Burning Up by Caroline B. Cooney

When I was in middle school, one of my teachers recommended I read Caroline B. Cooney. "She's a great author," I remember my teacher saying. Her favorite Cooney book? Burning Up. I picked up the book back then and, reading it years later, some of the words jumped off the page that I still remember from back then. What I remembered about the book was one thing but what was most important about this book was what I had forgotten.

Burning Up is a book told from two teenagers' perspectives. The two teens, Macey and Aus, go to school in a wealthy white town in Connecticuit. When volunteering in the neighboring town, the teens run into fiery racism they thought only existed in the deep south. Not only has racism segregated the two neighboring town, Macey discovers it is also haunting her own town, friends, and family. While I remember reading the book, I had completely forgotten that the book was all about discovering racism and one girl striving to overcome it.

This is another great book to incorporate in a multiculturally friendly classroom. It is such a serious misconception today that racism only exists in the south - or worse, no longer exists in the United States at all. Burning Up unwaveringly challenges these assumptions. It sets extreme racism in a wealthy northern backyard, proving that discrimination and hate are not geographical phenomenons. They do not stop at a border, residing only in the south. Burning Up is a great book for upper middle school students to read in a multiculturally friendly environment.

Runaway Mittens by Jean Rogers

So far, Runaway Mittens by Jean Rogers is my favorite childrens' book of the five I have read for class. I definitely see myself including this book in my classroom library when I am a teacher. Most importantly to me, Runaway Mittens would be perfect in a multicultural classroom. The story is about a young boy named Pica who lives with his family in the far north. His world is much different than what students in Iowa are probably accustomed to. Pica's family goes ice fishing in the story, the pictures showing them carrying long spears and dressed in heavy winter parkas. A new culture is represented in the story and, while students may notice the differences between cultures, they may also notice the similarities.

One thing that really stuck out to me during this story was this culture's apparent value of family. Pica's grandmother knits a pair of bright red mittens for him, the nicest mittens he has ever known. Grandmother knits the mittens out of her love for her grandson, and she promises him she will make him a new pair when he is older. Pica's reverence for his mittens is a sure sign of his devotion to his grandmother. Pica and his sister, Etta, also have a close relationship. Etta helps her younger brother look for his mittens when they have run away from him. Finally, the entire family goes out ice fishing together. It is easy to infer that this is an incredibly close family unit and that this is the norm in this culture.

This is a great book for all picture book level readers. The pictures are beautifully painted in warm hues. The pages are short, so it is appropriate for very young readers. However, the story is light and fun, making it suitable for readers of many ages. The multiculturalism is present but sets up no barrier - Pica and his family are very relateable in this wonderful story.

I Love You, Stinky Face by Lisa McCourt

One of the teachers I worked closely with mentioned once that she had been reading "Stinky Face" stories to her son before bed. She recommended the books to me, so I was excited to give this one a try. I was not disappointed.

Stinky Face is a boy with a vivid imagination. In this book, Stinky Face's mom is trying to put him to bed. As many little kids do, he decides he is not yet ready to bed and tries his hand at stalling. He happens to do a great job. Stinky Face comes up with funny situations to test his mother's love - and perhaps to see how long he can push back his bedtime. The situations become more and more far-fetched, yet the mom's love never wavers. Finally, Stinky Face is ready for bed.

This is a really fun book. It is imaginative and playful - definitely fun for kids. Author Lisa McCourt writes very suitably for young children, incorporating monsters with one eye and big fangs in a book that simultaneously speaks to the concept of unconditional love. The kids think they are listening to a fun story, yet important concepts are being conveyed at the same time.

I will definitely be looking for more Stinky Face books in the future.

Bebe's Bad Dream by G. Brian Karas

Color seems to play a major role in my choices for childrens' books. Once again, color drew me to picking up Bebe's Bad Dream and rifling through its pages. I was amazed by the illustrations. I have never seen such a colorful book. Its contrast between the cheery, brilliant colors during the story's daytime and shadowy, flashlight nighttime is really interesting to see. The pictures look like something a young child would draw in art class or doodle on the side of his notebook, making it somewhat more playful and consequently, something kids can relate to very easily. The illustrations carried this story to the next level for me.

