The Man Who Never Lied

 












(No Official Cover)



Summary:

The Man Who Never Lied is about a man who was known for never telling a lie. The king wanted to make a liar of him and tried to trick him into saying something that wasn't going to happen. The man was wise and only spoke what he knew and did not lie as the king intended.

Genre Evaluation:

This book is an African folktale. It tells a story with a moral behind what happens.

Classroom Activities:

1. Have the students to think of a weird topic in question form.(Why can't ostriches fly?)Then allow them to write a story about something that happened that made them that way to create their own folktale.

2. The teacher can tell the students different things about different topics and let them decide if what the teacher said is true or false.

Read & Response Questions:

1. Why did the king want the man to lie?

2. How did the man keep from lying?

Personal Comments:

I think this story is awesome. It teaches the students that they should never go off what others say but what they do. It has so many underlying stories within it, and I love all of them. I would recommend this short story to any teacher or person!!!

About the Author:

Like most folktales there is no known author. It is sad because a story this good she have someone to give thanks to for it.

References:

World of Tales. (2008-2013). Retrieved from            http://www.worldoftales.com/African_folktales/Nigerian_folktale_4.html

Every Thing On It

Summary:

Every Thing On It by Shel Silverstein is a collection of poems for children. The book is written about a variety of topics and illustrated in only a way Shel Silverstein can do it.

Genre Evaluation:

Poetry is the category that this book falls under. It is a collection of writing with no specific purpose or style.

Classroom Activities:

1. Have the students to write their own poem.

2. Have the students to read a poem from the book and draw a picture that they feel would illustrate what the poem is talking about.

Read & Response:

1.What are some topics that the author wrote about?

2.Why do you think the author used poetry to tell these stories?

Personal Comments:

I think that this book has some awesome children's poems in it. I was not impressed with a few but overall I liked the book. I have already read several as part of a bedtime story and I know I will be reading more.

About the Author:
 


Shel Silverstein was born on September 25, 1930, in Chicago. Silverstein studied music and established himself as a musician and composer, writing songs including “A Boy Named Sue,” popularized by Johnny Cash, and Loretta Lynn’s “One’s on the Way.” Silverstein also wrote children’s literature, including The Giving Tree and the poetry collection A Light in the Attic. He died in 1999.

References:

Shel Silverstein. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.shelsilverstein.com/about/

Who Was Martin Luther King, Jr.?

Summary:

Was Martin Luther King, Jr.? by Bonnie Bader is a very simplified story of the life of Martin Luther King Jr. It tells the struggles that he had to endure and the accomplishments that came from those struggles.

Genre Evaluation:

This book is in the category of biography. It tells the story of a real person and real events. This book is factual and can be proven to be such.

Classroom Activities:

1. Have the students make a list of some of the things that they feel like is worth fighting for to change. find 5 of the most popular changes and let the students decide which is most important. This would make a great project to demonstrate democracy and voting.

2. For lower levels: Have the kids to color a picture of Martin Luther King, Jr. and explain what he did.

Read & Response:

1. What was the movement that Martin Luther King, Jr. was fighting for?

2. What are some causes worth fighting for to you?

Personal Comments:

I loved this book and all that it stood for. I got so much out of the cover. I was offended at first by the large head but when you think about it, his vision was much bigger then him. I think this is a great book to teach from and to educate your children as well.

About the Author:







Bonnie Bader is the Editor-in-Chief of Grosset and Dunlap and Price Stern Sloan, two imprints of the Penguin Young Readers Group. She oversees a group of eight editors who actively acquire a wide range of books from series to readers to novelty to licensed properties. Some of the bestselling series published by Grosset include Camp Confidential, Hank Zipzer, and Katie Kazoo.

References:

SCBWI. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.scbwi.org/Pages.aspx/Bonnie-Bader

Animals on the Move

Summary:

Animals on the Move by Christian Lopetz is a simple, fun look at animals and how they move. The photos and animations are perfect for demonstrating movement concepts to young readers.

Genre Evaluation:

This book is in the category of non-fiction. The information in this book is true and is simplified for young readers to understand it. It can also be classified as a picture book because the pictures help tell the story.

Classroom Activities:

1. Have the students to demonstrate how the animal moves. This will promote exercise among the students for health.

2. Have students to draw their favorite animal from the book. Since this book is very low level the activities that correspond with it are also on the same level.

Read & Response Questions:

1. What is your favorite animal from the book?

2. Why do you think they move like they do?

Personal Comments:

I think this book is very low level but age appropriate for preschoolers up to first grade. I think that the pictures will be more exciting then the actual text. This is my least favorite book that I read, but one of the most important for children.

