This document provides summaries of 7 children's books. Each summary is 1-3 sentences and includes the title, author(s), key details about illustrations, themes, and why each book would appeal to its intended audience. The books cover a range of topics from Aesop's fables and the life of Harriet Tubman to mysteries and choosing the right pet. Illustration styles include watercolors, mixed media, and pastels. The level of detail and concise summaries provide a helpful overview of each book.

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Children’s Annotated Bibliography
1. Pinkney, Jerry. (2009). The Lion & the Mouse. New York: Little, Brown and Company.
2X2 Reading List, 2010. For ages 4-8.
Pinkney’s The Lion and the Mouse is a wonderful depiction of Aesop’s fable. The pictures
match the Aesop’s fable story. The pictures show the animals in the Serengeti and their actions
are well depicted. The owl looks scary as it sweeps down to capture the mouse. Mr. Pinkney
does a good job of showing the fear of the mouse and the quick getaway. Children will
understand the events of the story even without any words. This book would make a nice
accompaniment to reading the traditional Aesop’s fable to children. Also, Mr. Pinkney does a
great job showing the emotions of the lion, from irritation, to fear, to gratefulness.
The illustrations were created in watercolor and colored pencil. The colors used are shades of
yellow, orange, green, blue, and brown. The illustrations tell the story of Aesop’s fable. The
illustration of the body of the lion takes up two pages showing how large the lion is in
comparison to the small mouse. The illustrator further places the animals in proper size
perspective when he includes a butterfly and a dragon fly on the same pages as the lion and the
mouse. The drawings are compelling, particularly the illustration of the lion roaring when
caught in the poacher’s net.
2. Juster, Norton and Chris Raschka. (2005). The Hello, Goodbye Window. New York, NY:
Hyperion Books for Children.
Caldecott Medal, 2006. For ages 4-8.
The illustrator depicts night, on page 11 and 12, in a way in which children will understand the
difference in time, through the use of dark blues, greens, and yellow for the stars. The story
reminds me of trips to visit my own grandparents and the simple activities we would engage in.
Children will relate to the story and how the grandparents entertain the child. I thought the
theme of this book, a child spending time with her grandparents, to be sweet, especially how the
grandfather makes her his specialty of oatmeal with hidden bananas and raisins and how the little
girl knows that “nothing happens” when she takes a nap.
The mixed media drawings look like they could have been drawn by a child. The colors used are
bright orange, yellow, red, green, and blue. The characters are believable and consistent with
how grandparents may behave and speak with their grandchild. Also the plot is realistic where
the grandchild helps her grandmother garden, has to take a nap, and experiences both happy and
sad feelings when her parents come to pick her up. The text is happy and seems like a child
would actually speak in this manner. The characters depicted are of an interracial background
which represents many children who may read this book.

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3. Reeve, Philip. (2007). Here Lies Arthur. New York, NY: Scholastic Press.
Carnegie Medal, 2008. For Grades 7-10.
This book provides an interesting twist on the traditional King Arthur tale. In this version, it is
uncertain whether King Arthur is a hero or a villain. The first few chapters detail a shape
shifting girl running for her life from the village King Arthur and his knights just ransacked. I
enjoyed the way characters were described. The reader could almost picture certain character
traits, for example, when the character Ceri is described, the author states, “She looks the way
the rest of us look in our dreams. She has corn-gold hair, and grey eyes with flecks of gold and
copper in them (pg.158).” As a whole, the book was a fantasy adventure with a lot of action that
young adults will enjoy.
The author designed an intriguing plot for children who are familiar with the King Arthur story.
For those who aren’t, the story itself is well written and the character is relatable for middle
school children. The main character, Gwyna, changes forms often and at times, I found myself
confused as to which character the particular chapter was about. The magician doesn’t have the
familiar name of Merlin, but has the name of Myrddin. This character is a bit more suspicious
that than the traditional Merlin but intriguing nonetheless. The length of the book is consistent
with young adult literature.
