Reflection of Blogging

This semester was the first time I was introduced to a blog. When I was first assigned to create and write on my blog, I was a bit apprehensive. I have never been good with technology, so I was worried that this assignment was going to be very challenging for me. After a few days of experimenting with my blog, I realized it was not that bad. I actually came to truly enjoy weekly blogging. I feel like my responses to the children's books I read were more interesting since they were in blog format. I felt less restrictive regarding the content of my blog since the format of the blog was less informal. The colorfulness of my blog site made me feel more free and open, and not like I was writing in a Microsoft Word document.

Furthermore, I found a lot of high quality children's books this semester that were easy for me to connect to. I was very surprised as an adult, I could relate to the books. It shows that children's books are not meant for just children anymore, anyone can find some use from them. I had a lot of fun sharing stories that were similar to the books I read. It was also fun to revisit my childhood by rereading books I read when I was younger. I overall thought the blogging assignment was an excellent idea. Blogging is something I would like to use in my future class room because it connects children with technology, while also letting them respond to literature for anyone to see. This would be a great way for my students to give positive feedback to each other as well since they could comment on each other's blogs. I hope to continue to blog on my website, and I definitely know I will continue to read children's literature.

Blue Bowl Down

Blue Bowl Down an Appalachian Rhyme by C.M. Millen is a rhyming story that would be great to read to younger elementary students. I truly think younger students would enjoy this book because it includes a lot or rhyming, and it could even be made into a song. This book includes a story about a young boy making bread with his mother before he goes to bed. He wakes up, and is able to enjoy the homemade bread they made together. I think this is a book I would use to teach the idea of the magic of baking and cooking. I think making bread is something the students would be able to be actively involved with since they would could mix and knead the dough. I think it is so special as a very young child to see the transformation of separate ingredients, then the ingredients combining to make dough, the dough expanding and rising, and then the dough baking to make a loaf of bread. A lot of times young children cannot grasp the idea of baking because it is too abstract for them; therefore, I think it would be beneficial for them to concretely see the process of baking.

Christmas Cookies Bite-Size Holiday Lessons

This children's picture book by Amy Krouse Rosenthal is a great book that tells a story about Christmas cookies, while also enlightening students with the definitions of many words associated with the holiday season. The one word that stuck out to me in this story was tradition. Rosenthal said an example of tradition was,"Each year at the same time we make the same cookies and wear our special matching aprons". This word stuck out to me becasue I realized I have never been apart of the Christmas tradition of making Christmas cookies with my mom becasue we do not celelbrate christmas; however, I was lucky enough to form a tradition of making Christmas cookies with a friend of mine named Nancy. Nancy is the mom of a women I used to be a caregiver for. The women's name I was the caregiver for is Janet, and she has severe and profound Cerebral Paulsy. I was there to be an extra hand for Nancy. Janet required a lot of sleep so during Christmas time when Janet was napping, Nancy would invite me to make Christmas cookies with her. We formed a tradition out of this, and every year when Janet would wake up from her nap, we would all enjoy the Christmas cookeis I prepared with Janet's mom. This is a moment in my life that will always stick out to me because it brought me closer to Janet and her mom Nancy, while I was doing something that I loved, baking.

My Daddy and Me

My Daddy and Me by Jerry Spinelli is a picture book that has brought me back to my childhood. The book is about a young puppy that is so excited for his dad to come home from work so they can spend time together. They do many things together like bake, play tag, and dance to music; however, sometimes the dad is too tired to do anything but sing his son a lullaby. When I was younger my dad many times would work the night shift as a pharmasist at Walgreens, so a few days a week he would be home when I got home from Kindergarten, while my mom was at work. I was always so excited to spend time with my dad when he was not too tired from working. Some of the best memories I can remember is when he would take me to Banochburn, Illinois to get a Mrs. Fields chocolate chip cookie, and then to Erehwon Mountain Supply to try on silly hats. We would both hysterically laugh at all the animal hats he would make me try on. Even if we did not have time to go all the way to Banachburn, I can still remember my dad making me lunch and resting with him on the couch. This book is a great book to make people take a moment to appreciate their dads.

The butter Man

The Buter Man By Elizabeth Alalou and Ali Alalou is a very informative children's picture book about a Moroccan family. One of my favorite hobbies is learning about cooking and baking. This book was an excellent book to interest me with me with one of my favorite hobbies, while also educating me about the Moroccan culture. After reading this story I discovered that the village of Tamazirt was mainly a farming town, where people earned money by selling their crops. I have disocvered that Coucous is a traditional North African dish served with an assortment of vegtables and meats. I also leared the term for father, grandfather, and grandmother in Moroccan. I think this book would be a great way to teach students about another culture, while also keeping them captivated by a story that makes you appreciate what you have.

Yum Yum! What Fun!

Yum Yum! What Fun! by Mara Bergman is a children's picture book about two little kids baking with their dog, while a bunch of animals come in through the window becasue they can smell the yumminess. I am so glad I found this picture book becasue it fits perfectly with what I have been learning in one of my education classes called Methods of Reading and Language Arts at the University of Iowa. We have been focusing on teaching reading for meaning, and this book is an excellent example that could aide students in reading for meaning, and especially for primary students. One thing we learned is that repetition is a good strategy to use to help students figure out words, and look for meaning. This book has the line, "Not Katie or James or their little dog Harry" repeted on almost every page. This line will let students know what to expect. Another strategy I have learned in class is finding book with rhyming words will help students read for meaning. This book has many examples of rhyming words which I think would benefit the reader. The last strategy this book includes which I have been focusing on in class is using illustrations to read for meaning. This book does an excellent job showing each animal that is coming in throught the window; therefore, when it comes to the page wnaming all the animals, many of the students will be able to name the animals by using the illustrations as a reference. Overall, this book is an excellent resource to use when a teacher is stressing the ideda of reading for meaning, and I would definitely incorporate using this book into a mini lesson I will teach in the future.

Meet Molly An American Girl

Meet Molly An American Girl Doll by Valarie Tripp is book one from the series of American Girl Doll books for Molly. It was very interesting to read this book because I have read this book along with many others from the American Girl Doll series when I was younger. I think my interpretation of the book is very different now, compared to when I was younger. After reading Stephanie Jones book I now have been critically analyzing all children's books I read. I thought critically about this specific book and realized that this book is not the norm for a family living during World War II. The family in this book had a housekeeper even though the rest of the country were trying to save money to send to the soldiers at war. This family portrayed the dad as the breadwinner and the man who makes the final decisions for the family. Though some of these things were more prevalent in the 1940's and 1950's, I thought it would be hard for children this generation to relate to this book. On the other hand, there were some positive aspects about the book. The author included some things that were true about the history of WWII, and included information in the back of the book explaining it. She included Victory Gardens in her story which were developed during this time so they could spend less money on tin in order to send tin to the soldiers. Also, the mom in the story volunteered at the Red Cross which was also a true part of WWII that many people participated in. They would collect blood and sew clothing items to send to the soldiers over seas. Though this book may be hard for many young girls to identify with, there are some aspects of the book that are very educational and teach you about the war.

