S. Vardell 09
Robert Sibert and Orbis Pictus
Combined Nonfiction Award Books (Since 2000)
Holdings & Circulation Statistics Survey
Date ____12-3-2009_____________
Name of Library _________Fowler Elementary Library WFISD_______________
School library ____X____ Public library ________
City, State _______Wichita Falls, Texas___ ____________________
(All the library’s identifying information is confidential.)
1. _____14_______ Number of Nonfiction Award books in library collection
(Combine both Orbis Pictus and Sibert books)
2. _____70_______ Percentage of all Nonfiction Award books possible
(Combine both Orbis Pictus and Sibert books)
3. _____20_______ Total number of Nonfiction Award book circulations to date
(Combine both Orbis Pictus and Sibert books)
4. ______4_______ Circulation average per Nonfiction Award book
(Combine both Orbis Pictus and Sibert books)
List the ten Nonfiction Award books (Orbis Pictus and Sibert combined) with highest current circulation (from most circulated to least)
Author’s Last Name, First Name Book Title
Montgomery, Sy The Tarantula Scientist____
Montgomery, Sy The Snake Scientist _____
Ryan, Pam Munoz When Marion Sang _____
Giblin, James Cross____________The Amazing Life Of Benjamin Franklin___
Murphy, Jim___________An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story
Of The Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793
Bridges, Ruby and Lundell, Margo ___ _Through My Eyes________
Lasky, Kathryn The Man That Made Time Travel
Murphy, Jim__________________ Blizzard! The Storm That Changed America
Montgomery, Sy______ Quest For The Tree Kangaroo:__An Expedition To The
Cloud Forest Of New Guinea_
Jenkins, Steve At The Top Of The World__
ROBERT SIBERT AWARD AND HONOR BOOKS AND ORBIS PICTUS AWARD AND HONOR BOOKS ALL COMBINED
*The circulation data report includes total circulation of each book, not yearly.*
AUTHOR COPIES CIRCULATION
Adler, David A. 1 0
America’s Champion Swimmer: Gertrude Ederle.
Illustrated by Terry Widener. Gulliver Books, 2000.
Arnosky, Jim. 0 0
Wild & Swampy. HarperCollins, 2000.
Aronson, Marc. 0 0
Sir Walter Raleigh and the Quest for El Dorado.
Clarion Books, 2000.
Bardoe, Cheryl. 0 0
Gregory Mendel: The Friar Who Grew Peas.
Illustrated by Jos. A. Smith. Abrams, 2006.
Bartoletti, Susan Campbell. 0 0
Black Potatoes: The Story of the Great Irish Famine, 1845–1850.
Houghton Mifflin, 2001.
Bartoletti, Susan Campbell. 0 0
Hitler Youth:
Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow.
Scholastic, 2005.
Bausum, Ann. 0 0
Freedom Riders: John Lewis and Jim Zwerg on the Front Lines of the Civil Rights Movement.
National Geographic, 2006.
Bausum, Ann. 0 0
Muckrakers. National Geographic, 2007.
Bial, Raymond. 0 0
Tenement: Immigrant Life on the Lower East Side.
Houghton Mifflin, 2002.
Bishop, Nic. 0 0
Spiders. Scholastic, 2007.
Blumberg, Rhoda. 0 0
York’s Adventures with Lewis and Clark:
An African-American's Part in the Great Expansion. HarperCollins, 2004.
Blumenthal, Karen. 0 0
Six Days in October: The Stock Market Crash of 1929.
Simon & Schuster/Atheneum Books, 2002.
Bolden, Tonya. 0 0
M.L.K.: Journey of a King. Abrams, 2007.
Bridges, Rudy and Lundell, Margo. 1 3
Through My Eyes. Scholastic Press, 1999.
Burleigh, Robert. 0 0
Seurat and La Grande Jatte: Connecting the Dots. Abrams, 2004.
Byrd, Robert. 0 0
Leonardo: Beautiful Dreamer. Dutton Children’s Books, 2003.
Cobb, Vicki. 0 0
I Face the Wind. Illustrated by Julia Gorton. HarperCollins, 2003.
Curlee, Lynn. 0 0
Brooklyn Bridge. Simon & Schuster, 2001.
Dash, Joan. 0 0
The Longitude Prize. Ill. by Dusan Petricic. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2000.
Delano, Marfe Ferguson. 1 1
Genius: A Photobiography of Albert Einstein.
National Geographic, 2005.
Fleischman, John. 0 0
Phineas Gage: A Gruesome but True Story about Brain Science.
Houghton Mifflin, 2002.
Fleischman, John. 0 0
Black and White Airmen: Their True History.
Houghton Mifflin, 2007.
Floca, Brian. 0 0
Lightship. Simon & Schuster, 2007.
Freedman, Russell. 0 0
Confucius: The Golden Rule.
Illustrated by Frederic Clement.
Arthur A. Levine Books, 2002.
Freedman, Russell. 0 0
In Defense of Liberty: The Story of America’s Bill of Rights.
Holiday House, 2003.
Freedman, Russell. 0 0
The Voice That Challenged A Nation:
Marian Anderson and the Struggle for Equal Rights.
Clarion Books, 2004.
Freedman, Russell. 1 0
Children of the Great Depression.
Clarion, 2005.
Freedman, Russell. 0 0
Freedom Walkers: The Story of the Montgomery Bus Boycott.
Holiday House, 2006.
Gantos, Jack. 0 0
Hole in My Life.
Farrar, Strauss & Giroux, 2002.
Giblin, James Cross. 0 0
Secrets of the Sphinx. Illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline.
Scholastic Press/Scholastic Inc., 2004.
Giblin, James Cross. 1 3
The Amazing Life of Benjamin Franklin.
Illustrated by Michael Dooling. Scholastic Press, 2000.
Giblin, James Cross. 0 0
The Life and Death of Adolf Hitler.
Clarion Books/Houghton Mifflin Company, 2002.
Govenar, Alan B. 0 0
Osceola: Memories of a Sharecropper’s Daughter.
Illustrated by Shane W. Evans. Jump at the Sun, 2000.
Greenberg, Jan and Jordan, Sandra. 0 0
Vincent van Gogh. Delacorte Press, 2001.
Greenberg, Jan and Jordan, Sandra. 0 0
Action Jackson. Ill. by Robert Andrew Parker.
Roaring Brook Press, 2002.
Hoose, Phillip. 0 0
The Race to Save the Lord God Bird.
Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2004.
Hopkinson, Deborah. 0 0
Shutting Out the Sky: Life in the Tenements of New York, 1880-
1924.Orchard Books, 2003.
Jackson, Donna. 0 0
ER Vets: Life in an Animal Emergency Room.
Houghton Mifflin, 2005.
Jenkins, Steve. 0 0
Actual Size. Houghton Mifflin, 2004.
Jenkins, Steve. 1 1
The Top of the World.
Houghton Mifflin, 1999.
Johnson, Sylvia A. 0 0
Mapping the World. Atheneum, 1999.
Jurmain, Suzanne. 0 0
Forbidden Schoolhouse: The True and Dramatic
Story of Prudence Crandall and Her Students. Houghton Mifflin, 2005.
Kerley, Barbara. 0 0
The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins..
Ill. by Brian Selznick. Scholastic Press, 2001.
Kerley, Barbara. 0 0
Walt Whitman Words for America.
Illustrated by Brian Selznick.
Kurlansky, Mark. 0 0
The Cod’s Tale. Ill. by S. D. Schindler.
Penguin Putnam Books, 2001.
Lasky, Kathryn. 1 2
The Man Who Made Time Travel.
Illustrated by Kevin Hawkes. Farrar, Straus and Giroux Inc., 2003.
Lasky, Kathryn. 0 0
John Muir: America's First Environmentalist.
Illustrated by Stan Fellows. Candlewick, 2006.
Mann, Elizabeth, 0 0
Empire State Building: When New York Reached for the Skies.
Illustrated by Alan Witschonke. Mikaya Press, 2003.
McClafferty, Carla Killough. 0 0
Something Out of Nothing: Marie Curie and Radium.
Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2006.
Montgomery, Sy. 1 17
The Snake Scientist. Ill. by Nic Bishop.
Houghton Mifflin, 1999.
Montgomery, Sy. 1 18
The Tarantula Scientist. Photographs by Nic Bishop.
Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004.
Montgomery, Sy. 1 2
Quest for the Tree Kangaroo: An Expedition
to the Cloud Forest of New Guinea.
Photographs by Nic Bishop. Houghton Mifflin, 2006.
Murphy, Jim. 1 3
An American Plague: The True and Terrifying
Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793.
Clarion Books/Houghton Mifflin Company, 2003.
Murphy, Jim. 2 2
Blizzard! The Storm That Changed America.
Scholastic Press., 2000.
Myers, Walter Dean. 0 0
At Her Majesty’s Request:
An African Princess in Victorian England.
Scholastic Press, 1999.
O’Connor, Jane.
Emperor’s Silent Army: 0 0
Terracotta Warriors of Ancient China.
Viking Children’s Books, 2002.
Old, Wendie C. 0 0
To Fly: The Story of the Wright Brothers.
Illustrated by Robert Andrew Parker. Clarion Books, 2002.
Rappaport, Doreen. 0 0
Martin’s Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Ill. by Bryan Collier. Hyperion, 2001.
Reich, Susanna. 0 0
Clara Schumann: Piano Virtuoso.
Clarion Books, 1999.
Rumford, James. 0 0
Sequoyah The Cherokee Man Who Gave His People Writing.
Ryan, Pam Munoz. 1 3
When Marian Sang. Illustrated by Brian Selznick.
Scholastic Press/Scholastic Inc., 2002.
Siegel, Siena Cherson. 0 0
To Dance: A Ballerina’s Graphic Novel.
Artwork by Mark Siegel. Simon & Schuster, 2006.
Singer, Marilyn. 0 0
Venom. Darby Creek Publishing, 2007.
Sís, Peter. 0 0
The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain.
Farrar/Frances Foster, 2007.
Siy, Alexandra and Kunkel, Dennis. 0 0
Mosquito Bite. Charlesbridge, 2005.
Stanley, Diane. 0 0
Michelangelo. HarperCollins, 2000.
Stanley, Jerry. 0 0
Hurry Freedom: African Americans in Gold Rush California.
Crown, 2000.
Sullivan, George. 0 0
Helen Keller: Her Life in Pictures.
Scholastic, 2007.
Thimmesh, Catherine. 1 1
Team Moon: How 400,000 People Landed Apollo 11 on the Moon.
Houghton Mifflin, 2006.
Walker, Sally M. 0 0
Secrets of a Civil War Submarine:
Solving the Mysteries of the H.L. Hunley.
Carolrhoda Books, 2005.
Warren, Andrea. 0 0
Surviving Hitler: A Boy in the Nazi Death Camps.
HarperCollins, 2001.
Webb, Sophie. 0 0
My Season with Penguins: An Antarctic Journal.
Houghton Mifflin Company, 2000.
Winick, Judd. 0 0
Pedro and Me: Friendship, Loss, and What I Learned.
Henry Holt and Company, LLC, 2000.
The Results:
The Fowler school library contains 12,581 titles available for circulation. The school has 631 active patrons, which includes teachers and other staff. At the time the data was collected, there were 530 books checked out from the library. None of the checked out books included a Robert Sibert or Orbis Pictus Award Winner or Honor Book. There were 70 books listed in the Robert Sibert and Orbis Pictis Award Winning and Honor Books. The Fowler Library contained 14 books that were Robert Sibert and Orbis Pictis Award Winners or Honor Books. The 14 books available out of the library’s 12,581 books available, means that less than 1% of the books included Robert Sibert and Orbis Pictis Award Winners or Honor Books.
The 14 books available in the Fowler Library include:
Adler, David A. America’s Champion Swimmer: Gertrude Ederle. Illustrated by Terry Widener. Gulliver Books, 2000.
Bridges, Rudy and Lundell, Margo. Through My Eyes. Scholastic Press, 1999.
Delano, Marfe Ferguson. Genius: A Photobiography of Albert Einstein. National Geographic, 2005.
Freedman, Russell. Children of the Great Depression. Clarion, 2005
Giblin, James Cross. The Amazing Life of Benjamin Franklin. Illustrated by Michael Dooling. Scholastic Press, 2000.
Jenkins, Steve. The Top of the World. Houghton Mifflin, 1999.
Lasky, Kathryn. The Man Who Made Time Travel. Illustrated by Kevin Hawkes. Farrar, Straus and Giroux Inc., 2003.
