CoverillustratedbyAbbey

ThePetDragonbyChristophNiemann

OnedayLinreceivedapresent.Whensheopenedit,out

poppedababydragon.Linandthebabydragondideverythingtogether.Theyplayedhide‐and‐seek,theymadenewfriends,andtheyperfectedtheirPing‐Pongskills,andtoldexcitingstoriestoeachother.Butthenonedaytheywereplayingsoccerinthehouseandbrokeavase.Lin’sdadlockedthedragonupinacage.OnedayLinwenttocheckonherpetdragon.Butwhensheopenedthecagethedragonwasnowheretobefound.Soshewenttolookforhim.WhenshecametoarivershemetawitchwhowasscaredofwatersosheaskedLintocarryheracrosstheriver.Lincarriedthewitchacrosstheriverandthewitchthankedherwithafavor.Shesaid,“Iknowwhatyouarelookingfor”soshepoppedamagicbeanintohermouthandchewedveryslowly.Thenshestartedtogrowandgrowandgrowintillshewasasbigasamountain.“ComeherelittleLin”inaboomingvoiceLinclimbedintothegiantwitch’shand.Thewitchliftedherthroughtheclouds.Linthoughtshecouldseeeverthing!Andthereitwas,herdragonallgrownupandbeautifulplayingwiththerestofhisfamily.Linrodeherdragonhome.Herfatherwassohappytoseeher.Hesaidtothedragon“Youtwofriendscanvisitwheneveryouwant!”Andtheyallcelebratedwithfireworks.

ThepurposeofthisbookistocheeryouupandteachyouafewChinesesymbols.Thisisahappycutestorythatisappealingtoallages.Ilikedthisbookandthinkyouwilltoo.

LookWhatCameFromChinaByMilesHarvey

YoumaybesurprisedaboutwhatcomesfromChinathatyouuseinyoureverydaylife.OnethingthatcomesfromChinaispaper.A manwhoworkedforthe emperorofChinaabout inventedpaper

1, 900yearsago. Riceandicecreamwerealso inventedinChina.Noodlesare acommontreatandareanother foodinventedinChina.Areyou wearingsilk?

SilkwasactuallyinventedinChinatoo.Didyouknowthatporcelain

originalycamefromChina?Youmayhaveseenapanda

bearatazoo,theyarealsofromChina.Whenyougoouttoarestaurantyoumayusechopsticks,thoseareyet,anotherthingfromChina.IlearnedthesefactsafterreadingLook

WhatCameFromChinabyMilesHarvey.Iwouldrecommendreadingthisbook.Itprovidesinterestingfactsaboutthis

amazingplace,China.

MaxDodson1/19/12

Fu­DogByRumerGorden

InthebookLihadjustreceivedastuffedFu‐Dogforher

birthday.HerGreatunclehadgivenittoher.ThethingabouttheFu‐DogishecantalktoLi,butnooneelsecanhearhim.

OnedayLi’smomtalkstoLiaboutherGreatGrandUnclebutthemoreLihearsabouthergrandunclethemoreLiwantstoseehim.SosheasksFu‐DogtotellherwhereLi’sunclelivesandhesaysthathelivesinChinatown. ThenextdayLigoestoChinatownonatraintofindheruncle.OnceshegoestoChinatownshefindsherGreatuncle’srestaurantsherealizesthedoorislocked,sheknocksashardasshecan,noonecanhereher,afterawhilesheisstartingtogetreallycold.ThenFu‐Dogtellshertotieamessagearoundhisneckandsliphimintotheletterbox.SoonherUnclefindsFu‐DoginhisletterboxandopensupthedoorforLiandherbrother.Oncetheymeettheirgranduncle,hegivesthematastyChinesemealofsushi,noodlesandrice.Hetellsthemthattheycamejustintimeforacarnival.ThecarnivalisamazingbutattheendofthecarnivalLi’sbrothergetsabrokenarmandthecrowdtramplesFu‐Dog.

AfterthatGranduncletakesLitoGreatGrandUnclewhotakesLitoagiganticsecretgardenthathasmanyseparategardens.Oneisforrosesandoneisfortulips,butthemostamazingthingaboutthegardenisitisblooming;eventhoughitismidJanuary.ThenGreatGrandUnclecallshisservantandgivesLiaREALFu‐dog.

