Hero's song

Hero's Song
Edith Pattou
1991
This is an epic journey through dark-aged Eirren, a parallel to Ireland. Collun is a young man and simple gardener living at peace with his family in their small humble home, but when his beloved sister disappears, Collun must go in search of her. Along the road he finds himself in the company of an aspiring bard, a wizard, a prince of magical beings, and a fiery archer with a mission of her own. The journey is perilous and filled with dangerous encounters. Collun learns the worst is yet to come when he finds the only way to reach his sister is by killing a horrific beast which few have seen and lived to tell the tale.




Fire Arrow
Edith Pattou
1997
This is the tale of Breo-Saight, better known as Brie, Collun's fiery archer companion from the first novel. After witnessing her father's murder she vowed revenge on his killers. When she finally finds peace with Collun, she is told where she will find her father's killers by a wyl, a magical being with the power to see beyond. Brie continues her quest and comes across her birthright: an arrow that seems to have a mind of its own. To make matters worse, there is an evil one-eyed sorcerer with a diabolical plan. In her darkest hour of need, Collun comes to the rescue. Together he and Brie must stop the sorcerer from carrying out his plan and destroy him, and Brie must learn to keep her thirst for revenge from destroying herself.

Soldier Son

Shaman's Crossing, Forest Mage, Renegade's Magic
Robbin Hobb

Tawny Man

Fool's Errand, The Golden Fool, Fool's Fate
Robin Hobb

Live Ship Traders

Ship of Magic, Mad Ship, Ship of Destiny
Robin Hobb

Farseer

Assassin's Apprentice, Royal Assassin, Assassin's Quest
Robin Hobb

Power of One

Eragon

Eragon, Eldest, Brisingr
Christopher Paloni

The Inheritance

Pride and Prejudice

Elantris

Acadia National Park

Acadia National Park
Wende Fazio
Children's press
copyright 1998
Pages: 48
Reading Level: 8-10
Genre: Non fiction
Summary:
 Acadia is located off the coast of Maine. Acadia was made of Granite from the surface of the ocean floor and from glaciers. Jesuit priests attempted to teach christianity to the native people of Acadia, but the natives became sick and died from the disease the Europeans brought with them. Acadia is full of paper birch trees and sugar maple trees. The Harbor is full of seals. It is a National park today and most of the views can be seen when you take Park Loop Road.
Recommendations and Conflicts:
I would recommend this to a student who has an assignment of studying a national park. I do not see any conflicts in this book.
Reaction:
I thought this was a interesting and informational book.

When Lightning Comes in a Jar

When Lightning Comes in a Jar
Patricia Polacco
Penguin Group
Copyright 2002
Pages: 40
Reading Level: 6-10
Genre: Realistic fiction
Summary:
Trisha can barely wait for her family to come for the family reunion, it reminds her of the reunions of the past. One year Gramma told her that they were going to catch lightning in a jar, but they had to wait for evening to fall. The day was full of excitement and games, including baseball, cricket, and sack races. Grandpa would call for everyone to be measured against the cow shed. Gramma and the aunties would tell stories then that night Gramma showed them how to catch lightning in a jar, with lightning-bugs. That was a long time ago and now Trisha is a gramma and she is looking forward to showing her grandkids how to catch lightning bugs
Recommendations and Conflicts:
I would recommend this book to kids who like fireflies. I don't see conflicts in this book.
Reaction:
I enjoyed this book, but was thrown off by the change of Trisha's age.

Hi

Hi
Ann Herbert Scott
Philomel Books
Copyright 1994
Pages: 30
Reading level:
Genre: Fiction
Summary:
Margarita is waiting for her mother to be done at the post office, so she says hi to everyone. Nobody waved back when she first said hi. She said hi to a man reading a newspaper, but he didn't respond. She said hi to three teenage girls, but they didn't hear her. She said hi to a mother and her crying baby, but the mother was too busy taking care of her baby to notice. She said hi less loudly to a boy bringing in packages, but he didn't hear her either. At last Margarita and her mother were at the front of the line. Margarita tried one last time and whispered hi to the post office lady, who smiled and said hi right to her.
Recommendations and Conflicts:
I recommend this book to all children, the only conflict I see in it is that Margarita is ignored by so many people.
Reaction:
This book shows that you just have to be persistent and somebody will respond to you.

In November

In November
Cynthia Ryalnt
Hartcourt Inc
Copyright 2000
Pages: 28
Reading Level:
Genre: fiction
Summary:
Every November the earth has a blanket of snow and the trees stand tall and leafless. The birds all move away and the animals all sleep more. Pets all come in doors and keep warm by the fire. The smell of food is different in November because we start cooking for Thanksgiving. Families all gather and celebrate and then go home again.
Recommendations and conflicts:
I would recommend this book to a classroom if they lived in a snowy area. There are no conflicts with this book.
Reaction:
I loved the paintings that Jill Kastner drew for this book, they are all warm and make me feel cosy.

