Reviews of Accelerated Reader Titles

			Reviews of Picture Books for Grades K-5-January
Grade Level	AR Disk	Multicltural	Title, Author & Summary This site is linked to Barnes and Noble. You may click on any title for information on how to order the book. Click on an author's name for more books by that same author.
K-2	PP-114	No	Arthur's Computer Disaster by Marc Brown Arthur learns a lesson in trust and personal responsibility after he disobeys his mother by playing his favorite game on her computer. This book is a good springboard for a discussion about the values of trust and being accountable for one's own actions.
K-2	B-10	Japanese	Boy of the Three-Year Nap by Dianne Snyder A poor widow is burdened with a house that is falling apart and an adult son named Taro who does nothing but eat and sleep. A wealthy merchant with a beautiful daughter moves to town, and Taro desires the same lifestyle-but refuses his mother's pleas to get a job. Instead Taro deceives the merchant into believing that his daughter must marry Taro. Although Taro's scheme works, his mother has a greater scheme in mind that works out to a happy ending for all involved. CH
K-2	B-10	No	Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina A classic favorite read aloud of an unsuccessful hat peddler whose wares are stolen by a band of monkeys while he takes an afternoon nap. Children laugh out loud as they listen to the part about how the monkeys mimic the angry peddler when he tries to get them to return his caps.
K-3	C-01	No	Chester the Out-of-Work Dog by Marilyn Singer A humorous story of a farm family who raised sheep who move to the city with their dog Chester. Chester used to herd the sheep, but now he has nothing to herd and begins to feel useless and lonely when the children start school. He tries to keep himself busy by herding garbagemen, policemen, and firemen. He even herds a girls' softball team into a boys' restroom. Chester becomes a hero by rounding up a group of lost students dressed as sheep who are on their way to perform in a play. Kids will enjoy the alliteration.
K-3	B-11	Korean	The Chinese Mirror adapted by Mirra Ginsburg This beautifully illustrated adaptation of a Korean folk tale is the very funny story of a man who travelled to China. No one in his village had ever seen a mirror before, and when he came upon one in China he thought it was an amusing toy with the face of a funny looking man. When he brought it home, his wife thought it was a picture of a pretty young woman-and all kinds of trouble began.
K-3	B-10	African American	Chita's Christmas Tree by Elizabeth Fitzgerald Howard Little Chita and her father set out from their home in Baltimore to select a Christmas tree in the woods for Santa to bring to Chita on Christmas morning. The author and illustrator create a turn-of the-century of Christmas flavor with lovely illustrations and descriptions of Christmas traditions.
K-3	D-13	Native American	Dragonfly's Tale Retold by Kristina Rodanas A Zuni folktale about how the dwellers of an ancient village took the Corn Maidens' gifts of the harvest for granted, and in turn suffered a great famine. Two little children from the village taught the elders a lesson in gratitude and kindness, and the village was from then on, rewarded with a bountiful harvest. A good device for presenting the Zuni perspective with respect to appreciating nature's gifts. The illustrations render authentic depictions of the designs of the pottery and dwelling of the Zuni.
K-3	C-01	No	Fly Away Home by Eve Bunting A homeless boy and his father live in the airport and spend their days trying not to be noticed so that they won't be removed like some of the other homeless people who have been staying there. One day the boy sees a bird trapped inside the airport, desperately trying to get outside. The boy watches as the bird flies away to freedom and as a result the boy finds hope for himself and his father.
K-3	D-11	Japanese	The Funny Little Woman retold by Arlene Mosel Early readers will find this tale of an old woman chasing a runaway rice dumpling to be very amusing. She follows the dumpling down a hole to the land of the wicked Oni where she is captured and forced to cook rice for them. She handles her misfortune by laughing "tee-hee, tee-hee," at all the bad things that happen to her, until she is able to trick the Oni and escape back to her home and uses the Oni way of making rice to become a very wealthy woman. CM
K-2	B-10	No	Hey! Get Off of Our Train by John Burningham Like in the Polar Express, a young boy takes a magical late night trip on a train. On the journey, the boy encounters different endangered animals who request to come aboard. Each of the animals explains what is the cause of their endangerment to the species. This is a good introduction for environmental conservation for young children. Superb illustrations of trains made this a winner of the Parents' Choice Award for 1990.
