I liked the book The Watsons Go To Birmingham by Christopher Paul Curtis for two reasons. First, I liked the writing style of the book. The writing style was unique and engaging, as it wasn’t written as one continuous chain of events. Each chapter told a different story about the Watsons. For example, one chapter told a story about how the Watsons were coined ‘the Weird Watsons’ because of Byron getting his tongue frozen to the car window. The book says, “I moved closer. I couldn’t believe my eyes! Byron’s mouth was frozen on the mirror! He was as stuck as a fly on flypaper!” The rest of the chapter describes the situation as the Watsons try to remove Byron’s frozen tongue off their car window. Lastly, I liked the language of the story. The word choice was descriptive and used many elements of literacy such as metaphors. For example, “We called him Hambone Henderson. The boy had a head shaped like a hambone, had more knots and bumps than a dinosaur.” The word choice used in this sentence was descriptive as it described the man’s head shape with bumps and knots on it. It gives the reader a visual of what the author is describing especially in a silly way. The use of a metaphor to compare the shape of the man’s head to a dinosaur emphasizes the author’s description in a humorous style. The big idea of the story is that family always comes first, no matter the circumstance. You can have everything in the world but if you don’t have family, you show more have nothing. show less

I liked the book Dogs by Juliet Clutton-Brock for two reasons. First, I liked the writing style. The writing style was informative and organized. For example, “The dog family, called Canidae from the Latin canis, includes about 35 species of wolf, jackal, fox, and wild and domestic dog. Canids are carnivores (meat-eaters), with special adaptations for hunting.” The use of academic vocabulary enhances the style of writing as it gives the book a formal and academic appeal. The writing style is organized as each section of the book is marked off into different areas of information about dogs. Lastly, I liked the non-fiction text features. I thought the text features were engaging, concise and clear. The text features included labels, captions, and a glossary. For example, “Dogs come in all shapes, sizes, and colors, with 400 breeds of domestic dog, all descended from the wolf, which was first tamed by humans about 12,000 years ago.” This text feature was of captions that were followed by a larger body of text that thoroughly explained the different breeds of dogs. The book also included labeled pictures such as a dog’s skeleton with labels so the reader could identify the various bone structures. This text feature is engaging as it gives the readers an extra component to visually look at while reading vocabulary that may be too hard. The big idea of this book is that there are many different breeds of dogs and a large background history on how dogs became household show more pets. show less

I liked the book Jackie Robinson by Brad Meltzer for three reasons. First, I liked the writing style. The writing style was unique and descriptive, especially for a children’s biography book. For example, “On April 18, 1946, at 27 years old, I was given my first shot. At Roosevelt Stadium in Jersey City, New Jersey, I played my first official game for the Montreal Royals….You better believe I was terrified. I didn’t want to let people down.” The writing is descriptive and informative as it tells the story about Jackie Robinson using specific factual information. However, the information is given in a unique way similar to a storybook. The book uses dialogue and literary devices to enhance the story especially for younger readers. Second, I liked the language of the story. The word choice was descriptive and engaging. For example, “Then at 3:04 P.M., in my first at bat I……was thrown out at first. “YER OUT” I was devastated.” The word choice used is descriptive and engaging as it gives the reader a visual of what is happening as if they were there. The word choice used where the pitcher is yelling “YER OUT” only emphasizes the situation being described. Lastly, I liked the illustrations. The illustrations were colorful, vibrant, and added an extra aesthetic appeal to the story. For example, “The next time I came up was in the third inning. There were two men on base. The pitcher decided on a fastball.” The illustration following this sentence show more was of Jackie Robinson standing at the base getting ready to hit the ball. It followed the written text very closely allowing the readers to visually see what was being described. The illustrations were hand-drawn and emphasized the character’s movements and facial expressions. The big idea of the story is that one should always strive to be the best they can be, no matter their race, color, or gender. show less

