The Teacher's Funeral by Richard Peck

Summary:
Having your teacher die in August isn't a bad idea but a miracle for Russel Culver. Miss Myrt Arbuckle, a strict screaming teacher has unexpectedly passed away.  She was going to be Russel's new teacher for the new school year. After her death, Russel hopes that Hominy Ridge School will close, so he and his best friend, Lloyd, can leave their fathers' farms in Indiana to travel to North Dakota, where the farms are much bigger and the equipment and farming methods much more modern and so that he can make some money. Just when he thinks he is in the clear, and the one-room schoolhouse will be closed for good, the most unexpected person steps in to save the day, and the school. Russel's older and bossy, sister, Tansy, is hired to replace the Miss Arbuckly. He suffers under her tutelage as she treats him like any other student. He cannot react to her like any other teacher, however, as they still live under the same roof with their parents. His father, especially, makes him respect his sister in her new role.
Russel's dreams of travel are destroyed when some harmless pranks go wrong and he begins to learn what growing up is all about. His best friend vies for Russel's sister's attention with both an older student and a well-off gentleman who rides through the town in the first race car to see this county in Indiana.  Russell adventures during the school year and his academic endeavors are stretched as his sister tries new teaching methods on all of the students, who are a rather mismatched bunch in both background and age. Russel comes to grudgingly respect the efforts of his sister and even root for her as she tries to earn her teachers certificate.  In the end, Tansy passes her exams, finishes school, and leads Lloyd and Russell to high school, having passed their exams.  She knows the importance of education, and makes sure they do too. Russel does a lot of growing up by the end of the story.

Mrs. Garza's Thoughts:
As a teacher, the novel, The Teacher's Funeral, could be used to teach several different themes from the story.  Themes include friends and friendship, family and love, responsibility, school life, and America changing. I thought this book was funny! Having two younger brothers, I could relate to Tansy. I am the older sister with two younger brothers that's the teacher! I taught at the same elementary school that my one of younger brothers and I attended! I am the the older sibling that tries to enforce the importance of education and how crucial it is needed in order to succeed in life. As a family we are trying to motivate the youngest sibling to finish up his college degree after deciding working was more important.
Richard Peck used great writing, characterization, and pacing. Peck definitely knows how to tell a story. This would be a great book for a read aloud in a library setting. It is also a great book to compare and contrast the past with the present. This book describes many of the early 1900's inventions.

Here Lies the Librarian by Richard Peck

Summary:
Here Lies the Librarian is a book about a young girl named Eleanor who idolizes her big brother, Jake.  Their parents have both died causing Peewee's brother, her Aunt Hat, and Colonel Hazelrigg to take care of her. Peewee is the name her brother gave her, works with alongside her older brother in an old shack they use as an automobile shop fixing cars. Jake and Peewee have dreamed of becoming an amazing auto company working on the land of their small shack.  The story begins with a tornado whipping through town of Indiana. When they finally emerge from their shelter, they find that the tornado has touched down in the cemetery, unearthing graves and depositing bodies in trees. The tornado damage is reported in a local newspaper, which mentions that the library is closed since the death of the town's only librarian is damaged as well.
Peewee has no interest in much besides automobiles until four wealthy young ladies, library students at Butler University, come to her town, resurrect the local town library, and energize the town. Irene takes an interest in Peewee, inviting her to help in the library.  Peewee had been previously banned from the librarian by the grumpy old librarian before it was closed. Peewee is drawn to Irene and the library in spite of herself. One of the new librarians, Grace, is apparently a "Stutz" of Stutz Bearcat fame. Grace Stutz obviously comes from a wealthy family, and she's familiar with the Stutz production line. Jake enters a car race at the local county fair but his car is stolen before the race. Grace graciously loans him a production Stutz Bearcat.  However Jake is injured by an unscrupulous competitor and can't finish the race.  Peewee jumps into the Stutz and finishes the race and wins!  Jake ends up with a good future with the Stutz company and marries Miss Grace Stutz, the heiress to the Stutz fortune. Peewee, now Eleanor, decides she wants to drive cars and tour the world in emulation of Dorothy Levitt, a pioneer in the field of women in racing. 

