If You Give a Cat a Cupcake by Laura Numeroff

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

Pub. Date: September 2008

Criteria for Selection

Recent copyright date as appropriate to the subject

Acceptable literary style and technical quality

Cost effective in terms of use

Appropriate for students with special needs

Explanation

This book is a continuation of the If You Give series.  It is follows the same literary style of the other books in the series.  It provides entertainment for the reader and it lends itself to the teaching of the language arts skills of realism and fantasy.

Justification

     If you give an adorable gray kitten a supporting role in a popular series, he'll cry out for a lead-and thus, this latest entry from Numeroff and Bond, which features a cat that first appeared in If You Give a Pig a Party. Like its predecessors, the story bubbles with cascading "if... then" silliness: a girl's granting of a cupcake, for example, leads to a request for sprinkles, which causes a mess; cleaning up gets the cat overheated, which prompts a trip to the beach, and so forth. Some of the connections feel forced even for this series (a ride on a merry-go-round whale inspires a wish to go to a science museum), but the vivacity of the drawings and pertness of the kitty protagonist make up for the shortcomings. Besides, a lot of the series' appeal can be credited to the competency and ingenuity of the various human enablers in the books. While sometimes baffled by the goings-on, the girl in these pages is able to roll with the punches-unlike many adults. Final art not seen by PW. Ages 3-7. (Oct.)  Publishers Weekly

Eve of the Emperor Penguin by Mary Pope Osborne

Publisher: Random House Children’s Books

Pub. Date: September 2008

Criteria for Selection

Recent copyright date as appropriate to the subject

Acceptable literary style and technical quality

Cost effective in terms of use

Appropriate for students with special needs

Explanation

This book is a continuation of the Magic Tree House series.  It is follows the same literary style of the other books in the series.  It provides entertainment for the reader and it lends itself to the teaching of the language arts skills of realism and fantasy.  It provides a connection between an expository story contained in the third grade reading book and a fictional version.

Justification

     JACK AND ANNIE continue their quest for the secrets of happiness—secrets they need to save Merlin. This time, the Magic Tree House takes them to the one continent they haven’t visited before: Antarctica! What can they hope to learn about happiness in such a barren place? Only the penguins know for sure . . . Jack and Annie are about to find out!  From the Publisher

Fancy Nancy's Favorite Fancy Words: From Accessories to Zany by Jane O'Connor

Publisher: Harpercollins Children’s Books

Pub. Date: April 2008

Criteria for Selection

Recent copyright date as appropriate to the subject

Acceptable literary style and technical quality

Cost effective in terms of use

Pertinent to curriculum and the objectives of the instructional program

Explanation

This book provides a fun and exciting way to promote grammar.  Students are given the opportunity to learn new words as well a new languages.

Justification

Building on O'Connor and Glasser's bestselling series, ultimate girly-girl Fancy Nancy makes vocabulary glamorous in this A-Z compendium ("That's fancy for collection"). As O'Connor explains in a foreword, "When you use [a fancy word] in a sentence, it's like adding sprinkles to vanilla ice cream!" The chosen words are generally helpful (hostess, wardrobe, understated) rather than precocious (ooh la la!), and reflect Fancy Nancy's special style. For example, to introduce the word "improvise," as in "I wanted a canopy bed so I had to improvise. I used a sheet, a mop, and a broom," Glasser shows the minimaven lolling in bed with bonbons and a tea tray, broomsticks supporting a canopy of perfectly ruffled gingham. Ooh la la, indeed! Ages 4-7. (May) Publishers Weekly

 

Since We're Friends: An Autism Picture Book by Celeste Shally,

 

Publisher: Awaken Specialty Press

Pub. Date: May 2008

Criteria for Selection

Recent copyright date as appropriate to the subject

Representative of differing viewpoints on controversial subjects

Free of bias and stereotype

Appropriate for students with special needs

Explanation

This book provides a way to address and explain autism to students in a way that they can understand.  It also shows students how to deal with others who have disabilities or may be different from them.

Justification

PreS-Gr 2- An unnamed child tells about his friendship with Matt, a boy with autism. Matt's condition is addressed directly, but then glossed over, as if his behavior were not really a problem. For example, when talking about playing basketball, the narrator says, "Sometimes Matt has a hard time following directions at practice.... Since we're friends, I show Matt what to do." Children who are autistic don't simply have a hard time following directions; they have difficulty attending to what is going on around them. They often have trouble with any organized sports, and while it is thoughtful for a child to volunteer to show Matt what to do, it is unrealistic to expect that he will respond to this "extra" help so easily. Both boys are drawn as cartoon characters; one is white and one is black. School Library Journal

 

If I Ran for President by Catherine Stier

 

Publisher: Albert Whitman

Pub. Date: April 2008

Criteria for Selection

Recent copyright date as appropriate to the subject

Reflective of the pluralistic nature of a global society

Free of bias and stereotype

Appropriate for students with special needs

Explanation

This book explains the office of President of the United States from the view of children.  The children are of different ethnic backgrounds which give students a chance to have a personal connection with the book.

Justification

As the presidential elections approach in the United States, this timely book invites the child to imagine himself or herself as a presidential candidate. It is the job of leading the country, and he or she must consider if they are ready to tackle it. Step-by-step, the child follows his peers (girls and boys of multi-ethnic backgrounds) from the moment they make their announcement to run, to campaigns, participation in primaries, debates with other presidential contenders, party conventions, and Election Day. It provides succinct explanations of the voting process, the popular vote versus the electoral vote, and political parties. The book provides a child's view of the hard work involved in campaigning and debating key issues, but also the fun of meeting people from all over the United States. The imaginative and informative illustrations complement the straightforward narrative. This book would make an excellent contribution to a social studies class leading to further discussion of the democratic process. Reviewer: Lilliam Oliva Collmann Children's Literature