My Mothers Sari

My Mother's Sari by Sandhya Rao is a children's picture book that includes some very interesting illustrations. After taking a closer look at each of the images, it seems as if the illustration of the little girl is a cartoon drawing or painting, while the illustration of the Sari on each page is a real photograph of a Sari. The two different styles of art combined had a very interesting effect that I highly enjoyed. It also exposed children to what a real Sari would look like. I think this book would be a great book to introduce the Sari to kids because it makes it easy for them to relate to if if they have no background information about Saris. This book explains how the little girl uses her imagination to make the Sari into a train, a rope, a river, a hiding place, and even a blanket to nap with. Since these are common things that many students would think of to do with a large piece of cloth, I think this book does a good job trying to not focus on the difference of all the cultures, but how all cultures can be similar.

The Old Woman Who Named Things

The Old Woman Who Named Things by Cynthia Rylant is about an older woman who has outlived everyone who she was close to in her life. She became sad because she did not have anyone who she could call by their name, so she came up with the idea of naming her belongings. She would only name things she could outlive so she would not have to deal with losing anymore people in her life. She named her car Betsy, her chair Fred, her bed Roxanne, and her house Franklin. The old lady discovers a dog who keeps coming to her house, but she does not want to name him because she thinks she will outlive the dog. She finally realizes the dog brings her happiness and keeps her company so she decides to keep the dog and name him Lucky. I think it is great that the old woman can find company in her belongings and dog because I have started to realize it is hard for senior citizens when their loved ones begin to pass away. They live with their wife or husband and are surrounded by close friends their whole life, and then all of a sudden everyone begins to pass away. It is very challenging to adapt to their new lonely life. My grandma is experiencing this same situation currently. Her husband passed away a year ago, and many of her close friends have passed away. She has been having a tough time living alone in her house, but just like the woman in the story, my grandma has thought of strategies to not feel so alone. She told me she reads everyday and feels she is in company with the character in the book. I think that is a great idea because though my family spends as much time as possible with her, she still feels lonely since she is use to always being with my grandpa.

My Mother's Voice

My Mother's Voice by Joanne Ryder seems like a book many people could relate to. The story discusses simple things the little girl loves about her mom. She loves hearing her voice in the different settings of her life, from her cheerful voice in the morning, to her thoughtful voice when she consoles her, or her singing voice when they are in the kitchen baking. I think this book is so easy to relate to because any child could think about someone they are very close to whether its their mom, aunt, grandma, or close friend. I feel like life goes by very quickly. Many times I have taken for granted everything my mom has provided for me. And being away from my mom at college, I have definitely started to appreciate and take time to thank her for guiding, supporting, caring, and loving me. This is the perfect book to slow down life with, and remember how much we love the ones who have raised us.

Thunder Cake

I was very excited to read Thunder Cake by Patricia Polacco because I did my author study on her, and I have come to really appreciate the children's literature she writes. She seems to always write about something that I can relate to, or something that reveals an excellent message. What I think Polacco was trying to display from this book is that finding something you enjoy can distract you and make you forget about the bad in your life, or just something you are scared of. The little girl in the book gets distracted from the thunder because she is busy collecting ingredients, baking, and eating a Thunder Cake wither her grandmother. I am very similar to the little girl in the story because anytime I am sad, or upset, or just having a bad day, I can be distracted with cooking, baking, and eating with family and friends. The most memorable memories of this happening is with my sister freshman year of college. Throughout freshman year of college I would get very homesick. I loved being at college, and all the new friends I was making; however, at times I would miss that comfortability level from home. The good thing was that my sister also went to the University of Iowa and knew how to comfort and distract me. She would usually call me over once a week and we would search for yummy dinner recipes and desserts to make. We always would cook and bake when we were at home as well, so it brought comfort to me to do it at school. I did not realize how much fun I was having with my sister when we were cooking, and eating, and talking that I would slowly start to feel more comfortable being away from home. This memory really reminds me of Thunder Cake, and I think cooking and eating with people who are close to you is something everyone should try when they are sad, scared, or upset about something in their lives!

Giving Thanks

Giving Thanks by Jonathon London is considered a children's picture book; however, I believe it would be a great book as well for Jr. high, high schoolers, and even adults . The content of the book is not difficult to comprehend. It discusses the topic of nature and how thankful we should be that we were given the gift of nature. It has limited words on each page, and the words are not too challenging. Basically, an elementary school student would be able to understand the storyline of the book. Moreover, the reason I think it would be beneficial if the book was targeted to an older crowd is because they may better be able to grasp the message the book is trying to reveal. Go Green is a movement that has come alive during our present generation. It is a movement that is trying to preserve our Earth. People know how important the gift of our Earth is; therefore, people have come together to form a movement to start taking care of our gift. Many teenagers have actively got involved with this movement. There was a a student organization in my high school called Students for Justice. These students were really involved with the Go Green movement. They set up a recycle program for our school, they petitioned for Earth friendly products to be used, and they gave speeches to the rest of the school about the research they would find. Though there are so many teenagers actively trying to help take care of our precious gift, there are also so many teenagers who are caught up with being a teenager. They forget to think about other important things in the world besides their social lives. I think Giving Thanks by Jonathon London would be a great book to read to teenagers to expose them to the Go Green movement, and make them appreciate the world they are living in.

How Do Dinasaurs Get Well?

How Do Dinosaurs Get Well by Jane Yolen is a cute interactive book that teaches the correct manners for children when they are sick. It made me laugh while I was reading this book because I realized everything the dinosaur was told not to do when sick, I did when I was a little girl. The book asks if a dinosaur should whimper and whine when they are sick, and children are supposed to answer no. Though I do not think I was a big whiner when I was a child, whining was something I mastered when I was sick. I always took advantage of the attention my mom would give me and whine about everything that was wrong. Furthermore, the book asks if a dinosaur should fling all his medicine out of the door, and the kids are supposed to respond no; however, this is something I would do all the time. When I was young my parents got liquid medicine for me, and I would make the biggest fuss with my dad when it was time to take the medicine. My dad tried to come up with ideas to make it not taste so bad like eating food or chewing gum right afterwards, but it never worked. I would stand with the spoon over the sink with my dad for almost an hour, until I finally got the courage to take the medicine. Additionally, the book asks when the dinosaur is at the doctor does he hold his mouth closed when he's told open wide. I remember as a child I was horrible at he doctor. I would be so nervous they were going to hurt me so I cried all the way there, while I was there, and all the way home. My mom would come up with interesting ideas to try and calm me down. She came up with pretending to blow bubbles, and singing a song while we were at the doctor. Overall, this story is a good story to teach children how to act when sick, and I think it would have been very beneficial if my parents read it to me when I was young.

