Cowgirl Kate and Cocoa: Rain or Shine

Silverman, Erica. Cowgirl Kate and Cocoa: Rain or Shine. Harcourt: 2008. ISBN: 9780152053840.


Cowlgirl Kate and Cocoa is a book about a girl named Kate and a horse named Cocoa. They work really hard doing jobs on a ranch. The illustrations in the book look like good paintings. I enjoyed everything in this really great book! I think fist, second, third and fourth graders would like this chapter book!



T.A. Third grade, Elmhurst Elementary School

Canada In Colours

Gurth, Per-Henrik. Canada In Colours. Kids Can Press: 2008. ISBN: 9781554532407.

Canada In Colours is a very good book. It is very simple. It tells about the colours in Canada from the colour of the snow to the colours of the prairies. The pictures are very nice and simple. The whole book was great! I think my Dad would like this book because he is a writer, and I help him a lot.

A.L. Third grade, Elmhurst Elementary School

Shoe Bop

Singer, Marilyn. Shoe Bop. Dutton Children's Books: 2008. ISBN: 9780525479390.

Shoe Bop is a book about a little girl named Elly. Her sneakers are all worn out, and she goes to the shoe store and looks at all kinds of shoes. The illustrations are cool because they have nice colors, and it looks like the drawings are out of a notebook. My favorite part of the book is when Elly looked at the Mary Jane shoes. She thought the shoes belonged to a girl named Mary Jane! I would recommend this book to my 2-year old sister because she likes shoes! She will really enjoy this great book!

D. M. Third grade, Elmhurst Elementary School

Close To You

Kajikawa, Kimiko. Close To You: How Animals Bond. Henry Holt and Company: 2008. ISBN: 9780805081237.

My book, Close To You: How Animals Bond, is all about baby animals bonding together with their mothers in their homes. The illustrations are really cool because someone could not get that close to an animal before so that they could get such great photographs! I really liked the part about the alligator carrying the baby alligator in its mouth, and the mother giraffe kissing the baby. I would like my sister to read this good book because she would like photographs of the babies with their mothers.

C.M. Third grade, Elmhurst Elementary School

Corkscrew Counts

Napoli, Donna Jo and Tchen, Richard. Corkscrew Counts. Henry Holt and Company: 2008.
ISBN: 9780805076646.

Corkscrew Counts is a story about Corkscrew's first birthday party. Twelve kids want to play a game at the party. First they try to play solitaire, but Corkscrew and Pirate mess it up. Then they play all sorts of other games, but Corkscrew and Pirated keep messing them up. They want to play Frisbee but they need 14 to play. Corkscrew and Pirate join in to make 14! The illustrations are very cool, incredible, very realistic and beautiful! My favorite part of the book is when Corkscrew got tangled in the volleyball net. That part is funny! I think little kids would like this great book because it is funny!

R.H. Third grade, Elmhurst Elementary School

Fabulous Fishes

Stockdale, Susan. Fabulous Fishes. Peachtree: 2008. ISBN: 9781561454297.

Fabulous Fishes is a book about all kinds of fish found in the sea. Some fish like to jump and hide. Other fish are round, and there are clown fish, too! the pictures in the book are nice and cool! They are colorful, too. The best part of the book that I liked is the picture dictionary that tells real facts about all of the fish. I think this is a great book! I would recommend it to my Mom, Dad and brother because they all like fish!

N.G. Third grade, Elmhurst Elementary School

Oink, Oink,Benny

Lindgren, Barbo. Oink, Oink, Benny. R&S Books: 2008. ISBN: 9789129668551.



Benny, a pig, and his little brother go outside to play. Their mom told them to stay away from the mudhole, but guess where they go! Benny and his brother end up muddy, but you will be surprised how they get clean again! The illustrations are beautiful, cute and funny. I really enjoyed the part about falling into the mudhole, and how Benny's little brother tried to feed his teddy bear soup. I think my baby brother would like this book because he likes people to read to him. This is a great book!



M.Y. Third grade, Elmhurst Elementary School

Nanuk Flies Home

Holtei, Christa. Nanuk Flies Home. Eerdmans Books for Young Readers: 2008. ISBN: 9780802853424.