Mrs. Garza's Thoughts:
I enjoyed how automobiles were intertwined with the library. My dad, my brothers, and my husband all enjoy fixing automobiles. My brother is a technician for an automobile company. My mom on the other hand is a librarian! I grew up around automobiles but books have always played a major role in my life as well. I could relate to Peewee at times because of her "tomboy" personality.  The book is humorous at times, but there are also some good lessons in the story. I am an elementary school librarian and I was happy to see that the new librarians are not the stereotypical librarians, grumpy and boring. They were all young, energetic, attractive and well dressed ladies! These four librarians are just like me and my mom and our friends!

Fair Weather by Richard Peck

Summary: 
The story begins in 1893.  In the thirteen years of her life, Rosie Beckett has never traveled farther from her farm than a horse could take her in one day. This all changes when a letter arrives from her rich Aunt Euterpe in Chicago, inviting Rosie and her siblings to come visit for a week to see the World's Columbian Exposition.  Aunt Euterpe wants the family to attend the 1893 Chicago World's Fair! At first, Rosie's mother does not want them to go but eventually gives in and allows them to experience the chance of a lifetime.  For a country girl impressed by getting to travel on a train, the marvels of the World's Fair are almost too incredible to believe.  Things seem to change when their rascally Grandfather, a Civil War veteran surprises them all when he appears on the train at Bulldog Crossing, the next train stop.  He flags down the train and climbs aboard.  The old geezer is dressed in cream-colored suit and Panama hat ready to go to Chicago. He purloined the extra ticket, originally sent for their children's mother and supposedly returned to Aunt Euterpe. Granddad on the farm is scary enough so having him in Chicago at the fair is a frightening and disappointing thought for the girls.
Aunt Euterpe, who has been under the thumb of her own staff and longs to be recognized by society, is soon relieved of her surly and lazy cook when her company shows up. Lottie takes charge of the kitchen with Rosie to help, and Granddad and Buster take charge of entertainment.  Throughout the story the girls send their parents postcards from the historical momuments they visit.  Whether they can pull a happy ending out of their hysterical and adventurous trip remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure. None of them will ever be the same after it's over.
     
Mrs. Garza's Thoughts:
This book is a once in a lifetime opportunity for Rosie Beckett's family.  They have been invited so graciously by their Aunt Euterpe to attend the 1893 Chicago World's Fair. As I was reading the novel, I felt the excited the children endured when they received the letter with the train tickets to Chicago. Richard Peck used humor to keep readers motivated and interested in the storyline. My favorite part in the story is when the children receive the letter from their aunt. It can compare to winning the lottery. During this time period, children did not get to do spectacular things such as attend the World Fair or travel without their parents by train to another city! Everday is adventure after they receive that life changing invitation. I enjoyed the postcards sent by the girls and the real life pictures and events used throughout the novel. I was able to learn some historical facts that included real historical people.
Rosie and her family will forever remember their adventure in Chicago with their dear aunt. I also think the artwork on the cover attracks readers. Many young readers enjoy carnival rides so the ferris wheel on the front cover is good "eye candy" for young readers!  

The Little Red Pen by Janet Stevens and Susan Stevens Crummel

Summary:
The story begins with the classic Little Red Hen ("not I," said the stapler and the scissors). The Little Red Pen needs help grading papers but the other desk inhabitants, Stapler, Scissors, Highlighter, Pencil, Eraser, Pushpin and Ruler don't want to help.  The story soon moves from the Little Red Hen theme and into a wacky rescue adventure after the little red pen accidentally falls into the trash. The trash can is known as "the pit of no return."Although her friends previously grumbled when she tried to enlist their help, they don't hesitate to come to her rescue, with hilarious results. And at the end, everyone pitches to save the little red pen and make sure that huge pile of student papers gets graded!
Mrs. Garza's Thoughts:
Out of the many pictures books written by Janet Stevens and Susan Stevens Crummel, The Little Red Pen has to be one of my favorites! The dialogue between each of the different characters is absolutely hilarious! The illustrations bring the story to life. The Little Red Pen definitely depicts an overworked teacher that has a million papers to grade. My favorite character is the Pushpin named Senorita Chincheta. I think it makes the story even funnier with her Spanish dialogue!! The story also portrays the importance of teamwork. Teamwork can build friendships and achieve many goals!