Spiderwick Lucinda's Secret

Lucinda's Secret
Tony DiTerlizzi
Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
Copyright: 2003
Pages: 128
Reading Level: 7+
Genre: Fantasy
Summary:
The Grace children visit their Great-Aunt Lucinda, who is now in a psychiatric hospital. When they speak to her, they learn more about the world of faerie creatures, the Field Guide, and its author, Arthur Spiderwick, who was Aunt Lucinda's father. Arthur had disappeared when Lucinda was still a little girl and the Grace children later find out where he disappeared to when they stumble upon a forest of elves. On their journey they meet Stray-Sods, grass that can move, and a Phooka, a strange creature that talks only in riddles. Jared is captured by the elves, but tricks them by saying he is "Simon" and they promise to keep "Simon" there until they bring the guide. Jared says he isn't "Simon" but Jared, and they let him out but only by promising them that they will bring the field guide to them when it is found.
Recommendations and Conflicts:
 I would recommend this book to those with an active imagination.I don't see conflicts in this book.
Reaction:
I thought this book was hilarious, but it doesn't make sense when it is out of context.

Riding Freedom

Riding Freedom
 Pam Munoz Ryan
 Mass Market Paperback
Pages: 144
Reading Level: 8-12
Genre: Historical Fiction
Summary:
Charlotte was born and her family crashed in a buggie accident. She was sent to live in an orphanage in which she was the only girl and was used as a kitchen helper. She loved to work with the horses, she raced Freedom and beat all the other boys in the orphanage. Freedom was sick when she raced him and Charlotte didn't realize this until afterward when she took him back to the stables. That night Freedom died. Charlotte's best friend, Hayward, got adopted the next day and Charlotte was banned from the stables, so Charlotte decides to run away and dress like a boy. She got on the stage coach and fell asleep between two ladies who thought she was the sweetest boy they'd ever met. At the end of the line, Charlotte got a job in a stable as Charley. The owner of the stable was moving and could only take "Charley" if he could drive the stage coach, which Charlotte did. Charley was the most respected stage coach driver on the east coast, people would request him as their driver, not realizing he was a girl. Charlotte got an offer to go west and drive stage coaches out there, she went wanting to buy land and have her own horses. When she got out there, she was shoeing a wild hose when the horse kicked and blinded Charlotte in one eye. She was determined to drive coaches. She taught herself how to drive with limited vision so that she could continue to do what she loved to do. She was hired as a driver by her friends after she proved that she could drive. She voted (and was among the first women to do so, but she was still disguised as a man). She was finally able to afford a ranch and wrote a letter inviting Hayward to come join her and she also wrote a letter to her former employer (who knew by now that she was a girl) to invite him to come breed horses in the west. They both came and eventually Charlotte died, which is when everyone found out she was a woman.
Recommendations and Conflicts:
I would recommend this book to any and all readers of every age. The conflict I see in this book is the mistreatment of Charlotte when she was still in the orphanage, and her need to act and dress like a man her entire life.
Reactions:
I loved this book and Charlotte's determination to do what she wanted to do and to make it possible to get it done.

Island of the Blue Dolphins

Island of the Blue Dolphins
Scott O'Dell
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Trade & Referemce Publis
Copyright: 1960
Pages: 192
Reading level: 8-12
Genre: Historical Fiction
Summary:
Wonapalei (or Karana, her secret name) is marooned for 18 years on the island. Aleuts have convinced her people to trade with them, but leave without paying. The Chief leaves the island for help and sends a boat back for his people to go to the main land. Karana's little brother is not on the boat when it leaves and she swims back so he won't be alone. Ramo, Karana's brother, is killed by the wild dogs that took over the village. Karana must now do the tasks that she wasn't previously allowed to do because she is a woman. She makes a spear, builds a canoe, and vows to avenge her brother's death. She injures the leader of the pack and has a change of heart, she tames the wolf and names him Rontu for Fox Eyes. Karana makes a life for herself, makes a home and stocks a cave full of provisions. One summer the Aleuts return and Karana takes refuge in her cave. She meets a girl named Tutok who takes care of the Aleuts domestic duties. They exchange presents and become friends. She meets sailors and they take her to the mission in Santa Barbara.
Recommendations and Conflicts:
I would recommend this book to a sixth grader who loves to read. There is a lot of death and abandonment in this book.
Reaction:
I enjoyed reading about Karana and her struggle. I felt sorry for her when she realized that she was the last of her people and that no one else spoke her language.

