A culture of dance

“Dancing Rainbows”

Evelyn Clarke Mott

Dance has always been an important part of many Native American cultures. Native American children dress up in animal costumes and paint their faces to celebrate their culture.

In 1923, the U.S. stopped the Native American dances, but in 1934, they could dance again. Read this story to find out more about the Native American cultures.

Reviewed by Nicole, 8

Glenoaks Elementary, Glendale

Hank Zipzer Series

Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver

Hank Zipzer is a really funny series. Hank has learning difficulties and he has this insane family. His dad is a crossword puzzle maniac. His sister likes to paint her toes all the time and she has a pet iguana that licks soup from the table at dinner! His grandfather (Papa Pete) started a deli called The Crunchy Pickle. But Hank’s mom took over when he retired. One time the pet iguana ran from the Zipzer house to The Crunchy Pickle and totally trashed the place. I hope you enjoy reading these books. Ciao!

Reviewed by Nico, 9

St. Lawrence Martyr Elementary, Redondo Beach

“The Name of the Tree”

Celia Barker Lottridge

Animals are hungry and there is no food. They find a tree. It has all the fruits in the world. But they can’t reach the tree’s branches. They need to know the name of the tree so it can give them some fruit.

The king of the animals, the lion, knows the name of the tree. Do the rest of the animals get to have fruit from the tree? Read the book and find out.

Reviewed by Paul, Sixth Grade

DeAnza Elementary, Baldwin Hills

“The Good Dog”

Avi

A wolf by the name of Lupin comes to the small city of Steamboat Springs. At the same time, a leader of a dog pack, McKinley, leaves his pack to find Duchess, one of the dogs from his pack, who has taken off.

While McKinley is searching for Duchess, he meets the wolf Lupin. She asks him to join the wolf pack. What will McKinley do? Will he join the pack or stay with his (human) pet Jack? Find out by reading this exciting adventure.

Reviewed by Alina, 10

Ivanhoe Elementary, Los Angeles