Dinosaurs Before Dark

Title: Dinosaurs Before Dark
Author: Mary Pope Osborne
Illustrator: Sal Murdocca
Genre: Fiction

Sub genre: Chapter Book

Theme: Learning about dinosaurs

Primary and Secondary Characters: Jack and Annie/ Dinosaurs and Mom
Date of publication: 1992

Publishing company: Random House
Summary: Jack and Annie were walking through the woods and ran into a tree house. Annie climbed up the ladder and Jack followed after her. In the tree house there were lots of books. Jack found one about dinosaurs and wished he could see one in really life. All of a sudden the tree house started to spin and when it stopped Annie and Jack were in some strange land. They looked out the window and saw a real dinosaur then they realized they went 65 million years in the past when the dinosaurs were alive. Jack and Annie then climbed down from the tree house and explored. The saw lots of dinosaurs in really life and were able to learn about them from the book and observing them. Annie and Jack then ran into a Tyrannosaurus rex that was going to eat them. Annie made it back to the tree house, but Jack did not because he ran to get his pack. Annie then asked the nice dinosaur Pteranodon to fly over and get him and he did. Jack made it back to the tree house just in time and quickly found a book and wished to be back home. One Annie and Jack made it home they decided not to tell anyone about their adventure, but they did decide they would go back to the tree house for another adventure.
Summary of how to use with students: This book could be used to help students be excited about dinosaurs. It could also be base to start teaching about dinosaurs. The students could read the book and then in class go into more detail about dinosaurs. Another way this book could be used with students is after reading the book the students could be asked to think of a place they would go if they had their own magic tree house. Each student could then tell the class about their place. This would get the students to use their imagination and creativity.

Little Loon and Papa

Title: Little Loon and Papa
Author: Toni Buzzeo
Illustrator: Margaret Spengler
Genre: Fiction
Sub genre: Picture book
Theme: Do not be afraid to try something new

Primary and Secondary Characters: Little Loon/ Papa
Date of publication: 2004
Publishing Company: Dial Books for Young Readers
Summary: Papa is trying to teach Little Loon how to dive in the water, but Little Loon is afraid to and sneaks away when Papa is showing how to dive. When Little Loon sneaks away he runs into some animals that are bigger and scare him. Little Loon gets so scared at one point that he tries to dive and he does it. As soon as Little Loon pops back up his Papa his holding him . Little Loon could do it he just did not think he could.
Summary of how to use with students: This book shows students that sometimes it is scary to try something new, but until you try it you do not know if you can do it. Students can be scared sometimes to try new things just like Little Loon was. The students can relate to this feeling and they can also see that if they try it they might just be able to do it like Little Loon did. Little Loon is a character that most younger elementary students can relate to.

Pictures of Hollis Woods

Title: Pictures of Hollis Woods
Author: Patricia Reilly Giff
Genre: Fiction
Sub genre: Contemporary Realistic
Theme: Wanting a family

Primary and Secondary Characters: Hollis Woods/ Josie, Steven, Old Man, Izzy, Beatrice, Mustard Lady
Awards: Newbery Honor 
Date of Publication: 2002
Publishing Company: Wendy Lamb Books
Summary: All Hollis wants is to have a family. One day she is sent to live with an elderly woman named Josie who is a artist just like herself. Hollis grows to really liking Josie, but unfortunately Josie is growing more forgetful everyday. When social services finds out that Josie is loosing her memory they tell Hollis she will have to leave. That night Hollis packs up all of her and Josie's things and head to a house where she spent one summer with the  Regan family she wants to be a part of. Once they were at the house Hollis noticed things out of place and Josie wanted to go back home. Eventually Hollis decides that it is time to take Josie back home so she walks up the street to find a phone. On her way Steven, the boy who is in the Regan family, drives up on a snowmobile and takes her to the phone. Steven tells Hollis that his family misses her everyday and wishes she would not have ran away. Hollis gets Josie back home and finally starts a family with the Regans.
Summary of how to use with students: This book can help students see the importance of a family. Sometimes kids do not see how lucky the are just because they have a family, well this book can help them see what some kids go through that do not have families. Hollis Woods is a good example of a 12 year old girl who just wants to belong in a family. If this book is used in a classrooms students can learn and see that not every kid in the world have families

