Picture Book Pleasure Reading: The Goat Lady by Jane Bregoli

Title:
The Goat Lady

Bibliographic Information:
Bregoli, J. (2004). The goat lady. Gardiner, Maine: Tilbury House, Publishers.


Weekly Requirement:
Pleasure Reading Picture Book

Plot Description:
The Goat Lady is based on author Jane Bregoli's childhood neighbor Noelie Lemire Houle. Houle was a French Canadian woman born in 1899 who lived near Bregoli and who also owned many goats, which lead to her being called the goat lady. In the beginning of the book no one knows who the goat lady is and many of the neighbors complain about her goats. One day she comes into her yard and invites Bregoli and her sister to meet the goats. The girls develop a friendship with the goat lady and begin to visit her and play with the goats. They learn the goat lady first raised goats to help recover from severe arthritis by drinking their milk, and that when she was better she raised more goats to help other people feel better too. Their mother decides to paint pictures of the goat lady and they are hung in the town hall. The neighbors see the paintings and become more accepting of the goat lady and her goats. The goat lady becomes famous in her community, but still remains humble with a great love for her goats.


Quantitative Reading Level:
Lexile 970 Nonconforming text


Qualitative Reading Analysis:
The book is told from the point of view of the narrator, the author. The book includes painted illustrations. The word kid in the book is used to mean two different things, either human offspring or baby goats. The goat lady refers to the little goats as her kids, which is intended to have two different meanings. The language is American English.


Content Area:

Literature

Maine Common Core Content Area Standard:
Reading-Literature Third Grade CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.3.2


Curriculum Suggestion:
This is a great book to second and third graders at the beginning of spring. Spring is when many farm animals give birth, and one of the goat lady's goats gives birth to triplets! It is also a great example of a biography and would be an excellent book to teach elementary age children how to write a biography for a writing assignment.

Personal Thoughts:
The paintings in this book are done with rich, vivid, beautiful colors 

Themes:
An important theme in this book it to not judge people based on their appearances.  The goat lady is an older woman who wore mismatching clothes and lived in a dilapidated house, something that both children and adults might think is strange or weird, but when the author and her sister got to know the goat lady they saw she was a wonderful person. Another important theme is the importance of sharing, which the goat lady shows by raising goats to help other people.

Awards:
Henry Bergh Children's Book Award, Humane Heroes - ASPCA 2004,
Teacher's Choice Award -- International Reaing Association, 2005

Math Picture Book: Help Me Learn Numbers 0-20 by Jean Marzollo

Title: Help Me Learn Numbers 0-20


Bibliographic Information: Marzollo, J. (2011). Help me learn numbers 0-20. New York: Holiday House.


Weekly Requirement:

Math Picture Book


Plot Description:
Help Me Learn Numbers 0-20  is a story that shows how to count to twenty with rhymes and intriguing pictures that match each number. The first page contains a picture of one item, the second page contains a picture of two items, etc., and each page also contains a four line rhymes about the number. The third line asks the question of how many items are present and the fourth line leaves a blank space so the reader is encouraged to say the number out loud and demonstrate their knowledge of numbers. Number two is an excellent example that shows two ceramic pigs with the question and answer, "How many piggies? I count ______ (two)" (Marzollo, 2011). The book is written with Common Core math standards in mind.

Quantitative Reading Level:
Flesch-Kincaid  0.1, Average Grade Level 1

Qualitative Reading Analysis:
This is a very simple text that is not highly complex but does contain important qualitative elements. Each number covered includes a short rhyming poem. There are vivid photographs, each with an item corresponding to the number. Numbers are written in order from zero to twenty. There are some shifts in point of view. Sometimes it is from the point of view of the narrator,  such as in number three's poem that begins with "How many fish/do I see?" (Marzollo, 2011), whereas number sixteen is written from the point of view of the sixteen monster finger puppets who proclaim "We are monsters! We are mean!" (Marzollo, 2011).

Content Area:

Kindergarten and First Grade Math

Maine Common Core Content Area Standard:
Kindergarten Math, Count the sequence, count to tell the number of objects CCSS.Math.Content.K.CC.B.4.a, CCSS.Math.Content.K.CC.B.4.b, CCSS.Math.Content.K.CC.B.5

Curriculum Suggestion:

Number learning for Kindergarten and First Grade math. Also can be used for English Language Learners (ELL) who are learning English numbers. A great book to teach rhyme and poetry as well.

Personal Thoughts:

The photographs are awesome and include items children will enjoy such as toy cars, cookies, and miniature animals. The book was written with Common Core standards in mind and therefore is an excellent companion to math units in kindergarten.

Subject:
Math, Number Counting

Science Picture Book: How to make a Liquid Rainbow

Title:
How to Make a Liquid Rainbow

Bibliographic Information:
Shores, L. (2011). How to make a liquid rainbow. North Mankato, Minnesota: Capstone Press.

Weekly Requirement:
Science Picture Book

Plot Description:
The book How to Make a Liquid Rainbow gives a step-by-step description of how to make a liquid rainbow in a jar. It lists all of the ingredients that are necessary, their measurements, and concise, simple directions on how to combine the ingredients. It also lists the materials that are necessary to mix the ingredients together.  The book describes a number of scientific concepts such as density, liquid, and particles. Pictures are also used to show each ingredient and how the ingredients should be combined together. 

Quantitative Reading Level:
Lexile 490

Qualitative Reading Analysis:
Includes color photographs showing children making the liquid rainbow as well as photographs of the ingredients. There are headings for each section of the book, which are Rainbow in a Jar, Making a Liquid Rainbow, and How Does It Work? There is also a table of contents and glossary.

Content Area:
Science

Maine Common Core Content Area Standard:
English Language Art.

