CROSSING BOK CHITTO: A CHOCTAW TALE OF FRIENDSHIP & FREEDOM by Tim Tingle

In this Choctaw tale, Martha Tom, a young Choctaw girl, ventured across Bok Chitto, the river that separated Choctaw land from slave country, to pick blackberries. She used the concealed stone path that only the Choctaw people knew about. On the other side, she happens upon a slave church service, where she meets a young boy named Little Mo, who guides her back to the river. One night Little Mo learns that his mother is going to be sold to another plantation owner. With the help of the Choctaws, he leads his family to freedom.

Based on stories told to the author on a trip to Bok Chitto, this tale uniquely captures the spirit of Choctaw Indian life and honors their customs. This is an interesting and enlightening multicultural tale of kindness and friendship. I would enjoy sharing this story with my elementary students.

COMETS, STARS, THE MOON, AND MARS by Douglas Florian

This informative book of poetry provides information about the planets, the moon, comets, galaxies, constellations and other bodies in the night sky. Starting with three poems about the universe, the galaxy, and the solar system, respectively, the author then goes on to provide a poem for each planet, from Mercury nearest the sun to Pluto, now a dwarf planet. Poems are also provided for comets, constellations, and black holes.

I enjoyed the poems in this book, which were much more kid-friendly than long, detailed paragraphs about the different space objects. I particularly liked the one about Pluto, which “was admired…but one day it got fired.” This is a fun way to help kids remember the identifying characteristics of each celestial body

MARVELOUS MATTIE: HOW MARGARET E. KNIGHT BECAME AN INVENTOR by Emily Arnold McCully

As a child, Mattie Knight loved to design and invent things for her family, including kites for her older brothers. When Mattie was eleven, her mother moved the family to Manchester, New Hampshire to work at the textile mills. While in New Hampshire, Mattie invented a safety device for the textile machine. When she was grown, Mattie invented a machine to make a square-bottomed paper bag. When a man tried to steal her plans, Mattie had to fight to prove that the design was hers. Paper bags like the ones she helped create remain in use today.

This was a short, interesting biography written in a narrative format. As a librarian, I am always looking for good biographies about women. This one, in particular, is good, because many teachers often plan units on inventors and inventions. An author’s note at the end would also prove useful for classroom research, with additional dates and facts about the life of Margaret E. Knight.

WHAT YOU NEVER KNEW ABOUT BEDS, BEDROOMS, & PAJAMAS by Patricia Lauber

True to its title, this Texas Bluebonnet Award nominee provides all sorts of little known facts about beds, bedrooms, and pajamas, following their development from the Stone Age to present day. Interspersed with humorous conversation portrayed through comic bubbles in the illustrations, children will learn new facts and be entertained by this creative work. The homes of the wealthy, the poor, and the emerging middle class are described and illustrated in detail.

I was a big fan of the colorful illustrations. I am not usually a big fan of trivia books, but I liked the fact that this one focused on a specific theme. This made it possible for the bed and bedroom trivia to be discussed in more depth, from a historical standpoint.

ONE POTATO, TWO POTATO by Cynthia DeFelice

Mr. and Mrs. O’Grady live alone. Although they are very poor, they share what they have with one another, and are quite happy. The only thing missing from each of their lives is a friend. One day while digging up the one potato that they will eat for the day, Mr. O’Grady finds a pot. When he takes it in to show Mrs. O’Grady, the two discover that the pot creates an identical copy of anything that is placed inside—but when Mrs. O’Grady accidentally stumbles into the pot, the elderly couple must find a creative way to solve their unusual problem.

I really enjoyed this folktale, which was new to me. Mr. and Mrs. O’Grady are good people, and even when they find a way that they could become rich, they only make what they need and do not take advantage of the situation. They end up being rewarded well with good friends.