Boy by Roald Dahl

          Roald Dahl manages to make this book a funny and entertaining version of his life growing up in a large family (being the only boy), and going to boarding school in Europe. I wondered why he called the book "Boy" and I finally realized it was because he signed all his letters to his mother, "with love, Boy." It must have been horrible having your adenoids cut out with not anesthetic, or your nose almost shaved off and sewn on again with just chloroform. What about the poor boy with the boil on his leg?
          Can you imagine the punishment that went on at his boarding schools. The "canings" sound awful....and the yelling and the Boazers.........Dahl had tragedy in his life but he had a great mother,and he tried to keep a positive outlook on life. He was naughty too, such as when he put the mouse in the candy jar, or the goat poop in the pipe.......or dressed up and rode around the campus on his secret motorcycle.
         I enjoyed reading his descriptive writing, especially when talking about things such as traveling to China and how it used to take five weeks, but "these days nothing is fabulous anymore." Also, I have only know Dahl as a writer, I didn't know that he was a photographer too. I would love to see more of his pictures. I have read most of his books: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, Willy Wonka, The BFG, and the list goes on. I do want to read the sequel to this book too. I am looking forward to it!

Hurricanes By Seymour Simon

         This book is a longer one and jam packed with information about hurricanes from the early 1900's all the way up to Hurricane Katrina. There is discussion including all the main facts about the major hurricanes that have occurred over the last hundred years. This book is probably better for second grade and up, and would be good to use within a science unit or a science center. It would also be useful as a read aloud. Vocabulary words are defined like "hurricane," "tropical," "depression" etc. Hurricanes are described by how they are formed, how they move, the mass destruction that they cause and what you can do to protect yourself against them. There are lots of descriptive pictures depicting various hurricanes, and radar pictures showing infrared images and temperature color scales of past hurricanes. There is great detail about all the different categories of hurricanes and how these categories are defined. I learned many interesting facts such as: in 2005 there were 27 named tropical storms and fourteen hurricanes- the most storms and hurricanes ever in a single season. I also didn't know that hurricanes can set off dozens of small tornadoes or that in early 1900 a hurricane swept through Galveston, Texas causing the worst storm tide in United States history. There is also information included about what you need for a hurricane survival kit. Overall it is an informative book that can be used for research purposes. It is part of the "Smithsonian" series; this series also includes Sharks, Oceans, The Brain, The Heart, and Stars etc.

EARTHSEARCH A Kid's Geography Museum in a Book by John Cassidy

         This is one of the most interactive and engaging books I have seen. Every page has some sort of interactive activity for the reader to do. This book is longer and divided into sections such as: "Get Lost," "Trash," "Meet the Humans," and "Earth." One of the first pages shows pictures of "wiener" hot dogs and describes how they were buried for ten years in a dump, then dug up and photographed.........they still looked pretty much the same because they had not rotted much. (landfills apparently store more things that don't rot as quickly as you would expect.) There is an actual sand timer built into one page to represent the fact that every 10 seconds, 44 people are born on Earth. There is a whole section about getting "lost" on Earth, and how Christopher Columbus is the most famous "lost" person.
          There is a section about the solar system, and earthquakes, and another section about how quickly Africa is growing. On another page there is an interactive "people color wheel" that spins around to create any skin tone......there is also a blurb about "the whole world handshake" because so many people have shaken hands that eventually everyone on Earth will shake hands through someone else. This books asks lots of questions and then provides the answers to them all in the last few pages. This book is packed with interesting trivia and would be a fun to have in a classroom library. John Cassidy also wrote, The Explorabook.

WACKIEST WHITE HOUSE PETS by Gibbs Davis

          This is a fun and informative book that describes all the pets that have lived at the White House, or been owned by a President. It is appropriate for all age groups including adults. There is a lot of information in this book, and if you were going to use it as a read aloud, it would be better to read it over a few days. This book could also be integrated into a social studies unit or used in a center for reading.
          Did you know that around 400 animals have lived in the White House? And that George Washington used to brush his horses teeth; and he had over 40 hounds that he treated like family and that had names like: Sweetlips, Madam Moose and Vulcan. Thomas Jefferson had two pet grizzly bears and a mockingbird. John Quincy Adams  had two pet alligators, and his wife had silk worms which spun the finest silk, that she used to make the most luxurious gowns for herself.
          The king of Siam presented James Buchanan with a herd of elephants that actually arrived at the White House, but that were later donated to the zoo. Lincoln had two goats, and Theodor Roosevelt had more than 40 pets ranging from snakes, a pony, a rooster, lion, five hyenas, and a zebra! President Reagan was the only President to have a "first fish" and President Bush's dog, Millie, was voted "Ugliest Dog" by the Washingtonian magazine!
          Along with all this zanny information, this book also presents interesting facts and trivia about each President. This past Thanksgiving, I had been wondering how the Presidential pardon of turkeys started, and I happen to read in this book, that Lincoln actually wrote the first Presidential turkey pardon because his son Tad had grown fond of the turkey that had been sent to the Lincoln's for their Thanksgiving dinner. The artwork is fun and whimsical, and presents the animals and Presidents in a humorous light. I will definitely have this book in my classroom. The author, Ms. Davis, also wrote 23 other popular books for young people and she lives in New York City with NO pets.
       