While I was reading the book, I kept catching myself imagining how I would read it out loud to a group of kids. It would lend itself nicely to an oral reading in an early classroom. There are numerous opportunities where the teacher would be able to stop and check for understanding in a covert kind of way. "What do you think will happen next?" seemed a very fitting and fun question during the book. This allows the teacher to ensure that the students are engaged with the story and gives the kids a chance to use their imagination while simultaneously testing for comprehension. While reading aloud, I would also be sure to develop very distinct character voices. Bebe, her annoying brother, and her mom are all very different from one another, thus presenting an easy opportunity to make the reading exciting orally.

Bad dreams seemed to be a major topic during my childhood. In school, we were always encouraged to discuss and write about our bad dreams. Bad dreams, then, are a very suitable topic for young kids. This story shows kids that they can overcome them. This would be a fun one to keep in the classroom library.

Piggybook by Anthony Browne

I picked up Piggybook from the bookshelf because the drawing of the family looked familiar, like a Christmas ornament I had seen once was designed after these people. Their rosy cheeks and thin, curvy mouths rang a bell. I was amused by the illustrations throughout the book. The author/illustrator, Anthony Browne, begins to slowly sprinkle in more pigs and pig related artifacts with every turn of the page. This would definitely be fun for kids to explore.

This book looks at the life of one family appropriately named the Piggotts. Every day when Mr. Piggott and his sons wake up, they expect Mrs. Piggott to make them breakfast and send them out into the world while selflessly staying behind to clean up their messes and make them dinner. Finally, Mrs. Piggott has had enough and does not wait on her family, who gradually turn into pigs complete with hooves and tails.

Unfortunately, I had lukewarm feelings at best for this book. The Piggotts certainly learn to become more self-sufficient, however there was nothing particularly exciting about the book. I was unable to make any real connection to any of the characters - nothing drew me into wanting to know more about their lives or even, really see a change (except to give their poor mother a break).

Though it was not my favorite story, I do see how Piggybook could be utilized in the classroom. If students had a reputation for not cleaning up around their areas, especially following art projects, a teacher may read this book to show her students that she is not responsible for cleaing up after them. Pretty soon, she may stop all together and her classroom would become filled with pink snouts and curly tails - this could be a friendly and fun reminder for younger students to clean up.

Piggybook could also potentially be used around the time of Mother's Day or when entering a family unit. It can open up a discussion about what parents and loved ones do for us that we normally take for granted.

Piggybook by Anthony Browne was just okay for me. Yet the pictures were fun and it could definitely be used to teach students a lesson about personal responsibility.

School Days by B.G. Hennessy

School Days first attracted my attention on a library shelf jam-packed with countless rows of playful titles dancing on the cover of books colored enchanting pinks and greens. Its simplicity was its main selling point. The title, as simple as could be: School Days. The cover is colorful and busy, yet charmingly looks like it was drawn from the hand of a child (or someone who works very closely with a child).

The story itself is also simple. Written in the format of a poem, this story is more or less description of the physical school environment and all of the things that go on within the school's walls. From circle time to recess to fire drills, this book cheerfully rhymes about many situations that happen in schools across the nation. In this way, I was able to really connect with the book on an emotional level. It brought me back to my days in early elementary school that were incomplete without my classmates bringing in their favorite toys for show and tell and brightly lit classrooms with students' artwork covering the walls.

School Days seems to be most appropriate for students in the beginning stages of their school experience - most likely for Kindergarten to first grade. It would be very successfully used at the beginning of the year when students are just starting the school year and are not quite sure what adventures await them. It could also be used as a good finale (if you will) for the school day - a summary of what was covered and what will come. The book ends at the end of the school day with,

"Now it's time for school to end
Say goodbye to all your friends."

Luckily, the students know they will be back tomorrow.