Biography Annotation

Be Water, My Friend The Early Years of Bruce Lee Written by Ken Mochizuki Illustrated by Dom Lee Published by Lee & Low Books Inc. (2006) Biography Multicultural 31 pages Summary: The book Be Water, My Friend is a biography about a man named Bruce Lee that covers his life from the time he was born until he was 18 years old (with an extra bonus biography at the end). There are descriptions of his life in Hong Kong and it explains how Bruce Lee became so great in his martial arts career. The dates, facts and characters are all true pieces of information, but the story is put together in an interesting way. It is easy to read and as the reader is paging through the book they are learning all about the life of Bruce Lee. The title Be Water, My Friend was a true quote from Bruce Lee and in this book it is explained how the quote came around. It is an amazing book for young readers and it provides them with an opportunity to learn about an icon. Personal Response: I did not know a lot about Bruce Lee and therefore through reading this book I learned a lot of information about the well-known man. I thought the information was very straight forward, yet the way the book was written flowed smoothly. Be Water, My Friend was filled with important information yet in an easy to read way. I really liked how the author added a section at the end of the story about the rest of Bruce Lees life. The main story only covered Bruces life until he was 18, so I was left wondering what the rest was like. I really enjoyed the illustrations that went along with the story and it was fun to see the different martial arts moves demonstrated on the pages. I generally have to concentrate on reading a biography because there is so much factual information. However, this book portrayed Bruce Lees life in a very interesting way so it kept my attention throughout the entire book. I really liked reading the biography of his life. Strengths and Considerations: The one major consideration that I believe is encompassed in this book is the idea of prefacing the book with necessary background information. A teacher may need to ask the students a couple of questions to see what they already know to better understand the book. Some example questions would be; Do you know who Bruce Lee is? Where is Hong Kong? Can anyone explain what martial art is? By asking those questions the teacher is setting the students up for success because they will have the background information necessary for better understanding the text. The content is pretty straightforward and easy to understand, so the consideration of background information is not that relevant. There are a lot of strengths throughout this book. One major strength is the illustrations that go along with the text. The illustrations are done in a different technique. They are created through scratching away beeswax to create the different shades. The idea of discussing the different technique would be a great art lesson!

Another strength is the personal connections the students could make. Many of the students may not partake in martial arts but the book also explained that Bruce Lee really liked to play jokes, read, act, dance and more. Therefore, the students could relate to his early childhood. This would make the content more appealing. The easy to read language is also a strength of the book. Many times biographies can have a lot of information that is hard to understand. But Ken Mochizuki did an amazing job at allowing this book to contain a lot of information, but in a student friendly way. This book has a lot of strengths that would benefit the readers comprehension. How the Book Will be Used: I would use this book in a fourth grade classroom. Between the content and the illustrations I believe that students in fourth grade would be able to appreciate both aspects and understand the information the best. I would probably read this aloud to the class after an introduction of what a biography is, is discussed. I would use this as an example that a biography can be fun and interesting. After I read the book aloud I would like to extend on the information. I love how the illustrations were created so I would love to discuss it with the children! We could also extend as a class on the rest of Bruce Lees life because it is discussed at the end of the book. However, once the book has been discussed as a whole I will allow them to collaborate. This book would be used in the beginning of the gradual release of responsibility. We would work on the book together. Then I would like the students to work with a partner to find a biography in the school classroom. Eventually I would like the students to work individually and create a biography on someone else in the classroom. I believe that this book would demonstrate the idea of a biography very well so utilizing it as a read aloud to introduce a theme would be great! At the fourth grade level, students are able to work as a whole group, in pairs and individually so they would succeed at this task. They can also write and read independently so the additional tasks would be achievable.

Fantasy/Science Fiction Annotation

Invisible Stanley Now you see him, Now you dont! Written by Jeff Brown Illustrated by Steve Bjorkman Published by Scholastic Inc. (1996) Fantasy 84 pages Summary: Stanley, the main character, is a member of the Lambchop family. One day there is an awful storm and after it is over the family cant seem to find Stanley, but that is because Stanley has become invisible! They say a bad connection between the weather and the fruit that Stanley was eating was the cause of Stanleys invisible status. (He was eating an apple and some raisins during the storm!) Stanley initially loved being invisible. He would carry around a red balloon to show people where he was, but that was only if he wanted people to know where he was! He helped a couple get engaged, he participated