4. Javernick, Ellen. (2009). The Birthday Pet. Tarrytown, NY: Marshall Cavendish
Corporation.
Children’s Choices, 2010. For grades Preschool to grade 2.
I thought The Birthday Pet was funny and age appropriate. The youngest child was having
trouble getting his family to actually listen to what he wanted. Danny not only told them but also
dressed up as a turtle and created a box for his shell. Still, his family tried giving him different
pets with disastrous results. The funniest part of the story were the facial expressions of Danny
and the animals, including how scared Danny looked when the rat’s beady eyes kept staring at
him on page 13 and 14. Also, this book teaches children and adults a great lesson regarding
choosing the pet that is right for you.
The illustrations are bright using child friendly, primary colors of green, blue, yellow, red, and
orange. The text difficulty is easy and matches the intended audience. There are few words per
page and the illustrations match the text. The illustration of the dog running off and Danny
falling, covers two pages, with the large dog taking up most of the space. This demonstrated the
sudden uncontrollable movement of the dog. The illustrator demonstrated the emotions of the
character and various pets through body language and through facial expressions. The language
used would make this book a successful read aloud to a child. The rhyming is also suitable for
the intended age level of the audience.

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5. Weatherford, Carole Boston. (2006). Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to
Freedom. New York, NY: Hyperion Books for Children.
Coretta Scott King Award, 2007. For grades 2-5.
One of the main elements I enjoyed in this book was the dialogue between Harriet Tubman and
God. Each time Harriet experiences doubt and fear, God responds by providing words of
comfort and strength to help her on her journey. I also enjoyed the incorporation of lyrics from
traditional Negro spirituals. One of the most beautiful illustrations was on pages 19 and 20
where Harriet is guiding a boat down a river by moonlight. The colors used on this page are
deep shades of blue, white, gray, and black. Also, Harriet is depicted as a very strong person
through how her facial expressions were drawn by the illustrator.
The cover depicts Harriet Tubman within a glow and matches the title Moses. The colors used
are various shades of brown, blue, and other earth tones. The author begins with a short synopsis
explaining what slavery is, which is an accurate representation of the history of American
slavery. While the subject matter is mature, the author was able to present the text in an
appropriate readability for the grades intended. The language that Harriet uses is realistic of a
slave who may not have learned to read or write. Her escape to the north is depicted well by the
illustrator by the use of dark hues of black, brown, and gray to depict the time of day but also
depict the fear and trepidation Harriet probably felt on her journey.
6. Balliett, Blue. (2004). Chasing Vermeer. New York, NY: Scholastic Press.
Edgar Allan Poe Best Juvenile Award, 2005. For grades 5-8.
One of the elements I enjoyed in this book was learning about the pentominoes that appeared
throughout the story. Also, the references to Vermeer were interesting as I read The Girl with
the Pearl Earring in our young adult literature class. Unfortunately, I felt the plot to be a little
slow and it wasn’t until a third way into the book that I realized what the mystery was. I also
found interesting the letters sent between friends entirely in a code they made up. The reader had
to decipher the letters use the code in order to understand what was written. This made parts of
the book interactive for the reader.
The characters in the story represent twelve year olds in their manner of speaking and also in
their curiosity. Since this was a mystery, there was a certain amount of suspense throughout the
novel. The references to Vermeer, including the facts surrounding his paintings were believable
and accurate. The author demonstrated her expertise in art history which reflected her education
as stated on the back page. The illustrations were all in black and white and were created by the
same artist who created the illustrations for the Lemony Snicket, Series of Unfortunate Events
books. The theme of mystery is consistent within the black and white illustrations with shades of

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gray. The reader will notice a hidden frog in every other page which lends to the fun that a
reader in grades 4-8 may be looking for.
7. Pinkney, Andrea Davis and Brian Pinkney. (2009). Sojourner Truth’s Step-Stomp Stride.
New York, NY: Hyperion Books.
