Becoming Naomi Leon: 'Naomi, I believe I feel like a clean, fluffed sheet on a bed-making day."

Author: Pam Munoz Ryan
Illustrator:
Publisher and date of publication: Scholastic Inc., 2004
Genre: Fiction, Multicultural
Grade Level: 3-4

Becoming Naomi Leon is a wonderful story about a young girl trying to find her identity and place in the world. Naomi Leon lives with her brother Owen and gram in Lemon Tree, California. Their home is inside Baby Beluga a mobile home that resides in Avocado Acres Trailer Park. Naomi was raised by her great-grandmother. She is a quite girl with not too many friends and who has a hard time standing up for herself. Gram is a spunky old lady that spends most of her time taking care of her great grandchildren and spending time with her friend Fabiola. Owen is a boy with a great spirit but has been diagnosed as and FLK, a funny looking kid. Naomi enjoys soap carving and keeping list while her brother finds comfort in wearing strips of tape on her shirt. This year in school Naomi makes a friend named Blanca. Blanca is the exact opposite of Naomi making them a perfect match. As the story unfold Naomi's mother suddenly reappears after seven years. At first Naomi doesn't know what to think. Her mother is buying her new clothes and treating her like a real daughter. Then Skyla's secrets are soon revealed. Naomi learns that her mother has been in and out of rehabs and has started drinking again. On Thanksgiving Skyla brings Clive, her boyfriend over to the house. They express how they want Naomi to come and live with them and Clive's daughter in Las Vegas. Naomi is devastated and doesn't know what to think. One day after Owen's doctor’s appointment Skyla tries to get Naomi to leave with her, you see she doesn't want Owen. When Naomi argues with her, her mother slaps her. Naomi and Owen run out the house and down the street to Fabiola and Bernardo's where gram is at and they know they will be safe. Over the next couple day’s gram devises a plan to get temporary custody of the children and take them on an unexpected trip to Mexico. On the way to Mexico gram explains things to Naomi. She tells her about the temporary custody and how they will stay gone until their court hearing. Also, gram mentions that while in Mexico they are going to try and find her father Santiago, who at one time wanted them but Skyla wouldn't allow it. While in Mexico Naomi quickly begins to learn about her Mexican roots. At first they have no luck finding her father until The Night of the Radishes. Once they meet their father Naomi learns even more about her love of carving and her native background. Naomi wants to stay in Mexico with gram and Santiago however her father explains to her that her home is in Lemon Tree and now that they have been reunited nothing can keep them apart. Once back in California they go to court. In court her mother act's very grown-up and Naomi knows that she is putting on a show. After reviewing evidence, talking with both parties and finding out that Skyla only want’s one child but not both, the judge awards gram with full custody. Naomi, Owen and gram couldn't be happier. They continued living their wonderful life in Lemon Tree.

This book touched my heart. I instantly felt like I was a part of the Outlaw clan. The book was filled with wonderful and unique characters, I don't feel like I have ever met any quite like them. One of my person loves of the books was all the neat and quirky little saying that gram and them had to explain their feelings. I quoted one at the top but another that I liked was "were going to weather this. Let's plant plenty of sunshine in our brains" and "gram got a bee in her bonnet because she thought the winner didn't hold a candle to our entry." There were many more those are just to name a few. I just love the idea of expressing yourself in such an unusual way. It really makes it more meaningful and seems to hold a better perspective no matter what the situation. Another aspect of the book that I adored was the idea of "thinking positive". What a great way to teach your students the benefits of thinking positive about life and how it plays out in the end. Thinking positive is something that we all struggle with at times and this book is a great reminder of why it is so important. Naomi faced a lot of decisions and new life experiences over the course of a couple months. She had to look deep inside her heart to figure out what to do and how to handle these different situations. She showed so much courage for a young girl that I think she would make a great role model to students. When it comes to incorporating multiculturalism I think that this author did a great job for the story she was telling. We knew from the beginning that Naomi was half Mexican but that it was not a prominent thing in her life. Taking the trip to Mexico and being introduced to the culture, traditions, food, music and people changed Naomi. The author had her experience a part of her that had been missing and made it the missing link in her life. The author showed the reader just enough about Naomi’s culture to not overwhelm them but to include them in this learning, discovering and exploring process. It was so tasteful and eventful that I myself would love to go to Mexico and experience it from her point of view, attend the radish festival and participate in all of their Christmas festivities. What was so neat was how most of the stuff that she learned while in Mexico really helped to explain who Naomi was and why she felt the way she did. The author integrated Mexico into Naomi so naturally that once you read the story you knew it was meant to be. For example her love for carving, she learned how the Leon family having been carving in the festival for over a hundred years and that was one of the things they were known for. This part of her became so much of her story and her connection to her long lost father. It was amazing how something as simple as a hobby for soap carving could turn into a family history, a legend. All in all the book was fabulous and I can't wait to read it again.