AbbeyThursday,January19,2012

LanguageArts

TheEmptyPotByDemi

TheEmptyPotbyDemiisaboutaboywhohasaverygreenthumb,whoespeciallylovesflowers.Everyoneelseinthetownlikesflowers,includingtheEmperor.TheEmperorwasbecomingtoold,andneededtofindanheir.Hecreatedatesttogiveeverychildaseedtogrow.TheonewhopleasestheEmperorwiththeirflowersmosttakethethrone.Ping(thelittleboy)tooktheseedandcareditalot.Nomatterwhathedidtomaketheseedgrow,itjustwouldnotgrow!Everyonewassurprisedthat

Pingcouldnotmaketheseedgrow,becausehecanmakeanythinggrow.AyearhadpastanditwasnowtimeforallthechildrentoshowtheirplantstotheEmperor.Everyonehadbeautifulflowers,andPingonlyhadanemptypot.WhentheEmperorsawalltheflowershewasnotpleased.WhenhesawPingwiththeemptypothewasverypleased.HetoldPingthathewastheonlyonewhohadanemptypot,andhewastheonlyonewhowashonest!AlltheseedsthattheEmperorgaveoutwereboiledsotheycouldnotgrow.So,becauseofPing’shonesty,hebecametheEmperoroverallofChina.

JuliaJanuary19,2012

TheBoyWhoPaintedDragons

TheBoyWhoPaintedDragonsisaboutPing,ayoungChineseboy.Thestorystartsoutbysayingthatdragonsoncelivedinheaven,making“…thunderandlightning,flyingcomets,meteorshowers,sparklingnorthernlights,andtheymadetherainfalltoearth.”Theirfavoritegamewasfinding“heavenlypearlsofwisdom”,onwhichheavenlyphraseswouldbeinscribed. ThenthedragonspeereddownfromheavenandsawPingpaintingdragons.Pinghadonceseenapictureofadragon,anditbecamehisworstfear.Butsoonhebecameobsessedwithpaintingdragons,andpaintedthemalloverhishouse.ThedragonsthoughtthatPingpaintedthembecausehelovedthem,andsotheywerepleased.Sopleased,infact,thattheHeavenlyDragoncamedowntogreetPing.Needlesstosay,Pingwasterrified,andtheHeavenlyDragonrealizedthatPingpainteddragonsnotoutofadmiration,butoffear. TheHeavenlyDragonleft,andwhenPingfinallycrawledoutfromunderachair(wherehehadbeenhiding),hesawthreeoftheheavenlypearlsofwisdom.Onesaid,“SEEKYOURTRUTH”,another,“FINDYOURTRUTH”,andthelast,“DARETOBETRUE”.Pinghasarevelationandrealizesthathehastoconfronthisfearsandlookforthewisdomofthedragonsinthepowerfulforcesofnature. PingthensetsofftogototheWaterDragon,FireDragon,EarthDragon,andWindDragon.Ateachone,thedragonrewardshiscouragewithapearl.Afterthat,Pingreallypaintsdragonsoutofjoy,andjoyfully.

AnnabelleJanuary19,2012

ThankingtheMoonWrittenbyGraceLin

Thisbookisaboutthis

girl’sfamilyinChina,whocelebratestheMoonFestival.

TheMoonFestivaliscelebratedonthefifteenthdayoftheeighthlunarmonthonthesolar

calendar,whichisusually

betweenSeptemberandOctober.

Herfamilygoesoutonthisnightandhasanightpicnic.Otherfamiliesdothisaswelltothankthe

moon.

JoeVanAlstyneTechnology/Library

1/26/12

ATickettoChina

byJanetRiehecky

ThisbooktellsabouthowpeopleliveinChina

andwhatitlookslike.Ilearnedabouttheirfoodandmarkets.Beforeitbordersanothercountry,therearemountains,deserts,riversorseas.

Mostpeopletravelbybicyclebecausesomepeoplecannotaffordacar.Inelementaryschoolsomeclassesorgradesstartwithkidsrollingtheireyestoatuneofmusic.Inkindergartenyoualwaysplaygames.

ThecapitolofChinaisBeijinganditisbehindtheGreatWallofChina.TherearetwomaindessertsinChina.TheyaretheGobiDessertandtheTaklimakanDessert.TheChangRiveristhethirdlongestriver.“Ma”hastwomeanings.Oneismotherandtheotherisgrasshopper.Ithinkthatisvery,veryweird.