Montgomery, Sy. The Snake Scientist. Ill. by Nic Bishop. Houghton Mifflin, 1999.
Montgomery, Sy. The Tarantula Scientist. Photographs by Nic Bishop. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004.
Montgomery, Sy. Quest for the Tree Kangaroo: An Expedition to the Cloud Forest of New Guinea. Photographs by Nic Bishop. Houghton Mifflin, 2006.
Murphy, Jim. An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793. Clarion Books/Houghton Mifflin Company, 2003.
Murphy, Jim. Blizzard! The Storm That Changed America. Scholastic Press., 2000.
Ryan, Pam Munoz. When Marian Sang. Illustrated by Brian Selznick. Scholastic Press/Scholastic Inc., 2002.
Thimmesh, Catherine. Team Moon: How 400,000 People Landed Apollo 11 on the Moon. Houghton Mifflin, 2006.
The collection includes 1 Robert Siebert Medal Award Winner, An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793, by Jim Murphy. There were two Robert Siebert Honor Books available. They include: When Marian Sang, by Pam Munoz Ryan, and Blizzard! The Storm That Changed America, by Jim Murphy. There were 5 books available from the Orbis Pictis Award Winners. They included: Quest for the Tree Kangaroo: An Expedition to the Cloud Forest of New Guinea, by Jim Murphy, Children of the Great Depression, by Russell Freedman, Genius: A Photobiography of Albert Einstein, by Marfe Ferguson Delano, An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793, by Jim Murphy, and When Marian Sang, by Pam Munoz Ryan. There were 6 books available from the Orbis Pictus Honor Books. They included: Team Moon: How 400,000 People Landed Apollo 11 on the Moon, by Catherine Thimmesh, An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793, by Jim Murphy, When Marian Sang, by Pam Munoz Ryan, The Amazing Life of Benjamin Franklin, by James Giblin, The Snake Scientist, by Sy Montgomery, and The Top of the World, by Steve Jenkins.
Sy Montgomery had the most Award Winning and Honor Books in the collection, with all 3 of his books being available. Jim Murphy was next, with 2 books. The rest of the authors of the 14 available books, had one of their books in the collection. The majority of Award Winners and Honor Books were not found in the Fowler Library at all. I should add that there were books by all the authors listed, just not the titles that won these awards.
Sy Montgomery also had the best circulation of the authors, with
The Tarantula Scientist being checked out at least 18 times. The history that I could gather stopped at the year 2000, so I couldn’t go back any further. Mr. Montgomery’s other book, The Snake Scientist, was checked out at least 17 times. His third book, Quest for the Tree Kangaroo: An Expedition to the Cloud Forest of New Guinea, has been checked out 2 times. The rest of the books available have been checked out 1, 2, or 3 times, over the lifetime of the book. Two of the available books have never been checked out. These include: America’s Champion Swimmer: Gertrude Ederle, by David Adler, Children of the Great Depression, by Russell Freedman.
The books on animal science seemed to be the most popular nonfiction books. Followed by weather, catastrophes, and books on famous people. The least popular were books about famous people that students most likely haven’t heard about, or events in history most children are not familiar or are have not studied about.
Analysis:
The results of this survey were not surprising to me. I have been at Fowler for 8 years, and the library has been a sore subject for most of the teachers working there. For the first 5 years I worked there, we had a librarian who was waiting for retirement. She did not make the library fun. She did not let the students look for books. If they took to long, she would make them take a book she selected. She was very into organization. She did not even let the students go to the nonfiction and biography section, because she could not see what they were doing from her desk.
The last two years, we have had no librarian. There were no new books ordered the first year, and the second year, a few teachers took it upon themselves to try and get some new books into the library, and most of the titles were fiction.
To give the librarian or lack of one sufficient credit, there are more reasons why I think the circulation and purchase of nonfiction books is so low. When our school started the Accelerated Reader Program, we did not just use it as a reward for reading. Our Principal wanted it to be used as a grade. She decided that 25% of their reading grade was to be based on their Accelerated Reader average. At that time, our elementary school, had to buy their own quizzes. There were very few bought each year, so it made sense to buy quizzes for the books that all the students wanted to read. Fiction was usually the only Genre considered, because most students were reading fiction. This caused our library to purchase only books that students could read, test, and use to meet their Accelerated Reader goals. I believe that this is the main reason that we have very few Award Winning Nonfiction books in our library. With very little money available for quizzes or new books, nonfiction books have not been valued by our students, teachers, or our principal.
Two years ago, the whole WFISD district decided that, as a whole, the district would enter a contract with the Accelerated Reader program, that the whole district would receive any Accelerated Reader Test available, as they were developed. This means that any book that has an Accelerated Reader test, is available to our students. This could mean a new life for our nonfiction books on the shelf, as well as persuading our principal that students need to learn to love nonfiction books as well. Reading for information is one of that TAKS test main objectives, so this and the new contract with Accelerated Reader should help to increase the purchase and circulation of these award winning books.
Recommendations:
First, I would recommend that more money be considered for purchase of award winning and honor nonfiction books. The Accelerated Reader problem has been solved by the district purchasing all tests. Students can now read a wide assortment of nonfiction, and still be working toward their Accelerated Reader goals. The students just need to be able to get to the great nonfiction books, and unfortunately, they are not available in our library. I would recommend that next year, most of the money used to purchase new library materials, be spent on nonfiction.
I would also recommend that the librarian read an equal number of nonfiction books to classes, as they are read nonfiction. If one really good nonfiction book is read and enjoyed, students will likely go to other nonfiction books by that author, and hopefully, then go on to other nonfiction written by other authors.
I would recommend that the new and award-winning nonfiction books be placed in a preferential spot in the library. They should be moved to a place with better access and more visability. I also would recommend having my student librarians read some of the nonfiction books and we could showcase their favorite picks. The younger students admire the student librarians, because they read them stories and help them find books. It might encourage younger students to read those books. We could also interview members of our staff, as well as the principal, and have them recommend nonfiction books. Make a display which highlights the books and the staff member recommending them. As students read more nonfiction, have different students recommend also.
I also think a bulletin board should be made showcasing at least two award winning or honor books for nonfiction each month. They could also correspond with a date in history, or holiday. Several different nonfiction books should be displayed each month, so they are visable to all students. If possible, have book trailers which showcase nonfiction.
The librarian needs to discuss with staff, teachers, the PTO organization, parents, and administration, that an injustice is being done to our students, because they are missing out on a whole genre. Explain that our library doesn’t many of the current nonfiction books. If you go to the administration, parents, or the PTO, it could possibly lead to more funds found to invest in nonfiction.
There is also grant money available for many classroom needs. If the librarian is willing to do the research, she may be able to come up with funds to purchase books.
If I were to recommend a book for librarians about how to use different literature genres in the library and classroom, I would recommend:
Vardell, Sylvia M. CHILDREN’S LITERATURE IN ACTION A LIBRARIAN’S GUIDE. 2008. Westport, Connecticut: Libraries Unlimited. ISBN 9781591585572
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Review of THE GRAVEYARD BOOK by Neil Gaiman
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Gaimin, Neil. THE GRAVEYARD BOOK. Ill. by Dave McKean. 2008. New York: HarperCollins. ISBN 9780060530921
2. PLOT SUMMARY
When a man named Jack, murders his family, a boy escapes by crawling out of his crib, to a nearby cemetery. Jack is still in pursuit, but the boys mother, who is a ghost now, begs the other ghosts in the cemetery to save her son and raise him. A couple, The Owens, agree to raise him, and another, Silas, agrees to help. They save the baby from Jack, and since the baby has no name, they call him Nobody Owens. Nobody grows up as the Owens’s child. He is allowed full access to the graveyard, but can’t leave because the killer Jack is still looking for him. He remains safely in the graveyard, and the characters from the graveyard try and give him an education. They also teach him how to fade, which comes in handy during his time at the graveyard. He makes a human friend named Scarlett, but her family soon moves away. As Nobody gets older, he finds that he is very lonely and yearns for the outside world. The Owens and Silas agree to let Nobody enroll in a school in the village. Things go okay for a time, but Nobody takes up for a bullied child, and his parents feel it is too risky for him to continue school in the real world. When he is fifteen, Scarlett comes back into his life. They form a great friendship. Scarlett also forms a friendship with the graveyard caretaker, Mr. Frost. He turns out to be Jack and tricks Nobody and Scarlett into going to his home, which is where Nobody’s family was murdered years ago. He tries to murder Nobody. We also find out that Jack is a member of a club called the “Jacks of All Trades.” They are a group of important Jacks that murder people. Nobody fades to get away and locks Jack in a room upstairs. He and Scarlett escape to the graveyard as three other Jacks show up. The other Jacks let Jack out of the room and they head for the graveyard to carry out their plan of murdering Nobody. Nobody is successful, with the help of his graveyard friends, to kill all the Jacks. Scarlett is horrified that Nobody could kill the Jacks and Silas has to erase her memory of Nobody and everything that happened. Nobody is sad because he has lost his only friend in the real world. Scarlett and her mother move away. Now that the Jacks are no longer searching for him, Nobody is now allowed to leave the graveyard and begin his life in the living world.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This book is great reading for grades 7-12. I read a few chapters to my 6th graders and they had a hard time following. My GT students in 6th grade however, are reading it on their own. This book has one of the most exciting first chapters that I have ever read. The plot and characters are well developed and the authors vivid descriptions take us away to this other world, the world of the dead. The plot draws you into the story. You must find out why this Jack is after Nobody, and why he murdered Nobody’s family. The characters created that exist in the graveyard, are original. Some are hilarious and others quite scary. The characters come from all different periods in time, and their language is true to their historical periods.
I was disappointed with the ending of the book. I wanted Nobody to end up with Scarlett, and have her helping him survive in the world of the living. I was also disappointed that Scarlett’s memory of Nobody had to be erased because she considered him a murderer. He saved her life, so I thought that this was not what this character would think or do. Even when her memory was erased, I wanted Nobody to leave the graveyard and find Scarlett by chance and the two could have some secret connection and become friends again. I found it very depressing that he just left the graveyard with no friends or family.
I also didn’t like the reason that Jack murdered Nobody’s family. I was expecting some intricate murder plot caused by revenge, jealousy, family secrets, or greed. I was really disappointed when I realized that Jack just murdered the family because that is what the Jacks do.
4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL Review: “Grade 5–8—Somewhere in contemporary Britain, "the man Jack" uses his razor-sharp knife to murder a family, but the youngest, a toddler, slips away. The boy ends up in a graveyard, where the ghostly inhabitants adopt him to keep him safe. Nobody Owens, so named because he "looks like nobody but himself," grows up among a multigenerational cast of characters from different historical periods that includes matronly Mistress Owens; ancient Roman Caius Pompeius; an opinionated young witch; a melodramatic hack poet; and Bod's beloved mentor and guardian, Silas, who is neither living nor dead and has secrets of his own. As he grows up, Bod has a series of adventures, both in and out of the graveyard, and the threat of the man Jack who continues to hunt for him is ever present. Bod's love for his graveyard family and vice versa provide the emotional center, amid suspense, spot-on humor, and delightful scene-setting. The child Bod's behavior is occasionally too precocious to be believed, and a series of puns on the name Jack render the villain a bit less frightening than he should be, though only momentarily. Aside from these small flaws, however, Gaiman has created a rich, surprising, and sometimes disturbing tale of dreams, ghouls, murderers, trickery, and family.”
BOOKLIST Review: “*Starred Review* While a highly motivated killer murders his family, a baby, ignorant of the horrific goings-on but bent on independence, pulls himself out of his crib and toddles out of the house and into the night. This is most unfortunate for the killer, since the baby was his prime target. Finding his way through the barred fence of an ancient graveyard, the baby is discovered by Mr. and Mrs. Owens, a stable and caring couple with no children of their own—and who just happen to be dead. After much debate with the graveyard’s rather opinionated denizens, it is decided that the Owens’s will take in the child. Under their care and the sponsorship of the mysterious Silas, the baby is named “Nobody” and raised among the dead to protect him from the killer, who relentlessly pursues him. This is an utterly captivating tale that is cleverly told through an entertaining cast of ghostly characters. There is plenty of darkness, but the novel’s ultimate message is strong and life affirming. Although marketed to the younger YA set, this is a rich story with broad appeal and is highly recommended for teens of all ages. Grades 6-10.”
5. CONNECTIONS
Students could read the descriptions of the characters and pick one to illustrate. Students could display their vision of the characters. Students could also illustrate the graveyard, and then make a display with their characters in their vision of the graveyard.