101 Freaky Animals By Melvin and Gilda Berger

          This book would also be good to use as an addendum to a science lesson or in a science center. I think it appropriate for students K-4th grade, although it would definitely need to be a read aloud in kindergarten and first grade because it does have some difficult words.
          There are several reasons that I liked this book: the cover alone makes you want to pick it up and read it, there are fantastic picture of unusual and odd animals and it goes in alphabetical order, and the blurbs are numbered! Very interdisciplinary!The first animal is #1: "Aardvarks have paws like shovels." Each animal has one sentence like that one, a paragraph describing it in more detail and a close up picture. #2 "Angler fish light up."There is also a picture of a fish with very sharp looking teeth. The whole book is like this up to animal #100: "Viper fish have teeth like needles." I have never heard of a viper fish, but here is the description: The viper fish has looks that can kill. It's bottom teeth are so long that they stick out of it's mouth. When a viper fish spots its prey, it heads towards it at top speed with it's mouth wide open. Slam! IT smashes into it's prey.......This paragraph might not be the best for the kindergartners.
          Other weird animals would include, dugongs, babirusas, capybaras, gulper eels, leafy sea dragons, stonefish, and tuataras. If you are curious as to what these animals are, you will need to read the book! The pictures are great and the book itself is very informative. I actually learned a lot. This book would also be good to help students chose a research project etc.

Amazing Snakes! By Sarah L. Thompson

Amazing Snakes! is a shorter book that is put out by the Wildlife Conservation Society, and is considered to be "An I Can Read Book." This book is appropriate for first and second graders and would be useful as an addendum to a science lesson or in a science center. I have read this book to my son a hundred times but he still loves it because it has great pictures of all types of snakes and most of them look very scary. Vocabulary words such as "constrictors" and "venom" are broken down and defined for the children, and most of the pictures are close ups. This book discusses the rattle snake, boa, python, garden snakes etc. Pictures of snakes skins and eggs are incorporated and the author also discusses how a snake swallows it prey whole. I like this book because the story is long enough but not too long, it defines the harder words, and it goes into detail, but not too much detail. Readers will also understand more about snakes bodies, tongues, fangs and where snakes can hide when waiting for their prey. So if you are looking for a basic book with lots of detail about snakes, this is a good one. Other "An I Can Read Books" include: Amazing Tigers, Amazing Whales, Amazing Gorillas, and Amazing Sharks. One other important note is that it can only be ordered through Scholastic.

The Secret World of Walter Anderson by: Hester Bass

             This book won the Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children and after reading it, I can understand why. I didn't know anything about Walter Anderson, who died from a mysterious illness in 1965, but he was certainly an interesting person.Walter Anderson always wanted to be an artist from the time he was a young child, and he was gifted at drawing and painting. He loved nature and he especially loved to paint nature, so he would often row to a remote island, called Horn Island, off the coast of Mississippi. Here he would stay for a week or two just living with nature and the animals, eating what he had brought with him or what washed up on shore. Humans had lived on the island at one point, but now it was just animals. Walter didn't even bring a tent, he just slept on his boat. He liked to climb trees and wade out in the water or explore the island to paint the nature he loved so much. Walter thought living among the nature on Horn Island was paradise, and he even painted animals after they had died because he felt they were magnificent even in death.
          Walter had one private room at his house that no one was allowed in, not even his wife or children, because this was HIS ROOM. No one knew what was in it or what he did in there, but after he died, his wife did unlock it out of curiosity. No one could believe what was in there. Walter had spent all of his time painting images from the Horn Island nature and animals! He used water colors, and the central figure on the ceiling was a large zennia flower. Walter Anderson is best known for his water color paintings depicting nature scenes from Horn Island, but he also used charcoal, and scultped using ceramics.The book has a few examples of his paintings etc. and one of them uses oil and tempura on stucco. There is also a picture of the actual room from his house that he painted and it is titled, Little Room, 1951-1953, oil on wood.
          E. B. Lewis is the illustrator for this book, and his illustrations really help the reader to grasp what life was like on Horn Island. I am glad I found this book. I do plan on reading it to my third graders, but I think it could be read to kindergartners too. Everyone should read this book at some point and time.

