Diary of Charlotte Forten: A Free Black Girl Before the Civil War

Diary of Charlotte Forten: A Free Black Girl Before the Civil War  

Author: Charlotte Forten 

    Rating: 4/5 Stars

    Reviewer: Denise Z.

Summary: Presents excerpts from the diary of Charlotte Forten, a free African American teenager who lived in Massachusetts before the Civil War.

Review: Charlotte Forten, a freed African American girl before the Civil War, tells her story by sharing the journal entries she wrote about her life. This would be an excellent book for any student who needs to complete a biography assignment because information is presented in an interesting and easy way, with vocabulary and sidebar information. I thought that it was the right idea to leave Forten’s entries as is without tampering with her thoughts. A helpful timeline of her life is given towards the end of the book that highlights the key points of her life and there are also other reading suggestions at the end of the book as well as some critical thinking questions to answer that supports Common Core curriculum. Anyone who enjoys reading the Dear America series would appreciate this shortened version of the same concept. Part of the Fact Finders series.

Will You Help Doug Find His Dog?

Will Y ou Help Doug Find His Dog?
Author: Jane Caston
Rating: 5/5 Stars
Reviewer: Denise Z.

Summary: Help Doug find his dog by following the clues he gives you to pat, tickle, and call to the dogs until you find the right one.

Review: Help Doug find his dog by patting, tickling, and calling to the correct dogs based on Doug's clues! As the reader selects dogs, the pool narrows until a surprise ending reveals Doug's dog and why he went missing. I can't wait to use this one for storytimes! This book is very interactive, fun, cute and makes a game out of reading.

Yoko's Paper Cranes

Yoko's Paper Cranes
Author: Rosemary Wells
Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
Reviewer: Aleece

Summary: When Yoko was very small, she and her Grandmother, Obaasan, fed the cranes in the pond at the end of the garden. When Yoko moves to California, she remembers her Grandmother and Grandfather in Japan. Every week letters go back and forth. She thinks of their garden and their cranes. And when Grandmother's birthday comes, Yoko sends the most wonderful gift of all. Rosemary Wells celebrates the love between grandchildren and grandparents in this sequel to best-selling Yoko.

Review: A short story about moving away from family and still keeping in contact.  This was a brief look at some Japanese terms as well as beautiful origami.  A great book for learning about other cultures.

Little Excavator

Little Excavator
Author: Anna Dewdney
Rating: 5/5 Stars
Reviewer: Sue

Summary: Little Excavator is too small to do many things that the larger trucks can do on the construction site.  But he is determined!  Anna Dewdney is the author-illustrator to the Llama Llama books.  Her rhyming text and the illustrations are wonderful.

Review: I love this book!  The rhyming text, “sound effects” of construction trucks, and the illustrations are beautiful.  It is a fun book to read, and the little ones are sure to love it. 

Waiting Is Not Easy!

Waiting Is Not Easy!
Author: Mo Willems
Rating: 4/5 Stars
Reviewer: Celeste

Summary: Piggie has a surprise for his friend Gerald however, he will have to wait to see it. This will be difficult for Gerald since waiting is a difficult task for him.

Review: As I was reading this book, I was very entertained and could not wait to find out what the surprise was. This book is enjoyable to read and I would definitively recommend it to any child.  It is very easy to read, unpredictable, and humorous.