A yam and a donkey cannot seem to make themselves understood to the other. The yam’s frustration escalates as the donkey does not seem to grasp the point the yam is trying to make.  Cute illustrations add to the humor of the story. Younger students are unlikely to appreciate the point being made with the grammatical corrections, but older students will still enjoy the humor in the story line and illustrations.

While the story fixates on a couple of grammatical mistakes, the strength of the book is in reminding students that grammatical errors change the meaning of writing.  For teachers or peer editors the story is a reminder that correcting a grammatical error does not mean it will not be repeated if the writer does not understand the error.

This seek-and-find book uses repetition, color, pattern, and size to engage readers on a hunt for animals big and small.  Directions for each search is provided in a large spot of a contrasting color. The majority of the pages require deciphering and comprehending the language as the reader must search and spot animals that are swimming upstream, climbing, quiet., or don’t belong in this forest.

Created by Swedish artist Laura Ljungkvist.  This book is a fun alternative for fans of seek-and-find books.

The animals in this silly story try to convince the reader not to close the book and trap them inside in the dark.  As the book progresses and the animals’ anxiety over the approach of the last page increases, calmer reasons escalate to begging.   The combination of simple text and pictures work together on a black background to build an argument for leaving the book open.

This book follows the book In Warning: Do Not Open This Book! where the authors’ entreat the readers not to let the animals escape.  Used together, these books can be used to support young writers as they explore point of view in persuasive arguments.

In a blend of fiction and non-fiction, this book follows a family for 175 years over two continents.  Starting in Germany in the 1850s, the Peters family makes the difficult choice to emigrate to the United States.  The book describes the forces behind the decision to emigrate, the departure, the sea voyage, the Mississippi River, the wagon train, and establishing a farm with both historical information and fictionalized characters.  Skimming forward five generations, the story quickly reaches the present day when the interracial Peters family investigates their family’s past through pictures, family artifacts and online research.  This American family then travels full circle as they discover and explore their ancestral roots in Germany.  An engaging story, this book effectively communicates the magnitude of the historical journey to a farm in the central United States.  The establishment of farm, however, lacks the depth of detail and accuracy found in the description of the journey.  The encounter with Native Americans in the first year on the farm fails to recognize that the Peters were part of the influx that displaced the Native populations.  The hardship of establishing a homestead are also minimalized when the sod house of the first year is replaced within a year with a wooden house, barns, orchard and garden.

Originally published in German and translated by Susi Woofter.  All and all, good choice for young children to inspire them to investigate their family heritage and genealogy.

When their family moves to a farm, Luke, Ellie, and Joey find an old car in the shed.  Too busy to take it to the dump, their dad moves it out under a tree and tells the kids they can play with it “for the time being.”  The car is transformed through imagination and creative play into a sailing ship, vehicle for the queen in a parade, a Mount Everest basecamp and more.  When the farm’s previous owner comes to visit, the children are concerned about the car’s deteriorating condition, but Mrs. Crosby just “smiled and smiled.”  Over tea she shares stories and pictures of all that the car had been for her.  To the children, her stories are just as amazing as the ones their imaginations had created.  Told in first person, this lovely book shows that stories and imagination transcend generations.

Pom Pom wakes up on the wrong side of the bed and nothing seems to go right.  He can’t find his blanket, his brother is playing with his favorite toy, his cereal is soggy and it goes on and on with Pom Pom responding with “Harrumph!” to everything and everyone around him.  Finally Pom Pom yells at his friends on the school playground to, “Go, away!” and is surprised when they do. Pom Pom realized that isn’t really what he wants.  Finally the acceptance of his apology turns Pom Pom’s day around, that is until he’s tagged by his friend Buddy in a game of tag. “Harrumph.”

Pom Pom’s scowl and posture clearly reinforce his grumps.  This is a good choice for young children learning to recognize their feelings and the consequences of their behaviors.

Simon the dog is surprised with a new bed and knows that after his walk he’ll have “the best nap of his life.”  With bone in mouth, he enters the room only to find Adora Belle the Siamese cat has already settled in his new bed. Polite requests, barking, begging – nothing seems to work.  Simon finally settle for a compromise and shares his first nap in his new bed.  The charming illustrations clearly show Adora’s sly looks and Simon’s joys and frustrations.  This is a fun, sweet choice for pet owners and siblings that shows the benefits of compromise.

This book provides an engaging graphic description of the sport of hockey that includes timelines, graphs, maps, and diagrams.  Hockey’s increasing popularity, rules, players, equipment and game statistics are all part of this visual guide. Each two page spread includes clear headings, easy to read captions, and a descriptive paragraph in addition to the inforgraphic. Occasionally the graphics interfere with the content being communicated, though overall the book is a positive example of this format.

Contains table of contents, glossary, further information, and index.  The table of contents is organized in a circle making it misleading and difficult to follow.

This translation of the Korean original uses simple yet rich text to describe the water cycle.  The story and images create a cycle of their own using a young girl in a red dress to follow the water from one page to the next. The illustrations are simple yet charming.  Includes questions and an activity.  The book focuses more on the story than the science as it is lacking a table of contents, glossary, or index.  A pleasant read to introduce the water cycle or as an extension on a rainy day.

Shaken Up is part of The Kicks series by Olympic Gold Medalist, FIFA Women’s World Cup Champion and US Women’s National Soccer Team member Alex Morgan.  The series holds obvious appeal for young girl athletes.  The main character, Devin is a middle school soccer player beset with friend, crush, and self-confidence issues typical of that age.  As a new resident of California, she is “freaked out” when a earthquake hits and it affects her ability to cope with both soccer team rivalries and the challenges of middle school life.  The story resolves with her on top in the friend, crush, and soccer drama.

The content is more appropriate for a middle school audience, but the simple plot and “cute” cover is a better fit for younger grades.  While this is definitely a recreational read, it could easily be used in the classroom as an example for writers to “write what you know.”