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You have accessed the blog site for Choosing and Using Books for Children. Throughout the term we'll use our blog to record the books we read and the ideas we have for using them when we're teachers. By the end of March, our class will have read at least 280 books. Happy reading!

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1. Underline or italicize all book titles (choose one formatting style and stick with it--underline OR italicize for all book titles)
2. Add your name in the "label" box before you post each documentation.

One important recommendation:
Create your documentations in a separate Word document, then cut and paste in a blog post.

Basic Documentation

Book Title:

Author(s):

Illustrator/Photographer/Artist:

Publisher:

Copyright Date:

Genre:

Brief Annotation:

Your Rating (1-5) and why:

Readers who will like this book:

Teaching Strategy from Tompkins or Yopp & Yopp (you'll link a strategy to at least 10 of your 40 books) :

Question to ask about this book before a read aloud:

Optional, but noted as extra effort:

1. Interest Level (age):

2. Grade Level Equivalent (grade):
Use book wizard to help with the previous 2 areas


3. List awards

4. Does this book have a book trailer? If so, cut and paste the web address here.

Sunday, March 4, 2012

Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon

Book Title: Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon


Author: Patty Lovell

Illustrator: David Catrow


Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons


Copyright Date: 2001


Genre: Picturebook – Contemporary Realistic Fiction


Brief Annotation: Molly Lou Melon looks different from the other kids – she is short and clumsy with buckteeth. She sounds different than the other kids – some say like a bullfrog squeezed by a boa constrictor. As a first grader, life could be much different without the encouragement of her grandmother. You see, her grandmother reminds Molly Lou to be true to herself, to “believe in yourself and the world will believe in you too.” Molly Lou shows us that being different is something to embrace. But just as she seems to have found her place in the world, she has to move, and is faced with a new school and a new bully. Will Molly Lou remember her grandmother’s words and stand tall?


Your Rating (1-5) and why: 4.5 – This story is cute and heart-warming. It has a great message and it’s told in a fun and silly way. It’s a message that kids that are different will need to hear over and over again – hopefully they too will begin to embrace it (and survive it) like Molly Lou. Why does being different have to be such a bad thing?! What I love as much as the message, are the illustrations. The illustrations are colorful, fun, and adorable.


Readers who will like this book: I think most young readers will enjoy this book. The story and the illustrations are interesting and fun. And while really young children may not have yet experienced (or witnessed) the ramifications of being different, Molly Lou is an image they can hold onto, and it just may come back when they need some of those words of encouragement.


Question to ask about this book before a read aloud: What does it mean to be different? Is it good or bad to be different? Why? Why not? What do you think “Stand Tall” Molly Lou Melon means?


Interest Level (age): 4-8

Grade Level Equivalent (grade): 3.1

List Awards: Georgia Children's Book Award, Beehive Children's Picture Book Award

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1 comment:

  1. Suzy Kaback & FamilyMarch 7, 2012 at 5:53 PM

    I like the way you said, "Molly Lou is an image they can hold on to". You're right! This is one of my favorite books--Molly Lou is someone you can cheer for, someone you can admire because she's so darn secure in who she is.

    Another thing I like about your thinking with this book is asking kids if it's good or bad to be different. I think you'd get very different answers to this question depending on the age of the kids you asked.

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