Run Far, Run Fast by Timothy Decker

Run Far, Run Fast by Timothy Decker is a picture book graphic novel. This book to me is very dark. The Pestilence (a plague) has arrived and the people of the town are scared and dying. One little girl is pushed out of her dying town by her mother who tells her, “Run Far, Run Fast.” The little girl travels from all around the countryside looking for someone to take her in and possibly help her save her family.
The book has a unique format because it is part graphic novel. On the left page is a single illustration with the text of the story. While on the right side of the page we see illustrations only in the paneling format of a comic book. The additional pictures really help the reader to understand the complexity of the situation of the Pestilence arriving. The pictures are etched in black and white (more black than white) which emphasizes the fact that this is a tough subject to grasp and quite a distressing story.

The Baby-Sitters Club: The Truth About Stacey by Ann M. Martin

Growing up I remember hearing about The Baby-Sitters Club books, but for some reason or another I was never really that interested in reading them. I can guarantee you that when I was researching Graphic Novels for a class project, I never thought I would find a Baby-Sitters Club graphic novel... but here I am blogging about one!

This book is about a Stacey the new girl in town who as joined the Baby-Sitters Club. Stacey has just moved from New York City where she recently learned that she has diabetes. Stacey's problems keep stacking up. First the diabetes, then her best friend in New York stops talking to her, and tensions rise with problems from a rival Baby-Sitter Club. Stacey and her three BSC friends work together to deal with all the obstacles that are put in their way.

I really enjoyed reading this book in the graphic novel format... I don't think I would have liked it much any other way. The pictures were great to read along to and let the reader see the emotions Stacey was going through much more easily. The way the frames flowed was beautifully put together as well. I hope to be an upper elementary teacher and I will definitely use this book in my classroom. I think it is such a great book for non-reading lovers... it makes you read a novel without actually thinking you are reading a novel :)

Edward and the Pirates by David McPhail

David McPhail both wrote and illustrated this fantastic book, Edward and the Pirates, which is a sequel to Santa’s Book of Names. The paintings in this book are amazing. At first I thought that the paintings seemed a little too dark… however, after reading the book I realized that the darker pictures really played well with the text. It isn’t a happy go-lucky type of story, it’s a story about a boy who is serious about his reading.
Since learning how to read Edward reads everything. The best part about the character of Edward is that he not only loves reading but he fully engulfs himself into every story… making it very personal and fulfilling for him. When he reads a story about dogsled racing, he runs right alongside of them. When he reads about dinosaurs, he sees them outside of his window. And when he reads a book about pirates, he walks the plank, fights them off, and even has his mom and dad deep in action. I enjoy this book so much because it shows how powerful reading can be and how imagination and reading can transport any age of reader.

Super Sand Castle Saturday by Stuart J. Murphy

Many elementary students do not like math. They find the subject dry, boring and repetitive. That’s why the book Super Sand Castle Saturday by Stuart J. Murphy is a great introductory book about simple math concepts (ie: measuring). In this book three diverse students are competing in a sand castle building contest. Who can build the tallest tower, the deepest moat, and the longest wall? Each student measures their castle with a specific tool (using their shovel, spoon, or feet). In the end, the castle the students thought was the tallest, because of the differing measurement tools, was not always the winner when measured by a consistent measuring utensil (a tape measure).
At the end of the book the author gives teachers/adults helpful activities and suggested questions to discuss to continue learning about measurement concepts. This book is both fun and educational. If I had a young classroom I would definitely use this book and others in the series to help introduce my students to math in a fun and entertaining way!

Cowboy Camp by Tammi Sauer

Avery wants nothing more in this world then to be a real cowboy… but he doesn’t seem to fit the cowboy mold. He doesn’t like beans, is allergic to horses, and can’t lasso a rope. As Avery sits alone at the campfire a “bad guy” named Black Bart walks up to him to put an end to Cowboy Camp. Avery uses his quit wit to inform Black Bart that this is no Cowboy Camp and he is no cowboy. In the end Bart believes him and rides away… Avery is the hero.

I didn’t care a whole lot for this book and the reason why is because of Black Bart. I don’t believe his character brings much to the story. A bad guy wanting to stop Cowboy Camp because it makes good cowboys was a direction I did not see this book taking and frankly didn’t enjoy it. The message of thinking on your feet quickly to ‘save’ yourself and others was a decent message, but I just feel like the story and that message could have been told in a different way, without Black Bart. I was expecting something else with the story and was disappointed in what I got. On the upside, the illustrations were outstanding. The medium and texture the illustrator used made me feel like I was in the desert on a cowboy ranch. The other plus to this book was the language used by the author. “Howdy, y’all” or “little ragamuffins” or “it’s chow time” were all phrases that made me feel like I could understand the idea of this book a little more.

Bats About Baseball by Jean Little & Claire Mackay

I grew up on sports. I love watching them, playing them, even reading about them. That's why I chose the book, Bats About Baseball by Jean Little & Claire Mackay. I don't know exactly what I was imagining this book to be about; maybe a grandma and her grandson sharing a passion for the game of baseball, or maybe a grandma taking her grandson to his first major league ballpark. One thing I was not expecting was this book to be such a fun read. On several occasions I noticed myself giggling to the text. It was witty and cleverly written and illustrated.

Once the baseball season starts for Nana, it's hard to get her to talk about anything else. As her grandson Ryder comes over to visit he wants to talk to Nana about important things like... what he will be when he grows up. However, Nana is so wrapped up in her baseball game that Ryder feels like she isn't listening to her... or is she?

