Book Reviews

BIBLIOGRAPHY Napoli, Donna Jo, Simms. 2004. BOUND.  New York, NY: Atheneum Books. ISBN 9780689861758. PLOT SUMMARY Xing Xing’s father dies, leaving her to her stepmother and stepsister.  Keeping to the traditional Cinderella story, Xing Xing is not her stepmother’s favorite … Continue reading →

BIBLIOGRAPHY Phelan, Matt.   2009.   THE STORM IN THE BARN. Sommersville, MA: Candlewick. ISBN 978-0763636180. PLOT SUMMARY Set in Kansas in 1937, this graphic novel tells the story of one family during the Dust Bowl.  Jack is a young … Continue reading →

BIBLIOGRAPHY Stone, Tanya Lee. 2008. ALMOST ASTRONAUTS: 13 WOMEN WHO DARED TO DREAM. Ill. by Pamela Zagarenski. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. ISBN 9780618616800. PLOT SUMMARY This non-fiction multiple award winner documents the “Mercury 13″ as they were called, the 13 … Continue reading →

BIBLIOGRAPHY Simon, Seymour. 1987. MARS.  New York, NY: William Morrow and Company. ISBN 0688065848. PLOT SUMMARY Non-fiction book whose text and photographs give factual detail on the planet Mars. CRITICAL ANALYSIS Seymour Simon has won numerous awards and has 200 … Continue reading →

BIBLIOGRAPHY Kerley, Barbara. 2008. WHAT TO DO ABOUT ALICE?  HOW ALICE ROOSEVELT BROKE THE RULES CHARMED THE WORLD AND DROVE HER FATHER TEDDY CRAZY.  Ill. by Edwin Fotheringham. New York, NY: Scholastic Press. ISBN 9780439922319. PLOT SUMMARY This non-fiction book … Continue reading →

BIBLIOGRAPHY Franco, Betsy. 2008. BEES, SNAILS & PEACOCK TAILS: PATTERNS & SHAPES…NATURALLY. Ill. by Steve Jenkins. New York, NY: Margaret K. Elderry Books. ISBN 9781416903864. PLOT SUMMARY A collection of two page spreads illustrations with poetry, describing the geometry and … Continue reading →

BIBLIOGRAPHY Sidman, Joyce. 2007. THIS IS JUST TO SAY: POEMS OF APOLOGY AND FORGIVENESS. Ill. by Pamela Zagarenski. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. ISBN 9780618616800. PLOT SUMMARY Mrs. Merz gives her class an assignment to write poems apologizing.  The sixth graders … Continue reading →

BIBLIOGRAPHY Frost, Helen. 2008. DIAMOND WILLOW.  New York, NY: Farrar, Strauss and Girouox.  ISBN 978-0-374-31776-8. PLOT SUMMARY Willow is a 12 year old girl in Alaska who is trying to find herself.  She sees nothing special in herself and wants … Continue reading →

BIBLIOGRAPHY Taback, Simms. 1999. JOSEPH HAD A LITTLE OVERCOAT. New York, NY: Viking. ISBN 9780670878550.  PLOT SUMMARY Joseph has an overcoat that gets worn and is repurposed into a jacket.  As each item he creates from the original overcoat wears, … Continue reading →

BIBLIOGRAPHY Bryan, Ashley. 1993. THE STORY OF LIGHTNING & THUNDER. New York, NY; Athenum. ISBN 0689318367. PLOT SUMMARY A retelling of an African folktale, Ma Sheep Thunder and her son Ram Lightning are important villagers due to their ability to … Continue reading →