Savvy by Ingrid Law

          I have never been a big fan of fantasy except for Stephen King books.........but never the less I read this book to the end because I wanted to see what was going to happen next. This Newberry Honor Book is full of surprises.The Beaumont family consisting of mom, dad and five children is special because when they turn thirteen, they get their "savvy." A "savvy" is a special power: one child can produce high winds and cause a lot of damage like a hurricane, another can cause all sorts of electrical problems and the main character, Mississippi (Mibs) Beaumont can hear what someone is thinking through any ink they have on their body (like a tatoo, even a temporary one).
          Mibs grandad used to be able to move mountains when he was younger, and her grandmother could reach out and grab a song or t.v interview out of the air and "can" it in a mason jar so that she could crack the lid and listen anytime she wanted to. Mib's mothers' savvy was being "perfect." Anything she went to do was perfect which wasn't always so great either. But Mib's poppa was the only one who was "normal" and didn't have a savvy. The Beaumont family lives in the middle of Kansas and Nebraska, and their poppa is involved in a terrible car accident and is taken to Salina, Kansas.The majority of this story takes place over the course of two days, with Mibs and her family trying to get to Salina because Poppa isn't waking up and Mibs thinks that her new savvy can help to wake him.
          Mibs and her family and friends get into all sorts of trouble trying to get to Poppa and help him wake up. Finally they make it there but no one is sure Poppa is going to make it. Finally Mibs remembers that Poppa has a faded tattoo and she tries to make him hear her through this, and she can hear him faintly too. Finally he does wake up, but he is never the same again.........he has his good days and his bad. One day, Mibs mother writes a recipe on the back of her hand and Mibs finds out that her mother is going to have another baby. So the books ends on a high note. This is an interesting idea and does keep the readers attention; it is full of underlying, hidden meaning and would be more appropriate for at least fourth grade and up. I loved some of the ideas the author came up with like canning your favorite music so that you could listen to it at another time, but I do think a savvy could be a curse too. I am not sure that I would want to hear other people's thoughts all day just because they had ink on them somewhere. There are no pictures in this book and it is long, but it is a fast read. You can visit the author at: http://www.ingridlaw.com/.

The Watsons Go To Birmingham---1963 By: Christopher Paul Curtis

         This story is about an African American family living in Flint, Michigan in 1963. This Newberry Honor, and Coretta Scott King Award winner, is filled with funny stories about the Watson family, but it ends on a more serious note. Byron is the older brother who acts like he doesn't care about anything and is always getting into trouble for lighting things on fire, skipping school and putting stuff in his hair that requires his head to be shaved! Kenny is the middle child and is always trying to be good, and always wondering why Byron does the things that he does. Joey is the younger sister and the drama queen.
         They call themselves the "Weirdo Watsons" and there is a lot of talk about papa and his "brown bomber" that he loves to drive and will not get rid of. Mama is from Birmingham, Alabama and misses it a lot. She hates the Michigan weather and often reverts back to her southern drawl by saying things like "hea uh" for "here," which the children think is hilarious. Finally, momma and poppa decide that Byron needs to get away from his friends in Flint, so they decide to take a family trip to Birmingham to visit momma's family. The intent is to leave Byron there for the summer, but after a few days of visiting, a tragedy occurs. One Sunday morning, Joey decided to go to the local Baptist church with her friend, and while she was there, it was bombed and four young girls were killed. At first the reader is unsure whether Joey is one of these girls, and Kenny is convinced she is, but later you find that she had decided to come back to grandma's house early. The next day, the Watsons decide to go back to Michigan, but Kenny suffers from post traumatic stress syndrome and takes to hiding, sleeping and eating behind the coach. At first no one knows where he is until Byron figures it out. Although Byron usually acts like he doesn't care about anything or anyone, he does stay with Kenny all day, everyday until he finally convinces Kenny to come out. Finally Kenny is able to release his emotions and the story ends more positively.
          I do appreciate the author taking the time to write an epilogue going into more detail about the struggle for basic human rights and the civil rights movement, during this time period. He elaborates on actions taken, Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks and others who contributed to the movement, as well as those that died. This book has so much hidden, underlying meaning and it is a page turner. It is very easy to relate to the trials and tribulations the Watsons go through as a family. I really enjoyed this book.