I liked Who Was Walt Disney by Whitney Stewart for two reasons. First, I liked the writing style. The writing style was engaging and organized especially as a biography book for young readers. For example, each chapter of the story was organized into different categories about Walt’s life. One specific chapter was titled ‘Who Was Walt Disney?’ and it stated, “Walt Disney liked being the class clown. He once said that he would do anything for attention. He loved performing and one day caught a field mouse and introduced it as his new pet.” The writing was engaging as it didn’t just state facts or information about Walt Disney, but rather gave insight about his life in a way children would be engaged with. The organization of each chapter into different categories was also helpful as it gives the reader an area to turn to if they wanted to know something specific about his life. Lastly, I liked the illustrations. I thought the illustrations were unique and added an extra touch to the story. For example, “Walt grew up in a farm in Marceline, Missouri. It was surrounded by weeping willows, apple, peach, and plum trees.” The illustration following this sentence was hand-drawn in a black and white style. It followed the written text as it was an illustration of a farm surrounded by different trees and people. I think that since this was a biography book, the illustrations added a nice touch to make the book more engaging especially for younger readers. The big show more message of this book is to chase your dreams and to never give up. Walt Disney never stopped chasing his dreams and one day he got there with perseverance and determination. show less

I liked the book Dirty Beasts by Roald Dahl for three reasons. First, I liked the writing style of the book. The book was compiled of various poems all about animals. For example, “No animal is half as vile / As Crocky-Wock, the crocodile. / On Saturdays he likes to crunch / Six juicy children for his lunch.” The style of writing was well paced as it was written as a rhyme. The words flowed together smoothly while reading almost like listening to a song. There were no jumps or uneven patterns in the poem allowing for an overall smooth read. Second, I liked the language of the book. The language was descriptive and followed a clear pattern. For example, “Just three of each, three girls, three boys. / He smears the boys (to make them hot) / With mustard from the mustard pot.” The language used followed a pattern where the last word of each sentence rhymed with its previous sentence such as ‘hot’ and ‘pot’. The word choice was also descriptive such as “he smears the boys with mustard from the mustard pot.” This gives the readers a clear visual of what the text is saying as if they were there. Lastly, I liked the illustrations of the book. The illustrations enhanced the story and fit the written text as each poem had its own unique illustrations. For example, the silly poem called “The Crocodile” was about a hungry croc who likes to eat young boys and girls with pots of mustard. The illustration following this poem was of a crocodile with a young boy show more and girl surrounded by pots of mustard. The illustration was colorful, vibrant, and hand-drawn. It added an overall aesthetic appeal and an extra silly component to the poem. The big idea of this book was to be imaginative and creative, no matter how silly the idea. show less

I liked the book Sweet Tooth by Margie Palatini for three reasons. First, I liked the writing style. The writing style of the story was engaging and humorous as it followed two separate voices, Stewart and his sweet tooth. For example, “”Jelly beans,” said a muffled voice from the back of the room. “Did you say something, Stewart!” asked Mrs. Megan. “Licorice. Lollipops. HEY! I’m dying here for a couple of CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER CUPS, OKAY?!?” “But I’m telling you, it’s not me,” said Stewart as he was led away to the principal’s office.”” The sweet tooth has its own voice in this story, which is defined by the bolded words. The portrayal of two different voices is unique and humorous as the sweet tooth plays its own character. Second, I liked the plot of the story. The plot focuses on a young boy Stewart who has a very bad sweet tooth. For example, “This is Stewart. Your typical, average, everyday kid. Except for one thing. Ahhhh, yes. There it is all right. The molar in the back. It is no ordinary tooth, it is Stewart’s sweet tooth.” The portrayal of the sweet tooth as its own character is extremely creative and imaginative especially for young readers. The sweet tooth’s character adds a humorous twist to an ordinary topic making for a funny and exciting read. Lastly, I liked the illustrations. The illustrations enhance the story through detail, color, and style. For example, “This is Stewart’s sweet tooth. One nagging, show more annoying, demanding, very loud, sweet tooth.” The illustration following this sentence is very large becoming the main point of focus for this text. The illustrations are drawn in a comical way with lots of detail made to show movement and expression. The sweet tooth has its own illustrated character, which I find to be very cute and creative as it further enhances the story. The big idea of the story is to never listen to your sweet tooth because it will never be satisfied, despite all of the chocolate and candy. show less