The Storm

The Storm by Anne Rockwell is a children's book that tells a realistic story about a horrible thunderstorm hitting a young girl's house by the sea. I would label this book as realistic because since most of the states experience thunderstorms, this story could have actually happened to many people. Though it is good to write about stories that actually could have happened, this story seems too typical; therefore, my interest was lost. I think it is good to write about things that kids could relate to; however, this story seemed too common. Nothing in the story caught my attention, or surprised me. Even though this was not my favorite book, I could see how a student would enjoy this book if they lived in a desert or in a country that did not get a lot of rain. This story would then seem unique, and it may strike their interest more.

Wish

Wish by Roseanne Thong is one of the most informative, interesting, and enjoyable books I have ever read. The book tells a little blurb about how different countries make wishes. This is an excellent book to include diversity in the class room. This book shows how countries are different because they have different traditions for wishing, but then it also shows how the countries are the same because they all have some form of wishing. This is a great book for students to read during reading workshop who have trouble finding a book that they are interested in. I have found many times kids enjoy reading lists of things, and they will not even realize it is a form of reading. This is also a great book to recommend for nonfiction reading because it is true text, but it is not dry and boring. After reading this book, it was also fun to see what wishing traditions America has borrowed from other countries. It seems we borrowed the lucky penny idea from Rome and Russia, we borrowed the blowing dandelion idea from Ireland, and we have borrowed the making a wish on an eye lash from Mexico.

Rainbow Fish and the Big Blue Whale

Rainbow Fish and the Big Blue Whale is a sequel to the original Rainbow Fish. These books are excellent books to share with the primary grades because they teach good lessons young children need to know such as sharing and bullying. Though this book is intended for younger children, as an adult I was able to take a lesson out of it as well. The book explains how the whale's feelings got hurt because the small little fish were making fun of him. This reminds me that a younger, smaller, or less educated person can still hurt a person's feelings, just like the small little fish was able to hurt the whale's feelings. An example of this has occurred in my life. When I was volunteering with an elementary school student she got very frustrated with me and told me she did not want to work with me anymore. Even though she is a much younger elementary school student, I still was bothered by her comment. I realize the status of someone does not matter, anyone's feelings can still get hurt.

The Zoo

The Zoo by Suzy Lee is a great picture book that uses illustrations as well as some help from text to tell a story. This creative book is a story you definitely would want to go back and read one or two more times to make sure you get the whole story. The first time I read, I only paid attention to the text. There was not much text in the book, so all I found out was that a little girl and her family went to the zoo, and went to various animal exhibits. After going back and reading the story, I concentrated more on the intricate illustrations. I found out from the pictures that while the family is at the zoo, the parents loose their little girl. They look at all the exhibits and cannot find her, nor do they see animals in the exhibits. After paying attention to the little girl's balloon she was holding the whole time, I realized the girl imagines being in a open jungle with all the animals, and that is why the animals are not at their exhibit. At the end, I notices the little girl has fallen asleep on the bench, and was dreaming her imaginative animal scene. Furthermore, I enjoyed reading this book because it reminded me how exciting the zoo is when you are a little kid, but also how you appreciate even more when you visit it as an adult. This message is what I saw in the book, it was a good book to read for the first time, but if you revisit the book, you realize so much more depth to it.

Year of Impossible Goodbyes

Year of Impossible Goodbyes is a great novel that informs readers about the war, while also teaching them about the Korean culture. I thought it was very interesting to learn about traditions such as praying to Buddha, writing Chinese characters, and meditating. I am glad I got the opportunity to read this book, and also So Far from the Bamboo Grove. I think it is a great idea to give elementary students the opportunity to read both of these books because it exposes them to two different perspectives of WWII. It is important to show students that there is not always one side of a story. These books are great parallels of each other because it shows that both the Koreans and Japanese civilians suffered. These two books are also great resources to use in an elementary school class room because when students learn about WWII they usually get the eurocentric side. These books show that the war was effecting other countries besides Europe and America. I think it wold also be a great idea to do a comparison and contrast with the two books. There are many similarities between the books concerning their struggle for food, money, schooling type, and family. I overall enjoyed Year of Impossible Goodbyes; however, I liked So Far from the Bamboo Grove a bit more. Year of Impossible Goodbyes did not go into as much descriptive detail as So Far from the Bamboo Grove. I felt like I was captured by the emotion of Yoko's story more. I could picture how she specifically was thinking and feeling.

So Far from the Bamboo Grove

So Far from the Bamboo Grove by Yoko Kawashima Watkins is an excellent World War II novel. Sometimes learning about history from a text book can be a bit boring; however, I truly enjoyed learning about history through this novel because we were emotionally involved in a families story. I was captivated by Yoko because though she was stuck in the middle of a war, praying for her life everyday, we still saw the youthful innocence in her. We saw how Yoko would fight with her sister Ko, and would worry about the girls at her new school in Japan. One of the main reasons I enjoyed this book so much as well was because how important it framed family. For example, the mom did not want Hideyo to go fight in the war because she rather the family stay together, and Hideyo eventually agreed. He purposely failed his intelligence test to stay with his family. Also, Ko did such a wonderful job supporting and taking care of Yoko. The sister's relationship reminds me of the relationship I have with my sister Beth. We are so similar to these sisters because it seems like they had a strong relationship even before the war. I feel my sister and I have a great relationship, and it only gets stronger in times of need. I have obviously never experienced living through a war like the Kawashima sisters have, but I feel like we tend to become even closer when we have experienced difficult times in our lives. The first time we found out about our grandpa passing away, we were at college and could not come home till the next day. My sister Beth picked me up that night and took me to dinner. We reminisced about all the times we had with our grandpa. Though it was a very sad time in our life, I felt like me and my sister bonded and were brought closer together. As I have gotten older I have realized how important family is, and I am so glad that this book portrays that same message.