Christopher Curtis is the author of Bud, Not Buddy which also takes place in Flint, Michigan in 1936

SHILOH By:Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

We are all familiar with SHILOH, but I wanted to read it again because it is one of my daughter's favorite books. This Newberry Medal winner is the first in a trilogy of Shiloh books written by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor. This story is based on a real dog, that the author met while visiting relatives in Shiloh, West Virginia. Phyllis Naylor thought the little dog may have been abused and started writing with her as the basis for this book. The dog still lives in Shiloh and although she is a lot older, she is doing great! This story has a lot of deeper issues going on than just an abused dog. It is about family values, alcoholism, abusing animals, life in rural West Virginia, fighting for what you want, and working hard for what you want. Marty, the main character, knows that Shiloh is being abused by his mean neighbor, Judd Travers, who drinks too much and shoots animals whenever he wants to. Marty is determined to rescue Shiloh from Judd, even if means blackmailing him and then having to work off his debt to him. Marty and Shiloh are both scared of Judd, who is so rotten that he names his dogs cuss words or how much he paid for them like "35"or "40," and shoots deers out of season just to do it. Marty comes from a loving and supportive family, with parents that would go to any lengths to protect their children and who genuinely care about what is happening in their children's lives. The other peculiar thing about Judd Travers is that he wants his hunting dogs to be the best and his pick-up truck to always look perfect, probably to hide what is not so perfect about him.
          I have read this book out loud to my daughter and it is difficult as a read aloud. The author likes to use relaxed English, so there is a lot of "ain'ts" and "don'ts" etc. I almost didn't want to read these words to her, especially because the grammar is so bad, but I realized that you do to need to read it just like it is to make it more authentic and real. Marty is lucky in that he knows he can talk to his parents about anything, and at eleven years old, he has a lot of perseverance. I am almost envious of the life the author describes for this family in this rural town. The children are always outside playing on the swing, running in the field or the woods, and playing in the stream. Marty and his friend play "spy" too. Marty wants Shiloh to be his dog, and Judd makes him work off his debt, although Marty is always fearful that Judd will try to keep Shiloh anyway. In the end, Marty does work off his debt to Judd and he tries very hard to be his friend.......so now I need to read Shiloh Season to see what happens next.
           Phyllis Naylor has written over 100 books including the Shiloh trilogy and she lives in Bethesda, MD. Shiloh is now available on DVD.

Falling Up by Shel Silverstein

         Shel Silverstein is one of my favorite writers and I knew I would choose one of his poetry books for this particular blog. In addition to Falling Up, Silverstein has written other books of poetry such as: The Missing Piece Meets the Big O, Where the Sidewalk Ends, and A Light in the Attic. Shel Silversteins' poetry is for children of all ages, but it does have a lot of hidden underlying meaning. Some of his poems are short and some are long. All are illustrated by him and are black and white drawings which are rudimentary; however, they can make you laugh and usually give you a good visual for the poem itself. One of his poems in Falling Up is very short: Stupid Pencil Maker:  Some dummy built this pencil wrong--The eraser's down here where the point belongs. And the point's at the top--so it's no good to me. Its amazing how stupid some people can be.  Can't you see a second or third grader thinking this about a pencil? Notice how it rhymes too.

      Some of his poems are a page or two long and deal with subjects like  "garbage," "diving boards," and "spoiled brats." Young children and adults can all relate to a poem written by Shel Silverstein. One entitled "The Nap Taker" is two pages long and rhymes all the way through......"I did not take that nap." I cried. "I give my solemn vow, And if I took it by mistake I do not have it now." This poem is a play on words about someone "taking a nap." Most of Silverstein's poems are written like this and are really written to connect with children and what they may be thinking about something, but might be too shy to say out loud. The front cover of all his books depicts what the artwork will look like through out the books. Falling Up and all of his other books can be used as a book to read to the class for fun or for a unit on poetry, how to write and illustrate poetry, and to learn more vocabulary words through a rhyming pattern. Shel Silverstein passed away in 1999 but is still remembered today as one of the great children's authors.

I still read his poetry for enjoyment for myself and for my own children. All teachers should have a Shel Silverstein book of poems!!!!