Winni Allfours

Title: Winni Allfours
Author: Babette Cole
Illustrator: Babette Cole
Genre: Fiction

Sub genre: Picture books
Theme: You do not always get what you want
Primary and Secondary Characters: Winni/ Mom and Dad
Date of publication: 1993

Publishing company: Troll Associates Inc.
Summary: Winni wants a pony and will do anything to get one. Unfortunately her parents say no so Winni decides to eat all of her vegetables to try to get her parents to let her have a pony. Though one day after eating her carrots Winnie turned into a pony. A horse racer saw Winnie running one day and asked her parents if he could race her. So Winnie ran races and won. After one of her races mom and dad said if we feed her junk food maybe she will turn back, but Winnie said no she liked being a pony.

Summary of how to use with students: This book will help students see that they do not get everything they always want. Just like Winnie did not get her pony students will see that they may want something, but that does not mean they will always get it.

Groundhog Gets A Say

Title: Groundhog Gets A Say
Author: Pamela Curtis Swallow
Illustrator: Denise Brunkus
Genre: Fiction
Sub genre: Picture book
Theme: All about Groundhogs
Primary and Secondary Characters: Groundhog/ Squirrel, Crow, and Groundhog fan
Date of publication: 2005
Publishing Company: G.P. Putnam's Sons 
Summary: Groundhog is tired of people just paying attention to him for only a day. He thinks that it should be groundhog month so he starts talking about everything that makes a groundhog special. After he is all done the Squirrel and Crow see all the neat things about groundhogs.
Summary of how to use with students: This book would be a fun way to explore groundhog day and groundhogs in the classroom. The students could learn important facts about groundhogs but through a book with colorful pictures.

Lissy's Friends

Title: Lissy's Friends
Author: Grace Lin
Illustrator: Grace Lin
Genre: Fiction
Sub genre: Picture Book
Theme: Making Friends
Primary and Secondary Characters: Lissy/ Mommy and Paige
Date of Publication: 2007
Publishing Company: Viking
Summary: Lissy is new to her school and has no friends. Lissy is really shy so she makes friends out of origami. One day Lissy took her origami friends to the park and while they were playing on the merry-go-round all her friends got blown away. As Lissy was sitting there upset a girl walked with one of Lissy's origami friends and asked her if she could show her how to make it. Lissy finally made a friend and her name was Paige.
Summary of how to  use with students: This book could be used at the begining of the year when students are making new friends. The book can show students that it is hard to make friends that they can do it. It can also show students that if they see a new student all alone go up and ask him or her if he or she would like to play.

Rooster Can't Cock-a-Doodle-Doo

Title: Rooster Can't Cock-a-Doodle-Doo
Author: Karen Rostoker-Gruber
Illustrator: Paul Ratz de Tagyos
Genre: Fiction
Sub genre: picture book
Theme:  Helping out friends
Primary and Secondary Characters: Rooster/ Hens, Cows, Lambs, Pigs, and Farmer Ted
Date of publication: 2004Publishing Company: Dial Books for Young Readers
Summary: Rooster woke up with a sore throat and could not cock-a-doodle-doo so he could not wake up Farmer Ted and the animals.The Rooster then went to the hens for help, but they did not know what to do so they went to the cows. When they got to the cows and asked for help the cows did not know what to do so they went to the sheep and the pigs. Nobody knew what to do until Rooster said lets go to the house. All of the animals walked to the house and together they got Rooster inside and he was able to wake up Farmer Ted. Framer Ted hopped out of bed and started to work but he knew he would not get everything done so the animals came together to help him. At the end of the day all of the chores got done and Rooster got his cock-a-doodle-doo back.
Summary of how to use with students: This book can  show students what it means to help out friends. It gives good examples of friends helping friends when the animals help Rooster get into Farmer Teds room and when the animals help Farmer Ted with the chores. Students can see from this book that when a friend is in trouble and needs help the thing to do is help as much as you can.