Jane Addams Children’s Book Award. For grades K-3.
This was an interesting version of the life of Sojourner Truth. I appreciated the simplistic
language and the emotion drawings. I think this would make a great read aloud to young
elementary children. Also, the illustrations were heart wrenching, for example, the story begins
by describing how strong Belle is and how her slave master decided to sell her. The illustration
that accompanies these words shows Belle’s parents on the left side of the page reaching for their
daughter, while on the right page, the illustrator shows Belle trying to run off the back of the
wagon to get to her parents. The story provides insight to the inhumane nature of slavery that
readers will be able to comprehend.
The first element that caught my eye was the use of pastels and colored pencils within the
illustrations. There seemed to be movement throughout the story where the character, Sojourner
Truth, represents strength and determination. The drawings of Sojourner Truth reflect strength
in the use of strong lines, sometimes broad and sometimes thin, but very angular. The colors
used were yellow, blues, brown, and green. The illustrator demonstrated Sojourner Truth’s
enslavement through dark hues of yellow and brown. Then, as Sojourner Truth achieves
freedom, the colors change to bright green, blues, and yellow which helps the reader feel the
emotions Sojourner Truth probably felt. The author tried to explain some serious topics, like the
definition of slavery, in a way where young children would be able to understand. For example,
the authors placed the term slavery in context by stating, “Belle hated being treated as property
(page 6).”
8. O’Dell, Scott. (1960). Island of the Blue Dolphins. New York, NY: Houghlin Mifflin.
Hans Christian Andersen, 1972. For grades 5-9.
I have mixed feelings regarding this book. There were times where I was excited, worried, and
awed by the main character, Karana. However, there were other moments in this book that
seemed to drag. One of the big surprises is the death of her little brother Ramo. I enjoyed the
relationship of Karana and her dog and how her dog defends her against the leader of the wild
dog pack. Karana showed spirit and strength and I was impressed with how she created shelter,
clothing, and fed herself, even though she was left all alone of the island.
The dense text and difficulty of words reflects the older elementary or middle school reader. The
descriptions of the culture of the inhabitants of this island seemed accurate and the description of

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how the author arrived at this story provides the reader with historical reference. The character,
Karana, at times represented a teenage girl, yet, at other times seemed much older than her years.
The author demonstrated these character traits in a balanced manner as she seems childlike in the
beginning of the book when her family and community are still present with her. Yet, the reader
can tell that Karana matures as she experiences life upon the island along and deals with all the
dangers this represents.
9. Gravett, Emily. (2007). Little Mouse’s Big Book of Fears. London, England: MacMillan
Children’s Books.
Kate Greenaway Medal, 2008. For grades Kindergarten-4.
I was excited by the drawings of the mouse and tickled by some of the situations she found
herself in. Then I began to read and realized how much content was in this children’s book and
how much a book like this would help children face their own fears. The funniest illustration
showed the mouse exclaiming how afraid he is of being sucked down the toilet or going down
the drain. The illustrations look like snapshots and show the mouse near and subsequently in the
toilet.
Students in the intended grades will appreciate this lighthearted book dealing with seriously
scary topics for young children. The color scheme is monochromatic with the use of just 3 main
colors: black, white, and small hints of red. The pages also used a lot of beige. Surprisingly the
pages were actually torn or had rough edges, or parts missing. The author spoke to her audience
in an easy to understand language even though she explained difficult scientific terms defining
various fears. Children will be able to relate to the fears, especially since the illustrations
directly represent what the fear entails. The fear of the dark had an adjacent page that was all
black, which actually makes the reader feel afraid. The theme of this book was stated as, “A fear
faced is a fear defeated,” and the author encourages the reader to share his or her own fears by
writing them directly on the page. The torn pages may help the reader feel more comfortable to
directly write in a book.
10. Marshall, James. (1972). George and Martha. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin
Company.
Laura Ingalls Wilder, 2007. For ages 4-8.