Nursery Tales Around the World Selected and Retold by: Judy Sierra

"Through these tales, children learn basic story patterns of plot, theme, and character." Judy Sierra.
          Nursery Tales Around the World is presented in groups of three, with variations on a theme or idea. There are six sections of the book, containing three fairytales each. All sections have a fairytale from the United States and two from various other countries. The first section is called "Runaway Cookies," and contains three stories: The Gingerbread Man (US), The Pancake (Norway) and The Bun (Russia). Do you see a theme? Since I already knew the story of the Gingerbread Man, I was anxious to see how it was told in another country. Other sections of the book include: "Incredible Appetites," which contains a fairytale called The Boy Who Tried to Fool His Father (Zaire) and another from India called, The Cat and the Parrot. All of these fairytales are about the dangers of an uncontrollable appetite; "Chain Tales" which is about tricksters like, Anansi and the Pig (Jamaica), and This Is the House That Jack Built (England). It is easy to recognize the theme of "Slowpokes and Speedsters," which has the The Hare and the Tortois as it is told in Greece, and one from China titled, The Fox and the Crab, all of which follow along the lines of a traditional Aesop's Fable. Can you guess the theme of the section entitled: "Fooling the Big Bad Wolf?" This section does contain a fairytale called, The Three Pigs, but it is from England. The fairytale from the United States is called The Gunny Wolf (which I had never heard of), but is about a little girl who outsmarts a Gunny Wolf (who wants to eat her) by singing to him and putting him to sleep so that she can escape.
          Overall this book is a fun and easy read, and I enjoyed reading traditional fairytales that I knew, from the perspective of other cultures. These nursery rhymes contain lots of rhymes and repetitions making it easy for even the youngest child to understand and enjoy. Also the story lines are very basic making this book an easy read aloud too. It could be used to discuss different cultures, beliefs, and morals. The artwork is what you would find in a book about traditional folklore and does not contain bright or vivid colors, but more muted tones; the artwork on the first page of each story depicts which charaters are in that story. I also liked how the author incorporated an introduction page with information about each different section, and what the underlying theme is. I would recommend this book for younger children, but it could also be used for older children when discussing rhymes, morals, old proverbs, different cultures etc.

Judy Sierra has a Ph.D. in folklore and has compiled five folklore anthologies. She has a new book coming out in 2010 called, Tell The Truth B.B. Wolf (which sounds fun) and another book coming out in the Fall 2011 called, ZooZical!! You can find out more about Judy Sierra by visiting her website at: http://www.judysierra.net/.

   

The Ugly Duckling By Hans Christian Andersen

When you first open this version of The Ugly Duckling and see the title page, it is so beautifully illustrated that one can't help but stop and try to take in all the details. The reader knows it will be a story that takes place in the country just by seeing the farm house and barn, the cows, pigs and chickens, as well as the ducks swimming in the pond. This story is about a duckling who is considered to be "different" from day one and is teased by everyone including his own brothers and sisters. For the first year of his life, the duckling is chased by other ducks, pecked by hens and kicked by the girl that feeds him, all because he looks different from the other ducklings. One line particularly represented how he felt, "I will follow them, thought the duck. I would rather be killed by them than suffer any more cold and hunger and cruelty." (pg. 24). But as the seasons change, as represented by the illustrations, so does the duckling until one day he looks down into the pond and sees the reflection of a beautiful swan.

         

         This story conveys a powerful message about how to treat others who may be considered "different" for whatever reason, and that we should always try to find our true inner "beauty." This book can be read to kindergartners on up, especially now that classrooms are becoming more and more culturally diverse, and more inclusive of students with various challenges.This story would also be a great lead in for a lesson about bullying, because bullying has become so prevalent in our schools across America. This version of The Ugly Duckling is adapted and illustrated by Jerry Pinkey, and is the recipient of the Caldecott Honor of which it is very deserving. Every page is covered in beautiful artwork detailing nature; capturing the frog catching a dragonfly, a random caterpillar on a leaf, a catfish on the bottom of the pond, a baby duckling riding on it's mother's back and my favorite one: the duckling seeing it's beautiful reflection in the water. Although it is more difficult to read, children of all ages would enjoy having it read to them. After reading this version, it has quickly become one of my favorite books, not just because of it's message, but also because of the beautiful artwork!

Matthew A.B.C.

