The Beatitudes

Boston, Carole. The Beatitudes. Eerdman's Books. 2010. ISBN: 978-0-8028-5352-3.

This book was about slavery and civil rights. African Americans drew on the same faith during the segregation era as they did in the time of slavery. The Beatitudes tells a sad story in a hopeful way. The illustrator used water colors. I like it because they showed the presidents. I recommend this book. My favorite part was the civil rights where there is a poem across the bottom.

D.C. 4th Grade, Lagrange Elementary.

Monster Trucks

Gigliotti, Jim. Monster Trucks. Marshall Cavendish. 2010. ISBN: 9780761443858.

Monster Trucks are one of dozens of super-sized machines that thrill me. I like the photos when Bigfoot was on top of the cars. I liked the wheelie photos too. My favorite part was when the car was jumping over the airplane.

D.U. 4th Grade, Lagrange Elementary.

The Boy in the Garden

Say, Allen. The Boy in the Garden. Houghton Mifflin. 2010. ISBN: 9780547214108.

This book is about a little boy in the garden playing with a grateful crane but the bird is scared. It would not come near anybody unless it really liked them, because all birds are afraid of people. They would probably bite you or peck you, but some kinds of birds are kind.The paintings are pretty colors and they are good for the book. I would recommend this book to ages two through six. My favorite part is when the snowstorm stopped.

M.R.P. 4th Grade, Lagrange Elementary.

Up and Down

Jeffers, Oliver. Up and Down. Philomel. 2010. ISBN:9780399255458.

Once there were two friends who always did everything together until the day the penguin decided he wanted to do something by himself: he wanted to fly. He had wings after all although they didn't seem to work very well. But that didn't stop the penguin from trying, but nothing worked and it wasn't long before he began to run out of ideas. The boy even offered him a ride in his plane, but it wasn't the same as flying and the penguin wanted to do it by himself. I like the characters of the book called The Lost and Found and I like the little legs of the boy and the trees looked like balloons and the boys feet look like sticks. I like this book so much that I read it four times and I like the characters of the book.

Y.A. 4th Grade, Lagrange Elementary.

My Friend has ADHD

Tourville, Amanda. My Friend Has ADHD. Picture Window Books. 2010. ISBN:9781404857490

My story is called My Friend Has ADHD. It is about two kids named Marcus and Robby. Robby has ADHD which is attention-deficit-hyperactivity disorder. I really like this book. I hope the author writes some more books like this so kids can know what ADHD is. This book has good drawings and I like the colors. I will read this book to other kids and I hope they like it too.

J.H. 4th Grade, Lagrange Elementary.

Big Cats

Hamilton. S.L. Big Cats. ABDO. 2010. ISBN: 9781604539912.

The black panther is one of the big cats in this book. Cheetahs can run up to 70 miles per hour. The photograph I loved was the one where you see a cat sharpening its teeth. My favorite cat is the black panther because they blend into the dark and I like the cheetah because they can run up to 70 miles per hour.

L.A. 4th Grade, Lagrange Elementary.

The Easter Egg

Brett, Jan. The Easter Egg. Putnam. 2010. ISBN:9780399252389.

This book was so awesome to me. I like the pictures of decorated eggs in the book. I love the art in this book. It is so pretty and so colorful. Some pictures are happy and some are sad. My favorite part is when Hoppi dreams about helping the Easter Bunny all year long.


K.W. 5th Grade, Lagrange Elementary.

Football

Gifford, Clive. Football. Marshall Cavendish. 2010. ISBN: 9780761444565.

My book is about how to play football and some real football players. This book is full of action photographs. The photos helped me learn more about football. I really care about this book because football is one of my favorite sports. My favorite part of the book was when the author talked about the real life football players. I do recommend this book for other kids, because I liked it and I am only in the fifth grade. I recommend this for grades second through eighth.

V.M. III. 5th Grade, Lagrange Elementary.

The Junkyard Wonders

Polacco, Patricia. The Junkyard Wonders. Philomel Books. 2010. ISBN: 9780399250781.

