Mel1212

Brief Review:

Where the wild things are is about a young boy named Max, he considered himself to be a wild thing. He could be terrible and scary. But one night he was sent to bed without dinner and went to a far-off land and became king of the wild things to realize he wasn’t truly happy, all he wanted was to be around someone who loved him.

Idea of how it can be used in a classroom:

Where the wild things are could be used in the classroom to use the student’s imagination and get them thinking of a “far off land” that they would go to escape their home even just for a little while. The teacher could have the students write about their made-up land and describe what they could do there and why they would want to go there.

Reading Level & Leveling System:

Direct Reading Assessment

16

Pre-K to Fifth

Book Rating:

I would rate this book a 5 because it allows students to use their imaginations and be free of keeping the students under specific guidelines and allows students to write about things they want to write about.

Brief Review:

The giving tree is about a young boy and a tree. The young boy played with the tree growing up and the tree would do anything to make the boy happy, till the very end where she has no more left to offer the boy but the sat with the tree and the tree was happy.

Idea of how it can be used in a classroom:

The giving tree could be used in the classroom to describe what the tree did for the boy and what the boy did to the tree. The teacher could have the students write about a time where they were taking too much from someone or someone took too much from them and explain how they felt about it. 

Reading Level & Leveling System:

Accelerated Reader

2.6; Second Grade Six Month

Book Rating:

I would rate this book a 5 because the moral of the story is how the tree would do anything to make the boy happy and when the boy was happy she was happy. It shows how much the tree loves the boy… more than herself.

Brief Review:

Pete the cat (Rocking in my school shoes) is about a young cat named Pete who goes to school in his new school shoes, as he goes throughout the day he sings his song. And says he’ll do it all over again tomorrow.

Idea of how it can be used in a classroom:

Pete the cat (Rocking in my school shoes) could be used on one of the first days of school to get students to come out of their shells a bit. The teacher could ask the students who here got new shoes for the first day of school or even have the students color a pair of their own school shoes on paper.

Reading Level & Leveling System:

Direct Reading Assessment

18

Pre-K to Second

Book Rating:

I would rate this book a 4 because it could be used as a ice breaker for students on their first couple of days at school and maybe even help them make friends with others.

Brief Review:

Duck! Rabbit! Is about a conversation between two people who had two different points of view and giving examples of why they thought it was a Duck or a Rabbit.

Idea of how it can be used in a classroom:

Duck! Rabbit! The teacher could have the students look at images and explain what they see in the picture, this engages the student’s imagination in what they think they see.

Reading Level & Leveling System:

Guided Reading

J

Pre-K to Second

Book Rating:

I would rate this book a 5 because its so simple but has two very different points of view and at the end they realize it could be either or depending on how you look at the image.

Brief Review:

Amazing Grace is about a young girl who loved reading and pretending to be in the books she reads as the best part of the book. But when she was told she couldn’t be a character in the story she was sad, but her grandmother took her to a performance that the women chosen for the part was not the typical person for the part, which taught her no matter what if you try hard you can achieve anything.

Idea of how it can be used in a classroom:

Amazing Grace could be used in the classroom to show case the students’ imagination. The teacher could choose a book for the class to act out and play the parts as a class and maybe even invite the parents.

Reading Level & Leveling System:

Direct Reading Assessment

20

Pre-K to Fifth

Book Rating:

I would rate this book a 5 because it shows imagination and believing in yourself. This is interesting and a fun way for students to read.

Brief Review:

Hooray for reading day is about a little girl who struggles with her reading, she messes up and hates reading. But one day she reads to her dog and doesn’t make one mistake but in class its not the same, until another one of her classmates who never makes a mistake makes a mistake. After that she read to her dog and in class because reading was fun.

Idea of how it can be used in a classroom:

Hooray for reading day could be used in the classroom to get the students interested in reading. The teacher could have the students write about a subject that they do not like and why they don’t like and come up together as a class to figure out a way to make that subject more enjoyable. (For those who want to share)

Reading Level & Leveling System:

Lexile Scale

AD380L

Pre-K to Second

Book Rating:

I would rate this book a 5 because its great for students to hear that not all students are great at everything and sometimes things take a little more work than others but there is always a way to make the subject more enjoyable.

Brief Review:

Good night moon is about saying good night using rhyming words.

Idea of how it can be used in a classroom:

Good night moon could be used in the classroom to ask the students what their bedtime routine is who do you say good night to at the end of the day. The teacher could have the students sit in a circle discussing as a class.

Reading Level & Leveling System:

Lexile Scale

AD360L

Pre-K to K 

Book Rating:

I would rate this book a 3 because it has a lot of rhyming words that students could use to practice rhyming words with.

Brief Review:

The very hungry caterpillar is about a very hungry caterpillar starting at the beginning of his life cycle and was very hungry and never full.

Idea of how it can be used in a classroom:

The very hungry caterpillar could be used in the classroom to show the life cycle of the caterpillar and what all the caterpillar eats. The teacher could do this by teaching the life cycle and all the different things that the caterpillar eats.

