Tag Archives: Catholic

Elementary

An Unexpected Pet: A Review of ‘Not Norman, A Goldfish Story’

“For every animal of the forest is mine, beasts by the thousands on my mountains. I know every bird of the heavens; the creatures of the field belong to me.” (Psalm 50:10-11)

Reading Level

Grades K-1

Review and Thoughts

There is nothing happier than a birthday party with balloons, cake, and presents for an eight year old boy.  Wait!  This present isn’t what the boy wants. It’s a goldfish named Norman, and he wants a very, very different kind of pet. Mentally, the boy quickly checks off all the requirements for his ideal pet. No, he’s sure this fish isn’t what he wants.  He knows that fish are known to have a calming effect on anyone who watches them, but this present – this “pet” – is so far from perfect he decides to trade the goldfish for a good pet as fast as he can. Continue reading An Unexpected Pet: A Review of ‘Not Norman, A Goldfish Story’ →

Elementary

A Daughter’s First Love: A Review of ‘Crow Call’

“It is a wise father that knows his own child.”  William Shakespeare

Suggested Reading Level

Grades 2-3

Review and Thoughts

Crow Call is the story about a young girl named Liz and her dad as they begin to rediscover their love after the very long separation of World War II.  They begin this journey by going crow hunting soon after he returns.  It is the fall season and Liz is dressed in her rainbow colored hunting shirt – an overly large adult shirt that comes to her knees and with sleeves that have been rolled up in order to see her hands.   From the beginning of the story the reader can sense that Liz is having trouble getting used to being with her dad again.  As they ride in the car on their way to their hunting destination she says, “I sit shyly next to the stranger who is my father.”   She also practices whispering his name over and over again, “Daddy. Daddy.” Continue reading A Daughter’s First Love: A Review of ‘Crow Call’ →

High School

Wounding Others: A Review of ‘Falling into Place’

“No one heals himself by wounding another.”—Saint Ambrose

Suggested Grade Levels:

Grade 10-12

Review and Thoughts

I heard about Falling Into Place by Amy Zhang from the HarperCollins Common Core Reading List recommendations for high school students.  I feel like the increase in contemporary literature in today’s high schools can really help students find that love of reading that they may have lost.  At this age most students have been reading classic literature and may have had trouble connecting with it.   Unfortunately, along with contemporary literature comes a lot of contemporary issues.  I, in no way, ever condone banning a book, but there are times I feel like some literature may not be the best fit for a classroom setting.  I would strongly advise parents to look for an alternative contemporary piece.  I think Zhang’s writing is truly poetic and beautiful, but this book does not portray much goodness in its characters.  I understand that teens are bombarded with these issues in media and even in their own schools, but this doesn’t necessarily mean we need to teach it in our classrooms as well. Continue reading Wounding Others: A Review of ‘Falling into Place’ →

Elementary

Friendship Marks a Life: A Review of ‘Amber Brown Is Not a Crayon’

“I want my friend to miss me as long as I miss him.”  Saint Augustine

Suggested Grade Level

Grades 2-3

Amber Brown Is Not a Crayon by Paula Danziger is a realistic story about Amber, a spunky third grader, who is almost always very confident.  She knows she is messy, has a good memory, and can sometimes be sarcastic, according to her mom.  Her teacher says she has “an active imagination,” and she doesn’t argue that point.  She expresses her feelings so well throughout the story that the reader is allowed into the special places in her heart.  When she begins a sentence with “I, Amber Brown….” it signals that she is about to make an important announcement about herself and her present state of mind.  Amber is facing a very difficult year however. Her best friend is moving away. We can see that at the beginning of her story she is struggling with the emotions of losing her best friend when she says, “When I grow up and remember third grade, I’m going to immediately try to forget it.” This is her journey. Continue reading Friendship Marks a Life: A Review of ‘Amber Brown Is Not a Crayon’ →

High School

Switching Sides: A Review of ‘Unplanned’

“While you are proclaiming peace in your lips, be careful to have it even more fully in your heart.”—St. Francis of Assissi

“God has assigned as a duty to every man the dignity of every woman.”—Saint Pope John Paul II

“A person’s a person, no matter how small.”—Dr. Seuss

Suggested Grade Levels:

Grades 10-12

Review and Thoughts

The topic of abortion has always been one of those hot button issues that most people tend to avoid. In fact, for most of my schooling I was told to avoid the topic of abortion in papers because it had become cliché.  Sadly, the avoidance of this topic in Abby Johnson’s family is what leaves her unprepared to discuss the issue when it confronts her face to face. While in college, she becomes attracted to the hot pink Planned Parenthood table at Texas A&M and she realizes she is unable to argue with anything they say.  She is drawn in by their passion and excitement over helping women in crisis.  She, too, wants to help women and quickly signs on as a volunteer at the clinic in Bryan, Texas and doesn’t think anything of what she is doing for many years.  Though her family disapproves of her place of employment, she is always able to justify the work of the organization and is extremely proud of the service they provide for the public. Continue reading Switching Sides: A Review of ‘Unplanned’ →

Elementary

Friends Forever: A Review of ‘Frog and Toad Together’

“Friendship is the source of the greatest pleasure, and without friends even the most agreeable pursuits become tedious.”  St. Thomas Aquinas