In the classroom I would love to do a number of things with this book. First of all I would like to have my students explore all the unusual quotes that gram and Naomi use throughout the book to describe what they are feeling. I would have them discuss what those quotes are saying to them and what emotions they express. Then I would have them explore their family and culture to gather quotes that their family uses to express themselves and have them share what feeling they convey when they use them and why. I think this gives people the opportunity to learn about their own culture and other unique families. How fun would it be to then hang some of them up around the classroom and have the students use the quotes instead of negative words or really basic positive words. Another thing that would be fun is to learn more about Mexico. Learn more about the festival and Christmas traditions and then explore other countries Christmas traditions. If your students could go to any type of festival what would it be and why? Then have them look it up and see if that kind of festival exists and have them do a report on it. I think this book provides so many opportunities to explore other cultures, so have fun with it.

Harry Potter and the Sorcer's Stone

Author: J. K. Rowling
Publisher and date of publication: Scholastic Inc, 1997
Genre: Fiction, Fantasy
Grade: 3-5

Harry Potter is the boy who lives under the stairs at the Dursley's residence. The Dursley's are his aunt, uncle and cousin who have taken him in because his parents have died and treat him like everything but family. One day a letter arrived that was addressed to Harry however his uncle Vernon would not let him have it. The letters kept coming and no matter where they ran the letters found Harry. On his eleventh birthday a man by the name of Hagrid came to visit Harry. Hagrid is the gamekeeper and keeper of the keys at Hogwarts School of witchcraft and wizardry. Harry quickly learned that he was a wizard and had been invited to attend Hogwarts. Harry also learned the disturbing truth about the death of his parents and a scar that remained on his forehead. The great dark lord, Voldemort had killed the Potter's but could not succeed in killing Harry thus remained the scar. Hagrid took Harry to Diagon Alley, a magical place located underneath London. It was a place where wizards and witches visited the bank, potions shop, wand shop and many more. Harry got all the schools supplies he would need. He also realized that he was famous in the wizard world. Everyone knew Harry Potter, he is the great child that defeated Voldemort. On the train to Hogwarts Harry is introduced to the Wesley's, Ron who was a first year also, Fred and George the twins and Percy the Prefect. Harry and Ron instantly became friends. On the train we also meet Neville, who is shy and accident-prone. Hermione Granger also introduces herself. She seems a bit stuck up and at first Harry and Ron do not like her but they soon become great friends when they save her from a troll. Once they arrive at Hogwarts they are sorted into one of the four houses at Hogwarts. Harry, Ron Hermione and Neville at get placed in Gryffindor. Harry was happy to be anywhere but in Slytherin. Once at Hogwarts Harry began to learn and explore a world that was unlike muggle's world. (A muggle is someone who is non magical) Harry began taking classes to learn potions, transfiguration, herbology and even how to fly a broom. Harry was so good at flying that he even made it on the Gryffindor Quidditch team. Quidditch is a wizard's sport. At first the only evil that Harry encounters is a boy by the name of Malfoy, Draco Malfoy. He was in the slytherin house and always starting stuff with Harry and trying to get him into trouble. One night Harry discovers a three-headed dog that seems to by hiding a trapped door. Harry, Ron and Hermione then set out on a mission to discover what Hogwarts is guarding. The sorcerer's stone is at Hogwarts and it contains the elixir of life. This journey gets them into a lot of trouble. They soon find out that it might have something to do with the return of Voldemort and if he gets his hand on the sorcerer’s stone he will for sure return. Once this news surfaces Harry feels it is his duty to get to the bottom of it because Voldemort did kill his parents. Harry, Ron and Hermione had to get past many enchantments and other obstacles in order to save the sorcerer’s stone and the rest of the wizard world from the return of Voldemort. The end is full of twist and surprises that I dare not reveal until you read it yourself.

