This would be a wonderful book to use to introduce a lesson on the civil war. It brings the view of a young child to the surface which would be relatable to the students. It could also be used as a writing lesson where the students could write about what they think the civil war would look like through their eyes. You could also do a math lesson and measure on a map the distance the troops had to travel. This book has not been awarded any medals.