Barack Obama

Barack Obama
Marlene Targ Brill
Millbrook Press
2006
Pages: 48
Reading Level:10+
Genre: Non-Fiction, Biography
Summary:
This is Barack Obama's story before he ran for President. He got his name from Kenya, but his accent from Kansas. He was born in Hawaii and moved to Indonesia with his mother and step dad in 1967. A few years later, he moved back to Hawaii and enrolled in school. In 79, he went to California for school, and later switched to New York. He went to Harvard in 88 and was the first black president of Harvard Law Review. He married his wife in 1991 then joined a Chicago law firm. In 1996, he won the election of Illinois state senator. In 2004, he was elected US Senator from Illinois, becoming the fifth African American in History to join the Senate.
Recommendations and Conflicts:
I would recommend this book to people who have no idea what Obama's background is. The conflict I see is that this might brainwash children into thinking that Obama has no faults.
Reaction:
This concerned me because it is such a well written book that children may think that Obama is a perfect person. I did like that I got a chance to understand what Obama's background is.

Captain Underpants

Captain Underpants
Dav Pilkey
Scholastic Inc
Copyright 1997
Pages 128
Reading Level: 7-10
Genre: Comic Novel
Summary:
George and Harold like to play around and pull pranks on people and don't get caught. That is until one day the principal called them in to his office and showed them a video of them setting up their pranks for the previous football game. He blackmailed them with it, it would go to the football players unless they behaved and did manual labor for him. The two boys did this for a while, until they were fed up and bought a hypnosis ring. They hypnotized their principal into being Captain Underpants (the hero from their comics they made). Captain Underpants ran off to save the world. He stopped a robbery and stopped Dr Diaper from destroying the world. George and Harold got Captain Underpants to return to school, but couldn't get their principal back, so they splashed him with water (which made him switch between the two)
Recommendations and Conflicts:
I would recommend this book to the trouble makers. I see one problem in this book, the principal is wearing only his underwear. 
Reaction:
I thought this book was hilarious.  It was full of humor that parents might not be able to appreciate.

the lion the witch and the wardrobe

the lion the witch and the wardrobe
CS Lewis
HarperCollins Publishers
Copyright 1994
pages: 208
Reading Level: 10-14
Genre: Fantacy
Summary:
 Peter, Susan, Edmund andLucy are all sent to the countryside to escape WWII. On a rainey day they explore the house and Lucy finds a wardrobe that transports them to Narnia. Lucy spends hours in Narnia and returns to find almost no time has passed in our world. Lucy gets in again and Edmund follows her. Edmund meets the White Witch who casts Edmund under her spell. The children are playing one day when they hear Mrs Macready who is showing the house to some visitors. They end up hiding in the wardrobe and enter Narnia. Edmund tries to get his siblings to go the the White Witch's castle, but the Beavers get the three away in time. The White Witch's power over Narnia is fading, Aslan, the true ruler of Narnia, has returned to Narnia. He offers himself in Edmund's place when the White Witch would kill him. Aslan knows the deep magic of Narnia, in which a innocent life cannot be forfeit when offered for another. In the final battle, the White Witch is killed by Aslan and the children become the Kings and Queens of Narnia. They grow up and forget about our world when they stumble upon a lamppost and enter our world out of the wardrobe, only to find their years in Narnia have taken no time in this world.
Recommendations and Conflicts:
This book I would recommend to children of all ages. I do not see conflicts in this book, but some see it as a religious based book.
Reaction:
I enjoyed the world of Narnia, it opens your eyes to who you are and which of the four siblings would you be.

Bridge to Terabithia

Bridge to Terabithia
Katherine Paterson
HarperCollins Publishers
Copyright: 1987
Pages: 176
Reading Level: 10+
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Summary:
Jesse Aarons is an only boy in a family of five kids. Leslie Burke moves in next door and the two become friends. Jesse shares his love of drawing and Leslie shares her love of fantasy stories. The two create a fantasy world across the ditch behind their two houses. Terabithia is the name of their kingdom and they are King and Queen. Terabithia is a place where they can face their fears with out fear. Miss Edmunds invites Jesse to go to the National Gallery of Art and he goes with out telling Leslie, who decides to go to Terabithia on her own. Leslie falls into the creek and drowns due to the heavy rain storm and rapid water. Jesse goes back to Terabithia and makes a memorial wreath for Leslie when he hears a cry for help. His sister, May Belle, tried to follow Jesse, but got stuck half way across. Jesse builds a bridge to Terabithia and invites May Belle to be the new Queen of Terabithia.
Recommendations and Conflicts:
I recommend this book to all readers, it is a sweet story in which Jesse overcomes grief.  The major conflict I see in this book is an uncaring mother and the death of Jesse's best friend
Reaction:
This book is well written and enjoyable. Young readers can relate to Jesse quickly and he becomes a friend.