I’ve heard teachers mention the George and Martha books but I never had the opportunity to read
them. I’m so glad I did. I enjoyed the friendship between the two and the brief positive
messages the stories provide for children. The story where George liked to look in windows and
saw Martha in the bathtub was hilarious. It was especially funny when she threw the whole tub
over her head and exclaimed that friends respect one another’s privacy. Children will find

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themselves laughing while reading that scene and perhaps, they may take away how to be a
better friend because of reading about George and Martha.
The cover is bright yellow with two pictures of the main characters, George and Martha. Each
time George and Martha appear in the book they are colored in shades of gray. The pages are
primarily white, yet have pops of color throughout. The colors of the pea soup is a shade of
green, the tablecloth has yellow and orange flowers, and the hot air balloon also uses the colors
of green, yellow, orange and pink. The level of readability fits the intended audience and also
matches with an adult reading this book aloud to a child. There is a small amount of text
followed by an adjacent picture which matches the context of the story. The camaraderie
between the characters and the types of comments match the theme of friendship and how a child
may respond in certain situations.
11. Stolz, Joelle. (1999). The Shadows of Ghadames. New York, NY: Delacorte Press.
Mildred Batchelder Award, 2005. For grades 5-8.
I thoroughly enjoyed The Shadows of Ghadames. It was interesting to read about a culture much
different from our own, one that retains the traditions of Islam yet incorporates traditions much
older in daily life. While the seriousness of women’s roles was highlighted, also unexpected
humor occurred. For example, when Abdelkarim contributed his not being caught to God having
chosen him, the second wife, Bilkisu points out how lucky he was that she decided to investigate
and how, “God did not make him any lighter to carry (page 45).” I felt the trepidation that the
young girl, Malika, felt regarding the uncertainty of her future. I felt this would be a great book
to recommend to girls in grades 5-8.
This novel was originally written in French by a French journalist. This journalist spent time in
the city of Ghadames and interviewed residents who talked about their experiences growing up
on the rooftops. The references to the Muslim faith were accurate based on other books I’ve read
and my own experiences. The depiction of the characters matched how one may imagine women
in that culture may feel or experience daily life. There were no illustrations in this book other
than the cover page. The cover page depicted the white washed buildings, with red henna tattoos
surrounding the outer cover of the picture. In conclusion, the author stayed true to the culture
and demonstrated a respectful picture of life for women in Ghadames.
12. Hopkins, Lee Bennett. (2005). Oh, No! Where Are My Pants. New York, NY: Harper
Collins Children’s Books.
NCTE Excellence in Children’s Poetry, 2009. For grades 2-5.
I truly enjoyed the poetry in this book. My favorite was the simplistic First Day by Susan Hart
Lindquist because it reminded me of the first day of school and learning that once again, my twin

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sister was placed in a different class than me. I read a few of the poems to my children, ages 8
and 9, who laughed groaned and laughed outloud. Their favorite poem was Oh, No! by Katie
McAllister Weaver and it took them a moment to figure out where the worm’s head went. It was
funny to watch their response to this poem and the pictures.
This book is well organized and includes a table of contents helping readers locate a favorite
poem by an author. Children will be able to relate to the topics of the first day of school, a friend
moving away, an embarrassing moment, and an awful day. The illustrations use muted shades of
green, yellow, red, orange, pink, and blue. The pictures match the content of the poem and are
on the adjacent page of the poem. The poem, At the State Fair with the adjacent illustration both
match the mood of a child’s fear of being stuck at the top of a ferris wheel. The experiences
presented in this book match the experiences that the intended audience may find themselves in
or have already experienced.
13. Kadohata, Cynthia. (2004). Kira-Kira. New York, NY: Atheneum Books for Young
Readers.
Newbery Medal, 2005. For grades 6-9.
