Two Old Women by Velma Wallis

I started reading Two Old Women by Velma Wallis for my Native American literature class. It had never crossed my mind that the book might be appropriate for kids until my professor mentioned that it was actually written for children. There are a handful of pictures sprinkled throughout the 140 pages, and the the text is relatively large for an adult novel. Although the subject may be somewhat obscure for children, the themes running throughout are appropriate for all ages. As it mentions on the cover of the book, Two Old Women is a tale of "betrayal, courage and survival," all of which are accessible ideas for even young kids.

I was really intrigued from this story from the very beginning. Velma Wallis mentions in the introduction that it is a tale that had been passed down through time in her community; her mother had told it to her and she is forwarding it to her readers. Although it was dense with survival techniques and descriptions of the way of life on the land, I particularly enjoyed the communicative exchanges in the book. The Alaskan tribe in this book had been cultured to talk to each other singularly about events affecting their daily survival. There is a point in the middle of the book when the two women open up to each other under the guise of survival; however, they really open up the lines of communication on an emotional, affective level. Just as a reader, I felt an intense release at this point. I cannot imagine how the women felt after being bottled up for so long!

To me, Two Old Women is a replacement for Hatchet or Brian's Winter in the classroom setting. (Even though I did love both of those books when I was younger!) This has a similar facade of survival and strength. However, it simultaneously conveys messages of culture, pride, and friendship that might be lacking in the other books. I think it is intriguing, too, that this story has great importance in the Gwich'in culture. It would be fun for students to hear a traditional tale from this perspective. It is definitely a book around which a theme unit could be born.

Robot Dreams by Sara Varon

My roommate was making fun of me the whole time, but I was CRACKING UP at this book. It was so funny! I'm not sure I really even know what it was that was funny - the illustrations, the situations the characters found themselves in, or the sound effect words that popped up throughout the novel. It was probably a combination of all three. Either way, I just loved this book.

There was such a strong feeling of companionship in this book. Dog has been searching for a friend for a long time. Finally, he builds Robot, and they are instant besties, if you will. They make popcorn together, tuck each other into bed, and perform moves synchronize swimmers would be jealous of. They are two peas in a pod.

Sadly, the book is also incredibly tragic. Dog is forced to leave Robot behind after he rusts on the beach. The duration of the book shows Dog and Robot dreaming about their long lost friend. I might not be doing this portion of the book, but trust me, it was tragic. I was really upset.

The fact that this book garnered such an emotional response from me is really telling of its quality. It is so easy to relate to the characters. Everyone wants to find that one friend you can make popcorn with and synchronize swim in the ocean with. Unfortunately, many of us also lose that friend. This just shows one way people might go about handling these points in life.

I would highly recommend this book to people of all ages. I'm telling you, I was laughing so hard during it. The next second, I was ready to cry. Maybe I'm just an emotional wreck. I would like to say I doubt it, though. I think this is just a great book. :)

Oops by Arthurt Geisert

I am the most accident prone person I know. It's my combination of clumsy, awkward, and kind of spacey that really makes me prone to the most bizarre circumstances one could ever find herself in. I picked up this book simply based on the title. I knew immediately that I would have a strong connection to the book because "oops" - well, actually "oopsy" - is one of the most frequently used words in my vocabulary.

Fortunately for me, I have never been this unlucky. Everyone has heard of the phrase, "Don't cry over spilled milk." The family in this story has major reasons to disagree. One of the kids in the story innocently knocks over his glass of milk at dinner time. Rightly so, the family thinks nothing of it. Little do they know, this glass of spilled milk will probably cause major tears in the future. It leads to the complete destruction of their home.

I thought the premise for this story was really fun. It is imaginative and dramatic, so it is a blast for kids to see. Of course, the plot is so situational it makes the story completely out there. Had one object been moved slightly to the left or right, this disaster could have been avoided. That is something fun for kids to think about. In fact, my 20-year-old roommate still does this. He likes to make fun of the stupid situations I get myself into by going back and analyzing how the disaster could have been avoided had one small detail changed.

Oops is light and humorous. It is fun for kids (and adults) to allow their imaginations to wander into that "what if" place. What if a puddle of milk could really cause a house to be completely destroyed? Would milk be more expensive because it is incredibly dangerous? And would it have to be just milk? Would orange juice have the same effects or would they be lessened by the thinner beverage?

Could this happen to me?

The Snowman by Raymond Briggs

I thought this book was so cute! The cover got me right away, the big fat snowman with his tiny scarf and thin smile. I could feel the excitement of the young boy when he woke up to see snow falling outside his window. It is a feeling every kid can relate to; the first snow is the most exciting of the season! And the snowman is the ultimate outdoor activity in the winter.

