Christine Carberry

Books I Read Spring 2009

Introduction: My name is Christine Carberry. I am married to my husband Joey and we have a 3 year old boy,

Christopher Blaze and another boy due in July. I am a special education major and just finished my internship at

Bucking Exceptional Student Center. I am originally from Brooklyn where I was a substitute Para professional for

2 years. Reading is very difficult for me to do so I tried to choose books that would catch my interest. When the

semester began I learned we had to read 30 books I thought no way am I going to do it. Once I realized that some

of the books are children’s books it put my mind at ease and I began to feel like I can actually do it.

Reflection: Reading was new for me. I read to my son every night and sometimes all day depending what he wants

so the children’s books were easy. It was finding time to read the others that got to be a little difficult. I was

mostly surprised that I have completed it before it is actually due. I like to do things at the last minute so for me

to be done with it and not sitting up reading 30 books the night before it is due is truly amazing. I have many

favorites on the list so I will chose one from each I think. Predators is just a great popup book that should be in

every classroom. The Hare Who Got Married is funny to me because I just got married last year. Locomotion was

a very interesting way of writing poetry and made me appreciate it more. Towards the end I enjoyed I think every

book that I read. It also depended on the topic I was reading about and what book I chose. There were a few

where I was in the middle and thought “ugh do I have to finish this?” I did but will certainly not use them in my

classroom. It is hard to say what I will do in the future with books because I plan on working with profound

students. I am not saying that they won’t enjoy books but for the most part we will not get passed picture books,

which is fine by me.

Title, Author, Copyright

Genre, Pages

Theme &

Awards

Summary

Personal Response to the Book

Classroom Use

Picture Books (5) 2 primary general, 2 use with MS Sec., 1 Sci or SS focus

Predators, Lucio &

Meera Santoro,

2008, Science

Picture Book, 12

pages

Animals A pop- up book that brings the

reader up close and personal

with some of the most

dangerous predators on the

planet.

I love the book Predators and so

does my 3 year old son. It does

have to be watched when

younger children are looking at

it. I also bought it for my

friend’s 6 year old nephew who

brought it in for show and tell.

The most interesting thing I

learned in this book was that

the Plover bird is welcomed

inside a crocodile’s mouth to eat

parasites and leeches from its

teeth.

I do not care what

grades I teach I will

most certainly have this

book in my classroom

library. It is just a very

interesting book that I

think any age can

appreciate. As I said in

my response I would

watch younger children

with it because the parts

are easily torn out of it

just like any other pop up

book.

Mr. Pusskins & Little Whiskers, Sam Lloyd, 2007,

Primary Picture

Book, 32

Pages

Animals

,

Friends

hip

Featur

ed on

NPR’s

Mr. Pusskins & Little Whiskers, is a sequel to the NY Times

Best seller, Mr. Pusskins: A Love Story. This story is about a cat

with an attitude whose owner

thinks he needs a friend so she

brings home a new kitten. Well

I love the pictures in this book.

They are so colorful and the

characters have the best facial

expressions. You can really see

how they feel. I brought a new

kitten home to my two older

kittens and this book perfectly

describes how I think one of

I will use the book using

the themes of friendship

and siblings. When

students are in younger

grades their parents may

be having more children,

which may cause the

children to act out. This

Weeke

nd

Edition

the new kitten destroys

everything and Mr. Pusskins

gets blamed. Mr. Pusskins gets

put out of the house and Little

Whiskers realizes what she had

done and shows the owner Emily

that it was all her fault. They

all lived happily together in the

end

them felt. book explains to children

that it is new and

different in the

beginning but shows that

everyone will get along in

the end. I think if a

teacher were to have a

student write something

about this book and a

new sibling was

happening in their life

they could relate it.

Who’s in the Bathroom, Jeanne

Willis, Illustrated

by Adrian

Reynolds, 2006,

Primary Picture

Book, 32 Pages

Animals,

Humor This is just a funny story about

two children standing on a long

line waiting for the bathroom.

While on the line they are

imagining who it could be. From

“an elephant having a poo” to a

“pig who is washing his briefs in

the sink.”

My son and I love this book.

Even as I was writing those

quotes I was finishing the next

line. We laugh every time we

read it and each time we get to

the end we just can’t wait to see

who it is.

