Jack and the Beanstalk

Title: Jack and the Beanstalk
Author: Richard Walker and Niamh Sharkey
Genre: Traditional Literature
Major Awards: N/A
Age Group: 8 - 10 years old

Summary:
Jack and the Beanstalk is one of the first fairytales I remember hearing when I was younger. I was fascinated with the storyline.
The story is about a young boy, Jack, who lives with his mother and their cow. One day they have no food and the mother tells Jack to go out and sell the cow. He is reluctant but ends up doing so anyway. The next day he is out looking for someone to buy the cow and runs into a man who wants the cow but only has magical beans to which Jack agrees to and takes them home eagerly. His mother is upset because Jack has no idea what they can do, but he plants them anyway despite his mother's annoyance towards the situation. In the middle of the night, Jack wakes up to see that the magical beans grew into a large beanstalk and just like any curious boy he decides to climb it.
When he gets to the top he reaches a gate and someone comes out and guides him to the magical castle in the sky. The guide warns of the giant but Jack is not afraid. Once the giant falls asleep Jack begins stealing all the wealth the giant has and the giant's servants want to go as well. As soon as Jack begins to leave with the harp it cries out and awakes the giant. Now it is a race to get back to the bottom without the giant following after. Jack gets to the bottom and manages to flick him off the beanstalk. Jack, his mother, and the fellow servants all lived happily ever after.

I would use this book in an upper elementary class. I think the book would teach good lessons on what not to do and teach moral values such as if something is not yours do not take it.

I think the appropriate grade level would be third grade to fourth grade. This book is too long for younger elementary grades and would not keep their interest for long. However, the book itself is big enough for them to hold and be able to follow along. The illustrations are done well.

In my classroom, I would have the class write a story about what they would do in the story. This shows their creative side as well as their writing side.

Goldilocks and the Three Bears

Title: Goldilocks and the Three Bears
Author: Janet Stevens
Genre: Traditional Literature
Major Awards: N/A
Age Group: 2nd to 3rd grade

Summary:
Goldilocks and the Three Bears is a story about three bears. A mama, a papa, and a baby bear. The beginning of the book is about the three bears and their morning routine. One morning they were eating breakfast but their porridge was too hot so they decided to go for a walk. When they went for a walk a little girl named Goldilocks came inside and tried everything in their house. From their porridge to their beds and fell asleep in the baby bears bed. When the bears returned they noticed things were different and then found her in the baby's bed. When she awoke she saw the three bears looking at her and she ran out of the house claiming she would never wander alone again.

I would use this book for 8 to 10-year-olds. I think the book reads easy and the illustrations are beautiful. It teaches a lesson over cause and effect, as well as not breaking and using others stuff without permission.

The age group appropriate would be for middle elementary. The content is easy to read as well as the fonts and spacing is easy to follow along/

In my classroom, we would read this book together and then reenact it with finger puppets. I would have the children at each table reenact it and decorate the finger puppets and then present it for the class.

The Hummingbirds' Gift

Title: The Hummingbirds' Gift
Author/Illustrator: Stefan Czernecki and Timothy Rhodes
Genre: Traditional Literature
Major Awards: N/A
Age Group: 4th-6th grade

Summary:
In the book, The Hummingbirds' Gift is about a drought the people Tzintzuntzan, Mexico had and how they learn to make straw figures for the festival. They set aside small pots of sugar water for the hummingbirds' despite the drought. This pleases the hummingbirds and they are happy. The book ends with the land having rainfall again and everyone is happy.

I would use this book in an upper elementary class because there are a lot of words on each page and younger children would be bored easily. The book's illustrations are colorful and bright. I would use this book to teach about different cultures and customs.

In my classroom, I would have my students make some figures out of straw like the characters in the book had to do and talk about what is the significance of the figures.

The True Story Of The 3 Little Pigs

Title: The True Story of The 3 Little Pigs by A. Wolf
Author: Jon Scieszka
Illustrator: Lane Smith
Genre: Traditional Literature
Major Awards: Honored by the American Library Association as an ALA
Age: 3 to 8 years old

Summary:
This story, The True Story of The 3 Little Pigs, was one of my favorite stories growing up and still is my favorite to this day. It is the story of Three Little Pigs, just told from the wolf's point of view. It starts off with him talking about how the big bad wolf image is false and how he is completely innocent. He was only wanting sugar for his grandmas birthday and he so happened to be sick which caused him to huff and puff and blow down the pigs houses. He also notes when the houses fell the pigs were already dead and he could not let that go to waste. The wolf says the third pig was rude and he could not control his emotions and that is when the police showed up and the rest is history.

I would use this book in a lower elementary classroom. I think it can teach a lesson on how you have to get everyone's side of the story before making a judgment.

I think the book is age-appropriate for 3 to 8-year-olds. It is easy to follow along with if you're hearing it out loud as well as reading on your own.

