"Twilight" Stephanie Myer (Major Motion Picture)

The story begins with Bella moving to Forks to live with her father. She has been living in Arizona with her mom and step dad and they are planning on traveling because Phil (Bella’s stepfather) is a minor league baseball player. You can tell that she has never had a close relationship with her father but she learns to adapt to his bachelor ways. She enrolls in school and makes new friends but she is curious about the Cullen’s, who never socialize with anyone else but themselves. She meets Edward Cullen in her Biology class but he freaks out and wants to get his classes switched however that will not be possible. Bella is furious initially but as she learns more from a friend on the Indian reservation in La Push, she begins to piece together all the clues. After time passes she and Edward fall in love which is not such a good idea considering he is a vampire. The story takes through the abnormal struggles of being in love with a vampire. Initially some of the Cullen’s mainly Rosalie is not happy with the choice of girl friends. Other vampires come into the area and realize they are befriending a mortal human which leads to conflict. A tracker named James hunts for Bella which the family creates diversions and in the end kills one of their own kinds for Bella. The book does but a whole new twist on vampires in a 21st century way. The Cullen’s are not dangerous they are what are considered vegetarians; they only eat animal blood not human. The family is known as a Covent of vampires that are similar. The book is a young adult fantasy romance novel, I must say however many adults are reading this series as well. There have been some objections to the book just because it is a vampire book but it is an excellent read. It was a thriller and a page turner. While reading the book along with the series I could not seem to put it down. I was curious about the movie therefore I watched it I was a little disappointed because the book was so vivid and the movie was not. The movie left many inspiring details out and the characters just did not match my imagination. I was also interested in what the apple on the cover of twilight stood for so I looked that up and Stephanie Myer explains that it is an example of the forbidden fruit, the analogy is interesting because Bella is the forbidden fruit of Edward. This book is the first in a series of four and New Moon follows Twilight. This has been the best series for children/young adults since Harry Potter in my opinion.

Image Reference: http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.collider.com/uploads/imageGallery/Twilight/twilight_movie_poster.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.collider.com/entertainment/news/article.asp/aid/7799/tcid/1&h=888&w=600&sz=264&tbnid=4bN4IK73eYlP7M::&tbnh=146&tbnw=99&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dtwilight%2Bmovie%2Bimage&hl=en&usg=__C4p-KBjrz2TAwRITLtTr6UWF790=&ei=DM70SYzpGNDflQeSx6WzDA&sa=X&oi=image_result&resnum=1&ct=image

"Esperanza Rising" Pam Munoz Ryan

Esperanza lives in the perfect world until the death of her father which forces the family to leave this all behind. Her father was killed by bandits the day before her birthday. Her uncles act as if they are there to help however they merely want to marry her mama and have the riches. The custom is for other family members to assist during the mourning process. She has lived in Mexico in a very wealthy family until this tragedy struck. Her father was the owner of own of the largest farms in the area. She has never wanted for anything. However with the turn of events the remaining family members must escape into the United States where they become laborers merely trying to survive. Esperanza is faced with hardships and responsibilities that she has never known. Initially she is left with the responsibility of caring for the children while the others worked the fields. She has never performed these duties because she always had someone to do them for her. There was more tragedy as her mother becomes ill and she must work the field in order to survive. The book portrays the hardships faced by many Mexicans during this time period. The story makes you feel for the young girl. The family not only struggled to survive but with how to thrive in a country in which they did not know. This book was an excellent read and I would recommend it to anyone. The story is enlightening as well as descriptive. It not only takes you on journey of change but the lesson of life of overcoming diversity. The name Esperanza means hope in Spanish perfect for the situations that are faced in the book.

Other books by this author: Paint the Wind, One Hundred is a Family, Hello Ocean, and Becoming Naomi Leon....and many others. Many of these books are available in Spanish.

Picture Reference:http://www.nhps.net/johncdaniels/images/Esperanza_Rising.jpg

"The Skin I'm In" Pat Thomas

The book is a first glimpse of the effects of racism. The story explains what would happen if only certain people were allowed to do certain things, for example what if people with blue eyes were the only people allowed to go to school? This explains the unfair idea of people missing out on opportunities based on their physical traits and the book also describes how we get our appearances from our family. The book explores the meaning of race and culture. It takes the reader on a journey through various cultures and asks questions of the reader. The book makes you think about your own heritage and how we all blend together to create one beautiful world. It explains that we are more alike than we are different. It gives details on how racism might take place and that there are many different forms of racism. Racist are similar to bullies and they are simply afraid of differences. Being afraid of different things is normal but it is important to get to know about the person before making judgments about their character. The book clearly explains that we are all unique and that we have to realize that racism is wrong. This is a must read for young children. The experience of viewing how other people are is an important lesson. There is also a how to section in the back that reviews methods for discussing racism with young children. I enjoyed the book and believe that it is something to be shared. This is a simplistic way to teach about diversity. There are several books in this series to explain challenges that young children face.

Picture reference: http://www.amazon.ca/Skin-Im-First-Look-Racism/dp/0764124595

"Where the Wild Things Are" Maurice Sendak comparison to "Cat in the Hat"

Where The Wild Things Are presents the same type of conflict that occurs in Cat in the Hat. The children in Cat and the Hat do not really want to get into mischief it just seems to happen because they are led by the cat. Max does not really mean that he will eat his mother but because of the events that transpire he finds himself in trouble. Max is dressed like a monster and his room transforms into a forest after his sent to his room with no supper. He takes a ride in a boat to the place where the wild things are. When he finds them they are roaring and gnawing their teeth, until Max says, Be Still! They call him the wildest thing of all much like his mother; they even tell him they will eat him up. Max takes on the role of his mother when he sends them all to bed without their supper. He then realizes that he has made a terrible mistake and wants to return home. The children in Cat in the Hat learn the same valuable lesson that fun has its limits. Children today love these stories because of the analogies and creative nature found within them. The books put a twist on disobedience and the consequences that will follow.

