Utopia/ Dystopia

Title: Among the Hidden

Author: Margaret Peterson Haddix

Illustrator: Chris Neilsen

Publisher: Aladdin Paperbacks, 2000

Genre: Dystopia

Age Range: young adult

Summary: This book is about a society where parents are only allowed to have 2 children maximum.  Luke is a boy in a family who has to be hidden because he is the third child of his parents.  He lives in a basement and is closed off from the world in fear that someone will find him and take him away from his parents.  One day, while his family is away at work and school, Luke takes a risk and goes upstairs and looks out of a window and sees an unfamiliar face in the window across the street from his house.  It is a girl who is also hidden from society.  She is also the third child of her parents, and is curious about the outside world, just as Luke is.  Luke and the girl, Jennifer, become friends and Jennifer tells Luke of a rally against the population police that she is going to.  Luke, at the last minute, decides not to go and stays behind.  It turns out that the police shoot Jennifer, killing her and the other 40 shadow kids who rally against the police.  Luke finds Jennifer's father and asks for a fake ID.  He goes to live with fake parents, in which he then lives a normal life as a boy named Lee Grant.

Personal Reaction: I REALLY enjoyed reading this book.  I already read it when I was about a 5th grader, and I got excited when I saw it on the list of dystopian books to read in the IMC.  I think this book would be thoroughly enjoyed by kids in a classroom and I would definitely put this book in my classroom for students to read.  It teaches children to speak out for what they believe in, but to be cautious about it at the same time.  Children could easily relate to characters in the story and I think most would like reading this book overall.

Science Fiction

Title: You Bad Dog

Author: Leslie Baker

Publisher: Dutton Children's Books, 2003

Genre: science Fiction

Age Range: younger elementary

Summary: A dog named LuLu was a very energetic dog that always wanted to play. Bridget was an older dog who wanted to lay and rest all the time while LuLu always did things to try and get Bridget to play with her.  LuLu would do things that would make their owner mad, and Bridget would always get in trouble for things LuLu did.  In a movie theater, Bridget finally had trapped LuLu into getting in trouble for something that LuLu had done.  Bridget thought that LuLu was finally going to get what she deserved.  Bridget then thought about the fact that LuLu was her best friend and that they did everything together.  Bridget went back for LuLu and they were both kicked out of the movie theater.  They saw a cat run across the street in front of them and chased after it.  Bridget finally played along with LuLu.

Personal Response: I think this book would be good for students in a classroom.  It shows students that when your friends do something wrong, sometimes you have to stand up for what is right and teach them a lesson.  However, this does not mean that you end that friendship with your friend.  There are compromises in life that can be made so that you can do what is right and keep your friends with you.

Fractured Folktale

Title: Cinderella Penguin, or The Little Glass Flipper

Author: Janet Pearlman

Publisher: Scholastic, 1992

Genre: fractured Folktale

Age Range: middle elementary

Summary: Cinderella Penguin neglected among her stepsisters and stepmother.  She always had to clean while they did leisurely things around town.  A letter came in the mail saying that the Prince of the town was throwing a ball and that everyone was invited.  Of course the stepmother and stepsisters told Cinderella that she couldn't go.  She was very sad, but after they left, a fairy penguin came and granted Cinderella's wish to go to the ball.  She changed Cinderella's rags of clothes into a beautiful gown.  At the ball, Cinderella's stepsisters and mother did not recognize her.  When midnight came, Cinderella quickly had to leave before she turned back into her normal self.  Her glass flipper was left behind and the Prince picked it up.  He went around town trying to find who's flipper fit the slipper, and finally found his Cinderella.  They were then married and lived happily ever after.

Personal Response: I think that this is a good book to use in the classroom.  It is a famous piece of literature that children will enjoy and find entertaining.  It can teach children to stay strong in difficult situations and show them that they will be rewarded in the end for enduring such misery.

Fractured Fairy Tale

Title: Dear Peter Rabbit
Author: Beatrix Potter
Publisher: The Penguin Group
Genre: Fractured Fairytale
Age Range: middle elementary level
Summary: Peter Rabbit, throughout the book, goes from animal friend to animal friend passing on letters. The letters correspond with other fairytales and bring them into the story of Peter Rabbit. Because Peter Rabbit is not the only story that is focused on, it shows that this story is a fractured fairytale.
Personal Reaction: I think that this book would be a good book for a classroom. It shows how stories can be integrated with each other and that stories can relate in different ways. Characters from stories can be put together and still tell their individual stories. This shows children how they can express their individualities among their peers.