I appreciated reading about the South through a perspective that was not Black or White. The
story was endearing in how Katie reflected and tried to understand the sacrifices her family made
in order to own a house. The descriptions of her mother working in the chicken factory were sad
and inhumane, particularly when the author describes how workers were forced to wear a special
pad because they could not leave the line for bathroom breaks. Another interesting aspect was
the mother’s viewpoint about unions and how she felt that joining a union equated to doing
something bad to the boss who was only trying to help them. This was a very enjoyable book
and I took away that idea that Americans of all cultures sacrificed much to live what they
consider to be the American dream.
This coming of age story reflects the thoughts and feelings of a young Japanese girl who has
moved from Iowa to Georgia. Some of the experiences reflect the age of the main character, like
when Katie makes little balls out of white bread or when she gets angry about her sister’s
“phony” friend and punches her. The references to issues that occur while living in a Southern
state seem accurate with White mothers ignoring the Japanese mothers and how the family is not
allowed to stay in one of the front hotel rooms because of their skin color. This book does have
more mature themes, including the kids wondering about sex, kissing, and death, which fits the
intended audience for this book which is middle and high school age.
14. Montgomery, Sy. (2006). Quest for the Tree Kangaroo. New York, NY: Houghton
Mifflin Company.
Notable Children’s Books, 2007. For grades 4-9.

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One of the areas I found most enjoyable were the side articles that were especially for kids. For
example, the author offers advice to kids encouraging them to follow their passions and provides
a five step process for learning about animals. The photos from Nic Bishop were fantastic and it
almost felt like the reader is seeing something that many others have not seen. I learned
interesting facts regarding some of the animals including a bird that has poisonous feathers and
skin to prevent predators from eating it. Due to the large amount of text and the type of wording
used, it is obvious that this book is for the older reader. It would be important for teachers and
librarians to teach how a nonfiction book such as this one, can be enjoyed through locating areas
of interest to the reader.
The author does a good job of relating the details of what she sees by the use of first person. The
colorful maps and photos help support the context of the facts and details presented in the book.
The language used pulls the reader into the story and is written with upper elementary and
middle school students in mind. For example, the author exclaims, “In a place like this, we half
expect a hobbit or a troll to show up (p.7)”, which will help students better imagine the
environment is being something they would almost see in a fantasy. The book is organized by
the timeline of their adventure and starts with the beginning of the trip, and the places that they
visit along the way. The author also does a great job of explaining concepts, defining
terminology, and providing explanations for each of the pictures used.
15. Aston, Dianna and Sylvia Long. (2006). An Egg is Quiet. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle
Books.
Orbis Pictus Award Recommended, 2007. For Preschool-2nd.
The art work is amazing real looking even though it was created with ink and watercolor. The
addition of interesting facts will grab students interest, for example, the artists describe how
ladybugs first meal is the egg case they come out of. I found myself being surprised by the
actual sizes of the eggs. The hummingbird egg is about the size of a jellybean and the author
provided a proper sized ruler at the top of the page to help readers truly imagine the real size of
the eggs. I found this book enjoyable and I was able to learn a lot about eggs while enjoying the
illustrations.
The artwork was created in ink and watercolor and many colors are represented. The author and
illustrator accurately matched the appearance of various eggs animals lay within this picture
book. The end papers are robin egg blue with white, brown, and black speckles. The book is
organized as a nonfiction book with the titles written in large script. Both pages are covered in
drawings of various eggs with each egg labeled by the animal that it belongs to. The font used to
label each egg is in print making it easy for children to read. Each title represents the topic for
that page for example, pages 7 and 8 the topic is how eggs are shapely. Many of the eggs are
drawn in the actual size the egg would occur in nature, which will peak children’s interests.

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16. Ryan, Pam Munoz. (2000). Esperanza Rising. New York, NY: Scholastic Press.
Pura Belpre Award, 2002. For grades 6-9.