This is a good book that

should be placed in a

classroom library just

for some humor in the

class. It doesn’t have

much meaning to it but I

guess if you reach it can

be used to strengthen

imagination.

Duck for President, Doreen

Cronin, Betsy

Lewin 2004,

Picture Book, 40

pages

Animals

,

Humor,

Politics

New

York

Times

#1

bestsel

ler

Duck for President is about a

duck on a farm who is tired of

doing his chores and tries to

get voted in as farmer. When

he realizes this is also hard he

runs for governor, then on to

president. When he makes it all

the way to the top he sees and

ad in the paper and realizes he

just wants to be a duck on a

farm again.

The book is a little long for me

but I read it in two parts to a

1st grade class while they were

holding a mock election. They

really enjoyed it and I think it

helped them to understand

elections in a fun way.

This book would be great

for older students as

well. Many schools hold a

mock election for their

students and this is a

way to introduce that.

Lightship, Brian

Floca, 2007,

Picture Book, 48

pages

Lightship talks about the job a

lightship has and the different

jobs the crew on the ship has.

This was not my favorite book I

have ever read. I think though

if I had read this or had it read

to me as a child I would

understand the ships I would

see every day in the harbor. I

lived in Brooklyn for most of my

life and this would have

explained so much.

This is a nice picture

book for older students

because it has many

details. If I saw this in

a library I would

probably pick it up just

because I would be

curious. It also could be

used in a project

because it does have

information that is

truthful but also has a

story to make it

interesting.

Traditional Literature (5) 1 Folk Tale, 1 Fable, 1 Myth, 1 Epic, 1 Multicultural Cinderella

The Hare Who Got Married, Fable

This is a Norwegian fable about

a fox and a rabbit. The rabbit

is happy because he got married

but not really because she’s old

and ugly so the fox says he’s

sorry. The rabbit says it’s ok

because she bought me a house.

The fox said that’s great. The

rabbit then said no the house

burned down. Again the fox

said he was sorry. The rabbit

said it’s ok because my wife was

in it.

I read this and it just made me

laugh right away. I know it is

short but it was very funny. I

feel like something was lost in

translation but it still turned

out to be a surprise ending.

This would not be good in

a classroom but it was

the first time that I

read this. Maybe in an

older classroom where

students would laugh at

it but still it is not very

nice.

Rip Van Winkle,

Adapted by Pegeen

Hopkins, 1998,

Folktale, 19 pages

The story is about a friendly

young man who was out for a

walk one day when he ran into a

group of men. He had a few

drinks with them and felt tired

so he closed his eyes under the

tree and fell asleep. He slept

for 20 years. When he woke he

I have heard parts of this story

ever since I was a little girl but

I never actually had read the

story. I love this story because

I have a house in the New York

Catskill Mountains. Everyone

always said that Rip Van Winkle

fell asleep in our little town.

This is a story of wisdom

for older students to

remind them to take

things slow so you don’t

miss out on anything. It

is a sweet story that I

think has been and will

continue to be told for

didn’t know he had slept for

that long.

generations in upstate

New York.

Yen Shen: A Cinderella Story from China, Ai-

Ling Louie, 1996,

32 pages

Multicu

ltural

Cindere

lla

story

The story is about a young

Chinese girl that overcomes her

stepmother and stepsisters

evilness in order to marry the

prince.

My friend introduced me to this

book. While I think it was long

it was beautifully illustrated and

had a good story.

This is an excellent story

to put in a classroom

library. I would love to

put different versions of

this story in my

classroom to show the

students that it is a

story known all around

the world not just a

Disney movie and

character.

The Judgment of Paris, Myth

Myth This myth is about a family who

gives away their son to be killed

but the man that was supposed

to kill him kept him in secret to

raise on his own. The man was

then to choose from 3 women

and he chose Aphrodite the

goddess of love who promised

The first thing that drew me to

this story was the name Priam.

I have a friend who named her

son that and always wondered

where it came from, I guess I

found it.

This tells students to

make sure they are

making the right

decisions. It is a short

story with a lot of

meaning. The names

could even be changed

and somewhat of the

him love with the most beautiful

woman. She kept her promise

but the woman was married to a

very powerful man which began

the Trojan Wars.

story to bring it into

modern times to interest

the students even more.

