Summary: a small town boy has a "stray" dog follow him home only to be properly of the abusive dog owner, Judd. Marty hides Shiloh from his family and builds a makeshift kennel for Shiloh until he is attacked by a German Shepard which has Shiloh wounded badly needing medical attention. Shiloh must then be returned to the rightful owner. Marty tries to negotiate a deal with Judd to keep Shiloh. Judd does not keep his end of the deal till Marty eventually gets Judd to warm up to him and gets Shiloh back.

Reflect: I absolutely love this book! I remember having this one read to me as well, but it was by my Mother when we were reading more difficult books. I remember later after reading it we watched the movie over it and it wasn't too much different.

Extension: this would be a great way to show how being bad never gets you further in life, I'm not really sure here lol.

Summary: stanley yelnates family is cursed when his oldest decendant won't carry the old gypsy up the mountain to drink anymore and the whole land dries up without rain. When the youngest goes to the camp for crime, he digs holes everywhere to find kissing Kate's treasure. When the gypsys grandson is carried by Stanley up the mountain to save him the curse is broke.

Reflect: haven't read this since middle school and it was definitely different this time around since I actually sat down to read it. Still remember having it read to me in middle school by my teacher Ms. Neal

Extension: I would love to read this during western days and give a country feel to the kids in the past, hopefully teach them to follow through with their word

Summary: this is the story of Rosa Parks and her part in the civil rights movement when she refused to move for a white person during segregation times. "people always say that I didn't give up my seat because I was tired, but that isn't true. The only tired I was, was giving in".

Reflect: this was a wonderful biography! I loved how it had sayings from her and how the pictures were perfectly illustrates to show reactions to the situations. Overall I would love to use this in my classroom when we reach the civil rights movement.

Extension: as mentioned, this would be a great story to read to better explain how life was for someone during segregation.

Summary: this picture book story tells the life of Harriet Tubman and her part in the Underground Railroad. It tells how she wants to be free and what it was like to be a slave.

Reflect: this was a really good read though it was short and not as in depth as I thought it was going to be. My nephews enjoyed the book and understood what it meant to be a slave after reading it to them a few times. They weren't exactly focused lol.

Extension: this would be a great read during black history month

Summary: two roads lay before a traveler. The one wanting wear is the one traveled and it made all the differences

Reflect: I remember having this read to my classmates and I several times and my teacher wanting us to think crucially as to why the writer chose the road less travelled.

Extension: this is a great way to start the children to think in the morning. My teacher had us do this the beginning of class and it was a great challenge that helped us focus in the class.

Summary: all the letters in the alphabet want to climb up the coconut tree, but will they all fit? The book has them all going up the tree in a fun rhyme to the top!

Reflect: this was a super fun book to read! My friends little girl absolutely loved this short story book about the alphabet and hopefully there will be enough room for all the letters at the top.

Extension: this could be a super fun way to teach the children the alphabet in the classroom.

Summary; tells about the different types of weather from the rainstorms,bro the clouds in beautiful color.

Personal; I loved reading this to my nephews, they were engaged with the weather since it brought up things they knew. For example, they knew if there was snow that it would be cold outside.

Extension: this would be a great reinforcement when you're teaching about the different kinds of weather you'll have in a year and why they are different.

Summary: the selfish fish of the sea learns that being beautiful isn't what it's all made up to be. When he learns how the fish treat him when he ignores their question to play he finds out that beauty isn't everything when there's no one to admire it. The rainbow fish gives a scale, then another, and another till there's only one left. A feeling of happiness occurs and then the other fish ask him to play!

Personal: this was such a cute book! The pictures alone caught the attention of my nephews, and the story was so good for them to learn about sharing.

Extension: this would be a great book to teach about sharing within the classroom. Maybe have them bring something they love and share it with the other kids in the classroom.

Summary: the story of George Washington from his childhood, all the way to the end of his life. The book tells all of Washington's accomplishments including winning the hearts of all of his soldiers, defeating the British, and becoming America's first president serving two terms.

Reflect: this is pretty bland book, not much really exciting going on that would keep the children interested other than the colored pictures.

Extension: a good read for the children in history. Perhaps set the classroom up like America before the war.

Summary: the "unsinkable ship" that was built with luxury, and comfort is setting course to America. Doomed to sink, few passengers find a lifeboat when titanic strikes and iceberg. The saving ship Carpathia saves what is left of the passengers. New laws have been in place, and new technology to prevent another travesty such as the titanic.

Reflection: there was actually a few things in this that I didn't actually know such as the California, and the Titanic being called "the rich mans ticket". Pretty interesting to still learn things about something I thought I knew about.