Growing up in California, I learned much about Cesar Chavez and the plight of migrant workers
through California. It was interesting to read about this topic through the perspective of a young
Mexican girl. I appreciated the added note by the author and learned that the story comes from
her own grandmother’s experiences. The other experience I found enlightening was the early
memories of living a life where she is waited on by servants. Many times in the past I’ve read
about unsavory or negative aspects regarding life in Mexico so it was interesting to read about
Esperanza’s life in Mexico prior to tragedy.
The author’s use of Spanish words and phrases sprinkled throughout provides the reader with a
cultural understanding of the Mexican culture. For example, Abuelita, who means the world to
Esperanza responds with both Spanish and English words, “No hay rosas sin espinas. There are
no roses without thorns (p.14),” which teaches Esperanza phrases of wisdom one might hear any
grandmother say to their family members. The themes in this book are for an older child, as
there is death and the ill treatment of migrant workers. Children will appreciate the message of
hope and rising above the negative experiences life may present.
17. Nelson, Kadir. (2008). We Are Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball. New York, NY:
Hyperion Books for Children.
Robert Sibert Medal, 2009. For ages 9-12.
I was very touched by the forward written by Hank Aaron. I remember watching my brother
play baseball throughout his career and wondering why there were so few African Americans.
My daughter currently plays softball and is the only African American on her team. So few is
written that discusses the Negro leagues so I was thrilled to read We Are Ship to my children. I
hope that they take away from the experience to work hard and to honor the sacrifices of those
that came before them in the sport. In addition, the paintings by Kadir Nelson were beautiful
depictions of historical athletes and the pictures looked realistic with the various shades of
brown, the full lips, and captured the action of baseball beautifully.
The foreword by Hank Aaron, and the quotes by players in the Negro Leagues, provided a good
context to delve deeper in to this area of history. Also, the organization of this book fit the
baseball theme with the titles being named after game innings. This book also includes a
substantial index where readers can easily locate famous players and other topics. The
information seemed accurate and included a bibliography listing resources where readers can
locate more information regarding the Negro Leagues. The language used matched how I would
imagine a player would speak in the early 1900’s. The presentation of Negro League history is

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done in a way that young boys can relate to and it the way in which facts and details are
presented are done in regular language that children can relate to.
18. Curtis, Christopher Paul. (2007). Elijah of Buxton. New York, NY: Scholastic.
Scott O’Dell Award, 2008. For ages 9-12.
I found this book to be very interesting as it taught me about a Canadian settlement owned and
managed by freed slaves. The story is told by the first free born child, Elijah Buxton. Many of
the situations Elijah finds himself in are laugh out loud funny, like when Elijah plays a trick on
his mom with a toad that she fears then she turns around, weeks later, and scares him by putting
a snake it he cookie jar. There were also moments of beauty like when Elijah’s father exclaims
how beautiful a day in Buxton it is and how beautiful the runaway slaves are because they are
free. This is a great story for children to get a better idea of the settlements freed slaves created
and also to get an idea of what life may have been like as a free, young Black boy during the
time of slavery.
The type of language used represented the language that probably would have been used by
slaves who escaped to freedom. The activities of Elijah were a good representation of what a
boy his age might participate in during the 1800’s. Some of the phrases used by the characters
accurately reflect the southern roots that many of the inhabitants of Buxton escaped from, for
example, referring to a respected female elder as, “Mahdear”. It is clever how the author wove
the serious and sometimes dangerous times of slavery around the humorous events Elijah finds
himself in.
19. Stevens , Janet and Susan Stevens Crummel. (2008). Help Me, Mr. Mutt!. Orlando, FL:
Harcourt Books.
Texas Bluebonnet Award, 2010. For ages 4-8.
Help Me, Mr. Mutt is a funny book for kids who like dogs. The pictures show dogs engaged in
activities that would make the reader laugh, especially the picture of the dog trying to dunk the
cat in the toilet on page 25. This book can be for any child who liked humor or pets. The
organization and brief text is great for reluctant readers. Girls will enjoy the snarky responses
from the Queen cat written on pink paper with a crown. Also, this would be a great book to use
when teaching students how to write letters. The majority of the letters follow the proper letter
format and as an assignment, students can pretend their either a dog asking for advice, or they
can write as the Queen cat and respond to Mr. Mutt’s letters.
