The Alphabet from Z to A (with much confusion on the way) by: Judith Viorst - Picture Book

I picked this book from the library initially because I thought it was unique that it went from Z to A instead of the other way around. The concepts that Judith Viorst is presenting is way to complicated for preschoolers, which ABC books are typically for. Each letter has it's own page and includes illustrations that has hidden objects; but the best part of this book are the homophones, silent letters, and other pronunciation abnormalities. For instance, "T is for TAXI and TACKS, TRAY, and TRACE, TWO, TOO, TO. This Isn't the worst. T's for TURKEY, But back in the dinosaur days lived a bird Named - help! - PTERODACTYL. What in the world makes folks do this?" This example has the silent letter; this book is full of tricks and abnormalities. At first I did not like this book, but the more I look at it, I think it would be a great book to demonstrate homophones and silent letters.

HONEY, I LOVE and other love poems by Eloise Greenfield - Poetry Colletion

These love poems are written in a child's eyes: listening to music, playing with a friend, skipping rope, etc. All of the poems in this book seem to thank God for everyday life and the imporant events and aspects in a child's life. This book would be great to use for students 2nd and up, I would make sure the student's had a little bit of back ground before reading some of the poems. For instance, Harriet Tubman is the title of one of the poems, this particular poem discusses how fearless she was; students would need to know what Harriet Tubman did to grasp the full meaning of this poem.

THIS IS THE DREAM by: Diane Z. Shore & Jessica Alexander - Poetry Single Poem Pic. Book

My initial reaction to this book after reading it was, "WOW!" THIS IS THE DREAM is a picture book that tells the story of the Civil Rights Movement. This book is a phenomenal and educational book that is easy to read and isn't too detailed for young children. Also, the illustrations are gorgeous and aid in showing how far we as American have come in creating freedom and quality for all people. I would definitely recommend reading think book a loud and using it for an aid in a history lesson about the Civil Rights Movement.

In Daddy's Arms I AM TALL Illustrated by: Javaka Steptoe - Poetry Anthology

This book is a collection of poems celebrating African American fathers. This assortment of poems revels the powerful and influential bond between father and child, acknowledging that family is our greatest gift. This book of poetry is even good for small child; even though they may not be able to read the poetry, the illustrations are so great that if the child is read to, they will be able to see the poem in the illustration. One of my favorite poems in this book is"Tickle, Tickle" by Dakari Hru, it was written to remember all those fun moments when children were tickled by their fathers.

Henry and Mudge and the Great Grandpas by: Cynthia Rylant - Monarch

Henry, Henry's dog, Mudge, and Henry's parents visit Henry's Great Grandpa Bill in this house where he lives with a bunch of other grandpas. After visiting with the grandpas, Henry and Mudge go off on an adventure towards the woods. Soon, they come to a pond and want to swim, but they know that they cannot swim without supervision. They travel back to the house and find out that all the grandpas want to go swimming too. I did not like this book, it did not have a plot or any interesting events happening; the illustrations were dull and boring. However, this book could be used for early readers who are ready to make the transition to chapter books.

Green Eggs and Ham by: Dr. Seuss - Lit. Based Lesson Plan

Sam-I-Am wants this little boy in the story to try green eggs and ham. Sam-I-Am suggests various places that the boy might like to eat green eggs and ham, but the boy keeps resisting. The boy finally tries green eggs and ham and likes it. The moral/theme of this story is not to judge something unless you try it. I think that this is a great book for children around 4; I think that they would enjoy this story and will understand the message and hopefully try new things.

Day of Tears: A Novel in Dialogue by Julius Lester - Coretta Scott Author

Emma is the property of Master Butler and has taken care of his daughters, Sarah and Frances, since their parents divorced. Emma wants to raise the girls to have good hearts, like their mother's. Sarah and her mother oppose slavery, while Frances and her father believe in the "Southern way of life" and treatment of blacks. Master Butler decides to sell his slaves to pay for his debts because of gambling and hosts the biggest slave auction in American history. Master Butler had promised Emma's parents he would not sell her, but money, desperation, and greed allow him to do so anyways. Through flashbacks and flash-forwards, readers will travel with Emma and others through time and place, and come to understand that every decision has a consequence. Julius Lester incorporates historical events and his imagination. This is an emotional book to read; this novel shows how the slaves were feeling and possible dialogue that was going on.