Maya Running By Anjali Banerjee (Diversity)

This book is good for any young person trying to figure out who he or she is. It's about a middle school girl named Maya Mukherjee, who doesn't fit in, nevertheless, she does have friends, dreams of being a writer and even captures the attentions of local bad boy Jamie. Maya is torn between the white world and her Indian family and traditions. The story is set in the small town of Manitoba, Canada in the 1970's. Maya also wants to run on the tundra beneath the Northern Lights, make igloos or snow-angels, see John Travolta, and ride elephants through the Bengal jungle the way her great-grandfather did.

When her cousin Pinky arrives, everyone is amazed by her, including Jamie. Maya pleads to a statue of the Indian God, Ganesh, who helps her by diving her into a world where she becomes the beauty and the center of every one's affections.

Maya journeys to India where readers become introduced to the very different sights, sounds and smells of trains, homes and bazaars.

In the end, Maya realizes her self-centeredness and, as Ganesh predicts, she sees the truth of her life. She can learn to embrace the uniqueness of her background and carve out her own path to be an aspiring writer.

This story has everything to keep a middle schooler's interest: a love story, humor, and wonderful characters.

The Mouse and the Motorcycle (Book and Movie)

I have mentioned how much I love animals, so of course, this book is a childhood favorite. Beverly Cleary is also one of my favorite children's authors. The Mouse and the Motorcycle is the story about a mouse named Ralph who lives in a knothole of a hotel. His big dream is to have a motorcycle. Many families come and go at the hotel, but one family comes that changes Ralph's life.


When a boy named Keith and his parents check in to the hotel, Ralph gets his first chance to check out a toy motorcycle. He has always dreamed about venturing beyond his home on the second floor, and maybe even outside. Curiosity overcomes him, and Ralph must have a go at Keith's toy motorcycle.


Soon, the headstrong mouse finds himself in a mess, when he almost gets sucked up in the maids vacuum, when all he wanted was to ride a motorcycle.


Lucky for him, the boy understands how it is. When Keith discovers Ralph in trouble and rescues him, he generously encourages the rodent to ride. He even teaches him the simple trick of starting the motorcycle: "You have to make a noise... pb-pb-b-b-b." Several sticky situations Ralph gets into require quick thinking and grownup-sized courage. Through it all he and Keith develop a wonderful friendship.


This is a heartwarming story of friendship and loyalty.

It has been quite a while since I have watched this movie. As old as it is, I'm sure the animation does not live up to today's standards. But, I can remember being so excited when I watched it. I just dreamed of having a mouse like Ralph living in my home.
It really brings back memories of watching the "ABC Weekend Specials."
This movie was followed by two other movies, Runaway Ralph and Ralph S. Mouse.
Maybe this would be a great movie to remake, just think of the animation!

He's Got The Whole World in His Hands By Kadir Nelson (Diversity)

When I was a child and even now, I have always loved this wonderful song! God does have the whole world in his hands, not just certain types of people. Children are so innocent, and this book captures the beauty and vastness of our earth through the eyes of a child. The artwork of Nelson is amazing. I love the gorgeous landscapes and the celebration of families of color.
You just can't help to sing the song as you read the story, and kids will want to read it again and again!

The Lorax By Dr. Seuss

Very few children's fiction writers have successfully melded politics and good storytelling. Dr. Seuss succeeds by explaining simply and clearly the process of building an industry at the expense of an ecosystem, mainly trees. The book is an excellent teaching tool, but despite its humor it isn't the most enjoyable of Dr. Seuss' works. Of course, environmental devastation isn't a cheerful topic.
The story consists of an argument between two creatures, the tree-loving Lorax and the money-loving Once-ler who makes Thneeds from truffula trees. The Lorax was actually banned in some schools and libraries in regions with timber economies for its anti-forest industry content.
But, despite the political agenda of Dr. Suess, the book still contains the delightful characters and is written all in the form of a quick, rhyming story. Dr. Seuss is the only author for creating such a combination as this.
I believe that Dr. Seuss ultimately wants to teach kids love and respect, whether it be for trees, the earth, or others.
With the world being in the shape it is, and everyone being offended about something, I believe didactic stories aren't very common anymore. Society has turned into a free-for-all, that focuses on doing whatever feels good, even at the expense of others. Children need more stories that teach respect and love for others. We need more authors like Seuss.

The Cat in the Hat By Dr. Seuss

Oh, how we all love Dr. Seuss! His wonderfully worded and rhythmic stories delight any child. The Cat in the Hat is a classic story of how children deal with the good vs. bad battle going on inside them. Should they do what they want to do or what they ought to do?
Dr. Seuss loved to create interesting characters, new words, rhyming passages, and instill didactic techniques in his storytelling.
Dr. Suess, although not a real doctor, was extremely intelligent. He used this book to help children learn to read. With his simple and often single-vowel vocabulary. He also finds a way to include a message that is really important such as taking care of the environment. The reader is having so much fun in the story, that the learning going on isn't always evident.
I believe a series that has the same tension as presented in the Cat in the Hat, is The Lemony Snicket series. It has that same tension of good vs bad. Both can be a bit controversial.
I don't really agree with teaching kids to do wrong to make things right. Sometimes we have to suffer for the sake of doing whats right.

Child of the Owl By Laurence Yep

This book is about a twelve-year old Chinese girl, Casey, whose father has a major gambling problem. She ends up having to live with her grandmother, Paw-Paw, in Chinatown. The story tells about her adjustments to living there, which are made more difficult by the fact that she doesn't even speak Chinese.
Her grandmother is a very nice person who tells Casey about a Chinese legend of an Owl that became a human. Although, matters become quite complicated when she and her grandmother come home one day and find a burglar in their apartment. The grandmother is injured, and Casey and some others set out to find out who the burglar was and get back an owl charm that was stolen.
They eventually find the burglar, but it turns out to be someone Casey knows.
The story is written very well and remains interesting throughout. I also like the way the story spends a lot of its time on Casey's emotions; how she handles living in Chinatown, how she handles have a father addicted to gambling, and how she relates to others. Many kids can associate with these types of problems.
The thing that I enjoyed most about this book is the way that Casey and her grandmother interact and learn from each other. In my opinion, an opportunity to know a grandparent is a blessing that many people take for granted. In many cases, grandparents are a valuable key to our own personal histories and the source of much wisdom and strength. Like Casey, I have learned a lot about myself just by listening to stories that my grandparents have told and, through their stories, have a better understanding of where I come from. This understanding of my past and ancestors helps to give me more confidence in the direction I should go in the future. I think that Casey experiences these same feelings in Child of the Owl.
Laurence Yep is the author of many other books for young readers including Dragon wings, Dragon's Gate, Cockroach Cooties, Hiroshima, and The Magic Paintbrush. Yep has also written non-fiction works such as The Earth Dragon Awakes: The San Francisco Earthquake of 1906. Yep also writes American Girl books about the character Mia.

Charlotte's Web By E.B. White

Charlotte's Web is a classic tale of friendship and love. I think as kids, we all wish animals could talk. This book and movie does a great job giving these animals personality. We fall in love with each one!
This movie has been released several times as a cartoon. Each movie closely follows the book and does not lose any of its bittersweet joy. No matter which release of the movie someone wishes to watch, the music is good in all of them.
Anyone who has read this book will love the movie as well. It follows the general message of the story and does a great job bringing the characters to life.