The book of Job,

Epic,

Epic The book of Job is about a

prosperous pious man. Satan

comes to God and says that Job

is only pious because he is

prosperous, God disagrees.

Satan makes a bet with God

that he could get Job to curse

him. God agrees. They take

everything away from him and

Job still does not curse God.

Job gets everything back

tenfold.

I have always heard this story

mentioned at the bar/bat

mitzvahs that I have been to

but never actually read the

story. It is a good story with a

happy ending which are always

my favorite.

This is a religious story

but it is one that can be

changed to be used in a

classroom. It is a good

story that has many good

points in it. If it is

changed it can be used in

a school setting.

Modern Fantasy: (3) (1 primary, 1 intermediate, 1 upper)

Alphabet Under Construction,

Denise Fleming,

2006, 32 pages

This book is about a character

of a mouse that is continued

from another one of this

author’s book. The Mouse

creates the alphabet in a very

artistic colorful way when it is

completed he relaxes in the

I took my son with me to the

library and this is the book that

he picked out. It is a very cute

book with wonderful

illustrations. My son loves

anything to do with the alphabet

so this was his favorite choice

I don’t think I would

actually use this book to

read for the alphabet

but rather use the pages

for the students to learn

the alphabet. Now that

I am thinking of it I

end. for the day. We read it 6

times!

could have the students

construct a classroom

alphabet for the bulletin

board using different

types of materials.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,

Roald Dahl, 2007,

176 pages

Five Children win their way into

Willy Wonka’s Chocolate

Factory. Each child has a very

different experience

throughout their tour in the

factory. Each child has a

situation in each of the strange

rooms that make up the

factory. From a golden goose to

a candy room that holds a whole

meal in one piece this is a fun

story for any age.

I have to tell the truth and say

that I have never read the book

only seen the movies. The book

was good but for someone who

doesn’t have much of an

imagination all I kept doing was

picturing the movie in my head.

I guess it helped me enjoy the

book because I had the movie to

play in my head while reading.

I am not too sure what I

would do with this book

in a classroom but I

loved when I was able to

read a book and then see

the movie after. It

always made me

appreciate the book

more and I am sure it

still does for students

today.

Tithe, Holly Black,

2004, 336 pages

Modern

Fantasy The book is about a 16 year old

girl named Kaye who has

dropped out of high school at 14

to follow her mother’s “music

career.” Her mother’s fiancé

tries to kill Kaye one night so

I hate the idea that all faeries

are angelic, pretty, little, women

with wings. That's ridiculous.

Faeries come in all shapes and

sizes, and some are beautiful

and some are terrifying. The

While this book is

modern fantasy and not

really school appropriate

I think students would

enjoy it. I hated the

books that were chosen

they move back to NJ. She

finds her old friends and

realizes that she is a faerie or

changeling.

characters are interesting.

There is smoking, drinking,

implied sex scenes... Finally a

book for teens that is really for

teens.

for me to read in school.

For this book I would

probably have them read

it and then do a fun

assignment such as

creating their own

fantasy world or making

a diorama of their

favorite scene. Poetry Books (3) (1 primary, 1 intermediate, 1 upper)

Put Your Eyes Up Here: and other school poems, Kalli

Dakos, 2006, 68

pages

As you can see by the title this

is a poetry book about school.

It has many different poems

with different characters that

a teacher can use throughout

the year.

I had a book like this when I

was younger expect that it was

funny little love poems. This is

always a good thing to have

around a classroom.

This book is just a great

resource to use. I think

if students enter you

classroom and see silly

poems it will make them

feel at ease and more

comfortable with you the

new teacher. These

poems can be used

throughout the year and

can show the students

that teacher’s can also

have a sense of humor

about school.

Locomotion, The story about an African I am not quite sure why I picked This is an excellent way

Jacqueline

Woodson, 2004,

112 pages

American boy is written in all

poems. He tells about his life

and how he lost his parents in a

fire and how he hasn’t seen his

younger sister. A teacher

encourages him to write down

his thoughts and this is the

product.

this book up, maybe because it

was poetry but not actual poems

that I need to analyze to

understand. I love that the

writings were written in first

person and as a child was writing

them. I really was able to

imagine this little boy telling the

story.

to show children that

there are others ways to

write and enjoy poetry.