Shoe Town by Janet Stevens and Susan Stevens Crummel

Summary: 
The story begins with a mama mouse and her babies living in a shoe.  When the babies grow up and leave her she's unsure what to do now.  She is then approached by many different animals asking her if they can stay with her in her shoe. Each time the mama mouse tells each different animal to get a shoe and they can live by here. In the end, all of the animals live in a community of shoes next to the mother mouse. The mama mouse is so busy with all of her new friends in her little town she forgets about the quiet life she once wanted.

Mrs. Garza's Thoughts:
This book is an easy reader for most kindergarten and first grade students. The rhyming text will keep students entertained in this funny little story about how a shoe town was built by a mama mouse who dreamed of taking a hot bath and a long nap after her babies leave her. Students will begin to recognize key characters from other stories that the mother mouse encounters. The illustrations are colorful and keep the reader's attention. Kids will keep guessing who will show up next in this busy "Shoe Town."  

Jackalope by Janet Stevens and Susan Stevens Crummel

Summary: 

The story is narrated by a cowboy armadillo who sits in a lawn chair.  Jackalope is the story of Jack and his Fairy Godrabbit. Jack doesn't want to be an ordinary jack rabbit anymore so he wishes upon a star and his Fairy Godrabbit appears. With her help, she grants him his wish of having the horns of an antelope. Jack longs to be a fierce and frightening creature. His Fairy Godrabbit warns Jack there is a condition after granting him his wish. He cannot tell a lie. Jack is so excited, that he doesn't listen to her warning. He first lies to the hummingbird and his horns get bigger. Then he lies to the squirrel and his horns get even bigger. After lying to both his friends, he encounters the big bad coyote. The coyote wants to eat him like a jackrabbit kabob. Jack's Fairy Godrabbit appears to help Jack but magic dust is accidentally sprinkled all over her instead. Now the horns have disappeared off Jack and are on the Fairy Godrabbit's head. Jack tries to save her from being the coyote's dessert. He bravely distracts the coyote by appearing as a giant bush-rabbit. He coyote is so amused with the bush-rabbit he laughs all the way home. The Fairy Godrabbit wishes for the horns to be off her head and they magically vanish turning her into an ordinary hare. In the end, Jack and Jill are just two ordinary happy jackrabbits.   

 

Mrs. Garza's Thoughts:
Jackalope uses humor, wit and puns to explain the jackalope mystery. The story is a cross between a tall tale and a fractured fable with many references to Cinderella's mirror and having a Fairy Godrabbit. There are also references to the story of Pinocchio. Jackalope's horns grow bigger when he tells a lie. There's also a the big bad wolf character, the coyote, like from Little Red Riding Hood.  I think kids young kids would enjoy hearing the story but a little bit older students would get the humor. The story is rather lengthy so I would recommend reading the book to older children. The illustrations add more humor to the story with the Fairy Godrabbit dressed in a vegetable looking dress. In the end, students will learn to just be their ordinary self. We sometimes wish for things that we don't need. We don't need to be scary and fierce like Jack wants to be! JUST BE YOURSELF!! Ordinary is always best!