I Wish Daddy Didn't Drink so Much

I Wish Daddy Didn't Drink so Much by Judith Vigna is an interesting, controversial childrens picture book. The topic is a very serious issue about a girl who has a father who is an alcoholic. The book's intentions are obviously to make kids aware of the disease of being an alcoholic, and make other children feel like they are not the only ones who have a parent who is an alcoholic. This book is beneficial because at the end of the book it talks about how serious alcoholism is, and it gives some resources for people to turn to in order to get a loved one help. The one quam I had with this book was that it showed the mother as somewhat weak. I have never experienced having a father who was an alcoholic, but I understand that it is a difficult issue to deal with. However, it seemed like this book was giving the message that if you have an alcoholic parent, then there is nothing you can do. The book never mentioned getting the dad serious help, or having an intervention. The mom would let the dad treat the little girl bad becasue she was scared she probably would get hit or the little girl would get hit. Kids should know that if the issue is this serious, there are places to help parents get better. Kids need to know that there is hope, and know that their parents can change. I do not know if I would use this exact book to talk about alcoholism to young childen, but other books with the topic of alcoholism should be used to talk about this tough issue with children.

If Nathan Were Here

If Nathan Were Here by Mary Bahr is a controversial picture book on the topic of a young boy's death. Though there was a name of the boy used in the book, the book seems like many children would be able to relate to this book becasue there is no specific casue of the death mentioned in the book. The book just talks about the good times the children had with Nathan before he died, and the good times they would remember him by. This seems like it would be an excellent resource for a parent even to buy to read to their child, if they have expereinced a death of a good friend. they can read it with them, or let them read it theirselves and discuss with them how they feel. I have not expereinced losing a good friend at a young age, but I can imagine it would be difficult for the child to talk about it with their parents and their teachers. This book may help the child open up and talk to their parents or teacher becasue they will see that this same situation has happened to other kids.

The Most Important Thing

The Most Important Thing by Rhonda Roth is a picture book about the controversial topic of divorce. This topic is a challenging topic to discuss with kids, but it is something that should always be discussed openly with them. I like the way Rhonda Roth portrayed divorce as a sad thing, but the family would make sure not to make it a bad thing. Rhonda also made the book focused on how the little girl would always be loved, and that was the most important thing. I have come to realize after taking many elementary education classes that kids always have misconceptions of things. They have their own views built off of what they see from television, movies, books, friends, etc. Many kids will automatically assume that divorce is going to be a horrible thing where they are not loved, they do not see one of their parents again, or one of their parents will automatically become replaced. This book does an excellent job not showing the stereotypical divorce, but showing what really happens.

Kaddish for Grandpa in Jesus' Name Amen

Kaddish for Grandpa in Jesus' Name Amen is a picture book by James Howe that tells a story about how a little girl deals with the death of her grandpa. The little girl's grandpa is Christian; however, the little girl is Jewish because her mom is Jewish along with her dad who converted into Judaism. The family decides to have a Christian funeral for the grandpa, but they also had a smaller Jewish ceremony back at their house called the Kaddish. It seems in the book the girl likes remembering her grandpa in both religious ways, but actually prefers to remember him by looking at his glasses case. The glasses case reminds her of positive times she had reading books with him. I think this is an excellent book to show that it is nice to connect to a religion in times of grief, but that religion is not the only way to deal with a death. This story reminds me of how my family dealt with the death of my grandpa last year. My family is Jewish, but we do not keep up with every Jewish tradition or aspect of the religion. When my grandpa died I think we were all a little confused on what Jewish traditions to follow when there is a death. We wanted Judaism to be apart of the funeral process because my grandpa was pretty religious as well as my immediate family, but at times my family does not fully identify with the religion. We ended up having a Jewish funeral, but the days following we remembered my grandpa by spending time with family, and not doing any religious ceremonies. I believe this was the best way for my family to grieve.

And Tango Makes Three

And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell is not only an excellent source to use in the elementary school classroom to discuss students with same sex parents, but it is also a true story from the Central Park Zoo. Two penguins name Roy and Silo were a couple, and did not try to find a female mate. They were attached to each other, and spent all of their time together. They were even given a special gift of a penguin egg from the zoo keeper for them to hatch and take care of. I know this book is considered controversial and may be band in some areas, but I believe it is a book that definitely should be exposed to students starting at a young age. Students will be able to see that having same sex parents is part of nature. This book will help children understand that not only humans, but animals as well can have same sex parents. There is a little girl at the daycare/preschool I work at that has two moms. All of the other students have seen both of her moms, but as they get older they might start to wonder why the little girl does not classify into the group of kids with a mom and a dad. I am hoping to read this book and books similar to this book to the students so they can begin to comprehend that having same sex parents is very common, and they will see it in many aspects of life. Also, I think this book will help the other students respect the little girl's lifestyle. And Tango Makes Three is a great book to use to expose students so something new, and it also is a great book teachers could build a field trip off of since Tango and his family are still living at the Central Park Zoo.

Reflection of the class

Reading and Responding to Children's Literature is very different than any other class I have taken at the university of Iowa; however it is one of my favorites. I obviously enjoy reading since I am getting one of my endorsements in it; therefore, I have come to love this class since it is based on reading. I am so excited that I get a chance to be expose to so many great children's books. I actually feel this class is preparing me for my profession in the future. I am learning so many great genres and authors I was never exposed to before. I am aware of so many different types of books that I would never consider reading before, like graphic novels and wordless books. Reading many of the books I have read as a child brings back wonderful memories of when I was learning to read as well. Furthermore, I have really enjoyed responding to the books we have been reading through our blogs. I believe this is a great idea because it is staying current with the present ways of communicating. The internet is a technology that is also being highly incorporated in the elementary classroom, so I believe it is important we all begin to feel comfortable using it. Moreover, Blogging our responses is more informal than writing a document on microsoft word, which I believe is a benefit. I feel more comfortable opening up and sharing my personal stories that relate to the literature we are reading. If I was writing in a microsoft document I fear I may be less likely to share my feelings. I would feel I need to stay very formal, and not say what I truly mean. I overall have enjoyed reading the children's books throughout this class, and I really enjoy blogging my opinions about them.

The Misfits- part one

The Misfits by James Howe is a chapter book that I have read previously in my 5th grade class; however, I am so happy I got the opportunity to read it again. The first time I was read this book I did not truly listen to the words or fully understand what was going on. After reading the first part of the book again, I began to get a feel for what I would be taking out of the book. One major idea that has crossed my mind as I read the book was that it is important to accept people for who they are. Everybody is going to have different physical looks, thoughts, preferences, etc., and that is just one aspect that makes that person special. A few people who I believe should be a role model of acceptance are children's parents. In the story so far Joe's parents are overly accepting of who he is. They do not question why he played dress up with his mom's clothes, or why he played with dolls, or why he paints his pinky finger unique colors. Joe knows they probably assume he is gay, but do not pressure him to come out, nor pressure him to be more "manly". Unconditional acceptance from parents is important and especially when a child is in middle school. I remember being in middle school and the horrible feelings that go along with it. When I was in 6th grade I remember being unusually tall for my age. Since boys at this age are very immature, they would always call me names that would hurt my feelings. At times I felt like I was an outsider, and just wished to be average height like everyone else. Though I would initially react by being unhappy with myself, I was lucky to have parents that encouraged me to be happy with who I was. My parents reassured me that it is good to be different, and that everyone has some quality about them that is different, it just was not as apparent as my height. At times it was hard to hear what my parents were saying because the ridiculing did not go away, but it felt good to know that I had people in my life that love me. Moreover, it makes me happy to see that the characters in the book have accepting parents because when it comes down to it, that is the opinion that usually matters the most.

