Merci Suarez Changes Gears

Title: Merci Suarez Changes Gears
Author: Meg Medina
Genre: Newbery Medal
Age Group: 4th - 6th grade
                                                       
Summary:
Merci Suarez is a 6th grader who attends Seaward Pines Academy with her older brother, Roli, on a scholarship given due to her father doing work around campus. Merci lives in house three of the "Las Casitas," which are three houses built next to each other. The other two houses are where her grandparents, Lolo and Abuela live as well as her Tia Ines and her twin sons. Like any new school year, some changes happen. As Merci enters junior high she feels like everything is changing around her While still dealing with old problems such as Edna Santos, the middle school queen bee, she is having to deal with being a "sunshine buddies." She gets paired with Michael, who happens to be Ednas crush and she becomes jealous over it.
As well as dealing with her life changes in middle school, at home, she is also dealing with her grandfather, Lolo, who has become very forgetful all of a sudden. No one will tell her why but because of her grandfather becoming forgetful, she is in charge of more house chores. Due to this, she cannot try out for soccer, even though she has been looking forward to this since school started. To make matters worse, Edna destroys Michaels's project that Merci helped with out of spite. Merci thought the day could not get any worse until she and Roli are on the way home and see Lolo run out into the street, causing them to get into an accident to try and help him.
After this, she finds out that her grandfather had been battling Alzheimer's for the last two years. This angers and frustrates Merci and it is not until a couple days after she realizes how important family is to her. After this realization, she begins spending more time with her family. When Christmas rolls around Merci gets a new bike! The bike teaches her that she can handle changing gears, which is the same as her changing gears in life. She realizes she can do anything and get through everything life throws her way.

I would love to have and use this book in my classroom. I really think upper elementary students would enjoy this book. Junior high is a transitional time period and it becomes difficult for students and I think this book would shed some light on how much family is important.

I think this book would benefit the upper elementary level students. It addresses important topics such as friendships, bullying, and family. As well as being relatable with the things and problems students face. The author, Meg Medina did a great job of being able to reference pop culture and keep it relatable.

I would use this book to talk about the importance of family or some kind of support system. As well as have the students write an essay over being able to change gears like Merci did and discuss the deeper meaning behind that. Lastly, I would want them to apply that to their life, how can they be able to change gears if needed and why.

I Like To Be Little

Title: I Like To Be Little
Author/Illustrator: Charlotte Zolotow and Erik Bleguad
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Age Group: K - 3rd Grade
                                                      
Summary:
In this short story, I Like To Be Little, it is about a little girl who wants to stay little forever and is telling her mother this. Her mother questions her and tells her it is nice to be a grown-up. Her reasons vary from being able to skip, not wear shoes in the Summer, coloring whenever she wants, being able to jump in a pile of leaves and so on. Her mother agrees that not all grown-ups do those things, however, she says, when you grow up you can be the mother of a sweet girl like her daughter is and be able to experience all those things again. Lastly, the daughter ends the conversation saying that for now, she is going to enjoy being little.

In my classroom, I would use this book as a read-aloud and talk about the differences in being a child and being an adult and then asking what they want to be when they grow up and having them write about it.

I think the age group for this bool is K through 3rd which is appropriate because it is an easy read-aloud or independent read for the older kids, as well as the pictures in the book are captivating.

Best Friends

Title: Best Friends
Author/Illustrator: Miriam Cohen and Lillian Hoban
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Age Group: K - 1st
                                                       
Summary:
Jim and Paul are best friends, or so they thought. At the beginning of the book, the two are best friends but then an argument arises in class to where Jim did not say Paul was his best friend so Paul took it as they were not friends at all anymore so they sat opposite of each other and did not talk to each other. During recess, the teacher realized she forgot to grab something from the classroom and asks those two to go and get it so they do. Without talking to each other. While they are back in the classroom, Jim realizes that their science experience they were doing, hatching baby chicks with a heat lamp, was off. Jim shouts at Paul and he goes and gets the janitor to replace the light bulb in the lamp. Fixing the problem they had they were able to come together like best friends.

In my classroom, I would use this book to ask students what makes a best friend and talk about emotions and how to handle them appropriately.

I think the age group is appropriate because at this age they are just now going into school and being around new people so how to process emotions over friends is important and needed.