This Harry Potter book was spectacular. I am a huge fan of the movies and was looking forward to finally reading one of the books. I must give the moviemaker so credit however. They did a fantastic job at portraying the story on screen. I mean there were a few slight changes but for the most part I was pretty satisfied. They only thing that bummed me out was that Percy was not really even in the movie and Neville's part was downplayed in the movie. Of course the book was so much better I just feel like I should still give the movie props for trying. I would have to agree in saying the J.K. Rowling's words captivate you and bring you on a journey that you never knew your imagination could reach. As a lover of all things fantasy I was amazed by her story. She did not forget to include a single detail or aspect of the story. I walk away feeling like I myself had just left Hogwarts and couldn't wait for the summer to be over so that I could return. Any book that can captivate me like that I can't wait to introduce into my classroom. I love the idea of introducing books that you know not only the teacher loves but one that the students will love as well. Rowling did a beautiful portrayal of good and evil. I loved how Harry refused and resisted to be like the man who killed his parents. He has so much hate and anger inside him yet he uses it to prevail on the side of the good and defeat the evil. Harry is willing to die to revenge his parents and save the lives of all the magical people that he just met. What bravery and courage Harry embodies is one to pointed out. I could never at age eleven be so willing to take on such a huge role. I think that this bravery and courage is great for our students to see. It helps them to realize that they to can overcome their fears and stand up for what they believe and feel is right. So many children let themselves fall in the shadows because they do not have the self-confidence to be who they are. Characters like Ron, Hermione, Harry and Neville are great role models for young kids of all different shapes and sizes. Friendship and love are two other big themes that are reoccurring through this story. Now a days kids don't want to talk about those things. They feel like the teacher is getting al mushy and trying to force all this stuff down them. However the friendship formed throughout the story between Harry, Ron and Hermione is one that I don't think even our students can ignore. You can't help but fall in love with those three and then reflect back on your live and friendships. You learn and grow from what they can teach us and I think that I important to point out to our students. The power of love between a child and his parents was a major theme played out beautiful in the end of the story. My god it makes my heart melt just thinking about it. I think it is important to point out these themes and try to get our students to understand its importance. Why did J. K. Rowling put such emphasis on this power of love? Well the book offers up many many more themes and things to talk about with your students. I loved the book and can't wait to read the others. It is officially on my list of things to do.

The Mirror of Erised plays a role in the book unlike one you would expect. This particular mirror shows you your heart's most innermost desire. The thing about this is that you have to realize that what your innermost desire may be may not being something that can happen. It can portray anything dead, alive, truth or fiction. The mirror does not always show you what you want or what you may think. This is a really tricky concept because students might think that it has the ability to show your happiest desire however it could portray something that is said and you know you can never obtain. Take Harry for example. He never knew his family and in the mirror that was what he saw. It may have made him happy however he had to quickly tell himself that it was not possible. His parents were dead, this was an illusion that made him feel good but could also hurt him for he might never leave the mirror. The mirror symbolizes to me reality. I think often in life we wish for the impossible to happen. I am a firm believer in dreams come true however we must remember to make our goals and dreams achievable through the reality of life. We can't waste away wishing for things that we know will never happen. I believe that imagination is a powerful thing. However with imagination we learn that it is just that and in order to achieve anything like what we imagine we have to learn to achieve it through what is available to us in life. The mirror represents a reminder to live in today and in the future that we hold for ourselves. Do not dwell on the past or things that we cannot change. It was a reminder to Harry that he must move on and do what he can about the future not dwell on his parents death. It was important for him to realize that he can make a change and make things better by facing the obstacles that are put in front of him. Don't place things in your life that are impossible to overcome. I don't know if this is what the author wished to portray but this is the lesson that I learned.