Nanuk is a small polar bear who gets tired of walking home with his mother. He wants to fly home! Nanuk and his mother get caught in a human village. Nanuk and his mother do fly home! You will have to read the book to find out how!! The illustrations in the book are very neat and show how polar bears live. This is a really good story, and I like the part at the end when Nanuk ends up flying home! This would be a great book for third graders to read. I give it 10+ stars!

E.L. Third grade, Elmhurst Elementary School

Looking Closely Along the Shore

Serafini, Frank. Looking Closely Along the Shore. Kids Can Press: 2008. ISBN: 9781554531417.


This is a great book about the seashore! Looking Closely Along the Shore starts out having you guess what something is by giving you a small look, then showing you the whole picture. All the of illustrations are photographs of animals and things along the seashore. I really liked the starfish! This would be a good book for anyone to read, it is fabulous!!



J.A.D. Third grade, Elmhurst Elementary School

Simon's Big Challenge

Day, Mark. Simon's Big Challenge. Steck-Vaughn: 1999. ISBN: 9780739808788.

Simon's Big Challenge is about a family who moves to Chicago, then to South Dakota. One of the children in the family does not like it in South Dakota. He misses the friends he made in Chicago. The pictures in the book are very good, and I liked them a lot! The different moves to different places was my favorite part of the book, especially the move to Chicago. I think all third graders would like this book! I know I did!

D.C.G. Third grade, Elmhurst Elementary School

Lincoln and Douglass: An American Friendship

Giovanni, Nikki. Lincoln and Douglass: An American Friendship. Henry Holt and Co.; 2008. ISBN: 9780805082647.

This story is about President Lincoln and his friend Fredrick Douglass. The art was a collage and there was a large page in the book to show the big battle. The art seemed to be glued down to the paper. I liked this book because it explained the main topic and told about the history of Lincoln and Douglass. My favorite part was when they both met again. I would recommend this book to kids in the 3rd-5th grade.

J.C. 4th grade, Elmhurst Elementary

Our California

Ryan, Pam Munoz. Our California. Charlesbridge; 2008. ISBN: 9781580891165

This book is about animals that travel around Los Angelos and San Diego. People travel north and approach the animals. I think the artwork is cool. They used water colors and I think it looked hard to make. I like the book. I didn't have a favorite part because I liked all of it. I think other kids might like it as well. I recommend this book for 6-year old kids.

K.W. 4th grade, Elmhurst Elementary

Uncle Bigfoot

O'Conner, George. Uncle Bigfoot. Roaring Brook Press: 2008. ISBN: 9781596432710.

A boy and his family receive a postcard from Uncle Bernie, or as the boy calls him Uncle Bigfoot. Uncle Bernie is coming for a visit! The illustrations are good. They look like cartoons. My favorite part of the book is when the kid is looking at all the hair on Uncle Bernie's body! I would recommend this book to kindergartners because it has funny pictures and big words.

N. Third grade, Elmhurst Elementary School

Wednesday

Lindeen, Mary. Wednesday. Magic Wagon: 2008. ISBN: 9781602700994.

Wednesday is a great book about the days of the week, and Wednesday is in the middle! The book talks about the things we do during the week - talking on the phone, walking to school, doing chores and spending time together on the weekends. This is a beautiful cartoon book. My favorite part is when they go to church, pray and sing a cool song. Valentine's Day is also a great part of the book. I would recommend this book to kindergarten and first grade because it's a good story about the days of the week! This is a great book, and I give it 10+ stars!

J.B. Third grade, Elmhurst Elementary School

Marveltown

McCall, Bruce. Marveltown. Farrar, Strauss and Giroux: 2008. ISBN: 9780374399252.

Marveltown is a story about lots of robots and things in the future. The Skyway Project needed robots, but one night a mouse chewed through a cable and caused the robots to go crazy!

The pictures are cool , funny and colorful. My favorite part of the story is when they made the robots! I would recommend this book to fifth graders because it pretty cool! I give this book 10+ stars!!

H.M. Third grade, Elmhurst Elementary School

Winter White

Jones, Christianne C. Winter White. Picture Window Books: 2008. ISBN: 9781404837669.

