Ms. Tointigh's Book Blog

Title:   Martin's Big Words Genre:  Nonfiction Author : Doreen Rappaport Illustrator:  Bryan Collier Major Awards:  Caldecott Award Age group : 3rd-8th Summary This book is a biography about Martin Luther King Jr.  He is unarguably one of the most iconic African American leaders that has been.  A lot of his teachings and preaching still ring true in todays society.   This biography goes through his life and his accomplishments all the way up into his death. Evaluation I think this book is a very useful book for students.  It is full facts about Martin Luther King Jr.'s life all in one package which makes it easier to digest.  I think if I were teaching middle school level I would definitely find a way to incorporate this in one of my lessons.  It uses parts of his speeches and also gives the context of the time that he is talking in that help to justify his words.  I think I would have students identify different rhetorical app...

  Title:   Snowflake Bentley Genre: Non Fiction Author : Jacqueline Briggs Martin Illustrator:  Mary Azarian Major Awards:  Caldecott Award Age group : 4th-6th Summary This story is a biography about the man nicknamed snowflake Bentley because he was the first man to photograph actual individual snow crystals.  willy had always been fascinated by snow and one day he notices how beautiful the individual crystal were.  He spent three winters trying to draw each crystal but they melted so quickly.  when he was sixteen he begged his family for a camera in order to effectively capture the crystal and share them with others.  At the age of seventeen Willy finally received his wish and got the most expensive camera out on the market from his parents.  The first images were busts and nothing more than shadows but he would not give up.  He worked through very storm and finally during the second winter he figured out how to photograph snowflakes!...

Title:   Mr. Wuffles Genre:  Science Fiction / Fantasy Author /  Illustrator: David Wiesner Major Awards:  Caldecott Award  Age group : 1st-5th Summary This graphic novel follows a day in the life of a house cat named Mr. Wuffles.  In Mr. Wuffles house there's a whole space ship full of little green men, they even speak their own language made only of symbols.  Mr. Wuffles attempts to play with these aliens as he's not interested in any other normal cat toys and definitely not interested in his owner.  The only thing he's interested in is a small silver spaceship that houses these small little aliens.  Then the story cuts to the aliens developing a plan that will help launch their spaceship back into the atmosphere.  They work along side the insects such as ants and lady bugs and when the time comes they get Mr. Wuffles to jump on a platform that launches them out the window and back into the atmosphere.  Then Mr. Wuffles is left al...

  Title:   April and Esme Tooth Fairies Genre:  Fantasy Author /  Illustrator:  Bob Graham Age group : 2nd-4th Summary In this story the reader gets to follow two sisters who also happen to be tooth fairies on their first lost tooth mission.  April and Esme are in a family of tooth fairies and usually it's their parent picking up teeth however for Daniel these girls were specifically requested.  after getting a pep talk from mom and dad the sisters are off.  The one rule is that Daniel cannot see them or else it ruins the magic.  April and Esme get to Daniel's house with no problem and then they make their way up to the bedroom.  There they find Daniel sound asleep and look for his tooth.  it is sitting on a dresser inside a cup of water.  So April takes the dive in the cup and gets the tooth but as she gets out Daniel wakes up.  Both girls fly over the Daniel and pull his eyelids closed.  After getting a text from th...

  Title:   Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs Genre:  Fantasy Author : Judi Barrett Illustrator:  Ron Barrett Age group : 2nd-4th Summary Grandpa tells the children a bed time story about a town where food falls from the sky.  The tiny town of Chewandswallow was like any other town but the had no food stores in this tiny town.  The weather happened three times a day for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  Each meal time the people of the town would head outside with silverware and a plate or bowl so they would be ready to catch all the food the sky had to offer.  The sanitation workers of this town had to clean up any left over food or food that fell on top of houses that the people could not eat.  Then suddenly the weather began to turn violent one day of nothing but gorgonzola cheese fell and the next after that the was a fog of pea soup.  Then came a storm of bread rolls of all sizes from breadstick to giant car sized rolls.  It was li...

  Title:   The Thanksgiving Story Genre:  Historical Fiction Author : Alice Dalgliesh Illustrator:  Helen Sewell Major Awards:  Caldecott Award Age group : 2nd-4th Summary This is a story of the origin of Thanksgiving and how it became a tradition.  The story starts off with a bunch of pilgrims setting sail on the Mayflower to find the new land.  The boat have very crowded and dirty conditions.  So they are more than exciting to finally be off the boat.  Unfortunately worse challenges come to light.  The pilgrims face thirst and hunger and sickness if they cannot find shelter and food.  Luckily they are found by native people of the land they have just arrived on.  The natives give them food and show them how to farm that way they can survive the new land.  And then harvest day arrives both groups get together to celebrate all the food and growth that has happened and that is what we know today as Thanksgiving. Evaluation ...

Title:   Ox-Cart Man Genre:  Historical Fiction Author : Donald Hall Illustrator:  Barbara Cooney Major Awards:  Caldecott Award Age group : 1st-4th Summary This story follows a farm families throughout the year.  Specifically the father of the family and how he journey's ten whole days with his ox into the harbor market.  He is carrying all the goodies that his family has collected over the past year using his ox and cart.  when he get to the market one by one he sells all the goodies and then the cart and then the ox and last the ox's yoke and harness.  The father then buys in the market a kettle for his wife, a needle for his daughter, a knife for his son, and a bag of peppermint candy for the whole family to share.  Now the father returns home on foot where he gives out the gifts to his family and then the story takes us through the year again in cyclic form until right before it is time for the father to head on back to the market. Evalu...