We Just Moved

We Just Moved by Stephen Krensky was a very enjoyable book to read because the words and the illustrations in the book tell two separate stories. The words are telling a simple story about a little boy moving to a new town, and getting adjusted to his new house, friends, and neighborhood. The illustrations are telling a story about a little bout moving from a castle to an even bigger castle. He has to get used to having an alligator as a pet, knight armor as toys, playing games on horses, fairy tale characters as friends, and secret hiding places in his basement. I think this is a great book for kids to relate to when they are moving to a new town. Though the pictures in the book are not going to be something kids are experiencing, I think they symbolize how different kids perceive the new town they just moved to. The fairytale like scene the boy sets up reminds me of how different I thought the town of Mundelein, Illinois was when I moved there from West Des Moines, Iowa. I was so content with my life in Iowa, so when I had to change every aspect of my life, it almost did feel like I was imagining it like a fairytale. In my new class room, all of the students were more advanced in math than I was. I felt like long division was foreign to me. They also participated in games at recess that I never heard of such as Butts Up. The friends I would meet did not remind of my friends from Iowa. And the toys that were popular in Iowa like beanie babies were definitely not popular in Illinois. Even though the new parts of my life I was being introduced to were not scenes from a fairytale, I felt like they were because they were so foreign to me.

Mr. Noisy

Mr. Noisy by Rozanne Lanczak is about an old man that is well known in his neighborhood. He is known by his tendencies to make a large amount of noise when is walking, driving, dancing, talking, and singing, and riding his bike. Someone in his community tells him to be quiet, so Mr. Noisy stops making his regular amount of loud noise. This was apart of who he was, so it seems he becomes sad when he is told to stop. His town misses his cheerful personality, and realizes the noise is not that bad. Mr. Noisy eventually goes back to being his old loud self at the end. The message that stuck out to me in this story is that you can try to change someone, but it may result in making them unhappy. Sometimes people are content with the way they are. I can relate to this message with an experience I had with my friend freshman year. I was good friends with this girl from my hometown. As soon as we went to college together, I realized we were a lot more different from each other than I thought. My goal in college was to concentrate on my studies, and excel in school; however, I was aware that college is a wonderful experience besides just school. I wanted to make an effort to meet great friends, go to university events, and just take advantage of what Iowa offers. I figured my friend had the same goals in mind, but I ended up being upset when she did not make time for anything but school. Freshman year I tried to change her by convincing her to be more social and get involved in things I was doing with my new friends. I was quite bitter when she was not interested in things I was doing. After a year I have finally realized that not everyone is going to have the same priorities. I realized you can try to change someone, but they ultimately will not be happy. I am happy my friend stayed strong and kept her priorities straight because if she changed for me, she would probably be very unhappy now.

Arthur Tricks the Tooth Fairy

The picture book Arthur Tricks the Tooth Fairy by Marc Brown is a great book for beginner readers to practice reading. The main point to this book is that D.W. looks up to her older brother Arthur and wants to be just like him. He losses his first tooth and the tooth fairy comes, so she wants the same thing to happen to her. She is too young to naturally loose a tooth, so she goes to great measures to find an animal tooth from the museum and hope that the tooth fairy will still come. Being the great brother Arthur is, he secretly puts a dollar under D.W.'s bed so she thinks the tooth fairy came. The idea of wanting to be just like your older sibling seems like a quality of many younger siblings, including me. I have a sister who is two years older than me named Beth. When we were little kids I wanted to take part in everything that she did. When she was in 4th grade she got really interested in the Goosebump books by R.L. Stine. I would hear her constantly talking about these books with her friends and raving how scary they were to read. Even though I was in 2nd grade, I wanted to read these chapter books so bad because I was jealous my sister and all her friends were bragging about them. I decided for my next book report to steal a Goosebump book from my sisters room, read it, and do a book report on it. Luckily, in 2nd grade you do not get letter grades, or I probably would have got an F on my book report. My teacher pulled me aside and talked to me about picking books to read that fit my current reading level. Since then, I have realized I may not be ready to do everything my sister is doing just like D.W. was not ready to do what Arthur was doing.

Going to the Firehouse

Going to the Firehouse by Mercer Mayer is a short picture book about a class going to visit a firehouse. The little boy is so excited to see the firehouse because when he gets older he wants to be a firefighter as well. The kids in the class get a first hand look at the dog at the firehouse, the ladder, the firefighter pole, the fire engine, and the hose. The idea of having a class of young children visit a fire station is a great idea. I work at a preschool and we have had a few fireman actually come to the school and give a presentation on fires. Field trips or presentations likes these are so beneficial for young children. The class I work with consists of 3 year olds. I do not think they actually understand the whole concept of fires, and what firefighters do. I even think the kids were slightly scared of the firefighters at the beginning because they arrived in their full firefighting gear. As they began their presentation, they slowly took off their gear and explained the significance of each article of clothing. By the end of the presentation they were in a normal set of clothes. I think the process of taking off their uniform showed the students that the firefighters are people to turn to when in need of help, but not too fear them in their uniform. be They are actually normal people underneath their scary outfit. The kids were able to touch all of the articles of the uniform. The firefighters also modeled what to do if they were on fire, and had a student come up and model it as well. By the end of the presentation I believe these kids were able to grasp how important firefighters are, and not to fear them if they see them in a real emergency. I was so thankful that these students got a personal experience with a firefighter in a positive setting, because usually kids will never get to talk to them unless there is an emergency.