The Devil's Arithmetic

The Devil's Arithmetic
Jane Yolen
Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated
Copyright: 2004
pages 176
Reading level: 8-12
Genre: historical fiction
Summary:
 Hannah gets transported back in time to Poland in 1942. Everyone is convinced that she is Chaya Abramowicz who is recovering from cholera and is recently orphaned. Soon after she arrives, she goes to a wedding, but before the ceremony can begin, Nazis relocate them. Hannah realizes what's going on and tries to warn people, but they don't believe her. They are transported to a concentration camp where the female wedding guests are separated from the male wedding guests. They are stripped of their personal belongings, including their names. At meal the next day Hannah meets Rivka who has lived in the camp for over a year and she protects Hannah as best she can. Shmuel gets caught in an escape attempt and is killed for it, with his fiance deciding to die with him rather than live without him. Pivka, Hannah and two friends are working in the fields when an officer approaches them selecting Hannah's three friends to fill the quota for the crematorium. Hannah takes Rivka's place telling her to run and to remember. As she walks through the crematorium, she walks back to her old life in the modern day. Hannah discovers that Aunt Eva was Rivka and Chaya was her name sake. Hannah tells Eva what Eva's numbers stand for and then recites what her own stood for.
Recommendations and Conflict:
I would recommend this book to anyone who is mature enough to read it. This book contains a major conflict: the Holocaust 
Reaction:
I loved this book, it touches my heart every time I read it. Chaya sacrificed her life to save her friend who wasn't guaranteed to survive anyway.

Lightening Thief

Lightening Thief
Rick Riordan
Hyperion Books for Children
Copyright 2005
Pages: 384
Reading Level: 10-14
Genre: Fiction
Summary:
Percy has ADHD and dyslexia, but those are just symptoms of being a demigod. His father is Poseidon, the god of the sea. Percy is blamed for stealing Zeus's master bolt and must return it in ten days or there will be a war of the gods. Percy sets out in search of Hades (Chiron believes that Hades stole the bolt), but before he Grover and Annabeth set out, Luke gives Percy flying shoes. The three head west to the underworld in Los Angeles, but encounter many greek monsters on the way. As they approach Tartarus, Luke's shoes pull Grover into it, but fail because Grover's hooves don't stay in the shoes. Percy confronts Hades only to find that Ares gave to bolt to Percy when they met. He flees the underworld, fights Ares, and returns Hades helm of darkness (which Ares stole) and returns to New York to give Zeus his master bolt. Luke later reveals that he stole the bolt for Kronos and tries to kill Percy. Percy lives and goes home to his mom attends another school his mom found.
Recommendations and Conflicts:
I would recommend this book to any reader young and old. Conflicts in this book? There are none, except the greek gods being the gods.
Reaction:
I enjoyed reading this book. It was entertaining as well as it got me to learn more about Greek Mythology.

Sojourner Truth

Sojourner Truth
Margo McLoone
Bridgestone Books
Copyright 1997
Pages: 24
Reading Level: 6-8
Genre: Non-Fiction
Summary:
Sojourner wanted equality for everyone and worked most of her life for freedom. Her name was originally Isabella. She hated slavery because it tore families apart. Slaves were often beaten if they didn't obey their owners rules. Isabella's owners promised to free her if she worked hard for nine years, so she did. She was the first African American woman who won a lawsuit in the US. She fought for her good name and earned it. Eventually she changed her name to Sojourner, which meas to travel. She spoke up for woman's rights and for equality. She wrote an autobiography called "The Narrative of Sojourner Truth."
Recommendations and Conflicts:
I would recommend this book to a classroom studying woman's rights and the emancipation proclamation.
Reaction:
This book was very informative about Sojourner's life, and I learned new things about her that I didn't know from studying her before.

Booker T Washington

Booker T Washington
Lola M Schaefer
Pebble Books
Copyright 2003
Pages: 24
Age Level: 5-6
Genre: Non-Fiction
Summary:
Booker was born a slave. His family was freed and they moved to West Virginia to work in a salt mine. Booker worked hard to learn to read, at school he needed a last name and he chose Washington. Booker worked as a janitor to pay his way through school. He graduated Hampton Institute and began running Tuskegee. Booker wanted his students to learn "school" subjects and to learn a trade, He wrote a book about his life a few years before he died.
Recommendations and Conflicts:
I would recommend this book to a class studying The Civil War and the time period after that. I don't see conflicts in this book.
Reactions:
I thought this book was very informative, and I enjoyed it especially after studying Booker in my education class.

Mick Harte Was Here

Mick Harte Was Here
Barbara Park
Random House Children's Books
copyright 1996
pages 96
reading level: 8-12
Genre: fiction
Summary:
Phoebe's brother Mick is dead. She loved being with him and doing things that got them both in trouble (like writing in fresh cement). At soccer practice, Phoebe heared an ambulance siren, then saw the school secretary run to her coach who tells Phoebe her brother was hit by a car. She goes to her best friend's house while her parent's are at the hospital with her brother. They talk about how crazy Mick is and how fun it is to be with him. Mick died and her parents go to shut his bedroom door, but Phoebe tells them not to. The whole family just stops functioning. Phoebe thinks that feeling better is a betrayal of her brother because he's not there. The family starts to grow closer and are eventually able to star going again. Phoebe writes in the cement behind the bleachers "MICK HARTE WAS HERE"
Recommendations and Conflicts:
 I would recommend this book to anyone who has experienced loss. The conflict I see in this book is the death of Mick and his mom's reaction.
Reactions:
I cried reading this book and again writing the summary. It's a good book for helping you let someone you love go.

