The Digging-est Dog by Al Perkins

Author: Al Perkins

Title: The Digging-est Dog

Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers; Book Club Edition edition

Date: 1967

Reading Level: 4-8

Number of Pages: 72

Genre: Fiction picture book

Summary of plot: This book is about a Dog and a Boy. It begins with the boy going and buying the dog. He pays for the dog and then they run home with tremendous speed. When they get home the boy shows the dog where he is going to be living. The next morning while the boy is doing his chores the dog is running around a chasing animals. The Sam the boy decides to name the dog Duke, and that Duke needs some friends. The other dogs begin to dig, but Duke has never dug before so he didn't know what to do. He tries to dig but just falls flat on his face. Because he cannot dig the other dogs just laugh at him and leave him with their noses in the air. So Sam tries to teach Duke how to dig but it doesn't work. That night they both went to bed very sad because Duke could not dig. The next morning Duke tried it again, and this time he could. Duke got so excited that he could dig that he kept on digging, right through Mrs. Thwaites garden. He dug through the farm animals places to live. then he dug through the barber shop and all over highway 81. He dug all the way through the city and up to a hill where he met Sam who was very upset. Sam threatens to take Duke back to the animal store so he can never dig again. Duke was stuck so he dug down, straight down, until he hit water and began to sink. From up above he heard the other dogs talk, some said let him drown others said help him up. So the dogs formed a line and held on tight as they made a chain that went all the way down to the bottom of the hole. When they got to the bottom they got a hold of Duke and pulled him up. Duke knew he had to fix the mess so he went and dug back everything that he had destroyed. Back at the farm he decided to put his digging skills to good use, so know he plows the garden.

Readers Reaction: It was fun reading this book again my mom used to read it to my brothers and I when we were younger and we used to beg her to keep reading it was fun reading it again.

Potential Problems: He dug up the whole city

Recommendation: Read it and love it... One I would read to any kid.

Are you My Mother by P.D. Eastman

Author: P.D. Eastman

Title: Are You My Mother?

Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers; 1 edition

Date: 1960

Reading Level: 4-8

Number of Pages: 72

Genre: Fiction picture book

Summary of Plot: This is a book about a baby bird that hatched when its mother was out and about finding food for her babies. The baby bird fell out of the nest and needed to find his mommy, so he went on a quest to find his mom. The problem was is that the baby bird did not know what his mother looked like so he could just walk right up to her. First he went to a kitten and was told that she was not his mother. Then he went to a hen and found out that the hen was not his mother. Next he came to a Dog and the Dog was not his mother either. The baby bird then finds a cow, but the cow was not his mother either. The baby bird starts to get sad and questions if he even has a mother. But he knew in his heart that he had a mother so he ran. He ran past an old car but knew that it was not his mother so he kept running. He then ran to a cliff and when he looked down he could see a boat he called to the boat but the boat just kept on going. He then looked up and say a plane but the plane kept on going too. At last he thinks he has found his mother but really it was a tractor that he calls a snort because of the loud noise that it makes. The snort grabs him and carries him high high high and eventually takes him back to his nest. Where his mother just got back to feed him a worm.

Readers Reaction: I have always thought that this book is so sad until the very end where there is still a happy ending and he becomes reunited with his mother.

Potential Problems: Bird gets lost and talks to strangers.

Recommendation: Read it and Enjoy it.

Oh, The Places You'll Go! by Dr. Seuss

Author: Dr. Seuss

Title: Oh the Places you'll Go!

Publisher: Random House; Reprint Edition. edition

Date: 1990

Number of Pages: 56

Reading Level: 4-8

Genre: Fiction Picture book

Summary of Plot: This story is about a boy who is finally going out on his own. He goes through hard times and easy times and everything you can think of. The whole books is about going out and learning something new. There really isn't much more I can tell you about the summary of the plot.

Readers Reaction: I was given this book to me from my old Bishop when I graduated and right before he died. So this book as a lot of meaning behind it for me. I love it oh so much.

Potential Problems: Made up words.

Recommendation: give it as a graduation present. I have also see it for the book signing at weddings.