With this book, I would have the children write about the scene where the two friends argue and ask them to write how they would had approached that situation better.

The Night Before Mother's Day

Title: The Night Before Mother's Day
Author/Illustrator: Natasha Wing and Amy Wummer
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Age Group: K - 2nd
                                                      
Summary:
The father of two young girls comes up with a plan to get their mother out of the house so they can set up and bake a cake for their mother the night before Mother's Day. When she leaves to go running with her friends the children rush off and make her cards and help make a cake with their dad. The next morning when it was Mother's Day they woke her up with flowers, treated her to an at-home spa, and the father made brunch. The mother enjoyed her day and wished every day was Mother's Day.

I would use this book in a lower elementary classroom and use this as a read-aloud and discuss what they do for Mother's Day. I think the age group is appropriate because that is when they can start making small gifts and understand the actual meaning behind the holiday.

In my classroom, I would use this book as an intro before having the students make a Mothers Day gift, or a parental figure gift, and have them write a card or make something to give to them.

The Night Before Summer Vacation

Title: The Night Before Summer Vacation
Author/Illustrator: Natasha Wing and Julie Durrell
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Age Group: K - 3rd

                                                        
Summary:
The family was planning a family vacation. Throughout the night before they planned to leave the children were thinking about past vacations and talking about all the fun they had. The car was packed tightly, and the children were excited they dreamt about the vacation.
The next morning, the dad woke them up and they were ready to go by 4 am. They all squeezed into the car and then raced off. The daughter in the backseat cries out and says they forgot their dog! The dad turns around and they grab the dog and begin to head out on their 10-hour drive.

I would use this book in a lower elementary classroom setting to get the class excited about summer vacation. I think they would enjoy the drawings of the overflowing car and them having to turn around to get their dog.

I would read this before my class got out on the last day of school and have them do a coloring activity of what they are wanting to do that upcoming summer.

My Building

Title: My Building
Author/Illustrator: Robin Isabel Ahrens
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Age Group: K - 2
Summary:                                           
A young child explores his apartment building and is welcomed by many different faces and lifestyles. This book exposes readers to many different races, cultures as well as daily routines that different families go through every day. Throughout the 27 stories of the building, the main character meets with different families and leaves each one enjoying where they live.

I would use this book in my classroom to introduce lower elementary to different kinds of people and how that is normal to encounter in day to day life. I think this time is crucial for young ones to leave that mark onto them that being and looking different is a good thing and not bad.

I would have them do a writing activity and talk about their family's culture and day to day life.

The Magic School Bus

Title: The Magic School Bus: Lost In The Solar System
Author/Illustrator: Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen
Genre: Science Fiction
Major Awards: N/A
Age Group: 4th - 5th
                                                  
Summary:
Just like all of Mrs. Frizzle's classes, there is always an adventure. In this book, her class is learning about the solar system so Mrs. Frizzle decides to take them out of this world, literally. The class takes a trip to the solar system in the school rocket bus. While they are in the solar system they look at all the planets and the moon learning about them. After they were done they headed back to Earth to write up a chart of all they learned and then it was time to go home. The students told their parents everything they learned and that they went to space, but who would believe that a school bus took them there?

In my class, I would use this as an introduction to the solar system to get the students engaged and wanting to learn more about the solar system. I think these books are age-appropriate for upper elementary because of all of the science-related information it has.

The Magic School Bus

Title: The Magic School Bus: Plants Seeds, A Book About How Living Things Grow
Author/Illustrator: Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen
Genre: Science Fiction
Major Awards: N/A
Age Group: 4th - 5th
                                                      
Summary:
Ms. Frizzle's class was planting a garden and a photographer was coming by to take a picture of the class with the plants. However, they have to leave to go and get something they left behind. One student is worried they are going to miss the photographer so he suggests that they fly, and when he says that Ms. Frizzle transforms the bus into a ladybug and they begin flying. The teacher decides to stop inside a flower and the students begin to explore the flower. Ms. Frizzle is teaching the student about the parts of a plant and the importance of bees before having to go back for their photo. The ladybug bus gets caught in someone's hair so they have to travel back on someone,s head before they get brushed off. The moment they are off, the bus becomes big again and they make it back just in time for their class photo that will be in the magazine "Plant it!"

