Remington's Reading Space

  1. BIBLIOGRAPHY Bowen, F., & Ransome, J. (2022). Hardcourt: Stories from 75 years of the National Basketball Association. Margaret K. McElderry Books. ISBN: 1534460438 2.  PLOT SUMMARY This non-fiction chapter book takes readers through the exciting history of basketball. From when it was initially created 1891 to different historical and iconic events that have made basketball a popular sport among millions. With over 75 years of history, this story shares different facts about the sport, along with challenges that came along the way. 3.CRITICAL ANALYSIS This book is fantastic! I am more of a football fan, but this book was definitely a page turner. It is loaded with interesting facts and history. This book covers everything! From how the game was created, the rules, to founding professional teams. It also details key moments in basketball, different personalities that challenged the game, and many of the successes that make this game a fan favorite. Bowen brilliantly d...

  1.BIBLIOGRAPHY Tonatiuh, D. (2015). Funny bones: Posada and his day of the dead calaveras. Abrams Books for Young Readers. ISBM: 1419716476 2.  PLOT SUMMARY This beautiful non-fiction book shares the story of José Guadalupe Posada and how the Dia De Los Muertos calaveras came to be.  The story takes readers through the different stages of Posada’s life and the different printing techniques he learned throughout this professional career. 3.CRITICAL ANALYSIS This book is a must have! Tonatiuh shares Posada’s life story in a simple way that is easy for young readers to understand, while providing them with background information on different historical events in Mexico. Through this story, readers can learn more about what influenced Posada to create his iconic calaveras. Additionally, Tonatiuh stayed true to the culture by incorporating Spanish into his writings and providing readers with direct translations making it easy to follow along. I loved this book, coming from a...

  1. BIBLIOGRAPHY Kerley, B., & Fotheringham, E. (2014). A home for mr. Emerson. Scholastic Press. ISBN: 0545350883 2.  PLOT SUMMARY The book tells the wonderful life story of Ralph Waldo Emerson, young boy who “longed to live amid broad, open fields and deep, still woods” and later went on to become a great writer. The story starts by sharing his life as a young boy and continues through the different stages of his life from meeting his wife to losing his home to a fire. 3.CRITICAL ANALYSIS This biography is fantastic! Kerley and Fotheringham do an outstanding job of writing this book like a story not so much a biography, but it has all the components of a great biography. Kerley and Fotheringham provide readers with a joyful portray of Mr. Emerson’s through the use of inspirational quotes. As an added touch, the author’s note also gives readers additional information about Mr. Emerson, the influence he had on people, and how others helped support him through difficult li...

  1. BIBLIOGRAPHY Jenkins, S. (2010). Bones: Skeletons and how they work. Scholastic Press. ISBN: 0545046513 2.  PLOT SUMMARY This non-fiction book provides readers with information about bones. From human bones to animal bones, readers are given in-depth knowledge about the different bones that make up human and animal bodies and their functions. 3.CRITICAL ANALYSIS Using a variety of different text features like illustrations, labels, headings, and information boxes, Jenkins details exactly how different bones work. The information provided is very precise and it keeps readers thinking and making inferences as they read along. Each page is filled with detailed information about different bones, starting with a skull and ending with a complete human skeleton. Additionally, Jenkins does a great job of sharing the purpose of each bone and how they help both humans and animals. As an added bonus, Jenkins also provides notes at the bottom of each page sharing how the size of the ...

  1. BIBLIOGRAPHY Lai, T. (2013). Inside out & back again. HarperCollins. ISBN: 0061962791 2.  PLOT SUMMARY This heartwarming novel is written in verses and was inspired by the Lai’s childhood experiences as a young refugee immigrating to a new country.  Told from the main character’s view point, it tells the story of Ha, who together with her family fled from Vietnam during a time of war and immigrated to the United States. Ha shares her family struggles, stories, and traditions as they face their uncertainty in a new country filled with promise far from the world they knew.   3.CRITICAL ANALYSIS After reading the first few pages, I was immediately hooked.  Lai’s writings in this novel are so authentic and heartfelt. Her language and word choices were easy to follow, making this appropriate for young readers and easy to understand. Additionally, having some background knowledge on this novel, and understanding that it was based on Lai’s personal experiences...

  1. BIBLIOGRAPHY Florian, D. (2022). Zoobilations!: animal poems and paintings. Beach Lane Books. ISBN: 1534465901 2.  PLOT SUMMARY This book of poetry takes young readers through a world filled with animals. This silly book of animal poems is loaded with puns that is sure to keep readers turning the pages as his writings and illustrations describe different animals and provides readers with some fun facts. 3.CRITICAL ANALYSIS This is another must have! Florian cleverly writes verses that perfectly describe different animals and their attributes. From describing the mandrills colorful face to comparing a centipede and millipede’s legs, his words also provide readers with interesting facts about the animals in his poetry. His poems are fun, creative, and his play with words makes them engaging to readers of all ages.   Florian’s illustrations are simple and appealing to young children. Each image looks like it was hand drawn and painted by a young child. The color tones u...

  1. BIBLIOGRAPHY Singer, M., & Pham, L. (2012). A stick is an excellent thing: Poems celebrating outdoor play. Clarion Books. ISBN: 0547124937 2.  PLOT SUMMARY This short collection of eighteen poems brings to life the excitement of different fun filled activities and games that can be played outside. Before videogames, some examples described include jump roping, playing on swings, hide and seek, and playing ball. 3.CRITICAL ANALYSIS This is a must have in every home and library! Through her words, Singer took me to my fun filled childhood world before videogames and technology.  Each of her poems in this collection immerses readers in what a summer afternoon regardless of where you live can be like with jaxs, sprinklers, jump roping, and running into sidewalk puddles. Each poem describes a different activity that can be played outside in great detail.  Singer’s use of Onomatopoeia and repetition perfectly captured the fun experiences of playing outside on a ho...

  1.      BIBLIOGRAPHY Hoberman, M. A., & Fraser, B. (2006). The Llama who had no pajama: 100 favorite poems. Harcourt Brace & Co. ISBM: 0152055711 2.  PLOT SUMMARY This cute book is a poetry collection with one hundred different poems for young children. These poems center around different activities and animals that children can relate to daily. This entire collection of short poems engages young readers through repetitions, tongue twisters, and rhymes. 3.      CRITICAL ANALYSIS After reading the different poems in this book, I thought some poems were silly but cute. Each poem is unique written, catchy, and plays with words.  Hoberman uses a lot of different types of figurative language like repetition, alliteration, and sensory language to engage young readers. As I read through Rabbit , I was quickly reminded Mother’s Goose’s Itsy-Bitsy Spider . As I read through some of the poems, I found myself singing some of the ...