in a bike race and did so much more! Stanley seemed to really enjoy his new invisible life until things started to go bad At the end of the story everything works out for Stanley. Personal Response: I really like this version of the Flat Stanley series. I thought the plot was clever enough to keep the readers attention throughout the whole story. Also, I always remember wishing that I could have invisible powers, so I think a child would be able to relate to the book and find it humorous! Personally, it was a very easy read and having read the Flat Stanley book prior to this, I understood the concept of the plot. I liked the different activities that Stanley participated in such as the bike race, the proposal, the T.V. show and flying! They were all things that a child could picture. I really like this book a lot and would love to use it in a future classroom! Strengths and Considerations: One strength of this book is that it is a part of the Flat Stanley series. This will help the student understand the main character due to their background knowledge. Even if a student had not read Flat Stanley, this book is easy to follow so they will not be behind. Another strength is the fact that this book is easy to extend off of. The teacher could ask the students where they would go if they were invisible. This could be done in writing form, a project or another way. The extension is a great strength of this book. There are very few considerations. I really like the simplicity of the sentence structure for the 3rd grade level as well as the communication and use of quotation marks throughout the story. There are a lot of teaching strategies that can be found throughout this book, which makes it a great book for a classroom. Because of the diverse amounts of teaching strategies that can be found throughout this book, there are many different ways that a teacher can utilize it in a classroom.

How the Book Will be Used: I would like to use this book in a 3rd grade classroom as an individual reading book option. I could use it as a whole class book with an extension, but I feel that its text features, concept, length and vocabulary are all suitable for individual reading in a 3rd grade classroom. The text features such as the prologue, picture to text connections and the separation of chapters are all on level for a 3rd grader. They are easy enough for most third graders to be in their instructional reading level. Therefore, I would not assign this book to all of the students in my 3rd grade classroom, but to the students who are ready for these text features, sentence structures and ideas. In small group time I may ask some of the children comprehension questions relating to the book. Such as, where would they go if they were invisible? Or what was their favorite book and why? Allowing the students to expand and provide evidence for their opinions on the book will allow them to understand and comprehend the book better. A 3rd grade student has the capabilities to do this so it would fit best in a 3rd grade classroom during small group or individual reading time. Plus, the plot is entertaining and humorous to read, so the students would find the book enjoyable to read.

Historical Fiction Annotation

Pink and Say Written by: Patricia Polacco Published by: Philomel Books (1994) Historical Fiction Culturally Diverse 43 pages Summary: Pink and Say is a story about a friendship between two boys named Sheldon and Pinkus. The two boys were fighting in the civil war and Sheldon was hurt very badly. Pinkus found him lying in the grass and helped him get out of the warzone. Pink carried Say back to his house where Pinks mother, Moe Moe Bay, took care of the boys. As the boys were healing from the war they did things such as read, walk outside and relax. The family was very scared of the marauders who were looking for soldiers and one day they came in and killed Moe Moe Bay. After that, the boys became prisoners of the Confederate Army and they were taken to the town of Andersonville, a Confederate Camp. Here Pink and Say were separated and their great friendship came to a halt. Sheldon lived to tell the story and it has been passed on from generation to generation since. It is a great retelling of a historical fiction text that depicts two young boys in the war. Personal Response: I found this story very realistic and touching. I really enjoyed the main characters, and I am not sure if it is because they were young boys, but I felt for them throughout the story. As an adult, the plot line was very intriguing. Between Moe Moe Bay dying and the blood portrayed throughout the illustrations, it was a little graphic but I could feel the sadness that is associated with war. The fact that the two little boys were of different color was not important to me, but knowing the history of the United States, I was able to understand how big of a step that was for such young children. I really enjoyed Patricia Polaccos story and I enjoyed the illustrations as well. Strengths and Considerations: There are a lot of strengths and considerations throughout this book. One strength of this book is the history that it discusses. The idea of two different colored boys fighting in a war and becoming friends is very brave. As a teacher I could introduce different vocabulary such as the Confederate army and marauders, which are both mentioned in the book. This could lead into a discussion on the Civil War and the history behind it. The content can provide excellent discussion as a whole class. Another strength in this book is the illustrations. They are very detailed and interesting. However, there is a lot of blood painted all over the pictures, which is a little graphic. That would be a consideration. Many children may not be ready for the idea of death and war and if it is portrayed throughout the illustrations as well as the words, it may be very intense. Death, loss and war are three deep discussion ideas that should be communicated with a teacher when dealing with students that are in elementary school. The individual reading this book should consider the topic and be careful of whom the audience is. Overall, this