I would use this book in

an upper elementary or

middle school classroom.

This is a way for

students to relate things

that may be going on in

their life to someone in a

story. I would have

students create their

own book/journal while

reading this book.

Poetry Matters: Writing a poem from the inside out, Ralph

Fletcher, 2002,

160 pages

This is not a book to show

students how to analyze a poem

but rather to write one. The

book breaks up poems into

different sections depending on

what type of poem you are

trying to write. It also has

interviews with poets and ideas

for poems.

I have to tell the truth and say

that I didn’t read through the

entire thing because poetry is

really not my favorite unless it

rhymes and is easy to

understand. I do feel though

that if I had an assignment to

write a poem that this is

definitely a book that I would

use.

This is a must have in a

teacher’s classroom

library. Poetry comes up

in every grade, the level

of difficulty is the only

difference. If this book

was available to students

in the classroom it would

help them complete some

poetry assignments such

as the one mentioned

above. I also think that

if students had this book

available they would be

able to look at it and

understand the difficult

poetry a little more.

Realistic Fiction: (4) (1 primary, 2 intermediate, 1 upper)

The New Puppy,

Kathleen N. Daly,

1969, 22 pages

The New Puppy is exactly what

the title says. A boy gets a new

puppy and has to teach the

puppy to be trained, how and

what to feed him and how to

love and take care of him.

I think this book is very

interesting and can teach a child

what do to when getting a new

pet, well a new puppy that is.

Sorry the picture is so blurry

and with a price tag on it but I

had to take it with my phone

because I can’t find a picture

online.

This is a wonderful way

to teach children

responsibility. I feel

that this is the age

where children usually

start to ask for a dog

(well at least I did) if

they do not have one

already. If a parent

were to inform the

teacher this story could

be used in class. I also

think it could be used

for a new class pet.

The Secret Garden, Frances

Hodgson Burnett,

368 pages

Mary Lennox, a problem orphan

was sent to live with her uncle’s

in England with whom she’s

never met. While living there

with her spoiled cousin she

finds an abandoned garden.

While trying to fix the garden

she becomes more manageable

and also cures her cousin of

being spoiled.

This book says that it is for

children ages 9-12. I am not too

sure I agree with the 9 part

just because it is so long but it

is a very good book. I guess the

9 would be ok if you take a

break and then watch the part

of the movie and then read and

watch more of the movie.

Actually that is a pretty good

idea and I wish I would have

thought of that.

For in the classroom, I

guess if your school

needs some fixing up

that would be a cute

project to do while or

after reading this.

Other than that I just

think it is a classic and

something that should be

read.

Freckle Juice,

Judy Blume, 48

pages

Little Andrew wants freckles

desperately. He sits behind his

classmate Nicky who has them

and has even counted 86 on the

back of his neck. A little girl

here’s Andrew ask Nicky where

he got his freckles so she tells

him that she will sell him her

recipe. There are some

problems but he does get some

“freckles” and then isn’t too

sure he wants them.

I cannot lie I have read this

book before but haven’t read it

since about the 4th grade. I saw

it in the library and just had to

take it and read it again. It was

still funny to me at 24 years old

and would read it again and

again!

This book is just a

fantastic read and a

good confidence booster.

Especially if you have a

student that you notice

is self conscience about

his/her freckles. I

remember how badly I

wanted braces because

everyone else was

getting them. Of course

now I realize that I love

my straight teeth!

Those Shoes,

Maribeth Boelts,

2007, 40 pages

All Jeremy wants is a pair of

black sneakers, with white

stripes on them. Why? Because

everyone else is wearing them.

His grandma explains that he

may want those but he needs

warm boots for the winter.

Jeremy doesn’t care and will do

anything, even wearing a pair

that is too small. But after

they give him blisters he

realizes maybe his grandma was

right.

This is another book like

Freckle Juice. Even though

these aren’t classics I think

they give children a good

message. I think these books

should be read by students

especially now when 4th graders

are asking for cell phones and

ipods.

I think this is a great

story to read around

Christmas time. Children

need to understand that

they might not get

everything they want. I

would use this and then

have the students do a

clothing drive of some

sort.

