(ch 6 ) Nacho and Lolita
by Pam Ryan Munoz for juveniles young readers

This book takes place mainly in California it talks about the migration of Golondrinas, traditions, love and culture. It has beautiful colors and pictures of landscapes of the early California. It was a good book to read to 5th graders, it brings up points where we could discuss many points in the book about why and feelings. I enjoy how the author can incorporate the folklore to this love story.

(ch 6 Traditional Literature) Pecos Bill
by Steven Kellog For pre-readers and beginer reading

This book tells the story of a boy named Bill who traveled from New England to E Texas he was rescued by coyotes as young boy and raised it tells his hardships and how he survived in Texas. This book illustrates a early Texas when people travled by wagons and were just settling here. The illustrations are great and I enjoyed how they retold Bills life ho got his name from almost drowning in the pecos river.

( ch 5 Poetry) Good Night Moon

by Margret Wise Brown ages infant to pre school

I also didnt know this book was a poetry book! This is a very calming book to read that captivates the reader to what will happend next. Picture recognition is used with basic colors.

I liked this book because it brings a feeling of calm and comfort to the reader.

(ch 5 poetry) Brown Bear Brown Bear
By Bill Martin Jr. ages infant on up

I alwasys thought the author was Eric Carle however he turns out to be the illustrater.
I have read this book thousands of times to my two girls and other children. The pictures are sort of abstract with only the basic colors, a repetition in words is what captivates the young audience. I had no idea this book was considered a poem. Easy way to introduce color and words to children along with the variety of animals incorporated in this wonderful book.

(ch 4) Go Away Big Green Monster
by Ed Emberley ages 3 on up
This book catches the young audience from the very cover, simple but builds up anticipation of the reader. deep dark backgrounds with bright colorfull illustrations. Has many ways to engage the young reader for activities & questions.

(Ch 4 Reasponding to literature) Chicka Chicka Boom Boom
by Bill Martin Jr. ages 3 yrs on up
This is one of many books that I like it is about teaching the alphabet to young children and has many options to activities one can incorporate. The colors the illustrater uses are bright and colorfull.

Chapter 10 - Reading Aloud

The main information I got out of this chapter is reading books aloud is developmental important to all students regardless of age. Not only is read- aloud fun but when planed they can be a effective tool for learning just about anything. My daughters love read - aloud and I love my audience and that is tool I use to teach them just about anything. New vocabulary words can spark up the students light bulb. I think Teachers need to pre- read books before reading it to the class to have a idea on topic, questions, and vocabulary.

Chapter 9 - Nonfiction

I received many ideas on how to use nonfiction to my future students .I think teachers were very limited in books when I was growing up because nonfiction books were pushed down my eyes. I can see the importance of having nonfiction in the classroom and the wide variety of types but the contrast of how I viewed this genre before is huge I almost would put it next to Poetry!!!!!!! I just was not aware of the variety of types and how they are classified as nonfiction. How can I put it - I hear read a nonfiction book and I think a autobiography of Ted Kennedy. (no picture unless its a picture of him)

Chapter 8 - The Fiction Family

I love day dreaming and fiction to me is just that. In a fictional book I can be the main character or even just a fly on the wall. The different kind of fictional topics are good for me I love to read so the author just has to hook me from the first few lines and I'm willing to read just about anything. My favorite activity to do for a book I have read is webbing. I hated the traditional book reports I was forced to do.

Chapter 7 - Picture Books

Wow, I seem to be learning more and more about things and topics I have heard and grew up doing but I guess your never to old to learn. I always thought when I heard of picture books I automatically thought books for little kids. I always enjoy reading these books and have formed a little library because the books are a must have. The criteria of how many pages makes sense; 32 pages sound about right for length. The main thing that got my attention and thinking back of when I have read to children is that they can and enjoy making up what is happening in the story without reading by just looking at pictures. These type of books have wonderful language illustrations. I agree that picture books can be for all ages. I love them!

