Because of Winn-Dixie by: Kate DiCamillo

Genre: Fiction
Publisher: Candlewick
Copyright Date: 2000
Number of Pages: 182
Reading Level: Ages 9-12

Summary:
India Opal Buloni just moved to Naomi, Florida with her dad the preacher. She and her dad live in a trailer park alone; her mom left when she was three. She was lonely and bored, until one day she walked into the grocery store Winn-Dixie to pick things up for her dad and found a dog running around the store wreaking havoc on the shelves of food. Before she knew it she had claimed that the dog was hers and she was taking it home to ask her dad if she could keep it. She called the dog Winn-Dixie when the owner of the store asked for its name, and the name stuck. Winn Dixie obviously belonged to no one because his hair was matted and balding in places and he was skinny. He had an effect on anyone that he was around and so Opal (which is what her dad calls her) had no problem convincing her dad to let her keep him. The story is basically Opal retelling her experiences that summer and so there is a lot that she is thinking about and tells the reader. She is lonely because she is in a new place and she has no friends other than Winn-Dixie. He was an interesting dog, when Opal would talk to him, he seemed to understand everything that she was saying. He could smile with all of his teeth showing, he would laugh when things were funny (which would make him sneeze) and he could make anyone like him. Because of Winn Dixie, she made all sorts of friends that she wouldn't have otherwise.
First, she became closer to her dad. Her dad didn't like talking about her mom at all, but Winn-Dixie helped Opal find the courage to ask her dad to tell her 10 things about her mom. He did, and she cherished those borrowed memories. The next friend was Miss Franny Block, the owner of the small library that was her house. She got to talking to Miss Franny one day about bears (She thought Winn-Dixie was a bear) and they decided that day. The next friend she made was a young man that she worked for at the pet store named Otis, he was an ex-con who went to jail for playing his guitar on the street when the cops told him not to. Every morning he would play his guitar for the pet shop animals and Opal would go to listen with Winn-Dixie. He gave her the job so that she could pay off the leash and collar that she bought for Winn-Dixie. She made another friend named Sweetie Pie, a five year old who invited her to her sixth birthday party. Sweetie Pie loved and wanted a dog just like Winn-Dixie. Without Winn-Dixie, Opal would have never met Gloria Dump a blind woman who was rumored to be a witch by the neighborhood kids. But, one day Winn-Dixie took off running straight into her yard- which looked like a jungle - and Opal found him sitting right next to Gloria Dump and she was feeding him peanut butter. From then on, Opal wen to see Gloria Dump everyday and Opal would tell her stories.
Everything that happened that summer happened because of Winn-Dixie. Opal thought about her mom a lot and used the ten things that her dad told her about her mom to tell other people about her mom. There were three other neighborhood kids that Opal didn't like for a long time but she was encouraged by her new friends to get to know them. Amanda was one, Opal thought she was mean and stuck up until Gloria told her that Amanda's brother had drown the summer before. The other tow were Dunlap and Stevie, brothers who looked like twins. Opal didn't like them because they would tease her but according to Gloria they were just teasing her to be friends with her. Everyday Opal would go over to Gloria's house and she would read her a chapter out of gone with the wind. That gave her the idea to throw a party with Gloria and invite all her new friends. They planned it together and prepared all the food for it. On the night of the party all of her friends came together and met each other. Right before they began to eat it started pouring on them (they were in Gloria's back yard) and so they ran inside. However, Winn-Dixie, who has a pathological fear of thunderstorms, took off, or so they thought. Opal and her dad ran off to find him. They ran all through their little town but couldn't find him anywhere. Through teary eyes they decided it was time to return to the party. When they got there Otis was playing the guitar and everyone was singing along. She couldn't believe that they could be happy when her dog had run away only to find out, that he was there all along!
She went into Gloria's garden and she had a message to give to her mom. Even though she didn't know enough about her she didn't feel lonely anymore. She had made her friends and she was happy now, and it was all because of Winn-Dixie.

Who would benefit from reading this book/ Who would you recommend this book to?
I would recommend this book to anyone. It is a wonderful, sweet story that I think would touch everyone who reads it.