Students could write epitaphs for themselves or a friend. What would you say about yourself at this time in your life? What would you say about your best friend, teacher, principal, or family member. Students could make a display and share.
Students could write a paper about what they think Nobody did after he left the graveyard. Where did he go and how did he connect with others?
Students could research the author, Neil Gaiman and his other books. They
could research his biography and the class could read some of his other books. CORALINE or M IS FOR MAGIC.
Gaimin, Neil. THE GRAVEYARD BOOK. Ill. by Dave McKean. 2008. New York: HarperCollins. ISBN 9780060530921
2. PLOT SUMMARY
When a man named Jack, murders his family, a boy escapes by crawling out of his crib, to a nearby cemetery. Jack is still in pursuit, but the boys mother, who is a ghost now, begs the other ghosts in the cemetery to save her son and raise him. A couple, The Owens, agree to raise him, and another, Silas, agrees to help. They save the baby from Jack, and since the baby has no name, they call him Nobody Owens. Nobody grows up as the Owens’s child. He is allowed full access to the graveyard, but can’t leave because the killer Jack is still looking for him. He remains safely in the graveyard, and the characters from the graveyard try and give him an education. They also teach him how to fade, which comes in handy during his time at the graveyard. He makes a human friend named Scarlett, but her family soon moves away. As Nobody gets older, he finds that he is very lonely and yearns for the outside world. The Owens and Silas agree to let Nobody enroll in a school in the village. Things go okay for a time, but Nobody takes up for a bullied child, and his parents feel it is too risky for him to continue school in the real world. When he is fifteen, Scarlett comes back into his life. They form a great friendship. Scarlett also forms a friendship with the graveyard caretaker, Mr. Frost. He turns out to be Jack and tricks Nobody and Scarlett into going to his home, which is where Nobody’s family was murdered years ago. He tries to murder Nobody. We also find out that Jack is a member of a club called the “Jacks of All Trades.” They are a group of important Jacks that murder people. Nobody fades to get away and locks Jack in a room upstairs. He and Scarlett escape to the graveyard as three other Jacks show up. The other Jacks let Jack out of the room and they head for the graveyard to carry out their plan of murdering Nobody. Nobody is successful, with the help of his graveyard friends, to kill all the Jacks. Scarlett is horrified that Nobody could kill the Jacks and Silas has to erase her memory of Nobody and everything that happened. Nobody is sad because he has lost his only friend in the real world. Scarlett and her mother move away. Now that the Jacks are no longer searching for him, Nobody is now allowed to leave the graveyard and begin his life in the living world.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This book is great reading for grades 7-12. I read a few chapters to my 6th graders and they had a hard time following. My GT students in 6th grade however, are reading it on their own. This book has one of the most exciting first chapters that I have ever read. The plot and characters are well developed and the authors vivid descriptions take us away to this other world, the world of the dead. The plot draws you into the story. You must find out why this Jack is after Nobody, and why he murdered Nobody’s family. The characters created that exist in the graveyard, are original. Some are hilarious and others quite scary. The characters come from all different periods in time, and their language is true to their historical periods.
I was disappointed with the ending of the book. I wanted Nobody to end up with Scarlett, and have her helping him survive in the world of the living. I was also disappointed that Scarlett’s memory of Nobody had to be erased because she considered him a murderer. He saved her life, so I thought that this was not what this character would think or do. Even when her memory was erased, I wanted Nobody to leave the graveyard and find Scarlett by chance and the two could have some secret connection and become friends again. I found it very depressing that he just left the graveyard with no friends or family.
I also didn’t like the reason that Jack murdered Nobody’s family. I was expecting some intricate murder plot caused by revenge, jealousy, family secrets, or greed. I was really disappointed when I realized that Jack just murdered the family because that is what the Jacks do.
4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL Review: “Grade 5–8—Somewhere in contemporary Britain, "the man Jack" uses his razor-sharp knife to murder a family, but the youngest, a toddler, slips away. The boy ends up in a graveyard, where the ghostly inhabitants adopt him to keep him safe. Nobody Owens, so named because he "looks like nobody but himself," grows up among a multigenerational cast of characters from different historical periods that includes matronly Mistress Owens; ancient Roman Caius Pompeius; an opinionated young witch; a melodramatic hack poet; and Bod's beloved mentor and guardian, Silas, who is neither living nor dead and has secrets of his own. As he grows up, Bod has a series of adventures, both in and out of the graveyard, and the threat of the man Jack who continues to hunt for him is ever present. Bod's love for his graveyard family and vice versa provide the emotional center, amid suspense, spot-on humor, and delightful scene-setting. The child Bod's behavior is occasionally too precocious to be believed, and a series of puns on the name Jack render the villain a bit less frightening than he should be, though only momentarily. Aside from these small flaws, however, Gaiman has created a rich, surprising, and sometimes disturbing tale of dreams, ghouls, murderers, trickery, and family.”
BOOKLIST Review: “*Starred Review* While a highly motivated killer murders his family, a baby, ignorant of the horrific goings-on but bent on independence, pulls himself out of his crib and toddles out of the house and into the night. This is most unfortunate for the killer, since the baby was his prime target. Finding his way through the barred fence of an ancient graveyard, the baby is discovered by Mr. and Mrs. Owens, a stable and caring couple with no children of their own—and who just happen to be dead. After much debate with the graveyard’s rather opinionated denizens, it is decided that the Owens’s will take in the child. Under their care and the sponsorship of the mysterious Silas, the baby is named “Nobody” and raised among the dead to protect him from the killer, who relentlessly pursues him. This is an utterly captivating tale that is cleverly told through an entertaining cast of ghostly characters. There is plenty of darkness, but the novel’s ultimate message is strong and life affirming. Although marketed to the younger YA set, this is a rich story with broad appeal and is highly recommended for teens of all ages. Grades 6-10.”
5. CONNECTIONS
Students could read the descriptions of the characters and pick one to illustrate. Students could display their vision of the characters. Students could also illustrate the graveyard, and then make a display with their characters in their vision of the graveyard.
Students could write epitaphs for themselves or a friend. What would you say about yourself at this time in your life? What would you say about your best friend, teacher, principal, or family member. Students could make a display and share.
Students could write a paper about what they think Nobody did after he left the graveyard. Where did he go and how did he connect with others?
Students could research the author, Neil Gaiman and his other books. They
could research his biography and the class could read some of his other books. CORALINE or M IS FOR MAGIC.
Review of DIARY OF A WIMPY KID by Jeff Kinney
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Kinney, Jeff. DIARY OF A WIMPY KID. 2007. New York: Amulet Books. ISBN 9780810993136
2. PLOT SUMMARY
Greg, an unpopular junior high student, writes a journal just in case he becomes famous one day. He and his friend Rowley, are considered losers at their junior high school, but they are constantly striving to change this factor. The plot also revolves around a piece of cheese that has been on the basketball court for years. Anyone that touches it, is as unpopular as leprosy was in biblical days. Greg and Rowley taunt some high school kids on Halloween and they barely escape them by running to his grandmother’s house. They wait outside for them but Greg and Rowley get away. The next day, Greg’s grandmother’s house has been egged. Greg rationalizes that it’s okay because she probably didn’t have anything else to do, so being egged will keep her busy. Greg gets into skirmishes with high school kids and junior high bullies, but always seems to come out okay. He is happy to throw his friend Rowley to the wolves if he can save himself. In the end, Greg and Rowley are trapped by the high school boys they taunted on Halloween, and Rowley ends up having to eat “The Cheese.” Greg finally does a good deed, and tells everyone that he threw the cheese away. He is then, of course, ostracized because he has the dreaded “Cheese Touch.” Rowley ends up being the class clown, which is what Greg imagined for himself. In the end, I think everyone gets what they deserve. Rowley gets a little notoriety and Greg is still considered a loser.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This is a fun book for grades 3-8. I have five sets of this book in my library, and I can’t keep it on the shelves. Students like it because it is an easy read, and it is funny. I can imagine everything in this book actually happening. This book is what junior high is for many students. It’s surviving by your wits. I don’t see any great moral lessons in this book. It does have Greg finally trying to protect Rowley in the end, but how many times does he let Rowley take the heat for his bad decisions? Sometimes kids don’t want a moral lesson, they just want to laugh. The characters are true to life, and the so are the situations. It should be read for fun, and sometimes that is just what a kid wants or needs.
4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
BOOKLIST Review: “The first year in the middle-school life of Greg Heffley is chronicled in this laugh-out-loud novel that first appeared on the Internet. Greg tells his story in a series of short, episodic chapters. Most revolve around the adolescent male curse: the need to do incredibly dumb things because they seem to be a good idea at the time. Yet, unlike some other books about kids of this age, there's no sense of a slightly condescending adult writer behind the main character. At every moment, Greg seems real, and the engrossed reader will even occasionally see the logic in some of his choices. Greatly adding to the humor are Kinney's cartoons, which appear on every page. The simple line drawings perfectly capture archetypes of growing up, such as a preschool-age little brother, out-of-touch teachers, and an assortment of class nerds. Lots of fun throughout”
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL Review: “Grade 5–8. Kinney does a masterful job of making the mundane life of boys on the brink of adolescence hilarious. Greg is a conflicted soul: he wants to do the right thing, but the constant quest for status and girls seems to undermine his every effort. His attempts to prove his worthiness in the popularity race (he estimates he's currently ranked 52nd or 53rd) are constantly foiled by well-meaning parents, a younger and older brother, and nerdy friends. While Greg is not the most principled protagonist, it is his very obliviousness to his faults that makes him such an appealing hero. Kinney's background as a cartoonist is apparent in this hybrid book that falls somewhere between traditional prose and graphic novel. The first of three installments, it is an excellent choice for reluctant readers, but more experienced readers will also find much to enjoy and relate to in one seventh grader's view of the everyday trials and tribulations of middle school.”
5. CONNECTIONS
Have students write about one of the worst things that has ever happened to them at school. Let them present their papers to the class if they want.
You could have a great discussion about the situations Greg gets himself into. Ask students about their own school experiences. It will make for some great discussions.
Students could illustrate a scene from the book. They could make it like a cartoon, or make it more elaborate. Then they could make cartoon captions for the scene.
There is a character chart on Greg Kinney’s website. Students could fill out the charts and compare them with other students. The teacher could list all the adjectives for the characters on the board, and the class could discuss the meanings.
Students could pair up and write questions for an interview with Greg. After they are completed, one student is Greg and the other is the interviewer. Each team could practice and present their interview. Students portraying Greg would have to answer questions like they think Greg would answer.
Students could write a journal like Greg. Language Arts teachers could use this as a writing grade. Students would write in their journals each day about what is going on in their lives. Teachers could do one also, and share some of it with the class.
Kinney, Jeff. DIARY OF A WIMPY KID. 2007. New York: Amulet Books. ISBN 9780810993136
2. PLOT SUMMARY
Greg, an unpopular junior high student, writes a journal just in case he becomes famous one day. He and his friend Rowley, are considered losers at their junior high school, but they are constantly striving to change this factor. The plot also revolves around a piece of cheese that has been on the basketball court for years. Anyone that touches it, is as unpopular as leprosy was in biblical days. Greg and Rowley taunt some high school kids on Halloween and they barely escape them by running to his grandmother’s house. They wait outside for them but Greg and Rowley get away. The next day, Greg’s grandmother’s house has been egged. Greg rationalizes that it’s okay because she probably didn’t have anything else to do, so being egged will keep her busy. Greg gets into skirmishes with high school kids and junior high bullies, but always seems to come out okay. He is happy to throw his friend Rowley to the wolves if he can save himself. In the end, Greg and Rowley are trapped by the high school boys they taunted on Halloween, and Rowley ends up having to eat “The Cheese.” Greg finally does a good deed, and tells everyone that he threw the cheese away. He is then, of course, ostracized because he has the dreaded “Cheese Touch.” Rowley ends up being the class clown, which is what Greg imagined for himself. In the end, I think everyone gets what they deserve. Rowley gets a little notoriety and Greg is still considered a loser.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This is a fun book for grades 3-8. I have five sets of this book in my library, and I can’t keep it on the shelves. Students like it because it is an easy read, and it is funny. I can imagine everything in this book actually happening. This book is what junior high is for many students. It’s surviving by your wits. I don’t see any great moral lessons in this book. It does have Greg finally trying to protect Rowley in the end, but how many times does he let Rowley take the heat for his bad decisions? Sometimes kids don’t want a moral lesson, they just want to laugh. The characters are true to life, and the so are the situations. It should be read for fun, and sometimes that is just what a kid wants or needs.
