The Hinky Pink

The Hinky Pink
Megan McDonald
Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Copyright 2008
Pages: 46
Reading level: 4-8 years
Genre: Fairy Tale
Summary:
 Anabel wants to make a dress worthy of a princess and gets her chance. She has one week to make a perfect dress for the princess for the Butterfly ball. That was already a daunting task before she found out she had a Hinky Pink to work against. Every night, Anabel can't sleep because the Hinky Pink keeps pinching her. She finally finds that she has to make a bed for  the Hinky Pink for it to leave her alone. Night after night, she makes a bed for the Hinky Pink, and night after night, the Hinky Pink is not satisfied, so day after day Anabel is useless with the needle. Finally, Anabel makes a bed out of a thimble and the Hinky Pink is satisfied. It is so small that Anabel calls it Thumblina. The next day is the ball and Anabel whips out a gorgeous dress for the princess, but is worried that it won't look good on the princess. She shouldn't have worried because as the Princess goes to the ball, she and the dress both look magnificent
Recommendations and conflict
 I would recommend this book to anyone who likes twists on fairy tales, but especially to a third grade girl.
Reaction 
I loved this book, it has great illustrations and a creative story line.

The Twelve Days of Christmas

The Twelve Days of Christmas
Illustrated by John O'Brien
Boyds Mills Press
Copyright1993
Pages 32
Reading Level:4-8
Genre: Christmas
Summary
This is the traditional song, only written down and with pictures that make it not the traditional story. The person receiving all the gifts is a man and he just puts all his gifts from his girlfriend up in the tree so he doesn't have to bother with them. Every time she brings a new gift, he tries to tell her that he doesn't want it. The five golden rings are more like five golden hula hoops and he doesn't know what to do with them. Toward the end, he finally can relax when all of the sudden there is a new gift that has to be dealt with. Finally, after the twelfth day of Christmas, he puts up a sign on his gate that says "NOT HOME"
Recommendations and conflict
I would recommend this book to any kid of any age that wouldn't get offended about Christmas.
Reaction:
I thought this book had a great twist on the original story with out having to change a single word.

Meet Addy

Meet Addy
Connie Porter
American Girl Publishing, Incorporated
Copyright 1993
Pages: 80
Reading Level: 8 and up
Genre: Non-Fiction
Summary:
 Addy is a girl born into slavery and grows up during the Civil War. Her dad says that "There's always freedom inside your head," this is the first hint that Poppa wants Addy to be free. Poppa and Sam, her brother get sold right before they were planning on escaping as a family. Momma tells Addy of the plan to run away to Pennsylvania and that they can't take Addy's little sister with them. Addy and Momma ran away from the plantation at night wearing Uncle Solomon's clothes to confuse the dogs. The next morning, while they were hiding, Momma gave Addy the cowrie shell her great grandma wore when she was taken into slavery so Addy will wear it out of slavery. That night, they had to cross a rushing river. Momma got dragged under and stuck to a branch and Addy had to pull her out. Addy walked into a confederate camp and almost was caught, except that the only soldier awake thought she was the slave boy. They made it to the safe house and Miss Caroline thought they were with the confederate army at first, when she realized she was wrong, she offered them food and a warm place to stay. Miss Caroline gave Addy and Momma new clothes that fit for their journey. "We took our Freedom"
Recommendations and Conflicts:
I would recommend this book and series to kids who want to read a story of someone who took risks to make their lives better. I don't think there are any problems with this book.
Reaction
I love how Addy and her family decided to escape slavery. Even though they were separated from each other, they still try to get to Pennsylvania.

The Stray Dog

The Stray Dog
Marc Simont
HarperCollins Publishers
Copyright 2003
Pages: 32
Reading level: 4-8 years
Genre: Non-Fiction
Summary:
A family meets a dog in the park while on a picnic one Saturday. They play with the dog, feed him, and named him Willy. When they went home, the kids asked if they could bring Willy home with them, but their parents said that somebody would be missing Willy and want him home again. So they left Willy in the park and thought about him all week. The next Saturday, the whole family went to the park to find Willy and found that the dog catcher was looking for him too. They saved him from the dogcatcher and brought him home and made him part of their family.
Recommendations and Conflicts:
I would recommend this book to children who like dogs and good stories and pictures. A possible concern is when they wash willy, the two kids are taking baths as well.
Reaction:
I really liked this book, it had great pictures and a great story. I fell in love with this dog and his new family.

In the Night Kitchen

In the Night Kitchen
Maurice Sendak
HarperCollins Publishers
Copyright 1995
Pages: 40
Reading Level: 3-8 years
Genre: Animation
Summary:
Mickey hears a noise as he falls asleep and asks whoever it is to be quiet, but he falls through the floor and ends up in the batter of a cake in a kitchen. He tries to tell the cooks that he isn't milk, but they don't listen to him. So he makes a plane out of dough and flies to the milky way and gets milk for the cooks. Once the cooks have milk Mickey goes home. The End
Recommendations and Conflicts:
I'm not sure I'd recommend this book. The little boy falls down the pages with out his clothes on.
Reaction:
I thought the story line was cute, but I think that the author could have left his clothes on in the story.