What problems/ conflicts would this book potentially cause?
It wouldn't be a huge problem, but the dad is a preacher and that could make some people not want to read it because it has some religion in it, but that is a little extreme. The fact that the dad is a preache plays a big part in the story, and the book isn't preachy in any way.

My reaction:
I loved this book. I would like to buy it when I get the chance. Like I said before it was a sweet story and it was a believeable story as well. I got so attached to the dog just like everyone else in the town. I actually cried when I thought he had run away. Not only is the part about the dog sweet, but the relationships that Opal has with her new friends and especially her dad was touching.

Awards:
This is a Newbery Honor Book

Dear Mrs. LaRue: Letters From Obedience School by: Mark Teague

Genre: Picture Book
Publisher: Scholastic Press; First Edition
Copyright Date: 2002
Number of Pages: 32
Reading Level: Ages 4-8

Summary:
Mrs. LaRue sends her dog Ike to obedience school because of his constant habit of breaking the rules. Ike is sent to the Igor Brotweiler Canine Academy for two months. While he is there, Ike sends the occasional letter to his Master. However, the letters that Ike sends aren't completely honest. His first letter is asking Mrs. LaRue why she sent him to this "prison." When in reality it is actually a pleasant place to live. In the next letter, Ike is thinking of reasons why she might have sent him to obedience school in the first place. The first thought is, she sent him there because he ate the chicken pie... He claims he didn't know she was that upset. In the next letter he explains that Mrs. Hibbin's cats that he supposedly chased up the fire escape in the middle of January are melodramatic and that they probably were lying about being sick for three days... In the next letter he explains to her a little about what is going on there. He calls his teacher his warden and says that she demands he do ridiculous commands that he refused to do... and he was "severely" punished. When in reality, his teacher is very nice and she gives out a lot of dog treats. He not-so-subtly reminds Mrs. LaRue of all the times that he saved her, and that she needs him. Halfway through the next letter Mrs. Klondike (his teacher) takes his typewriter away (all the previous letters were typed) because it was disturbing the other dogs. As the letters go on, he tells Mrs. LaRue that he is thinking about escaping. Then, he gets sick and is diagnosed as a hypochondriac. He is surprised that Mrs. LaRue still kept him there even though he was sick. He reminds her of all the good times they had together and how awful it is to be stuck in a tiny cell.
Then, he escapes. There is a newspaper article about how he escaped from Doggy Detention and there is a reward for his return to the Brotweiler Academy. He sends Mrs. LaRue letters about how miserable he is (even though he is having a great time) he even admits that he misses the Higgins' cats a little bit. He tells her that more than worrying about himself, he worries about her because, she needs a dog. So, he decides to return home.
Upon his return, he saves Mrs. LaRue from being hit by an oncoming truck! So, now, instead of the outlaw, he is the Hero dog. Ike tore her coat again but she says she doesn't care as long as she has her dog back.

Who would benefit from reading this book?/ Who would you recommend this book to?
I would recommend this book to teachers. This book is effective when you want to teach children how to write a letter. Most of the text is in letter form, so it makes it easy to teach children the parts of the letter and where certain elements go on the page. It is also a good book for teaching about real life and imagination because everything Ike says is coming from his imagination while something totally different is happening to him in real life.

What problems/conflicts would this book potentially cause?
I don't think that this book would cause any problems

My Reaction:

This book is hilarious. The author is extremely witty and it is a good story line. It can be used both recreationally and educationally which is good as well. I have read this book a few times and I laugh every time I do. I read it to my nephew who can't sit still while people read, and he loved it too!

"Let's Get a PUP!" said Kate by: Bob Graham

Genre: Picture Book
Publisher: Candlewick
Copyright Date: 2001
Number of Pages: 32
Reading Level: 4-8

