Thank You, Mr. Falker by Patricia Polacco

This story is about a little girl named Trisha who absolutely loves schools but has difficulty learning how to read. She wants to read badly but the words look like wiggling shapes and when she tried to read, the other children tease her. Because she can 't read efficiently, Trisha feels dumb and starts to believe that something is wrong with her. When she was in the fifth grade, her mother got a new job and moved to California. Trisha thought that this move would help her because the students wouldn't know that she was dumb. When she arrived at the school, students picked on her worse than before. Mr. Falker helped Trisha keep the bullies away from her and he helped her read. He enrolled her in special programs that she needed and after working hard, Trisha could read.

This book is an autobiography that Patricia Palacco wrote about herself. She had difficulty reading and because of her teacher, George Felker, she is now a successful author that books for children.

Teachers can use this book to show children that it is ok if they have a problem with reading. With extra help, they can become the great reader that teachers know that they are. The technology I used for this book was a Filp Camera. teachers can use flip cameras in their classrooms to record students or the teacher can record themselves. I recorded myself reading this book so that students can follow along from home if they are provided with the book.

Cendrillon by Robert D. San Souci

This story is told from the godmother's point of view. She worked as a washerwoman and scrubbed sheets for other people. She worked for a kind woman and the woman made her the godmother of Cendrillon. The mother died and the father remarried a cold woman. the woman and Cendrillon's father had a child and they had a party for it. At the party the godmother saw Cendrillon and her hands were blistered. The godmother wanted to help but she couldn't do anything. Cendrillon became the family maid as she grew older and she would come to the river to wash clothes. She was always happy but one day she came and was sad. There was a ball that Cendrillon wanted to go to but she was not allowed to attend. Her godmother assures that she will go to the ball. the godmother had a magic wand that her mother gave her and she used it to turn different things into the items that Cendrillon needed to go to the ball. She even tapped herself to change her attire and she went to the ball with Cendrillon. When they finally arrived, they made a grand entrance. Cendrillon danced with the prince Paul and forgot about the time. She had to leave at twelve so that no one would see her clothes, carriage, and horses change. As the clock chimed, Cendrillon and her godmother rushed out of the ball. Cendrillon left her pink slipper behind. After the ball Cendrillon was sick because she was in love with Paul and she knew he would not love her back because she was a maid. But Paul came looking for the owner of the slipper. Cendrillon tries on the slipper and it fits perfectly. Paul and Cendrillon get married and live happily ever after.

Teachers can use this book to discuss the different versions of fairytale. For example, teachers can read this story along with the original story of Cinderella and the students can compare the events that happen in the story.

This is a worlde that I used as technology for this book. In order to create a wordle, the students will have to type or paste words in the message box. After they do this they can create a wordle such as the one above. In the wordle, the words that are used more frequently are the biggest. Teachers can use a worldle as a resource in their classroom.

Science Fair Bunnies by Kathryn Lasky

Clyde and Rosemary were doing a science project on plants but the beans for the project had wilted. Clyde thinks that his and Rosemary chances of winning the science fair are over until his loose tooth gives him an idea. Since he and Rosemary have loose teeth, they want to see how different liquids stain the teeth. Rosemary gives up her very first loose tooth "for science". The pair has two teeth to experiment with but they need at least one more so they solicit people at school to give up their loose teeth for science. Someone gives up their tooth and they start working on their experiment. Clyde's tooth is stained with tea, Rosemary's tooth is stained with strawberry jello, and the other tooth is stained with grape soda. At the science fair Rosemary and Clyde's project is the most original and they win the blue ribbon that they always hoped for!

This book is about science and how to conduct a science project. Teachers can use this book to show students how they should not give up on things that they may be working on. This book could also get the students to start thinking about a science project that they would like to do if the school is working on having a science fair.