Picture Reference: http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://thisamthispm.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/where-the-wild-things-are-posters.jpg&imgrefurl=http://thisamthispm.wordpress.com/2009/03/26/where-the-wild-things-are-the-movie/&h=298&w=400&sz=49&tbnid=7-qUF10HxOPjGM::&tbnh=92&tbnw=124&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dwhere%2Bthe%2Bwild%2Bthings%2Bare%2Bimage&usg=__XLJpdgb1J_Z5k7Io-utcIzJtKRY=&ei=iv_wSenjDcqblQefn8G3DA&sa=X&oi=image_result&resnum=2&ct=image

"WE ARE THE SHIP" Kadir Nelson Corretta Scott King Award

The book was an exceptional portrayal of the obstacles that African-Americans had to overcome in order to play baseball. The story was told as a player that experienced the situation. The author did an outstanding job illustrating the book to depict the life and times of the players. The story begins with the 1st inning and takes you through the 9th inning with each inning adding something to the history of the Negro Baseball League which was the only means in which an African-American could play ball. The first inning is dedicated to the first players in the league and to Rube for his desire to continue allowing blacks to play even when they were not allowed to play professionally. He wanted his team to appear professionally and they were required to follow his rules in order to remain on his team. He initiated the first colored World Series which was held on October 11, 1924. The 2nd inning describes the type of play that was allowed in the Negro League the rules were quite different. Often there was no umpire and fights would often break out on the field. The 3rd inning describes the situation in which the players had to undergo. Often they could not find much to eat or places to stay. They had to sleep on the bus, this was all because many places did not allow blacks to stay or buy food. This was a hard time to keep teams going. Inning 4 describes how the Negro League survived the Great Depression. The league continued because Gus picked up where Rube left off even though some his money making schemes were a little shady. The first games with lights were played and many owners knew how to treat players while others did not. The 5th inning describes the first African-American all-star game. The conditions were not desirable for pitchers like Satchel Paige who pitched more than once per day. There were many great players of the time who received little credit. The 6th inning describes how African-Americans traveled to Latin America in the off season which was a big culture change but were treated as real player’s not second rate. This play had its good and bad points. The 7th inning is about how the Negro league had the opportunity to play against the white leagues. This was a great opportunity to exhibit the talent of the Negro league; however they underwent scrutiny by the fans and others and could not do anything about it. The 8th inning was a description of how WWII affected baseball; this was the time in which the Negro league took on a leading role. This was because most of the white league was overseas at war; African-Americans were not allowed to participate in combat therefore the games resumed back in the United States. The 9th inning describes the integration of blacks into the white major league. Jackie Robinson was the first to be called up and he withstood the challenges that came his way. The story of Jackie Robinson was a great obstacle that African-Americans finally overcame. The major point to remember is that throughout history many black men contributed to the cause and that without them black men of today would not have the opportunity to play. This book was excellent, it had great feeling and alive with the hopes of young men.

Picture Reference: http://www.amazon.com/We-Are-Ship-League-Baseball/dp/0786808322#

"The Lorax" Dr. Seuss

The Lorax is a book with in depth meaning. The book contains a didactic meaning which means to teach or convey instructions with the use of entertainment. The beginning makes you feel as if there is no way to resolve the problem of pollution or ecological disaster. The story explains how human greed can lead to ecological disaster. The Once-ler sees the big business aspect of cutting trees for industry. He does not consider the environmental impact of his actions and only sees the profit that can be made. The Lorax comes to him several times to try and warn him however, by the time he realizes the consequences of his actions he has destroyed the atmosphere and all that had once lived in the area. The Once-ler only considers the profit that can be made from his creation. He does see the error of his ways in the end and gives the young boy who has to come to learn about the Lorax a seed to plant and explains that he must guard this from the ax. The unless area means that if people do not create change life will never be the way that it was before. All that is left is despair when the factory closes and all seems to be in despair. There are books published today that explain the effects of human impact on the environment. Hoot for example is a story on how greed for business power can lead to damaging effects on the environment. The story explains how a business man wants to destroy the habitat of local owls that are endangered. Books like these are important to environmental protection. They create early awareness when it comes to ecological concerns. The imagery in both books make you look at your own impact on the Earth, these books could be used in Earth day activities as an introduction for going green.

Picture Reference: http://www.amazon.com/Lorax-Classic-Seuss-Dr/dp/0394823370

"The Ugly Duckling" Illustrated by Jerry Pinkney

Jerry Pinkney has been illustrating books since 1964 and has received Caldecott Medals and Honors. He is the only illustrator to win the Coretta Scott King Award three times. Most of his work includes multicultural themes. However, he is also the illustrator of the Ugly Duckling adapted from Hans Christian Andersen’s work. The Ugly Duckling has been a childhood favorite for many years and the new combination of illustrations brings out the true meaning of the works. The illustrations are soft natural scenes. The images create a sense of realism and tranquility. The images make the story itself come alive. He is quoted as saying, “In appreciation of the wonders of nature and the gift of time-honored stories.” The illustrations are unique and his artist talent is evident. The illustrations alone could tell the story and add to the text written within the work. I would recommend getting a copy of his work and observe the great detail. Pinkney has not only been noted for his creative illustrations in children’s books, his art work has been displayed across the country. This book made me look closely at illustrative details; master piece would be the rating. It brings new life to one of my favorite books of all times.

Picture Reference: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_b?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=the+ugly+duckling