K-4	D-13	English	Market Square Dog by James Herriot The veterinarian author of All Creatures Great and Small has written this account of a stray dog for young pet lovers. The little dog is seen repeatedly in the market square begging at the vendors' stalls. He seems quite friendly and gentle in nature, and the people respond by feeding him. However, when anyone reaches to pet him, the little dog runs away. One day, a policeman brings the dog to the vet. he has been hit by a car. After the vet fixes him up, the dog must go the the shelter at the police station to be claimed. Many days pass, no one claim or adopts the dog. The vet is surprised by the turn of events that save the dog.
K-2	C-01	English	The Old Woman and her Pig adapted by Eric A. Kimmel Because of the repetition of lines, this English folk tale is helpful for beginning and for struggling readers. An old woman buys a pig, but she can't get home because the pig will not go over the wall. To get the pig to go over the wall, she tries to get assistance from several helpers who, although very unwillingly, agree to help out.
K-2	B-11	Native American	Mud Pony retold by Caron Lee Cohen A Pawnee tale about a poor boy who so badly wanted a horse that he fashioned one out of mud and took care of it as if it were real. The pony does come to life, and by listening to the pony's guidance the boy becomes a great chief among his people.
K-2	B-11	No	Roxaboxen by Alice McLerran This sweet story takes the reader back into a time of childhood innocence and gentle imagination. It tells the story of a group of children who discover a hill near their neighborhood that is covered with rocks and boxes. The children create their own community, elect a mayor, build play homes, and set up businesses and laws in their little town called Roxaboxen.
K-3	E-08	Hispanic	Too Many Tamales by Gary Soto Maria tries on her mother's diamond ring while making tamales for a Christmas celebration. She is afaid that the ring has been cooked inside one of the tamales, and that one of her cousins has eaten it.
K-2	B-11	African American	When I am Old With You by Angela Johnson A sweet story of a child imagining herself being old with her grandfather and spending her days with him going fishing, playing cards, enjoying people and life, and remembering how things used to be. Delightful illustrations decpict the specialness of the relationship in this story as expressions of love on the faces of the two main characters.
K-3	G-12	No	Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin by Lloyd Moss This book is a very appealing introduction to the instruments of the orchestra. Children will enjoy the melodic rhyme of the verse and the brightly colorful illustrations that seem to dance on the pages. Music educators will find this book as an entertaining way to introduce the concepts of solo, duo, trio, quartet-all the way through a chamber group of ten instruments. CH
1-2	B-11	No	My Visit to the Dinosaurs by Aliki Even dinosaur fans of Kindergarten age will enjoy this beginning book of paleontology. The narrator takes us on a tour of a museum of natural history and gives descriptions of the different kinds of dinosaurs. brightly colored illustrations depict what some of these prehistoric giants may have looked like. A must-have dinosaur book for early readers.
1-3	D-13	No	An Angel for Solomon Singer by Cynthia Rylant A poor and lonely old man named Solomon Singer lives in a hotel in New York City. He spends his days thinking of things that would make him love his home, such as a balcony a fireplace, a porch swing and other pretty things that he had in his home as a boy growing up in Indiana. Nothaving anyone or anyplace to love fills him with sadness, and he wanders out into the night and stops in a cafe where the waiter greets him and asks him to come back. Solomon Singer comes back every night, ordering his dreams with his supper. For now there is someone who is happy to see him.
1-3	D-13	No	Warm as Wool by Scott Russel Sanders The true story of the Ward family who moved to the Ohio frontier in 1803 with a covered wagons and a sockful of coins to buy sheep so that they could have wool and spin it to make clothing and blankets to keep the family warm. The family suffered the bitter cold the first winter, but later on they buy some sheep. Although they now have warm clothes, they learn that they have to protect the sheep from sickness and predators. A good story to learn about frontier life.
1-4	D-13	Jewish & African American	Mrs. Katz and Tush by Patricia Polacco Old Mrs. Katz has no family and no friends, only young Larnel and his mother who live in the same building come to visit her. As Larnel grows up, he and Mrs. Katz grow very close, and she shares her dearest spiritual traditions with him. Larnel gives her a cat with no tail, and Mrs. Katz named her Tush. She shows Larnel how the history of the Jews in the world has been similar to the history of African Americans, with respect to slavery, unfair laws, and prejudice. This is a book about a special relationship, about love, and human respect.
