Robot Zot

Here is a short list of things that kids like
robots- Beep
heroics- Check
humor- You bet cha
action- (explosion)
a little bit of destruction- how many ways can you destroy a toaster?
and a touch of romance- Eww
Robot Zot crashes into an alien environment ( also known as the suburbs), battles with fearsome kitchen appliances and a challenging TV, and rescues the Queen of all Earth (a toy cell phone) before zooming off "to distant galaxies to bravely save more days." Shannon's crazy, action-filled illustrations can be a little confusing, but also contain so much humor. The bold, funny, over-the-top text and art are the perfect complement to one another. This is a truly fun and exciting story for K-2 graders to be read-aloud to.

Readability- 3/5 Although the GLE is 2.5 it is much to hard for a 2nd grader to read alone
Illustrations 5/5 Awesome illustrations that enhance the test and make this story great
Application 2/5 Aside from a good laugh for read-aloud this story doesn't offer much in creating additional lessons from.

SuperHero ABC

Hh is for Huge Man who is Happy to Help Heroes and never Harms Human. He's not exacty Handsome, even His Hands are Hairy.

That is just a sample of one of the 26 superheros that grace the pages in Bob Mcleod's SuperHero ABC, filled with wonderful and imaginative characters that will make even the most creative 2nd grader scratch their head. This book is of course an alphabet book, but don't worry there is plenty of other text on the pages that make this much much more than your average ABC book, you could say that is a Super ABC book.

As a teacher we are constantly looking for interesting and engaging ways for students to spend their free and quite times during the day. This book will inspire students to create their own crazy and amazing superheros, and learn the Alphabet at the same time. The book has a interest level of K-2 and a Grade Level Equivalent of 2.3, would make a great early morning read-aloud.

Readability-5/5 If you are ready to have your students rolling on the floor, then read them this book.
Illustrations 5/5 Can I give it a 10/5? Iif I could I would.
Application- 4/5 As a creative guide for students to write and create images from this book is great, but does little else.

I, Crocodile

Have been perfectly contempt at your home and then one day had to suddenly leave for a new one? That is exactly what Crocodile has to do in this story from author Fred Marcellino. Perfectly happy at his Nile home, Crocodile was living the perfect life, feared by people and treated as royalty, his food was a step away and he had everything a growing crocodile could ever want. That is until Napoleon comes into town. I would tell you the rest of the story, but it is so good I have to let you read it yourself.

I cannot imagine a better book for students. Written for grades K-3 but good enough that I read it and found it enjoyable. Each page is filled with colorful, almost gallery quality illustrations, and the journey that the story takes the reader on is amazing. Marcellino really outdid himself on this book.

Teachers can use this book a means to teach about a number of different things, from the ancient Egyptian society to Napoleons reign on Paris. Even crocodile anatomy (maybe a stretch).

Readability- 5/5 Advanced readers in 1st grade and read this, but any student can enjoy it.
Illustrations- 5/5 Perfect images for this story, add humor and art to the story.
Application- 4/5 Students can take an educational journey the same that Crocodile does.

How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight?

Do you have a student who absolutely loves dinosaurs. You don't have to answer that question I already know the answer. This is the book for you. Jane Yolen and Mark Teague have written a masterful story in How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight? It is filled with all of the dinosaurs that fill the imagination of the students and places them as the students who read the book. Each page is about a different dinosaurs who refuses to go to sleep. When the father goes into the room to try and get the little (in age not size) dinosaur to sleep, Yolen and Teague illustrate the typical stages that children go through before finally going to bed.

The aspect of the book that I love the best is that on every page, the name of the dinosaur is hidden somewhere. Students who read this can try to find the name and even quiz their friends on the names of the dinosaurs. This book was written for grades K-2 and has a interest level of 2.2 But with great illustrations and easy to read text, this book could be read by an advanced kindergartner and easily by a second grader.

Readability- 5/5 for the grade levels designed for this book is a must.
Illustrations-5/5 Imagine in your head a T-Rex throwing a tantrum. Now draw it.
Application- 3/5 This book is great to influence story creation, but little else.

Joey and Jet in Space

Jet!

Where IS that dog?

No one has seen him...

not the space pilots,

nor the robots,

nor the multi-armed

thingamabob.

Maybe YOU will be the one to help Joey find him!

If you liked that sentence, you will love this book!! James Yang's Joey and Jet in Space is the perfect adventure for Pre-K to 2nd graders. Filled with awesome illustrations that take up the entire page, and fill the reader with imagination. Joey is looking for his lost dog Jet, and he will go anywhere to find him. The text, unlike Emily's first 100 days of school, is easy enough for a kindergartner to read on their own. The Illustrations even resemble something that a 1st grader would draw. One of my favorite parts of the story is when Joey is looking for Jet and he comes across a space octopus and asks him which way did Jet go. The octopus answers him by sticking his eight arms in opposing directions. And Joey is left with a puzzled look on his face.

So with all of these books I will be giving my reviews on them. Same scale as before.

Readability- 5-5- Even the lowest leveled reader could make their way through this story

Illustrations- 5-5- Fill the page with excitement and wonder

Application- 2-5- This is just simply a story, Students could use it for inspiration to create their own space adventures, but that is as far as this book goes.

Emily's First 100 Days of School

The book up for review is Rosemary Wells Emily's First 100 Days of School. With an interest level of K-2 and a Grade Level equivalent of 2.7, Students will enjoy listening to the activities that Emily does for her first 100 days of school. Wells goes through the paces of 100 different activites that Emily the bunny does in school. On day 25 she collects 25 beetles, and learns that 25 pennies make a quarter. On day 57 Emily's teacher Miss Cribbage make a recipe with a pickle jar that has a label that says 57 variety. Emily asks what are the names of the 57 different pickles, but even her teacher didn't know the answer. This book is a great example of alleviating the anxieties that students in Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grade have about starting a new school year. This book is filled with fun and creative pictures that any aged student can look at and get a laugh from.

Since this is a review blog, I need to review this book and give it a rating. My review system is 3 parts, 1st is readability- making sure that the age level the books are designed for are easy to read for the age group. 2nd is illustrations- Do the pictures in the book enhance the story, or do they just fill space on the page. And finally I will look at the application for further activities this book has.

Emily's First 100 Days of School
Readability- 3/5- must be read by the teacher, words are at a higher level
Illustrations- 5/5- For each of the 100 days, there is an interesting and fun picture
Application- 5.5- The book outlines 100+ activities to do for students