Historical Fiction (4) (1 primary, 1 intermediate, 2 upper)

The Scarlet Stockings Spy,

Trinka Hakes

Noble, 48 pages,

Sleeping Bear

Press, 2004

Historical

Ficiton

Maddy Rose who is living in

1777 Philadelphia during the

Revolutionary War is a spy for

Washington’s army. She is

speaking to her soldier

brother using a special code.

This book has the most

beautiful illustrations

which is what drew me to it

in the beginning. I think

the students would be able

to connect because the

illustrations are so life like.

It was a good story and I

think students would really

enjoy it.

I would probably do

something fun with

this book after we

have read it. Maybe

put on a play or do a

reader’s theater

with students

dressing up in

costume.

The Door in the Wall, Marguerite

De Angeli, 120

pages, Random

House Children’s

Books, 1998

Historical

Fiction

Newberry

Medal

Robin is the son of a nobleman,

a knight, whose world is turned

upside down when he becomes

ill and looses the use in his

legs.

I am not quite sure why

this book is used for school

use. I think as a student in

an elementary classroom I

would be bored and loose

complete interest. I chose

it because in Barnes and

Noble it is considered

historical fiction and

children with special needs.

I guess because the

character has to find

other ways to do things yes

but it was not what I

expected at all.

There are many

lesson plans and

ideas for this book

but I don’t honestly

think I would use it

in a classroom. The

vocabulary is

confusing and

students would have

to be looking in the

dictionary all of the

time.

Escaping into the Night, D. Dina

Friedman, 208

AJL

Sydney

Taylor

A girl named Halina has to

escape her polish town when it

is invaded by Nazi’s. Her

This book was very

informative. I like the

fact that it was loosely

I think this book

can be used in a

classroom no

pages, Simon &

Schuster

Publishing, 2006

Book

Award

Notable

Book

CBC/NC

SS

Notable

Social

Studies

Trade

Book

mother is killed and she

escapes through an

underground tunnel with her

mother’s boyfriend.

based on real events but

still fiction. It is a

different side to the

regular books about the

Holocaust that I have

read. The underground is

something I had never

heard of before and I hope

it is as interesting to my

students as it was to me.

younger than 6th

grade. I think the

Holocaust is a very

deep subject and

students should be

able to appreciate

it. I would have

students research

the underground

cities more in depth

and make a diorama

of one. This could

be done in a group

or individual.

The Other Boleyn Girl, Philippa

Gregory, 672

pages, Simon &

Schuster, 2004

Historical

Fiction

This story is based on the

story of Henry the VIII and

Anne Boleyn, but not what you

think. It is about her sister

Mary who caught his eye after

Anne had failed. Mary never

married Henry; she was his

mistress while married to the

Queen of Spain.

I admit I saw the movie

first but enjoyed it so

much (each time I watched

it) that I had to read the

book. Obviously this book

is for upper high school

grades and would still I am

sure require parent

permission. While it is long

I think if we were to watch

There are so many

ideas that could be

done because of the

amazing history of

the Tudor family,

especially Henry

VIII. If the

teacher makes it

fun enough this is a

very interesting

the movie while reading it

the students wouldn’t even

notice how long it is.

topic especially at

the high school age

where students have

boyfriends and

girlfriends they can

relate this to.

Non Fiction (3) (1 primary, 1 intermediate, 1 upper)

What Mr. Darwin Saw, Mick

Manning, 48 pages,

Frances Lincoln

Children’s Books,

2009

Non

Fiction

Charles Darwin at the age of

22 was about to enter the

clergy but was asked to take

part in a sea voyage. With

some persuading from him and

his uncle Charles went on his

way. It was supposed to be a 2

year trip and he stayed out for

five.

The pictures in this book

are fantastic. While I

know this is a controversial

subject this book does not

go into too much detail

hopefully not getting me

into trouble as a teacher.

It is written in a diary

form which is interesting.

There are some graphic

pictures like that of a man

getting his leg cut off but

I am sure young students

would think it was “cool.”

I would take the

students on a field

trip and have them

keep a diary of what

they saw just like

Charles Darwin did.

The Underwear Salesman, J.

Patrick Lewis, 64

pages, Simon &

Schuster, 2009

Non

fiction

This is a poetry book about

some obscure jobs that I am

sure children do not think of.

It is funny and has goofy

pictures to keep students

attention.