4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
BOOKLIST Review: “The first year in the middle-school life of Greg Heffley is chronicled in this laugh-out-loud novel that first appeared on the Internet. Greg tells his story in a series of short, episodic chapters. Most revolve around the adolescent male curse: the need to do incredibly dumb things because they seem to be a good idea at the time. Yet, unlike some other books about kids of this age, there's no sense of a slightly condescending adult writer behind the main character. At every moment, Greg seems real, and the engrossed reader will even occasionally see the logic in some of his choices. Greatly adding to the humor are Kinney's cartoons, which appear on every page. The simple line drawings perfectly capture archetypes of growing up, such as a preschool-age little brother, out-of-touch teachers, and an assortment of class nerds. Lots of fun throughout”
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL Review: “Grade 5–8. Kinney does a masterful job of making the mundane life of boys on the brink of adolescence hilarious. Greg is a conflicted soul: he wants to do the right thing, but the constant quest for status and girls seems to undermine his every effort. His attempts to prove his worthiness in the popularity race (he estimates he's currently ranked 52nd or 53rd) are constantly foiled by well-meaning parents, a younger and older brother, and nerdy friends. While Greg is not the most principled protagonist, it is his very obliviousness to his faults that makes him such an appealing hero. Kinney's background as a cartoonist is apparent in this hybrid book that falls somewhere between traditional prose and graphic novel. The first of three installments, it is an excellent choice for reluctant readers, but more experienced readers will also find much to enjoy and relate to in one seventh grader's view of the everyday trials and tribulations of middle school.”
5. CONNECTIONS
Have students write about one of the worst things that has ever happened to them at school. Let them present their papers to the class if they want.
You could have a great discussion about the situations Greg gets himself into. Ask students about their own school experiences. It will make for some great discussions.
Students could illustrate a scene from the book. They could make it like a cartoon, or make it more elaborate. Then they could make cartoon captions for the scene.
There is a character chart on Greg Kinney’s website. Students could fill out the charts and compare them with other students. The teacher could list all the adjectives for the characters on the board, and the class could discuss the meanings.
Students could pair up and write questions for an interview with Greg. After they are completed, one student is Greg and the other is the interviewer. Each team could practice and present their interview. Students portraying Greg would have to answer questions like they think Greg would answer.
Students could write a journal like Greg. Language Arts teachers could use this as a writing grade. Students would write in their journals each day about what is going on in their lives. Teachers could do one also, and share some of it with the class.
Review of THIS IS HOW I LIVE NOW by Meg Rosoff
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Rosoff, Meg. HOW I LIVE NOW. 2004. New York: Random House. ISBN 0385746776
2. PLOT SUMMARY
A teen-age American girl, Elizabeth, is sent by her father and step-mother, to live in England with her dead mother’s sister and her family. Elizabeth doesn’t get along with her step-mother, and has developed an eating disorder. She arrives in England and meets her new family. Her Aunt Penn lives on a farm in the country. Aunt Penn’s children are Edmond, Isaac, Osbert, and a girl, named Piper. She instantly bonds with the family, and enters into a romantic relationship with Edmond. A war breaks out and the family is separated from Aunt Penn. Then, Piper and Daisy are separated further from Edmond, Isaac, and Osbert. The two girls go to live with a couple, Mr. and Mrs. McEvoy. They go to different areas to do farm chores each day, but one day on the way back to the couple’s home, Mr. McEvoy is shot and killed. The girls, Mrs. McEvoy, and her young son, are taken to a farm, which is also a makeshift army base. The two girls decide to try and get back to their farm. They travel for weeks and finally make it to back home. The home is deserted, except for the corpses of fifteen men, women, and children. They stay on the farm until the war is over. Daisy, is forced by her father to come back to America. There, she enters the hospital. After she is released, she goes back to England to be with Edmond. He has post war trauma because he can’t bear all the terrible things he saw. He was also taken prisoner by the enemy, but later allowed to leave. He hasn’t spoken since the war. Aunt Penn died during the war and Piper, her boyfriend Jonathan, Edmond, and Isaac live at the farm that was their home before the war started. Osment moved out to live with his girlfriend. Daisy arrives and decides to stay on and hope that Edmond will someday recover.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This book is a great read for grades 9-12. It contains sexual situations, as well as violence. The main character has an eating disorder, as well as emotional turmoil in her relationship with her step-mother. The characters are well developed and we feel their pain. The author’s vivid writing allows us to visualize what war feels like. The story is set in England during a war which has not yet happened. Her description of how a war in modern times would feel like, is very believable. The story is told in the present until Daisy is sent back to America, and then the story fast forwards to six years after the war.
I think most teen-agers can relate to Daisy and how she is forced to be a hero. She has to learn to survive on her own, as well as take care of her cousin Piper. Teen-agers will see that she is an ordinary teen-ager faced with extraordinary conflicts.
I had some problems with the fact that she falls in love with her cousin. I don’t really know how teen-agers will react to that part of the story, but it bothered me. Why couldn’t it have been a friend of the family, or why couldn’t Edmond be adopted?
4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY Review: “This riveting first novel paints a frighteningly realistic picture of a world war breaking out in the 21st century. Told from the point of view of 15-year-old Manhattan native Daisy, the novel follows her arrival and her stay with cousins on a remote farm in England. Soon after Daisy settles into their farmhouse, her Aunt Penn becomes stranded in Oslo and terrorists invade and occupy England. Daisy's candid, intelligent narrative draws readers into her very private world, which appears almost utopian at first with no adult supervision (especially by contrast with her home life with her widowed father and his new wife). The heroine finds herself falling in love with cousin Edmond, and the author credibly creates a world in which social taboos are temporarily erased. When soldiers usurp the farm, they send the girls off separately from the boys, and Daisy becomes determined to keep herself and her youngest cousin, Piper, alive. Like the ripple effects of paranoia and panic in society, the changes within Daisy do not occur all at once, but they have dramatic effects. In the span of a few months, she goes from a self-centered, disgruntled teen to a courageous survivor motivated by love and compassion. How she comes to understand the effects the war has had on others provides the greatest evidence of her growth, as well as her motivation to get through to those who seem lost to war's consequences. Teens may feel that they have experienced a war themselves as they vicariously witness Daisy's worst nightmares. Like the heroine, readers will emerge from the rubble much shaken, a little wiser and with perhaps a greater sense of humanity. Ages 12-up.”
BOOKLIST Review: “*Starred Review* Gr. 8-11. A 15-year-old, contemporary urbanite named Daisy, sent to England to summer with relatives, falls in love with her aunt's "oldy worldy" farm and her soulful cousins--especially Edmond, with whom she forms "the world's most inappropriate case of sexual obsession." Matters veer in a startling direction when terrorists strike while Daisy's aunt is out of the country, war erupts, and soldiers divide the cousins by gender between two guardians. Determined to rejoin Edmond, Daisy and her youngest cousin embark upon a dangerous journey that brings them face to face with horrific violence and undreamt-of deprivation. Just prior to the hopeful conclusion, Rosoff introduces a jolting leap forward in time accompanied by an evocative graphic device that will undoubtedly spark lively discussions. As for the incestuous romance, Daisy and Edmond's separation for most of the novel and the obvious emotional sustenance Daisy draws from their bond sensitively shift the focus away from the relationship's implicit (and potentially discomfiting) physical dimension. More central to the potency of Rosoff's debut, though, is the ominous prognostication of what a third world war might look like, and the opportunity it provides for teens to imagine themselves, like Daisy, exhibiting courage and resilience in roles traditionally occupied by earlier generations.”
5. CONNECTIONS
The internet claims that this book is going to become a movie. Students could write about what actor and actress they think should play the characters Edmond and Daisy in the movie and why.
Students could make a display of things they would take with them if they were forced to leave their homes. What would they take with them if they had five minutes to pack. Students could explain to the class why they would take the items chosen. Students could then compare their items with other classmates.
Students could also make a chart of one of the main characters, and come up with adjectives to describe them before the war, and then after the war. Then present their display to the class.
Students could also write a paper about the changes one of the main characters goes through because of the war.
Rosoff, Meg. HOW I LIVE NOW. 2004. New York: Random House. ISBN 0385746776
2. PLOT SUMMARY
A teen-age American girl, Elizabeth, is sent by her father and step-mother, to live in England with her dead mother’s sister and her family. Elizabeth doesn’t get along with her step-mother, and has developed an eating disorder. She arrives in England and meets her new family. Her Aunt Penn lives on a farm in the country. Aunt Penn’s children are Edmond, Isaac, Osbert, and a girl, named Piper. She instantly bonds with the family, and enters into a romantic relationship with Edmond. A war breaks out and the family is separated from Aunt Penn. Then, Piper and Daisy are separated further from Edmond, Isaac, and Osbert. The two girls go to live with a couple, Mr. and Mrs. McEvoy. They go to different areas to do farm chores each day, but one day on the way back to the couple’s home, Mr. McEvoy is shot and killed. The girls, Mrs. McEvoy, and her young son, are taken to a farm, which is also a makeshift army base. The two girls decide to try and get back to their farm. They travel for weeks and finally make it to back home. The home is deserted, except for the corpses of fifteen men, women, and children. They stay on the farm until the war is over. Daisy, is forced by her father to come back to America. There, she enters the hospital. After she is released, she goes back to England to be with Edmond. He has post war trauma because he can’t bear all the terrible things he saw. He was also taken prisoner by the enemy, but later allowed to leave. He hasn’t spoken since the war. Aunt Penn died during the war and Piper, her boyfriend Jonathan, Edmond, and Isaac live at the farm that was their home before the war started. Osment moved out to live with his girlfriend. Daisy arrives and decides to stay on and hope that Edmond will someday recover.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This book is a great read for grades 9-12. It contains sexual situations, as well as violence. The main character has an eating disorder, as well as emotional turmoil in her relationship with her step-mother. The characters are well developed and we feel their pain. The author’s vivid writing allows us to visualize what war feels like. The story is set in England during a war which has not yet happened. Her description of how a war in modern times would feel like, is very believable. The story is told in the present until Daisy is sent back to America, and then the story fast forwards to six years after the war.
I think most teen-agers can relate to Daisy and how she is forced to be a hero. She has to learn to survive on her own, as well as take care of her cousin Piper. Teen-agers will see that she is an ordinary teen-ager faced with extraordinary conflicts.
I had some problems with the fact that she falls in love with her cousin. I don’t really know how teen-agers will react to that part of the story, but it bothered me. Why couldn’t it have been a friend of the family, or why couldn’t Edmond be adopted?
4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY Review: “This riveting first novel paints a frighteningly realistic picture of a world war breaking out in the 21st century. Told from the point of view of 15-year-old Manhattan native Daisy, the novel follows her arrival and her stay with cousins on a remote farm in England. Soon after Daisy settles into their farmhouse, her Aunt Penn becomes stranded in Oslo and terrorists invade and occupy England. Daisy's candid, intelligent narrative draws readers into her very private world, which appears almost utopian at first with no adult supervision (especially by contrast with her home life with her widowed father and his new wife). The heroine finds herself falling in love with cousin Edmond, and the author credibly creates a world in which social taboos are temporarily erased. When soldiers usurp the farm, they send the girls off separately from the boys, and Daisy becomes determined to keep herself and her youngest cousin, Piper, alive. Like the ripple effects of paranoia and panic in society, the changes within Daisy do not occur all at once, but they have dramatic effects. In the span of a few months, she goes from a self-centered, disgruntled teen to a courageous survivor motivated by love and compassion. How she comes to understand the effects the war has had on others provides the greatest evidence of her growth, as well as her motivation to get through to those who seem lost to war's consequences. Teens may feel that they have experienced a war themselves as they vicariously witness Daisy's worst nightmares. Like the heroine, readers will emerge from the rubble much shaken, a little wiser and with perhaps a greater sense of humanity. Ages 12-up.”
BOOKLIST Review: “*Starred Review* Gr. 8-11. A 15-year-old, contemporary urbanite named Daisy, sent to England to summer with relatives, falls in love with her aunt's "oldy worldy" farm and her soulful cousins--especially Edmond, with whom she forms "the world's most inappropriate case of sexual obsession." Matters veer in a startling direction when terrorists strike while Daisy's aunt is out of the country, war erupts, and soldiers divide the cousins by gender between two guardians. Determined to rejoin Edmond, Daisy and her youngest cousin embark upon a dangerous journey that brings them face to face with horrific violence and undreamt-of deprivation. Just prior to the hopeful conclusion, Rosoff introduces a jolting leap forward in time accompanied by an evocative graphic device that will undoubtedly spark lively discussions. As for the incestuous romance, Daisy and Edmond's separation for most of the novel and the obvious emotional sustenance Daisy draws from their bond sensitively shift the focus away from the relationship's implicit (and potentially discomfiting) physical dimension. More central to the potency of Rosoff's debut, though, is the ominous prognostication of what a third world war might look like, and the opportunity it provides for teens to imagine themselves, like Daisy, exhibiting courage and resilience in roles traditionally occupied by earlier generations.”