In my classroom, I would like to use this during science time before going over plant parts with my students. I think the book is appropriate for upper elementary because it is longer but also full of information that younger students do not need to know yet.

In my classroom, I would read this before going over the parts of a plant than having the student's plant flowers so we can have a garden like Mrs. Frizzles class.

The Three Billy Goats Gruff

Title: The Three Billy Goats Gruff
Author/Illustrator: P.C Asbjornsen and J.E Moe, Marcia Brown
Genre: Fantasy
Major Awards: N/A
Age Group: K - 3rd grade
                                                   
Summary:
This story is like The Three Little Pigs, just told through goats and a troll and has a darker undertone. The Three Billy Goats were wanting to cross a river to get to the other side to go eat some grass and get fat. Each goat crosses over and awakes the troll who is angry and says that the goat is going to get eaten. The first two goats say the same thing, which is to wait until the biggest goat comes along. When that goat comes along he ends up defeating the troll and the three goats are left alone now to eat in peace.

I do not think I would use this book in my classroom because I did not like the writing style or the darker undertone. It read easy, I just think I would be able to find a different book for this age group.
If I did use this book I would use the different sounds in the book and teach my students sound words.

Once Upon MacDonald's Farm...

Title Once Upon MacDonald's Farm
Author/Illustrator: Stephan Gammell
Genre: Fantasy
Major Awards: N/A
Age Group: 1st - 3rd
                                                    
Summary:
This book is about how Old MacDonald got his farm that we all sang about when we were younger. In this telling of the story, MacDonald wants animals on his farm so he decides to buy an elephant, a lion, and a baboon. While these animals are not farm animals, he does not acknowledge that and uses them like they were. The elephant plows the grass, milks the lion and gets the eggs from the baboon. Or at least tries. While MacDonald sleeps the animals decide to leave without a sound so when he wakes the next day he has no animals. However, his neighbor offers to help him and gives him a horse, a cow, and a chicken. He was eager to start working so he starts with the chicken plowing the grass.

This book is fun to read and quite hilarious. The age group for it is younger elementary which I find is appropriate. The students would laugh at the farmer's foolishness and be able to decipher if the animals actually do what the farmer wanted them to do.

I would use this in a lower elementary level class and have the students do matching with animals after we read it to tell me the purpose of the animals on the farm listed in the book.

Once Upon A Time

Title: Once Upon A Time
Author/Illustrator: John Prater
Genre: Fantasy
Major Awards: N/A
Age Group: K - 2nd grade

                                                    
Summary:
In the book, Once Upon A Time, a boy is in his neighborhood where nothing seems to happen so he makes up wild day. Throughout the story, you can see each page progresses with different illustrations from different fairy tales. Such as Humpty Dumpty, Little Red Ridinghood, and so on. As it progresses the different fairy tale characters are progressing as well as if they are in their original story, such as Little Red Riding Hood meets the wolf and Humpty Dumpty falls off. While that is going on, the dialog is brief and is just talking about what the little boy is doing with his mom until his dad gets home. It ends with the dad starting to read a story to his son and the fairytale characters are going home as well.

In my classroom, I would use this book to assess the students to make sure they were remembering and knowing about the different fairytales in the book. I would use this book after we went over the fairytales illustrated throughout the book.

I think K through second grade would benefit the most from this story because of how short it is, and it does not necessarily teach a moral lesson but it expresses imagination which is necessary for young children to have and keep.

In my classroom, I would use this for a sentence stem of "Once Upon A Time" and have the students write their own fairytale.

The Museum

Title: The Museum
Author/Illustrator: Susan Verde and Peter H. Reynolds
Genre: Poetry
Major Awards: N/A
Age Group: 2nd - 4th grade
                                                  
Summary:
This book takes a young girl through a museum to tour it. Every artwork excites her and makes her heart happy. From the paintings to the statues her heart is full and content. The museum is inspiring her so much that when she sees a blank canvas she imagines it being filled with all kinds of color on it and it is decorated like she wants it.
The museum closes but she is not sad about it because she knows that the art she loves lives inside of her.

I would use this book between the ages of 8-10. I think it is age-appropriate, it is long enough for them to practice reading longer books but also engaging.

I would read this book to my class before we did an art project. The art project would be to draw or paint something that they as an individual enjoys doing.