Winter White is a book about the color white and all the kinds of things you can do in the white snow. Kids like to make snow angels and igloos. The pictures in the book are bright and colorful. I cannot pick one favorite part of the book because I liked it all! This is a great book for kindergarten up to third grade.

J.T. Third grade, Elmhurst Elementary School

Boy Were We Wrong About the Solar System!

Kudlinski, Kathleen V. Boy Were We Wrong About the Solar System! Dutton Children's Books: 2008. ISBN: 9780525469797.

My book, Boy Were We Wrong About the Solar System! explains the history of learning about out solar system and the planets. It also tells about tracking, radars and people who researched all of the planets. The pictures in the book are funny, cool, weird and interesting! I liked the whole book! I would recommend this book to kindergarten through fourth grade because it's pictures are good for little kids, and the pictures and information are interesting for first, second, third and fourth graders. I give this great book 20+ stars!!

T. C-S. Third grade, Elmhurst Elementary School

Inside the Slidy Diner

Snyder, Laurel. Inside the Slidy Diner. Tricycle Press; 2008. ISBN: 9781582461878

This story is about a girl that stole a lemon drop out of a box behind a counter at a diner and she ends up getting stuck there. It is a very gross diner. There are bugs climbing out of food and animals running wild. Plus, there is an old lady that works there named Ethlemae, and she serves things that were on the ground. I think the art is very, very detailed in the background of the pictures. This is a very good book. My favorite part was when Ethelmae picks up the roll and serves it to people. I would recommend this book for children from the ages of 7-12 years old.

S.T. 4th grade, Elmhurst Elementary

Art From Her Heart

Whitehead, Kathy. Art From Her Heart. G.P. Putnam's Sons; 2008. ISBN: 9780399242199.

In this book, there is a girl named Clementine who wants to make an art project and she uses everything she can find. It takes her a long time to build her artwork. The art in the book was cool. There was a lot of detail, action, and they were very interesting. The book had many paragraphs that described a lot of art. My favorite part was when Clementine started her artwork.

J.B. 4th grade, Elmhurst Elementary

Animal Families

Kalman, Bobbie. Animal Families. Crabtree; 2008. ISBN: 0-7787-3226-6.

This story is about animal families and how they live and protect their babies. The photographs were awesome. I think that the babies looked cute. The book was a good book. My favorite part was when it showed the wolves. I think that kids that like to learn about animals would really love this book. I would recommend this book for 2nd through 6th grade.

A.U., 4th grade, Elmhurst Elementary

The Lost-and-Found Tooth

Borden, Louise. The Lost-and-Found Tooth. McElderry Books; 2008. ISBN: 9781416918141
This is a story about a girl named Lucy and everybody but her had lost a tooth. The days go by and more and more people lose teeth, but her tooth still is not loose. She becomes very sad. The pictures look so realistic but they aren't photographs. A lot of them seem to pop our because they are so realistic looking. My opinion of the book is good but it could use a little more details in the writing. It is still a very good book though. I think it seems that this story could really happen, but it could not at the same time.

A.S. 4th grade, Elmhurst Elementary

Elizabeth Leads the Way

Stone, Tanya Lee. Elizabeth Leads the Way. Henry Holt; 2008. ISBN: 978-0-8050-7903-6.

This story is about a girl named Elizabeth Cady Stanton to thought it was not fair for just the men to vote, own money that women made, and change the laws. Elizabeth also thought that the world should be run by men. Elizabeth knew it was time for change, and she changed the world forever. I like the artwork in this book because it actually describes what is happening in the story. My favorite part is when Elizabeth changed the world. I would recommend this book to anyone from babies to adults.

A.M., 4th grade, Elmhurst Elementary

The Rubber-Legged Ducky

Keller, John. The Rubber-Legged Ducky. Harcourt: 2008. ISBN: 9780152052898.

This story by John Keller is about a female duck who ate a rubber band. In her next brood of ducklings, one has a "rubber" leg! The illustrations are cartoonistic. My favorite part of the book is how it ends! You will have to read the story to find out why! I would recommend this book to kindergarten to fifth grade. It is just a really great book, and I think anyone would like it. I give it 20++ stars!

