"Sick Simon" Book Trailer

Not The Red Riding Hood You Know

"Lon Po Po"

Written and illustrated by Ed Young

Published by Philomel Books

Traditional literature

"Lon Po Po" is not your typical telling of the classic story of Little Red Riding Hood. This story is similar to the classic fairytales, but definitely has unique differences. The story takes place in China a long time ago. This old Chinese folktale portrays three brave little girls that are being targeted by a wolf. Unlike the classic telling, the girls use their brains to trick the wolf and escape being his next meal. This story is filled with drama and may even seem a little scary for younger children. I love this book though, because it is so different from the Little Red Riding Hood story that everyone knows. Also there is some major girl power in this story, which is always a positive thing to see in children's literature. 

Ed Young's illustrations in this book are so beautiful but haunting at the same time. The illustrations are very dark and ominous. It is like the illustrator is using the dark shadows to portray how evil of a spirit the wolf actually is. The illustrations seemed blurry or oily, which really give it an old, folktale feel. 

I think this book would be great in a comprehension lesson in 4th-6th grades. The children could read the classic tale and this story and compare the two. The students could have a variety of discussions about the different characteristics you see in each story. 

Poetry: Scientific and Terrific!

"Science Verse"

Written by Jon Scieszka

Illustrated by Lane Smith

Published by Viking Books for Young Readers

Poetry 

This book makes teaching science so much FUN! This tells a story of a boy, in science class of course, who has been cursed with the science verse. Suddenly, he begins to hear everything in science as a poem. This book of scientific poetry makes learning typical topics, such as the water cycle, states of matter, viruses, and many more, so engaging and enjoyable. Another great part about this book is that it uses a lot of recognizable poems and nursery rhymes that children are most likely already familiar with. For example, there's a poem explaining the processes of the food chain that is to the tune of "I've Been Working on The Railroad". This book is very entertaining and educational at the same time. The science filled poems will be sure to intrigue your students while also filling them with lots of laughter. 

The illustrations in this book are dark but oddly vivid at the same time. They seem very abstract and dreamy, which is perfect for this story because it really captures the dream state the boy is in. The illustrations put the boy in strange or funny scenes that relate to the scientific poems. The illustrations are very interesting and they make the poems more engaging than they already are. 

This book would be perfect in any classroom. It has such a wide variety of science topics in it that it could be used in multiple grade levels. With topics ranging from amoebas to black holes, this book would be a perfect way to start a lesson in a humorous manner. It doesn't actually teach the whole topic but it gives enough information to provide a teacher with a great starter for a lesson. 

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