Book Summary:
This chapter book (which contains picture on every page) is the first book in the Captain Underpants series. Two fourth grade boys, George and Harold, create a comic book with a superhero - Captain Underpants. The boys' adventure begins when they hypnotize their principal and turn him into their comic book creation! George and Harold create mischief throughout the book, and Captain Underpants chases the bad guys in his underwear.
APA Reference of Book:
Pilkey, D. (1997). Captain Underpants. New York, NY: Scholastic
Impressions:
I thought this book was silly although still enjoyable to read. I can definitely see why it's appealing to young kids, especially boys - I mean, what young boy doesn't enjoy superheroes or get a kick out of anything dealing with underpants? Children would also love the illustrations on each page.
I can see why this book might have censorship issues due to a man running around in his underwear and all the mischief the boys get into. But I just find these things humorous. I think this book could even get reluctant readers to read because it's funny. I think readers are likely to pick up the next book in the series.
Although I enjoyed the illustrations, I think they are so full of action that sometimes they take away from the story itself.
Professional Review:
"Pilkey plays with words and pictures, providing great entertainment. The story is immediately engaging - two fourth-grae boys who write comic books and who love to pull pranks find themselves in big trouble. Mean Mr. Krupp, their principal, videotapes George and Harold setting up their stunts and threatens to expose them. The boys' luck changes when they send for a 3-D Hypno-Ring and hypnotize Krupp, turning him into Captain Underpants, their own superhero creation. Later, Pilkey includes several pages of flip-o-rajas that animate the action. The simple black-and-white illustrations on every page furnish comic-strip appeal. The cover features Captain Underpants, resplendent in white briefs, on top of a tall building. This book will fly off the shelves."
Hopf, M. M. (1997). The adventures of Captain Underpants book
review. [Review of the book The Adventures of Captain
Underpants, by D. Pilkey]. School Library Journal, 43, p. 99
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Library Uses:
This book can be used as an introduction to character analysis/feelings. Then, the school library could put on a program in which students dress up as a character from their favorite book. They can share about their characters - how they grow and change, their adventures, problems, and feelings.
Book Summary:
Scranimal Island is an exotic place full of strange hybrid creatures. Animals, vegetables, and flowers are scrambled together to create mysterious creatures. A boy and a girl fly to each habitat to discover these strange animals (like Spinachickens and Hippopotomushrooms). The story is full of rhymes, puns, and silliness. There is also a pronunciation guide included.
APA Reference of Book:
Prelutsky, J. (2002). Scranimals. New York, NY: Greenwillow
Books.
Impressions:
I found this book very silly, although it's actually very clever too. To come up with these puns is very impressive (like Porcipineapple and Radishark). This fantasy poetry is lighthearted and fun to read. I enjoyed the play on words.
I like that there is a pronunciation guide for each creature (this is especially helpful if the book is being read aloud).
The ink and watercolored pictures help the reader to imagine these crazy creatures. The illustrations really give life to the verses.
I think this book would be great at the elementary level. I think the upper elementary-aged kids would enjoy it more because they could figure out the puns; younger kids may still think the poems are funny, but they wouldn't get the puns.
Although this isn't a book I'm likely to read over and over again, I definitely think it's an enjoyable, silly book.
Professional Review:
"On Prelutsky and Sis's Scranimal Island, intrepid explorers will find such scrambled creatures as Ostricheetahs (who run very fast but also stick their heads in the sand) and Spinahchickens (rather dimwitted green creatures who wilt in the heat). The verses are humorous, in the usual Prelutsky way-peppy, singsongy, and clever-as in this on the 'ponderous Stormy Petrelephant . . . futilely trying to fly': 'Its wings are too small to support it, / They're patently only for show, / And so it is constantly thwarted . . . / Up isn't a place it can go.' Kids will easily get and appreciate most of the combinations (the Potatoad, the Radishark); others require a greater level of sophistication (the Camelberta Peach, the Cardinalbacore), though a helpful chart appears on the back cover. Sis's simultaneously imaginative and concrete illustrations transform a nice-enough collection of related poems into a unified whole. A picture of Scranimal Island appears on the endpapers; a map on the table of contents. Two child tourists, armed with map, binoculars, and a jauntily striped inflatable life preserver, propel themselves to the island via skateboard, using an umbrella as a sail. Though muted colors characterize Scranimal Island and its denizens, on every double-page spread Sis portrays the children and their paraphernalia in bright colors, keeping the focus on them and on the power of imagination."
Parravano, M. V. (2003). Scranimals book review. [Review of
the book Scranimals, by J. Prelutsky]. Horn Book Magazine,
79(1), p. 91. Retrieved from https://libproxy.library.unt.edu:
9443/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?dir
ect=trure&db=brd&AN=518408628&scope=site
Library Uses:
This book could be used as an introduction to writing verse. It's a lighthearted, fun way to get kids excited about poetry. Then, when ready, they can practice writing their own poetry.
Book Summary:
This is the first book of a series, and it begins by introducing the life of a middle-schooler, Greg Heffley. It is his first year in middle school, and the hazards of growing up are recorded through his words and drawings in his diary.
Greg's friend, Rowley, is his sidekick until Rowley becomes popular. Greg tries to use this to his advantage, but that causes things to happen that test their friendship (but in a funny way).