Harry Potter could be used in the classroom for a number of things. It could be used to talk about science and other things of that matter. However in my classroom I would look for ways to apply it to the everyday life of my students. The children in this story are faced with many of the same things that my students will be facing. So, why not take this opportunity to really have them explore what they feel and why they feel that way. The possibilities are unlimited for a book like Harry Potter.

Inkheart

Author: Cornelia Funke
Publisher and date of publication: The Chicken House, 2003 then published in English by Scholastic Inc in 2003
Genre: Fiction, Fantasy
Grade: 4-6

Twelve-year old Meggie lives alone with her father, Mo. Mo is a talented bookbinder who has passion for books. He also has an unending love for his daughter and lost wife. Mo, passed down his passion for books to his daughter Meggie as well. Meggie had never been told where her mother went or why she left, all she knows is she has been without her mother since she was three-years old. In spite of that emptiness in her life, Meggie's life with her father has been near perfect, until one night when a stranger, by the name of Dustfinger comes to visit Mo. A whispered conversation between Mo and Dustfinger, behind the closed door of Mo's workshop, embarks Meggie on a journey that begins with a trip to Meggie's aunt Elinor's house and ends by nearly killing them in the village of a villain named Capricorn. It isn't long before Meggie learns that bookbinding is not her father's only talent. He also has the ability to “read” people and objects right out of stories and into the real world. But this can also cause major trouble because this is what started the whole journey, when Mo read the evil villain Capricorn out of his story Inkheart. On the journey Meggie also learns the story of how her mother disappeared and the discovery that she has inherited her father's talent. Capricorn is after Mo because of his ability and he is also after the last copy of “Inkheart” which is in Mo's possession. Capricorn and his followers will stop at nothing to capture and control Mo and gain possession of the book. It is up to Meggie to find a way to use her talent and end this story with a happy ending.

Inkheart was a magnificent story. I have fallen in love with the works of Cornelia Funke. Her writing is so detailed and descriptive that you can't help but get lost in the pages of this wonderful story. She uses such great character development that by the end of the story you feel like you have sat down at the kitchen table with each and every one of them and had the greatest of conversations, except for maybe Capricorn. What I loved about it was that most fantasy stories like this have the reader fall into the story and live in there book. However in this story the characters come to life. They learn to live and survive in our world. Some love it hear but others like Dustfinger wish for nothing more than to return to his home in Inkheart. The battle between good and evil it so real that there were some parts of the story where I was gripping on the ends of the pages hoping that good would soon prevail. Another aspect that I loved so much was that there was no predicting the ending of this story. It had twist and turns literally until the last page that will keep you turning the pages faster than you can read them. Also, almost everything that happens in this book could happen in real life well, except for the reading of fictional characters into the real world. But a lot of things that take place and obstacles that Meggie face could really happen which makes it so interesting. I wonder what my students would do if they were ever faced with some of these tough situations. There are many themes to this book that could be explored in the classroom that the possibilities are unlimited. Meggie is a brave soul and I can only wish that at 12 years old I could be as brave as her. She deals with love, courage, despair, betrayal and so much more. But she handles it all like a champ. My favorite character however was aunt Elinor. She had tons of wit and did not bite her tongue even if it could save her life. She reminds me of an aunt in my family and I am sure everyone has an aunt Elinor in their life. She brought such sarcasm to the story . There were times she made me laugh out loud. I can not wait to share this wonderful story with my students and I look forward to reading the next installment, I wonder where the journey will take me this time.