Curriculum Suggestion:
Hands on science lesson for Grades 1-3 in conjunction with weather lessons about rainbows.

Personal Thoughts:
How to Make A Liquid Rainbow has easy to follow instructions with colorful pictures as guides. The activities are great for children to do with their parents or teachers. It is a great book for children who enjoy a hands-on approach to learning.

Series Information:
Hands-On Science Fun is a series of books about hands-on science activities for younger elementary age children. Some of the other books include How to Make Slime by Lori Shores, How to Make Bubbles by Erika Shores, and How to Make A Tornado in a Bottle by Lori Shores.

Pleasure Reading Middle School/High School: Secrets of the Undead My Life Among the Undead: Book Three by Camara M. Bragdon

Title:
Secrets of the Undead My Life Among the Undead: Book Three

Bibliographic Information:
Bragdon, C. M. (2011). Secrets of the undead my life among the undead: book three. S.ℓ: s.n..

Weekly Requirement:
Pleasure Reading Chapter Book Middle School/High School

Plot Description:
Secrets of the Undead My Life Among the Undead: Book Three is the third book in the My Life Among Undead series. It tells the story of Shelly Anderson, a human living in the magical land of Zephyr among vampires, welkies, and other magical creatures. Shelly works in the Zephyr Public Library and is offered a temporary position in the library at the Urbana School of Magic. Her vegetarian vampire boyfriend Eddie does not want her to go but won't tell her why. Shelly discovers that Eddie attended the school years ago and tries to unravel the mystery of what happened to him there. Shelly quickly sees that the Urbana School of Magic is filled with buried secrets from the past, including a ghost that haunts her dorm and a creepy school president with a questionable past. Shelly tries to uncover the truth but finds herself in danger. Can she find the answers she needs before it's too late?

Quantitative Reading Level:
Flesch-Kincaid 8.3

Qualitative Reading Analysis:
The book is told from Shelly's point of view in the first person. It is told in chronological order but also includes some flashbacks to scenes from Eddie's past. Colors are described in detail, especially Shelly's clothes and some of the rooms she enters. There is some foreshadowing as Shelly discovers clues to her mystery. The language is American English. Some cultural background is necessary to understand Shelly's references to mythical creatures such as vampires and pegasuses, and it is also necessary to understand Shelly's occasional references to pop culture.

Content Area:
Reading- Literature

Maine Common Core Content Area Standard:
English Language Art.

Curriculum Suggestion:
Suggestion for independent reading selection for grades 8-10.

Personal Thoughts:
This book is a great suggestion for reluctant readers who are interested in fantasy stories like Harry Potter or Twilight. It's an easy read for most high school students and the book's mystery, romance, and humor will hold their interest.

Series Information:
The My Life Among the Dead chronicles the story of Zephyr librarian Shelly Anderson and her romance with her boyfriend Eddie Van Helsing. The stories take place in the magical land of Zephyr that is filled with characters with magical powers. There are six books to date.

Key Characters:

Shelly Anderson- The main character of the story, Shelly lives in the magical land of Zephyr and has the ability to read the minds of the undead. Her boyfriend is Eddie Van Helsing. Eddie is her first boyfriend.

Eddie Van Helsing- Shelly's boyfriend. Eddie is a vegetarian vampire who cannot drink blood for medical reasons. Eddie is secretive about his past and blocks Shelly's telepathy when she tries to read his mind. Despite his secrets Eddie is a caring boyfriend who feels great affection for Shelly.

Harriet Legolas- Shelly's roommate at the Urbana College of Magic. Harriet is a nursing student who is not all that she seems.

Merrill Blackstone-The president of the Urbana College of Magic. Blackstone is creepy and acts like nothing is wrong when Shelly discovers the school's library account has no money. He also tries to hit on Shelly but she rejects him. Shelly believes Blackstone is hiding something and could have something to do with her boyfriend's secrets.

Rajah- The school janitor who cautions Shelly to stay away from Blackstone.

Picture Book on A Historical Topic: The California Gold Rush by R. Conrad Stein

Title:
The California Gold Rush

Bibliographic Information:
Stein, R. C. (1995). The California gold rush. Chicago: Childrens Press.

Weekly Requirement:
Picture Book on a Historical Topic

Plot Description:
The California Gold Rush tells the true story of the California Gold Rush of 1849. It starts with the early beginnings of the gold rush when gold is discovered on businessman John Sutter's land. When gold was discovered word spread quickly and people from as far as the east coast of the United States rushed to California to mine for gold and earn a fortune. The book describes the methods of transportation the miners used to get to California, the hardships they encountered along the way, their interactions with Native Americans, the methods they used to mine for gold, and the cities that were created due to the gold rush.

Quantitative Reading Level:
Grade level equivalent 5.6

Qualitative Reading Analysis:
This book is written in chronological order beginning from Sutter's move to the United States in 1839 to the 1850's when miners began to move away from California. The book is written in the third person. It includes illustrations and photographs with captions underneath them. There is also a chronological timeline of important dates and also a glossary of terms from the book.


Content Area:
History

Maine Common Core Content Area Standard:
English Language Art.

Curriculum Suggestion:
Fifth Grade U.S. History to be taught in between the Mexican-American War and the Civil War.

Personal Thoughts:
The book breaks down the highlights of the California Gold Rush and describes them simply and briefly enough to hold a child's interest. It is much more simple and much more interesting than a standard textbook!

Series Information:
The Cornerstones of Freedom series is about important parts of United States history. It has three separate series, first, second, and third, and this book is part of the first series written in the 1990's. Other books in the first series include The Declaration of Independence by R. Conrad Stein, The Boston Tea Party by R. Conrad Stein, and The Constitution by Marilyn Prolman.