Riding freedom

This is a awesome fictional book which could easily fit in history books if all the facts were collected. It is about a girl that became orphaned and her special link with horses. In order to survive and later make a living she lived as a boy. She lived all her life as a male and could possibly be the first woman to have voted in America. This book time period is in the 1800's.

It is a book of hardships and special bonds. I would say it is the "American Dream" which is to live freely and own your little piece of land.

The age group I would recommend for this book is 5th grade on up.

Trino's Choice

This book is a up to date Hispanic boys life in any boarder town. It describes the setting that can be seen today in a poor or even a middle class home the language is accurate. I like the way the author was realistic and was not told by someone who just observed a culture or race; she comes across telling the story of a boy and it seems she actually lived in that type of environment. The reader can feel the anger and frustration one feels when your to young to help financially your family and to old to ignore the lack of necessity's. The book is also a good motivational to make wiser choices in friendships and education. I would recommend this book to early readers as young as 10 years old.

Esperanza Rising

Esperanza Rising is a book that made me feel like I could have been my grandmother and gone through the things the main character in the story went through. I related to this book, it made me cry, laugh, and hope. I would recommend this book to young adolescence starting in 5th grade on up. It is a must have in a personal library or classroom with a Hispanic background.

Chapter 6- Traditional Literature

Teaching traditional literature is exciting, it gives me knowledge. Most of the time on things I have read I learn things that the author wants to share with the reader about a time in the past. This is one of the genre I enjoy most. I like books that I can dissect and figure out why it was written in the first place like nursery rhymes such as "Ring around the rosy". I was told that it was written in a time of a plague and the people walked around with posy's in their pocket to fight off it and many people died; I forgot where it happened I think London but the rhyme reflects a time period in the past. And I have to add "Nacho and Lolita"" written by Pam Munoz Ryan, she writes about folk tales with a description of a early California town and a bird that could easily have existed and includes a love story with a happy ending.

So far this book "Living Literature" has made me understand and given me different views to literature.

Chapter 5- Poetry

From the beginning of the chapter or should I write from the beginning of the title "Poetry" I was already thinking oh great I have to read a bunch of words that put together are called poems and when I read it aloud it sounds to me like Charlie Browns mom speaking "Mmwa Mmwa Mmwa". Talk about a mental block. Brings to mind all the stuff I was forced to memorise and not understand Why! Once I started reading the chapter I realized
my misconception of poetry. I guess I was taught in a teachers view who did not like or understand it either. I now know poetry is beautiful and can be presented in many forms.
How can a thirty something year old not have known this. It is very important how a teacher presents and approaches her students with different literature such as poetry. I am sad at how my experiences of my past have kept me from great work in poetry.

Chapter 4 - Responding to literature

Chapter four reflects how their are many ways to encourage our students to read. We can use many tools to increase comprehension on literature. I also had a light bulb moment and thought of many ways to get students excited and bring up discussions on the material (books) we would be reading. I get the feeling that today's teacher has a more down to earth relationship with their students instead of the "I am your superior show respect and stay quiet ".

Chapter 3- Understanding what we read

The word "Schema" some how intimidated me however; now I understand. This chapter brought up many terms and teaching techniques. The students experiences in life are critical to how they are going to relate to what they read. I never before thought the reader had so much influence in the aspect of the comprehension part. But it does make sense on understanding the reader and what they bring into the experience. Having discussions after reading is great to give students the opportunity to speak and have a input on what the topic is and listen to others.

Chapter 2- Culturally Responsive Classrooms

After reading this chapter I realized I have a responsibility to be informed on the different cultures that may correspond to my students. I liked the idea of home visits to get a chance to meet the family and the environment of my students, to be able to have a positive and realistic outlook toward my students and create a classroom that can be a safe haven for them. I would like to have books readily available to the students about different customs and cultures that will bring them knowledge about their history as well as their peers.
A challenge to design a classroom which can embrace and unite us.