I would use this book to teach a lesson comparing and contrasting. I would have my class tell me about the original story and after we read this one together I would have them write a paragraph on what was different and what was the same.

Hansel And Gretel

Title: Hansel and Gretel
Author: James Marshall
Genre: Traditional Literature
Major Awards: N/A
Age Group: 1st - 3rd Grade

Summary:
Hansel and Gretel live in a cottage near a forest with their father and his wife. They went through famine, leaving them with little to eat. The wife, who does not seem to like the two children, tells the father of a plan to get rid of the children so they have more food to eat. She tells him they should leave them in the forest, and while the father was reluctant he agreed to it. However, Hansel and Gretel overheard the conversation and Hansel comes up with a plan. The next day while they are walking in the forest with the father and wife, Hansel drops white pebbles for a trail. They stay in the forest overnight and go back the next day. The wife is surprised. When the next famine happens she has the same plan, and Hansel and Gretel overhear it again but this time Hansel is not able to get white pebbles and has to use bread crumbs for a trail back.
However, with the breadcrumbs, birds came and ate the trail so the next morning Hansel and Gretel did not know how to get back. They wander around the forest and ends up at a witches house! The witch traps them and tries to fatten them up so she can eat them. Gretel manages to push the witch into the fire and she dies. After the witch dies the two children wander around the home and find gems and coins. They take this and leave the house and find themselves at a lake where a kind duck offers them a ride back to their father's house.
When they reach home the father is happy to see them and informs the children that the wife has passed away.
Then they lived happily ever after.

I would use this book in my class if I taught 2nd or 3rd grade. It is a classic story that most children know and while it is a bit dark, it has a humorous undertone and a message of being persistent and thinking outside the box.

I think this book is for the ages of 7-10. It is long but not too long and has colorful illustrations within the story. The language of the book is easy for younger children but still offers a challenge for them so it would not be too easy.

If I were to use this book in my classroom, I would have the children make cardboard gingerbread houses like the witches so they could visualize where Hansel and Gretel were at and then they could reenact the book with finger puppets.

Wonder

                                                        
Title: Wonder
Author: R.J. Palacio
Genre: Special Needs
Major Awards: New York Times Best Seller and Texas Blue Bonnet
Age Group: 3rd - 12th grade

Summary:
I just finished the book Wonder by R.J. Palacio! I have read this book once before but it was refreshing to re-read it from a new perspective. They recently turned it into a movie and I have yet to watch it, however, I believe books are always better than the movies.

Wonder is about a young boy named August (Auggie is his nickname) Pullman, and he was born with a facial difference and had been homeschooled up until the 5th grade where his parents sign him up to attend Beecher Prep. He is hesitant and nervous to go because he is not like the other students that attend, he looks different and he knows he looks different. Going in with this mindset, Auggie is nervous to start his first day. He wants to be seen as an ordinary 5th-grade boy but his peers do not see that, they only see what is on the outside. Throughout the story, the author chose to have the story be told from different perspectives. Starting with his sister and his friends as well. The author doing this made an impact on how the reader felt reading Auggies story. While Auggie was nervous to start school and felt uneasy around his peers, his fellow classmates begin to see him for the wonderful individual he is, and just how extraordinary does not mean anything bad. As the book ends, he is sitting at his graduation ceremony and he wins the Henry Ward Beecher award, an award meant for students that show strength and courage, which he displayed all throughout the book. A sweet ending to help him feel loved by others and normal.

I would use this book in an upper elementary classroom. I think the book teaches a great lesson for students and it would be something they could carry throughout their years. To treat others how you want to be treated but also not to treat and judge others on their appearance but rather for what is in their heart. Auggie displayed a well-rounded character, he was loving, kind, and looked for the best in others because he knew what it felt like to not be seen that way. This story would show the students to respect and be kind to all no matter what.

I think the appropriate grade level of this book would be third grade and higher. The content would be mature enough for 8-year-olds to read as well as understand. It reads easy, the font is big so students who may struggle with reading the small print would be able to read it smoothly.

In my classroom, if I were to use this book I would have the children make a mask, using the face on the cover as a reference. On the mask they would decorate it while focusing on the word "wonder." What if you were Auggie or his peers? How would you react? This activity would be used to show how far kindness can go. While they work on this, I would pair them up with people they do not normally talk to and have them be buddies for the day.

Introduction

Hi everyone!

My name is Jesse. I am currently a junior at Houston Baptist University where I am getting a degree in elementary education EC-6 with ESL certification. I would love to be an upper-elementary science teacher.
I am the youngest of five children. My siblings and I have a huge age gap, my oldest sister is 14 years older and the next sibling to me is 7 years older. I am the first in my family since my great grandpa to go to college, and I hope to inspire my many nieces and nephews to further their education as well.
I am a tutor through UT Health, where I work with students struggling in math or reading anywhere from kindergarten through 3rd grade.
I am excited to see what this semester and God has in store for me!