The Only Boy in Ballet Class by Denise Gruska

This is a fun story about a main character who loves to dance but happens to be a boy. As a society, there tend to be "acceptable" activities for boys and girls to be involved in. Thankfully, these "acceptable" activities are evolving to be more inclusive. I think of strong women playing professional basketball , female scientists, boys in the marching band's flag corp, and males as "stay-at-home-Dads. Roles are changing, but our perceptions don't unless we accept the change.

In this story, Tucker's male classmates are mean to him and make fun of him constantly while his girl classmates don't really notice. There is also an interesting family dynamic as Tucker is not part of a "normal nuclear family." He has a sister and single mother with an uncle that comes over once a week to eat dinner. The uncle echoes the thoughts of the boys in the schoolyard with comments about Tucker playing football instead of ballet. I liked that Tucker is unapologetic about his love for dancing and he keeps doing it even though it makes life a bit more complicated.

Even though the football players in this book make fun of ballet at first, I know that many high school football stars take ballet to improve movement and agility on the field. Interesting how such a "girlie" activity can help with football. (An aside, ballet dancers are very strong! Imagine lifting someone over your head or dancing on the tips of your toes across a stage!) We see the classmates demonstrate acceptance of Tucker's dancing by joining the ballet class to learn his sweet moves.

The author also has a website with interactive things to read and do at: http://www.theonlyboyinballetclass.com/

Family Huddle by Peyton, Eli, and Archie Manning

Sometimes celebrity "authors" can be really annoying and attach their names to really bad stuff that sells only because their name is on it. This picture book has the possibility of attracting young boys into reading a book about a favorite sport.

I am not a football fan by any means, but this was an ok story. There really wasn't much of a plot and it was very simplistic (complete with Mom in heels making dinner and the dog running around the spotlessly clean backyard). As we talked about in class this week, many times books are written by those who have money and tend to promote an "ideal" way of life. This book did just that--the perfect family: Dad, Mom, the three boys, and a dog in an upper middle class suburban setting. There is a nice sentiment about the importance of family, but not all look like the Manning Family. The digital media illustrations by Jim Madsen were interesting to look at as they were colorful and had a sense of movement.

Those Shoes by Maribeth Boelts

This was a wonderful story about the need for acceptance, love, and sacrifice written by a woman from Cedar Falls, Iowa. Jeremy is struggling as an elementary age boy starting a new school year without "those shoes" that everyone else seems to have. He is a sweet young man who lives with his Grandma--there is a picture in a frame sitting on a table of him with a man and woman--in a small urban apartment. Money is tight, as it is for many in our country right now, but he still wants to be like everyone else. Those shoes are everywhere in the illustrations, be it in J's drawings, billboards, classmates' feet, or newspaper.

I like that Grandma tried to get him those shoes by taking him to a thrift store--now that the economy is like it is, many Americans find themselves turning to different places to shop. I have taught in several schools around the country that required uniforms and this book gives us a reason in favor of kids wearing them. If everyone is dressed in basic colors, having those shoes is not a concern and students can focus more on important things.

In elementary school, all the girls around here used ESPRIT bags for school. I mean everyone except, it seemed me. I had gotten a similar style bag at a ballet performance that I really liked until I discovered I wouldn't have a coveted ESPRIT bag. I didn't get teased or anything, but I look back on it now and it seemed important at the time. This story is very timeless, but especially relevant in hard economic times. The illustrations by Noah Z. Jones go along with the text seamlessly.

The Spy on Third Base by Matt Christopher

I grew up playing softball from elementary school to high school. I continue to love baseball and cheering on the Chicago White Sox (even when they lose games they shouldn’t). As a former player, I was comfortable with the baseball terms and could picture the games in my head. This got a bit challenging as they are quite a few players mentioned!

T.V. is a typical kid who wants nothing more than to be normal and like his peers. This third baseman has an amazing knack for predicting where balls were going to be hit—sounds like a great tool to have as a player! Due to his insecurities and desire to fit in, T.V. temporarily stops using his skill. The whole thing is a Catch-22, as he was unable to be respected for “spying” or ignoring the skill. I think we have all felt like this before and have had to keep our mouths shut—the saying “Easier said than done” springs to mind.

This was a cute book about a boy playing America’s game with his friends. I think that this book would definitely appeal to boys and some girls. Matt Christopher has been writing sports novels forever, which gives kids novels to read as they grow. Home run!

Tarra and Bella by Carol Buckley

I am a sucker for animals and this book is great! Not only are the photographs amazing, but the story is even better! This book gives us another reason to look to the animal kingdom for examples of how we can live our lives. Mixing of races/species can be wonderful and unexpected. If you think about it, there are so many crazy combinations of things in the world (did you know you could buy something with pb and j already mixed together?) so why not this friendship?

The author does a great job telling this story in a way that appeals to your heart. This is an lovely portrait of two animals who found themselves needing eachother for companionship. Both animals are "rescues" so to say and them finding family in eachother is very touching. My heart leaped when the semi-paralized dog was nursed back to health by her bff, an elephant through touch and sounds. Just being near eachother was therapeutic and integral to the healing process.

This book is a great example for reiterrating how animals really do have feelings. We aren't crazy when we think our dog knows we had a bad day or that they are mad at us. Animals have their own ways of expressing emotions, without words we have to pay attention a bit closer. Seeing situations like this help bring a smile to my face and I'm sure many others. In my experience, kids tend to like animals and this is a good way to introduce fictional literature that is realistic and memorable.

Number the Stars by Lois Lowry

This is an amazing account of the World War II occupation of Denmark. It is from the perspective of a young girl, Annemarie. I have always been fascinated with reading and learning about the people affected by the horrible acts during the war at the hands of the Nazis. I think a part of me is so shocked that something so horrible could even really happen in a civilized world (which I thought we were back then).

There are so many questions that come to mind when studying about the courageous people who fought back to save family and friends from an gruesome fate. Annemarie's uncle asks her, "Are you brave?" and she responds by playing an important role that ultimately saves her best friend and countless others. I like to think that I would do something to help in a similar situation but I honestly don't know what I could actually do. Character is often revealed when tough situations arise.

Although this novel is not written or told by a Jewish child, important lessons can be learned. This novel gives a voice to younger children who did what they could and had an amazing faith that kept them going. Even though this happened so long ago in Europe, we see examples of horrible injustices going on recently in Somalia, Bosnia, and Rwanda. We need more people willing to be there for their fellow human being and this book can hopefully help inspire--especially young readers--to action.

My Dog is as Smelly as Dirty Socks by Hanoch Piven

Hilarious! I loved the interesting usage of everyday objects to create "real" portraits of family members. The illustrations were made using a painted outline and then objects to create facial features, etc. This kind of reminded me of those fruit and vegetable picture books that make the radish look like a bunny or a lemon like a kitten (I always like looking at those--who knew a cabbage could be so cute?).

The dog illustration was clever: onions for tail and eyes, canned meats for feet, pepperoni for nose, and a dirty sock for an ear! Very fun and definitely sparks the imagination for young minds (and semi-old ones like mine)! The story was very simple, but the descriptions helped describe why the objects were being chosen, so it wasn't random. The narrator's baby brother is loud and cries a lot, so his mouth was a megaphone. We are often asked to describe someone and giving fun accounts like this are much more descriptive.

The author also takes time to display some important examples of this creative form of art. The endpapers of this book are creations of children from an oncology wing of a hospital in Israel. I can see how having fun would be especially important for children going through such a tough time.