Hatchet

Hatchet
Gary Paulsen
 Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
Copyright 1987
Page number 192
Reading level: 10-14
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Summary:
Brian's parents are divorced, his mom is sending him to his dad's for he summer. On the flight there, the pilot has a heart attack and the plane goes down in a lake. Brian swims out of hte plane and gets to the shore and finds forest all around him. He tries to set up camp and to live in the forest, but eventually has to go back to the plane to get things to survive, He finds the pilot half eaten by fish and gets what he needs out of the plane. Brian learns to fish and is able to make a fire. Lots of things go wrong, like the hurricane, the moose that attacked, and other problems. One day, after living in the forest for a while, and living off his hatchet, a plane finds him and brings him home, his parents have been searching for him since he didn't make it to his dad's.
Recommendations and Conflicts:
I would recommend this book to all readers. It is a book you should read in your life so that you have it as a background. A conflict with this book is that the pilot is half eaten and Brian has to live with out the help of an adult.
Reaction:
I think this is a good book, especially since it encourages you to find out who you are. Hatchet is a good book for learning what your limits are. It teaches science concepts without being over bearing.

Frindle

Frindle
Andrew Clements
Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
Copyright 1998
Pages: 112
Reading level: 8-12
Genre: realistic fiction
Summary:
 Words were made up at one point in time.Nick realizes this and decided to make up a word and get it into the dictionary. His teacher is furious when "frindle"is used instead of "pen." She would keep kids after school to write "I am writing this with a pen" over and over again when they used frindle in class. What she didn't notice was that every student who had to write lines would put frindle in here and there just to do it. By the end of the year, frindle was still in use, partially because it was banned. Years later, Nick got a dictionary from his teacher that she now used in her classroom every year, it contained the word frindle
Recommendations and Conflicts:
 I would recommend this book to kids who are curious about words and who use big words. The only conflict I see in this book is taht the teacher is viewed as the bad guy
Reaction:
This was a cute story in which imagination was encouraged in an unusual way.

Rosa Parks

Rosa Parks
Lola M. Schaefer
Capstone Press
Copyright 2002
Pages: 24
Age Level: 5-6
Genre: Non-Fiction
Summary
Rosa McCanley is African American, she was only allowed to go to school with other African American kids. It was against the law for white kids and African American kids to go to the same school. She disagreed with this law and married a man named Raymond Parks who shared her beliefs. She worked for the NAACP trying to get equal rights. One day, Rosa refused to give up her seat on the bus and started a boycott. She went to court contesting segregation and won, She recieved the medal of honor in 1999
Recommendations and Conflicts
I would recommend this book to young readers who want to learn more about US history that wasn't too long ago. This book might be a conflict since she had to have a legal battle to sit down on the bus.
Reaction
I liked this book, it is informative and entertaining.

More than Anything Else

More than Anything Else
Marie Bradby
Scholastic
Copyright 1995
Pages: 32
Reading Level: 4-8
Genre: Non-Fiction
Summary:
 A nine year-old boy works along side his dad and brothers everyday shoveling salt. This boy wants to learn to read, but doesn't know anyone who could teach him. On his way home from work one day, he saw a black man reading a newspaper, when he got home, he told his ma that he wanted to learn to read. She pulled out a blue book with the "alphabet" in it. She can't teach him to read, but encourages him to try to learn it on his own. The boy does his best, but can't make the scratches on the page make sense, He finds the man who was reading the paper and asks him to explain the alphabet. The man asks the boy what his name is and he replies "Booker." The man teaches Booker how to write his name explaining the sounds of the scribbles.
Recommendations and Conflicts:
I would recommend this book to any reader. A conflict I see in this book is that Booker has to work barefoot in salt mines all day every day, young children may not be able to grasp this concept, but older children will and I think that by the time they can grasp this concept, they will be mature enough the handle the implications of it.
Reaction:
I really enjoyed this book, it has detailed, vibrant pictures, it is written in the vernacular of the freed slaves, and it is well written.

House on Mango Street

House on Mango Street
Sandra Cisneros
Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
Copyright 1991
Pages: 128
Reading Level : 10-14
Genre: Fiction
Summary:

Esperanza is twelve when her family moves to Mango Street. This house is better than the appartment her family has been living in, but Esperanza still isn't happy with it, she resolves to have a home with privacy when she grows up. Esperanza makes friends with two girls who live across the street from her. The three girls have fun being children together. Esperanza's grandpa and aunt die, sending Esperanza into the world of adults. She starts watching women in the town around her. Esperanza is sexually assaulted by some young men and wants to leave Mango Street even more than before, but when she is emotionally ready, she realizes that she has to help all the women who are stuck on Mango Street. She uses writing as a way to distance herself from her experiences and hopes that one day she will be able to leave Mango Street.