5. CONNECTIONS
The internet claims that this book is going to become a movie. Students could write about what actor and actress they think should play the characters Edmond and Daisy in the movie and why.
Students could make a display of things they would take with them if they were forced to leave their homes. What would they take with them if they had five minutes to pack. Students could explain to the class why they would take the items chosen. Students could then compare their items with other classmates.
Students could also make a chart of one of the main characters, and come up with adjectives to describe them before the war, and then after the war. Then present their display to the class.
Students could also write a paper about the changes one of the main characters goes through because of the war.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Review of THE RIVER BETWEEN US by Richard Peck
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Peck, Richard. THE RIVER BETWEEN US. 2003. New York: Dial Group. ISBN 0803727356
2. PLOT SUMMARY
In 1916, a father and his three sons go to Illinois to visit the father’s family. The boys meet their Grandma Tilly, her husband, their great uncle Noah, and his dying wife, Delphine. The story then goes back to 1861, as Grandma Tilly tells the boys about the history of their family during the Civil War. Grandma Tilly and Noah were siblings. They had their Mama, but their father had been out of the picture for some time. They also had a sister, Cass, who sees visions of what has happened in the past and into the future. Their lives in a small village in Illinois is disrupted by the arrival of a beautiful New Orleans woman, named Delphine. She is accompanied by another woman, Calinda. Mama decides that the two, who are stranded, can take a room in their home. From the moment they arrive, the whole town is mesmerized by the beautiful and obviously rich, Delphine. Calinda is much like Cass, as in she can see visions. She is also a great cook and nurse. Noah goes off to join the army, and his mother is devastated. She makes Tilly go to find him and bring him home. Tilly and Delphine go together, with the help of Dr William Hutchings, to find Noah. He gets his arm cut off in battle, and then is sent home with the women. In the meantime, Mama sees a coffin coming toward the house, thinks it is Noah, and drowns herself in the river. While gone they also discover that Delphine is part African American and that Calinda is her sister. Noah falls in love with Delphine, they have a child, but let Tilly raise it because they don’t want the child to endure prejudice. Tilly marries Dr. Hutchings, and they raise the child as their own.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
I would highly recommend this book for grades 7-12 because it has references to mistresses and Delphine being the result of an affair. Delphine also talks about living in the same town as her white father’s legal wife and children.
The author takes us back to the 1800’s through his writing. This is an emotional book about the sacrifices a family makes because of the Civil War. The terrible trips to see Noah on the battlefields and our hope that he will make it home to see his mother, is a very horrific and emotional scene. The description of the setting takes you back to a simpler time. The arrival of Delphine and her beautiful clothes and possessions, totally takes over the life of the small village where Tilly lives. We can imagine how wonderful it would be to have light in the house at night, which Tilly’s family never had before Delphine moved in.
The author starts the book in 1916, with the second generation after the war going to visit Grandma Tilly. She then tell s the story of the family’s true ancestry. I feel this makes the story more effective. The language used by the characters throughout makes the story more accurate. This is a wonderful book about the Civil War from a woman’s perspective.
The story seems researched and accurate from the language to war situations. It is fast paced and just a beautiful book about this time.
4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL Review: “In this thoroughly researched novel, Peck masterfully describes the female Civil War experience, the subtle and not-too-subtle ways the country was changing, and the split in loyalty that separated towns and even families. Although the book deals with some weighty themes, it is not without humor. A scene involving strapping on a corset is worthy of Grandma Dowdel herself.”
BOOKLIST Review: “Peck's spare writing has never been more eloquent than in this powerful mystery in which personal secrets drive the plot and reveal the history. True to Tilly's first-person narrative, each sentence is a scrappy, melancholy, wry evocation of character, time, and place, and only the character of Delphine's companion, Calinda, comes close to stereotype. A final historical note and a framing device--a grandson writing 50 years after the story takes place--make the reading even better, the revelations more astonishing. It's a riveting story that shows racism everywhere and young people facing war, not sure what side to be on or why.”
5. CONNECTIONS
Students could read another novel from a different perspective. A male or a possibly another girl on a different side. Student’s could compare and contrast the experiences in each book. Make a display and present.
Delphine was thought by the town to be a spy. Students could do research about spies and spying during the Civil War. I have a message decoder that they used back then. Students can make it easily with cardboard and brads. Students could make messages to each other and decode them. Students could also present their research about what spies used and did to get information for the other side. Make a display. I know the whole school would be interested in this assignment.
Students could read nonfiction books about the Civil War and compare with the book for accurate details. Make a display board showing what they found.
Students could write a reader’s theater. Split into groups and have them write and present it. Then, let groups switch and do each other’s play. Props could be added also if you were going to spend several days on this activity.
Peck, Richard. THE RIVER BETWEEN US. 2003. New York: Dial Group. ISBN 0803727356
2. PLOT SUMMARY
In 1916, a father and his three sons go to Illinois to visit the father’s family. The boys meet their Grandma Tilly, her husband, their great uncle Noah, and his dying wife, Delphine. The story then goes back to 1861, as Grandma Tilly tells the boys about the history of their family during the Civil War. Grandma Tilly and Noah were siblings. They had their Mama, but their father had been out of the picture for some time. They also had a sister, Cass, who sees visions of what has happened in the past and into the future. Their lives in a small village in Illinois is disrupted by the arrival of a beautiful New Orleans woman, named Delphine. She is accompanied by another woman, Calinda. Mama decides that the two, who are stranded, can take a room in their home. From the moment they arrive, the whole town is mesmerized by the beautiful and obviously rich, Delphine. Calinda is much like Cass, as in she can see visions. She is also a great cook and nurse. Noah goes off to join the army, and his mother is devastated. She makes Tilly go to find him and bring him home. Tilly and Delphine go together, with the help of Dr William Hutchings, to find Noah. He gets his arm cut off in battle, and then is sent home with the women. In the meantime, Mama sees a coffin coming toward the house, thinks it is Noah, and drowns herself in the river. While gone they also discover that Delphine is part African American and that Calinda is her sister. Noah falls in love with Delphine, they have a child, but let Tilly raise it because they don’t want the child to endure prejudice. Tilly marries Dr. Hutchings, and they raise the child as their own.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
I would highly recommend this book for grades 7-12 because it has references to mistresses and Delphine being the result of an affair. Delphine also talks about living in the same town as her white father’s legal wife and children.
The author takes us back to the 1800’s through his writing. This is an emotional book about the sacrifices a family makes because of the Civil War. The terrible trips to see Noah on the battlefields and our hope that he will make it home to see his mother, is a very horrific and emotional scene. The description of the setting takes you back to a simpler time. The arrival of Delphine and her beautiful clothes and possessions, totally takes over the life of the small village where Tilly lives. We can imagine how wonderful it would be to have light in the house at night, which Tilly’s family never had before Delphine moved in.
The author starts the book in 1916, with the second generation after the war going to visit Grandma Tilly. She then tell s the story of the family’s true ancestry. I feel this makes the story more effective. The language used by the characters throughout makes the story more accurate. This is a wonderful book about the Civil War from a woman’s perspective.
The story seems researched and accurate from the language to war situations. It is fast paced and just a beautiful book about this time.
4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL Review: “In this thoroughly researched novel, Peck masterfully describes the female Civil War experience, the subtle and not-too-subtle ways the country was changing, and the split in loyalty that separated towns and even families. Although the book deals with some weighty themes, it is not without humor. A scene involving strapping on a corset is worthy of Grandma Dowdel herself.”
BOOKLIST Review: “Peck's spare writing has never been more eloquent than in this powerful mystery in which personal secrets drive the plot and reveal the history. True to Tilly's first-person narrative, each sentence is a scrappy, melancholy, wry evocation of character, time, and place, and only the character of Delphine's companion, Calinda, comes close to stereotype. A final historical note and a framing device--a grandson writing 50 years after the story takes place--make the reading even better, the revelations more astonishing. It's a riveting story that shows racism everywhere and young people facing war, not sure what side to be on or why.”
5. CONNECTIONS
Students could read another novel from a different perspective. A male or a possibly another girl on a different side. Student’s could compare and contrast the experiences in each book. Make a display and present.
Delphine was thought by the town to be a spy. Students could do research about spies and spying during the Civil War. I have a message decoder that they used back then. Students can make it easily with cardboard and brads. Students could make messages to each other and decode them. Students could also present their research about what spies used and did to get information for the other side. Make a display. I know the whole school would be interested in this assignment.
Students could read nonfiction books about the Civil War and compare with the book for accurate details. Make a display board showing what they found.
Students could write a reader’s theater. Split into groups and have them write and present it. Then, let groups switch and do each other’s play. Props could be added also if you were going to spend several days on this activity.
Review of NUMBER THE STARS by Lois Lowry
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Lowry, Lois. NUMBER THE STARS. 1989. New York: Random House. ISBN 0440403278
2. PLOT SUMMARY
In World War II, Annemarie Johansen, a Christian, and Ellen Rosen, a Jew, are best friends in Copenhagen, Denmark. The Nazis have taken over the country, and have begun arresting and deporting Jewish residents. Annemarie’s family decide to help the Rosen family escape to neutral Sweden. Emily pretends to be the Johansen’s other daughter Lise, who died fighting for the Resistance. This was an underground group that tried to sabotage the Nazi’s takeover. The Johansens take Ellen to their Uncle Henrick’s home, hoping to smuggle the Rosens into Sweden by using fishing boats. After several very close calls with the Nazi’s, the Rosens escape to Sweden with several other Jewish families smuggled in the bottom of a fishing boat.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This book is geared toward ages ten and older. The book has many suspense filled moments that began early in book, which will keep readers immersed in the story. The cover shows the Star of David, and students might need to research the Jewish religion to completely understand the star and what it represents. Denmark and King Christian would also be some other subjects that could be researched before reading. Students should also have some knowledge of World War II and what the Nazi’s were doing to the Jews. This book handles the Nazi’s plots against the Jews without focusing on the atrocities, but creating a compelling story of hope and friendship. The excitement starts early and never ceases. There are many heart stopping moments and students will feel Annemarie’s fear through the author’s wonderful writing.
The characters struggles and issues with bravery are at the core of this novel. Students can relate to the girls’ friendship. The two families closeness. The Johansen’s decision to try and smuggle the family to Sweden. The bravery that Annemarie showed when she knew it might mean life and death for her friend. This book will lead to many good discussions in any class that chooses to read it. It is a wonderful book, about an important time, and ultimately, it relays a wonderful message about friendship and doing the right thing.
One of my favorite parts of the book is the Afterword. The author tells about things in the book that are made-up and what is true. She discusses which characters are fictional, and if so, who they are based on. She also discusses other things like the handkerchief Annemarie concealed from the Nazi’s and Kirsten’s fish shoes. Students will love this, because it explains several things in the story.
4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL Review: “The gripping story of a ten-year-old Danish girl and her family's courageous efforts to smuggle Jews out of their Nazi-occupied homeland to safety in Sweden. Readers are taken to the very heart of Annemarie's experience, and, through her eyes, come to understand the true meaning of bravery.”
PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY Review: “Set in Nazi-occupied Denmark in 1943, this 1990 Newbery winner tells of a 10-year-old girl who undertakes a dangerous mission to save her best friend.”
5. CONNECTIONS
Students could research life in Denmark during World War II and check the book for it’s accuracy. Students could pick one the subjects from the Afterword and do research about it and make a display or present their findings.
Read a nonfiction book about King Christian, leader of Denmark during World War II. There are several good nonfiction children’s books about him. Have students write down reasons why he might have so much respect from his people that a small boy would say, “All of Denmark is his bodyguard.”
Read a nonfiction story or memoir about another Jewish child that didn’t escape from the Nazi’s and what her life was like during that time. Show students that not all countries tried to protect the Jews from persecution. Many of them even helped the Nazis. Students could compare the two girls story’s and make a display along with a timeline to show how the two girl’s lives were different and alike. How they might have been very alike before the war and what changes the war caused for each one.