        Matthew A.B.C. is a silly, fun book written and illustrated by Peter Catalanotto, and based on the ABC's. Mrs. Tuttle, the teacher, has 25 students in her class all named "Matthew." How does she tell them apart......Matthew "A" is Affectionate, Matthew "G" has trouble with Glue, Matthew "K" is fond of Ketchup, etc., etc. This book is an easy read, with one sentence on each page, no inflection, no bold words. The illustrations are bold and neat and reflect the sentence on the page. It is definitely geared towards the younger ages and I really think kindergartners would love it. It would also be helpful with phonics.

Peter Catalanotto visited my older son's school back in 2003 and signed all the student's books (as you can see in the picture), so this book is very special to my son. Catalanotto has written 13 books and also does illustrations. He lives in Pennsylvania, but is a "visiting author." If you would like him to visit your school, simply go to www.visitingauthors.com and fill out a request form.

Is There Really a Human Race? By Jamie Lee Curtis and Laura Cornell

                                                                                                 This story by Jamie Lee Curtis and Laura Cornell really makes you think about how you live your life. Is There Really a Human Race? is about a boy who wonders if there is a "human race" and if so, does he go through an obstacle course, does he run, does he jump over things he may encounter along the way? The deeper meaning of the story is really about how we live our lives, treat others and the choices we make. The story flows quickly, with lots of rhyming words, and almost every sentence ends in a question mark. The illustrations are bold and full of color, often depicting people from every "race" and ethnicity working together to get through the daily obstacles presented in life.Most of the drawings are messy and all over the place, like life can be "messy." There also lots of BOLD words. Students as young as Kindergarten will enjoy this story, although they will probably not grasp it's deeper meaning; I gave this book, as a Christmas gift, to my oldest son several years ago and although he enjoyed reading it, I don't think he was able to "get" the true underlying meaning of this wonderful story. 

Jamie Lee Curtis and Laura Cornell have worked as a team on several other books: Today I Feel Silly & Other Moods That Make My Day. 

I'm Gonna Like Me:Letting Off a Little Self-Esteem.

It's Hard to Be Five.:Learning How to Work the Control Panel. 

Tell Me Again About the Night I Was Born.

When I Was Little:A Four-Year Old's Memoir of Her Youth.

If you like to know more about Jamie Lee Curtis and Laura Cornell, you can visit them at : www.jamieleecurtisbooks.com or www.lauracornellbooks.com

Oh, the Places You'll Go! By Dr. Seuss

        Oh, the Places You'll Go! By Dr. Seuss, is a fun and inspiring "graduation speech" about how you can be successful if you keep trying and don't give up no matter what obstacles might get in your way. Dr. Seuss once again chooses to write the whole story with short, rhyming sentences and lots of grandiose punctuation. All of the illustrations are done in pastel colors and cover the entire page, with lots of shapes, designs, animals and interesting characters that only Dr. Seuss could imagine. This book was given to me by my now mother-in-law when I graduated from college. It really meant a lot to me because I felt like she believed that I was going to be successful, and that she was giving me her support and encouragement. Isn't it interesting that one story, geared towards elementary students, could evoke so much emotion in a college student? I read it when she gave it to me and I still read it now. When I was accepted to graduate school, I reread again it to remind myself not to give up no matter how overwhelmed I felt. The story itself is not long, but the meaning is deep. It doesn't matter which road you travel, as long as you try your best.........and Dr. Seuss basically tells the reader "to get going!"

Elementary students can read this, probably starting in the second grade, although they may not grasp it's deeper meaning. The story itself is fun and easy to read and can really help a student to learn more vocabulary words because of the rhyming patterns.

Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson

Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson is one of my all time favorite books. The introduction page sets the tone for the book with Harold standing there with his purple crayon, and purple scribble is all over the page. This story focuses on Harold, who is a young child but not a toddler, and the adventure he goes on using his purple crayon and his imagination. This story is an easy read and doesn't require a lot of inflection etc.
     Harold draws everything that happens to him, such as when he wants to take a "walk in the moonlight," he has to draw the moon and the sidewalk. All of the illustrations are rudimentary and drawn using only the color purple. When Harold doesn't want to get lost in the woods, he draws a small forest. When he is hungry, he draws all nine pies that "he likes best" and when he is tired, he draws his bed and he makes sure to draw the moon through his window. This book reflects the imagination that all young children possess, and I have especially loved reading it to all of my children. I have had this book for at least thirteen years and it's worn out, but I still enjoy reading it at bedtime.Any young child would be able to identify with this book, especially the parts about the scary dragon, the big mountain, the trim boat and the moon. I think Harold being able to see the moon through his bedroom window makes him feel safe and secure, and that it is time for bed.

Crockett Johnson also wrote Ellen's Lion.