Recommendations and Conflicts:
I would recommend this book to students in the end of middle school or the beginning of high school. I wouldn't recommend it to younger girls because the main character is sexually assaulted.
Reaction:
I thought this was an interesting book, but wouldn't read it again

A Year Down Yonder

A Year Down Yonder

Richard Peck

Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated

Copyright 2002

Pages: 144

Reading Level: 10-14 years

Genre: Historical Fiction

Summary:

Mary Alice is sent to live with her Grandma during the Great Depression. Her first day of school in Grandma's town doesn't go so well, she gets on the bad side of the Mildred, the bully, who demands a dollar of her. Grandma turns the tables on her and Mildred ends up having to walk the five miles home barefoot. When Halloween rolls around, August Fluke Jr and his friends decide to knock down people's privies, but Grandma has a plan, she makes home-made glue and hides out in the shed by the privy, so she can throw the glue on the perpetrators. Grandma makes pecan and pumpkin pies for the school Halloween party. Armistice Day rolls around and the Legion Auxillary Ladies sell soup for a dollar a cup, but Grandma is cashier, so it's actually pay what you can afford. The money raised is given to Mrs. Abernathy and her son, a wheelchair-bound war veteran.For the Christmas pageant Mary is cast as the Virgin Mary, but the baby doll is switched out for the Burdick's newest member of the family that they can't take care of. Grandma is late to the pageant, but brings Mary's brother with her, she bought him a train ticket with the money from the furs of  the foxes she and Mary collected that winter. Royce McNabb moves into the small town and Carleen develops an instant crush on him. Mary and Ina-Rae set out to make Carleen think Royce has a crush on Ina-Rae for Valentines Day. Grandma hosts a tea for the Daughters of the American Revolution, and country bumpkin Effie Wilcox learns that the hoity-toity Mrs. L.J. Weidenbach is her long-lost sister.Grandma takes in a New York artist as a boarder and Mary Alice invites Royce over for a study-date. Grandma cameos as matchmaker, introducing the boarder (Arnold Green) to Mary Alice's English teacher, Miss Butler. Mary Alice survives her first tornado, and the school-year wraps up with a hayride that finds Royce and Mary Alice promising to exchange letters. “A year down yonder” leaves Mary Alice with a more tender-hearted view of country-life and Grandma Dowdel, and she hesitates to head back to Chicago. Mary Alice and Royce Marry at the end of World War II on Grandma's porch.

Recommendations and Conflict:

I would recommend this book to a sixth grader. The only conflicts I see in this book is having a grandma who didn't grow up all the way.

Reactions:

I enjoyed A Year Down Yonder, Grandma was a character I could relate to and had fun finding out what she would do next.

A Single Shard

A Single Shard
Linda Sue Park
Random House Children's Books
Copyright 2003
Pages: 192
Reading Level: 10 and up
Genre: Historical Fiction
Summary:
Tree-ear is an orphan boy who loves to watch Min make pottery, but lives with Crane-man under the bridge. One day, he goes up close to look at Min's work and breaks one of his pots. Tree-ear offers to work to pay off his debt, and Min puts him to work cutting wood for the communal kiln. After his debt is paid, Tree-ear asks Min if he can continue to work for him, and Min agrees, saying that he can't pay Tree-ear. Tree-ear starts to collect clay and his duties rotate between collecting clay and cutting wood. Tree-ear wants to learn how to make a pot, and one day Tree-ear asks Min to teach him, Min refuses because Tree-ear is not his son. Tree-ear takes two of Min's pots to the King's court to show off Min's work and on the way is ambushed by bandits. They break both Min's pots and leave Tree-ear without money. Tree-ear looks for the pots and all he can find is a pile of fine shreds and a shard that shows the beauty of Min's work that is the size of his palm. Tree-ear takes this shard to the Royal Emissary who gives Min a commission then and there. Tree-ear is given a ride home on a boat and when he gets there, Min tells him that Crane-man drowned, when he was pulled out of the river, he was holding the clay monkey that Tree-ear had made for him. Min and his wife adopt Tree-ear and rename him so that he is part of their family (and Min teaches him how to make pottery).
Recommendations and Conflict:
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes to read. The conflicts in this book is the main character seriously considering suicide, Crane-man dying, and Min's refusal to teach Tree-ear
Reactions:
I fell in love with the characters in this book, when Min refused to teach Tree-ear, I understood the feeling of loss that Min felt over the death of his son, Crane-man became a mentor to me and I cried when he died. Tree-ear fills me with hope and courage, because that is what he showed in the face of all his trials.