The Junkyard Wonders is about a little girl who wants to stay with her dad for the school year because she got picked on with her mom. After she went to school she found out that she got put in a class with other kids just like her. What I mean about that is that she got put in a special class and it was called the junkyard, because they all had something wrong with them. The art in this book is very nice. The pictures are all perfect for this story. I couldn't think of any better pictures for this book. My opinion for this book is that it is great and I enjoyed reading it. The best part was when she started to feel comfortable with the other children. I think other kids should read this book. Also, I think people of all ages would love this book. I think it is great for everyone.

I.B. 5th Grade, Lagrange Elementary.

Grandma's Gift

Velasquez, Eric. Grandma's Gift. 2010. New York: Walker & Company. ISBN: 9780802720825.

Grandma's Gift is about a Grandma and her grandson going shopping for ingredients and gifts, so they can make "pasteks" for the traditional Christmas dish for Puerto Ricans.The illustrations in my book are pretty because they look real on some of the pages. My opinion of theis story is that anybody would love to have Grandma's Gift because Grandma made a Christmas dish for Puerto Ricans. And she wasn't a grandma who didn't cook or do anything.

L.T., 5th Grade, Lagrange Elementary

Basketball

Gifford, Clive. Basketball. Marshall Cavendish. 2010. ISBN: 9780761444558.

The story Basketball is about how to play, how many players, and that all ages can enjoy this sport. It is also about what basketball is, who plays it, and how they use their best effort to win at the end of the game. I really like the artwork because it is realistic and on the front page it's a boy in 3D. I think that is cool and on page 12 it shows the whole description of the court and where the audience sits during the game. My favorite part about the book was pages 6-27 because the whole story is great because it really gives details of basketball and that all ages can play. I do recommend it for other kids because from looking at the pictures ages 6-12 should be able to read this book.

J.H. 5th Grade, Lagrange Elementary.

The Famous Nini

Nethery, Mary. The Famous Nini. Clarion Books. 2010. ISBN: 9780618977697.

My story is about a stray cat named Nini and a poor woman named Nonna. Nonna was a poor woman and her stray car gives a famous composer a music note that makes the angry Pope smile, settles an argument, and makes a girl who doesn't talk speak.I think they made it out of pastels. The pictures overlap like most do. Although the pictures are cartoonish it looks real. I link this book because it is a mostly true story about a famous cat who blesses people. And it tells readers that you don't have to be a human to bless people. My favorite part is when the queen and king are arguing about which snack to make. I don't just recommend this book for kids, anyone could like it. I mostly recommend it for mothers and anyone ages five and up.

A.R. 5th Grade, Lagrange.

One More Acorn

Freeman, Don. One More Acorn. Viking. 2010. ISBN: 9780670010837.

My book is about a squirrel named Earl who was looking for acorns for his furry family. His older squirrel son is named Hickory and his younger squirrel son is named Filbert and his baby is named Hazel. The illustrations are cartoonish and show many pictures of the squirrel family. My favorite part is when the squirrel jumped over the people's heads and hands and when Earl was looking for acorns. I recommend this to young children.

H.R. 5th Grade, Lagrange Elementary.

Sea Monsters

Veitch, Catherine. Sea Monsters. Raintree. 2010. ISBN: 9781410937889.

My book is about sea monsters. There are many sea monsters such as a Crazy Kraken. The art is very nice and the graphics are sketched out and then colored in. This book is so good it should probably should have more book pages, at least 50 pages. I do like the book.

C.R. 5th Grade, Lagrange Elementary.

Jacques and de Beanstalk

Artell, Mike. Jacques and de Beanstalk. Dial Books. 2010. ISBN: 978080372165.

This story is about a little boy named Jacques who was poor and needed money to grow crops. Jacques went to town to sell a cow. A man traded Jacques some magic beans for the cow. The are looks both cartoonish and realistic. I think the book will be great for kids and some adults could read it to their children or child. My favorite part is when Jacques was running from the giant. I recommend this to my cousin Dear Marie, from me. I think this would be a good book for ages four through 9.

R.W. 5th Grade, Lagrange Elementary.

Off Like the Wind!

Spradlin, Michael. Off Like the Wind! Walker. 2010. ISBN: 9780802796523.