book is incredible because of its history and illustrations, but whoever is reading the book should be careful of the emotional outcome of the text and pictures. How the Book Will Be Used: I would only use this book as a read aloud to a whole class in a 4th grade classroom. There are a lot of considerations in this book, so I would like to be able to discuss and explain the different parts to the students. The Civil War as well as other wars are discussed around the 4th grade level, so it would be nice to introduce a historical fiction book that gives another perspective on the topic. The students in 4th grade would be able to understand the content of the book, however, the intensity of both the pictures and ideas may be a little intense. That is why I would like to use this book as a read aloud. The teacher would be able to preface the book with ideas of war; how people die, get hurt and they struggle to win. This way the students will be more prepared for the books information and content. Also, if a student has a question throughout the book or is confused about an idea, they have the opportunity to ask the teacher for clarification. An example of this would be the idea of the marauders. If the student werent sure of the marauders reasoning for looking for soldiers, then the teacher would be able to explain that. Because there is so much intense content in this book, it would be best used in a whole group setting for the 4th grade level read aloud. 4th grade students would be best suited for this book.

Math Annotation
Toasty Toes Counting by Tens Written by Michael Dahl Illustrated by Zachary Trover Published by Picture Window Books (2006) Math 24 pages Summary: This book counts by tens and increases on every page. The theme is about childrens toes in a beach setting. Every page contains a different amount of toes (10, 20, 30 etc) and they are always doing something different! An example is TWENTY toes jog through the shallow waves. The number (Ie: FOURTY) is always capitalized so there is an emphasis on the number word. There is also a number line in the bottom corner that allows the reader to follow along. The sentence structure is very simple, but it is a very educational book. Personal Response: I really liked the simplicity of the sentence structure. It was less about the words and more about the concept, which in a math book, is a great quality. There were a lot of other qualities such as the number line and the information in the back that were very helpful. I thought they provided more educational tools that would aide in the understanding of the counting by tens method. I also liked the theme of the story. I feel

that the idea of small children playing in the summer on a beach is a very relatable topic. Many of the kids can understand that every child has 10 toes and is participating in different activities. Overall the book is very simple, yet engaging and informational. Strengths and Considerations: There are so many strengths woven throughout the book. One strength found in the book is the fact that on each page, the highlighted number is also hidden throughout the illustrations. Therefore, if a page is discussing TWENTY, then the number 20 would be somewhere in the illustrations. This can create a game like feeling for the students and help the learning process. The number line in the bottom left corner is also a major strength. The children can see the word twenty, see the number 20 and count the number of dots (20). The will solidify the number on each page scaffolding the students with a deeper meaning. The simple sentence structure is also a strength because it also the students to concentrate on the number rather than decoding. However, one consideration could be the fact that the book is really simple. A young student may become bored with the simplicity, but when a child is young repetition is a benefit. Therefore, the simplicity could be a positive or a negative depending on the student level. How I Will Use This Book: I would like to use this book in a first grade classroom. For most first graders, they understand the concept of counting by tens, but this book would help them solidify the understanding further. This book would be used as an additional support system for the students. I would put it in a math center to have the children practice their skills. Between the hidden numbers on every page and the number line in the bottom left hand page this book would be great for partner sharing or individual practice. The simple sentence structure as well as the repetition will help a first grader achieve success in reading this book. I know that this book would be a great resource in a first grade classroom. It is something that students would be able to read within their independent level while solidifying the concept of counting by tens.

Poetry Annotation
Come to My Party and Other Shape Poems Written by: Heidi B. Roemer Illustrated by: Hideko Takahashi Published by: Henry Holt and Company, LLC (2004) Poetry Melting Pot Multicultural (Very limited) 47 pages Summary: Come to My Party and Other Shape Poems is a book that has a total of 38 poems representing the four different seasons. The poems are all short and each season has approximately 9 poems describing different activities or themes for each season. The book starts with spring and goes to summer, autumn and finally winter. The words of each poem are all written in different shapes that encompass the theme. One example of this would be in the Winter Section for the poem titled Backyard Fun the words are