The Story of Ruby Bridges

The Story of Ruby Bridges
Robert Coles
Scholastic, Incorporated
Copyright 2004
Pages: 32
Reading Level: 4-8
Genre: Biography
Summary:
Ruby lives in the south and is selected to start integration. She goes to school, but all the white kids don't go because their parents don't want them to go to school with a black girl. Every day, Ruby stops before she meets the mob and says a prayer for them, one day she forgets until she is in the middle of the mob. Her teacher (the only person in the school except for Ruby) sees her stop and wants to know what she said to the people (because it looked like she was talking to them) Ruby responds that she prayed for them every morning before school started and everyday after school ended. Eventually, some kids started to go to school with Ruby and the parents one by one allowed their kids to go as well.
Recommendations and Conflict:
I would recommend this book to the young and old. The conflict in this book is the racism of the people towards Ruby.
Reactions:
I really liked this book, it told Ruby's story in a way that I would be satisfied letting young children read it.  It told of the problems Ruby faced, but in a way that wouldn't scare children.

Love That Dog

Love That Dog
Sharon Creech
Harper Collins Publishers
Copyright 2003
Pages: 112
Reading Level: 8-12 years
Genre: Poetry
Summary:
This is the diary of a young boy who is assigned to write poetry and he doesn't want to. It shows his progression from this isn't poetry to yea you can put my name on that poem. Jack's yellow dog died in a hit and run with a blue car, and he writes a poem about it after reading the poem about the blue car. Every poem that the teacher puts on the board of Jack's, he asks her to put it up on yellow paper. His teacher reads Walter Dean Myers poems and he asks Mr Myers to come to their class, and he does come. Jack wrote a poem based off Myers poem Love That Boy and called it Love That Dog.
Recommendations and Conflict:
I recommend this book to all fourth grade classrooms. The conflict I see in this book is that Jack's dog died.
Reactions:
I enjoyed this book, it is a good example of a guy writing poems and they are good. I enjoyed the blue printing and how Jack liked yellow.

Children Just Like Me

Children Just Like Me
Anabel Kindersley and Barnabas Kindersley
Dorling Kindersley Publishing, Incorporated
Copyright 1995
Pages: 80
Reading Level: 9-12 years
Genre: Juvenile Nonficion
Summary:
This book tells the stories of children from five different continents and show their differences and similarities. It tells of the day to day lives of these children with out judgment and with out saying "this is how it should be." Uniceff sent a teacher and a photographer to meet all of these children and to learn from them. We can all learn from this book about not judging others simply because they look different. Some of the biggest differences in the lives of these children were between children living in the United States.
Recommendations and Conflict:
I would recommend for this book to be in every elementary classroom. I do not see any conflicts in this book because of how it was written
Reactions:
I really enjoyed reading about the lives of so many different children and seeing how much their lives were similar.

Lincoln A Photobiography

Lincoln A Photobiography
Russell Freedman
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Trade & Reference Publis
Copyright 1989
Pages: 160
Reading Level: 8-12 years
Genre: Biography
Summary:
Freedman tells the life of Abraham Lincoln, but he tells the bad with the good. Lincoln struggled with depression, but he worked through it everytime it came back. He was disorganized, but he knew where all his things were. Lincoln was a country boy who taught himself, he had very little formal schooling, but was a lawyer and when he was president, he taught himself battle tactics and took an active role as executive chief of the armies. At Ford's theater, his body guard was watching the performance and not the president, Boothe shot him and was eventually shot himself. The people of the west stood silent as the train passed that carried his body to it's final resting place. Years later the contents of Lincoln's pockets was unsealed, they were a pocket knife, a handkerchief, a button, a fob watch, two pairs of glasses, a pencil, a wallet, newspaper clippings, and a confederate $5 bill
Recommendations and Conflict:
I would recommend this book to a student who would be able to relate to Lincoln better because of his faults and that he was able to live with them and become a great man in history. The conflict I see with this book is its openness with the faults of Lincoln and not allowing children to have a role model with out faults, also the pictures of the battle field are graphic
Reactions:
I enjoyed this book. Seeing the faults of a great man will have one of two effects 1) less respect of him for the faults, or 2) more respect for him because he worked through his faults. I fell under the second category.