This story is about a new company called the Pony Express. A man named Johnny Fry has to carry mail from St. Joseph, Missouri to Sacramento, California. He had to go if it was raining, snowing, hailing, or sleeting, if it was winter, or summer, day or night. I liked the art work because if looked really realistic. The worlds, Native Americans and all the people, and the horses all looked real. He did a great, awesome job on the art work. My opinion on the book is that it is a real nonfiction book. It is really nice to read. My favorite part was all of it. I will share this book with my sister the next time I get to read it. I would recommend this to kids 8 and older.

S.C. 4th Grade, Lagrange Elementary.

Sleepover at Gramma's House

Joose, Barbara. Sleepover at Gramma's House. Philomel. 2010. ISBN:9780399252617.

This story is about the grandma and the granddaughter, and the granddaughter is going to stay over at the grandma's house for a couple of days. They are having fun together and the grandma plays as if she is a child and the granddaughter plays the grandma. My favorite part is when they start painting and get messy and paint goes every where. The illustrator of this book is a great painter. I hope I get to read another book from this library and the illustrator should paint more. My favorite part of this book is when they read stories to each other and the granddaughter said "I'm going to change into my pink warmily p.j.s".

R.J. 4th Grade, Lagrange Elementary.

Trixie and Jinx

Koontz, Dean. Trixie and Jinx. Putnam. 2010. ISBN:9780399251979.

It is about two best friends that do everything together. They go on a picnic and they play together. They play video games and read books together. Jinx says his family is leaving without Trixie and she has to find a new friend. The artist has tried to capture how someone is feeling. Its watery and beautiful. My favorite part was when her friend comes back so they can do the stuff they do. I recommend this book to kids cause when their friend goes away they can find a new one.

K.W. 4th Grade, Lagrange Elementary.

Portuguese Water Dogs

Wheeler, Jill. Portuguese Water Dogs. ABDO. 2010. ISBN: 9781604537840.

This book is about Portuguese Water dogs and what they are like. The feeding, the dog family, what they are like, coat and color, size, care, things they need, and puppies are all in this book. The photographs are real and show photos of real dogs and what they are like. My favorite part was when it told about puppies. Protuguese Water dogs have a litter up to six puppies. The puppies stay with tehir mother until they are 8-12 weeks old. then they can find a new home with a different family.

T.B. 4th Grade, Lagrange Elementary.

Clemente!

Perdomo, Willie. Clemente!. 2010. New York: Henry Holt and Company. ISBN: 9780805082241.

Clemente was a boy. His dad named him after his favorite baseball player named Roberto Clemente. His dad is the president of Clemente fan club. His uncle is another big Clemente fan. The boy at school is going to pick him to write about for hero day. He studies the baseball player, Roberto Clemente, who gets on an airplane. He is going to help people who lost their homes. The plane never got across the ocean; it was too heavy. Roberto disappeared. His family stands by the water and hoped he would come home. The art looks so real, and it does a good job. I love the book. My favorite part was when he said "En el dia mas grande de mi vida para los nenesme echen la bendicion." I think other kids will love it.

S.H., 4th Grade, Lagrange Elementary

All Star!: Honus Wagner and the Most Famous Baseball Card Ever

Yolen, Jane. All Star!: Honus Wagner and the Most Famous Baseball Card Ever. 2010. New York: Philomel Books. ISBN: 9780399246616.



At the beginning Honus Wagner was born, and he had legs like a hunting arrow. After sixth grade he worked in the mines with his dad. He could lift two tons, and he was stronger than some men. But on Sundays, he went to church and played baseball. When he was 16, he joined the Mansfield Semipro team. Then after that he joined the Pittsburgh Pirates and won championships in 1900, 1903, 1904, 1906, 1907, 1908, 1909, and 1911. Then he had two little girls and taught them how to play baseball. The art is done in paintings. The art was good and showed lots of action. The colors made them look like old fashion paintings, too. My favorite painting was on page 20 when the crowd was throwing bottles at the team. My opinion about it is it was good, but I don't like baseball. I like basketball. The book was still good. My favorite part was when Honus picked up the kid and carried him on his back because he was the slowest kid on the team.

D.M., 5th Grade, Lagrange Elementary

The Blue House Dog

Blumenthal, Deborah. The Blue House Dog. Peachtree. 2010. ISBN: 9781561455379.