D.H.R. Third grade, Elmhurst Elementary School

Booker T. Washington: Teacher, Speaker, and Leader

Slade, Suzanne. Booker T. Washington: Teacher, Speaker, and Leader. Picture Window Books: 2008. ISBN: 9781404839779.

This is a non-fiction book about Booker T. Washington who was a man who grew up to be a great leader, teacher and speaker. The pictures in the book are very colorful and bright. They look so real! My favorite part of the story is when he becomes a teacher. I would recommend this book to third graders because it is a true story, and you can learn from it. It is a great book, and I give it 20 stars!

J.R. Third grade, Elmhurst Elementary School

Angelina, Star of the Show

Holabird, Katharine. Angelina, Star of the Show. Viking Press: 2008. ISBN: 9780670011087.

Angelina, Star of the Show is about a mouse that takes a boat called the Jolly Rat. Angelina takes it to Mouseland to dance at the Dance Festival. The photographs with gold sparkles are great illustrations. Angelina dance is beautiful and is my favorite part of the book. I would recommend this book to all grades because it is the best book ever!! I give this story 10++ stars!

S. Third grade, Elmhurst Elementary School

The Queen of Style

Buehner, Caralyn. The Queen of Style. Dial Books for Young Readers: 2008. ISBN: 9780803728783.

My book is about Queen Sophie. She gets very bored so she starts a beauty school and does people's hair and nails, even sheep! The illustrations are paintings. My favorite part is when the people complain to the queen! I would recommend this book to third graders because it is very funny! I give this great book 20 stars!!

J.S. Third grade, Elmhurst Elementary School

What Does Mrs. Claus Do?

Wharton, Kate. What Does Mrs. Claus Do? Tricycle Press: 2008. ISBN: 9781582461649.

My book is about what Mrs. Claus does. The person telling the story thinks she rides a whale. The illustrations are good paintings. My favorite illustration is the one that shows what Mrs. Claus does when Santa is gone. My favorite part of the book is when the person thought Mrs. Claus follows Santa as he moves. I would recommend this book to third graders because it is a good book!! I give it 10++ stars!!

P.A.F. Third grade, Elmhurst Elementary School.

Baby Birds

Kalman, Bobbie. Baby Birds. Crabtree Pub.: 2008. ISBN: 9780778739692.

My book is about birds and the mother birds that lay the eggs. It tells about the different body parts of birds, and that bird eggs are all different shapes and colors. The illustrations are pictures with bird families, other different birds, eggs and beautiful feathers. My favorite part of the book is the peacock when it spreads out its tail, and there is a baby peacock. I would recommend this book to third graders because it has a lot of hard words in it. It is a great book, and I give it 10+ stars!

L. Third grade, Elmhurst Elementary School.

Looking Closely Across the Desert

Serafini, Frank. Looking Closely Across the Desert. Kids Can Press: 2008. ISBN: 9781554532117.



My book is about animals and plants in the desert really up close. The illustrations are colorful, beautiful with pretty photographs. My favorite part was looking at the Diamondback Rattlesnake up close! I would recommed this book to third graders because it would be really hard for younger kids to read. This is a really great book, and I give it 4+ stars!!



C.E. Third grade; Elmhurst Elementary School.

Tuko and the Birds

Climo, Shirley. Tuko and the Birds. Henry Holt; 2008. ISBN: 9780805065596

Tuko and the Birds is about birds who go into a hut and sing bedtime songs so people know when to go to bed. A lizard, named Tuko, sings with the birds and the people can't go to bed with Tuko's singing. The art was very creative and had bright colors. This was a four star book. My favorite part was when Tuko blew the eagle back into the tree. I think this book is for the ages of 4 to 7 years old.

N.W. 4th grade, Elmhurst Elementary

Science Fair Day

Plourde, Lynn. Science Fair Day. Dutton Children's Books; 2008. ISBN: 9780525478782.

This story is about a science fair. In the story the students make cool things like a rocketship and a volcano, but they don't work. This book had artwork that I loved. The pictures looked like cartoons. I loved the book, and I would recommend this book for kids ages four to nine.