Traditional Literature

Title: Goldilocks and the Three Bears
Author: Carolyn Buchner and Mark Buchner
Publisher: The Penguin Group, 2007
Genre: Traditional Literature
Age Range: younger elementary
Summary: A girl named Goldilocks finds an empty house where 3 bears live. She comes across their house looking for someone to play with and when she finds that they are not there she goes into their house anyways. She tries to sit in Papa, Mama, and Baby Bears' chair and only likes Baby Bear's chair. She then tries to eat each bear's porriage. Again, she only likes Baby Bear's porriage. She gets tired so she tries each bear's bed to see how comfortable each one is. She, again, finds that she likes Baby Bear's bed the best. The bears come back from their walk and find Goldilocks in Baby Bear's bed and the bears scream. This scares Goldilocks and before the bears stop screaming she jumps out of the window and runs away.
Personal Response: I think that this book is a good book for the classroom. It is entertaining to children and has been a story that has been around for many years. Children would learn to know that they shouldn't talk to or mess with strangers and their personal belongings. This book is an entertaining way to teach children this lesson.

Historical Fiction/ Multicultural

Title: The Flame of Peace

Author: Deborah Nourse Lattimore

Publisher: Harper and Row, 1987

Genre: historical fiction

Age Range: 5-8

Summary: A little boy, Little Flint admires his father.  His father is a warrior and is not afraid to fight for his country.  When his father dies during battle, Little Flint goes out to seek peace between his people and their enemies.  Along the way, he tricks different "lords."  These include, the storm lord, river lord, wind lord, etc.  He finally gets granted with "the flame of peace" from Lord Morning Star and brings it back to his town.  It stays lit as Little Flint and his people celebrate with festivities.

Personal Reaction: I thought this was a good book and I would use it in my classroom.  It shows a true part of history, while adding in fiction about a little boy (about an elementary schooler's age) that students in a classroom can easily relate to.  

Traditional Literature/ Multicultural

Title: The Three Witches

Author: Joyce Carol Thomas

Illustrator: Faith Ringgold

Publisher: Harper Collins Publishers, 2006

Genre: Traditional Literature

Age Range: 6-10

Summary: There are 3 witches that had already eaten a boy and girl's mother and father, so the children went to live with their grandmother.  One day while the grandmother was out getting more food for their house, the children went and played outside.  They saw the 2 witches and ran and hid in many places, but ended up in a tree.  As the witches were trying to get to them they were trying to call their dogs to come eat the witches and save them.  Their grandmother came back from getting food and was tired and laid down to take a nap.  The dogs were tied up and couldn't get free to save the children.  The grandmother finally woke up and let the dogs free since they were barking and went and saved the children from the 3 witches.

Personal Response: I liked this book because I think it teaches children lessons about being safe outside by themselves.  It teaches them to be aware of their surroundings, even though witches aren't real, and to look out for each other.  I would use this in the classroom to teach children this lesson alone.  It is also entertaining and makes the reader want to know what happens next in the story.

Traditional Literature

Title: Please, Malese!

Author: Amy MacDonald

Illustrator: Emily Lisker

Publisher: Douglas and McIntyre Ltd, 2002

Genre: Traditional Literature

Age Range: 6 and up

Summary: This story is about a boy names Malese who tricks people.  First he tricked 2 men in the village to make him shoes so that he didn't have to pay anything for them.  He then tricked more people into giving him rum for his rum cake.  Lastly, Malese tricked a man into letting him ride the man's donkey up a hill so he didn't have to walk in the hot sun anymore.  The people come together and put Malese in a mud hut (which is like a jail), and Malese acts like he likes staying there.  Since the people in the village had to bring him food while he was in the mud hut, they got annoyed and soon made Malese leave the hut so they wouldn't have to look after him anymore.

Personal Response: I thought that this book was inappropriate for children at a young age.  The only reason I feel this way is that it talked about alcohol, rum, and children at this age should not be wondering/learning about alcohol.  I also didn't like how Malese got away with his trickery in the end.  He didn't learn any lessons about being a kind and respectful person, and got away with acting inappropriately. Because of these reasons I would not have my students read this book.

Challenge Book

Title: The Stupids Take Off

Author: Harry Allard and James Marshall

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1989

Genre: Challenge Book, Picture Book

Age Range: 4-6

Summary: The Stupids want to avoid seeing one of their relatives, Uncle Carbuncle, so they get into their plane and fly away to waste time so they won't be home when their uncle arrives.  They see many relatives along the way, and many of them are doing odd, unusual things.  For example Uncle Artichoke had a diving board that didn't have a pool under it.  There was only a diving board and then the rest of the lawn in the backyard.  Another example was that Farmer Joe was watering his garden.  His garden, instead of flowers and other plants, consisted of pencils and other writing utensils.  

Personal Response: I felt that the book would make students laugh, however I do see why it was a challenged book.  The fact that their name is "Stupid" shows that everything they do it "stupid."  This could offend a child who may do some of the same, or similar, activities that the Stupids take part in throughout the book.  I don't think I would have my students read this book for that reason alone.  I wouldn't want any of my students to think that they were "stupid" because of something unique that their families did together.