I loved the snowman in this book because he is different from the stereotypical snowman. Instead of three giant snowballs composing his body, this snowman has real legs and arms. His nose is not made from the typical carrot. Instead, the young boy gave him an egg for a nose. These unique touches gave the book and the snowman a very personal feel.

While reading this book, I kept catching myself thinking about the last snowman my cousins and I constructed. Every winter, my whole family meets in Indianapolis to celebrate Christmas. My sophomore year in high school (my cousins were both in college at this time), it snowed a ridiculous amount. We loved it. It was the light, fluffy, airy snow - perfect for playing in. My two cousins, Erin and Megan, and I ran outside and built our own snowman. The rest of our family made fun of us for it because it took us hours (with little proof of that kind of effort) and we were "too old" for snowmen, but my cousins and I loved him. We took pictures and it never fails for one of us to bring our snowman up at Christmas time. Reading this book reminded me of the feeling you get, even as adults, while building a snowman. It instantly reverts you back to childhood. I think it's time my cousins and I construct the next version of our snowman.

A Boy, A Dog, and A Frog by Mercer Mayer

Mercer Mayer was one of my favorite authors as a child. His critters were always my favorites. This book, like the ones I was familiar with as a child, also incorporates a friendship with animals. In it, a young boy and a dog set out on a journey to capture frogs. They see a big, fat frog sitting atop a lily pad and set off running to catch him in their net. They are unprepared for the playful frog's cunning nature and skill at escaping their grasp. When the boy and his dog finally give up and head for home, the frog joins his new friends.

This story is really a prime example of a tale that can be told without the use of words. The facial expressions of the boy, the dog, and the frog show every emotion, every feeling and thought. Words would only detract from the subtlety of the book and its messages.

A Boy, A Dog, and A Frog is a simple tale about a boy and his adventure with his dog and frog. It is very light-hearted and playful. This book is most appropriate for young children - the plot is simple and the progressions from scene to scene are easy to understand. This book would be great to use with children who are not yet able to read as well as kids who are not confident in their reading skills. Putting a book in their hands can show them that reading can be fun and, perhaps more importantly, that they have the ability to read a book. A teacher can remind them that this book, though it has no words, requires reading skills.

The Red Book by Barbara Lehman

The cover of this book is very indicative of what lies beneath. There appears to be no title, not even an author's name. There is no background. The only thing we see is a young girl running, to where we are unsure. She is carrying a red book, why we do not know. Much is left to our imaginations. We must fill in the blanks ourselves. Since The Red Book contains no words at all, we must continue to fill in blanks as we go along.

The Red Book's plot is very simple and easy to follow. This makes the book very appropriate for young kids. However, the same fact also makes it appropriate for older students as well. They can put their own spin on what is happening in the pictures. They might imagine an exact location for the island of the boy with the matching red book. They might even come up with a name for the island. They are able to determine why it is that the girl decides to leave her normal life to see the young boy and how much time has elapsed in their relationship. The pictures are simple and step by step. This offers young readers an easy understanding of the book and leaves plenty of room for an open interpretation by more advanced readers. In fact, the ending of the book is not really an ending at all. The reader must decide what happens with the magical red book and its new owner after they close the book.

The Red Book is imaginative and fun for readers of all ages. Like the girl in the story, it allows you to fly away on a balloon, using your imagination to interpret the story and personalize it to suit what you believe is happening and why.

You Can't Take a Balloon Into the Metropolitan Museum by Jacqueline Preiss Weitzman and Robin Preiss Glasser

When I heard the title of this book, I knew I wanted to read it. There's something about little kids and balloons - adventures are sure to follow such a vulnerable couple closely. Of course, reading is used loosely in this situation, since there is no text in the book; occasionally a word on a sign pops up, but I hardly think that counts. Illustrations instead tell the story, a whimsical tale that follows the balloon's flight through the city. More and more interesting characters join the chase for the balloon while the balloon's owner explores the Metropolitan Museum with her grandma.

The illustrations in this book were fantastic. Every page was incredibly detailed, down to the varying expressions on passersby and the landscape of the city. Most pages are primarily in black and white. The only colors are those of the balloon and its pursuers at the time. This helps the reader focus on the story being told. The paneling in the book, as in graphic novels, shows the plot progression, also organizing the tale.

What is especially intriguing about the book is the relationship between the balloon's adventure and the works of art the girl is seeing. This hints at a relationship between art and real life - perhaps that art indeed functions as a mirror of real life. The book incorporates real pictures of statues and paintings, all of which are viewed at the same time something similar is happening in the balloon's journey.

The lack of words in this book does not inhibit the plot. In fact, it allows the reader to be more imaginative in his or her telling of the story. He can make up what he wants the girl's name to be, what the dialogue may be, and what his truths are. The story was imaginative and fun and allows the reader to be imaginative and have fun.