Wonderstruck

Selznick, Brian. (2001). Wonderstruck. New York: Scholastic.

This a story of a boy who was born with one deaf ear, doesn't know about his father and loses his mother in an accident. He is left to live with his uncle and aunt.  One day during a storm he walks to his house, looks through his mothers things, and finds information about a man who he thinks might be his father. Then lightning strikes and hits his good ear through the phone line leaving him deaf and in the hospital.  While in the hospital he starts to remember about his findings of a man who could be his father. He runs away to go find him.and continues to follow clues. Clues lead him to kincaid’s books where he thought someone might know of his father.  To his surprise, an old woman called out his name and reveals who she is and who his father was. The old woman turned out to be his grandmother. His father never knew he had a son. His father’s heart condition led him to his death. But Ben’s mother had gone to the services when Ben was just four years old. Ben did not remember meeting the old lady but the old lady remembered him. With help of a new friend and the story from the grandmother he never knew he had, he finally discovers the truth about his father. This is a very cleverly written and illustrated book that lets you visually experience what the characters are going through as the story is being told. I really enjoyed the way the illustrations were presented. It captures the readers attention and just keeps you anxiously wanting to know what happens next. It can be used to help students analyze a story with conflicting messages.

Where the Wild Things Are

Sendack, Maurice. (1963). Where the Wild Things Are. New York: HarperCollins.

Its just about dinner time, but Max gets into some trouble after being mischievious.  His mother calls him Wild Thing and sends him to his room without dinner.  Using his wild imagination, Max creates his own world.  Pretending his room is a forest and going off on a boat in the ocean, Max travels to a world where the wild things are. He pretended to be the most wild thing and every wild thing was frightened of him and so he became king. They jumped, made wild noises and swang from trees. But Max felt lonely and wanted to be where someone loved him.  He gave up being king and sailed back to his own room where dinner was waiting for him.

This book can help intrigue student’s to put their creative imagination into writing.

Mirror Mirror

Singer, Marilyn. (2010). Mirror, Mirror. New York: Dutton.

This book consist of different poems that show different perspectives.  Mirror Mirror actually reveals a different form of constructing poems. It also shows its unique way of how a poem works both ways when reading them frontwards and backwards. In other words, this type of poetry gives readers a fuller understanding of the situation by presenting two sides.  Cleverly written to intrigue readers. This book is interesting to read and keeps you anxiously wanting to read for more.

Great book for engaging readers when introducing poems. This book can be used to see the different ways authors present poems and challenge students in creating their own reverso poems as well as inspire them to create their own inventions. 

It's a Book

Smith, Lane. (2011). It’s a Book. New York: Roaring Brook.

The story illustrates a monkey sitting on a red chair reading a book.  From texting to blogging to needing a password, the book is questioned throughout the story by a jackass. He cannot understand or get the concept that it is just a simple book to read. So Jackass grabs the book from the monkey and starts to read. He finds it to be interesting and continues reading the book.  Monkey ask Jackass if he is going to return his book but he just continues reading.  Since Jackass does not give him the book back, Monkey decides to go to the library.  

This is a great example of showing students of peacefullly resolving conflict by going to get another book.