Beauty: A Retelling of Beauty and the Beast

Beauty: A Retelling of Beauty and the Beast
Robin McKinley
HarperCollins Publishers
Copyright1978
Pages: 336
Reading Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fairy Tale
Summary:
Faith, Hope, and Honor are three sisters, but no one calls Honor by her name, what everyone knows her as is Beauty, a nickname she got when she was five. They are the daughters of Mr. Huston, a well off Merchant who owns his own shipping business. Faith fell in love with Robbie, one of her father's Captains. They were to be married as soon as Robbie came back from a two year trip so that he could support her and their future family. A year after Robbie left, Mr. Huston received word that all of his ships had run into a bad storm and were all severely damaged if not destroyed. His business was destroyed and Robbie was probably dead. Ger, one of Mr. Huston's blacksmiths, and Hope have fallen in love and were about to talk to Mr. Huston before the news came. Ger comes to Mr. Huston and proposes a deal with him, they throw their resources together and move to the country until they can get their to their feet again, making sure that there was no pressure on Hope to marry him. The family auctions off most of their things to pay their creditors, and move with Ger to the country. Hope and Ger marry and are happy, which helps Faith move on without Robbie. News comes to the family that one ship has limped into the harbor and Mr. Huston goes to see what he can find out about it and to take care of the finances. On his way home he gets lost and finds a castle full of magic, after spending a night there, he comes home, but takes a rose to give to Beauty. This angers the master of the castle, who is a beast, Beast demands that Mr. Huston comes back in one month with a daughter (to be the beast's companion) or on his own to die. Beauty demands that her father take her to the beast at the end of the month because the rose was for her. Beast had sent Mr. Huston home with saddle bags full of fine things, including rose seeds for Beauty. The end of the month comes and Beauty goes to the castle to be the companion of the Beast. They become friends and both love books. Beauty has a dream of Robbie and wants to go tell her family so Faith doesn't marry the preacher. She goes home and stays a day longer than she promised the beast and her return to the beast was difficult and long. She entered the castle and couldn't find the Beast, after searching long and hard, she finds him and tells him she loves him and wants to marry him. Magic fills the castle and the beast is changed into a prince who is magnificent. Beauty says she can't marry him because he deserves a princess, which she is not. He shows her what she looks like in the mirror and she is more than beautiful, she is magnificent. Her family arrives at the castle dressed as lords and ladies and Robbie is with them.
Recommendations and Conflict:
I recommend this book to teenagers who need to get a new point of view on a story they thought they knew. I would also recommend this book to all girls who need a definition of what love is, because there are four different loves shown in this book, all with their own happily ever after. I don't see any conflicts in this book.
Reactions:
I loved this book. I spent a month in high school reading every version of beauty and the beast I could to re-find this book.

The Wind Singer

The Wind Singer
William Nicholson
Hyperion Books for Children
Copyright 2000
Pages: 358
Reading Level: 9-12 years
Genre: Science Fiction
Summary:
The Hath family consist of Hanno, Ira, Bowman, Kestrel,  and Pinto (who's nickname in Pinpin). It's the day of Pinpin's first examination, when she will first contribute to their family's rating, even though she is only two years old. Pinpin doesn't open up to the examiner, and because she doesn't answer a single question, she recieves a zero. The family's rating is effected and they move down a color in the rating system and have to move. Kess gets fed up with the rating system in school and ends up in the center of the city shouting profanities into the wind singer (which projects her voice). She gets sent to a special school, which is full of old children, and runs away, ending up in the emperor's chambers. The Emperor sends Kess on a quest to find the voice of the Wind Singer (which had been given to the Zars to prevent war, but was then given to the Morah [who feeds off dispair]). Kess sneaks back home and gets council from her father before she and her twin, Bo, leave to retrieve the voice. Mumpo follows them into the under city, where they find that life can be very different than it is in Amarath. On their journey, they meet the Ombaraka who, after convincing, help them get closer to their destination. Mumpo ends up getting turned into an old child and races into the fire that is the entrance to the Halls of the Morah. Bo and Kess follow him and find the voice of the Wind Singer in the hair of the Morah. Bo pulls it out, but wakes the Morah when he pulls a strand of her hair. Bo gets caught up in the eyes of the Morah and starts to think like the Zar. Kess snaps him out of it, they find Mumpo, who was turned into a Zar, and get him to go home with them. The three friends have to race the Zar to Amarath so they can put the voice of the Wind Singer back and, by doing so, stop the Zar, and end the effects of the Morah on the people of Amarath. The kids get to Amarath during the high examinations and have to doge the Examiners to get the voice back where it belongs. As soon as it is in place, the Zar freeze in place and age rapidly, leaving the people of Amarath to come back to their senses and be free of the Morah. At this point, the Chief examiner claims Mumpo as his son, as he was ashamed to do while the Morah ruled, and the Emperor was able to leave his tower to rule his people on his own.
Recommendations and Conflicts:
I recommend this book to advanced readers who want to read a book that will challenge them, but still entertain them. The conflicts that I see in this book are the "profanities" which are nonsense words, the government of Amarath, which controls everything the people of Amarath are allowed to do, the cruel way in which Mumpo is treated in the first half of the book, the old children who  suck away your youth, the army of young soldiers who sing "kill" over and over again, and the fact that a father refused to recognize his son as his own.
Reaction:
I enjoyed this book, Kess, Bo, and Mumpo are realistic characters, and you want to know what's going to happen next to them.