I liked the book James and the Giant Peach for three reasons. First, I liked the plot of the story. The plot was creative and imaginative as it told a story of a young boy who traveled across the ocean in a giant peach. For example, “A peach blossomed, and it grew, and grew, and GREW. Within minutes it was the size of a house. James was so hungry he took a bite out of it. When he did, a large hole appeared in its side. James was curious, so he crawled in.” The entire plot is creative as the author portrays an imaginative world where little boys can fit inside a giant peach. Second, I liked the language. The language used throughout the story is descriptive and engaging. For example, “The giant peach rolled right over it, flattening the automobile like a pancake. And the peach didn’t stop there. It kept rolling; right through a village, over a church, and smashing through a fence, carrying it away. Finally, the peach launched itself off a huge cliff and…… KER-PLUNK was all they heard when they landed.” The author uses descriptive language to emphasize specific actions in the story such as the sound of the peach when it landed. Also, there are many similes used throughout to emphasize an action in the story such as when the peach flattened the car like a pancake. It allows the readers to portray what the author is describing in a unique way. Lastly, I liked the illustrations. The illustrations enhanced the story and added an image to follow along with besides show more the written text. For example, “They were in the middle of the ocean……A huge, man-eating shark was bearing down on them.” The illustration following this text was beautifully drawn with lots of various different colors used. The illustration depicts what the written text described in a similar way for readers to visualize. There was a lot of detail used to portray the peach sitting alone in the ocean with a very large shark just below it. The big idea of the story is the importance of overcoming one’s fears. If you always allow fear to hold you back, you will never be able to experience the wonders and excitement of the world beyond you. show less

I liked Dream Snow by Eric Carle for three reasons. First, I liked the writing style. The writing style of this story was engaging and unique. It followed a pattern where the dialogue was written in a different font and style than the storyline describing the snow covering the animals. For example, “The farmer felt very cozy and a bit tired. “Heavens!” he said, yawning. ‘It’s almost Christmas and it hasn’t snowed yet.” With that he fell asleep. / Soon he dreamed of falling snowflakes. They gently covered him with a white blanket.” The differing fonts and styles between the two texts made for an engaging and unique read as it emphasized the snowfall that covered each animal. Second, I liked the illustrations. Each illustration was interactive and creative with vibrant colors and details. For example, “The snowflakes gently covered One with a white blanket.” The illustration following this text was made with watercolor adding an aesthetic appeal to the overall illustration itself. The illustration included a lot of vibrant colors and shading as well as detail to emphasize the horse’s structure. Not only that, but the author included a white blanket sheet before the illustration that when put down covered the horse with a ‘white snow blanket’ like described in the text. Lastly, I liked the plot. I thought the plot of this story was perfect for young readers and for the Christmas season. For example, “The farmer woke up from his dream, looked out show more of his window and saw snow. It was not dream snow. It was real snow.” The farmer had wished for snow before falling asleep and while dreaming that when he woke up, there was actual snow. I think in conjunction with the writing style and language used that this story would be perfect for young readers especially around the Christmas season. I think the big idea of the story is to never give up, even when you least expect something to happen. show less

I liked When I Feel Jealous for three reasons. First, I liked the plot of the story. The plot focused on a little bear who described situations in which she felt jealous. For example, “I feel jealous when I think my mommy likes someone else better than me.” I thought the plot was well written and a creative way to teach children about feelings of jealously. It shows children that it is normal to get jealous and that there are different ways to cope with the emotion. Second, I liked the language. The language used throughout the story is descriptive and follows a pattern. For example, “I feel jealous when someone is good at something I want to be good at. I feel jealous when my friend plays with someone else more than she plays with me. Jealously is a prickly, hot, horrible feeling.” The phrase “I feel jealous when…” is repeated throughout the story following a pattern to emphasize how the character feels and when she feels that way. Also, the descriptive word choice used to describe the emotion jealously is intriguing as it defines the word in a fun and unique way for young readers to comprehend. Lastly, I liked the illustrations. The illustration style fits the written text as it depicts the mood of the overall story. For example, “When someone has something I want, I feel jealous. I want it too!” The illustration following this sentence depicts the young bear feeling jealous and angry by the expression detailed on her face. It also depicts the young show more bear watching her friend play with something she clearly wants as well. The illustrations are done in watercolor, which adds more style to the story along with vibrant colors and aesthetic appeal. The big idea of the story is that everyone gets feelings of jealously at times, but the way one handles it is what is important. show less