Summary: Kate was lonely at night because her cat had died and so only kates feet were there to keep each other company. Then one morning, Kate woke up to the brilliant idea that they should get a dog. So she ran in and jumped on her parents bed and told them her idea. Over breakfast they looked in the paper to see what they could find and they discussed requirements: It had to be small, and cute, and run around in circles... They saw an add for the rescue center and left immediately. They saw all sorts of dogs: big, small, short haired, wire haired, fighters, biters, fat, skinny, etc.. Then, they saw Dave. He was everything that they were looking for, and they decided to take him home. But, THEN they saw Rosy. She was a big, old, sweet dog, and they really wanted her but they decided that they couldn't take her home. It was hard for them to leave her behind and she was sad to see them go. At home, Dave was what they expected a dog to be. But none of them could sleep that night, not even Dave. The next morning they left right away and went straight back to the rescue center. There they found Rosy waiting for them. They took her home and cleaned her up. Dave and Rosy were instantly friends and they kept each other company on the living room floor, and on the couch. Kate got her wish too, because Rosy and Dave slept at the bottom of her bed.

Who would benefit from reading this book? Or who would you recommend this book to?
I would recommend this book to dog lovers. That is why I chose it. I am a dog lover and I saw that the book is about getting a dog so I knew I would like it.

What problems or conflicts would this book potentially cause?
I find it odd that the mom and dad have tatoos and earings. I don't know what the illustrator was trying to convey but that is strange to me. You also can't tell the differenct between the mom and the dad sometimes which is also a little off for a children's book. I think that could be a conflict. Ususally, especially in our church, you want to portray a recognizable and groomed mom and dad figure.

My Reaction:
Like I said before, I chose this book because I like dogs and it was really fun to read. I got my dog from the pound and I could relate to this family being at the pound because that is eactly what I went through. It is hard to come out of the pound without taking three or four dogs home with me.

One Odd Day by: Doris Fisher and Dani Sneed

Genre: Picture Book
Publisher: Sylvan Dell Publishing
Copyright Date: 2006
Number of Pages: 32
Reading Level: 4-8

Summary: One day a boy got up and everything was odd. Literally. The clock only showed odd numbers.He only found one of his shoes and socks. He put on a new shirt and it had three sleeves. He went down for breakfast to find his mom burning eggs and toast on a charcole grill in the kitchen. Also, his dog had five legs, and a tail that looksed like it belonged to a dragon. His mom handed him a bucket of fish for lunch and told him to grab 7 bananas from the banana tree in their living room! He got to his bus to find that it was polka dotted.
When he got to the school he saw that the calendar had only odd days of the month. In class he learned about even and odd numbers from his teacher who had five arms with an odd number of fingers on each arm. At recess there were ninjas and flamingos and monkeys and castles and space ships... Very odd things. When he got home he wanted to go to bed early hoping that the next day wouldn't be quite so odd. When he woke up the next morning everything was right again! His dog had four legs, he found both of his shoes... But when his mom walked in one of his six bedroom doors... she had two heads!

Who would benefit from reading this book?/Would would you recommend this book to?
I would recommend this book to a teacher teaching the even and odd concept. It got the Teachers' Choice Award from the Learning Magazine for its educational value. It does a great job in teaching odd numbers. It would benefit any child that is struggling in learning odd and even numbers.

What problems/conflicts would this book potentially cause?
I don't think this book could cause any problems.

My Reaction:
I thought this was a really cute book. The illustrations are really cute and they portray not only an odd day (numbers) but and odd day... like the dog having a dragon tail and his bus being purple with pink polka dots. I would definately read this book to my kids when we talk about math. It is silly but educational.

Dream: A Tale of Wonder, Wisdom, and Wishes by: Susan V. Bosak

Genre: Picture Book

Publisher: TCP Press

Copyright Date: October 31, 2004

Number of Pages: 40

Reading Level: Ages 4-8

Summary: This book is about a person's lifetime. It is written so that the reader can place him or herself into the the shoes of the narrator and relate to the story being told. It goes through each stage of life of a person and relates that stage with a color. It starts off with the narrator as a baby. As a baby your favorite color is yellow. Then it moves onto when you are a toddler and your favorite color is red: there is a whole world to explore. Next is when you are in you elementary school years and your favorite colors are those of the rainbow: There is a whole world to imagine. Then you become a teenager and your favorite color is blue because "everyone likes blue," there is a whole world to figure out. Next you are grown up and your favorite colors are black and white because it is easy to tell between yes and no: there's a whole world to conquer. Then it goes through pages of great men and women, great ideas, and great hopes and joys... Then the narrator (or the reader) comes to a point in their life that I would call a mid-life crisis. The color of your life becomes gray, and you don't like gray... People all around you are trying to squash your dreams and all you want to do is cover your head. But through the gray comes the moment when you realize that life isn't about covering your head against the bad. It's about taking the good with the bad. Once the narrator gets through that part, they are older and stronger, and their favorite color is green the color of Go and Grow. Dreams are like seeds. they need nourishment and sometimes, "a gray day gives them just the rain they need." Last the narrator is very old... and their favorite color is yellow again: the color of the stars. The whole message of the story is to be a dreamer. Dream as many dreams as possible and know that even if you don't reach all of your dreams... at least you dreamed in the first place.