I would try and fit this in with the Social Studies Curriculum. Students would have a better understanding about the time and events, rather than reading it without some prior knowledge. They would relate more to the story with the background.
Lowry, Lois. NUMBER THE STARS. 1989. New York: Random House. ISBN 0440403278
2. PLOT SUMMARY
In World War II, Annemarie Johansen, a Christian, and Ellen Rosen, a Jew, are best friends in Copenhagen, Denmark. The Nazis have taken over the country, and have begun arresting and deporting Jewish residents. Annemarie’s family decide to help the Rosen family escape to neutral Sweden. Emily pretends to be the Johansen’s other daughter Lise, who died fighting for the Resistance. This was an underground group that tried to sabotage the Nazi’s takeover. The Johansens take Ellen to their Uncle Henrick’s home, hoping to smuggle the Rosens into Sweden by using fishing boats. After several very close calls with the Nazi’s, the Rosens escape to Sweden with several other Jewish families smuggled in the bottom of a fishing boat.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This book is geared toward ages ten and older. The book has many suspense filled moments that began early in book, which will keep readers immersed in the story. The cover shows the Star of David, and students might need to research the Jewish religion to completely understand the star and what it represents. Denmark and King Christian would also be some other subjects that could be researched before reading. Students should also have some knowledge of World War II and what the Nazi’s were doing to the Jews. This book handles the Nazi’s plots against the Jews without focusing on the atrocities, but creating a compelling story of hope and friendship. The excitement starts early and never ceases. There are many heart stopping moments and students will feel Annemarie’s fear through the author’s wonderful writing.
The characters struggles and issues with bravery are at the core of this novel. Students can relate to the girls’ friendship. The two families closeness. The Johansen’s decision to try and smuggle the family to Sweden. The bravery that Annemarie showed when she knew it might mean life and death for her friend. This book will lead to many good discussions in any class that chooses to read it. It is a wonderful book, about an important time, and ultimately, it relays a wonderful message about friendship and doing the right thing.
One of my favorite parts of the book is the Afterword. The author tells about things in the book that are made-up and what is true. She discusses which characters are fictional, and if so, who they are based on. She also discusses other things like the handkerchief Annemarie concealed from the Nazi’s and Kirsten’s fish shoes. Students will love this, because it explains several things in the story.
4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL Review: “The gripping story of a ten-year-old Danish girl and her family's courageous efforts to smuggle Jews out of their Nazi-occupied homeland to safety in Sweden. Readers are taken to the very heart of Annemarie's experience, and, through her eyes, come to understand the true meaning of bravery.”
PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY Review: “Set in Nazi-occupied Denmark in 1943, this 1990 Newbery winner tells of a 10-year-old girl who undertakes a dangerous mission to save her best friend.”
5. CONNECTIONS
Students could research life in Denmark during World War II and check the book for it’s accuracy. Students could pick one the subjects from the Afterword and do research about it and make a display or present their findings.
Read a nonfiction book about King Christian, leader of Denmark during World War II. There are several good nonfiction children’s books about him. Have students write down reasons why he might have so much respect from his people that a small boy would say, “All of Denmark is his bodyguard.”
Read a nonfiction story or memoir about another Jewish child that didn’t escape from the Nazi’s and what her life was like during that time. Show students that not all countries tried to protect the Jews from persecution. Many of them even helped the Nazis. Students could compare the two girls story’s and make a display along with a timeline to show how the two girl’s lives were different and alike. How they might have been very alike before the war and what changes the war caused for each one.
I would try and fit this in with the Social Studies Curriculum. Students would have a better understanding about the time and events, rather than reading it without some prior knowledge. They would relate more to the story with the background.
Review of NIGHT JOURNEYS by Avi
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Wortis, Avi. NIGHT JOURNEYS. 1989. New York: Random House. ISBN 0394941160
2. PLOT SUMMARY
Peter York, recently orphaned, is sent to live with a Quaker family. The Shinn family reside in a small village in Pennsylvania in 1767. Mr. Shinn is the Justice of the Peace in their town. One night they are called upon to catch two runaway indentured servants. Peter is excited to catch them and receive the reward. He wants to buy the family a new horse, so his beloved horse Jumper, can once again belong to him alone. He is forced to take the family gun when he and Mr. Shinn set out to arrest the fugitives. After several mishaps, Peter leaves the gun behind. He goes back to get it and runs into one of the fugitives, a small girl named Elizabeth. He tries to trick her and she runs away. In his excitement, he accidentally shoots her. He then decides that he should try and help her rather than arrest her. In the meantime, Mr. Shinn has caught the other fugitive, a small boy named Robert. Peter promises both fugitives that he will try and help them escape. In the end, he helps the two escape with the blessing of Mr. Shinn. He even allows them to take his beloved horse, Jumper, to help them get away quickly. His new family supports him, and they realize that he was the only one who willing to do the right thing.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This book is a great read for 4-8 grade students. The cover and the title of the book are both mysterious and they intrigue you to see what this book is about. The author takes you back to the 1700’s through the language used, and the vivid descriptions of the landscape throughout the book. The story moves quickly and should hold students’ attention throughout. The story seems believable and accurate. Students would need some background on the Quakers and indentured servants to help explain the story.
The main focus of the story is the character’s emotional struggles, which any student can relate to. Peter wants to please his new family, but he knows he has to do what is right after he stumbles on to one of the young fugitives. Students may not be asked to make life and death decisions like Peter, but every student has to choose between right and wrong on a daily basis. This book will provide plenty of good discussions with students.
4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
BOOKLIST Review: “Memorable . . . a story to cherish.”
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL Review: "An insightful portrayal of appealing, uncommon character."
5. CONNECTIONS
The chapters have no names. Students could come up with names for each chapter and vote on the one they like best. At the end of the book, have students assigned chapters. They write a summary and illustrate their chapter, using the class chapter name. When they are done, laminate them and hang them in the hall. The book will have each chapter summarized, the name of the chapter, and a picture of something that happens in that chapter.
Read a nonfiction book about life during this period. Discuss the accuracy of the book, its plot, and the characters. Use a Venn Diagram and compare the facts in that book with the novel.
Read a nonfiction book about indentured servants. Was the book accurate in its portrayal of Elizabeth and Robert? Have students research and write about a “Day in the Life” of an indentured servant.
Read a nonfiction book about life as a Quaker in the 1700’s. Have students discuss if the book gave an accurate description of Quaker life. Have students research what the Quaker’s believed and how they lived. Was the fact that Mr. Shinn did not carry a gun have anything to do with his being a Quaker?
Wortis, Avi. NIGHT JOURNEYS. 1989. New York: Random House. ISBN 0394941160
2. PLOT SUMMARY
Peter York, recently orphaned, is sent to live with a Quaker family. The Shinn family reside in a small village in Pennsylvania in 1767. Mr. Shinn is the Justice of the Peace in their town. One night they are called upon to catch two runaway indentured servants. Peter is excited to catch them and receive the reward. He wants to buy the family a new horse, so his beloved horse Jumper, can once again belong to him alone. He is forced to take the family gun when he and Mr. Shinn set out to arrest the fugitives. After several mishaps, Peter leaves the gun behind. He goes back to get it and runs into one of the fugitives, a small girl named Elizabeth. He tries to trick her and she runs away. In his excitement, he accidentally shoots her. He then decides that he should try and help her rather than arrest her. In the meantime, Mr. Shinn has caught the other fugitive, a small boy named Robert. Peter promises both fugitives that he will try and help them escape. In the end, he helps the two escape with the blessing of Mr. Shinn. He even allows them to take his beloved horse, Jumper, to help them get away quickly. His new family supports him, and they realize that he was the only one who willing to do the right thing.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This book is a great read for 4-8 grade students. The cover and the title of the book are both mysterious and they intrigue you to see what this book is about. The author takes you back to the 1700’s through the language used, and the vivid descriptions of the landscape throughout the book. The story moves quickly and should hold students’ attention throughout. The story seems believable and accurate. Students would need some background on the Quakers and indentured servants to help explain the story.
The main focus of the story is the character’s emotional struggles, which any student can relate to. Peter wants to please his new family, but he knows he has to do what is right after he stumbles on to one of the young fugitives. Students may not be asked to make life and death decisions like Peter, but every student has to choose between right and wrong on a daily basis. This book will provide plenty of good discussions with students.
4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
BOOKLIST Review: “Memorable . . . a story to cherish.”
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL Review: "An insightful portrayal of appealing, uncommon character."
5. CONNECTIONS
The chapters have no names. Students could come up with names for each chapter and vote on the one they like best. At the end of the book, have students assigned chapters. They write a summary and illustrate their chapter, using the class chapter name. When they are done, laminate them and hang them in the hall. The book will have each chapter summarized, the name of the chapter, and a picture of something that happens in that chapter.
Read a nonfiction book about life during this period. Discuss the accuracy of the book, its plot, and the characters. Use a Venn Diagram and compare the facts in that book with the novel.
Read a nonfiction book about indentured servants. Was the book accurate in its portrayal of Elizabeth and Robert? Have students research and write about a “Day in the Life” of an indentured servant.
Read a nonfiction book about life as a Quaker in the 1700’s. Have students discuss if the book gave an accurate description of Quaker life. Have students research what the Quaker’s believed and how they lived. Was the fact that Mr. Shinn did not carry a gun have anything to do with his being a Quaker?
Monday, October 26, 2009
Review of LIVING COLOR by Steve Jenkins
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Jenkins, Steve. LIVING COLOR. 2007. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. ISBN 0618708979
2. PLOT SUMMARY
This nonfiction book discusses how animals that have brilliant colors use this characteristic to help their species survive. The author cleverly uses bright illustrations to show various living things that possess the featured colors, red, blue, yellow, green, orange, purple, and pink. The author uses the phrase “(substitute color) says…” to highlight each page. He then shows the various creatures and tells how this color helps them survive. Such as, pink, for the parrotfish, signals to females, which are not pink, that this parrotfish is a male. He devotes two pages for each color, which includes about twelve animals. At the end, he includes a page with more general information about animals and color. He also provides a glossary with the length, habitat, and diet of each featured animal, along with a small picture beside it.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This nonfiction book will appeal to children of all age levels. Even if they can’t read, they will love the illustrations. The author, who also is the illustrator, uses cut-paper collage. This book is strikingly beautiful. The illustrations are vibrantly colored and pure pleasure for the eye.
The book is simplistic, with not too much text. The text included is cleverly written and will make any student want to read about how each animal or creature uses their color to survive and even thrive. Using the huge bold text in the color he’s describing will catch everyone’s attention. He repetitively uses the color name with the word “says…” He then uses catchy phrases in smaller text using the same color. He puts the explanation in black and uses even smaller text. This really makes it interesting and easy to read.
The book contains no Table of Contents. The book contains no sources to check for the accuracy of the text. The back contains a glossary which gives each animals length, habitat, and diet, with a small colored picture of each of the featured animals. The author does list four other books that students can go to find out more about animals and their color.
I really enjoyed this book because of the cleverness in the writing and the beautiful illustrations it contains.
4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL review: "Another amazing work by a master illustrator." SLJ Starred 10/2007.
BOOKLIST review: “It's difficult to imagine a science topic better suited to picture-book form than this one, which offers a pageant of the most stunning, vividly hued creatures on the planet. ...From the pink fairy armadillo to the purple deep-sea dragonfish, readers will be fascinated by the panoply of critters that often seem the stuff of fairy lore, and educators will applaud the clever concept of presenting survival adaptations as a biological fashion show.”
5. CONNECTIONS
Right before a field trip to the zoo, this book should be read. Have students see how many animals from the book they locate at the zoo. They could also write down new animals they found at the zoo that use their color to survive. They could even take pictures with cameras or cell phones and print them off to show and display. When they return to school, have a day of discussion about what they saw. Post pictures and make a display.
Students can pick a color of their own and research animals that use this color to help them survive. The class could make their own color book to display. They could also use a color named in the book, but they have to find new animals to focus on.
Students might want to research other unusual physical characteristics that a particular species has the helps it survive. The skunk can blast predators with horrible smelling spray, or the armadillo has a hard shell that protects it from predators. Students could collect pictures of their animals and explain the characteristic. They could present and make a display.
