Remember: The Journey to School Intergration by Toni Morrison

Remember can be used in the classroom during a civil rights unit in social studies. It’s pictures have the ability to capture the audience and make them weep for the African Americans facing the unjust treatment. It allows the reader to see the events of the civil rights movement through the eyes of the preyed upon.

When used in a classroom Remember will be very effective in getting the students to understand how drastic times were back then. Student will be able to relate to the book because they are the same age as some of the kids being integrated. It would be a good book to read during Black History Month and to be paired with a book about Dr. Martian Luther King Jr.

When reading this book I get such a feeling of sorrow in knowing that this happened 50 years ago in the United States. Reading this book will educated people and make them realize that segregation and hate do not belong in America.

Butterflies and Moths by Nic Bishop

I really don’t like bugs, but this book made me realize how cool they can be!! Butterflies and Moths gives the reader a vast amount of fascinating knowledge about just that, butterflies and moths. It can be used as a book to teach student about the science and biology of butterflies and moths. Student will be captivated by the interesting facts and by the beautiful pictures.

My favorite part of this book is the pictures. They are vivid and colorful and full of life. They really draw the reader in.

The 9/11 Report. Graphic Adaptation by Sid Jacobson and Ernie Colon

Everyone remembers what they were doing on September 11^th 2001 when they hear the news about the attacks. It was a time of great tragedy and a time of great realizations. The 9/11 Report gives a timeline of events leading up to September 11^th 2001 dating back to the early 1980’s. As a reader, the book is meant to inform about why certain events transpired. The authors do this very well and the graphics are great but the layout of the graphics are a bit hard to follow sometimes.

This book hits very close to home with me because my father was deployed to Iraq in 2004 due to the War on Terrorism. The 9/11 Report gave me answers to questions that I had about why my dad was being sent overseas.

Learning American history is essential for students and the attacks on September 11^th are a huge part of history, especially leading into the 21^st century. This book can be used in the classroom to educate about history and inform student what a graphic novel is.

The Wall written and illustrated by Peter Sis

The Wall is a personal account of the author’s life, and that makes the story behind its pages very powerful. Reading about Peter Sis’ struggles growing up in Communist Czechoslovakia makes me extremely lucky that I live in a country with so many freedoms. Reading The Wall to a classroom of 5^th or 6^th graders will more than likely instill the same feelings of patriotism and thankfulness toward the United States. Children in the U. S. today have never been restricted from being artistic or expressing themselves and it is important for students to realize that and be grateful.

The layout of the book was very well done. I enjoyed reading the notes on the side of each page as well as following along with the story. And reading Peter Sis’ actual journal entries gives the reader the ability to personally relate to the book.  

Little Dog Poems by Kristine O’Connell George and illustrated by June Otani

Little Dog Poems is a great book for younger students, grades K-3, to start getting a grasp on what poetry is. It gives them a look at free verse poetry, which is a type of poetry that tends to be overlooked. I think that this book will be a useful tool both in the classroom and at home, as a bedtime story.

As I read Little Dog Poems, the think that stood out to me the most, aside from the easy to read poetry, was the amazing illustrations. The poems alone are good, but paired with the beautiful watercolor paintings children will not be able to put the book down.