MicahJanuary18,2012

TheMagicHorseofHanGanByChenJiangHong

ThebookisaboutaboynamedHanGan.Helovestodrawbuthisfamilyispoorsohecan’tdrawasmuchashewouldlike.Heworksatainntohelphisfamilygetmoneytobuyfood.Onedayanartist,WangWeicametostayattheinn.HanGanservedhimfoodwhenhewenthomehesawsomehorsesanddrewtheminthedirt.WangWeicameandtoldHantoseehimthenextday.HanwenttoWang’shouse.Wangwasgettingtogetheralotofdrawingtools.Hanthankedhimandleft.Hanlovedtodrawhorseshespenthisfreetimedrawinghorses.TheEmperortoldhimthatheshouldgoTotheAcademyforOfficialpainters.Handidnotwanttopaintwhattheeatherstudentsheonlywantedtodrawhorses.Hisfriendswantedtoknowwhyhedrawshorses.Awarrior

cametohishouseandwantedahorsethatcanbeatanyotherhorsethatlives.Handrewahorse,hedidn’tlikeitsohewasgoingtoburnit,ahorsesprangoutthewarriorjumpedonthehorse.Thewarriorwonmanybattlesonthehorse.Thehorsegotverysadhebuckedthewarrioroffandranaway.Thewarriorchasedafterthehorse.HewenttoHanGan’shorse.Hefoundthehorseinapainting.

Daniel1/19/12

TheStoryAboutPingbyMarjorieFlackand

KurtWiese

TheStoryAboutPingtellsaboutaduckthathasalotofrelatives.Helivesona

houseboat.Oneday,hedoesn’tmakeittotheboatandhastosleepbehindthe

grass.WhenhewakesupherealizesthatheisontheYangtzeRiver.ThenaboyjumpsoutofaboatandgrabsPing.Theboy’sdadsaysthattheyshouldeatPing,buttheboysaysPingistoobeautifultoeat.ThedadputsPinginabasket.Inthenighttime,theboyreleasesPingbacktotheriver.Inthemorning,Pingfinallyseeshisrelatives.Hetriestogettothebridge,

buthegetslastandspanked.

The Great Wall Jack Beaty

1/14/12

The Great Wall is 4200 miles long! It was made in the Ming Dynasty, which lasted from 1368 to 1644. The highest part of The Great Wall is in Badaling, and it peaks at 3280 feet. The average height is 25 feet, but watchtowers are 30 feet higher. The Great Wall has a ton of watchtowers and signal towers spread out on it. The signal towers, well, signal. Soldiers light giant fires that warn if enemies are attacking. One fire meant that 100 enemies were attacking; two fires meant 500 were attacking, etc.

If the Great Wall was lifted up and put down on the United States, it would reach from Denver, Colorado to Washington D.C. Tourists from around the world come to see the wall, and marathon runners come to race on half of it! The sections of the wall that are the most destroyed but are still there are the most famous to tourists, but personally I think that the sections that are completely intact are the most interesting.

TheGreatWallofChina

Christian 1-19-12

Dragon Dance by Joan Holub Illustrated by Benrei Huang

The Dragon Dance tells about the Chinese New Year. The Chinese shop for fresh fish and blossoms. They buy these products to celebrate on New Years! They sweep, mop, and dust the old year away. They decorate their homes for the holidays. Red dresses, Red shirts, Red envelopes, too, Red brings great luck

to you. They prepare the food for the feast. There’s duck, crab, and pork. Some people use forks other people use chopsticks. Not everybody is not good at using chopsticks like me, although I’m okay. Fact: I never knew this but they eat the noodles last! They hurry to watch the parades on the streets. Jugglers toss balls and huge Lion puppets dance. The best of all things in the parade is the Dragon It’s long, red, and gold. They all wish everybody to have a year full of peace, luck and joy. That’s the Chine’s new year. Gung Hay Fat Choy! "May you become prosperous. "

These are dumplings.

NatalieThursday,January19,2012

Summaryof

TheMasterSwordsman&TheMagicDoorwayRetoldandIllustratedbyAliceProvensen

TheretellingofTheMasterSwordsman&TheMagicDoorwayisagreatbook.It’sastoryofayoungman,LittleChu,insearchoftheemperor.Hewassearchingdayandnight,untilfinally,hewasreadytogiveup.Luckily,hedidn’t.WhenLittleChufoundtheemperor,hewasaskedtopaintamuralforabeautifulwall.Whenthemuralwasfinished,thewholetownwasjoyous.FinallyLittleChucouldcomehome.Beforeheleft,theemperorwasverypleased.WhenLittleChupaintedthewall,hewasnolongerLittleChu,hewasMuChi.

Thisisthecoverofthebook.