Jenkins, Steve. LIVING COLOR. 2007. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. ISBN 0618708979
2. PLOT SUMMARY
This nonfiction book discusses how animals that have brilliant colors use this characteristic to help their species survive. The author cleverly uses bright illustrations to show various living things that possess the featured colors, red, blue, yellow, green, orange, purple, and pink. The author uses the phrase “(substitute color) says…” to highlight each page. He then shows the various creatures and tells how this color helps them survive. Such as, pink, for the parrotfish, signals to females, which are not pink, that this parrotfish is a male. He devotes two pages for each color, which includes about twelve animals. At the end, he includes a page with more general information about animals and color. He also provides a glossary with the length, habitat, and diet of each featured animal, along with a small picture beside it.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This nonfiction book will appeal to children of all age levels. Even if they can’t read, they will love the illustrations. The author, who also is the illustrator, uses cut-paper collage. This book is strikingly beautiful. The illustrations are vibrantly colored and pure pleasure for the eye.
The book is simplistic, with not too much text. The text included is cleverly written and will make any student want to read about how each animal or creature uses their color to survive and even thrive. Using the huge bold text in the color he’s describing will catch everyone’s attention. He repetitively uses the color name with the word “says…” He then uses catchy phrases in smaller text using the same color. He puts the explanation in black and uses even smaller text. This really makes it interesting and easy to read.
The book contains no Table of Contents. The book contains no sources to check for the accuracy of the text. The back contains a glossary which gives each animals length, habitat, and diet, with a small colored picture of each of the featured animals. The author does list four other books that students can go to find out more about animals and their color.
I really enjoyed this book because of the cleverness in the writing and the beautiful illustrations it contains.
4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL review: "Another amazing work by a master illustrator." SLJ Starred 10/2007.
BOOKLIST review: “It's difficult to imagine a science topic better suited to picture-book form than this one, which offers a pageant of the most stunning, vividly hued creatures on the planet. ...From the pink fairy armadillo to the purple deep-sea dragonfish, readers will be fascinated by the panoply of critters that often seem the stuff of fairy lore, and educators will applaud the clever concept of presenting survival adaptations as a biological fashion show.”
5. CONNECTIONS
Right before a field trip to the zoo, this book should be read. Have students see how many animals from the book they locate at the zoo. They could also write down new animals they found at the zoo that use their color to survive. They could even take pictures with cameras or cell phones and print them off to show and display. When they return to school, have a day of discussion about what they saw. Post pictures and make a display.
Students can pick a color of their own and research animals that use this color to help them survive. The class could make their own color book to display. They could also use a color named in the book, but they have to find new animals to focus on.
Students might want to research other unusual physical characteristics that a particular species has the helps it survive. The skunk can blast predators with horrible smelling spray, or the armadillo has a hard shell that protects it from predators. Students could collect pictures of their animals and explain the characteristic. They could present and make a display.
Review of HOUDINI by Kathleen Krull
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Krull, Kathleen. HOUDINI. 2005. Ill. By Eric Velasquez. New York: Walker and Company. ISBN 0802789536
2. PLOT SUMMARY
The focus of this biography is definitely Houdini’s amazing success as an escape artist. The book also highlights Houdini’s childhood, which was spent in poverty. This led to Houdini working constantly and in his spare time, trying to come up with clever routines to help bring in money. He first performed a trapeze act, then studied magic routines, and finally began adding escape routines to his repartee. The book describes and illustrates several of his routines, while also discussing his marriage, his perfectionism, and his untimely death at age 52. The book concludes with some behind the scenes information that explains some of secrets to Houdini’s routines. The secrets, however, are the determination of Houdini. His hard work and practice made him a success, as well as his mental ability to deal with physical pain in order to make every routine perfect. He truly was an amazing individual, and deserves to remain the most famous name in magic.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This picture-book about Houdini’s life, will catch the eye of most children. Even if they can’t read the words, the beautiful illustrations showing the escape routines will capture their attention. The book is designed to resemble the circus. The text is big and bold. The illustrations are made by using oil paint on watercolor paper. They are very lifelike and beautiful. The author uses the illustrations to show step by step the details to some of Houdini’s most famous escape routines. The end of the book has a “Behind the Scenes,” section that contains some interesting information about how some of Houdini’s performances were achieved. Most children will enjoy this part of the book.
The book has a bibliography, and gives credit to eleven sources. The book contains no “Table of Contents,” but the book is brief enough that it doesn’t need it. Most older students will want to read the whole book in one sitting.
The book is a picture book made for children, so the book points out the amazing things that Houdini was able to achieve in his life. The book does not include anything negative about Houdini, which might lead one to believe that the author’s viewpoint could be biased. Whatever the case, this book is captivating and Houdini deserves a book about the amazing routines he perfected. Houdini should be admired by children everywhere for using his natural abilities, as well as determination and hard work, to make himself a success. He found a way to do what he enjoyed and was able to earn a good living doing it. What better lesson is there for children to learn?
4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL REVIEW: “Grade 2-5–An attractive, oversize picture-book biography. Framed descriptions of some of Houdini's most famous stunts are interspersed within the overview of his life. The author's crisp narrative style and careful choice of detail are evident here. Velasquez's impressive framed, posed oil paintings portray the magician's intensity and sense of showmanship. Most of the illustrations feature Houdini and his performances, and the design and varied layout are very effective.”
BOOKLIST REVIEW: “Gr. 1-3. In this biography of one of history's most successful showmen, Krull's expository narrative periodically pauses to revisit the old-fashioned theater depicted in the splashy title-page sequence. These clever interludes feature vivid, free-verse poems that cast children as audience members at Houdini's most fabled performances ("Failure to escape means a drowning death! / An assistant stands by with an ax just in case"). Though together the main narrative and poetry barely skim the surface of Houdini's life, the card-trick contingent will find the combination accessible, and motivated children will take full advantage of the amplifying endnote and resource listing.”
5. CONNECTIONS
Students could read other biographies on the person of their choosing and the class could make a poster, pasting pictures of Houdini and the other people featured. Compare and contrast their lives, as well as their personalities and character traits. This would be a great way to discuss what character traits seem to keep showing up in people that make a difference in the world.
Students could read excerpts from other books about Houdini, and determine if the author left out any negative information, or they could see if they can find an interesting or fascinating fact, that wasn’t included in the book. Students could discuss why being objective is important when writing nonfiction. The class could make a poster or collage that shows important things that the author left out, or that the class thought should have been included.
Students could research and illustrate their favorite Houdini stunt. They could do a step by step illustration like the ones included in the book. Then they could present it to the class. They could research and find stunts not included in the book also.
Krull, Kathleen. HOUDINI. 2005. Ill. By Eric Velasquez. New York: Walker and Company. ISBN 0802789536
2. PLOT SUMMARY
The focus of this biography is definitely Houdini’s amazing success as an escape artist. The book also highlights Houdini’s childhood, which was spent in poverty. This led to Houdini working constantly and in his spare time, trying to come up with clever routines to help bring in money. He first performed a trapeze act, then studied magic routines, and finally began adding escape routines to his repartee. The book describes and illustrates several of his routines, while also discussing his marriage, his perfectionism, and his untimely death at age 52. The book concludes with some behind the scenes information that explains some of secrets to Houdini’s routines. The secrets, however, are the determination of Houdini. His hard work and practice made him a success, as well as his mental ability to deal with physical pain in order to make every routine perfect. He truly was an amazing individual, and deserves to remain the most famous name in magic.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This picture-book about Houdini’s life, will catch the eye of most children. Even if they can’t read the words, the beautiful illustrations showing the escape routines will capture their attention. The book is designed to resemble the circus. The text is big and bold. The illustrations are made by using oil paint on watercolor paper. They are very lifelike and beautiful. The author uses the illustrations to show step by step the details to some of Houdini’s most famous escape routines. The end of the book has a “Behind the Scenes,” section that contains some interesting information about how some of Houdini’s performances were achieved. Most children will enjoy this part of the book.
The book has a bibliography, and gives credit to eleven sources. The book contains no “Table of Contents,” but the book is brief enough that it doesn’t need it. Most older students will want to read the whole book in one sitting.
The book is a picture book made for children, so the book points out the amazing things that Houdini was able to achieve in his life. The book does not include anything negative about Houdini, which might lead one to believe that the author’s viewpoint could be biased. Whatever the case, this book is captivating and Houdini deserves a book about the amazing routines he perfected. Houdini should be admired by children everywhere for using his natural abilities, as well as determination and hard work, to make himself a success. He found a way to do what he enjoyed and was able to earn a good living doing it. What better lesson is there for children to learn?
4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL REVIEW: “Grade 2-5–An attractive, oversize picture-book biography. Framed descriptions of some of Houdini's most famous stunts are interspersed within the overview of his life. The author's crisp narrative style and careful choice of detail are evident here. Velasquez's impressive framed, posed oil paintings portray the magician's intensity and sense of showmanship. Most of the illustrations feature Houdini and his performances, and the design and varied layout are very effective.”
BOOKLIST REVIEW: “Gr. 1-3. In this biography of one of history's most successful showmen, Krull's expository narrative periodically pauses to revisit the old-fashioned theater depicted in the splashy title-page sequence. These clever interludes feature vivid, free-verse poems that cast children as audience members at Houdini's most fabled performances ("Failure to escape means a drowning death! / An assistant stands by with an ax just in case"). Though together the main narrative and poetry barely skim the surface of Houdini's life, the card-trick contingent will find the combination accessible, and motivated children will take full advantage of the amplifying endnote and resource listing.”
5. CONNECTIONS
Students could read other biographies on the person of their choosing and the class could make a poster, pasting pictures of Houdini and the other people featured. Compare and contrast their lives, as well as their personalities and character traits. This would be a great way to discuss what character traits seem to keep showing up in people that make a difference in the world.
Students could read excerpts from other books about Houdini, and determine if the author left out any negative information, or they could see if they can find an interesting or fascinating fact, that wasn’t included in the book. Students could discuss why being objective is important when writing nonfiction. The class could make a poster or collage that shows important things that the author left out, or that the class thought should have been included.
Students could research and illustrate their favorite Houdini stunt. They could do a step by step illustration like the ones included in the book. Then they could present it to the class. They could research and find stunts not included in the book also.
Review of HITLER YOUTH by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Bartoletti, Susan Campbell. HITLER YOUTH. 2005. New York: Scholastic. ISBN 0439862736
2. PLOT SUMMARY
The book begins with a brief biography of twelve youths whose story is featured in the book. Although the book is not about Hitler, it focuses on how his shrewd manipulation of Germany’s children led to some dying for his cause and some turning their backs on their families. His organization of the Hitler Youth started out as organized fun activities, but as Germany needed soldiers, many of the Hitler Youth were sent to battle. Ultimately, many youths realized that they were being manipulated by Hitler’s propaganda and they ultimately became traitors for the other side. Most of the children realized that Hitler was lying to the people of Germany and that people were losing their individual rights. Some Hitler Youths chose to die at the hands of the SS, rather than carry out orders that they knew were wrong. The one story that I found the most shocking was that of Elizabeth Vetter, who turned in her own parents after they scolded her for participating in the Hitler Youth. In the conclusion, the author presents an Epilogue which briefly tells what happened to each of the young people in the book that survived the war.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This book is for older readers, grades 6-12. The stories are fascinating, yet hard to believe. Most older children could possibly relate to being excited about the hope that new leader can invoke in its citizens. Especially, one who makes idle promises when their country is hurting. The book is one of the few I’ve read that is from the perspective of German children who were not persecuted by Hitler. These innocent children were damaged by him in another way. They are forced to live with the choices they made as children.
This book is great for students because it reads more like a story, than a work of nonfiction. The book is thoroughly researched and documented. The book contains a Table of Contents. It has a brief Biography of the twelve featured young people from the book. It has a Foreword and an Introduction. The chapters follow the timeline of Hitler’s rise to power until the war’s end, and also what happened to Hitler’s followers after the war. It also contains an Epilogue which tells about what happened in the future of the surviving characters.
The author also gives a Timeline of the war. She also includes an
Author’s note about her research and thoughts on writing the book. She also discusses the black and white photographs used, which make a wonderful accompaniment to the text. She includes Quote Sources, as well as a five page Bibliography. She also gives Acknowledgments to those who helped her in her research. The book also includes an Index for quick reference. The book is well researched and includes many ways to check the book’s accuracy.
The only negative aspect I could find was that a glossary of terms would be helpful since many of these terms might be unfamiliar to the book’s audience. I also thought including a map showing where the book takes place, might be helpful for students.