I liked the book Flipped for three reasons. First, I really enjoyed the writing style of this book. It was written in a “he-said, she-said” manner with each chapter alternating between the voices of the main characters, Bryce and Julianna. For example, one chapter would be written in Julianna’s voice such as, “What did a kiss feel like anyways? Somehow I knew it wouldn’t be like the one I got from Mom or Dad at bedtime.” While the next chapter would be written in Bryce’s voice such as, “My mom didn’t understand why it was awful that “that little girl” had held my hand.” I really enjoyed this writing style as it gave a perspective of both characters and how each felt about what was happening in the book. Both characters were completely opposite so the alternating voices gave a unique twist to the overall story. Second, I liked the characters of the story. The main characters, Bryce and Julianna, were well developed and relatable. For example, Julianna talks about her crush on Bryce saying, “The first day I met Bryce Loski, I flipped. Honestly, one look at him and I became a lunatic. It’s his eyes. Something in his eyes. They’re blue, and framed in the blackness of his lashes, they’re dazzling. Absolutely breathtaking.” The author portrayed Julianna’s character as a love struck thirteen year old, which is extremely relatable to young readers. Julianna’s unique personality and demeanor was also extremely well developed as each chapter show more brought you closer and closer to her character. Lastly, I liked the plot of the story. The plot focused on two very different teens and their feelings for each other. For example, in the beginning of the story Bryce says, “All I’ve ever wanted is for Juli Baker to leave me alone. For her to back off- you know just give me some space.” Whereas, Juli’s character says, “All I could think about was Bryce. All I knew was that his eyes were a dizzying blue, and that I wanted to kiss him.” The drastic differences both characters feel about each other in the beginning of the story sets up the plot for an interesting twist. The story is suspenseful and intriguing as each chapter makes you want to continue reading to find out what happens in the end. The big idea of the story is to never judge someone by the way they look. There is always more to someone than their appearance and it is what is underneath that truly matters. show less

I liked the book Time to Pray for three reasons. First I liked the plot of the story. The plot focused on the Middle East culture and the Muslim religion. For example, “I learned that the muezzin calls Muslims to prayer five times each day.” This particular plot focused on the topic of prayer in Islam and educating readers on the Muslim culture. Not only that, but it is a topic that can be relatable to students who are from the Middle East region. Second, I liked the language of the story. It included various descriptive words and vocabulary surrounding the Islam culture. For example, “Grandma stood near the sink. I watched her wash her hands, mouth, nose, face, and arms. She ran a damp hand over her hair and her ears. Then the muezzin called.” The descriptive word choice allowed for me to visualize exactly what the author was trying to say without needing any further illustrations. Not only that, but the vocabulary such as ‘muezzin’ was interesting as it allowed me to learn of the cultural vocabulary surrounding the Islam culture. Lastly, I enjoyed the illustrations. I thought the illustrations were colorful, vibrant, and vivid images of the story. For example, “In the darkness, green lights winked at me from the minaret of the nearby mosque.” The illustration included with this quote was of the young girl sitting in her bed looking out at the mosque. This illustration included vibrant colors of blue and green with details outlining the tall mosque and show more bright green lights shining from the buildings below. The illustrations provided an extra component to the storyline as it further portrayed the culture of Islam. The big idea of this story is the power of religion and how family can only further strengthen that bond. show less

