Historical Fiction: The Cart that Carried Martin

Title: The Cart the Carried Martin

Author: Eve Bunting 

Illustrator: Don Tate

Publisher: Charlesbridge, 2013

ISBN: 978-1-58089-387-9

Summary: This is a historical fiction picture book about the cart that was used to carry Martin Luther King Jr. to his funeral services. The story begins with people finding the cart, and then they have to borrow the cart from the store, because the store was never open for them to buy it. They painted the cart green, just like he would have wanted. The story then progresses through the journey that the cart makes, carrying Martin Luther King Jr.'s casket. In the end, readers learn that the cart was placed in a museum, so others could admire its great historical significance. 

Evaluation: I liked this picture book. It was interesting to me that the book was about King's death, rather than about what he did. However, there were lines in the story that hinted at what King stood for. The story was actually more about the cart than it was about King himself, which was an interesting twist on the usual Martin Luther King Jr. stories that most children may be used to. The illustrations were done well. There was a lot of color, but nothing was too bright, as the book was related to a death. Overall, the book talked about a historical event, but took the event from a different angle, which made the picture book different from others on the topic. 

Rating: I would give this book 4.5/5 stars. 

Historical Fiction: The Winter of Red Snow: The Revolutionary War Diary of Abigail Jane Stewart

Title: The Winter of Red Snow: The Revolutionary War Diary of Abigail Jane Stewart 

Author: Kristiana Gregory

Illustrator: None

Publisher: Scholastic, Inc., 1996

ISBN: 0-590-22653-3

Summary: This book is part of the well-known Dear America series. These books take young readers through the lives of girls who lived during important parts of our history. This book is the diary of Abigail Jane Stewart, who lived during the Revolutionary War. It took place in Valley Forge, Pa in 1777. The book takes us through each of Abigail's days as a young girl during this tough time in American history.

Evaluation: Growing up, I absolutely loved the Dear America series. I owned and read every single book in the series, and The Winter of Red Snow is one of my favorites. There are no illustrations in the books, which make them more appropriate for older, independent readers. However, they are both educational and entertaining. As a reader, you get to feel like you are actually experiencing these historical events because the book is written in the form of a diary. With the Winter of Red Snow, you can feel like you really experienced the Revolutionary War. At the same time, though, while fiction, it is still very informative of the actual events that went on during the war.  This book series is a great way to teach about historical events, while making it fun to read about, and not like you are reading out of a text book.  A downfall, however, is that they do not appeal to young boys, as they are always written from a young girl's perspective. 

Rating: I would give this book 5/5 stars, along with all of the other Dear America books in the series. 

Informational Text: Goodnight America

Title: Goodnight America 

Author: Adam Gamble 

Illustrator: Suwin Chan

Publisher: Our World of Books, 2006

ISBN: 978-0-9777979-5

Summary:  This is a board book that is also informational. The idea of the book is that it takes children all around America, to different things that America offers. The children visit the Statue of Liberty, the Grand Canyon, the city, the desert, the islands, Niagara Falls, along with many other places. At each stop, we learn a little something about each place. "Wow! See the Grand Canyon, carved into the land by the Colorado River" is an example of how the author informs readers about the place the children are visiting on their journey.

Evaluation: I thought that this informational text was unique in that it is telling the information from the perspective of the children in the book. Through the book, readers learn about a lot of the great things that America has to offer. The illustrations are very cartoon-like, and the children are present in every place that they go, so it is almost as if the child reading the book is there with the children in the book. Overall, I liked that the book took children to all sorts of different places and that the author really made the information presented in the text relatable to children.

Rating: I would give this book 4/5 stars. 

Informational Text - Fire! Fire!

Title: Fire! Fire! 

Author: Gail Gibbons 

Illustrator: Gail Gibbons

Publisher: Scholastic, Inc., 1884

ISBN: 0-590-46478-7

Summary: This is an informational text about what happens when there is a fire. It talks about things that start fires, how the fire company responds to the fire, what the fire company does when they get to a fire, and the lives of the firemen. It also talks about different kinds of fires that can happen, and different places fires can occur, such as in an apartment building, in the country, in the forest, and on the waterfront. At the end of the book, it teaches readers about fire fighting equipment, ways to prevent a fire, and what to do if there is a fire.

