Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling

The first time I read this book, it was because my sisters both loved it and they forced me to read it. I think that I didn’t like it because I was forced into reading it. This time, I read the entire book and found it to be very enjoyable. Even though I am not a huge fan of fantasy/science fiction novels, this book is very entertaining and teaches valuable lessons. In this book, Harry spends the first ten years of his life living with a family that hates him and treats him horribly. They even make him living underneath the stairs. Then one day, he receives a letter from a mysterious person inviting him to Hogwarts, a school of magic. It turns out, that Harry Potter is actually very famous in the wizard world because he is the only one to survive against Voldemort. While at Hogwarts, Harry makes new friends, enemies, and learns to play Quidditch. But most importantly, he finds the true meaning of the scar on his forehead. This book is sure to keep all readers on their toes all the way to the last page and I would reccommend it for leisurely reading. However, I am not sure that this would be a good book to use in the classroom. There are many controversial issues that could arise from reading this book in class. Anything from magic to evil spirits could cause problems and arguments. While it is important for students to read books like Harry Potter and Twilight, I think this should be kept at home and out of the classroom.

The Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron (Newberry)

I enjoyed reading this book because I was able to connect the main character of this book, Lucky. She was a young girl who is forced to be taken care of by her dad’s new wife, Brigitte. She starts to think that her new mother has something up her sleeve and is going to leave her, but in the end, she really just wanted to adopt her. I like this book because Lucky tries to connect to a higher power when she has problems and this is something that I try to do as well. Also, the book, “Are You My Mother?” is mentioned in the story, and that is my all time favorite children’s book! This also sends out a great message about trust. Trust is very important for kids to learn about and can definitely be used in the classroom.

Elijah of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis (Coretta Scott King)

I chose to read this book because I have read another book that is written by Curtis: Bud, Not Buddy, and really enjoyed it. I was definitely not let down when I was reading Elijah of Buxton. It was fun to read because I was able to get in touch with all of my emotions throughout the book. It was interesting to hear about slavery in the perspective of a child. I love how detailed the author was in this story. I felt like I was in Buxton and that very connected to Elijah. It was interesting when he met different slaves and got to hear all of their stories. I think that Elijah is a very admirable character and that it took a lot of courage to go back into America where he could have been captured. I could see myself using this is in the classroom because it would be very easy to connect this story to history, journal writing, narrative writing, and Elijah is a great role model for the students. I give this book two thumbs up!

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

I loved reading this book by Alexie. I thought that the author did a fantastic job of presenting this book like the diary of 14 year old boy, Junior. And the drawings were very comical! I liked looking at those because I felt like it helped me get to know him on a different level. I enjoyed getting to know this original and quirky character. It was interesting to get to know what it was like to see what it would be like to be an Indian in a school that is predominately wealthy, rich kids. I think that this story was very uplifting and perfect for students to read in the classroom. It shows that even in the roughest situations, it is important to recognize your heritage and keep believing in yourself.

Weedflower by Cynthia Kadohata

This book was about a 12 year old Japanese-American girl, Sumiko, and their lives in camps after Pearl Harbor. I liked learning about their journey in the camps because I have never learned about this before. I think that a lot of times, Americans try to hide this from our history because we put most Japanese into camps. However, I think that it is important to know where our country came from, even if it was not the best thing to do at the time. It was also interesting to see how she delt with living in the camps and how her and Mr. Moto tried to make the best out of the situation. I think that the flowers helped show that there can be hope even in the worst of times. I think that I could definitely use this in my classroom. For example, since they never explained what happened to the family after they got out of the camps, I think that this could be a chance for the students to predict what would happen next.

Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan

I loved reading Esperanza Rising because it was a different than I expected. I loved that instead of going from poor to rich, she was able to adjust to life without much money. I think that in society today, people focus way to much on money and this book really demonstrates the importance of other things in life other than money. In the book, Esperanza had to deal with a lot of things, but losing her father was very tragic. At first, she was did not handle the situation the best, but after a while she matured into a beautiful woman from the inside. I loved watching her grow through out the book and I think that many people would agree. I can definitely see myself using this in my classroom because it porttays a valuable lesson and exposes children to a different culture and time period.

Let it Shine by Ashley Bryan (Coretta Scott King)

This award winning book for its illustrations is very beautiful. There are three songs that are written in the book, "This Little Light of Mine", "Oh, When the Saints Come Marching In", "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands". However, I think that the main focus of the book is the illustrations. I loved how the illustrator used different pieces of colored papers to do all of the pictures. I can't imagine how long this must have taken her to make each picture. The colors and style of the photographs automatically make me feel happier because of the patterns and papers used in it. I would love to see other books that were illustrated by Ashley Bryan.