Children's Literature

About Me

My name is Holly Johnson. I was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, but I have lived in Great Falls, Montana my whole life. I grew up with 10 brothers and 8 sisters. I love working with children, and when I was a little girl I knew I wanted to become a teacher. I am a Senior at the University of Great Falls majoring in Elementary Education and Special Education.

I am so excited to become a teacher. When working with children I love to see them discover and learn new things. I love to see that little "light bulb" go off in their head when they understand something new. I want to become a Special Education teacher because I believe that we should not just focus on that child's disability, but rather their ABILITY on what they can do and what they are able to do. I believe these children can do so much more than some people allow them to do. I am working hard to learn all I need to know to become a great effective teacher. 

Other things about me: I love to cook, I love doing activities with my family, I love to babysit, my favorite season of the year is summer, I love hiking and swimming, and my favorite colors are pink and purple.

Extra Curricular Activities

I am a manager for the UGF Women's Basketball Team. I am involved with the following clubs at UGF: SMEA Education Club, GLOW Club, and the disABILITY Awareness Cub. I volunteer at the Cascade County Juvenile Detention Center, and I do read-alouds at Longfellow Elementary School. I volunteer and help with different Special Olympic activities, and I am also a Sunday School Teacher at my church.

Purpose of my blog

There are many fabulous children's books out there, some of which everyone knows about and others we would have never discovered had we might not have randomly pulled the book off a library shelf. I am creating this blog to share some of these wonderful stories with you. As teachers, we are always looking for great, well written books for our students. Here I will post descriptions, reading levels, and ratings of books.

Reading Levels:

Picture Books "For all Ages"

• These books can be read by or read aloud to children of all ages. The limited text will help to maintain a younger reader’s attention, however you will often find sophisticated language. Picture books are often works of art with extraordinary illustrations.

Learning to Read Jr. "Just the Beginning"

• Generally appropriate for Pre-K to 1st Grade
  Books in this category are appropriate for the newest reader, just beginning to read on their own. They will help readers become familiar with the physical aspects of a book. The text and storyline are ideal for decoding and enjoying the narrative.

Learning to Read Sr. "The Journey Continues"

• Generally appropriate for Kindergarten to 2nd Grade
  Books at this level are appropriate for the reader starting to decode fluently.
  This reader has mastered the concepts of print and is ready to experience the story.

Reader Jr. "I can do it"

• Generally appropriate for 1st Grade to 3rd Grade
  These books are appropriate for the fluent reader who is able to grasp and follow a simple story. The equal balance of text and white space creates an environment that won't intimidate a developing reader.

Reader Sr. "I am doing it all by myself"

• Generally appropriate for 2nd Grade to 4th Grade
  Books at this level are appropriate for the now confident reader who can handle more text on the page and more in depth character development.

Independent Reader Jr. "I am a Reader"

• Generally appropriate for 4th Grade to 7th Grade
  These books are appropriate for the independent reader who can retain and understand more elaborate and sophisticated story elements.

Independent Reader Sr. "I can Read Anything"

• Generally appropriate for 5th Grade and Up
  This level is appropriate for the established reader who can fully comprehend a substantial and complex book.

 

Rating System:

Best

• These books are the BEST that children's literature has to offer. These selections should be on everyone's reading shelf. These books are classics or on their way to becoming classics.

Excellent

• These books are EXCELLENT and well-written. They are as close to a classic as you will get.  

Good

• These books are GOOD. They are not classics and may never become classics. Even though a selection in this ranking may not be the best of the best, it shouldn't be missed for one reason or another.

Ok

• These books are OK. You will probably find at least one redeeming quality here.

Bad

• These books are simply BAD. Whether the writing is poor or the content is graphic or violent without being support by a compelling plot or theme, we recommend that you pass these books by. How did they get published?

In the end, I hope we'll all have discovered at least a few new titles that will have made their way onto our list of classroom favorites. Enjoy!