It's a Spoon Not a Shovel

It's a Spoon, Not a Shovel
By Caralyn Buehner
publisher/date: Puffin 1995
# of pages: 30
reading level: ages 4-8
genre: nonfiction




Summary:

this book teaches all about manners. it's put in a format so that it's like a quiz. all the characters are animals, so it's put into a fun context. it teaches please, thank you, excuse me, i'm sorry, forgiving, you're welcome, intros, table manners, phone manners, and common courtesies. also, all the pictures have hidden clues which is also fun.

Who benefits?

anyone will benefit from reading this book. this is a good book for children to learn their manners. it covers a lot of different aspects of manners and etiquette.

what problems could come from this book?

i don't find any problems with this book. it's informational, and about ways to improve people's manners.


My reaction:

i like this book. i think it's clever the way that they use animals to make manners and etiquette more fun to learn about. i like also the way it's put in a quiz form so that you can measure your manners. my favorite part of the book is the way that the answers are put into the pictures. i really liked this book.

The Math Wiz

The Math Wiz
By Betsy Duffey
Publisher/Date: The Trumpet Club
# of pages: 67
reading level: 3
genre: fiction



Summary:

Marty Malone is a math wiz. he did his first math problem when he was four years-old. when he's in third grade, he has to go to a new school. he's wonderful at math, but horrible at P.E. he always get chosen last for teams, and he isn't very good at sports. He tries to solve his P.E. problem using math. he gets the idea to use his father's ace bandage to wrap his leg so it looks like he is hurt. that way, he will be excused from participation. however, his plan doesn't work out very well. the bandage is loose and ends up falling off. worst of all, the gum he used to make it stick gets stuck on the bottom of the principal's shoe! then he tries to think of a different plan. in math class, he's the first one who finishes his timed subtraction test. after he's done, he goes to work on his new P.E. equation. he wants to change some part of it to get a different answer. then his thoughts are interrupted by his teacher. she's asking him for the next answer. he is lost, but a girl in the class helps him out. after the class is finished checking the answers, the teacher picks up all the worksheets to grade them. she accidentally picks up Marty's P.E. equation. he's scared he'll get into trouble for it, and he worries about it throughout the class. then a note gets passed to him right as the bell rings. he decides to wait to read it. he gets his papers from the teacher and is expecting to get into trouble. instead, he finds that his teacher has written him a note saying that he could change the equation to include a friend. then P.E. might be better for him. she also gives him a flyer for the math picnic so he can find a friend there. he's excited about that. he also finds out that the note is from Billy who's also bad in P.E. the next day in P.E. Marty is chosen to be a team captain. as his first choice, he picks Billy, and they become friends.

Who benefits from reading this book?

I think a lot of kids will be able to relate well to this book. every kid has his/her challenges in school. everyone is different and has different talents. so anyone who needs to realize that they are special for their individual talent would benefit from reading this book.

What problems could this book create?

I don't see how this book could cause any problems. it's a pretty uplifting story. i think people will be able to relate and benefit more from reading this book than have problems after reading it.

My reaction:

I thought this book was cute. i liked how the solution to his P.E. problem was to find a friend. i think a lot of kids will be able to understand where Marty is coming from. it's hard when you're the worst at something. however, everyone is good at something. like Marty was good at math. i thought it was fun that he found a friend who was also good at math. this was a good easy book, and i'd recommend it.

My Father's Dragon

My Father's Dragon
By Ruth Stiles Gannett
Publisher/date:Random house 1948
# of pages: 77
reading level: 3
genre: fantasy


Summary:

the father of whoever is talking is the main character. it starts with him meeting a cat that he takes in and feeds against his mother's wishes. then he runs away to find a dragon so he can fly. the cat tells him about Wild Island and how to get there to find the dragon. the boy stows away to get to to island. there he finds tangerines to eat. he then meets several different animals. all of them don't want him to be there, and they want to eat him. however, he uses the things in his pack to distract them so he can escape. for example, he gives gum to the tigers, toothpaste to the rhino, ribbons to the lion, suckers to the alligators, etc. throughout the whole thing, the boars are trying to find him because they know someone his one their island. he meets other animals too and they all talk. then, he finds where the dragon is, and he wants to free him from the harsh conditions it is forced to work it. the animals try to stop him, but the alligators take them all down stream while he is cutting the rope the dragon is tied to. eventually he gets it loose, and the dragon is happy to be freed.

who benefits?

anyone who likes fantasy will benefit. anyone who has a good imagination and likes stories where animals talk and dragons exist will like this book.

what problems could this books have?

well, the boy does run away from his mother, and he disobeys her by feeding the cat a saucer of milk. that's not a very good example. especially because at the end, he doesn't even go back home. other than that, i don't see any other problems with this book.

my reaction:

i didn't really realize this book was so old. i think it's cool that it's been around for so long and it's still considered a good book. its won a Newberry Honor. that's cool. i didn't find this book to be the most entertaining book. i thought it was really clever that he was able to get away from all the animals some way. however, maybe because it's an older book i don't really like the writing. i thought it was sad too that he ran away from his mother without even looking back. that wasn't my favorite, but the whole island thing was cool.