designed to look like an igloo! This type of poem is known as concrete. The words take form in different shapes. Personal Response: I really liked this poetry book and once I understood the concept of the representation of the four seasons, I found it even more appealing. As I was reading each of the catchy poems, I found myself relating to the different activities. Each season had approximately 9 poems that encompassed different things one would find in spring, summer, autumn and winter! I also found the shapes of the poem more entertaining to read. I had to turn the book to read some poems and tilt it in different directions to read the shapes. Because I had to actually move the book around I found I was interacting with the poems more and enjoying the experience. Strengths and Considerations: One strength of this book was the shapes that the words made because the text layout was so different than most books. Many times students get so use to reading from left to right that a little creativity would be good for them. Poetry is a very creative genre, so I liked the emphasis on the creativity though the different shapes in each poem. However, the shapes could also be a weakness in this book. For a young reader, they may not understand the direction of the words and become confused in reading the poem. A teacher should guide the students through a couple of poems to demonstrate the direction of the words. Another strength of this book would be the information relating to the four seasons. A student would be able to make connections to each season without being asked to do so. It is an informational and fun way to learn about the four seasons by allowing the students to make connections. How the Book Will Be Used: I would love to use this book in a second grade classroom. I would chose one or two poems that I enjoyed the most from each season and I would read them aloud to the class. I would like to use this book as an introductory tool into a unit about the seasons. I know that this book would grab the attention of most of my students, and they would be engaged by the different writing styles, themes and poems. Throughout the unit, I would come back to the book and ask for different activities the students participate in during each season and see if those activities are represented in the book. Finally, at the end of the unit I would have each student chose their favorite season and one activity they participate in during that season and then write a shape poem about it. This book would be utilized at the beginning, middle and end of a second grade four seasons unit. This book would help to introduce a different writing style as well as the upcoming unit planned. I really like this book and would love to utilize it in a second grade classroom.

Realistic Fiction Annotation

A Place To Grow Written by: Soyung Pak Illustrated by: Marcelino Truong Published by: Arthur A. Levine Books (2002) Realistic Fiction Culturally Diverse 31 pages Summary: This is a story about a father and a daughter and the love that they share for one another. The father is explaining that there are so many different environments to live in around the world and a person, just like a seed, can travel as far as theyd like to live in the perfect place. He describes the process of a seed traveling all around the world until it finds the best place for it to thrive and grow. He lists many different characteristics that are needed such as fertile land, healthy surroundings and a welcoming environment. The father, like the seed, had to travel to find the best place for his family to live, but because they were all together as a family they had love. It is a very heartfelt book about family, love and togetherness. Personal Response: I like the message that this book portrays. The like the idea that a family can be anywhere in the world and as long as they have each other, they have love and happiness. Some children may not be able to personally relate to this story. However, many children that have experienced a move in their lifetime would benefit from reading this book. This book could potentially help them grow from a change whether it is moving to a different town, state or country. The bond between the parent and the child is also relatable to many students so they will be able to connect to the book. There are many important points throughout the book that I feel are very beneficial to a child. Strengths and Considerations: One major strength in this book is the diversity that it brings. The family portrayed in this book is of a different culture. This brings a sense of diversity to the students without them realizing it. The message is very relatable so the students will understand the plot, but it is done so in a diverse family, so they are getting a culturally diverse experience. The message, which is about moving and feeling comfortable in a home, is easy to understand so that is also a strength. I love the illustrations in this book. The use of the paint is very interesting and for second grade students the illustrations are also very important. I think they are incredible, therefore, I believe that the students would love them as well, which is a strength. If the students enjoy the pictures then they will generally enjoy the story! There are very few considerations in this book. Other than explaining about a different culture if the students are curious, this book is very thought provoking and relatable to a young student. I believe the author and illustrator did an excellent job at creating A Place to Grow.

How The Book Will be Used: I would like to use this book in a 2nd grade classroom as a read aloud book. If I had students who had recently moved into my class and appeared as if they were struggling being comfortable in a new place, then I would introduce this book. Because the books theme is family and love I would not make this into an assignment, but simply a read aloud book. The context is easy enough for a second grade student to grasp, but it is the extension that I believe makes this book appropriate for a 2nd grade class. I would like the students to extend on what they feel make a place a home. Are there examples in the book that they could relate to as well? Why do they feel at home where they live now? This book could be very thought provoking for all of the students in my second grade classroom, however it could be introduced because of an individual student. Many children at this age know the process of planting a seed as well, so they would understand the connection between the seed finding a home and a family finding a home. Overall, any student could relate to the book because they have personally moved or because they know how a real home feels.

