Module 2 - Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

 Courtesy Horn Book

Book Summary:    Meet Alexander.  A young boy for whom nothing seems to go right.  Things just can't go right throughout the day.  His day starts with gum in his hair because he forgot to spit it out the night before, and it gets worse from there.  The poor little guy just can't seem to catch a break that day.  It's so bad that he decides he'll move to Australia.  Things that aren't really that bad like having to sit in the middle and having lima beans for supper are he considers to be terrible events.    And of course he just can't understand why the teacher would choose someone else's drawing over his blank page.  A very cute book that I think most students can relate to.

APA Reference:
Viorst, J. (1972). Alexander and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. Hartford, Connecticutt: Connecticutt Printers, Inc.

My Impressions:
I really like this book.  I can see children relating to this book on a personal level.  The gum in the hair, getting blamed for fighting when the brothers provoked it, and having to eat what they don't like are all examples of everyday issues in a child's life. Children will find this a funny book simply because these things are happening to someone else.

Professional Reviews:

Preschool-Gr. 3. Alexander's day starts out with his finding gum in his hair-and his day never improves. He's "smushed" in the middle seat of the car, his teacher doesn't like his "picture of the invisible castle," he learns that he's Paul's third-best friend, and he decides that he's better oft moving to Australia.

Laugh-out-Loud Moment: "At breakfast Anthony found a Corvette Sting Ray car kit in his breakfast cereal box and Nick found a Junior Undercover Agent code ring in his breakfast cereal box, but in my breakfast cereal box all I found was breakfast cereal."

Professional Review Reference:
Reid, R. (2006, July). Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. [Review of the book Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, by J. Viorst]. Retrieved from http://libproxy.library.unt.edu:2175/pqdweb?index=12&did=1074658971&SrchMode=1&sid=5&Fmt=3&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=PQD&TS=1328126615&clientId=87

Library Uses: This would be a good book to show children that reading can be fun.  I feel the counselor could also use this book when working with students to show that everyone has a bad day some of the time.

Module 2 - Mr. Popper's Penguins

Courtesy amazon.com

Book Summary:  Mr. Popper's Penguins is a book about a man who dreams about travel, but has never left his hometown.  His favorite places to dream of traveling to are the North and South Poles.  He reads about and sees movies about expeditions to these places.  He ends up writing a letter to one of these explorers and the explorer send Mr. Popper his very own penguin.  The penguin turns his life and the lives of his family upside down.  However, his family gives them their full support.  He receives another penguin, and eventually ends up with twelve penguins.  Not being a wealthy man, Mr. Popper and his wife have to come up with a way to earn some extra money.  He and his family teach the penguins tricks that pretty much follow their natural behavior.  Then end up traveling from town to town.  The audiences love it.  In the end, the Captain who sent him his first penguin offers to take Mr. Popper and his penguins on an expedition to the North Pole.  Mr. Popper's dreams come true.

APA Reference:  Atwater, R., & Atwater, F. (1938). Mr. popper's penguins. Boston, MA: Little, Brown, and Company, Inc.

My Impressions:  Being and animal lover, I loved this book.  I was able to really relate to this book.  Mr. Popper and his family turn their lives upside to allow Mr. Popper to keep his penguins.  Though the penguins provide many trials, the family turn even negative experiences into positive ones.  Mr. Popper prevails in the end getting to follow his dreams.

Professional Review #1: 

Gr. 3-6. Mr. Popper has a penchant for penguins, but when he receives a real one as a gift, it quickly multiplies and the situation gets out of hand. Lawson's droll black-and-white illustrations add to the fun.

Professional Review Reference: 
Larson, J. (2006, November). Mr. Popper's penguins. [Review of the book Mr. Popper's pengins by R. and F. Atwater].  Book Links 16(2), p. 37.  Retrieved from Professional Review #2:

K-Gr. 5. Housepainter Mr. Popper's desire for travel and adventure leads him to adopt two penguins and, eventually, set out on a coast-tocoast vaudeville tour with his family, the birds, and the birds' offspring.

This absurd, laugh-out-loud tale hasn't aged in almost 70 years, and Lawson's droll black-and-white illustrations add to the run.

Professional Review Reference:
Weisman, K. (2006, July).  Mr. Popper's Penguins. [Review of the book Mr. Popper's penguins, by R. & F. Atwater]. Book Links 15(6), p. 9.

Library Uses:

This book would be a good choice for use in a youth reader's club.  It's a chatpter book, but it's easy to understand.  Although it's fiction, it would be a good book to teach about penguins.  Penguin facts are placed through out the story line letting the reader get a good picture of a penguin's life.

Module 1: The Giving Tree

.  Courtesy amazon.com

Summary:  The story starts with the tree having everything it should (it's trunk, limbs, leaves, etc.)  The story goes through different stages of the boy's life.  As each stage arrives, the tree, like a parent, is giving something of itself to help the boy during that stage.  Once the boy is an old man, the tree has given everything it has to give and is glad of it. 

Reference:  Silverstein, S. (1964). The giving tree. New York, NY: Harper Collings Publishers.

My Impressions:  The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein reminds me of a parent giving all for his/her child.  It shows how a parent is willing to give everything he or she has to see that their child is taken care of.  This is a wonderful book that I could read over and over.

Professional Review: 

The Giving Tree shares the story of a young boy and his lifetime relationship with a certain apple tree. But it is much more than that. It is also a story of giving (and taking or receiving), friendship, happiness, loyalty, sacrifice, gratitude, happiness, and most importantly - love. The tree ultimately gives everything for the boy without receiving much in return. The theme or message of the book has been interpreted in many different ways. It can be very simply understood by a second grader, or an adult can search for a deeper meaning.

Professional Review Reference:
Brodie, C. (2009, September)  The giving tree by Shel Silverstein - a forty-five year celebration.  [Review of the book The Giving Tree, by S. Silverstein].  School Library Monthly 26(1), page 22.  Retrieved from http://www.schoollibrarymonthly.com/

Library Uses:  This book would be good to use for comparison of styles of writing.  Some of his books are written in a completely different style.  Another use would be to study illustrations.  Sometimes the simplest illustrations can convey lots of meaning.