I liked the book When My Name Was Keoko for three reasons. First, I liked the plot of the story. The plot focused on tough issues such as the oppression of Korea and the war between Japan and America. Both topics were touched upon in an interesting way suitable for readers of a young age to understand. For example, “We can’t, little cricket. It is against the law to fly this flag- even to put up a picture of it. Korea is part of the Japanese Empire now. But someday this will be our own country one more. Your own country.” In this quote, the Uncle is explaining to Sun-hee about the oppression of Korea by the Japanese. The example is straight forward as it addresses oppression through the Koreans inability to raise the Korean flag because of the Japanese Empire. This topic of war and oppression is understandable for readers of a young age to comprehend with easier child-like examples. Second, I liked the language style. The entire book was written from the perspective of two siblings, Sun-hee and Tae-yul. Each chapter began with the voice of one of the characters describing their personal thoughts and experiences with the ongoing war in Japan. For example, “Tae-Yul: Someday I’ll have a scooter of my own. And then a car. For now, I have a bicycle. / Sun-hee: It wasn’t fair. Why couldn’t girls ride bicycles?” The differing perspectives added a unique component to the story as I was able to read between two different voices of two different characters. Lastly, show more I enjoyed the characters of the story. Both characters had unique personalities that contributed to the overall success of the story itself. For example, “The officer looks up. “Whose stupid scribblings are these?” he asks abruptly. Sun-hee answers at once. “Mine,” she says. I’m surprising by her voice- it’s strong, not shaky.” Sun-hee’s character is courageous and outspoken as she demonstrates various opportunities where she stands up against the oppression and injustice of the Japanese. Her character develops throughout the story and with each page, you become acquainted with her growing personality. The message of the story is to never give up hope, even in the toughest of times, as it will get better one day. show less

I liked the book A New Year’s Reunion: A Chinese Story for three reasons. First, I liked the language of the story. The language used throughout was descriptive and engaging. For example, “Later it’s time to make sticky rice balls. Pop, pop, pop, bang, bang, bang! We hear firecrackers outside all night.” The use of the descriptive words to portray the sounds a firecracker makes engages readers with the text. Second, I liked the plot of the story. The plot focused on tough issues such as being away from family for long periods of time. This topic is relatable as many children are able to resonate with the feeling of missing relatives that are far away. The way the author addressed this issue was in a way suitable for younger children. For example, “Papa is home. I watch him from a distance, not daring to get close. Papa comes and sweeps me up in his arms, prickling my face with his beard.” This example shows the uncertainty the child feels when first seeing her father after a long time. After the father gets a haircut, the child says, “The Papa in the mirror is getting more like Papa the way he used to be.” The author addresses the issue of the child’s feelings after not seeing her father for a long time. The time and distance impacts the characters feelings towards him, but with time she becomes familiar with him again. Lastly, I liked the illustrations. Each page had illustrations with vivid details and color portraying the Chinese New Year. For show more example, “We hear firecrackers outside all night. I lie between Papa and Mama and fall asleep, drowsily hearing them whispering, whispering…” The illustration following this sentence fills up two pages as it portrays the town being lit up with firecrackers and bright lights. The message of this story is that love, regardless of distance, holds a family together. show less

I liked the book The Other Side for three reasons. First, I enjoyed the illustrations of the story. I found the illustrations to be engaging as they filled up an entire page giving a colorful and vivid image of the story. For example, “That summer the fence that stretched through our town seemed bigger. We lived in a yellow house on one side of it.” The illustration following this quote filled up an entire page showing a detailed and vivid image of the description provided. The illustration included lots of color and detail that portrayed the yellow house with a large fence separating an entire field of grass and daisies from the home. These illustrations provided another element for readers to follow along with as they read. Second, I liked the plot of the story. The plot of this story focused on tough issues such as segregation and racism. Although this topic is not easy to discuss, this book portrayed the issue of segregation in a way suitable and understandable for younger children. For example, “We lived in a yellow house on one side of the fence. White people lived on the other. And mama said, “Don’t climb that fence when you play.” She said it wasn’t safe.” The author describes the segregation of races by explaining why the young girls cannot play together. This is a way suitable for younger kids to understand as the fence serves as a barrier separating the two children while the author illustrates the reasoning based on color. Lastly, I liked the show more language of the story. The language was unique to the time period the story was set in. For example, “”I live over yonder,” she said, “by where you see the laundry. That’s my blouse hanging on the line.”” The use of the word ‘yonder’ and the description of the blouse hanging on the clothesline are unique to the time period. The use of these words and phrases adds to the story and the timeline it is set in. The message of this story is that there is no difference between black and white, only friendship and possibilities. show less