Science Annotation
Planets! Discover Our Solar System! Written by the Editors of TIME For Kids with Lisa Jo Rudy Published by Harper Collins Publishers (2005) Science 32 pages Summary: This book contains all of the information an elementary student needs to know about the universe. It discusses the 9 different planets; what they look like, their temperature, how big they are and if it can support life or not. Each planet has a picture, description and fun fact box on each page. A child can easily navigate the book and learn new information about each planet. As well as information regarding the planets, there is a section describing the galaxy around the planets and a section describing telescopes used in space. This book is a great source for elementary school students and it comes from a very reliable source, Time for Kids. Personal Response: I like the simplicity of the book. It contains a lot of information, but it is done so in a student friendly way. The information is not overwhelming or confusing. I love Time for Kids, so I knew that I would really like this book as well. The different chapters set the reader up for success and it also creates an easy to navigate text. Even as an adult I learned new information about some of the planets and it was done so in a fun way! I think this book is very useful and I would love to utilize it in a future classroom! Strengths and Considerations: This book has a lot of information, but it is done so in a kid friendly way. There are a lot of strengths in this book that help it be as successful as it is. The bold words and

sentences are very helpful. It helps to introduce a topic to the reader so they are ready for the information ahead. There are also a lot of pictures that relate to the information explained. For a student it is very good to see a picture along with words to make the content more concrete. Along with the pictures there are captions to further clarification and comprehension. The overall content is a strength as well. There is a lot of information throughout this book and while the viewer is reading the text it does not seem like a lot. Therefore, the reader is learning information without struggling through the content. The only consideration I have for the book is the information regarding Pluto. The book states that Pluto is a planet and this book was made in 2005! Therefore, it is not that old! However, it does raise the question is Pluto really a planet? So atleast it is leaving the topic open for discussion. Other than that one consideration I believe this book is put together very well and it is a lot of beneficial information. How I Will Use This Book: I would use this book in a second grade classroom. Because this book is a Level Two: Developing Reader most students in second grade would be able to read the longer sentences with richer vocabulary. Therefore they would be able to handle this book. I would use this text in a small group setting. I would do a guided reading lesson with the different chapters and sections. They are short enough that the content would not overwhelm the students, but they have enough words that the students would be able to practice the text and become more fluent. If they practice reading the text multiple time, which repetition is great in a second grade classroom, they will become more fluent and the chapters will help the students succeed. I know that this book would do great in a second grade guided reading group.

Social Studies Annotation

Wake Up, World! A Day in the Life of Children Around the World Written by Beatrice Hollyer Published by Henry Hold and Company (1999) Social Studies - Multicultural 41 pages Summary: This book is as simple as the title explains. This book travels through the day in the life of eight different children from all over the world. It begins by introducing the children, explaining where they are from and providing a map for further understanding. Then it goes right into each childs daily routine. It starts with the morning routine and what each child does, to whom they talk to and where they go. Then each of the children go off to school and the book does a great job at explaining the lifestyle at each school setting; how they play, how their school is set up and what they do while they are there. Some of the other sections that are discussed are who the children help, what they eat, how they get ready for bed and what they dream about. It is interesting to see how each child lives in a completely different part of the world and even though some things that

they do are different, overall they are all children and are very similar! The book provides a map of where the children live and because of that the reader will be able to visualize the world and understand the diversity between each of the children. Personal Response: I found it interesting as a college student to read about the different lifestyles around the world, so I know that a child reading about other children the same age would find the information interesting as well. The pictures help to make a personal connection to the story and the short informational paragraphs are interesting and easy to read. I like the different stories that are followed throughout the book. They are very compelling and relevant. Any student can relate to them even if they are not from the same area. I really enjoyed this book and I can see it being utilized in a classroom as a way to emphasize the reading strategy of making connections between text and self. Strengths and Considerations: This book would be very beneficial in a classroom and that is because it contains so many different strengths. One strength is the personal connections an individual can make with the text. Because there are eight children, the odds of a student making a connection with one of the children in the book are very high. The students will be able to relate to different scenarios causing the book to seem more interesting to them. The pictures are also a strength found in the book. Actually seeing a child lay in bed ready for their bedtime routine is more fun than just hearing about a child get ready for bed. Young children will enjoy the visualization that this book provides. Another strength is the multicultural aspect that the students will receive from the book. Many of the students will not understand that they are receiving a social studies lesson as well as a reading lesson because they will be so interested with the text. However, they will be learning about different places around the world and the differences and similarities that go along with that. So the students will be achieving two different tasks; reading and social studies. One thing that I believe is a consideration is I wish there were an easier way to follow one singular child. Because there are eight children that are portrayed throughout the book it becomes confusing at times. There is not one direct path in a childs daily story. A solution to this consideration would be that a teacher or adult would have to help the student navigate through the book or they may become lost. There are very few considerations and one major strength found throughout this book and because of that this book is an incredible find for a social studies aspect in a classroom. How I Will Use This Book: I would use this book in a second grade classroom as a read aloud emphasizing the reading strategy known as making connections. There are so many thought-provoking questions that can be used throughout this book. While I am reading the book aloud I will ask questions such as have you ever done anything like that, what do you do when you first wake up and how is this similar or different to your school? This book does an incredible job at allowing a teacher to model and scaffold the students thinking. I would also emphasize the different places around the world. Because this book is about social studies, I would like to point out all of the different places that the children come from. I would like to extend off of the different locations and go into more detail about one or

