Saturday, August 2, 2014

Arthur's Jelly Beans



http://youtu.be/kMSm-yYzCM8http://youtu.be/kMSm-yYzCM8


Summary: 
Arthur as usual is the one who is picked on by his friends and he doesn't really get it.  He attends a birthday party which had already started. They have all the usual games at the party and Arthur is coming in last. Then the final revile of a huge solid Chocolate egg. The group once again laughs at Arthur for trying for a chance to win the solid chocolate egg. The game is to collect as many jelly beans to win. Arthur collected only one egg compared to the other 4 and 6. With 5 minutes left, all the other children had collected enough to fill their bags. They all decided to take just one. "We have enough" When the time was up, everyone laid their out to be counted and Arthur had 14. He Won!!!


**APA Reference of Book Full reference list in APA style for the book

Brown, M. (2004). Arthur's jelly beans. New York: Little, Brown and.

**Impression: 
Arthur stories, to me are about bullies. Arthur is the one who always gets picked on. However, he always comes out the winner and all his bullies suddenly all love him. But for them to love him, he always gives them something, and in this book the huge chocolate egg. The story has some nice drawings and the end is nice, but to me, perhaps an adult giving information about bullying others and how it is not acceptable. 

**Professional Review:

       Arthur's Jelly Beans

by 3.87 of 5 stars 3.87 rating details  ·  38 ratings  ·  3 reviews

KEYNOTE Introducing the brand new mass market Arthur series! DESCRIPTION Muffy is having a Spring Fling party complete with the Egg Push, the Bunny Hop, and the Jelly Bean Hunt for the grand prize of a huge chocolate egg! Everyone wants to win, but poor Arthur is so slow at everything. While the others fill their bags, Arthur finds one, then two, ever so slowly. Who will win the Jelly Bean Hunt.(GoodRead)
(Brown, M. (2004, March 1). Arthur's Jelly Beans. Retrieved August 6, 2014.)


**Library Uses: This story would be a great introduction to how bullies operate and how to see the bully in all of us. A great segway into bullies.  

The House in the Night

http://youtu.be/CEhOgCiJo7U


**Book summary 
This is a cute story about the connections in life, if we look for them. House with a light, a book on the bed in the light, a bird in the book with a song, through the night and then back into the light, in a book on the bed in a house in the night.

**APA Reference 

Swanson, S., & Krommes, B. (2008). The house in the night. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.

**Impression: 
This book is really basic and simple reading. The pictures are great and the black and white drawings with a few added objects of color makes the pages very intriguing. I liked the book, and for a beginner reader it would be a great book to start showcasing their reading abilities. 

**Professional Review: 

KIRKUS REVIEW


Inspired by a traditional poem from The Oxford Nursery Rhyme Book, Swanson’s cumulative tale begins, “Here is the key to the house.” Readers are welcomed inside the house, where they find a light, a bed within the light, a book on that bed and a bird inside that book. The book opens to reveal a bird that sings a song about the dark, and within that song are the moon and the sun shining on the moon’s face. And then, from deep in the night, the poem begins to climb back out of itself: “Sun in the moon, / moon in dark, / dark in the song, / song in the bird,” and so forth, finally arriving back to “the house in the night” which is, indeed, a “home full of light.” Krommes’s breathtaking scratchboard illustrations, in black and white with accents of yellow and gold, embody and enhance the text’s message that light and dark, like comfort and mystery, are not mutually exclusive, but integral parts of each other. (Picture book. 3-7)
THE HOUSE IN THE NIGHT by Susan Marie Swanson, Beth Krommes. (2008, May 5). Retrieved August 6, 2014.

**Library Uses:
This book could be used for  book talk, the simple message it shares. Could be used with in an art class,the black and white drawing are awesome. This book could be used in a GT class, to give students an idea about books, writing and sometimes less is more, and having them follow format and write their own.

Hallo Weiner

http://youtu.be/hZZY9hjZI-8
**Book summary: 
Oscar wanted to be accepted by the other dogs, who made fun of him. His mother called him her Vienna Sausage. This didn't help Oscars situation. Halloween finally came and Oscar wanted to dress scary. His mom gave him a wiener dog costume. He once again was laughed at and he couldn't keep up with the rest of the dogs. When they cut through the cemetery there was a huge creature that chased the dogs into the pond. Oscar, because of his suit, saw there was cats under the scary monster costume.Oscar saved the day and the other dogs didn't call him names anymore except Hero.

**APA Reference:
Pilkey, D. (1995). Hallo-Wiener. (No ed.). New York: Scholastic.
**Impression: 
**Professional Review:

The Hallo-wiener

4.13 of 5 s 4.13  ·  rating details  ·  1,3 ratings  ·  140 reviews
Oscar is short, like all dachshunds and other dogs make fun of him. On Halloween he takes more ridicule than ever in his hot-dog costume, but one brave act makes him a hero. Color illustrations throughout. A "School Library Journal" Best of the Best of 1995.
The Hallo-wiener. (1999, September 1). Retrieved August 6, 2014, from http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/494748.The_Hallo_wiener

**Library Uses: For the younger children a nice read for Halloween, with a funny twist. This story could also be used in a lesson about bulling.