Crash! Bang! Boom!

Crash! Bang! Boom!
Peter Spier
Garden City, N.Y., Doubleday
Copyright 1972
Pages: 44
Reading Level: 5-12 years
Genre:
Summary:
This book is full of onomatopoeias. There isn't a storyline that goes through the whole book. It is full of the sounds that you hear everyday and don't think about. It has the sounds of nature with thunder, tornadoes, wind, waterfalls, volcanoes. It has sounds from various jobs; blacksmith's hammer, a cash register, gardener's work, barber's, doctors, dentist, butcher, and it goes on. It even has colonial type war with guns and cannons.
Recommendations and Conflicts:
I recommend this book to anyone who likes sounds. When I saw what it was about, I got very excited because I don't know how to write sounds, but that is what this book is all about. I do not see any potential problems in this book.
Reaction:
I loved this book. Even though there is no plot to follow through out the book, each page has a story to tell with pictures and sounds. It makes you think about what sounds would come from what and how they would be made.

Vote for Me

Vote For Me all about civics
Kristen Hall
Scholastic Library Publishing
Copyright  2003
Pages: 32
Reading Level: 3 years
Genre:  educational fiction
Summary:

Mr. Rigby's classroom is having an election for class president. Every body runs and has a campaign. One student wants to the class to vote for him because he is smart, another student promises to fill the room with art. Smudge can't think of anything for his campaign, but his friends help him out. Smudge wins the election because he cares about his friends.

Recommendations and Conflicts:
This book is for young children, I don't think it would hold the interest of a kindergartner.
Reaction:
 This is a good book to read as a preschool class, or as a parent to kids because it gives the opportunity of talking about voting for people. It could be used during a presidential election to show what politics are.

The House That Jack Built

The House That Jack Built
By Pam Adams
Child's Play International Limited
Copyright 2000
Pages: 16
Reading Level: up to six years
Genre: Nursery Rhyme
Summary:
This book is about the house that Jack built and everything that happens in and around it. The rat eats the malt, and gets chased by the cat, who is bothered by the dog, who gets thrown by the cow. The maid and the man are married by the priest who was wakened up by the rooster.
Recommendations and Conflicts:
I would recommend this book to young kids who need the repetition (or like it) to follow the story. Possible concerns are these lines "malt that lay in the house" and "that killed the rat "
Reaction:
I like this book, especially with the cut outs that let you see the pages building on each other. It is repetitive and gets going in your head, even after your done reading it.

Town Mouse Country Mouse

Town Mouse Country Mouse
Illustrated by Carol Jones
Houghton Mifflin Company
Copyright 1994
Pages: 27
Reading Level: 4-8 years
Genre: Fable
Summary:
Town Mouse Country Mouse is about two cousin mice who visit each other. Town Mouse has a hard time adjusting to country life and is easily scared (turtles, owls, cows). He suggests to his cousin that they visit his house in the town. Country Mouse is excited to see town, but also has difficulty adjusting to the dangers of town (cats, cars, mouse traps). Country Mouse and Town Mouse are both glad to be in their own homes with their familiar dangers.
Recommendations and Conflicts:
I would recommend this fable to parents and children to read together. This is a fable that everyone should be familiar with.
Reaction:
This is a good book to read with kids. It gives opportunities to ask questions and to have a conversation. This is beautifully illustrated and worth the time to read. I liked how there are cut outs in the middle of the text to show part of the picture behind the page.

Hans Christian Andersen Fairy Tales

Thumbelina 1835 
4-8years
The Little Mermaid 1836 
8-12 years
The Princess and the Pea 1835
5-8 years
The Emperor's New Suit 1837
5-8 years
http://hca.gilead.org.il/


Princess and The Pea 
Genre:
Fairy Tale


Summary:
In The Princess and the Pea a prince wants to marry a true princess, but all the princess he meets have something wrong with them that disqualify them from that description. On a stormy night, there is a pounding on the door and the king lets in a princess who need refuge from the storm. The queen decides to test to see if she is a true princess so she puts a pea under 20 matresses and 20 eider-down beds.In the morning, the princess is exhausted because the pea kept her up all night. The prince marries her and puts the pea in a museum.
Recommendations and Conflicts:
I would recommend this fairy tale to anyone who is interested in fairy tales. I haven't found anything in this fairy tale that would cause problems or conflicts.
Reaction:
This fairy tale didn't have much of  a plot or enough time in the story to develop the characters. The reason I felt the characters were developed is because I am familiar with different versions of The Princess and The Pea.