In the classroom an obvious thing to do would be to discuss the themes of the story. However this story is so unique that I would love to see what my students could come up with if I were to ask them to write a story where their characters come to life. What kind of characters would they create? I also think another fun thing would be to have them write there own ending to the story much like Senior Fengolio had to. How would they have destroyed capricorn and ended the story with a happing ending of would they give it a happy ending? I think to challenge their minds like this to be creative and think outside the box is what our students look for from us. I think that giving them the freedom to change the ending or create there own unique characters will inspire them to write more, read more and be more creative.

For those of you who are interested this is a link to movie trailer...yes, they are coming out with a movie:

http://www.inkheartmovie.com/

Here is some lesson plan stuff:

http://content.scholastic.com/browse/unitplan.jsp?id=222

Books mentioned in Inkheart:

http://content.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=7439

Rosa

Author: Nikki Giovanni
Illutrator: Bryan Collier
Publisher and date of publication: Henry Holt and Company, LLC: 2005
Genre: Nonfiction, Biography (Multicultural)
Grade: 2-5

Rosa Parks was one of the best seamstresses in Montgomery, Alabama. People used to call her work magic. On one Thursday in 1955 Rosa's boss let her go home early because she had worked so hard and he knew that her mother was ill. She went to the bus stop, entered in the front door to pay her dime them went out and entered through the rear of the bus were the blacks had to sit. Once on the bus the section for blacks was full however she found a seat in the neutral section, which was for both blacks and whites. After a few stops James Blake the bus driver told her to give up her seats. Rosa just sat there. Blake then called the police and when Rosa would not move she was arrested. Rosa was tired of always putting white people first and always having to be considered "colored". She was arrested for everyone not just herself. Jo Ann Robinson a professor at Alabama College (for blacks) heard the news and decided to do something about it. She called a meeting at her office. Her and 25 women made posters saying "No Riders Today: Support Mrs. Parks, stay off the buses; Walk on Monday". The people walked for days, months and years. Reverend Martin Luther King was brought in to speak on the subject and spoke for the injustice that was taking place. On November 13, 1956 the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that segregation on buses was illegal, segregation was wrong. Rosa said "NO" to remind the nation that the U.S. constitution makes no provisions for second-class citizenship. We are all equal under the law. Her no turned into a yes for change.

I liked this biography of Rosa Parks. What a great reader for young children. The book mentions a lot of people that really fought for equality among races. What I liked most about the book was the simplicity of the story and how quickly it unfolded but yet you feel like you know everything. One thing that interested me that I was not aware of before was the fact that blacks actually walked for almost year. That whole time they stuck to this nonviolent movement and refused to use public transportation. Also, the fact that people from all over the country sent them shoes and clothes to wear so that they could bear whatever weather they faced was amazing. The story of Rosa Park truly is one that all students should know. I am glad that I was able to read this and freshen up on the history of what happened that year in Montgomery, Alabama.
I really loved how the illustrator constructed the images for this book. They looked as if he had taken bits and pieces of torn paper and formed them to make the pictures. It was almost like a collage but they were absolutely beautifully done. What it made me think of was the fact that our world is made of bits and pieces of peoples, culture and religion. We all live in this world of diversity yet if we work together we can make it world around us beautiful. I don't know if that was his significance for doing what he did but that’s how I read the pictures.

In the classroom there are a lot of topics that could be covered with the Rosa Parks story. First of all it would be a great way to start a lesson on African American historical figures or African Americans that made a difference during the civil rights movement. It provides a great opportunity to talk about civil right what are they, why do we need them and things like that. Have the children come up with some civil rights of their own for the classroom. Segregation is a huge topic in this story and I think that students need to learn how much of an impact segregation made on our society. It would be really neat if you could find and activity that deals with segregation in the classroom and then see on the students react and how it makes them feel. I think that it is important that we take the time to address these issues with our students and really educate them on the matters of what happened in history.

Animals Nobody Loves

I am a big fan of nonfiction texts. I love learning new things and exploring worlds that actually exist. Growing up I was one of those children who had books on everything that I loved. I wanted to know as much as I could about things that interested me. I have books on presidents, dance, magic and my favorite was my collection of encyclopedia for kids. I love learning facts, it really interest me. So, I think that children will respond great to nonfiction texts. Some will enjoys them more than others however I think that learning about life, our world, history and all those other fun things will really spark children's interest.

