Module 2 - Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

Citation: Viorst, J. (1987). Alexander and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. New York. NY: Atheneum Books.

Book Summary: Alexander starts his day off by waking up with gum in his hair, but that is just the beginning.  Things get progressively worse for him throughout the book as he has to sit in the middle seat on the way to school, finds out he has a cavity, falls in the mud, and gets in trouble at his dad's office.  He threatens to move to Australia, but his mom ensures him that bad days happen, even in Australia. 

My Impressions: I have always loved this book.  I think it is an easy book that kids can relate to.  Everyone has bad days every now and then.  The things that happen to Alexander throughout the story as he gets in fights with his brothers and his friend Paul tells him that he is his third best friend are common problems that children encounter.  This book helps children see that they are not alone and that things will get better.  The black and white illustrations are a perfect accompaniment to this story. 

Professional Review: Of all the books out there that deal with schadenfreude, none do it quite so well as Alexander. Now there’s a kid who just cannot win. If he isn’t losing his cash in Alexander, Who Used to Be Rich Last Sunday then he’s protesting a new living situation (not in Australia) in Alexander, Who’s Not (Do You Hear Me? I Mean It!) Going to Move. Of course he started life in this book where everything that could possibly go wrong does. The perfect antidote to any adult that claims that childhood is one sweet, blissful, stress free ride of innocence and carefree days.

Dean, K. (2009, April). Top 100 picture books poll results. [Review of the book Alexander and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day]. School Library Journal.

Library Uses: This would be a good book to use with younger elementary school students to discuss feelings and how to cope when this aren't going their way. 

Module 2 - Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs

Citation: Barrett, J., & Barrett, R. (1978). Cloudy with a chance of meatballs. New York: Atheneum.

Book Summary: This book starts off with a grandfather telling his grandchildren a story about a land called Chewandswallow.  The people in the land of Chewandswallow do not have any food stores or restaurants.  They eat whatever falls from the sky.  Each day, the weather forecasters give the forecast about what food will fall from the sky next day.  Everything is fine until the food keeps falling from the sky and will not stop.  So much food falls that the people cannot eat it all and the town is a wreck.  The school has to be closed when a giant pancake falls on it and no one can get inside.  The people had to leave the town and set up a town made out of food in a new place.  

My Impressions: I remember reading this story when I was a child.  Kids today still love hearing this story about food falling from the sky.  The book has become even more popular after the movie version came out a couple of years ago.  This is a very creative story that allows children to imagine what life would be like if food really did fall from the sky.  

Professional Review: Gr 1-3-- In the town of Chewandswallow, the citizens enjoy the bounties of the skies, and open-roofed restaurants allow diners to catch their dinner. Unfortunately, the weather takes a turn for the worse, and there is no choice but to flee from the falling food. The detailed pen-and-ink illustrations begin in black and white, but as the tale progresses, colors join the black line details. A savory story to share over and over again.

Gallagher, G. (2006, July). [Review of the book Cloudy with a chance of meatballs, by J. Barrett and R. Barrett]. School Library Journal, 52(7), 45-45. Retrieved from www.schoollibraryjournal.com.

Library Uses: This is a great book for a story time with younger children.  Children could also participate in a writing activity where they write what happens to the people after they set up their new town that is made out of food.  

Module 1 - The Giving Tree

Citation: Silverstein, S. (1964). The giving tree. New York, NY: Harper & Row.

Book Summary: This book tells the story of a little boy who grows up and visits a certain tree each day.  He gathers leaves, plays games, climbs the tree, uses it for shade, and eats the apples produced by the tree. As the boy grows older, he falls in love and starts to visit the tree less frequently.  The tree calls out to the boy, now man, and asks him to come and enjoy some of the activities of his youth, but he responds that he is too big and instead requests money.  The tree gives the man her apples to sell.  When the man is a little older, he returns to the tree, this time needing a house.  The tree offers the man her branches to use to build a house.  After many more years, the man returns and wants a boat.  The tree allows him to cut down her trunk to build a boat.  The tree is reduced to a mere stump with nothing left to offer the man.  The aging old man returns several years later, and the tree informs him she has nothing left to give.  The boy replies that all he needs is a place to relax, and he sits down to rest on the stump.  

My Impressions: This is a very simple story, but I think it is a story to which readers can easily relate.  I like the simple illustrations and I think they suit this book well.  While it is written as a children's book, I think adults can appreciate this book more than children.  

Professional Review: The Giving Tree shares the story of a young boy and his lifetime relationship with a certain apple tree. But it is much more than that. It is also a story of giving (and taking or receiving), friendship, happiness, loyalty, sacrifice, gratitude, happiness, and most importantly—love. The tree ultimately gives everything for the boy without receiving much in return. The theme or message of the book has been interpreted in many different ways. It can be very simply understood by a second grader, or an adult can search for a deeper meaning.

Brodie, C. (2009, September)  The giving tree by Shel Silverstein - a forty-five year celebration.  [Review of the book The giving tree, by S. Silverstein].  School Library Monthly 26(1), page 22.

Library Uses: This would be a good book for a story time.  The librarian could ask children about anything that is special to them in the same way that the tree is special to the boy in the story.