APA Reference of Book:
Kinney, J. (2007). Diary of a wimpy kid. New York, NY: Amulet
Books
Impressions:
The one main word I would use to describe this book is: hilarious! The author takes the drama of middle school life and makes it lighthearted.
The format of the book is just fun. I love the cartoon drawings, the speech bubbles, and the fact that it's written in diary form. That makes it an easy read. Not much deep thinking has to be done to understand this book, but it's catchy and I couldn't seem to put it down.
I also like that the "hero" of this story is an unlikely hero. He is always oblivious to his faults, and there's nothing "special" about his to make him a hero. I think kids can relate to Greg's character, and that's one reason this book would be appealing to them.
I think this book would be especially great for reluctant readers because it is so lighthearted, funny, and easy to read. Plus, they would enjoy the cartoon drawings.
Professional Review:
"Seventh grade is lousy enough, but when you are at the bottom of the popularity pecking order, your best (and only) friend embarrasses you, and no one else seems to recognize you as the brilliant leader you are, then middle school is downright unbearable. Luckily, Greg has a journal into which he can pour his frustrations, disappointments, and secret desires. In short entries, many of which read as independent vignettes, Greg describes the sometimes humorous, sometimes awful events of his life with an unflinching eye: his mostly failed endeavors are highlighted along with his rare accomplishments. The small black-and-white line drawings that accompany many of the entries are simple, as if indeed drawn by a budding artist, but not at all simplistic, as they interact with the text by sometimes contradicting Greg's account and often highlighting particularly cringe-worthy elements that would be less remarkable without the comic-style visuals. Inconsiderate, sullen, and greedy Greg is unfortunately not a very liable kid, but he's still funny and creative, and the frequent moments of sardonic wit add a richness and depth to his accounts. Kinney's well-designed and popular web comic (created in 2004) easily translates into illustrated novel format: devoted fans will be thrilled to have a print collection, while new readers can simply enjoy this as a stand-alone novel or they can head online to find out what happens next to Greg and the peculiar mix of characters who surround him."
Spisak, A. (2007). Diary of a wimpy kid review. [Review of the
book Diary of a Wimpy Kid, by J. Kinney]. Bulletin of the
Center for Children's Books, 60(10), p. 426. Retrieved from
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41911&scope=site
Library Uses:
Students could look at the diary format of this book and then start their own diaries about the funny things that happen during the day.
Book Summary:
This biography tells the story of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s life. It starts from the day he was born to beyond the day he died. Most of the book is set in the time of the civil rights movement.Throughout the book, it incorporates the actual words that King used in his speeches.
APA Reference of Book:
Rappaport, D. (2007). Martin's big words. New York, NY:
Hyperion Book CH
Impressions:
I thought this biography was really profound. I loved how actual quotes from Martin Luther King Jr. were used throughout the story (it made me feel like I truly knew his heart for others and peace). I loved that his words were written in bold font that was a different color than the rest of the story - this made these words "pop" from the page. I also enjoyed the lyrical text.
The story itself is powerful. It made me emotional because I was thinking about how times must have been like during the civil rights movement, and of course I was sad when I came to the page that said he was shot and died (even though I already knew this outcome). I read this story to my first graders, and a silence fills the room when I get to this part of the book. They don't understand why he was shot when he was trying to bring peace to others.
I also really enjoyed the artwork. The illustrator uses water color and cut paper collages as well as different patterns and textures to create life-like images. The illustrations really bring the story to life!
I think this book would be great for all ages (even up to high schoolers) because it could get children talking about that time period, fairness, and the qualities of a good leader. The book also shows how a person's words can live on and effect people still today.
Professional Review:
"When it comes to educating and enlightening children about momentous historical events, there can never be too many books published about the Civil Rights era, and the people that championed the cause in America. Though there were several prominent leaders in the Civil Rights movement, none is more recognized and honored than Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. His legacy and story is, indeed, inspiration and well worth re-telling.
In the book Martin's Big Words, author Doreen Rppaport briefly buy pointedly describes the life of Dr. King, starting with his boyhood days of reading "White Only" signs in his hometown of Atlanta and moving on to his discovery of nonviolent protest, which became the hallmark of his movement.
An award-winning author of several juvenile books about multicultural history, Rappaport includes some of the key moments of Dr. King's life, as well as those of the Civil Rights era like the Montgomery bus boycotts. These highlights are offered in a language and tone that are easy to read. In fact, the book is a wonderful introduction to Dr. King and his times; and it is designed to stir further discussions about this turbulent time in our history. As a bonus, Rappaport adds quotes from Dr. King's letters and speeches to nearly all the passages.
One of the most delightful components of this biography, however, is Bryan Collier's dramatic illustrations. Collier, who has also won several awards for his work, has captured the peaceful spirit of Dr. King with zestful watercolor and cut paper collages that appear almost three-dimensional.
Although Martin's Big Words is a quick read, its message is truly uplifting."
Reynolds, C. V. (2002). Martin's big words book review. [Review
of the book Martin's Big Words, by D. Rappaport]. Black
Issue Book Review, 4(1), p. 80. Retrieved from http://libpro
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Library Uses:
During black history month, this book could be used to discuss the qualities of good leaders from the past and how that affects good leaders of today. The book can also be used to talk about the importance of the words we use and how they can make lasting impacts.