Title: Animals Nobody Loves
Author: Seymour Simon
Illustrator: The photos are real pictures of animals that were taken by a variety of photographers
Publisher and date of publication: Sea Star Books, 2001
Genre: Nonfiction, Informational Text
Grade: 3-5

Animal’s Nobody Loves is a book about just that. In this book you learn about sharks, bats, piranhas, rats, hyena's and many other animals that most people often view as ugly and disgusting. The purpose of this book was to inform children about what miraculous creatures these animals are even if they are mean and ugly. The book address the fact that they should be respected for the things that they do do and how they contribute to our life cycle. The book introduces students to habitats, eating habits, facts and unique characteristics about each animal. By then end the book hopes to have changed your mind about these non-loved animals and hopes that you will consider liking or even respecting them.

I loved this book. I am an avid animal channel watcher and often learn and hear about many of the animals that were in this book. Surprisingly enough I learned things that I did not know about some of these creatures. For example did you know that vultures could spot a dying animal from forty miles away? Or did you know that a man-of-war consist of a colony of different kinds of creatures that coexist. This book is full of interesting, fun and sometimes vulgar information. Reading about rats and ants makes my skin crawl however they do do some good in this world. Books like this are good for children to read they are fun, short tid bits of information that actually that entertain and are easy to remember. I love the idea of getting educated and not even knowing it.

I would use this book in a variety of ways. You could use it to introduce different kinds of habitats, eating patterns or characteristics of animals. I think it would be fun to have them read a book like this and then chose one animal to do a project one and learn more about it. At the end of the book it ask the reader to make a list of other animals that they do not like and to think of reasons why. I think it would be fun to have your students compile this list but then have them do mini research projects on them. Helping them to learn more about them and understand them. These are just a few neat ideas that we as teachers could do in the classroom. The idea is to have fun with it and make it educational at the same time.

Yeh-Shen

Author: Ai-Ling Louie
Illutrator: Ed Young
Publisher and date of publication: Philomel Books, 1982
Genre: Picture Book, Fairy Tale (Multicultural)
Grade: K-5

Yeh- Shen was the daughter of a cave chief in Southern China. He had two wives and both had a daughter. Yeh-Shen's mother and father both died when she was young, leaving her in the care of her stepmother. The stepmother was jealous of her beauty for her daughter was not as beautiful. So, her stepmother treated her like a servant. Yeh-Shen had only one friend and it was fish. One day the stepmother wanted to see the fish but it was smart and would not show itself unless it knew it was Yeh-Shen. The stepmother devised a plan to trick the fish by wearing Yeh-Shen's coat. When the stepmother approached the pond in Yeh-Shen's coat the fish appeared. The stepmother then stabbed the fish and took it home to cook. Yeh-Shen was very sad but then the spirit of a sage came to her. The old man told her that the bones of the fish were very powerful and that whenever she needed anything she could tell the fish bones and they would help her. So, Yeh-Shen grabbed the fish bones out of the garbage. She loved talking to them, she would often tell them that he was hungry and they would provide her with food. A festival was approaching and Yeh-Shen longed to go and possibly meet a husband. However she had lots of cleaning, cooking and sewing to do. Once the Stepmom and daughter left for the festival Yeh-Shen asked the bones to help her with her clothes so that she go attend the festival. She was soon standing in a beautiful gown and shoes made of gold. The spirit bones told her to make sure that she did not loose a golden slipper. Yeh-Shen went to the festival and everyone was taken by her beauty. When she thought her stepmother had noticed her she ran back toward her home. Her clothes turned back to rags and on the way she lost a golden shoe. She cried because when she returned the bones were silent. A villager found the shoe, sold it to a merchant who presented it to the king as a gift. The king became some taken by the shoe that he longed to know who it belonged to. The King put out a search far and wide. There was a pavilion set up near Yeh-Shen’s house were people could come and try to claim the shoe. One night Yeh-Shen went to the pavilion and took the shoe. The king and his men followed her home especially after he was struck by her beauty. The king appeared at the door and told her to try on the tiny shoe. It was a perfect fit. The king had found his true love.