About the Author:

No information found about the author, but they have written numerous non-fiction books.

References:

Big Universe Learning. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.biguniverse.com/readkidsbooks/2429/animals-on-the-move

The Journey of the Noble Gnarble

Summary:

The Journey of the Noble Gnarble by Daniel Errico tells the tale of a little Gnarble who dreams one day of swimming to the surface to see the sun. His journey proves hard when he bumps into many creatures that say he can't reach the top and fish who want to have a snack.

Genre Evaluation:

This book is in the genre of picture books. It has beautifully illustrated pictures that tells the story even without the words. It satisfies all the makings  of a good picture book.

Classroom Activities:

1. Students can write a story about an adventure that they have went on.

2. Teacher can set up an obstacle course for the students to teach them not to give up even when things are hard. By completing it, they will gain the satisfaction of knowing that hard work pays off.

Read & Response:

1. Why do you think that the animals said that he could not make it? What are some of the reasons people say that you can't do certain things?

2. Why do you think that he was so determined to see the sun?

Personal Comments:

I think that this book was adorable. I allowed my 4 year old son to pick it for me at the library and he was fascinated with the pictures. A good read for any preschooler to 2nd grader.

About the Author:


Daniel Errico is a multimedia children’s author, who focuses on traditional storytelling.  His works are published through various sites, collections, mobile apps, and best-selling ebooks as part of several multimedia collaborations for children’s literature. Daniel is an avid supporter of access to literature for all children regardless of their economic situations.  As such, he is the creator of FreeChildrenStories.com, a site created to tell stories to children around the globe who may not be able to afford traditional books.


References:

Errico, D. (2010). Free Children Stories. Retrieved from http://www.freechildrenstories.com/

The Kings Magic Drum

(No official cover)

Summary:

The Kings Magic Drum is story about a king with a magic drum that everyone wanted. A tortoise concocted a scheme to get it, but he didn't realize its power. He returned it to the king and was given something to sustain him and his family with food. His son broke the rules and broke the ju ju and all tortoises have been cursed to live in a certain place since.

Genre Evaluation

This book would be classified as a folklore. It is an old African tale that explains why tortoises live under a certain tree. This has all the makings of a great folktale that gives light to a certain question.

Classroom Activities:

1. Students can create a drum. Using art material the students can make a replica of the magical drum.

Read & Response Questions

1. Why do you think that the tortoise wanted the kings drum?

2. What was the purpose of the king giving the tortoise the foo foo tree?

Personal comments:

This is one of the first children's folktales that I have read before and I loved it. Not only was it an African folktale, but it had a quality about it that really sat well with me. This story teaches children not to desire others things, because no one knows what it takes to have them. I will definitely be teaching my children with this.

About the Author:

As common with folktales this one has no known author but it has been revised and rewritten into similar works by several authors.

References:

World of Tales. (2008-2013). Retrieved from            http://www.worldoftales.com/African_folktales/Nigerian_folktale_4.html

Castle Diary: The Journal of Tobias Burgess

Summary:

This book is called Castle Diary: The Journal of Tobias Burgess by Richard Platt. This is the medieval journal of Tobias Burgess, a ten year old boy, who was sent to his uncle's castle for a year to learn to be a page. Toby keeps a detailed journal of everything that happens there - from such great events as a boar hunt and a tournament to more everyday activities like baking bread and cleaning out the garderobes (toilets). 

Genre Evaluation

This book would be classified as a historical fiction book. It has an imaginary character that does not exist, but it contains a wealth of information about the Middle Ages and has been peer reviewed as being accurate information.

Classroom Activities

1.Vocabulary- This book is an awesome opportunity to explore the vocabulary of the Middle Ages that was used. The book has a glossary that would aid the teacher in making up a matching game with the word from the Middle Ages to the words used now.

2. Art & Crft- Build or draw a castle. Use the detailed description from the book to create or draw your own castle. Make it with walls and equip it with catapults for good measure. Then they can hang or display them in the class for everyone to enjoy.

Read & Response:

1. What would you do if you lived in a castle?

2. How would you feel if you had to do all the things that Toby did?

Personal Comments:

I didn't think that I would enjoy this book because it was a historical book about the Middle Ages, but I was surprised at how the author reeled you in with the knowledge that it held. I will definitely use this book with my kids when they begin to study about this era in history.

About the Author:
 
Richard Platt writes on a wide variety of subjects.  He has written a lot about the sea, about science and technology, and about history – mainly social and medieval history. Espionage, crime and forensic science are special interests.

References:

Richard Platt. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.richardplatt.co.uk/aboutme.html