K-3	C-01	African	The Village of Round and Square Houses by Ann Grifalconi A young woman from Cameroon recalls growing up in a village where all the men lived in square houses and the women and children lived in round ones. She tells her grandmother's tale of the volcano that once devastated the village, and why it was rebuilt in this unusual way. Good presentation of customs, food preparation, etc. CH
2-4	B-10	Hispanic	Amigo by Byrd Baylor Francisco desperately wants a dog to take care of and love, but his parents tell him that their family is too poor to support another mouth to feed. Mama suggests that he find something wild that can feed itself. Francisco then befriends a very special prairie dog. He does not know that the prairie dog has been telling his own family that he wants a boy of his very own. This sweet tale is told in rhyme with very tender illustrations. Anyone who has been to a prairie dog town will especially enjoy the pictures.
2-5	C-08	Native American	Brother Eagle, Sister Sky: a Message from Chief Seattle words of Chief Seattle/paintings by Susan Jeffers These words were transcribed from the speech given by Chief Seattle in response to the U.S. Government's demand to buy his people's land. Seattle's words give the reader insight as to how dearly the Native American people love the land. His words are a prophesy as to what would happen to the land of his ancestors when it is taken over and developed with no regard for the creatures who live upon it. His words are hauntingly true, young readers can easily decipher Cheif seattle's message and enjoy the paintings of Susan jeffers.
2-5	D-13	Arab in Egypt	The Day of Ahmed's Secret by Florence Parry Heide & Judith Heide Gilliland Ahmed is a young boy in modern-day Cairo and he has a wonderful secret that he thinks about all day long as he works delivering butane gas. Ahmed can write his name, and all he can think about is telling his family. While he drives his donkey cart through the city, Ahmed contemplates his world and seems to observe how every little thing is a part of a wonderfully complete whole. this book has a true cultural flavor, enhanced by the illustrations which depict the architecture and clothing. A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
2-5	F-02	African American & Anglo American	Pink and Say by Patricia Polacco Set during the Civil War, the two protagonists are boy soldiers fighting for the Union. Pink, who is fighting for the freedom of his people discovers the wounded Say and brings him to his mother's home on the burned out plantation. It is later revealed that amid the terror of battle, Say deserted his unit and feels that he is a coward. The two boys are captured by the Confederates and imprisoned at Andersonville.
3 and up	G-20	African American	Wilma Unlimited: How Wilma Rudolph Became the World's Fastest Woman by Kathleen Krull A brief biography of the Olympic medalist that tells of her struggling to overcome crippling polio which held her in a wheelchair until she was twelve, and whose strength and tenacity made her a three time gold medal winner in a single Olympics. It would be hard to find a better lesson in faith and hard work than the story of Wilma Rudolph. Illustrations by David Diaz echo his Caldecott Medal winning illustrations from Smoky Night.
3-4	B-11	Welsh	The Silver Cow retold by Susan Cooper This folk tale from Wales tells of young Huw who is forced by his mean and greedy father to tend the cows in the meadow all day and refuses to let Huw attend school. Unbeknownst to his father, Huw has been playing his harp in the meadow, thus enchanting the magical people who live in the lake. The magical people give Huw a magical cow who rewards him with three times as much milk as an ordinary cow. As a result, the family grows rich, but Huw's father, greedier than before manages to destroy all the good the cow has brought them.
3-5	G-20	No	Train to Somewhere by Eve Bunting An Orphan Train of the 1880's is the setting for this sad tale with a happy ending. Marianne travels on the Orphan Train from New York to Iowa in hopes of finding her mother who placed her in St. Christopher's years ago-and promised to return for her by Christmas. Marianne hopes to be placed in the same home as her friend who is younger and very cute. Marianne is older and plain looking, and her dear friend is adopted away. Soon, Marianne finds that she is the only orphan left, but she learns a lesson that, "sometimes what you get turns out to be better that what you wanted in the first place." Easy level historical fiction.