Stan the Hot Dog Man by Ethel & Leonard Kessler

Stan the Hot Dog Man by Ethel & Leonard Kessler is a cute book for a beginning reader. There is large print, illustrations that go along well with the text, and the text itself is quite simple. The one problem I saw with this book was that it got a little long, epically for someone just starting to read.

Stan is sixty-five and retiring for his job as a baker, but instead of retiring to relax, Stan decided to start a new job... the neighborhood hot dog man. In the end, Stan makes new friends and saves the day. The story was good, but not great, and I caught my self on a few different occasions counting the remaining pages until the story would be over.

Undercover Tailback by Matt Christopher

I read weekly with a 2nd grade boy. He LOVES sports... espically football. I wanted to find a beginner chapter book about the subject... so I asked one of the libraians. Right away she mentioned looking at books by Matt Christopher becasue he has written on nearly every sport. When I got to his section in the library I was amazed by both the number of books he has written and the variety of sports he has written on. Books on football, basketball, soccer, baseball, even rollerskating! Although I believe these books would be appealing to many boys (and some girls), they were a little to advanced for a 2nd grader - but not me!

Undercover Tailback is a story that reminds me a lot about the story 'the boy who cried wolf.' The main character Parker Nolan is a notorious liar, so when he believes he sees someone in the coaches office taking pictures of their playbook and tells his teammates, they don't believe him. So with the help of his best friend, Joni, together the two being to investigate and uncover some surprising information. The only downfall I saw in this book was that having background information on the sport you are reading about (player positions, sports vocabulary, etc.) makes the reading much easier to understand and comprehend.

Turkey Bowl by Phil Bildner

The first thing I noticed when reading Turkey Bowl, by Phil Bildner were the amazing illustrations by C.F. Payne. The drawings were so much more detailed than I have seen in most children's books. The expressions on the characters faces is what first grabbed my attention. The frost on the beard of an uncle, the anguished look on the face of a tackled player. These pictures were so life-like and very reminiscent of a Norman Rockwell painting.

The story of book was great as well. Growing up in Iowa, I like many of my friends and peers can related to what Bildner is talking about. Family gatherings, food, football... it's all I know many of us know on Thanksgiving (not to mention the wacky weather conditions that are thrown into the mix). I see myself using this book as a fun fall class read-aloud.

Butterflies in my Stomach and other school hazards by Serge Bloch

I loved this book! Serge Bloch painted such an interesting picture of how nerve-racking the first day of school can be for children. In his book Butterflies in My Stomach and other school hazards, Bloch took everything to be very literal. Every page has a fun 'figure of speech' saying on it. Some of my favorites include: "we'd be in a real pickle if we missed the bus," "he was laughing his head off," "we'd be up a creek without a paddle," and "don't throw the baby out with the bathwater." With all these fun passages were even more impressive illustrations. The people in the book were very simply drawn... almost to the extent that they were stick people. However, the 'figure of speech' sayings were bold, exaggerated, and life-like. On the page that said, "we'd be in a real pickle if we missed the bus," there was an actual sliced pickled used as the bus! Where the author wrote, "she told me not to open that can of worms," the black & white stick figure boy was actually holding a colorful can of real-life worms... so cool!

This book is listed as a 4+ age range, however, I think adults will enjoy reading and looking at this book more so than the children who don't yet understand the figures of speech. I know I did!

The Luckiest Kind on the Planet by Lisa Campbell Ernst

Have you ever had one of those days when it seemed like nothing was going right? When you encountered a string of bad luck? I think we all have... in fact today is one of those days for me! However, after reading the book The Luckiest Kid on the Planet by Lisa Campbell Ernst, I realized that it's not the things in life that go good or bad for you, but the important people and the relationship you make with them that make you a lucky person.
Lucky Morgenstern's name says it all... he is a 'lucky' kid! Everything in Lucky's life was good. When he went fishing he caught fish, when he played checkers he won, or when his best friend in the whole, his Grandpa, baked him cookies it was because he was Lucky. Then one day Lucky found a letter in the mail. It was addressed to a Herbert Morgenstern. Lucky had never heard of a Herbert in the family. When he asked his mom who it could be she looked at the letter and said, "It's you." With those two words Lucky's life made a turn for the worst (or so he thought). It wasn't until his Grandfather was sick and in the hospital that Herbert aka Lucky realized that the one lucky thing he always had in his life was his Grandfather.
I loved this book. It was humorous and enjoyable to read. The page layouts and illustrations were cleverly illustrated and the writing was wonderful. I would definitely read more books by this author.

Mommy's Hands by Kathryn Lasky & Jane Kamine

This book is a must for all mothers and their children to read together! Mommy's Hands is a very cute book that reminds us how children at times are in awe of their mothers and all they can do... with their hands. Mom's hands can help you, comfort you, play with you, explore with you, and love you. I really liked how the author, Darcia LaBrosse decided to show a diverse selection of moms because it reminds us all that moms and their children come in all sizes and colors.

Best Friends Think Alike by Lynn Reiser

Best Friends Think Alike, by Lynn Reiser is a book aimed at beginning readers. The book's two main characters, Ruby and Beryl, are the very best of friends who, like the title of the book says, think alike. It is an easy read for beginners because it is read more like a play than a book. Everyone in the story is assigned colored text. Ruby is red, Beryl is blue, Ruby & Beryl together are purple and their parents have black text. This easily identified distinction between 'voices' makes the story easier to follow for a beginner. Another great thing the author did was use repetitive phrases. By doing so, if the young reader has trouble reading the phrase as Ruby the reader has another chance to show that they have improved by reading the same passage for Beryl. Although the author did a great job of making this an easy read, the content of the story was not that great and was actually very boring to read.