Book 1:

1. Author/ Illustrator- Robert Arnett/ Smita Turakhia

2. Title and date of publication- Finders Keepers? - 2003

3. Genre- Multicultural

4. Format- chapter book

5. Awards- Benjamin Franklin Award, Mom’s Choice Award, and Independent

Publisher Outstanding Book of the Year

6. Summary- The author tells the true story of traveling through India. He describes the bus ride

to Mt. Abu. The clothing of the Indian people and some of the Indian food that he eats are

described. When he finally arrived at Mt. Abu, the author tells about seeing people of the Jain

religion and he briefly tells of their beliefs. The highlight of the tour for him was seeing the

Dilwara Temples. He talks about the Hindu religion and compares it to Christianity. In the end,

he tells how a boy found his wallet and returned it without taking the reward that was offered.

He says that he doesn’t understand why he should be paid for doing what was right. He ends by

saying that we should not do anything to anyone that we would not do to God.

7. Reflection

a. The characters in the story are described as a whole group. The story tells about the whole

country of India, not individuals. Physical diversity is shown when the author tells about the

clothing, religions, and food of the country. The subject of race is not discussed in this book.

The setting is very authentic. It does a good job of depicting the physical aspects of India. The

language of the country is discussed and meanings are given for the words. There is a small
glossary at the back of the book.

b. The illustrator uses very bold and bright colors throughout the book. The pictures are given

texture by the types of lines that are used. The text of the story and the illustrations coincide

with each other nicely. A small child would be able to tell what is going on in the story by

looking at the pictures. The setting of the story and the illustrations are very accurate.

c. This book is appropriate for upper elementary aged children. These children have developed

racial attitudes. This book can show that other children of the world are also taught right from

wrong. This age group also has concepts of right and wrong that are becoming more flexible.

The vocabulary used in this story will also enhance the vocabulary of the children.

Book 2:

1. Author/ Illustrator- Robert McCloskey

2. Title and date of publication- Time of Wonder –1985

3. Genre- Contemporary Realistic Fiction

4. Format- picture book

5. Awards- The Caldecott Medal

6. Summary- The story tells of how life is living at the beach for a summer. The author

describes the sights and animals that you would encounter during the spring season. During

summer, all types of boats and porpoises are spotted in the ocean. There is an old rock where

children play, that was scarred by a glacier years ago. Then the nightlife of the beach and ocean

is described. He talks about how the stars shine down like eyes. As fall arrives, so do
hurricanes. The author describes how people prepare for the approaching storm and then the

effects of the storm. In the end, after everything is back to normal, the family packs up and

leaves until the next year wondering: Where do the hummingbirds go in a hurricane?

7. Reflection-

a. The author presents the story honestly. He tells the positive (fun times) and negative (storms)

aspects of living at the beach. Some of the language used in the book is characteristic to beach

life for example, the names and types of boats. The author depicts a hopeful tone throughout the

story. Even after the hurricane, the author should a ray of hope when he was talking about the

sunflowers looking to the sun after they were flattened by the storm.

b. The illustrator uses watercolors throughout the book. The pictures begin looking calm and

then the lines of the illustrations begin to bend when the hurricane approaches. These bent lines

help show the destructive force of the hurricane. The illustrations go well with the text of the

story. One would be able to tell what is happening without reading the story.

c. This book is appropriate for children age eight to ten. These children would be able to place

themselves in similar situations. Their reading skills are improving and they would be able to

grasp the new vocabulary that is introduced in this book. Some of these children have never

been to the beach and this book is a good starting point to familiarize the children with this area

of the world.