Informational Book

o Book title: Pythons and Boas (Squeezing Snakes)
o Author/illustrator: Gloria Schlaepfer and Mary Lou Samuelson
o Clip Art:

o Suggested Grade Level for the book: 3^rd because the book has larger vocabulary words, such as vertebrates and prehensile, and because there are some graphic pictures of snakes squeezing their prey to death.
o An original brief summary: This informational book is all about snakes that use constricting rather than poison to kill their prey.  It discusses the species of pythons and boas, highlighting their physical features.  It then goes into the bone structures and senses of these reptiles.  The book then talks about the hunting methods and types of small animals these snakes eat, and the reproduction of these snakes.  The last few chapters of this book discuss human’s interaction with these animals, such as humans destroying the snake’s territory and humans keeping these type snakes as pets.
o How the book could be used in the classroom to teach children skills and strategies they need to know (be specific): this book could be used in the classroom to teach students how to use an informational book as a reference when researching, specifically when researching different kinds of snakes.
o ESOL strategies/applications:  This book includes pictures which go along with the text which would be great for ESOL students.  Moreover, this book includes a glossary in the back which defines the difficult terms within the text.
o Read Aloud: I would read aloud pages 7-8 because in these pages there is a description of imagining one is exploring a rainforest and come across a snake that is hiding in a tree, and then these pages discuss the specific type of snake this book is going to be about.  I would read these pages because it would spark the student’s interest and also give them a good idea of what this book is about.
o Personal opinions of the book or illustrations: I thought this was a really good informational book because it was very detailed but still easy to understand.  I especially liked that the picture were real photographs and that there was a glossary.  I also enjoyed reading the facts and myths that were in boxes along the side of some of the pages.