A Bear Sat on My Porch Today

 Title: A Bear Sat on My Porch Today
Author/Illustrator: Jane Yolen and Rilla Alexander
Genre: Poetry
Major Awards: N/A
Age Group: 3rd - 5th grade

                                                
Summary:
The book, like the title, says, starts with a bear sitting on the main character's porch and would not leave. Then all different animals show up. A squirrel, a skunk and so on all different kinds of forest critters, even a moose! A blue jay showed up and caused a ruckus and had to leave, which made the other forest animals happy. At the end of the book, a sign is put up that says "Everybody Welcome!" making the ending sweet and friendly.

I would use this in an upper elementary classroom to teach about being kind welcoming to all kinds of people no matter what they do or who they are. I think that is age-appropriate because around this time I feel like it is when students start to become not so nice towards people and this book shows kindness.

In my classroom, I would use this book for the purpose of showing hospitality. I would have my students write about their experiences of being welcomed somewhere and then have them share to their table.

A Giraffe and A Half

Title: A Giraffe and A Half
Author/Illustrator: Shel Silverstein
Genre: Poetry
Major Awards: N/A
Age Group: K - 2nd grade
                                                 
Summary:
Another book by Shel Silverstein, A Giraffe and A Half, is about a giraffe who keeps stepping into stuff, adding stuff to his attire, and gluing stuff on until he becomes a giraffe and a half with so much on. Each page, the lines get longer and the craziness increases. The giraffe before the end of the book has glue on his shoe, a chair in his hair, and so on. Silverstein rhymes whatever the main object of the stanza is to keep it funny and easy to remember with the repetition he has. While the pictures are black and white and are to look like a sketch he brightens up the writing with the pictures.

I would use this book in lower elementary. The book has a lot of rhyming in it, animals, and objects in it that would expand the children's knowledge.

I think that would be the appropriate grade level, K through 2nd grade. Since it has so many learning opportunities.

In my classroom, I would use this for a rhyming lesson. I would have the students clap whenever they heard the rhymes at the end of each page and would go over what rhyming is.

Where the Sidewalk Ends

Title: Where the Sidewalk Ends
Author and Illustrator: Shel Silverstein
Genre: Poetry
Major Awards: ALA Notable Books 1974
Age Group: 4 years old - first grade
                                                    
Summary:
This collection of poems, or anthology, is about children exploring nature and being adventurous. This was one of the first poetry books I had growing up, along with The Giving Tree. Throughout the poetry book, Shel Silverstein drew pictures to help show children what he was envisioning. Drawings are not on every page or for every poem but for the majority of it. He starts the anthology off with a poem called "Invitation" which is a poem about inviting people in to read all about what is in this book.
One of my favorite poems is called "Beard" ever since I was younger I always liked this poem in particular. It is about someone who has a very long beard, we do not know why or what the inspiration behind this was for but I would laugh all the time when I heard this poem. On the right side theres a little cartoon of a man running with a beard which adds a picture to this already funny picture. This collection of poems are just for fun.

In my classroom, I would use this book for free reading time in kindergarten. Just to get the sillies out with the students. I would also use this book to show how you can have a collection of poems that go together in a subtle way.

I think having this book for 4-year-olds to 7-year-olds is appropriate. It is short and silly enough for the students to enjoy it.

In my classroom, I would have each student pick a poem from the book and have them draw a picture to represent the poem and then go around and share what they drew.

Papa's Backpack

Title: Papa's Backpack
Author/Illustrator: James Christopher Carrol
Genre: Poetry
Major Awards: 2016 Children's Choice Award
Age Group: 6 - 8
                                                   
Summary:
This book uses animals instead of humans to represent an issue they are facing. The author chose to use bears for the main characters and the baby bear is trying to grasp the concept of his dad leaving because he serves in the military. In the story, he imagines being by his dad in his backpack and doing everything together while he is away. This book ends happily with the baby bear envisioning being with his dad and summing up the adventures he has had.

I would use this book in lower elementary to read to the children who are dealing with one of their parents going away for whatever reason because children do not understand how to control their emotions and I think this book would help.

I think the age group is appropriate. This would help them understand what is going on and how to cope.

In my classroom, I would have the students use this book and write a letter to someone they are missing and maybe send the letter if at all possible.