S.C. Fourth grade, Elmhurst Elementary School

Violet the Pilot

Breen, Steve. Violet the Pilot. Dial Books for Young Readers; 2008. ISBN: 978-0-8037-3125-7.

I really think this has to be a five star book. It is about a girl who wants to become a pilot. She wants to be in an air show but she had to save a boy scout troup because they got into a situation. I think the art in this book is great, but I think it could use more detail. I thought Violet the Pilot was okay. My favorite part was when she put an engine on her cousin's tricycle. I would recommend this book to other kids ages seven to ten.

S.W., 4th grade, Elmhurst Elementary

Drummer Boy

Long, Loren. Drummer Boy. Philomel Books; 2008. ISBN: 9780399251740.

This story is about a toy drummer boy on a long journey. I really really like the art work in this book because it was like a drawing and a painting, and it was very detailed. I love this book. I would give it five stars. My favorite part was the end. This story made me sad. This book is rad!! I would recommend this book for grades two and older.

I.S., 4th grade, Elmhurst Elementary

Jumpy Jack & Googily

Rosoff, Meg; Blackall, Sophie. Jumpy Jack & Googily. Henry Holt; 2008. ISBN: 9780805080667

Jumpy Jack and Googily is about a monster and a snail. The snail was scared that there was a monster behind the stuff they went by. Then the monster checked behind all of the stuff and there was no monster. Then, the monster was trying to go to bed, but he could not. I think the artwork is kind of like a cartoon and it has dark colors. It has a lot of detail. I think this is a good book. My favorite part is when the snail is scared and he wants the monster to check in the shed for a monster.

K.S. 4th grade, Elmhurst Elementary

A Wombat's World

Arnold, Caroline. A Wombat's World. Picture Window Books; 2008. ISBN: 9781404839861

A Wombat's World is a story about wombats and how they live. The book also tells what they are afraid of, what they eat, and where they live. The art is really cool looking. It also looks very realistic. This is a nice book that elementary schools might like. Students can learn about these species. I think it's a nice book.

T.Y. 4th grade, Elmhurst Elementary

To the Big Top

Esbaum, Jill. To the Big Top. Farrar, Straus and Giroux; 2008. ISBN: 9780374399344

The story To the Big Top is about a circus in Willow Grove. Also, the story is about amusing and cool things to do at a circus. The artwork is detailed, colorful, and interesting. The artwork is also bright and cool. My favorite part of the story is when a marching band begins. I think other kids that are 3 to about 10 years old would like this book. If I were a parent I would buy this book for my children. This book is interesting.

C.F. 4th grade, Elmhurst Elementary

Being Brave

Donahue, Jill Lynn. Being Brave. Illustrated by Stacey Previn. Minneapolis, MN : Picture Window Books, c2008. ISBN: 9781404837805.

My book is about being brave and doing things you don't like doing and the kids in the story are being really brave. The drawings are painted and are in a rainbow of colors. My favorite part is when Ben and Tyrone rode the roller coaster together. I would recommend this book to kindergartners because it is easy to read with lots of little words in the story for them.

A.D.S., 3rd grade, Elmhurst Elementary

Lazy Little Loafers

Orlean, Susan. Lazy Little Loafers. Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2008. ISBN: 9780810970274.

Lazy Little Loafers is about a girl on her way to school when she sees a bunch of babies. This is when she wonders, "Why don't babies work?" I thought the art in this book was colorful. Also, the pictures were very detailed and amazing. Plus, the pictures explain a bit of the story. My favorite part of the story was when the girl was talking to the baby when the baby started focusing on a strand of grass. I would recommend that children go to the library and check this book out if they like funny and exciting books. I would say the age range for this book is 4 or 5 to 11 or 12. If a child read this book at that age, I think they would enjoy it a whole lot.

K.L. 4th grade, Elmhurst Elementary.

Flip, Float, Fly: Seeds on the Move

Macken, JoAnn Early. Flip, Float, Fly: Seeds On the Move. Holiday House, 2008. ISBN: 9780823420438.