I picked this book up

because I couldn’t imagine

what it was about. When I

began to read it I was

giggling to myself about all

the strange jobs that are

out there. As teachers the

community lesson consists

of police, firemen, and

mailmen. This made me

think of well what if their

parents work as a plumber

this book brings that into

children’s heads.

I know exactly what

I would do with this

book and when.

During the

community helpers

lesson I would have

some of the people

that are mentioned

in this book into the

classroom to be

interviewed by the

students. I think it

is nice because the

students have the

book to base their

questions on.

Inside Out: Portrait of an Eating Disorder,

Nadia Shivack, 64

pages, Simon &

Schuster, 2007

Non

Fiction

ALA

Quick

Picks for

Reluctant

Young

Adult

Readers

Bank

This is a diary type book

written in a very strange way

because the author was writing

and drawing on napkins to try

and keep her food down and

the voices in her head quite.

Nadia was only 14 when she

learned of her eating disorder

and was placed in an inpatient

Even though I have never

had an eating disorder it

has always interested me.

I don’t understand how

people could not eat. I

surely love food too much.

This is also important for

students of this age,

especially the girls. I also

I am not sure what

I would do with this

book but it is

interesting. I think

maybe if I

suspected a student

had an eating

disorder I would

have students keep

Street

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Books of

the Year

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"Books

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Teen

Age"

unit of a hospital. This is her

story.

think this is important for

boys because this will help

them see the signs and

maybe help a friend in

need.

a food diary/journal.

DIVERSE POPULATIONS (3) (1 primary, 1 intermediate, 1 upper)

Since We’re Friends, 32 pages,

Awaken Specialty

Pr, 2008

Autism

Awarene

ss

This book is about 2 boys one

who has autism is one who does

not. The book gives examples

of how to make a friendship

work. It shows that students

with autism can be fun in a

friendship.

I think this is a very

important topic especially

since Florida is now joining

other states with the

inclusion classroom. I

think if students knew

more about these peers

that are entering their

classroom they would be

more welcoming. Everyone

has a lot of questions

especially children, so

anything that will help

them understand is great.

Obviously I would

only use this in a

classroom that has

students with

autism. Actually I

would use it if I

knew any of the

students had a

sibling with autism

also. I think it helps

children to feel

more comfortable

and able for them to

ask questions

because they are

curious.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time,

Mark Haddon, 240

pages, Random

House Inc, 2004

Asperge

r

Syndrom

e

This is a story about a 15 year

old boy with Asperger

Syndrome. He wants to be a

detective to find out who

killed his neighbor’s dog. He is

to do it in secret though

because he was asked not to

get involved. Christopher has

little quirks about him such as

he hates the color yellow and

if he sees a certain number of

a certain color cars in a row he

is going to have a good day as

opposed to another color which

means it’s a bad day.

One of my teacher’s had

recommended this book so

I decided to read it and

boy am I happy I did. I

think it is important to

read about it before you

actually open the book. If

I didn’t read the reviews

before I would have been

extremely lost. It is told

as if it was a person with

Asperger’s syndrome so if

you don’t understand it this

book will be very confusing.

This is for a little

bit older students I

think, but I feel like

if the students read

it they may be able

to connect with

some things that

this person does. I

would have the

students identify

with one of his little

quirks in the story

and write their own

story about it.

The First Part Last, Angela

Johnson, 144 pages,

Simon & Schuster,

2005

3 Time

Coretta

Scott

King

Award

winning

author

Bobby is a normal 16 year old

city boy except for one thing.

He is going to be a father. His

girlfriend is pregnant and

instead of normal teen

activities they will be going to

doctor’s visits, changing

diapers and bottle feeding.

Bobby’s idea of how life would

The story is told in

flashbacks and what is

happening now. It switches

throughout to try and

explain what and why it is

going on. I read this book

after I observed in the

LAMP school. Even though

I know things like this

I would use this

book most likely in a

health class as an

introduction or even

a closer to the

students having the

micro chipped dolls

or bags of sugar. It

is hard for students

be with his daughter is

changed when his girlfriend

has eclampsia after giving

birth.

happen because it

happened it me (well at 20,

not 16) it is still so hard

for me to understand that

children this young could

be parents.

to imagine what life

would be like with a

baby so I think

anything that can

hopefully prevent it

should be done.