Arthur Babysit by Marc Brown

Author: Marc Brown

Title: Arthur Babysit

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Date: 1994

Reading Level: 4-8

Number of Pages: 32

Genre: Fiction Picture book

Summary of Plot:The story begins with D. W. Arthur's sister complaining about the Tibble Twins. Later own as Arthur and D. W. and their baby sister Kate were going on a walk they came up to Mrs. Tibble who looked like she needed some help. They find out that she is in need of a babysitter so Arthur says that he will do it. that night as Arthur was getting ready to leave he was worried that it would be to much for him to handle but with the reassurance from his mom and dad and a crash helmet from D.W. he was set and ready to go and babysit the Tibble Twins. He Walks past his friends on his way to their house and they are all worried for him. He explains to them that if he can babysit his two little sisters then he can babysit anybody and then continued on his way. When he arrives the twins were acting like darlings, but when grandma left they turned into little demons. D.W. calls to give Arthur some advice that doesn't work. the whole night was just messes after messes. Finally Arthur has a plan he decides to tell the twins a story about a monster that will eat them if they don't listen. Right when Arthur was getting to the really scary part the front door opens and Grandmas walks in. Grandma was very pleased with Arthur paid him and sent him on his way home. When he got home D.W. was surprised to see him still alive. Arthur tells her how he is going to be their regular babysitter and sense she knows so much about babysitting he told her she gets to help.

Readers Reaction: Like I said before I loved Arthur the TV show so I loved Arthur the book.

Potential Problems: The kids he babysits are little demons, stories of monsters.

Recommendation: Read to little kids its a fun book that keeps people excited.

Arthur Writes A Story by Marc Brown

Author: Marc Brown

Title: Arthur Writes A Story

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Date: 1998

Reading Level: 4-8

Number of Pages: 32

Genre: Fiction Picture book

Summary of Plot: The story begins in Mr. Ratburns classroom where he is teaching his students how to write a story. Mr. Ratburn gives the classroom an assignment to write a story for their homework. The minute Arthur got home he started writing. He wrote about how he got his puppy Pal. When he read the story to D.W. she thought it was boring. Arthur didn't want to write a boring story so took D.W.'s suggestion and wrote a story about an Elephant puppy. the next day when he read it to his best friend Buster, Buster said it was ok but that his story was about outer space. So Author decided to write his story about elephants on the moon. When he read it to his friend the Brian. But because The Brian is so smart he just rebuked him about how scientific part of it doesn't really make sense. So Arthur hurried to the library so he could do more research on it. While he was there his friend Francine was confused at what Arthur was doing so he explained it all to her and she explained that she was putting jokes in her story so... he decides to make it a little more funny. Arthur then goes through several more friends and in the end he comes up with a story about a striped elephant that is on a planet named shmellafint and it dances along to western music. When he tells it to his family they are all really confused. the next day he went and told his story anyways when he was done the class was really confused so Mr. Ratburn told him to tell the original story and everyone loved it. Arthur ended up getting an A+ on the original story.

Reader Reaction: I loved Arthur when I was little I would come home afters school get me an after school snack and then head right to the TV and turn on Arthur until it was done and then it was homework

Potential Problems: Listening to everyone else and not to what he originally wanted to do.
Recommendation: When you have your own elementary age class write a book have them read this one so they can see someone who they know write their own story.

All by Myself by Mercer Mayer

Author: Mercer Mayer

Title: All By Myself

Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers

Date: 2001

Reading Level: 4-8

Number of Pages: 24

Genre: Fictions picture book

Summary of Plot: This story is about the Little Critter that wants to do everything all by himself. He gets out of bed all by himself. He buttons his overalls and brushes his fur. He can put on his socks and tie his shoes, he can pour his sister juice and feed her breakfast. The Little Critter goes throughout the whole day doing all of these things all by himself. After doing all of these things he realizes that he can't read himself  to sleep and that he still needs his daddy for that.

Readers Reaction: Like I said before I love Little Critter books so I loved this book as well

Potential Problems: When trying to be independent he ends up making a really big mess

Recommendation: When Children are starting to become independent

Just Me and My Little Brother by Mercer Mayer

Author: Mercer Mayer

Title: Just Me and My Little Brother.

Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers

Date: 1998

Reading Level: baby to preschool.

Number of Pages: 24

Genre: Fiction Picture book

Summary of Plot: This story is about Little Critter imagining what it is going to be like when he has a little brother. He imagines that they will have bunk beds and that they will protect all of the people from the bad guys. The will help each other out through spooky movies and party and play cowboys and Indians. They will do everything together. The very last page you find out that the baby brother still has to learn to walk.

Readers Reaction: I love Little Critter books I thing they are a lot of fun to read and they teach good things.

Potential Problems: there are some fighting and some beating up bad guys.

Recommendation: to read to your kids when they are getting a new baby brother or sibling at all. 