Best Friends Wear Pink Tutus

Best Friends Wear Pink Tutus by Sheri Brownrigg is a picture book about two best friends. These girls are in ballet together and love wearing their pink tutus everywhere. They even wear it when they are at school, roller skating, or going shopping. These two girls have such a close bond, but they almost let something pity like a lead role in the Nutcracker get in the middle of their friendship. At the end of the book they realize what is more important to them, and both decide to be the snowflakes in the play. This role works best for them because they get to be friends again, and even wear their pink tutus. The idea from the book of not letting something unimportant get in the way of a wonderful friendship reminds me of a time in my life. My best friend Jenny and I have been best friends for quite awhile. Our friendship has strongly developed as we began high school and realized we have so many things in common. Whether it was going to Starbucks on Saturday afternoons, supporting each other at a cheerleading or dance competitions, baking at each other's houses, traveling to her step dad's house in South Carolina, or going on a cruise with my family senior year, we have had the best of times together. Jenny is someone I know I was going to stay best friends with for the rest of my life. When it was time for us to decide what college we were going to be attending, I was confused how we would stay so close when she would be at Colorado State and continue to live in Colorado with her dad in the summers, while I would be at the University of Iowa and be back to Illinois for the summers. During our freshman year of college we could have let distance dissolve our friendship. We both were aware of how easy it would be to slowly fade out contact with each other. But just like the little girls in the book, we did not want to let something get in the middle of such a strong relationship. We made sure to talk on the phone at least once a week. Just talking on the phone we knew was not going to be enough, so we would send each other small packages just to remind the other that we were thinking of them. I even had a nice enough dad to let Jenny stay with us over the summers so we could spend time doing the things we love together. We both came to the conclusion that it is not worth letting something get in the middle of such a wonderful friendship.

Love that Dog

Love that Dog by Sharon Creech was one of the most interesting novels I have ever read. The whole story is written in poem form. Though it is a children's novel, I believe there are many underlying themes that can pertain to an adult's life as well. A few of the messages I got from the book were that there should not be a certain gender role expectation that girls or boys feel they should follow. Also, that there are wonderful resources such as poetry writing that can help alleviate pain. I find it ironic because these two messages that spoke to me in this novel were two of the messages I believe my senior year AP Literature teacher, Mr. Jordan. wanted us to take out of his class. Mr. Jordan was an excellent teacher who first introduced these messages to me in depth. Mr. Jordan wanted us to be aware of gender role expectations, so we read and analyzed The Doll House. I am so thankful that I was apart of such meaningful conversation about gender role expectation because that is an issue I think people subconsciously do, but can ultimately have negative consequences. The knowledge I have learned about gender role expectation is something I want to make sure I practice in my class room as a future teacher. I want my kids to be aware that it is ok for boys to enjoy writing and put emotion into it, or for girls to enjoy science fiction books. Furthermore, Mr. Jordan did an excellent job exemplifying how writing can be therapeutic. He even had us do some writings whether it was prose or poetry about something that has caused us pain. I remember that year growing apart from my best friend. I felt confused and upset a lot of my senior year because I felt like there was some part of me missing. The writing activities Mr. Jordan had us do help me release my emotions. Though, I was not able to solve my problem, it was soothing to write about it, just like the little boy in Love that Dog wrote about his dog Sky dieing.

You Read to Me, I'll Read to You: Very Short Fairy Tales to Read Together

The fairy tale addition of You Read to Me, I'll Read to You is a spruced up version of several well known fairy tales. The unique part of this book is that it is meant to read with another person. There are two different characters supposed to be reading marked by different colors. The middle column is for the characters to read together. This style of book is an exciting approach to reading. It also encourages children to read with someone which is important because it shows the child that friends or family members value reading. Also, at the end of each short fairy tale story it has the two characters resolving their initial problem, and reading with each other the fairy tale book they are developed from. This book is a creative way to get struggling children interested in reading. This book demonstrates that reading does not have to be the typical words on a page with a picture. Reading is found in a wide range of material such as: picture books, magazines, poems, graphic novels, chapter books, wordless books, brochures, internet websites, etc. As a child I enjoyed reading, but at times I would get bored with it. My parents bought me a few Disney books that had sound applications on the side panel. The sounds were used to help tell the story. I thought this was a very clever idea for my parents to buy for me. When I was little I never thought I was reading, I had so much fun with the sounds that I thought of the book more as a toy. Creative books like my Disney books or the You Read to Me, I'll Read to You series are excellent reading sources that can help make reading fun for children.

In the Night Kitchen

In the Night Kitchen is a very clever story written by Maurice Sendak, the famous author who wrote the book we all love, Where the Wild Things Are. This story is about a little boy, Mickey who dreams that he flies through the air naked into the kitchen where bakers are making a cake. They make a Micky Cake for Mickey, but they realize they do not have milk. Mickey flies to the Milky Way and finds milk to pour into the cake. Then, he assumes there is cake in the morning because he helped the bakers make it. This imaginative story reminds me of a book that I would have loved as a little girl, and not because I thought it was funny or silly. I know I would have loved this book because it references baking. Since I can remember, I have had a strong passion for baking. I remember on my 4th or 5th birthday getting an easy bake oven. My sister and I had a blast making and eating the individual baked goods. We were so proud that we were able to bake because we always thought of it is a grown up job. I began to love baking so much that my mom signed me up for a baking class for 5 year olds. I even would check out children's cook books at the library, and bake with my mom. Till this day I still enjoy baking with my mom and sister. It is a hobby we love to do, and I feel it has brought my family closer together.

Picasso and Minou

Picasso and Minou by P.I. Maltbie is an excellent book based off of Pablo Picasso's true life story. The book is about Pablo Picasso originally only able to paint in blue, sad colors because he is depressed from losing a good friend. His paintings were so sad and gloomy that no one wanted to buy them, but Picasso could not paint anything else. All his artist friends kept telling Picasso to just paint something happy, and his artwork would sell. Picasso was not able to paint happy things because he had no inspiration. His cat, Minou introduces him to a happy, generous circus that share their food and bring joy to Picasso. Picasso is so thankful that he is inspired by the cat and circus to paint warmer, happier paintings using reds and pinks. This book is such an excellent education tool because it tells a great story while revealing many true facts about Pablo Picasso, such as his blue and rose period. The meaning behind this book seems to be that you cannot do something you are not inspired by just because other people want you to do it. I feel like this theme has been woven through out my life in college. I feel as if friends, family friends, and even the media has influenced me to study a major that will produce a plentiful salary for me. Though it is wonderful to feel comfortable with money, and not have to stress about budgeting, it is not worth it if you are unhappy with your career. I chose to study elementary education because I have found a passion for it. I have experienced a wonderful teacher that has inspired me to become a teacher. I look forward in the future to making an impact in my student's life, and maybe even inspiring them to be a teacher as well. I am truly excited about this field of study, and I morally believe I should not change my major just because the influence of others.