Sunday, July 20, 2014

Module 8 Artemis Fowl Book 1



Book Summary:


Artemis is a genius, a millionaire and 12 years old and he out shines many doctors. Artemis has dedicated his life to the criminal side. He was following in his father’s footsteps.
Artemis has a manservant, best friend, body guard, named Butler. The two of them are traveling the world to find the book. The book is the Fairy Bible, which if Artemis gets in his hand, he could destroy the Fairy World. Artemis needs to convince the fairy, who has a drinking problem, and dislikes the light, to hand over the book. He tricked her, he gave her a bottle of holy water instead of whiskey. They made a deal, swapping the items she needs to get better for the book. He just needed to look at the book for 30 minutes. They took pictures of each page, and emailed to his home base.
The bottom line is to get control of the Fairy Gold. He needed to get a hold of the fairy that comes topside. The fairy that comes topside is Holly Short a fairy who is an officer in the LEP fairy police.
The People is what the Magical people are called. The Mud people is what humans are called. Between the two, trying to one up the other using technology and good old sneakiness. Artemis was always 3 to 4 steps ahead of the fairies.
Artemis spent plenty of time to decode the book. He found the directions he needed.
When he kidnapped Captain Holly Short, he took on more than he was aware. These fairies were not the lovely sweet ones we are used to reading about, but very dangerous .


APA Reference of Book:
Colfer, E. (2001). Artemis Fowl: Book 1. New York: Hyperion Books For Children.

Impressions:  This is a book that a lot of young boys love to read at my school. They fight over them to check them out. I really did enjoy the book. It is written very well and makes you feel like you are beside them in every step they took. The characters are well defined, and the plots well thought out. Artemis at 12, had to deal with his father disappearance, and his mother being ill from the overwhelming depression from her husbands disappearance. Artemis walks the fine line of being cold heartless and caring as he finds his place in the world his father had brought him into. 
The fairies, Leprauchan, spirits are all described in details, and gives some details about how we, humans, see them and what they think about us. The humor they have and the conflict everyone has in their own lives. 
The battle of wits between The People and The Mud, is a good read and relaxing as you take this trip with them. 

Professional Review:

This is the first installment of the Artemis Fowl series, which continues to grow in success as well as its number of books.
Artemis Fowl is a 12 year old genius born into the Fowl dynasty, that is, he is heir apparent and an already accomplished master of criminal activities that have founded the Fowl empire; he also has every intention of continuing in his father’s footsteps. With his manservant, bodyguard and all round unstoppable man mountain, Butler, Artemis proceeds in his plan to replenish the family coffers with gold…lots of it. But this is no ordinary gold he has set his sights on, this is Fairy Gold, but then Artemis is no ordinary 12 year old.
Having procured a copy of ‘The Book’ the fairy bible, Artemis translates and digests the secrets contained within, allowing him to track and trap a fairy who has come ‘topside’ from the fairy kingdom underground in order to fulfill a magical ceremony. Holly Short is a female officer in the LEP fairy police and as such is considered expendable by some of her senior officers, but thankfully not all of them. This story (sorry, factual account – Artemis Fowl is after all ‘real’) recounts the attempts of Artemis to blackmail ‘The People’, that’s magical folk to you and me, into giving him a rather large chunk of gold and The People try to stop the ‘Mud People’ that’s us humans, from succeeding in their plan and rescuing the kidnapped Officer Short. There is amazing technology used on both sides, the fairies comes courtesy of the resident Centaur, Foaly, who is as adept at crushing one-liners as he is at iris eye cameras and lava lifts. Root is Holly’s permanently purple-faced; bad tempered commanding officer who Foaly takes great delight in riling further. Along with the impressive technology are big, smelly Trolls and Tunnel Dwarfs that can dig at an amazing rate by unhinging their jaws and literally eating the soil as they burrow – no guesses where the soil has to exit!
Artemis is a supremely intelligent child that considers any signs of humility as weakness; however, he is not quite yet the hardened criminal his father was before him so remains a likeable and not completely ruthless character. Butler, his loyal servant is just the type of best friend you dream of having, capable of getting you out of any sticky situation and always on your side, even if they think you’re in the wrong. Holly Short is a LEP rechaun officer and as such has had years of intense and specialized training, so she should stop getting everything wrong at sometime, right?
This book is hugely enjoyable and has just the right mix of fantasy, humor, gadgets and thrills to keep even the most demanding of children entertained. Beware though; if you do buy this book be prepared to buy the rest, as another trick of Artemis Fowl’s is that he is highly addictive! Eoin Colfer has done his homework and knows exactly what his readers are looking for. 
(Floresiensis. (2010, August 1). Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer. book review. Retrieved July 20, 2014, from http://www.fantasybookreview.co.uk/Eoin-Colfer/Artemis-Fowl.html )


Library Uses: 
A good book for bringing another point of view of the magical world that lives around us. This book could be used to give another view, to help students get some other writing techniques. While using some of the "Magical" books, students can find a technique to help them write better.