The Great Fuzz Frenzy by Janet Stevens and Susan Stevens Crummel

Summary: 
The Great Fuzz Frenzy begins with Violet the dog dropping a tennis ball into the ground where a bunch of prairie dogs live. The up and down pages gives readers a good visual of the path the tennis ball takes. Having never seen a tennis ball before and having no idea what it is, the group of prairie dogs are somewhat scared and mysteriously fascinated by the foreign object. The leader of the group, named Big Bark is the largest and loudest prairie dog . He tries to take charge of the situation and has everyone step back when Pip Squeak goes right in and touches the tennis ball. They soon discover they can pull off the ‘fuzz’ and have quite a lot of fun with it. The dogs begin making hats, slippers, tutus with the neon green fuzz. After falling asleep, the prairie dogs learn that their fuzz has disappeared.  Soon they begin fighting causing chaos in the burrow. The prairie dogs learn that their leader, Big Bark, has taken all of the fuzz when he gets swooped away by an eagle. The dogs begin to discuss whether or not to save Big Bark, and in the end Pip pulls through and rallies the other dogs to help Big Bark proving that two wrongs don’t make a right. The prairie dog community will be disturbed again as the last page shows Violet the dog with a red fuzzy ball.

Mrs. Garza's Thoughts:
What a funny story! Janet Steven was so creative to use the up and down pages to show the path of the tennis ball. The chaos the ball causes in the prairie dog community is so comical! I especially enjoyed the conversations between the prairie dog. The use of the bright neon green color of the tennis ball fuzz added more to the chaos. My favorite character is Pip Squeak because he is the one that realizes that they need to save Big Bark from the eagle. Pip Squeak showed leadership and how he values the members of his community. As a teacher, I would use this book to show the creativity of the prairie dogs and their different ideas on how to use the fuzz. Friendship is also a theme in the story that could teach our students that when we need to save one of our friends in our classroom, we should not think twice because everyone is valued!   

The Tortoise and the Hare by Janet Stevens

Summary:  This is the traditional fable of The Tortoise and the Hare.  The tortoise is very friendly and quiet while the hare is flashy and rude and does things very quickly. He is the bully in the story constantly teasing the tortoise about how slow he is. There is a race challenge made between the tortoise and the hare. With the help of his friends, the tortoise begins training for the race while the hare doesn't take the race seriously.  When race day approaches, animals from all over are there to watch the race and support their friends. The hare is easily distracted and takes his speed for granted and decides to rest because he has already predicted a victory for himself. However, the hardworking tortoise inches his way and unexpectly beats the arrogant hare for the trophy.      

Mrs. Garza's Thoughts:
I think the best part of this version of The Tortoise and the Hare are the illustrations. All of the animals are creatively illustrated to represent humans. My favorite illustrations are the ones of the tortoise training for his big race. I liked how Janet Stevens ended the book with the lesson of the story, "Hard Work and Perseverance Bring Reward." The Summer Olympics took place this summer and many of our children were able to watch the different athletic events. We could easily relate this book to the Olympic Games. Work hard and win Gold!!
We could also learn not to be a bully like the hare is in the story. We should respect one another and our different qualities. The lesson we learned from the story is an everyday lesson. We have to work hard to be able to succeed.  

Help Me, Mr. Mutt! Expert Answers for Dogs with People Problems by Janet Stevens and Susan Stevens Crummel

Summary:
Help Me, Mr. Mutt! is a series of letters written by dogs for doggie advice about their humans. He writes his letters from Dogwood, Delaware. Many dogs write in for an expert advice on diet, costume situations, barking and playing issues. After every letter there is another letter that follows from the Queen. The Queen is an arrogant cat who fires back at Mr. Mutt each time with comments about how special and beautiful cats really are. The Queen takes matters into her own "paws" after Mr. Mutt advises a stinky cowdog about his hygiene problems. She ransacks Mr. Mutt's office and ties him up and takes control of his counseling service. The dog join together to rescue Mr. Mutt. They run "her highness" out of town and Mr. Mutt is back in business!  

Mrs. Garza's thoughts:
Being an owner of three beautiful dogs, I totally enjoyed reading this book. I prefer dogs over cats so reading the Queen's letters was quite funny. As I was reading my book, I couldn't help think about my very own Hannah when I dress her up in many different outfits. I began to wonder if she felt the same as Overdressed in Oklahoma, ridiculous!! I simply enjoyed all of the advice Mr. Mutt gives to all of the dogs that write him. I recommend this book to all dog lovers! It would be great to see this book sold at Petco or Petsmart!! It would keep you laughing as you wait in line to buy your dog the treats he or she deserves. Remember it's a dog-eat-treat world out there!!