The Magic School Bus At the Waterworks

The book At the Waterworks from the series The Magic School Bus written by Joanna Cole is a fun educational, science picture book. The stories from The Magic School Bus series are about a elementary class that Mrs. Frizzle teaches. Mrs. Frizzle is a very strange teacher that teaches her class about science in very interesting ways. In this particular book she brings her students on an imaginary trip through the water works. Though these trips are imaginary, I think the goal of these series is to show that science is truly an exciting subject, and can be taught in many unique ways that students will enjoy. Mrs. Frizzle has always reminded me of my 5th grade teacher Mr. Gange. Though we never went on crazy trips through the water works or the human body, he still developed science lessons that were very unique and a blast for all the students to be involved in. He first off incorporated science in very simple ways like covering his desk with science gadgets that we were allowed to play with during indoor recess. Also, when we were learning about how to take good observations, we got to make and play with a substance called ooblick. I always will remember how to take good observations because playing with the ooblick has stuck in my mind. Mr. Gange developed lessons with the goal of teaching his students, but also for us to explore and have fun. One other major experience with Mr. Gange that reminds me of Mrs. Frizzle is our field trip we took to a children's museum. We were learning about the organs of the human body in the class, so we went to a museum that had a bunch of replicas of the human heart. There were mazes, puzzles, jungle gyms, and many more apparatuses children could first hand experience that represented the human heart. This experience was one of my favorite field trips, and I even felt like I learned something when I left.

The New Girl

The New Girl by Jacqui Robins is a wonderful picture book that explains a feeling that I believe is common to almost anyone. The book begins with a girl named Shakeeta going to her first day at a brand new school. The teacher explains to her class that they should make Shakeeta feel at home. The problem is none of the students go out of their way to try and be Shakeeta's friend. The kids make fun of her name, do not show her around the school, and even do not include her in their game of soccer which proceeds to make her cry. There is one little girl named Mia who wants to reach out and be her friend, but she does not know how to go about starting a friendship. She realizes Shakeeta has an iguana, and Mia is interested in iguanas as well. Mia uses that common interest to talk to Shakeeta and they become great friends. The feeling Shakeeta had of not belonging is a common feeling many people experience, and not just as a elementary school student. My first few weeks at the University of Iowa remind me of a difficult time when I truly felt like I did not belong. I joined a sorority the first week of college. There were a group of girls from my dorm that I immediately starting hanging out with because it was conveinent since we were in the same sorority, and we lived so close. These girls were very nice; however, i felt as if I had nothing in common with them. I began to feel left out and that I did not belong. All I could think about is there is no reason to force a friendship with people you do not feel comfortable with, and cannot be yourself. A few days after I was convinced I did not belong with the group of girls, and maybe not even at the University, one of my best friends now came to my dorm room and introduced herself to me. She said her name was Abby and was going to watch Desperate Housewives, and wanted to see if I would watch it with her. I realized it was ok not to be best friends with everyone in my sorority, and was able to develop a great group of friends with Abby. Abby and my friendship reminds me of Mia and Shakeeta's friendship. We both found a common interest, and became great friends ever since!

Junie B., First Grader Toothless Wonder

Junie B., First Grader Toothless Wonder written by Barbra Park is a contemporary realistic fiction chapter book. The book was about Junie B. Jones loosing her first top tooth and all the worries that went along with it. She was really excited to be the first person in her class to loose her tooth, but then she worries she will look crazy or a totally different person and people were make fun of her. She also is confused who the tooth fairy is, what she does with the teeth, and why. Reading this book reminded me that at times people may wish we were young again, but I think we forget that young children still have worries. As adults we may think children's worries are petty, but thinking back to being a child, children what is going on is the worst thing in the world. I remember as a child in elementary school I use to worry if I had the latest toy that was popular. Though this may sound like it is not important, kids can be very rude when you do not fit in even when you are young. I felt when I was young, there would be some new toy that was the "cool thing" every month and it was very hard to keep up. It went from giga pets, to pogs and slammers, to gameboy nintendos. I remember the feelings when all your classmates have the toy, and are all talking about it, and you begin to feel very left out. Overall, though Junie B. Jones books are directed towards 2nd-4th graders, I think it is very simple for any age person to relate to this book.

I Miss you Everyday

I Miss You Everyday by Simms Taback is a very creative way to show how a little girl misses someone she loves so much. She never says who she actually misses which I think makes the story very unique because a child can read the book and be able to relate to the story. Though this story is about a little girl missing somebody, it reminded me of how much I missed my friends from home when I first went to college. It was very exciting to meet new people, and create new memories with friends, but I still felt there was something missing. I have such a close bond with my high school girl friends, and it was very hard to separate when we all went to different colleges. There is a unique comfortability level as well being with friends who know you so well. Since we all missed each other so much, we decided to set up an "I miss you package". We had a list with all seven of our names on it. The first person started and would send a package to anyone on the list and cross their name off. Then that person would send a package to someone else on the list, and it kept going till everyone received a package. This was a great way to keep in touch and show our appreciation for each other. The package was exciting because we had to include something that represented our new college, a favorite candy, and something that represented the other person. It was so exciting to finally get the package in the mail and see what we got. Overall, if you are young are old there will always be a time when you miss someone, and sometimes it helps to be creative.

We Wanted You

We Wanted You by Liz Rosenberg is a story told by a mom and dad telling their child about the adoption process and how much they wanted their baby, and how much they still do. Though I have never experienced the adoption process, this book reminds me that it is so important for parents to remind their children how much they love them. And they also need to show they love them. Just because a child was not adopted, does not mean that they will automatically feel loved. As a child and till this day, my parents have done a great job of displaying love for me. They make me feel that their love is unconditional. They want me to set high goals and succeed in everything I do; however, they do not put pressure on me when I make mistakes. They set limits and rules for me to show that they care about my safety and my life in general. They are involved in my life in every way they can. When I was younger my mom was a room parent in elementary school, my parents have been to every cheerleading, gymnastics, or dance competition I have ever been in, and they now come to visit me at college as often as possible. They show their love by being invested in my life. I know I would not have developed into such a confident, determined, loving person if they have no shown love to me.

Before you were Mine

Before you were Mine by Maribeth Boelts is a book that has a wonderful message. The story discusses what a little boy thinks happened to his puppy before he adopted him from an animal shelter. By having the boy discuss where his puppy came from, it explains to little kids reading the book that it is a good to adopt animals from shelters. The book explains that adopted dogs may have had a family before that abused them, not given them enough food, or enough love. Adopting a dog is such a great thing to do as well because many shelters have a kill policy if the shelter gets over populated. Adopting a dog is something my family has actually experienced, and we are so thankful we did. When I was two years old we adopted an Alaskan Malamute named Lady. When we got her she was two years old as well, and not trained at all. She was very protective of herself because she was abused as a puppy. It was apparent she was not given any love by her previous owners because she was not a friendly dog. Though this sounds like a horrible, experience, it was not by any means. We took her into our home and showed her our warmth and love. Over a year she transformed into our best friend. Her character totally changed. We are so thankful we decided to adopt from an animal shelter because Lady could have lived her life as a grumpy dog, but instead she became loved by our family. She was happy, and she made us happy too.