Extension: would make a great history lesson about how technology has progressed to further ensure our safety afloat new ships.

Summary: mixed Mike gets viewed as different since is mom is white and his dad is dark brown. The family isn't "normal" to some, but to his parents he is a perfect mix, just right! The story has rhyme to it to give it a more fun and interesting story.

Reflect: I love this book! It's fun to read, it tells how some kids are different, but that doesn't mean that they are not good people. The book mentions how the mom is white, and be dad is dark brown and together they created a child that is just right named Mike. Mike thinks of himself as just right Mike, not mixed Mike.

Extension: this would be a super fun activity to teach acceptance of other students and their families!

A tree gives her all to keep a boy happy. Her apples for money, her branches for a home, her trunk for a boat, and now she's nothing more than a stump. The boy is happy, so she is happy, or as happy as she can be. The boy returns and is tired. The tree has nothing left to give, but hey, trees are good for resting. So the boy and the tree are happy again.

Reflect: this was such a good book about sharing and how some of us will share everything we have to keep someone happy.

Extension: this would be a great classroom activity about sharing.

Summary: pet banana for everything, one that is yellow, white, blue, brown, red, black etc. a banana that can do just about anything with a rhyme.

Reflect: the book was very colorful, and it was interesting to see what all a banana could be, and I guess the best way to describe it is that you can make anything what you want it to be regardless of what others see it as.

Extension: this could be a fun class book to read for kindergarteners to keep their interest in colors and fun filled pictures.

Summary: Becky's birthday is soon and the family is facing real problems with money, and Becky is feeling miserable. Her birthday is near and it's as if no one even cares. Becky knows that the family is having a hard time with money, so she knows a present is probably out of question, but she wants chicken spaghetti and striped ice cream. The family decides to make her something special for her birthday. They keep it a secret as best they can but Becky feels miserable since she was left out of the dress making. The family pulls it off. Becky gets her ice cream, and a dress that was made just for her in pink, white, and brown. Like stripped ice cream!

Reflect: this was a very good insight into how hard it can be sometimes to provide for people you love in trying times. I loved how it was very relatable, especially for a college student with multiple loans, and debt. It's almost like Christmas and how I have to somehow come up with something for my entire family.

Extension: this would be a good classroom book to help children understand how it's not as easy to provide for people when times are tough. Perhaps even if everyone works together good things can happen.

Summary: this is another adventure where the kids learn about the life of frogs and what they need within their habitat. The children learn about beavers a little bit as well, but they shrink to frog size in the bus and venture on to find Wanda's pet frog Bella. When they find her she is soon to be eaten by a blue heron, but she jumps into the water before it happens. Bella finds more frogs, so Wanda leaves her in her new habitat.

Reflect: I've always loved the magic school bus! Reading this made it seem like I was back in elementary school watching these during every science period to learn more about things.

Extension: this could always be used as a classroom activity to further explain the life of frogs.

Summary: this is the story of spider man. It mentions how at first he used his powers to have fun, then remembers what uncle Ben said, "with great power comes great responsibility". It's time for him to do something good for the people. He captures bad guys robbing a grocery store, robbers at a jewelry store, and bullies pushing people around. He's not one to take credit but occasionally he leaves a note to take credit. Knowing he helped someone was all the reward he needed, and when someone needs him you can be sure he'll be there!

Personal: I loved spider man books since I was a kid, and now that I'm older I wish a lot of the ones I had read had better pictures like this one. Mine were always hand me downs, but overall the story is essentially the same.

Extension: this could be a fun activity to have the kids dress up as superheroes and have them pretend to be saving the day by putting away their things where they belong, or helping the teacher clean around the room.

Summary: A little boy named Peter who has an adventure in the snow. Peter wakes one morning and looks out his window to see everything covered in snow. Peter put on his snowsuit and goes outside to play. He wanted to play with the big boys who were having a snowball fight but he knew that he couldn't because he was not old enough. Peter decides to go make a snowman, snowangels, pretends to be a mountain climber, and slid down a mountain of snow. Peter wanted to save some snow for tomorrow so he made a snowball and put it in his pocket, but when he goes to look at the snowball before be he sees the snowball had melted. Peter had a dream that it was sunny out and there wasn't snow on the ground. When Peter wakes up and looks out his window he sees that the snow is still there and more snow falling. Peter goes outside to play in the snow again, but this time, with a friend.

Reaction: I can relate to Peter on so many levels because one, it never snows where I live so when it actually snows I want to go outside and play. Unfortunately when I am able to, it was when the bigger kids were playing and I knew they would be too rough for me to play against.