Flip, Float and Fly is about seeds that travel around the world. They meet people and animals. They also go to places that are hot, cold, wet, and dry. The art is beautiful, amazing, exciting, suprising, and entertaining. She draws the animals so real, they are colorful and amazing. I think alot of kids would like and enjoy this book, but I think some older kids might not. I think kids would like the pictures, the animals, the places and people. My favorite part is when the seed is traveling.

M.D., 4th grade, Elmhurst Elementary

My Chincoteague Pony

Jeffers, Susan. My Chincoteague Pony. Hyperion Books for Children, 2008. ISBN: 1423100239.

The story is about a girl named Julie who goes to a pony auction to buy a pony, but she doesn't have enough money. I think the pictures of the horses are gorgeous. I loved this book, my favorite part was when the philly came to Julie. I would recommend it to everyone, especially girls. I think all age groups from kindergarten up to 100 would love this book just like I did.

K.C.L., 4th grade, Elmerhurst Elementary

Finding Home

Markle, Sandra. Finding Home. Charlesbridge, 2008. ISBN: 978-1-58089-122-6.

The book Finding Home was fantastic. This is the best book I have ever read! The illustrator, Alan Mark, had made the best pictures ever. The Koalas were so cute. I think this book was stellar. The paintings were the most beautiful pictures I have ever seen. The orange and yellow make me feel like I am looking at a sunset. The colors are very bright. My favorite part of the story was when the animals were running from a scary sound. I loved this book and would recommend it for ages 7 to 11.

A.J. 4th grade, Elmhurst Elementary

Honda: the Boy who Dreamed of Cars

Weston, Mark. Honda: the Boy who Dreamed of Cars. Lee and Low Books Inc., 2008. ISBN: 9781600602467.

This story is about a man that wants to learn about cars, so he goes to school and tries to learn about them. I liked the art because I like cars. I would recommend it to other kids around the ages of 8 years old.

P.Y., 4th grade, Elmhurst Elementary

The ABCs of Animals

Kalman, Bobby. The ABCs of Animals, Crabtree: 2008. ISBN: 9780778734307.

This story is about what family an animal belongs to. The ABCs of Animals has photographs. I thought that the book was great. My favorite part was the part about dingo dogs because the pictures were so cute. I would recommend it to 3rd graders ages 7 to 8.

C.T., 4th grade, Elmhurst Elementary

The Wheat Doll

Randall, Alison. The Wheat Doll. Peachtree: 2008. ISBN: 1561454567.

This story is about a girl named Mary Ann and she loses her wheat doll in a storm. I think the art is amazing, and my favorite picture is on page 15. I loved this book. My favorite part is when she found the shaper of her doll. I recommend this book for boys and girls of all ages.

K.V., 4th grade, Elmhurst Elementary

Catching the Sun

Paratore, Coleen. Catching the Sun. Charlesbridge, 2008. ISBN: 978-1-57091-720-2.

Catching the Sun is about a mom and her two kids. One wasn't born yet, and the other one was about 6 or 7 years old. Every year the mom and the oldest child went to the beach and watched the sun rise. This book's artwork was made of watercolors. When I first read the book I thought it was very interesting. I enjoyed the pictures the best. My favorite part of the story was when the little boy and his pregnant mother went to the beach steps and watched the sun rise. I this this is a good book for all ages.

A.A. 4th grade, Elmhurst Elementary

Bambiraptor

Dixon, Dougal. Bambiraptor. Picture Window Books, 2008. ISBN: 9781404840133.

This story was about dinosaurs. This book had a combination of computerized artwork and photographs. My opinion is that this is a good book for younger readers. I did not have a favorite part, but I do recommend this to kids age 6 to 8.

M.P., 4th grade, Elmhurst Elementary

About Rodents

Sill, Cathryn. About Rodents. Peachtree, 2008. ISBN: 978-1-56145-454-9.

I like this story because it is easy for young readers. I also like this story because the artwork has a lot of detail. I think that is good for kids because it tells what type of animals are in that drawing. The illustrator used watercolors. I like this book because it is informative. I would recommend this book for children ages 4 to 7.

N.B., 4th grade, Elmhurst Elementary