two places. In second grade the students will be able to understand the idea of the world and it will be beneficial to utilize children their own age to solidify that concept. After the book is over I can even extend off of the text as well. I can ask every student to write what his or her daily routine looks like and discuss it. This will be an individual task of making connections. The students can look between this book and their own routine and find similarities and differences. This book allows the teacher to use it in both a social studies aspect as well as emphasizing a reading strategy. This book is an excellent choice to have in a second grade classroom.

Traditional Literature Annotation

A Ring of Tricksters: Animal Tales from America, the West Indies, and Africa Retold by Virginia Hamilton Illustrated by Barry Moser Published by The Blue Sky Press An Imprint of Scholastic Inc. (1997) Traditional Literature Multicultural 109 pages Summary: These tales are brought over from both the West Indies and Africa and Virginia Hamilton, who is a Newbery Medalist, does an incredible job at retelling those stories. There are also tales from America in A Ring of Tricksters, so the diversity sets the book up for success. The illustrations go along beautifully with the stories and they add a sense of personality to the animals. Before each of the three sections (America, the West Indies and Africa) there is a short excerpt about the origination of the different locations. It acts as an introduction to the different types of folklore. Characters as well as different words are introduced, so the reader can completely understand the stories. These tales are a compilation of talking animals and trickster tales, which allows for a more amusing plot for children. At the beginning of the book there is a well-made source note about where the book and stories derived from. There are dates and locations from which the stories came from. Then at the end of the book there is a section where the author explains where the characters derived from, the different tricks they perform and the reasons for the stories. Personal Response: I liked this book a lot, but what I loved the most was the incredible illustrations. I believe that Barry Moser did a great job at capturing a silly, yet realistic side of the animals. Almost every animal is placed in a human like form starting with the alligator playing the instrument on its hind legs and moving to the lion sitting on the throne like a king. Moser did a great job at painting the animals, and in my opinion, the illustrations made the stories that much more fun to read. Each story is a little different, yet each area has a theme. For the West Indies, there are a lot of stories about spiders and for America there are a lot of stories about rabbits! I like the similarities within each area. I love the

introductory piece at the beginning of the book as well as the closing thoughts at the end. All of the extra information helps tie to book together as a whole. Strengths and Considerations: This book contains a lot of strengths that have already been mentioned. The introductory piece at the beginning, the introductory pieces for each of the three areas, as well as the closing thoughts are all strengths of this book. Those three different aspects allow the reader to understand the background information needed to fully grasp the folklores. Each folklore is interesting, catchy and amusing, which helps to pull the reader in. Because each of these stories are known as trickster stories, the reader is intrigued throughout each piece waiting for the end. However, each story is short and too the point so the reader doesnt have to wait for the ending. Also, each of the three categories are connected creating an easy theme to understand and comprehend. There are so many strengths within this book and I am very impressed how Virginia Hamilton both retold and organized this book. I honestly cant think of one negative comment about this book. I really, really enjoyed A Ring of Tricksters. How the Book Will be Used: I would like to use this book as a way to support a comprehension strategy that we are working on in my second grade classroom; compare and contrast. This comprehension strategy would have already been introduced and this book would be another way to scaffold the students understanding of the idea. Since this is a second grade classroom, I will use this book in a read aloud and the worksheet would be done as a group. I would have a compare and contrast worksheet to hand out to the students and we would work on it as a whole. We could compare and contrast the three different areas around the world and the folklores that are produced there. There are a lot of similarities within the three areas such as the use of animals and the types of animals, but there are also a lot of differences! I can also bring this information about the three different areas into a social studies setting for later use. The students would be able to use their background knowledge from this text in the social studies section. However, the main purpose of the book would be to scaffold the students understanding in comparing and contrasting ideas for comprehension.