Extension: I think for a classroom activity I could use this as a snow day and have two groups. One to play snowball fights only, and the other to be playing in the snow, then switch and see how they feel in the end

Summary Daisy is so infatuated with a ball that she takes it everywhere with her, sleeps with it and has to be near it constantly. One day Daisy goes out for a walk and her ball gets snatched by a brown dog wanting to play. Daisy tried her hardest to get the ball back but the other dog insisted on playing with it and pops it. Daisy's owner then throws the ball in the trash and takes Daisy home. Daisy acts distraught over her loss. Daisy's owner takes her for another walk and on the walk they see the same dog that popped Daisy's ball but this time that dog has a new blue ball. The other dog gives the blue ball to Daisy, which makes her very happy.

Reflection: this was such a cute story! She loses something, and the other dog gives up the new blue ball for daisy since hers was popped!

Extension: I could probably uses this in class. I could ask the students to bring something they all adore and take away half of the classes things. I could see the reaction of the other students who still had theirs and find out what they would do. After returning everything I would read them the book and ask their thoughts on what they had learned

Summary: three little piggies built houses, one of straw, another of sticks, and finally one with bricks. When the straw and sticks blew over, the last with bricks still stands where it was made. The tricky wolf tries to lure the pig out, turnip farms, apples, and the fair. When the wolf failed for the last time, he ventures down the chimney to land in a boiling pot of water.

Reflection: it's a classic, my nephews love this book and often try to replicate the book with boxes we have around the house. I remember one of them asking "why doesn't the wolf stop" and it got me to wonder how he thought of that at 3? So I asked him why he thought the wolf didn't stop and he said "maybe the wolf wanted to be friends". New plot twist!

Extension: I think this would be a fun classroom activity! Make three little houses in the room, and have the children pick a house. Since it's going to be an outside activity we can see which house stands the winds of Oklahoma on a windy day.

Summary: a mother duck has all her eggs hatch, but one is different than the other. She thinks it must be some other bird, but it swims so it might be a duck. They travel to the farm only for the duckling to be teased by all the animals, including his brothers and sisters. The duck wanders off until he comes to a swamp where wild geese live. Before the duckling speaks, dogs came and they flew away. The duckling encounters two other homes where he was teased including an old lady with a cat and a hen, and an old farmer with children. He endures the winter alone then when three swans land in a pond he looks down only to see that he is the most beautiful swan of all!

Reaction: I feel like this would also be a good one for students when they look at the difference between them and the others. One may be seen as more beautiful than another, but as time passes the child will grow and become more mature like the ugly duckling and discover that they can be the most beautiful swan of all!

Extension: I think I could use this around Halloween and ask the kids to come all dressed up in their costumes and without telling the other students who they are if they can guess who the kids dressed up are. When they take off their costumes they can see how they come from a costume into their normal beautiful selves

Summary: a new critter has joined the town, but this critter is different. His dad is a turtle, but his mother is a rabbit. The main character tries to convince his friends that the new kid should play with them only to realize they don't want to because he is too different. The critter then plays with the new kid Zack and realizes that he and Zack like a lot of the same things. When they decide to build a clubhouse, his friends want to join, and Zack allows them. The group of friends all get along at this point and Zack is still the critter best friend even though he has new friends.

Reaction: I feel like this would be a really good book for getting new students in the classroom, and it's a really good life lesson. Even though someone may be seen as too different, it doesn't mean that they aren't really cool people that you could get along with.

Extension: I would actually use this in my classroom after two or three months of the children getting to know me. One day I would come into class dressed different and see the reactions of the students. I would read the book and demonstrate myself that even though I'm dressed differently I'm still the same teacher that's fun!

Summary: the book is about a child and the things he didn't know. The things he didn't know vary from leaving the freezer door open to forgetting the cat couldn't sleep in the same bad as him. It deals with a lot of cause and effect so when he didn't close the freezer door all of his frozen treats were melted.

Reaction: I thought the book was really good because it represented what would happen really well. For instance when he didn't know that if he left the top off the box that his snake would crawl out. On the next page it shows his mother on top of the chair frantic because she was scared of the snake. This would show the children that they shouldn't do this because they may in fact get in trouble which the book does not talk about.

Extension: if I was a teacher for younger students I would make this a classroom activity by setting up a few things in the class that students may or may not know. I would set crayons on the floor, leave books on the table when they should be put away, and leave my desk a clutter to see what the children would think would happen. After everything was put away and they've made their responses I would read the book and ask them what they thought would happen.