There was a dog who was half German Shepard and something else. One eye was sapphire blue and the other was brown. He used to live with an old man until the man died. After the man died the dog was a stray. Then a boy tried to get him to come to him, but he wouldn't. He fed and watered the dog, but he still didn't come. The boy's dog got sick and died, so he wants the dog named Bones to be his.The pictures are very colorful and bright. They describe the words and show emotion. My opinion about the book is that it is very nicely done, but it need more description to grab the reader's attention. my favorite part was when the boy saves the dog from getting run over by the car. Yes, I recommend this book to kids. I think first through third graders would love this book. I definitely think that 5 to 7 years old is the perfect age group.

M.V. 5th Grade. Lagrange Elementary.

Alligator Wedding

Jewell, Nancy. Alligator Wedding. Holt and Co. 2010. ISBN:9780805068191.

My story is about a big alligator wedding, which makes it a fiction story. It has lots of illustrations with swamp animals and things which are real animals, but they have clothes and can walk and play instruments. I like the pictures and I like the neat words the author uses to write the story. I also like the front cover with its big letters that are crazy. I like this story because it is fiction and I love fiction stories. I wish it had more at the end of the story too, because it was a great story. I recommend this story to little kids and older kids too. But I know I like this story.

M.D. 5th Grade, Lagrange Elementary.

Shrek

Steig, William. Shrek. Farrar Straus Giroux. 2010. ISBN: 9780312384494.

This is a story about a boy named Shrek and he is uglier then his mother and father. Shrek's parents decided it was time for him to leave the black hole and Shrek went. He was walking down the road giving off his awful fumes going to find the princess so they could live happily ever after. The book says horribly ever after!The art in the book was okay, and I loved Shrek at the end with the princess. My opinion about the book was that I loved it, but some of the words I really didn't understand. Some words were there that didn't have anything to do with the pictures. I recommend this book to K-3rd grades and my favorite part was at the end when Shrek and princess were getting married.

L.P. 5th Grade, Lagrange Elementary.

Soccer

Gifford, Clive. Soccer. 2010. New York: Marshall Cavendish Benchmark. ISBN: 9780761444602.

This story is mostly about how to play soccer. It shows how you are supposed to pass the ball, and they also show lots of positions and interesting pictures. You are also supposed to read the words that are under the pictures because you can understand it a lot better. The photographs are very interesting, and they capture pictures that you never thought photography could capture. They show action and lots of other stuff. My favorite part is when the pictures show famous soccer players. I do recommend this to other kids like my little brother. He is 10 years old. All ages interested in soccer would enjoy this book.

A.B., 5th Grade, Lagrange Elementary

Blast of Gas: the Secrets of Breathing, Burping, and Passing Gas

Stewart, Melissa. Blast of Gas: the Secrets of Breathing, Burping, and Passing Gas. 2010. New York: Marshall Cavendish Benchmark. ISBN: 9780761441557.

This book is about breathing, burping, and passing gas. I liked it because it tells how you make yourself burp. (You are supposed to suck in air down your throat.) I learned from the book what gases are in the air: nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon dioxide. I learned the people can hold their breathe in for a minute. A world record is 15 minutes and 2 seconds. The book had both artwork and photographs. I like the pictures. They are real and neat. It shows a lot of art also. I would recommend this book to ages 5 to 17.

D.M., 4th Grade, Lagrange Elementary

Mimi's Dada Catifesto.

Jackson, Shelley. Mimi's Dada Catifesto. 2010. Boston: Clarion Books.

My book is about a cat that is homeless, but the cat gets in big trouble and destroys something that belonged to an artist. The cat wrote a letter to the artist, and the cat got a home. I say the art is great. I just love the art; it is so good. The book is great because that cat gets to go everywhere. I would recommend this book to ages 8 to 12.

W.B., 4th Grade, Lagrange Elementary

The Sandwich Swap

Abdullah, Queen Rania Al. The Sandwich Swap. 2010. New York: Disney-Hyperion Books. ISBN: 9781423124849.

I knew what the book was going to be about. The title is The Sandwich Swap. I knew it was going to be about sandwiches. It's about two girls who were friends. One friend had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and the other friend had a hummus sandwich.The illustrations took up the whole page. I would recommend this book for ages 7 to 10.