Reading Level & Leveling System:

Guided Reading

J

Pre-K to Second

Book Rating:

I would rate this book a 4 because it teaches students about the life cycle of a caterpillar. This could be a difficult concept for students to grasp but gives students some background information about caterpillars

Brief Review:

Are you my mother is about a little bird who is just born but his mother is not there when he comes out of it egg and gets confused where or who his mother is.

Idea of how it can be used in a classroom:

Are you my mother could be used to learn the different types of species of animals and what their babies and moms would look alike and what makes each one different.

Reading Level & Leveling System:

Direct Reading Assessment

16

Pre-K to K

Book Rating:

I would rate this book a 4 because it shows students/children the differences between the types of species and what makes them different.

Brief Review:

Dragons Love Tacos is a book about how much dragons love tacos and what type of tacos they can not have. This being that the only tacos the dragons could have was mild tacos because spicy tacos would make the dragons breathe fire and lose control.

Idea of how it can be used in a classroom:

Dragons Love Tacos could be used in the classroom to get the students to use their creativity. The teacher could have the students write a story about something crazy to get them to be creative and use their imagination.

Reading Level & Leveling System:

Guided Reading Level

L

Pre-K to First

Book Rating:

I would rate this book a 3 because its great that the students use creative skills and get to think outside the box after reading this story.

Brief Review:

Dragons Love Tacos 2 The Sequel is about dragons who love tacos, but their favorite taco place was closed, but the dragons cannot have spicy salsa because it gives them the tummy troubles. And back to the taco party from the first book.

Idea of how it can be used in a classroom:

Dragons Love Tacos 2 The Sequel could be used in the classroom to get the students to use their creativity. The teacher could have the students write a story about something crazy to get them to be creative and use their imagination.

Reading Level & Leveling System:

Guided Reading Level

L

Pre-K to Second

Book Rating:

I would rate this book a 3 because it is great that the students use creative skills and get to think outside the box after reading this story.

Brief Review:

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom is about rhyming with the alphabet, so young children can learn the alphabet.

Idea of how it can be used in a classroom:

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom could be used in the classroom by teaching rhyming and the alphabet. The teacher could use the story to teach the students the alphabet.

Reading Level & Leveling System:

Direct Reading Assessment

20-24

Pre-k to K

Book Rating:

I would rate this book a 5 because I think its great to have a story behind the alphabet and rhyming words with it, so gives students a chance to put the alphabet and a little bit of background information.

Brief Review:

Alexander and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day is about a young boy who was having a not so good day.

Idea of how it can be used in a classroom:

Alexander and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day could be used in the classroom to see how students’ days are going and to let students know that sometimes we all have bad days. The teacher could have the students write about a time where they had a day like Alexander and how they think they would want to be helped if they were having a bad day.

Reading Level & Leveling System:

Accelerated Reader

3.7; Third Grade Seven Month

Book Rating:

I would rate this book a 2 because it shows how everybody has a bad day from time to time and we just have to get through it.

Brief Review:

The pout-pout fish goes to school is about a young fish who is trying to learn where he belongs in school, and how the teacher believes in the student(s).

Idea of how it can be used in a classroom:

The pout-pout fish goes to school could be used to teach new students that its okay not to get things at first because you have to learn things before you know how to do things. The teacher could have the students write about a time where they felt overwhelmed and thought they just were not smart and will never get it and how they overcame their thoughts.

Reading Level & Leveling System:

Guided Reading Level

L

Pre-K to K

Book Rating:

I would rate this book a 4 because it shows students its okay to not know everything at first and it takes time to learn things first. It also gives students a sense that they belong in school and all students are smart, it just needs to be worked towards.

Brief Review:

If you give a mouse a cookie, it’s the cause and effect of giving a mouse a cookie in the first place and then having to give the mouse more and more.

Idea of how it can be used in a classroom:

If you give a mouse a cookie could be used to show cause and effect and how things can change so quickly from one thing to the next. The teacher could have the students do a cause and effect and the sequence of events in the story.

Reading Level & Leveling System:

Accelerated Reader

2.7; Second Grade Seventh Month

Book Rating:

I would rate this book a 3 because it is a really cute book and it gives examples of sequencing and cause and effect would are both very useful tools for students to learn.

Brief Review:

Five little monkeys jumping on the bed shows students how to count down from 5 while having a song attached to it, keeps the students interested, and shows that no matter how many times you tell someone something, doing the same thing and expecting a difference is not right.

Idea of how it can be used in a classroom:

Five little monkeys jumping on the bed shows students how no listening can hurt you in the long run and there are people who want the best for you. The teacher could ask the students what caused all the problems with the little monkeys and what was something that the mama did that the little monkeys did? The teacher could explain this through showing/ explaining to students the more you do something that’s exactly the same the results will not change.

Reading Level & Leveling System:

Guided Reading Level

E

Book Rating:

I would rate this book a 2 because it has a good moral behind it, which is to listen to the doctor, but in the story, no one listens to the doctor. This shows disobedience to someone who is trying to actually help.