Say Hello

Say Hello by Michael and Jack Foreman is a contemporary realistic fiction story book. This book is interesting to me because though there are only a few words on each page, the illustrations are still able to add to the story and make it more detailed. The illustrations are also done in what looks like crayon which gives the images texture. Furthermore, what I got out of this book was the concept of "pay it forward". This concept means that someone does a kind deed to you, and then you pass it on and do a kind deed to someone else in need. I saw this idea happening in the book with the dog and the little boy. The dog in the book was lonely, did not have a home, or any friends. Some children playing basketball took him in, and invited him to play with them on the playground, and the dog immediately looked grateful. Later we see a boy who feels lonely because he does not have anyone to play with. The dog goes over to the lonely boy with a red ball in his mouth, showing that he wants the lonely boy to play with them. The good deed is passed on. The concept of "pay it forward" reminds me of our pledge daughter system in my sorority. As a freshman you are matched with a sophomore so they can guide you through the year, make you feel comfortable at the university and the sorority, and to gain a new friend. When I was a freshman my pledge mom helped me find my classes on the first day of school, she would pick me up to eat meals at our sorority house, and and was there for me whenever I needed a friend. I was so thankful I had someone to help me, so I knew how important it was for me to be a great pledge mom as well. I wanted to pay the good deed that was done to me forward.

Witches Don't Do Backflips

Witches Don't do Backflips by Debbie Dadey and Marcia Thornton Jones is a part of the series The Adeventures of the Bailey School Kids. This chapter book is about the four students Eddie, Howie, Melody, and Liza. The adventure they encounter in this story is trying to figure out if their gymnastics teacher, Miss Brewbaker is a witch. Eddie explains at the beginning of the book that he does not want to go to gymnastics class, so it seems he finds any excuse to bash the class. When he sees his gymnastics teacher has a rather large nose, a black cat, and a broom he tries to convince all his friends she is a witch as well. Basically, Eddie is convinced Miss Brewbaker is someone she is not. As a young kid, I think this mistake is commonly made. Kids get caught up in stereotypes and assumptions, and they forget to see the good in a person. This incident happened to me when I was beginning 4th grade. In the summer before 4th grade we found out who our teacher was at an ice cream social. When I found out my teacher was Mr. A all my friends scared me and told me he was the scariest teacher. We all saw him crack apples in the lunch room with one hand, and chew chalk so I was terrified to be in his class. As the year began I was scared to raise my hand in class, or even go to his desk to ask questions. I ended up being a bit confused in the class because I let the stereotypes of Mr. A get to me. That is when I made myself ask him for help on a long division problem during math time. We began talking and I found out he is a very compassionate teacher, he just has some quirky behaviors. This book along with my 4th grade teacher teaches children that there are times you will think people are someone they are not; however, it is important to get to know someone, and not to automatically judge them.

The Top Job

The Top Job by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel is children's picture book about career day at a little girl's elementary school. All the students in the class are sharing the interesting jobs their parents have like jeweler, race car driver, and UFO hunter. The little girl is nervous to share what her father does because she is nervous all the students would not think it is exciting since he was just a handyman. As she begins to explain the light bulb changing adventure she went on with her dad, she realizes all the other students are really interested in her story. She learns there are exciting aspects in everyones job. Her dad's interesting aspect was changing the light bulb at the top of the Empire State Building. What I got out of this story is that people can find good in things they would never expect. An example of this in my life is when my grandfather passed away last year. Though it was horrible that he passed away, my family was able to find the positive in the situation. When my grandfather was alive, him and my grandmother hardly ever left their house. They were very stable with money, yet he never let my grandmother spend anything. They never went out to eat, they never traveled, and they especially never socialized with friends. Basically, they left the house just to see family occasionally. Since my grandfather has passed, my grandmother now travels with my family, has tried many new restaurants, and even is in a senior citizen aerobics class. It is very sad that he passed, but my grandmother is living a much healthier life.

Me and my Bike

Me and my Bike by Ander is a unique story about a boy who wishes for things he does not have like a bike. I would describe this story as unique because it has a few different main ideas happening throughout the book, but are not all connected. The boy is given a tea cup but is told by his grandfather it is a magic lamp that children can only wish on. The story further goes on to tell how the little boy wants a new bike and wishes for it from the magic lamp. He then talks about how he thinks his friends do not really like him, they just like to make fun of him. The boy later realizes that he rather just get a new set of crayons instead of a new bike. He uses his last wish to, "grow up fast, but not get too old soon". Though many of the ideas and events in the book do not really flow well together, I think it was done to show how the mind of a little kid thinks. As a young adult it is hard for me to relate to this book; however, the way the book is written reminds of the way I would think as a young girl. Little kids get stimulated by so many small little things. It is easy for them to get off track, get distracted, and change their mind quite frequently. The book is similar to how my mind would work if I was around age 5. A day in my life at age 5 would consist of me thinking about something really cool I saw on television advertised like the Doodle Bear. I would ask my mom for it all morning, but my obsession would totally change once I arrived at kindergarten. I would see that one of my friends had a Beanie Baby and my mind would be hooked on that. After thinking awhile about which Beanie Baby I would ask for when I got home, my teacher would say it is color time. My mind would then switch to drawing what me and my best friend were going to do that afternoon. My thoughts were never focused as a young girl, and that is why it seems to me that this book was written from the point of view of a young child.

Me and my Bike

Night of the Moon

The children's story Night of the Moon by Hena Khan is of the best children's stories I have read because it educated me about a Muslim holiday I knew nothing about. I believe the author was aware that many of the readers were not educated about the Muslim holidays, so she thoughtfully included a glossary of Muslim words in the back. The story introduced me to the holiday Ramadan and the phases of the moons that are apart of the holiday. The story explained that during the month of Ramadan adults fast during the day, and can only eat at sundown. I learned that the reasons for fasting were God, and self-discipline. Though I am not Muslim, nor celebrate Ramadan, the story reminded me of the holiday Yum Kippur from the Judaism religion. This holiday my family celebrates has many similarities to Ramadan. During Yum Kippur all adults are supposed to fast from sundown to sundown. The meaning behind fasting is to repent for forgiveness from God for all your sins you had that year. Both of the religions are taking part of a fasting to show some form of self-strength to God. At the end of both of the holidays there is a large feast celebrated with family. This book was overall interesting to me because it explains a holiday from a religion that many Americans may not practice, yet many people can probably relate to it in some unique way.