That is the basis of the story, but not only is there a story line, but every part of the narrators life is illustrated by a different illustrator. So, as in life, each page looks different. Every page also has a quote by someone famous. Which makes it even more interesting.

Who would benefit from reading this book?/Who would you recommend this book to?

I think anyone and everyone would benefit from this book. The language in it, and the pictures are all so intriguing that I would recommend it to anyone. This is a book that I would keep on my coffee table for people to read when they are in my living room.

What problems/conflicts would this book potentially cause?

I don't see any problems with it.

My reaction:

I LOVE THIS BOOK! It probably is my favorite children's book (so far). Every time I read it I can place myself into it and actually be the narrator. The illustrations are all so unique and amazing that you could spend an hour talking about each one of them.

Bella & Bean by: Rebecca Kai Dotlich

Genre: Picture Book

Illustrated By: Aileen Leijten

Publisher: Atheneum

Copyright Date: February 10, 2009

Number of Pages: 40

Reading Level: Ages 4-8

Summary: This is a story about two mice who are best friends: Bella and Bean. Bella would write poetry everyday at her desk by the window. Her friend Bean was a free spirited enthusiastic girl. One day when Bella was trying to write her poems Bean kept coming up to her window to distract her. She came to show Bella her hat, but Bella told her she doesn't have time for hats. Bella told Bean that she was writing poetry and she needed to think about rivers and mountains. Bean didn't understand so she left. The second time Bean came up to show off her toes. Apparently she had been told she had the cutest toes. Bella told her again that she didn't have time to look at toes because she had to write her poetry. Bean called her grumpy and left again. As the story continued on, slowly what Bean was showing Bella shaped Bella's poetry from stories about mountains to stories about hats and toes, but Bella didn't realize it. Bean distracted her again with an invitation to go to Spoon Pond and plant a bush. Bella said no, but from that came a poem about a snow bush. Bella wrote and wrote all day until the sun was gone. As she was writing she realized that her poems were all coming from her experience with Bean. She called and invited Bean to Spoon Pond. They went and Bean surprised her with a hat like hers. They stretched out on a blanket and Bella wrote a poem about the two of them. "One blanket holds two friends, calm and cozy at the edge of a pond. The moon looks like a clock in the sky with the big hand on forever."

Who would benefit from reading this book/to whom would I recommend this book?

This would be a perfect book to read when you are introducing poetry to your class. So, any teacher who does a poetry unit I would recommend this to. I think that a student who is having a hard time coming up with creative poems could benefit from it. I think it is best suited for younger kids because the language is pretty basic.

What conflicts/problems could this book potentially cause?

I don't think that this book could cause any conflicts.

My Reaction:
I chose this book because my brother and sister-in-law just had a baby girl named Bella. It is a really cute book. It has a good message as well. It is basically saying that the best poems (or stories etc.) come from real life experiences and that what and who we interact with, impacts us even though we don't know it.