Locked in the Library

Arthur: Locked in the Library
By Marc Brown
Publisher/Date: Little Brown 1998
# of pages: 58
reading level: 3
Genre: fiction


Summary:

Francine is mad at Arthur for calling her a marshmallow. Mr. Ratburn assigns them a project to present a hero. they are partners much to the dismay of Francine. they decide to meet at the library at 3 to do research. she doesn't talk to Arthur. the librarian helps them pick a heroine, joan of Arc. They go to separate sections to research. Arthur accidentally falls asleep, and Fracine puts her headphones on to listen to music. then they both realize that the library has closed, and they are locked inside. they are still mad at each other, so they try to escape separately. then Arthur hears screaming, and thinking it's Francine, he runs to save her. then he finds that she is fine watching a movie and eating pizza in the lounge. she decides to share with them. then the librarian and their parents come and find them there. they are relieved to find each other safe. on monday, they tell their classmates the story of how heroic they both were alone in the library. however, mr. ratburn still expects them to do their report.

Who would this benefit?

Anyone who likes Arthur will benefit from reading this book. it also contains some information of Joan of Arc which is cool. it also teaches the importance of teamwork and of not insulting others because it just leads to problems.

what problems could this cause?

i don't think this could cause problems. yes, Arthur and Francine don't get along at first, but the whole story is about how they realize they need to work together, and by the end they are friends again. so it teaches good lessons that wouldn't cause problems.

My reaction:

I love Arthur. i remember watching the show after school. i liked this book too. it has a good message, and it has the humorous elements of Arthur. Arthur books are classic. i also think the story is an interesting idea of being stuck in a library. i think that would scare most kids, but arthur and francine take it pretty well. i would recommend any Arthur books to anyone.

Beany and the Magic Crystal

Beany and the Magic Crystal
By Susan Wojciechowski
Publisher/Date: Scholastic 1997
# of pages:94
reading level: 3
genre: fiction


Summary:

This book is written about a girl named Beany. One day she gets lost for the third time at a store while shopping with her mom. her lady that helps her tells her about the magic crystals that you can wish on. When Beany's mother comes back to get her, the lady lets her take a crystal. Beany is really excited about that. she keeps it a secret from everyone, even her best friend. at her class, her teacher tells the students that they are having a contest to see who can be the most caring person in the class. the winner gets a trophy. Beany tries really hard to do kind things like clearing the table, visiting her widow neighbor Mrs. Kasper, and planting some flowers. her friend, Carol Ann is always trying to be better than Beany, and for the contest she is competing against her. she helps Beany plant the flowers, and asks Beany to put a slip of paper saying she did it in the caring box. the time comes for the winner to be announced, and Beany wins. Carol Ann comes in close second. Beany and her family are very proud. then she finds the slip of paper she was supposed to hand in for Carol Ann. she feels dishonest, so she tells her teacher who appreciates her honesty. so Carol Ann gets the trophy. she also helps Beany convince her parents to let her keep the class pets over the weekend. they agree even though her brother is allergic. however she accidentally loses the hamsters, and they spend the weekend looking for them. she almost uses her magic wish to find them, but then her dad has an idea for find them and it's all good. Then it's picture day. Beany is self-conscious about her hair, freckles, and big ears, so she doesn't want to get her picture taken. Carol Ann offers to help. she ruins her on accident by using her grandma's curlers, taping her ears back, and whiting out her freckles. Beany's mom helps her make it right again, and her pictures turn out well on make-up day. Then her birthday is coming up, and she wants a party. she invites all her friends and is excited, but also anxious. she's worried that people won't like it. her mom tries to comfort her but it doesn't really work. the day of her party, she goes to Mrs. Kasper's house to borrow some tomato paste for the spaghetti. she finds her crying because she misses her late husband. Beany invites her to the party, but she declines. she says she can't be happy with him dead. Beany then decides to giver her the magic crystal so she can be happy. later, Beany's birthday is a success, and Mrs. Kasper decides to come to the party and she is happy.