N.A., 5th Grade, Lagrange Elementary

The Monster Princess

MacHale, D.J. The Monster Princess. Aladdin 2010. ISBN: 9781416948094.

"Deep in a cave there is a story it seems, of a sweet little monster with very big dream. She wished she was pretty. She wished she could dance. She wished to be special and this was her chance." This is how the Monster Princess begins. The princess pretends to be her friend but really tricked her, and they played a horrible joke that broke Lala's heart and spoiled her dreams. Then she saved them from a monster and they tried to be her friend. The End. The illustrations are great art. They shows a lot of action, feelings and color. I like the part when the girls first see the monster princess and they almost faint.

D.M. 4th Grade, Lagrange Elementary.

Naked Mole Rats

Petrie, Kristin. Naked Mole Rats. Abdo. 2010. ISBN: 978-1-60453-738-3.

This story is about naked mole rats. It is about when a queen makes baby mole rats they stay with her for ten weeks. The queen can have 300 to 800 little rats. In Africa some people call the naked mole rats "sand puppies". Naked mole rats live happily in zoos and even in several national parks in Kenya. Some photographs have little puppies eating and some have where they live, where they sleep, and what they look like. This book also explains where they can be found. My favorite part is when it tells about the babies.

K.K. 4th Grade, Lagrange Elementary.

Recording

Witmer, Scott. Recording. Abdo. 2010. ISBN: 978-1-60453-6942.

My book is about how music is recorded. It tells about equipment, music studios and home recording. This book has many photographs. This book was ok. I would recommend it to kids that are into music.

D. 4th Grade, Lagrange Elementary.

Chinchillas

Handford, Tom. Chinchillas. Heinemann. 2010. ISBN:9781432938529.

This is a nonfiction story and it tells about the life of chinchillas and how their bodies work. It also tells how they use their feet and what happens when they eat. It tells us what colors they are and what happens if they nip or scratch someone. I think they used photographs to illustrate this book. I like the photographs because chinchillas are adorable and small. My favorite part is when the baby chinchilla is drinking milk from the mom chinchilla. I recommend it to my sister because I know she would like it. I think kids 9 and up would really enjoy this book.

K.D. 4th Grade. Lagrange Elementary.

Rain School

Rumford, James. Rain School. Houghton Mifflin. 2010. ISBN:9780547243078.

Rain School is about the first day at school in Chad, Africa and the students have to build their own school. They did not know how at first, but it did not take long and they were happy when they got to sit inside and learn. Well I think it is a very good book and I think children would love it very much in many way. Rain School has very good art in it. I love that there is white in the color because it looks nice. I love it so much and others will too. I recommend Rain School to young girls and boys that love the outside and school. I think a lot of people will love this. It is great in many ways.

T.M. 4th Grade, Lagrange Elementary.

I Repeat, Don't Cheat

Cuyler, Margery. I Repeat, Don't Cheat. 2010. Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing. ISBN: 9781416971672.

This story is about a girl named Jessica who was worried about everything: like falling off of her bike, seeing aliens in the backyard, and getting bit by a spider and feeding her dog Wiggles. The art is colorful and cartoonish and the colors are bright. I didn't really care for this book because they did not spell things right and the pictures were bad because of the lines in the hair and stuff but besides that it was good. I recommend this to my sister because she would like it.

A. W., 5th grade, Lagrange Elementary

The Rooster Prince of Bestov

Stampler, Ann R., The Rooster Prince of Bestov. Clarion Books. 2010. ISBN: 9780618989744.

My book, The Rooster Prince of Brestov, is about a prince who had more than he wanted. The prince is in the middle of a lavish lunch when he jumped out of his chair, ripped off his clothes and shoes, and squatted on the marble floor and said buck-buck-buck. He clucked scratching the marble floor with his toes and pecking at crumbs. My book has a lot of colors in it and has a lot of designs in it with the colors. I like the book I reviewed. It was a very nice book to read and I think it would be nice if my cousin Kayla would read it.

K.S. 4th grade, Lagrange Elementary.

Elephants

Schwabacher, Martin. Elephants. 2010. New York: Marshall Cavendish. ISBN: 9780761443438.