Commander Toad and the Intergalactic Spy by Jane Yolen

Commander Toad is a toad that lives in space. He is the captain of the ship Star Warts and he has his own crew. The crew members are Mr. Hop, Lieutenant Lily, Jake Skyjumper, and Doc Peeper. One day the crew gets a secret message to go on a dangerous mission. They have to pick up an intergalactic spy from a place called Eden. The spy is Commander Toads cousin and the crew has to fly to Eden where all of the spies wear disguises. The receive three specific clues; his cousin will wear a croak-a-dial, drink croak-a-cola, and carry a photograph of his favorite cousin. When they arrive in Eden, they are greeted by five spies in disguises. Each spy has on all of the clues that Commander Toad received. In order to find out which spy is Commander Toad's cousin, the crew gives the spies a challenge. They make each spy run through a field of tulips. The spies run through and bees and flies come out of the tulips. Only one spy sticks out his tongue to catch the flies as he ran through the field. Commander Toad knew that this spy was his cousin. When the spy removed his disguise he was indeed Commander Toad's cousin.

Teachers can use this book to discuss fiction books in their classrooms. Because this is a story about a toad in space, children will know that is not true. Teachers can use this book as well as other science fiction books to discuss this genre and have the students make up their own science fiction stories using the elements that they find in different stories.

June 29, 1999 by David Wiesner

In Ho-Ho-Kus, New Jersey, there was a girl named Holly Evans. Holly launched vegetables into the sky. She was doing a science experiment to see how the effects of the extraterrestrial conditions on vegetable growth. She launches her seeds and on June 29, 1999, people on earth make a remarkable discovery!. They found giant vegetables everywhere. People found cabbage, cucumbers, lima beans and broccoli. One day, Holly watched the news and she heard the newscaster say "Cauliflower carpets California, spinach blankets Greenwich and arugula covers Ashtabula." Holly realized that she did not plat and send these types of vegetables into space and she wondered what happened to her vegetables....

Teachers can use this book in their classrooms to spark the imaginations of the scientists in the class. The teacher could also use this book to talk about predictions and cause and effect. The students can make predictions abut what will happen to Holly's vegetables and also make more predictions when Holly realizes that the huge vegetables were not hers.

Ten Suns by Eric Kimmel

This is a story about the Eastern Emperor that had ten children. All of the children were boys and were his "suns". Each day, one of his suns had to walk across the sky alone so that the people on earth could have a sun to light up the sky. Walking alone everyday made the sunvery bored. They wanted to walk together so one day, they walked across the sky together. when they did this, the people on earth suffered. Forests caught on fire, lakes dried up, and oceans boiled. The people on earth did not know why the gods were destroy them. The Emperor sent Hu Yi, one of his greatest shooters, to shoot the ten suns with a magic bow that would turn them into black crows. Hu Yi had ten arrows and the Emperor didn't want all of his suns to turn into crows so he sent a messenger to take out one of the arrows. Hu Yi shot the nine suns and now every morning the crows gather to greet their brother as he walks alone across the sky.

Teachers could use this book to teach about Japanese culture and different myths. This story is a myth that explains why and how the sun rises everyday. Teachers can use this story along with other stories to discuss myths as well as discuss the Japanese culture.

Lon Po Po by Ed Young

There was a woman that lived alone with three children. On their grandmother's birthday, their mother left and left the children home alone. She told them to be good children and lock the door at night. Wolf saw the mother leave and disguised himself as an old woman. He was pretending to be the children's grandmother. The wolf tries his best to get into the house and the children finally let him in. The oldest child realizes that the wolf is lying when she lights the lamp and sees the wolf's face before he blows out the light. The oldest child offers the wolf ginko nuts. She tells the wolf how tender the nuts are and makes wolf want some right away. All three children climb the ginko tree and threw a basket down to wolf so he could climb in. The children pull wolf halfway and drop him to the ground. They repeat this three times and on the third time, wolf dies. Finally their mother returns home and the children tell her about the wolf coming to their house.

Teachers can use this book to teach fables and folktales in their classrooms. Children would learn morals from this book such as "do not talk to strangers" and "do not let strangers in your house". This book would get the attention of students because of all of the vivid pictures that are in the book. This book is from the Chinese culture and students would learn a little more about it from reading this book.