I liked the book Voices in the Park for three reasons. First, I liked the writing of the story, as it was unique and engaging. The story started off with four different voices. It began with the first voice saying, “It was time to take Victoria, our pedigree Labrador, and Charles, our son, for a walk.” The second voice said, “I needed to get out of the house, so me and Smudge took the dog to the park.” The style of writing was from four different perspectives on a walk in the park. Each perspective gave a different point of view, which gave the story a fascinating depth to its simplicity. Second, I liked the illustrations of the story. I found the illustrations to further enhance the story as it depicted the mood of the characters. For example, the father in the second voice was sad. The illustrations following his voice depicted a gloomy and sorrow image. “Smudge loves it there. I wish I had half the energy he’s got.” The illustrations following this sentence depicted the father slumped over in the park looking sad, while the dog, Smudge, excitedly wagged his tail. Each illustration following the different voices used different colors and words to further illustrate the differences between perspectives. Lastly, I liked the characters. Each character had a unique personality that developed as the story progressed. For example, the mother speaking in the first voice says, “I called out for Charles. Then I saw him talking to a very rough-looking child.” show more The mother is describing Smudge as a rough child, which is the first perspective we get of her. Then Charles, in the third voice gives another perspective of Smudge stating, “She told me her name was Smudge – a funny name, I know, but she’s quite nice.” Throughout the story, the character of Smudge develops until we finally meet her as the fourth voice. The message of this story is to open our eyes and see the bigger picture, while appreciating what is around us. show less

I liked the book The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey for three reasons. First, I liked the language. The language used throughout the story was full of descriptive words that followed a rhyming pattern. For example, “He went about mumbling and grumbling, muttering and sputtering, grumping and griping.” This style of writing captures the reader and draws them in using its rhyming technique. Second, I liked the illustrations of the story. Each illustration took up an entire page and included vivid, detailed images of the storyline being described. For example, one illustration was of the main character, Mr. Toomey, sitting on his chair staring outside of the window. The details included in the illustration captured the gloom and sorrow on Mr. Toomey’s face and the wear on his hands from the woodcarvings. There was so much detail included in the illustration that there was no need for the text to understand the storyline. Lastly, I enjoyed the writing of the story as it followed an organized and evenly paced flow. For example, at the end of every day, Mr. Toomey would complete the same action of carving the specific type of animal and falling asleep. The writing style remained the same, only with the exception of a few different words emphasizing the importance of Mr. Toomey’s carvings. For example the text states, “That evening, after a supper of corn bread and boiled potatoes, the woodcarver sat down at his bench. He picked up his carving knife. He picked up show more the sheep. He worked until his eyelids drooped shut.” The big idea of the story is to be kind to everyone we meet as we don’t know the struggles they have faced or are currently dealing with. Although an individual may be angry towards you, it is always better to be a kind person. show less

I liked the book The Polar Express for three reasons. First, I liked the language of the story. The language used throughout the story was very descriptive and included many elements of figurative language. For example, “We climbed mountains so high it seemed as if we would scrape the moon.” The story used several elements of figurative language such as similes and metaphors to describe the adventures the young boy experienced. Second, I liked the illustrations. The illustrations were extremely vivid and appealing as they depicted the scenery described throughout the story. For example, one illustration included a colorful and detailed image of the train surrounded by snow, covered mountains. There was a lot of small detail that went into illustrating the peaks on the mountain and the flurries from the snow. The text read, “Faster and faster we ran along, rolling over peaks and through valleys like a car on a roller coaster. The mountains turned into hills, the hills to snow-covered plains.” Lastly, I liked the characters as I found the main character to be well developed and relatable, especially to those of a younger age. For example, the story ends with this quote, “At one time most of my friends could hear the bell, but as years passed, it fell silent for all of them. Though I’ve grown old, the bell still rings for me as it does for all who truly believe.” The character had developed from someone who was unsure of Santa in the beginning, to someone who show more strongly believed in Santa and Christmas. Also, many younger children would relate to the main character as they find themselves to believe in Santa and the overall theme of Christmas. The big idea of the story was to never give up hope for what you believe in as the main character met Santa because of his belief in him. show less