Heckedy Peg by: Audrey Wood

Genre: Picture Book
Publisher: Voyager Books
Copyright Date: 1987
Number of Pages: 32
Reading Level: Ages 4-8

Summary: A poor mother lived with her seven children (named after the days of the week). Everyday the children would help their mother with chores before she went to the market. One day she was going to reward the kids for being good helpers and so she told her children that she would get each of them one thing from the market. They told her what they wanted and she left leaving them with two rules: don't let any strangers in, and don't touch the fire. Not long after she left an old witch named Heckedy Peg came up to their window asking them to let her in. They told her no, so she asked them to light a piece of straw so she could light her pipe. They told her no. But, she told them if they let her in she would give them gold! So they let her in. She then turned them into food, packed them into her cart, and took them far away to her hut in the middle of the woods. When their mom got home she was sad to see that they were not there. A blackbird came to her and told her what happened and led her to the witch's hut. The mom banged on the door and demanded that the witch give her her children. The witch would not let her in because her shoes were dirty, so the mom took off her shoes and demanded her children again. The witch refused because her socks were dirty. So the mom took off her socks and demanded to be let in again. The witch said no because her feet were dirty! So, the mom went into the woods and pretended to cut her feet off. She crawled back to the door and the witch had no more excuses, so she let her in. The witch pointed to the table indicating that her children were there. The only way that she could get her children back is if she could guess which child was which. She had no idea how to guess which food each child had been turned into. Then she realized that each thing that the children asked for from the market corresponded with what they had been turned into. For instance one of her children had asked for butter so she knew that that child had been turned into bread. She guessed all of her children correctly and so she got her children back. She then proceeded to chase the witch out of her hut and all the way past the village until she reached a bridge. Heckedy Peg jumped in the water and no one ever saw her again!

Who would benefit from reading this book/To whom would I recommend this book?
Any child would benefit from reading this book because it has good morals to it. Such as: your mother loves you, don't talk to strangers, don't play with fire, mother knows best. IT would be good for a mother to read this to her children and then they could talk about what the books message was.

What problems/conflicts would this book potentially cause?
I didn't find any problems that this book could cause.

My reaction:
I Thought this was a beautiful book. The illustrations were beautiful and the story was great. I liked the morals that it taught. It did leave me wondering why the kids were named after the days of the week. It was cool and all, but I don't feel like it explained it.

The Eleventh Hour, A Curious Mystery by: Graeme Base

Genre: Picture Book

Publisher: Harry N. Abrams, Inc.

Copyright Date: 1988

Number of Pages: 32

Reading Level: ages 4-8

Summary:

The Eleventh Hour, A Curious Mystery is about an elephant name Horace who is having his 11th birthday party at his elaborate manor. For his party, he made 11 types of food, he invited 10 guests (making the total count 11) and he planned 11 games for them to play. All the guests arrived early in the morning dressed up in costumes. The guest walked into his home and immediately they made their way to the banquet hall to admire the food. They thought they could eat right away but Horace made the announcement that the food would not be eaten until 11 o'clock. So, the games began! They played sack-races, musical chairs (to the crocodile playing Mozart), Poker, Snakes and Ladders, Cricket, Pool, Blind Man's Buff, Tennis, Hide and Seek, Chess, and Tug o' War. By the time they were finished it was time to begin the feast! But when they got to the banquet hall all the food had been STOLEN! Then it went through each person explaining why it wasn't him or herself. Instead of letting the food being stolen get him down, Horace went to the kitchen and made a huge platter of sandwiches and all the friends enjoyed them along with a birthday cake on the lawn. But, that's not the end, the book ends by saying that the person who stole the food is someone they all knew, and it gives the reader the quest to find out who. That is when the true story begins. On every page there are hidden clues and messages to help the reader figure out who stole the feast. For instance, it gives you clues like, "watch the clocks" which indicates that the clocks have significant meeting. It also gives more blatant clues like, "it was not max." In the end, all the clues lead to Kilroy the mouse. He gathered all of his mouse friends and together they devoured the feast. The most obvious clue that pointed to him was on the page that they were playing musical chairs. ON the top there is a line of music and if you sing or play the notes, it is playing "Three Blind Mice."

Who would benefit from reading this book/To whom would I recommend this book?

I would recommend this book to children who enjoy mysteries. I would also recommend it to someone (adult or child) who enjoys puzzles. It was basically a complicated puzzle. I have met children who like this book, and adults.

What problems/conflicts would this book potentially cause?

I am not able to identify any problems that this book could cause.

My reaction:

I really enjoyed this book. I was supposed to be doing other homework when I began to read it, and every time I put it down I couldn't stand not looking for the clues so I had to pick it back up again. That continued until I figured out who had done it. It was a fun read and I would recommend it to anyone.