Newbery Honor Book
The Newbery Award/Honor book I chose to read for this semester is Because of Winn-Dixie. The book was a fabulous family story and can be enjoyed by children and into adulthood.

The story begins as India Opal Buloni enters a Winn-Dixie only to find a mutt terrorizing the produce section. The dog slides into Opal (as she is called) and wins her heart by smiling, yes smiling at her. Before the manager can call the pound to retrieve the mangy mutt, Opal steps up and claims him as her own to keep him out of trouble. After all, who could let something bad happen to a dog that smiles? Opal tells the manager the dog's name is Winn-Dixie, and he allows her to leave with her new pet. Opal tells the dog everything about her on their walk home, including that her mother left her when Opal was a baby, and that her father is a preacher who just moved them to this new town, and she has no friends.
Her father falls in love with Winn-Dixie just as quickly as Opal did, and he allows Opal to bring her new friend into church with her. While in church one Sunday, Opal prays to God that she will make some more friends besides Winn-Dixie so she won't feel so lonely. Little does she know that with the help of God and Winn-Dixie, her prayers are about to come very true.
It's up to you to read the rest of the story and see how it ends. Read it with family, you will all enjoy.

Week 3

Hello again Lit fans! This week I read chapters 4 and 5 in our Literature book, and they definitely had a lot to say.

Chapter 4 discussed illustrations in childrens' books. There are many aspects to consider when analyzing an illustration in a children's book. Color is the most important aspect of a picture, if you ask me. While it only says it is extremely important in our book, I think it is the most important. Color is the definite deciding factor of mood and energy of an illustration. A color alone can alter how one feels when one is exposed to it long enough. Line is second in importance. The motion and direction of a line can change the feeling of a picture. A simple straight line can simply mean unmoving, boring, or dead, making the line wavy or curvy can give life and energy. Next are shapes, which are formed from colors and lines. Shapes can be complex or simple, based upon the complexity or simplicity of a story, they should match. Texture, although with illustrations isn't noticeable when touched, can convey to a child how an object should feel. The roughness of tree bark, the smooth fur of a cat, all can be imagined from texture. I also read about the types of artistic media- pen & ink, watercolors/acrylics/pastels/ oils, woodcuts, and collage. The types of art- representational, impressionistic, expressionistic, and abstract. Some books with ~fantastic~ illustrations are as follows: The Owl and the Pussycat, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Where the Wild Things Are, Puss in Boots, and Mama Says There Aren't Any Zombies, Ghosts, Vampires, Demons, Monsters, or Fiends.

Chapter 5 was all about picture books. Picture books tell stories through pictures (as one would assume by the name). They can have text, little text, or no text at all; the pictures present content. Mother Goose rhymes are the most popular of early literature, and it's easy to see why. With their quick, easy rhymes, and silly content, people of all ages can enjoy Mother Goose. Children can proudly show they have memorized them, and adults can remember learning them when they were children. They have lasted for years and years, and many copies have been done because of the appeal. Toy books, alphabet books, counting books, concept books, wordless books, and easy-to-read books are also mentioned in this chapter. The alphabet books, wordless, counting, and easy-to-read books are fairly self-explanatory in what they are, but for the rest I shall briefly explain. Toy books are just what they are- toys. They make reading a fun game for children by using pop up pages, flaps, and plastic pieces to make the child eager to see the next page. Concept books are used for developing basic concepts such as prepositions, antonyms, and synonyms. Great examples of picture books are obviously Mother Goose, and the best pop-up book I owned as a child- A Visit to the Haunted House. This is such a cute book about two kids who follow their lost ball into a haunted house and find much more. The illustrations and pop-up pictures will have kids wanting to read it over and over.

Week 2

For chapter 2, I enjoyed reading about the progession of children's literature. It has been through so many phases. First, oral tradition, written for education, none at all, written for entertainment. It's amazing how some of the stories have carried through so many centuries- Aesop's Fables for example.

For chapter 3, I was able to learn how to criticize children's lit, so when I have a kid of my own I can determine what my kid should read. I also learned the different points of making a story (plot, setting, etc.), some of which I already knew, but was able to get more indepth with them. For chapter 3 reading, I didn't read a new book, but would like to recommend several books listed in the chapter I have already read before.
Tuck Everlasting is a wonderful book. The movie was also good, but as with any movie based on a novel, it wasn't quite as good. It was a beautiful story that I suggest you read with a box of tissues nearby.
Harriet the Spy is the same as Tuck Everlasting when it comes to the movie. This was so much better as a book. It was one of my favorites for a looooong time and inspired me to be a neighborhood spy.
Island of the Blue Dolphins is the third book I recommend. I have said it a hundred times, and stick to it wholeheartedly. This is such a fabulous book for 12 and up, I just love it and I know anyone who reads it will too!

That's all till next week!

Week 1

When we are born, we are are like clay. Fresh, pliable, ready to be molded into the individuals we will be for the rest of our lives. We learn by our senses, by our surroundings, and most importantly by those who are around us at any time.

I have noticed this fact as I watch my two year old cousin grow. I was there the day he was born and held him only two hours after his birth. It's amazing, not as amazing as having a child personally, but still amazing.

He is developing his personality from what he sees. His father plays with him very "rough and tumble" so my little cousin believes this is how a little boy should act. He stomps, throws, pounds, and kicks any inanimate object in sight. Also my uncle has a tendency to lose his temper and yell, so little cousin thinks when he doesn't get his way, that it is alright to yell and get angry.

The most important thing that I have noticed is that his speech has slowly developed. It is such a wonder how one day I see him and all he can do is coo, and then the next, he's saying words. He listens to what the adults in his life say and he has been mimicking us. Just a few weeks ago, I was yelling to my cat, and I said "hey you!" Then my little cousin looked at the cat and repeated that, although it sounded more like "Hey-ooo."

This brings me to my books of the week. The first would be the Dr. Seuss book, Red Fish, Blue Fish. This is an excellent book for children, because although it is silly (which kids like)it shows children how to count and to recognize their colors. The book uses rhymes to keep the child's attention and to easily teach speech and phonics. The second book I highly recommend is Mother Goose's Nursery Rhymes. Once again, the repetitive sounds of the poems help the kids to learn sounds and rhythms easily. I am a huge fan of poetry, and it is wonderful for children to learn to appreciate it at a young age.

That's all for now lit fans, more next week!