Chapter Book 5 --- The Case of the Bicycle Bandit

Title: The Case of the Bicycle Bandit
Author: James Preller
Illustrator: Jamie Smith
Genre: Mystery and Suspense, Series
Sub Genre: Chapter Book
Theme: Detectives, Friendship, Family
Characters: Jigsaw, Ralphie, Mila, Justin, Snarkster, Geetha, David Chang, Mr. Pickles
Awards: N/A
Publishing Date: 2001
Publishing Company: Scholastic, Inc.
Summary: This book is about a couple of friends who love to ride their bikes together and ride them to school everyday. Two of them have new bikes and one of them, Ralphie, has a old hand-me-down bike from his brother Justin. Then something awful happens and someone steals Ralphie's bike from school. Ralphie is really upset about his missing bike, but he is in luck because his two best friends are detectives. Now can Jigsaw and Mila find Ralphie's missing bike? They are going to go an adventure to find Ralphie's missing bike, but lets just hope they find Ralphie's bike. I would use this book in my class to read to my class as a whole. We would read only a few pages or a chapter a day. I would use this bike to get the students attention. I would do this because almost all kids have bikes and would hate for someone to take their bike and most kids like mystery and trying to solve problems. I really feel like the book would appeal to them and interest them. I would also keep this book in my classroom library.

Picture Book 11 --- Buzz Boy and Fly Guy

Title: Buzz Boy and Fly Guy
Author: Tedd Arnold
Illustrator: Tedd Arnold
Genre: Comic Books and Graphic Novels
Sub Genre: Picture Book
Theme: Superheroes, Comic Books, Pirates, Super Powers
Characters: Buzz Boy, Fly Guy, Dragon Dude, and Pirates
Awards: N/A
Publishing Date: 2010
Publishing Company: Scholastic Inc.
Summary: This book is funny and its fun to see how children's imaginations work. The book is written form a child's point of view and it is like you are inside his imagination. Buzz boy has a pet fly named Fly Guy and they get these names from the comic book that Buzz Boy writes about how the two of them turn into superheroes. They go on a wild adventure to save their house and they make a friend and add him to their superhero team. I would use this book in my classroom if I had boys who were struggling to stay interested in reading and may find some of these themes interesting. It could also interest boys who do not like to read books but like to read comic books.

Picture Book 10 --- Max and Mo's First Day at School

Title: Max and Mo's First Day at School
Author: Patricia Lakin
Illustrated: Brian Floca
Genre: General Fiction
Sub Genre: Picture Book
Theme: Class pets, Art Projects, Friendship
Charcters: Max & Mo and the big ones
Awards: N/A
Publishing Date:2007
Publishing Company: Aladdin Paperbacks
Summary: Max & Mo are two class hampsters taht get placed in the art room and they realize that the big ones are calling them by other names because they do not know their names. So Max and Mo go on an adventure to create something that will help the big ones to know who they are. I would use this book in my classroom when we were going to start a project and it also gives directions in the book to make ur own name tag just like Max and Mo did in the story. That could be a fun ice breaker game at the beginning of the year.

Picture Book 9 --- My Best Friend Is Out Of This World

Title: My Best Friend Is Out of This World
Author: Sarah Albee
Illustrator: Nate Evans
Genre: Science Fiction, Fantasy
Sub Genre: Picture Book
Themes: Friendship, Family, Aliens
Characters: Maddy, Victor, Mr. and Mrs. Wilson
Awards: N/A
Publishing Date:1998
Publishing Company: Golden Books Publishing Co., Inc.
Summary: This book is short and easy for readers who may just be starting out. The book is about  Maddy a little girl whom wants to invite her best friend over for dinner with her family. The only thing is that her friend is really out of this world. His name is Victor. Victor arrives to the Wilson's house in a strange and unusual way and he brings Mrs. Wilson some strange flowers and he does some strange things will visiting. The important thing is that Victor is very important to Maddy because that is her best friend. You will just have to read the book to see why Victor is out of this world! I would use this book in my classroom for younger readers to explain to them the idea of friendship and how its only important if you like the person and not what everyone else likes for you. This book would also be just a book that I would keep in my classroom collection for down time reading because it is cute and funny.

Picture Book 8 --- So you want to be President

Title: So you want to be President
Author: Judith St. George
Illustartor: David Small
Genre: General Non Fiction
Sub Genre: Picture Book
Theme: American History, Leadership
Characters:The first 42 Presidents of the United States.
Awards: 2001 Caldecott Winner
Publishing Date: 2000
Publishing Company: Scholastic Inc.
Summary: This book explains all of the different things about how cool it is to be the President. It explains the different and  weird things of each President til the current one( of this time) and explains the different things that happened to each while they served their term. It has humor mixed into the book. Like about how President Taft got stuck in the White House bathtub. I would use this book in my class when were going over the Presidents of the United States. It will help the children to learn them, and some may stick because some of the things about the Presidents are funny. It also in the end explains how important the Presidents job is to our country.

Picture Book 7 --- I have Feelings, Too!

Title: I have Feelings, Too!
Author: Nancy Parent
Illustrator: Ron Cohee and Brent Ford
Genre: Motivational
Sub Genre: Picture Book
Theme: Friendship, Consideration, Character
Characters: Audrey and Jessie
Awards: N/A
Publishing Date:1999
Publishing Company: Paradise Press
Summary: The book is really short and sweet. Audrey and her friend Jessie are playing and she is upset because Jessie doesn't consider anything that Audrey may want to do that day. She explains to him that she has feelings too. After this Jessie apologizes and they are going to do things that they both want to do. after reading this book i realized that it may not be acceptable for public schools because the two characters are made out to be angels, but in a private school this may be acceptable. I would use the book to help build character and to maybe solve conflict in a situation if it was related to this issue.

Picture Book 6 --- John Henry and His Mighty Hammer

Title: John Henry and His Mighty Hammer
Author: Patsy Jensen
Illustrator: Roseanne Litzinger
Genre: Legend
Sub Genre: Picture Book
Theme: steel driving, hammer, strong babies, marriage
Characters: John Henry, Polly Ann, Captain Tommy, Mom
Awards: N/A
Publishing Date:1994
Publishing Company: Troll Associates
Summary: This book is about a baby named John Henry who was very miraculous from the start. He was speaking right when he was born and eating enough food for a village at ten minutes old. He always said that he was a steel driving man and that he would die with a hammer in his hand. His mother did not want John Henry to drive steel, but he wanted too. He married Polly Ann who accepted John Henry as a steel driving man and they moved to work on the railroads. John Henry worked very hard on the railroads and he used a thirty pound hammer versus a ten pound hammer. One day John Henry took on a bet and it led to a terrible end but John Henry was right about his life. He was a steel driving man who would die with a hammer in his hand. I would use this book in my classroom when we began to discuss all the different types of traditional literature. It is kind of crazy but it explain in a sense that you can be whatever you want to be and nobody can or should stop you.