The Relatives Came by Cynthia Rylant Caldecott Honor

Another quality work from Cynthia Rylant. I had actually read this one before but could not remember what it was about. I kept trying to read it with the same rhyme pattern that is in The Lady Who Named Things ( which I loved and have read again!). Isn't it funny that we try to generalize a particular pattern or theme to most works by the same author.The story starts with It was summer of the year that the relatives came. That makes me think that this was a very special isolated visit. The illustration on that page had a man loading a car with a ton of luggage, like they would stay a while. The author really makes it a point to let us know that it was a long drive up from Virginia. It was so cute to see the car packed with people and weighed down with luggage on the roof, it made me think of a clown car at the circus. Once they arrived the poor little house was packed full of people. It made me laugh to look at all of them laid out on the floor. I would have definitely read this book to my elementary students because to them visiting family or having family visit is a big deal. It was also refreshing to see family just enjoying one another without TV and video games.

Bridge...the movie

Wow! This is a first for me ever. I actually liked the movie better. Before you throw tomatoes, hear me out. I personally thought the book dry at first. As I stated in my review, I had a hard time connecting to Jesse right away. The movie was quicker and updated. Jesse and his family seemed closer than in the book. I did not feel as bad for him in the movie. Things were bad for him but it did not bother me as much. In the book his mom seemed oddly cranky. She seemed just a bit stressed in the movie.
I kept looking for Bessie the cow. What exactly were his chores in the movie anyway? Thinking about it now it seems weird that I would favor the movie when I do not like many of the changes made.
I guess I really opened my eyes and looked at Jesse and Leslie and their relationship for the first time. I am not a very imaginative person so I had a hard time picturing Terabethia and all of the adventures. The movie captured their vivid imaginations and how they trusted one another enough to allow the full experience to take over( the Janice Giant Troll really got me giggling). That changed them for me. I felt more emotions in the movie when Leslie died because I saw them having a deeper connection. And who would not feel bad for that adorable little boy.

Westlandia By Paul Fleschman

What a beatiful book! Beautiful illustrations! Beautiful words! What is wrong with being unique?
Poor Wesley, no one seemed to like him the way he was, not even his parents. So what else is there to do except to create a new land where you are normal.That is exactly what Wesley does. He grows beautiful fuits and weaves lovely things. He even gets to dress in comfy robes. Surprisingly his peers begin to get courious and kind Wesley allows them in to help some. Wesley spends the summer cultivating Weslandia and and nurturing his uniqueness. And guess what, people start to want to be like him.
I love this story becuase it tells children that it is ok to be whoever you want to be.

Bridge to Teribithia By Katherine Paterson Newby Berry Award Winner

Honestly, if this was not required for class I probably would not have finished it. A usual rule of thumb for me is if I do not get so into a book within the first 24 hours that I can not put it down...I put it down for good.This was not one of those books. I tried several times to get through the first chapter and failed. I had to force myself to push through. I guess I had nothing to connect to with this book early on. The main character was a little boy with a few sisters being raised in what seemed like dismal conditions. His mother was mean to him, yet not abusive. His father was indifferent and Jesse was obsessed with being the fastest runner in the 5th grade. I did feel bad for him but I just could not connect to him.
I am relieved to say that I am glad to have stuck it out. Jesse's friendship with Leslie is what drew me in. I was so proud of Jesse for being friends with her and I wanted to see how this relationship would grow and change him. Once I gave the book a chance I found that the author was very detailed in such a way that I could feel embarrassment, fear, and anxiety about certain situations. Not many books stir those emotions for me. When Leslie and Jesse wrote the note to the bully about meeting a boy after school I was so worried they would be caught. Ecspecially the next day when May Belle asked them on the bus if they did it, I was sure they would be caught. Leslies death was very sad and it was nice to see his mom and dad try to be nice to him. The last chapter was a bit dissappointing for me. I wanted Jesse to hold Terabithia sacret and private or never go back. I do not think it will ever be the same for him even if his sister shares it with him.

I Love You, Too! By Eve Bunting

In the spirit of Valentine's Day I am posting on a story by Eve Bunting that was in a collection of I Love You stories I bought my children for Valentine's Day. This particular story has adorable illustrations, done by Melissa Sweet,that are over sized and colorful. On every page you will find adorable animals with their mommy's. The story starts with a little brown puppy giving his mama a special gift. Of course his mama loves the gift and showers him with hugs, kisses, and I love yous. By doing this the little puppy inspires his friends to do the same and each little animal discovers a special gift to give their mommy. Each animal is described using color or a characteristic which helps teach children those particular descripters. And of course each mama loves the gift. It was cute because my little boy touched my check and said "you are my mama", which brought me to tears. There is some ryme present but not too much. The only draw back was that it seemed to go on and on and I began to wonder how many other animals would be in the story. Overall, it was very sweet and moving.

Just You and Me By Sam McBratney

This was an adorable picture book featuring a beatuful adult goose and an adorable baby gosling goose on the cover. In this story the little goose is afraid of an impending thunder storm so the two look for a place to hide. Everywhere they go another forest creature has gotten there first but offers to share the spot with Little Goosey and Big Gander Goose. The little one is a bit shy about being scared of the storm and keeps asking if they can hide just the two of them. So they make their excuses and move on. They eventually find a place to hide and sleep out the storm. I thought this book was very cute because so many of us are ashamed or embarrassed about our fears and prefer to be with loved ones only when we fear danger. It was interesting that Big Gander Goose is introduced only as someone who looks after Little Goosey and not a parent. It touched my heart as a parent because I always want to be with my children when they are afraid and I rarely trust others to protect them. I did not like that each time they declined an offer to share a hiding spot they made excuses by pointing a negative aspect of that place and so after they moved on the first tenant decides to leave as well. In the end the storm passess and all is well. The catch....all of the other animals were hiding there as well but no one knew because it was such a great hiding place. I wonder what we were sopposed to learn from that?