My book was about elephants, and it was interesting. Elephants are the largest living land animals on earth. Elephants are so big, they can grow taller than one whole school bus. Plus I like that they compared African elephants and Asian elephants, and I see thay are complete opposites. I don't really have much to say about page 17. I hate the people who killed them. I would recommend this book to animal lovers.

H.R., 4th grade, Lagrange Elementary

Sneezenesia

Lucke, Deb. Sneezenesia. 2010. Boston: Clarion Books. ISBN: 9780547330068.

Sneezenesia is about a boy who sneezed so hard he forgot a lot of stuff, like his own name. He also forgot what his mom looked like. He sneezed so hard he forgot where he was and how he got there. He sneezed so hard that things he learned came out of his nose like an "eight," then a "six" and then a "two." He sneezed Pilgrims planting corn and a hanky's worth of Presidents. He sneezed all of his thoughts out, but how will he get them all back in? The illustrations are mostly on black backgrounds and some of it rhymes. I can't pick one favorite part because I liked it all.

T. L., 4th grade, Lagrange Elementary

Once Upon a Royal Superbaby

O'Malley, Kevin. Once Upon a Royal Superbaby. Illustrated by Kevin O'Malley, Carol Heyer, and Scott Goto. New York: Walker & Company. 2010. ISBN: 9780802721648.

This book has three stories in one. First, two little kids, who we don't know their names, are told by their teacher to write a story together. The other story is about a royal superbaby who helps save people. The third story is about a queen, Tenderheart, who got married. The baby has superpowers and can talk to birds. Eventually the superbaby saves his mom and dad, the queen and king, by swooping in on the queen's unicorn and rescuing them and the family was finally together. The art in this book is a cartoon and I recommend this for anyone to read. It doesn't matter if you are old or young. I think this was a good book and I like books with cartoon characters. My favorite part was when the superbaby was saving people from things like the cyclops and my favortie picture is the one where the superbaby was on the motorcycle looking cool with everyone around him.

S.S. 5th grade, Lagrange Elementary

The Daily Comet: Boy Saves Earth from Giant Octopus

Asch, Frank. The Daily Comet: Boy Saves Earth from Giant Octopus! Kids Can Press. ISBN: 978-1-55453-281-0

Hayward’s dad works for The Daily Comet, a newspaper that only seems to publish ridiculous, positively-untrue stories about monsters and historical figures. Hayward knows that the stories cannot be true, which is why he believes the odd encounters his father and he have during Take Your Son to Work Day must be exaggerated or staged. Or are they? Told in a style befitting any tabloid, Frank and Devin Asch capture Hayward’s disdain so well in both the text and illustrations that the reader believes Hayward’s assumptions have to be right. I had so much fun anticipating what outrageous event would be waiting each time I turned the page. From Elvis to a giant octopus, this one is fun to read and believe.

Kellie Tilton, BGSU librarian

Shrek

Steig, William. Shrek! Farrar Straus Giroux. ISBN: 978-0-374-36879-1

Most of us are, by now, familiar with the movie Shrek and its multiple sequels. Many may not be aware that the popular animated movies came from a book of the same name by William Steig. There are, as in any book-to-film translation, some similarities and some differences. The book’s Shrek doesn’t have the emotional side that the movie’s titular character does. Steig’s Shrek does still have the bad manners, ogre appearance and general disdain for everyone that makes anyone from 0 to 99 giggle as he storms the castle looking for his princess. With Donkey’s role much more reduced, I’m not sure how those who have seen the movie first will react to the original material, but the gruesome drawings and Shrek himself should win some over, I would hope.

Kellie Tilton, BGSU librarian

Animal Crackers Fly the Coop

O’Malley, Kevin. Animal Crackers Fly the Coop. Walker & Company. 2010. ISBN: 978-0-8027-9837-4

Animal Crackers Fly the Coop is perfect for joke-lovers. Packed full with wise-cracks and play-on-words, we follow four wannabe-comedian animals looking to make it big when things go bad on the farm. The illustrations are good, although the highlight is the thought bubble jokes that accompany the illustrations – jokes that are bound to keep anyone giggling for days. The story is a cute one and, as I mentioned above, has wry jokes hidden within the text, which makes it great for older kids. This means, though, that some of the punch lines will go above the heads of younger readers. Overall, a book filled with laughs and giggles.

K. Tilton, BGSU librarian