Grades K-1

Frog and Toad Together by Arnold Lobel tells the story of two faithful friends who encounter both everyday experiences and an exciting adventure.  Their friendship is as strong as another well known pair, Christopher Robin and Winnie the Pooh. Every chapter is filled with special moments that only true friends can share. Continue reading Friends Forever: A Review of ‘Frog and Toad Together’ →

Elementary, Middle School

To the Shelter of Compassion: A Review of ‘The One and Only Ivan’

“If you have men who will exclude any of God’s creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity, you will have men who will deal likewise with their fellow men.”—St. Francis of Assissi

Suggested Grade Levels:

Grades 4-6

Review and Thoughts

The One and Only Ivan is a story of loneliness and redemption that is uniquely told through the thoughts of a silverback gorilla named Ivan.  Having been raised by people in an urban setting his entire life, he remembers little of his childhood in the jungle of Africa. Now, Ivan is in a circus-themed mall where he is kept in his very small domain for visitors to come and witness his boring life. He has his friends around him (a small stray dog, a female elephant, the custodian and his daughter),  yet still Ivan is lonely. As a silverback gorilla, he should be the head of a family, and since he has seen no other gorillas, he wonders if he is the last one on earth. Continue reading To the Shelter of Compassion: A Review of ‘The One and Only Ivan’ →

Elementary

The Beginning of a Friendship: A Review of ‘Hi! Fly Guy’

“The only way to have a friend is to be one.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

Suggested Reading Level:

Grades K-1

Review and Thoughts:

Hi! Fly Guy by Tedd Arnold is the first book in a continuing series, and what an enjoyable beginning it is!  The story introduces the two main characters, Buzz and Fly Guy, on a quest to find different things.  Buzz, the boy, is searching for an amazing pet to enter into a pet show while Fly Guy is searching for amazing food.  Their lives change when they literally bump into each other.  Circumstances aren’t perfect for Fly Guy at the start, but those change rather quickly.  Buzz has one purpose for Fly Guy and that is to confine him and make him a pet.  At first Fly Guy is mad, but after he makes it known he can say “Buzz,” everything changes.  Buzz thinks he is the smartest most wonderful pet because he can say his name.  The fact he can say “Buzz” also convinces Buzz’s parents that he is truly a pet – an amazing one.  Fly Guy is happy and comfortable because of the care Buzz gives him, but the food doesn’t hurt with his settling in either.  The final challenge is to convince the judges at that contest that Fly Guy is truly a real pet.  Persuading the judges however is more difficult.  Fly Guy is rejected as a contestant because a fly cannot possibly be a pet!  Buzz tearfully decides to let Fly Guy free when he doesn’t measure up to the standards of the show.  Fly Guy is a faithful friend and does not abandon Buzz but does tricks and again says Buzz’s name to try to convince the judges. He performs his final trick and is accepted as a pet.  He even wins a prize in the contest.  Buzz and Fly Guy are now a team and great friends. Continue reading The Beginning of a Friendship: A Review of ‘Hi! Fly Guy’ →

High School, Middle School

Of the Golden Future Time: A Review of ‘Animal Farm’

“The historical experience of socialist countries has sadly demonstrated that collectivism does not do away with alienation but rather increases it, adding to it a lack of basic necessities and economic inefficiency.”—Saint Pope John Paul II

“Unless the Lord build the house, in vain do the builders labour.”—Psalm 127:1

Suggested Grade Levels:

Grade 7-9

Review and Thoughts

Animal Farm by George Orwell is one of those novels that every student will most likely read in their lives.  One of the books in the current literary canon, it has helped demonstrate the evils of communism through an allegorical depiction of the Russian Revolution.  By using a seemingly innocent setting, Orwell tells the horrific story of a group of animals as they attempt to overthrow human rule.

The novel begins with an alcoholic farmer who has long neglected his farm.  The great boar, Old Major, starts teaching his new philosophy to the animals.  His philosophy points out the uselessness of humans.  The animals on the farm begin to feel a sense of pride and one day, when the farmer has forgotten to take care of the animals for too long, they fight Farmer Jones and take over the farm. Continue reading Of the Golden Future Time: A Review of ‘Animal Farm’ →

Elementary

Inside the Imagination of an Eight-year-old: A Review of ‘Ramona Quimby, Age 8’

“The ordinary acts we practice every day at home are of more importance to the soul than their simplicity might suggest.”  St. Thomas More

Suggested Grade Level

Grades 2-3

Review and Thoughts

Ramona Quimby, Age 8 by Beverly Cleary is a realistic fiction story about a girl named Ramona, her sister Beezus, and her parents. We are allowed a close up look at this family as they handle the pressures of everyday life, adjustments to new schools for the girls and the dad, money issues, and family responsibilities.  All of this is seen through the eyes and imagination of Ramona.

Ramona is a lively and dramatic character.  Throughout the story the reader gets an intimate glimpse into her thoughts and interpretations about the events in her life. Many times these thoughts are humorous and may sound familiar and at other times they are not very nice, like those of an upset eight- year-old.  What’s fair and not fair is always an issue with children, and Ramona is no different.  She just desperately wants to be “the clever young daughter who is doing her part to help the family,” but life and her perception of things seem to get in the way, and she struggles to uphold that promise to herself. Continue reading Inside the Imagination of an Eight-year-old: A Review of ‘Ramona Quimby, Age 8’ →