Mr. Peabody's Apples

Mr. Peabody's Apples is a story about how words have tremendous power and influence. In this children's story written by Madonna, Tommy sees Mr. Peabody take the shinniest apple for the store without paying for it. Tommy immediately assumes that Mr. Peabody is a theif and tells all who would listen. Soon the boys who usually play baseball on Saturday don't come and play because they don't want to play with a theif. Another boy, Billy, talks with Mr. Peabody and discovers that Mr. Peabody pays for the apple and milk early every Saturday morning but picks the apple up on his way home from the baseball game. Tommy is sad he spread a rumor. Tommy appologizes, yet he doesn't quite get it. Mr. Peabody has Tommy meet him at the baseball field with his feather-filled pillow. They cut open the pillow and spread the feathers. Mr. Peabody then tells Tommy that each feather represents someone in the town who heard the rumor he spread. Tommy then realized how words can spread fast and influence other people.

MY TWO CENTS:
The story or fable is simple, yet powerful. I enjoyed its simplicity. The artwork is also fantastic.

100% on the AR quiz. ")

Three Names

The author of Sarah, Plain and Tall wrote a lovely children's book called Three Names. Three Names is a simple book about the days when children on the prairie road a wagon, a horse, a pony or walked to a one room school house. In this enjoyable story, a boy and three names (the boy's dog) loved to go to school and they missed it when school was out for the summer.

MY TWO CENTS:
The story transports me back to the days when children did attend a one room school house. I spent a moment or two reflecting on what it would be like to have a multiage classroom and try to meet the academic and social needs of the students in the class. I have to hand it to the early school house teachers, they had their work cut out for them.

Criss Cross

Lynne Rae Perkins was the 2005 Newberry Award recipient for her book Criss Cross. This is a becoming of age story that takes place during the summer months. Each chapter reveals the thoughts and youthful actions of three main boys and two main girls. They live in a small town named Seldem. Many of the five are bored with their small town and all the plain people. As the summer months pass, they begin to discover new things about the town, the people and each other. In the end, they begin to discover that the happiness many of us are searching for is right in front of you.

MY TWO CENTS:
Cute book about discovering and noticing new things about old things. I enjoyed how Lynne Rae Perkins introduced the main characters and intertwinded their lifes throughout the chapters of the book. This was a pleasant read, especially after recently finising The Sorrows of Young Werther by Goethe.

The title Criss Cross came from the radio show the five characters listened to in Leon's truck while parked in the driveway. The radio show was one of the many times these five characters paths criss crossed throughout their life.

I received 100% on my AR quiz.

Big Chickens

Big Chickens written by Leslie Helakoski is a delightful book about four chickens who were frightened away from their chicken coop due to the presence of a wolf. Their flight took them through the woods, into a ditch, to a lake, into a cow patch and then inside a cave. All along these four chickens were scared and frightened. In the end, they discovered they were filled with guts, brains and power and didn't need to be afraid.

MY TWO CENTS
Some of the simplest stories turn out to be little favorites. Big Chickens was a gift from one of my students who purchased the book during our Back-2-School Night book fair. In many ways, I related to these four chickens as they ventured out beyond the comfort and safety of their chicken coop. They were afraid of every new place and run by the thoughts that filled their minds. Although they didn't take the time to process the new information they functioned on a preconceived notion that the situation (i.e. cow patty, lake, wolf) was nothing but doomsday. It wasn't until they were corned in the cave and reluctantly faced the big bad wolf only to realize that they have strength in numbers and strength in doing something. All too often we allow fear to consume us and control our actions (or lack there of). When we face our fear, willingly or unwillingly, and deal with it head on, often times we concur the fear and realize the only thing we feared was fear itself.

Accelerated Reader Quiz: 100% ;)