Who benefits from reading this?

I think it's a good one for girls to read. they would benefit from reading this book. it teaches good lessons such as honesty, service, responsibility, and accepting yourself for what you are. it's also entertaining. i would recommend it to anyone who likes this type of book.

what problems could this cause?

i don't think this could cause problems. it teaches some really good lessons. Beany is a good role model i think. she is a sweet and innocent girl. her friend is annoying, but Beany is still nice to her. i don't see any problems with this book.

My reaction:

i liked this book. it reminded me of Junie B. Jones, but not as little kiddy. Beany is a sweet character to get to know. i liked the lessons taught too. i didn't really catch all those lessons when if first read it when i was younger. i would recommend this book. it's a good one.

Mummies in the Morning

Mummies in the Morning
By Mary Pope Osborne
Publisher/Date: scholastic 1993
# of pages: 65
reading level: 2
Genre: fantasy


Summary:

Jack and Annie have a magic tree house. all they have to do is wish to be somewhere in the books they find in the tree house, and then they travel to the place. in this particular adventure they travel to ancient Egypt. they follow a black cat to a pyramid. in the pyramid the hear a tomb robber before they meet the dead queen of the Nile. she is a ghost who needs their help to pass on to the next life. they help her read the heiroglyphs to find her book of the dead. after they do, they find her mummy all decaying and the ghost is gone. Annie runs away, and Jack hears her yelling for help. she got lost in a passage meant to trick the tomb robbers. after that, they wish to be back home in Pennsylvania. they go back and their mom has made them peanut and butter and jelly sandwiches.

who benefits from reading this book?

any kid who is interested in ancient Egypt will benefit from reading this book. this book presents lots of information and new vocabulary about Egypt in a way that makes it part of the story. it's put into an adventure, so it's more interesting to read about.

what problems could this book cause?

Kids might get scared of the mummy part. it shows an illustration of the mummy and describes it's decayed state. other than that, there probably isn't any other problems with this book. it's an educational adventure!

My reaction:

i remember reading the magic tree house books when i was younger. i remember liking them a lot back then, but when i read this one again, i wasn't very impressed. i understand that it's written for younger kids, but i just didn't think it was written very well. however, i thought it was cool that she was able to teach about Egypt while she was telling a story. that was interesting.

Frindle

Frindle
By Andrew Clements
Publisher/Date: Aladdin 1996
# of pages: 105
reading level: ages 8-12
Genre: fiction


Summary:

Nick is a very creative student. he's known at school for his creativity and ability to distract teachers and get out of homework. however, when he begins 5th grade and has Mrs. Granger for language arts, he may have met his match. she's strict and loves her words. when he asks her a question about where words came from, she assigns him an oral report. he ends up taking up the whole class period doing his report to get back at her. however, at the end, he asks a question about why a dog is known as a dog. her reply is because everyone says so. this idea causes him to try an experiment. the experiment is to start calling a pen a frindle. he gets all his classmates to do it too which makes Mrs. Granger angry. she starts keeping kids for detention for using the word. soon, their use of the word frindle causes an uproar. the principal gets involved and talks to his parents. reporters come to talk to nick and Mrs. Granger about the issue. he goes on tv shows. Someone starts making pens with the word, frindle, printed on them. when everything dies down and it's the end of 5th grade, Nick goes to Mrs. Granger to get a letter she said she'd give him when the whole thing was over. She tells him it's not over. Nick continues through school and college, becomes rich from his frindle merchandise, and one day gets a package from Mrs. Granger. he finds that the dictionary now includes the word frindle, and her letter commends him for his creativity and for creating a word. in the end he and Mrs. Granger become friends.

Who benefits from reading this book?

Anybody who is interested in the origin of words will benefit from reading this book. it teaches quite a bit about that. this is also a good book to read for entertainment as well as an example of a creative student taking words to the next level. i think this is a well liked book, so i'd recommend it.

What problem could this book cause?

I would think this is a safe book that wouldn't cause problems. however, if i had to choose a problem it would be the fact that the students sort of rebel against the teachers and principal when they try to get detention for using the word frindle. however, in the end it's all tied together and it's said that there had to be resistance in order for the word to progress.

my reaction:

i really like this book. once again, andrew clements is one of my favorite children's authors. he does a good job, and i actually learned new things about words that i didn't know before. this was really entertaining and creative. i think it's one of those classic books that every students should read.