Little Bear by Else Holmelund Minarik

Author: Else Holmelund Minarik

Illustrator: Maurice Sendak

Title: Little Bear

Publisher: Harper Trophy; 1st Trophy ed edition

Date: 1978

Reading Level: 4-8

Number of Pages: 63

Genre: Fiction picture book

Summary of Plot: this book is split up into four different stories all about little bear. The first story is called What Will Little Bear Wear? This story is about little bear going out to play but realizes that he needs more to wear so Mother bear makes him a hat and then a coat. After going out to play he realizes he needs pants and so she makes him pants and he goes out to play. He then comes inside and says he wants a fur coat so Mother Bear takes off his coat and snow pants and hat and sends him out to play and he wasn't cold anymore. Other three stories are called. Birthday Soup, Little Bear Goes to the Moon and Little Bear's Wish.  

Readers Reaction: this book actually has four stories within the one book. It really is good.

Potential Problems: none that I could see.

It's Not Easy Being A Bunny by Merilyn Sadler

Author: Merilyn Sadler

Illustrator: Roger Bollen

Publisher: Beginner Books  A Division of Random House Inc.

Date: 1983

Reading Level: 4-8

Number of Pages: 48

Genre: Fiction Picture Book

Summary of Plot: The story is about how a bunny named P.J. Funnybunny who didn't want to be a bunny anymore. He was sick of eating carrots and having so many brothers an sisters, but most of all he was sick of his really big ears. So P.J. decided to leave home, he wanted to become something else. He went to go live with the bears, but then when it came to winter time he couldn't sleep as long as them. He then went to go and live with the birds, but realized that he can't fly. He then decided that if he couldn't be any of those that he would be a beaver but then soon realized that he didn't like to work as hard as the beavers did so he left. Pig was the next animal that he tried to be but they were to messy. He then tried to be a moose but he couldn't be as loud as a moose so he tried to be a possum but hanging upside down gave him a headache so he left. P.J. then tried to be a skunk but they were too smelly. Now P.J. knew what he wanted to be and that was a BUNNY!!! so he went home and ate all of his carrots and played with all of his brothers and sisters and never worried about his big ears again.

Readers Reaction: I thought this book was really funny and fun to read its funny how many books I read growing up were about being yourself and not letting others influence you.

Potential Problems: being afraid of being yourself.

Recommendation: Read to kids who are struggling with self worth and self esteem



A Porcupine Named Fluffy by Helen Lester

Author: Helen Lester

Illustrator: Lynn Munsinger

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Company

Date: 1986

Reading Level: 4-8

Number of pages: 32

Genre: Fiction picture book

Summary of Plot: Is a story about a baby porcupine that is was named fluffy and but he coudn't understand why he was named that because he knows that he really is not fluffy. So he tries to become fluffy by trying to be a cloud but that didn't work. He tries to be a pillow and sock himself in a bubble bath but neither of those worked either. He took all day to put whipped cream on every quill but that just made him gooey. He ate marshmallows, covered himself in shaving cream and feathers, and dress up like a bunny but nothing was working. Then one day while walking he came up to a Rhinoceros that decided to give Fluffy a hard time so he asked Fluffy what his name is and Fluffy tells him and then the rhinoceros laughs and laughs and then when fluffy asks him what his name he admists that his name is Hipppo. So they became friends. A Porcupine named Fluffy and a Rhinoceros named Hippo.

Reader Reaction: Another great book that I love so much. I thought that it was funny and that it teaches a great lesson.

Potential Problems: being afraid of being yourself.


Recommendations: Read it to kids who are afraid of being them selves and help them realize that they can be themselves and that they can't let others make fun of them.

Hooway For Wodney Wat by Helen Lester

Author: Helen Lester

Illustrator: Lynn Munsinger

Publisher: Scholastic Inc.

Date: 2000

Reading Level: 4-8

Number of Pages: 32

Genre: Fiction picture book

Summary of Plot: The story begins with a rat that can't say his R's so instead of him saying his name is
Rodney Rat he says Wodney Wat. All of the kids at school make fun of him because of this that laugh and they make him say things that they know he couldn't see. Rodney would hide from everybody. Then one day a new girl moved in who became the class bully her name was Camilla Capybara. Rodney was really scared of her because she made fun of the other kids then she really would make fun of her. Then one day the teacher pulled the a name out of a hate to see who would lead the class in Simon Says. Rodney was the one that got picked to lead. He was very sacred of what Camilla was going to do to him. So he was very timid in saying anything at all. Every thing Rodney said Camilla did what he said but because it sounded different  she did something different. In the end Camilla ran west instead of going to rest and she was gone Rodney was now every bodies best friend.

Readers Reaction: I loved this book when I was little and my fiance loves it because when he was little he couldn't say his R's either

Potential Problems: makes fun of people who can't say their R's.

Recommendation: Read it to kids that are worried about not being able to say their R's.