Evaluation: I thought that this book was definitely full of information. This could also be a hard subject to talk to children about, so telling it in a story form could be a way to help capture their attention. I really enjoyed how Gibbons was really just explaining and giving information throughout the text, but she really made it sound like a short story. The illustrations were very cartoon like, but also very realistic, especially when looking at the fire trucks and equipment. Overall, this book was filled with information on a very important topic to teach to children, and this book could easily be something that a child finds enjoyable to read, as it still sounds like a story.

Rating: I would give this book 5/5 stars. 

Informational Text - Move!

Title: Move!

Author: Steve Jenkins

Illustrator: Robin Page

Publisher: Houghton Muffin Company, 2006

ISBN: 978-0618-64637-1

Summary: This is an informational texts that teaches readers all about different animals and the way that they move. It begins by telling the readers that animals move in all different ways. Then, the book goes through different animals and how they move, such as swinging, walking, diving, sliding, floating, and waddling. 

Evaluation: This book was definitely informational. The illustrations were a lot of fun to look at and added some fun to the topic. The way the words were positioned on the page to help demonstrate the movement that was being covered was a unique addition. The book also spoke about the animals in the right context, such as a "colony" of penguins. At the end of the book, in a sort-of glossary format, the author explains each animal that was presented in the text, which could definitely be useful to children because Jenkins used some unusual animals that children may not know exist, such as an armadillo to a jacana.  Overall, I liked the concept of the book, I liked that Jenkins used some unconventional animals, and the illustrations were very realistic. 

Rating: I would give this book 4/5 stars. 

Fantasy - Zathura

Title: Zathura 

Author: Chris Van Allsburg 

Illustrator: Chris Van Allsburg 

Publisher: Houghton Muffin Company, 2002

ISBN: 0-618-25396-3

Summary: This is a story about two brothers who are always fighting. During one of their fights at the park, the little brother, Danny, found the game Jumangi. Danny took the game home and started to play it, while his brother watched TV. When he was finishing, he found another board shoved in the bottom of the box. This one was a game about space. Danny did not do anything to the board, but a green card popped out of the board on its own. The card said "meteor showers, take evasive action". As Danny was asking his brother what evasion meant, the sky grew dark and something began crashing into their roof...meteors. The boys had to play the entire game to get out of space and back to earth.

Evaluation: This was a great story that incorporated fantasy with the realism of sibling relationships. There were typical brothers in the book who were always arguing, and the older brother wanted nothing to do with his younger brother, something that a lot of children can most likely relate to. The fantasy aspect of the book came in when they started to play the boar game. The boys were then in outer space until they completed the game. They saw planets, meteors, aliens, and even a black hole while playing the game, all from out of their windows and front door. The idea of fantasy really made this book fun to read. The illustrations were in all black and white, but were very detailed and very large. However, with the theme of space, I do think that adding some color to the illustrations here and there could have made the book more visually appealing, especially for children.

Rating: I would give this book 4/5 stars. 

Fantasy - Where the Wild Things Are

Title: Where the Wild Things Are

Author: Maurice Sendak

Illustrator: Maurice Sendak 

Publisher: Harper Collins Publishers, 1963

ISBN: 9780060254933

Summary: This is a story about a little boy named Max. Max gets into all sorts of mischief. His mother yells that he is a wild thing, and sends Max to bed without supper. When Max goes to bed that night, his room suddenly begins to transform. He ended up in a world of the wild things, and he had fun being the king of the wild things. In the end, the wild things get too wild, and Max tells them to stop. He sails back to the world of his bedroom, where his supper is waiting for him, still hot. 

Evaluation: I really enjoyed reading Where the Wild Things Are, as I have never read it before. I love the aspect of adventure that the book brings to life. The illustrations are filled with texture and dimension, making them very appealing and fun to look at for children. The world that is created by Max's imagination shows children that using their own imagination can be a lot of fun.

Rating: I would give this book 5/5 stars.