Love That Dog

Love that Dog by Sharon Creech was a book about a student who didn’t want to write poetry and thought he was terrible at it but ended up writing some of the best work in his class. For me, this book reassured me that it is possible to inspire any student if you can get to know them and work with their interests. In this case the teacher asked to hear more about a car and a dog and ended up finding out a lot about her student. The student was inspired by an author to write a poem called “love that dog”. His dog had been hit by a car while playing in the street and that experience motivated him to write poems about it. If the teacher had never encouraged the student to keep writing and kept asking questions about his writing, he may have continued to hate poetry. Instead the encouragement and questions led to the student writing wonderful things, enjoying poems and learning a lot about poetry. I felt really sad when the student talked about what happened to his dog. I hate hearing about animals getting hurt or dying. Overall, I really enjoyed the book and I liked that it presented the idea that it is possible to reach every student.

Punk Wig

Punk Wig by Lori Ries is a book about a mother who has a cancer and loses her hair. The mother deals with the disease as best she can and tries not to worry her son. She takes her son with her to go shopping for a wig and they have a good time together picking out the perfect wig. They name the wig “punk wig” because of the hairstyle it resembles. Once the mother’s hair grows back and the cancer treatment is over she gives the wig to her son. This book deals with cancer in a lighthearted way so that you can read it to a child to talk about the disease. It refers to tumors as “alien blobs”, it may seem less intimating for a child that way.
Punk wig holds a special place in my heart because the main character chooses to fight cancer and she survives. My grandma on my dad’s side, and my grandpa and 2 of my aunts on my mom’s side had cancer and fought it. I remember the process of them losing hair, buying wigs and being extremely sick and weak. Some of them won the battle and survived and unfortunately some of them did not. I still miss those loved ones dearly each and every day. There isn’t a family get together or holiday that goes by without thinking of them and wishing they were there.
Through the experiences with cancer in my family, I have learned that it is important to remain hopeful. That is why I liked this book so much, even though it was hard for me to read it without tearing up, it left me with a feeling of hope.

Boxes for Katje

Boxes for Katje by Candace Fleming is a wonderful book inspired by the true experiences of the author’s mother. Katje, a young girl living in Europe receives a package from a Rosie, young girl in America, as part of a goodwill effort to help the people of Europe after World War II. Katje thrilled by the gifts sent in the package sends a thank you letter to Rosie, which sparks a further exchange between the girls. In the end both girls are given surprises that benefit their whole town!
I thought this story was a magnificent example of human kindness. Katje’s town was struggling with some really hard times. People in her town didn’t even have winter clothes, soap or milk. Rosie realized how much they were struggling and sent items to help Katje and a town of complete strangers. This book is a heartwarming story that inspires me to do more to help my community and also to help other communities or people in need.
I read the book first without looking at the inside cover, once I looked at the inside cover, Irealized that it was based on a true story. The fact that it was based on a true story made the book even better. It is so nice to read about people helping out others especially in a time of need. Our country is currently struggling, like many around the world and it is important to remember to give as much as we can. This book is a good reminder of the power of simple acts of kindness!

The Man who Walked Between the Towers

The Man Who Walked Between the Towers by Mordicai Gerstein is a book about a young French aerialist who walked across the two World Trade Centers in 1974 on a tight rope. He spent almost an hour on the tight rope performing tricks. The French aerialist saw the two towers and knew it would be a great spot to stretch a rope. From that moment he was determined to complete this task but he knew that it would not be easy. I liked this book because it shows determination. The performer had a dream and he did not give up until his dream was accomplished. It is important for us to remember that we should never give up on dreams of our own. The illustrations in the book are beautiful and they represent the mood given by the text on each page. For example, when the man is talking about how he knew the owners and the police would never allow him to walk across the towers, the illustrations are dark and gloomy. However, when he is thinking of a plan to accomplish his dreams the page is filled with bright colors and great detail. I am amazed that someone actually performed on a tight rope between the World Trade Center but I am even more taken back by the fact that those two towers are gone now. A teacher could use this book to introduce and start a discussion on the events of September 11th in a social studies class. Whatever your purpose for reading the book may be, it is definitely one that is worth reading.

Grandfather's Journey

Grandfather’s Journey by Allen Say is a touching story about traveling, family and friends. A man travels from the country he grew up in, to the United States. He is amazed at what he sees and loves it in the United States but he longs to go back to his friends and the country he knows so well. Many years later he moves back to the town where he grew up but wishes to travel to the United States once more. He never makes it back but his grandson, whom he told many stories about his experiences travels to the United States one day. When the grandson arrives in the United States he understands how his grandfather felt. The grandson starts to miss his friends, family and the scenery of his country, like his grandfather did. This was a wonderful story about the bond between families. Listening to family members or loved one’s stories are treasured moments in my life. Before my grandma passed away she told me many stories about her childhood and adult life. I will forever cherish those memories of her sharing experiences of her life with me. Like the book, there are moments in my life when I feel like I know how my grandma felt in similar situations. I highly recommend this book, it was an enjoyable story that brings the reader back to their own experiences with loved ones and family.

The Penguin and the Pea

The Penguin and the Pea by Janet Perlman was a great version of one of my old favorites the Princess and the pea. It’s about a prince determined to find a real princess to be his wife. The prince’s mother believed that a true princess would not be able to sleep if there was a pea under her bed. Sure enough the princess in the story felt the pea and is then able to marry the prince. I like the fact that the author chose a penguin, one of the only birds that can’t fly as the subject of the story. It gives the reader the message that anyone can be a princess. I’m glad I read this story again now that I’m older. It brought back memories of sitting in my parent’s bed and listening to my mom read stories. When my mom would read the princess and the pea to me, I remember wondering how the princess could feel that pea under all those mattresses. I loved the silly idea of a pea under all those mattresses and so will most kids! If you liked the original princess in the pea I recommended giving the penguin version a try!

Princess for a Week

Princess For a Week by Betty Ren Wright is about a boy named Roddy and an unexpected visitor. When Roddy, a young boy hears his mother say that “Princess” will be coming to stay with them for a week he assumes that “Princess” is a dog. He is really excited until he finds out that "Princess" is a young girl. Princess arrives and Roddy quickly realizes that she is trouble. Unfortunately his mother thinks that she is an angel has good intentions. Roddy looks forward to the end of the week when Princess will leave but in the mean time he goes along with her on her mischievous adventures trying to keep them both out of trouble.