Yeh-Shen was a wonderful Cinderella story. I enjoyed it from start to finish. My favorite thing about the story was her friend the fish. I just love how many Cinderella have an animal friend that they can talk and relate to. With Disney it was the mouse and other woodland creatures. In Yeh-Shen it was this beautiful Chinese fish. I think it is important for our students to see the relationships that they have with animals. I can tell you how many times I have been sad and the only thing that made me feel better was when my dog "Princess" jumped up into my lap and showed me that unconditional love. Many time young people feel alone and I think it is great to encourage a friendship with animals. Another thing that I really liked about Yeh-Shen was the Chinese culture that was present throughout the entire book. There was everything from Chinese fish, spirits, dress and most importantly the emphasis on tiny feet. Throughout China tiny feet has always been considered extremely beautiful. Women used to bind their feet in order to make them smaller and more appealing to men. It was a process that hurt very much but it is with out a doubt and very strong aspect of their culture. The king did not just love the golden shoe he also love the extremely small size of the tiny shoe so, I was glad to see that. I loved how Yeh-Shen remained humble and quite throughout the entire story. The pictures were panel picture much like the ones that we have seen in Lon Po Po. I love the panel pictures that bring so much drama. They really help to put emphasis on what is being portrayed in the story at that point in time. Each panel tells a separate story but when you look at it as a whole it also tells a story. So, that is really neat. I look forward to reading more Cinderella stories. This assignment has gotten me so interested in learning about the cultures and the history of this magnificent tale.

In the classroom you could do a number of things depending on the grade. You could use this book as an intro to fairy tales. You could use it as an opener to China and its culture. Like I said before there is a lot covered so this book would be great for students to read and get a sense of what China was like all those years ago. Another thing that I would love to do with older children is to have them write their own Cinderella story. Lay out the platform but then have them create own that would go around the culture they were raised or that is in their home. There are many many more things to do. This is just a few that I would do for sure in my classroom.

Ten Little Fish

Title: Ten Little Fish
Author: Audrey Wood
Illustrator: Bruce Wood
Publisher and date of publication: The Blue Sky Press 2004
Genre: Counting Picture Book
Age: K-1

This wonderful counting book is a story about ten little fish that explore their colorful ocean and swim through a sea filled with surprise and adventure. Along the way you lose fish counting down to one little lonely fish who doesn't know what to do. The lonely little fish soon finds a mate. They then become mother and father to ten little fish.

Ten Little Fish is a great counting book. What I really enjoyed about this one compared to others is that the book counts backwards from ten to one instead of the normal starting at one and counting up. I think it is a great idea because counting down can sometimes be a little more difficult for students especially those who are just learning how to count. Kids can see that it works both ways. The book is full of rhymes and fun adventures. The fish encounter different things that appear in the ocean. The pictures are full of bright colors that really bring the sea to life and will have children captivated from start to finish. I was really excited when I found this book because it is from the author I am doing my author study on however instead of it being illustrated by her husband Don it is illustrated by her son Bruce Wood which makes it really special, to me at least.

In the classroom I would use this book to explore the world of counting. Not only from 1 to 10 but like the book does which is counting backswords. This would be a great introduction to the idea and understanding of how to count backwards. Even though it is a counting book I do think that it could be read when studying fish or the ocean. The book is full of things that fish do really encounter and do when swimming through the sea. So, I would not limit myself only to the counting part of the book but open up my children to see its connection to the sea and have them learn from that aspect of the book as well.

Free Verse Poem reflection of Aluetian Sparrow

Images of the land I love string through my head as I remember my favorite stories.
Alone is how we feel but I know I have my people to lean on.
The world and the air are so cold against my skin.
Time turns slow as days and weeks pass but the scenery stays the same.
I dream of home with open fields that go on for days.
I dream of fishing trips and wait for the day for it all to return to normal.
Hopeful I am, I must be strong for the ones I love.
One day life we be pleasant again.