The drawings of the various dogs are accurate. The book is organized in a letter format from the
dogs for advice from Mr. Mutt, who also answers in letter format. The pictures match the
content of the letters. The colors used are black and white for the photos, yellow, red, brown,

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and green for the rest of the pictures. The font used in the letters matches the letter idea and
looks like it was created with a typewriter. The language used matches the age of the audience
for which this book was created for.
20. Montes, Marisa. (2006). Los Gatos Black on Halloween. New York, NY: Henry Holt and
Company.
Tomas Rivera Award, 2008. For grades 1-4.
What an enjoyable Halloween read! I enjoyed the Spanish Halloween words and appreciated the
glossary at the back of the book. The illustrations were spooky, yet friendly for children. This
book would make a great read aloud for the classroom. It would be an interesting activity to
extend this book by having students create their own Halloween stories yet, change some of the
important words to another language. Los Gatos Black on Halloween was a great combination
of the Spanish and American culture reflected in the holiday of Halloween.
One of the first elements I noticed was the dark colors used throughout the book, starting with
the cover page, including the in pages and many of the pages throughout the story. The use of
rhyme within the text is fun and matches the readability of the intended audience. The colors
used were shades of black, gray, blues, and oranges. The illustrator used curvy lines to depict
the spooky movement of trees in an eerie wind. Also, culture was represented not just in the use
of Spanish words but also in the costumes of many of the ghostly characters that appear in the
story. The Spanish words used are accurate and the children who listen or read the story will
recognize many of the words while learning new ones.
21. Doyle, Gerard. (Speaker). (2005). How to train your dragon [Audio Recording]. Recorded
Books, LLC.
I truly enjoyed listening to How to Train Your Dragon on audio. Usually audio versions of
books tend to put me to sleep. The narrator made this story funny and exciting where you
wanted to listen to it at all times. My children enjoyed listening while we were driving and as
their bedtime story. The unabridged version was interesting and overall this was a very good
quality recording.
The sound recording was extremely clear. The accent of the narrator reflected the setting of
Scotland where the story takes place. The accent did not sound like someone was acting, it
sounded genuine. The narrator sounded like the main character who is a young boy and the
narrator made the voice of the adults believable for the listener. This audio book was engaging
and it sounded as if I was listening to a movie. I downloaded the unabridged audio version from
audible.com and the quality was better than some of the other books I have downloaded from
that site. This was a quality recording using a quality narrator.
22. Barron, D., David Heyman and J.K. Rowling (Producers). Yates, D. (Director). (2010).
Harry Potter and the deathly hallows. England: Warner Brothers.
I am a huge Harry Potter fan and have enjoyed all of the movies. Yet, this movie surpassed my
expectations by far. The actors for the three main characters have truly honed their skills as

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artists. They were believable, mature, and truly made you feel their emotions. The special
effects were amazing and this movie reflected the book exactly. This was the first movie that
actually made me jump a number of times. The movie moved quickly through the forest scenes
which I enjoyed since the book seemed to drag during this part of the plot.
The actor’s ability represented the maturity of the actors. When the series first began the acting
matched the age of the actors. This time, the actors have matured in age and it shows that they
have worked with professional, award winning, actors of Great Britain. The movie closely
follows the storyline of the book which appeals to the fans of the books. One situation was
placed in the movie that made me close my young children’s eyes. The scene between Harry and
Hermione, naked in each other’s arms, is not present in the book to my recollection. Definitely,
children will enjoy this movie, especially if they have watched in of the other movies in the
series. There are parts that will scare younger children, but the movie provides warning through
the sound effects. Many parts of this movie will have children on the edge of their seats due to
the suspenseful nature. This movie is rated as PG-13 and is not appropriate for younger children
in my opinion due to the torture and the scene involving Harry and Hermione.