"Come With Me: Poems For a Journey" by Naomi Shihab Nye

In this poem picture story, each of the two adjacent pages are dedicated to a short poem along with collage-based illustrations that are rather colorful. Each of the two pages' poems talk about random topics that little children participate in all the time, such as observing others, being physically active, telling/keeping secrets, etc. When I read these poems, I compare them to the little motivational quotes that are seen on posters and in other forms of literature. Honestly, I did not really care for this poem book - all of the poems were arbitrary and there was no consistent subject/topic.

"How We Are Smart" by W. Nikola Lisa

This is a poem book that has eight different poems that talk about different influential historical figures that all have different skill sets they excel at. One page is separated into the poem of the famous figure, and the other side of the page is a water-color based illustration of the person. One aspect of the story that I really liked was that right below the person's poem on each page, it gave a mini biography about the famous person. This is beneficial to students who are not knowledgeable regarding the famous person - in that they are able to read and gain background information about this famous person. Each poem talks about how these different historical figures are unique and skilled, and at the end of each poem it asks "Are you smart like _______?" I thought this is a great poem compilation for young children because it shows that even though everyone has their own personal things that they excel at. So if a student is not good at something like reading very well, maybe they excel at art. Thus, this book helps open up new role models for a variety of students with different skill sets.

"Harlem" by Walter Dean Myeres

"Harlem" has a relatively relaxing tone for a poem picture book. It talks about everything that Harlem had to offer for many of the diverse people that inhabited it. Throughout the poem, the author talks about the different things to do, people, places, etc. of Harlem, and how they were special to the town. The illustrator uses a variety of creative illustrative techniques such as ink and collage to construct the world he is trying to convey. Each illustration has rigid sides, so it is fairly obvious to tell that they are all constructed from different magazines, newspapers, etc. I think a book like this would be beneficial to students learning about diversity - and how different American towns across the country play a role in making American the ever changing melting pot it is today.

"So Far From the Bamboo Grove" by Yoko Kawashima Watkins

I thought this story was a great alternative perspective from the traditional World War II stories told in the U.S. Most American depictions of WWII deal with the Western Conflicts, i.e. Germany VS U.S. and Europe, and America VS Japan, etc. We rarely ever hear about what goes on across the other side of the globe, and I thought this viewpoint was valuable. Yoko is a part of a Japanese family that lives in Korea because her father works for the Manchurian government. It is amazing at how much the author describes at what happens on the train. The depressing tone leaves little room for the reader to think of any hope at this point in the story, but compels the reader to continue reading. Unlike "Year of Impossible Goodbyes" I thought this story was definitely a lot more consistently engaging/exciting. There was not a single point in the novel where I thought there was a dull/boring point. Between disguising themselves in uniforms to getting injured, there is constant plot development. I especially liked how other characters mention events in Japan unfold (i.e. Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki) throughout the novel, as it helps the reader understand where we are in the WWII timeline, and gives us some steady footing. Overall, I thought these two book comparisons would be fantastic for middle-junior high students - and I believe students would greatly benefit from these alternative perspectives of WWII.

"50 Ways To Save The Earth" by Anne Jankeliowitch

This is a relatively long chapter book with about 5 chapters, and ten different ways to help the environment in each chapter. In each of these chapters, there is a broad topic that talks about a variety of ways to be more eco-friendly, as well as a plethora of vivid photographs that are related to the ideas being conveyed. One example of a typical chapter is similar to Chapter 5, in that it talks about "Caring for Water" and discusses a variety of ways to be more eco-friendly with water such as: "Dont leave your water running while brushing your teeth, save/recycle water, clean up the river to help discourage river pollution, clean beaches, etc." This book, similar to the previous book, can easily be integrated into any elementary classroom that talks about environmental issues as a class. I believe in this day and age, it is imperative for our future generations to understand the issues we are to face in the near future regarding depleting of resources, pollution, and other global issues regarding the destruction of our ecosystems. By introducing these topics at a young age, children may be more likely to be more environmentally concious throughout their lives and take a proactive role in their society to be more environmentally friendly.

"Earth Lines: Poems For The Green Age" by Pat Moon

Going along with the whole concept of "Going Green" I thought Pat Moon's compilation of short poems would be an excellent addition to any unit covering environmentalism. Each poem discusses different topics regarding going green such as conservation of materials, recycling, maintaining habitats, endangered species, etc. Almost all of these poems have simple sketched illustrations next to them that have to do with the poem itself. The only colors used in any of these illustrations is the color green, which is very fitting considering all of the poems are about environmental issues. As I stated earlier, these poems would be a great way to introduce students to environmental issues. One educational lesson would be give each group a different poem from the story, and let them try to extract what the environmental issue is in the poem and how it pertains to the whole overarching idea of being environmentally friendly.

"10 Things I Can Do To Help My World" by Melanie Walsh

This is actually a Children's book and an educational book regarding simple things children can do at home to help become eco-friendly. The book is very interactive and short, each page giving a simple illustration following a sentence in how to become more environmentally conscious. For example, one page talks about turning off the faucet while brushing your teeth to conserve water, so it shows a sink with a little girl turning off the water with a toothbrush. This book is very fun and interactive because each page is designed to have little flip-up parts so the children can stay engaged throughout the story. One aspect of the story that I thought was extremely cool was the fact that the book said it was made from "100% recycled material." Thus, the construction of the book itself was environmentally friendly. Overall, this is a fantastic learning took for K-2nd grade to learn about simple things you can do to help the environment.