Frog Went A-Courtin'

 

Frog Went A-Courtin'

Retold by John Langstaff

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Trade & Reference Publis

copyright 1972

32 pages

Reading Level: 4-8 years

Genre: Nursery Rhyme

Summary:

Frog and Mouse want to get married. Uncle Rat gives his consent after he hears what their plans are for the wedding. Guests come one by one to help set up and celebrate their weadding until the end, when the old tom cat decides to break up the festivities.

Recomendations and Conflicts:

I would recomend this book to parents who want a good book to read to their kids before bed and to beginning readers. I found no potential problems in this book.

Reaction:

This is a cute story that can be read or sung to kids. The pictures go along with the words. Every other two page layout is full of color, while the other half are in green, black and white. There is enough detail in the pictures that I could talk with my students about what is going on in the pictures, but not so much that it is overwhelming.

Just Ella

Just Ella

Margaret Peterson Haddix
Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing

Copyright 1991

240 pages

Reading Level: 10 - 14 years 
Genre: Romance, Speculative fiction

Summary:

Just Ella is about Cinderella, only her name is Princess Cynthiana Eleanora, Ella for short. The book starts with Ella living in Prince Charming's Castle before their wedding and learning about the life and responsibilities of a princess. She gets fed up with the nothingness of being a princess until she gets a new tutor for religion. Jed Reston takes over that responsibility for his father, Lord Reston, and falls in love with the princess to be. Ella tells Jed her story of how she met the prince because she is shocked about the story of "Cinderella" and her fairy godmother. Jed leaves the castle to start a refugee camp for all those who have lost their homes in the war. Ella realizes that she is no longer in love with the prince and tells him that she is leaving. She ends up in the dungeon and has to dig her way out. When she is free, she goes home to get supplies so she can find Jed. On her journey, she hears that Prince Charming has married Cinderella and that they had a beautiful wedding. When Ella gets to Jed's camp, he proposes to her. Ella tells him that she needs time to think about her feelings because she thought she was in love with the prince. Jed's father dies and Jed has to go back to the castle to be the king's adviser. Ella stays in the camp and waits for Jed to come back so she can tell him that she wants to marry him.
Recommendations and Conflicts:
I would recommend this book to girls who love Cinderella. One problem with this book is that we briefly meet a character who is a rapist.
Reaction:
This is a good book for showing a twist on traditional fairy tales. It en engrossing and entertaining.

Eleventh Hour

Eleventh Hour
Grame Base
Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated
Copyright 1997
Pages: 32
Reading Level: 5-8 years
Genre: Mystery 
Summary:
Its Horace's eleventh birthday and he wants to throw a party. He invites ten friends (plus himself is eleven), plans on eating at 11:11, and playing eleven games. Horace cooks a magnificent meal for all his friends. When they all arrive in costume, they want to eat, but Horace tells them they have to wait until 11:11. They play lots of games, including snakes and ladders, chess, hide-n-go-seek, and tennis. Finally its 11:11 and they all rush into the dining hall only to find the food is all gone. They try to figure out who ate the food, but they can't figure it out. Horace goes to the kitchen and makes sandwiches for everyone and they have a great time eating and laughing. By looking at the clues in the pictures, we can figure out that Kilroy did it along with his friend mice.
Recommendations and Conflict:
Any kid that likes to figure things out would enjoy this book. I can't see any possible conflicts with this book.
Reactions:
I enjoyed the storyline in Eleventh Hour, but found the pictures to be too busy for me to look at them while reading the story.

Heckedy Peg

Heckedy Peg
Audrey Wood
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Trade & Reference Publis
Copyright 1992
Pages: 32
Reading Level: 4-8 years
Genre: Fairy Tale
Summary: 
Seven children, all named after the days of the week, clean their house with their mother everyday before she goes to the market. One day, their mom wants to get them each something from the market for being so good, but made them promise not to let anyone in the house while she is gone. The children play until a witch, Heckedy Peg, comes by and wants them to light her pipe. The kids say no, but let her in after she promises them a bag of gold. After they light her pipe, she throws it on the ground and turns the kids into food. When their mother comes home she finds that her kids are gone. The blackbird lets her know that Heckedy Peg turned her kids into food and took them away. The mother goes to the witch's hut and demands to be let in. The witch refuses because her shoes are dirty, so the mother takes them off. Then the witch refuses to let her in because her socks are dirty, so the mother takes them off. Then she refuses because her feet are dirty. Mother says she'll cut them off and goes away and comes back on her knees and is finally let in. The mother had to guess on the first try which food was which child. She does it based off of which child wanted what from the market and what food would want what. Her children turn back into kids and they all chase the witch until she jumps into the river and is gone forever.
Recommendations and Conflict:
I would recommend this to first or second graders. One concern might be the picture of the children turning into food, because their spirits are being sucked into the food they become.
Reactions:
This fairy tale has a great plot line and wonderful pictures. The pictures use color and light to show the mood of the story.