I liked the book Harry The Dirty Dog for two reasons. First, I liked the illustrations of the story. The illustrations enhanced the plot while adding a visual aid to the written components of the story. The illustrations were extremely descriptive including a lot of detail pertaining to the plot of the story. For example, “Harry played at the railroad and got even dirtier. He played tag with other dogs and became dirtier still.” The illustrations used along with the written text included vivid images of the dog, Harry, playing on the railroad tracks and with other dogs. It showed Harry transition from a white dog to a dirty, black and brown discolored dog. These illustrations were colorful and appealing especially for younger readers to follow along with the storyline. Second, I liked the plot of the story as it followed an organized and easily, readable flow. For example, the story began with “Harry was a white dog with black spots who liked everything, except getting a bath.” The story then progresses and follows the same flow when it restates toward the end, “Harry changed from a white dog with black spots, to a black dog with white spots.” The story followed the same even pace of Harry changing from clean to dirty and back again whilst changing back to his original color and spots. The big idea of the story was to not judge someone based on appearance. As humans, we tend to rely on visual recognition and appearance as a key factor in judging someone show more without fully knowing anything about the individual. show less

I liked the book Inside Out & Back Again for two reasons. First, I liked the writing of the story. This story had a unique writing style as it was written in a series of short poems. For example, “It grew from a seed / I flicked into / the back garden. / A seed like / a fish eye, / slippery / shiny / black.” This made for an interesting, yet quick read as each page began with a new descriptive short poem. Second, I liked the plot of the story. The plot incorporated elements of life as an immigrant and the struggles that came with it. For example, “ Why no s for two deer, / but an s for two monkeys? / Whoever invented English / should be bitten / by a snake.” The main character, Ha, struggled to learn a new language while adjusting to her new life in America. The plot followed Ha through her journey as an immigrant and her struggles with American ideals and values different from those of her Vietnamese culture. The big idea of the story was that family is all that you have, especially in this story’s case as Ha only had her family and the clothes on her back from her travels to America. Without family, it is hard to not give up and lose faith but with those who are constantly there for you and supporting you, anything is possible.

I liked the book The Librarian of Basra for three reasons. First, I really enjoyed the plot and how it pushed readers to think about tough issues. The plot focused on the war in Iraq as it terrorized the citizens and struck havoc among the town. This particular storyline pushed readers to think about tough issues such as war and the suffering of those especially women and children who have little to no power. For example in the book it says, “Alia worries that the fires of war will destroy the books…She asks the governor for permission to move them to a safe place. He refuses.” The author addresses the power Alia lacks as a woman in a way that young children are able to understand. Second, I liked the writing of the story as I found it to be engaging and organized. For example, the story begins, “Alia’s library is a meeting place for all who love books…Until now-now, they talk only of war.” This beginning to the story made me become extremely engaged and interested as I wanted to read more to learn about the war in Basra. The storyline continued at this pace and did not jump around from plot to plot following an easily readable flow. Lastly, I liked the illustrations as I found them to enhance and further illustrate the meaning of the story. The illustrations depicted the mood of the story of gloom and fear as the war struck the town of Basra. For example, a particular image showed the faces and word bubbles of six different characters asking questions such show more as, “Will planes with bombs fill the sky? Will bombs fall here? Will our families survive?” The overall message of the story is that one person can make a difference, no matter the circumstances. Alia was a librarian, who was extremely passionate about books and whom made a courageous decision to make a difference in saving over 30,000 books from the war in Iraq. show less