Milk and Cookies by Frank Asch

Author: Frank Asch

Title: Milk and Cookies

Publisher: Parents Magazine Press

Date: 1982

Reading Level: 4-8

Number of Pages: 36

Genre: Fiction

Picture book

Summary of Plot: The story is about a little bear named Baby Bear. Baby Bear and his family went to go and spend the night at grandmas and grandpa bears house. In the middle of the night Baby Bear gets woken up by a strange noise and a red light coming from under the cellar door. So of course like all little boys are he was curious and wanted to see what it was so he peeked through the key hole and could see grandpa feeding a dragon. While he was peeking on Grandpa and the dragon, Grandpa came up and notice that Baby Bear was out of bed. Grandpa asks if he is ok and then offers Baby Bear a glass of milk and some cookies Baby Bear says no and then goes back to sleep. Later that night Baby Bear dreams about the cellar door opening and the dragon coming up stairs. When the dragon complains to Baby Bear that he is hungry Baby Bear gives him some milk and cookies in fact he at all of the cookies and drank all of the milk. Baby Bear then wakes up crying. Because Baby Bear was crying it woke up Mama and Papa and Baby Bear explains what happened in his dream. He explains how he saw Grandpa feeding the Dragon and then the dream that happened next. Papa Bear then takes Baby Bear down to the Cellar to show that it wasn't a Dragon but instead it was a wood stove. By now Grandpa and Grandma have woken up and they all of milk and cookies.

Reader Reaction: This book I actually got from my own library of books at home. It was a book that my mom use to read to my brothers and I before we would go to bed so to me it is a classic. I love this book. I love how even if Baby Bear is scared he can still go to his parents and talk to them about it. Its just a great book.

Potential Problems: Nightmares maybe but that's all I could see as a problem.

Recommendation: Read to children that are having nightmares so that they can see that it is ok to come and talk to someone about it

Piggie Pie by Margie Palatini

Author: Margie Palatini

Illustrator: Howard Fine

Title: Piggie Pie!

Publisher: Clarion Books 

Date: 1995

Reading Level: 5-8

Number of Pages: 29

Genre: Fiction Picture book

Summary of Plot: The book begins with a witch named Gritch she wakes up grumpy and hungry but what does she want to eat? After going through a list of possibilities she decides of Piggie Pie. She then goes to the kitchen to see if she has all of the ingredients for her piggie pie but then realizes that she is missing only one thing 8 plump piggies. So she stomps her foot and paces the floor and then wonders how she is going to get 8 plump piggies. She then goes to the phone book and looks up Old MacDonalds farm so she jumps on her broom stick and flies to Old MacDonalds farm where she is hoping to find her 8 plump piggies meanwhile the piggies all dress up like different animals so that they can kid from the evil witch when she lands she comes up to a duck (really a pig dressed up as a duck) and asks the ducks where the piggies are when the ducks reply that there are no piggies the witch threatens to curse the ducks but then walks away she then goes to the cow and does the same thing, she gets the same response and then moves on to the chicken then chicken does the same and then points her towards the farmer. The Farmer of course is really some pigs dressed up. after talking to the farmer she goes and sits for a while trying to figures up what she is to do next when a wolf comes up to her and tells her not to waist her time with the pigs. The witch then invites the wolf to dinner and they both leave back to the witch’s house. Never knowing what happened next.

Your Reaction to the book: This was one of my favorite books when I was little. We never owned it but would check it out all the time. I really did love it.

Potential Problems: The only problems that could occur would be that little kids won’t get the humor behind it. It relates back to the story of the three little pigs and it refers to the Old McDonald song.

Recommendations: Before reading this book make sure that the kids know the original three little pigs story and the Old McDonald song.

Carl's Nose

Author: Karen Lee Schmidt

Title: Carl’s Nose

Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books

Date: 2006

Reading Level: 3-7

Number of Pages: 40

Genre: Fiction

Summary of Plot: This book is about a dog named Carl who has a gift of predicting the weather by the way that it smells. When one day his prediction was wrong and he didn’t know what to do. The other animals (characters) in the book stopped believing him, so Carl was out of the job. Now that Carl doesn’t have a job anymore he sleeps on his coach all day long. One day a Tiny Norman went missing and no one could find him the town searched and searched but Tiny Norman was no where to be found. When Carl heard that Tiny Norman was missing he decided to put his nose to the test and he was able to find Tiny Norman. Carl then got his old job back and his new job of finding things that have gone missing.

Your Reaction to the book: I was a little disappointed in the book to be completely honest. I thought that it was good that they made him a hero in the end but I didn’t really like how he became really kind of pathetic when he no longer could predict the weather.

Potential Problems—this book contains really big words mainly the types of clouds but some words I was even having a hard time pronouncing.

Recommendations—I would recommend this book to teachers who are wanting to teach weather in their classrooms. It includes types of clouds and different weather forecasts.