4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
Review SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “Starred Review. Grade 5-8–Hitler's plans for the future of Germany relied significantly on its young people, and this excellent history shows how he attempted to carry out his mission with the establishment of the Hitler Youth, or Hitlerjugend, in 1926. With a focus on the years between 1933 and the end of the war in 1945, Bartoletti explains the roles that millions of boys and girls unwittingly played in the horrors of the Third Reich. The book is structured around 12 young individuals and their experiences, which clearly demonstrate how they were victims of leaders who took advantage of their innocence and enthusiasm for evil means. Their stories evolve from patriotic devotion to Hitler and zeal to join, to doubt, confusion, and disillusion. (An epilogue adds a powerful what-became-of-them relevance.) The large period photographs are a primary component and they include Nazi propaganda showing happy and healthy teens as well as the reality of concentration camps and young people with large guns. The final chapter superbly summarizes the weighty significance of this part of the 20th century and challenges young readers to prevent history from repeating itself. Bartoletti lets many of the subjects' words, emotions, and deeds speak for themselves, bringing them together clearly to tell this story unlike anyone else has.”
Review BOOKLIST: “*Starred Review* Gr. 7-10. What was it like to be a teenager in Germany under Hitler? Bartoletti draws on oral histories, diaries, letters, and her own extensive interviews with Holocaust survivors, Hitler Youth, resisters, and bystanders to tell the history from the viewpoints of people who were there. Most of the accounts and photos bring close the experiences of those who followed Hitler and fought for the Nazis, revealing why they joined, how Hitler used them, what it was like. Henry Mentelmann, for example, talks about Kristallnacht, when Hitler Youth and Storm Troopers wrecked Jewish homes and stores, and remembers thinking that the victims deserved what they got. The stirring photos tell more of the story. One particularly moving picture shows young Germans undergoing de-Nazification by watching images of people in the camps. The handsome book design, with black-and-white historical photos on every double-page spread, will draw in readers and help spark deep discussion, which will extend beyond the Holocaust curriculum. The extensive back matter is a part of the gripping narrative.
5. CONNECTIONS
Students could read excerpts from other books about this time. Such as, one from the perspective of Jewish children that survived the concentration camps, or were forced to go into hiding. They could also read about the way Hitler treated the handicapped children of Germany. They could discuss and compare their lives and how different it would be to be Jewish in Germany at that time. There are also many excellent documentaries about survivors, many who were children during the war. Viewing one of those films would make a good follow-up activity.
Show students how life and death was as simple as one person pointing people to the left or right. Start by telling students with blue shirts to go to the left and students with any other color go to the right. This shows them that there was no reasoning in the decisions made in the camps. Most students just can’t believe that this could happen. Then, they could talk about how they felt being sent to die because of the color of their shirt. You could also discuss the guilt one would feel to be sent to the line that lived, when all your family members were chosen to die.
After reading the book, you could read a fictional book about this time. THE BOY IN THE STRIPPED PAJAMAS by John Boynes would be good because it shows two boy that befriend each other, but live in totally different worlds. One boy is the son of a Nazi officer and the other is a Jewish boy in the concentration camp. This gives the perspective of both sides and would make a good companion piece to HITLER YOUTH. There was also a movie made about this story.
Bartoletti, Susan Campbell. HITLER YOUTH. 2005. New York: Scholastic. ISBN 0439862736
2. PLOT SUMMARY
The book begins with a brief biography of twelve youths whose story is featured in the book. Although the book is not about Hitler, it focuses on how his shrewd manipulation of Germany’s children led to some dying for his cause and some turning their backs on their families. His organization of the Hitler Youth started out as organized fun activities, but as Germany needed soldiers, many of the Hitler Youth were sent to battle. Ultimately, many youths realized that they were being manipulated by Hitler’s propaganda and they ultimately became traitors for the other side. Most of the children realized that Hitler was lying to the people of Germany and that people were losing their individual rights. Some Hitler Youths chose to die at the hands of the SS, rather than carry out orders that they knew were wrong. The one story that I found the most shocking was that of Elizabeth Vetter, who turned in her own parents after they scolded her for participating in the Hitler Youth. In the conclusion, the author presents an Epilogue which briefly tells what happened to each of the young people in the book that survived the war.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This book is for older readers, grades 6-12. The stories are fascinating, yet hard to believe. Most older children could possibly relate to being excited about the hope that new leader can invoke in its citizens. Especially, one who makes idle promises when their country is hurting. The book is one of the few I’ve read that is from the perspective of German children who were not persecuted by Hitler. These innocent children were damaged by him in another way. They are forced to live with the choices they made as children.
This book is great for students because it reads more like a story, than a work of nonfiction. The book is thoroughly researched and documented. The book contains a Table of Contents. It has a brief Biography of the twelve featured young people from the book. It has a Foreword and an Introduction. The chapters follow the timeline of Hitler’s rise to power until the war’s end, and also what happened to Hitler’s followers after the war. It also contains an Epilogue which tells about what happened in the future of the surviving characters.
The author also gives a Timeline of the war. She also includes an
Author’s note about her research and thoughts on writing the book. She also discusses the black and white photographs used, which make a wonderful accompaniment to the text. She includes Quote Sources, as well as a five page Bibliography. She also gives Acknowledgments to those who helped her in her research. The book also includes an Index for quick reference. The book is well researched and includes many ways to check the book’s accuracy.
The only negative aspect I could find was that a glossary of terms would be helpful since many of these terms might be unfamiliar to the book’s audience. I also thought including a map showing where the book takes place, might be helpful for students.
4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
Review SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “Starred Review. Grade 5-8–Hitler's plans for the future of Germany relied significantly on its young people, and this excellent history shows how he attempted to carry out his mission with the establishment of the Hitler Youth, or Hitlerjugend, in 1926. With a focus on the years between 1933 and the end of the war in 1945, Bartoletti explains the roles that millions of boys and girls unwittingly played in the horrors of the Third Reich. The book is structured around 12 young individuals and their experiences, which clearly demonstrate how they were victims of leaders who took advantage of their innocence and enthusiasm for evil means. Their stories evolve from patriotic devotion to Hitler and zeal to join, to doubt, confusion, and disillusion. (An epilogue adds a powerful what-became-of-them relevance.) The large period photographs are a primary component and they include Nazi propaganda showing happy and healthy teens as well as the reality of concentration camps and young people with large guns. The final chapter superbly summarizes the weighty significance of this part of the 20th century and challenges young readers to prevent history from repeating itself. Bartoletti lets many of the subjects' words, emotions, and deeds speak for themselves, bringing them together clearly to tell this story unlike anyone else has.”
Review BOOKLIST: “*Starred Review* Gr. 7-10. What was it like to be a teenager in Germany under Hitler? Bartoletti draws on oral histories, diaries, letters, and her own extensive interviews with Holocaust survivors, Hitler Youth, resisters, and bystanders to tell the history from the viewpoints of people who were there. Most of the accounts and photos bring close the experiences of those who followed Hitler and fought for the Nazis, revealing why they joined, how Hitler used them, what it was like. Henry Mentelmann, for example, talks about Kristallnacht, when Hitler Youth and Storm Troopers wrecked Jewish homes and stores, and remembers thinking that the victims deserved what they got. The stirring photos tell more of the story. One particularly moving picture shows young Germans undergoing de-Nazification by watching images of people in the camps. The handsome book design, with black-and-white historical photos on every double-page spread, will draw in readers and help spark deep discussion, which will extend beyond the Holocaust curriculum. The extensive back matter is a part of the gripping narrative.
5. CONNECTIONS
Students could read excerpts from other books about this time. Such as, one from the perspective of Jewish children that survived the concentration camps, or were forced to go into hiding. They could also read about the way Hitler treated the handicapped children of Germany. They could discuss and compare their lives and how different it would be to be Jewish in Germany at that time. There are also many excellent documentaries about survivors, many who were children during the war. Viewing one of those films would make a good follow-up activity.
Show students how life and death was as simple as one person pointing people to the left or right. Start by telling students with blue shirts to go to the left and students with any other color go to the right. This shows them that there was no reasoning in the decisions made in the camps. Most students just can’t believe that this could happen. Then, they could talk about how they felt being sent to die because of the color of their shirt. You could also discuss the guilt one would feel to be sent to the line that lived, when all your family members were chosen to die.
After reading the book, you could read a fictional book about this time. THE BOY IN THE STRIPPED PAJAMAS by John Boynes would be good because it shows two boy that befriend each other, but live in totally different worlds. One boy is the son of a Nazi officer and the other is a Jewish boy in the concentration camp. This gives the perspective of both sides and would make a good companion piece to HITLER YOUTH. There was also a movie made about this story.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Review of WHAT MY MOTHER DOESN'T KNOW by Sonya Sones
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Sones, Sonya. WHAT MY MOTHER DOESN’T KNOW. 2001. New York: Simon and Schuster. ISBN 0689841140
2. PLOT SUMMARY
This verse book follows 15 year old Sophie and her friends through the normal trials and tribulations of high school. We watch her stumble through two relationships. One on the internet, and another with a boy that she realizes she has nothing in common, except a physical attraction. The book also delves into Sophie’s relationship with her out of touch mother, and distant father. The book touches on the parent’s failing relationship, with the father escaping to work to avoid problems at home. Finally, Sophie falls for a boy who is her soul mate, but she is afraid to acknowledge him, because she knows her friends will disapprove. In the end, she overcomes her fear, and embraces this new relationship. Her mother also comes to a realization that she needs to show more interest in her daughter’s life, as her father drives away on yet another business trip.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This book is one that I don’t think any teen-ager will be able to put down. It has all the feelings and situations that most teen-age girls deal with every day. I would recommend this book for Junior High and High School students only. It is sexually suggestive, although there is no sex, it is contemplated and discussed.
The poems are great on their own, but the whole package is a wonderful and uplifting story. The poems are easy to read, which is great for reluctant readers, as well as the fact that most readers will be hooked after only a few pages.
The situations are dead on, from the distant father, to the depressed mother, to the ever judging friends. Every school has someone like Murphy, that is the butt of jokes, and more or less a non person. I’m just so glad that this Murphy, finally gets the girl. I just can’t say enough good things about this book. You will laugh, cry, and walk away with a warm, fuzzy feeling. It is precious.
4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY Review:
"...Sones (Stop Pretending) poignantly captures the tingle and heartache of being young and boy-crazy...With its separate free verse poems woven into a fluid and coherent narrative with a satisfying ending, Sophie's honest and earthy story feels destined to captivate a young female audience, avid and reluctant readers alike."
LIBRARY SCHOOL JOURNAL Review:
"...Sones is a bright, perceptive writer who digs deeply into her protagonist's soul... Sones's poems are glimpses through a peephole many teens may be peering through for the first time, unaware that others are seeing virtually the same new, scary, unfamiliar things... Sones's book makes these often-difficult years a little more livable by making them real, normal, and OK."
5. CONNECTIONS
I think it would be great to have a “What My Mother Doesn’t Know,” box in the room. Students could anonymously write whenever they want and put it in the box. One could be pulled out each day or week, discussed or used for a writing prompt. It would be a great way for students to learn about each other and provide an outlet for feelings that might otherwise not surface.
Have students pick their favorite scene in the book and illustrate it.
Students could make a poster showing the good choices Sophie made in the book, or they could pick to show the poor choices Sophie made in the book. They could use collage (like the book jacket cover), attach objects, cut words and pictures out of magazines, or draw to illustrate their points.
The book could be paired with the documentary film, 5 GIRLS
(2001). This documentary aired on PBS on October 2, 2001. It focuses on five young women from diverse backgrounds. The uniting element of this documentary is the need that the girls feel to have connected relationships with their families. After viewing, discuss students relationships with their own families. Students could write about their own family relationships and pick one girl from the film that they felt the most connection with and explain why. Students could also make a poster about themselves and one of the girls in the film or they could compare the character Sophie with one of the girls featured in the film for their poster project. They could also choose to compare themselves to the character Sophie from the book.
Sones, Sonya. WHAT MY MOTHER DOESN’T KNOW. 2001. New York: Simon and Schuster. ISBN 0689841140
2. PLOT SUMMARY
This verse book follows 15 year old Sophie and her friends through the normal trials and tribulations of high school. We watch her stumble through two relationships. One on the internet, and another with a boy that she realizes she has nothing in common, except a physical attraction. The book also delves into Sophie’s relationship with her out of touch mother, and distant father. The book touches on the parent’s failing relationship, with the father escaping to work to avoid problems at home. Finally, Sophie falls for a boy who is her soul mate, but she is afraid to acknowledge him, because she knows her friends will disapprove. In the end, she overcomes her fear, and embraces this new relationship. Her mother also comes to a realization that she needs to show more interest in her daughter’s life, as her father drives away on yet another business trip.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This book is one that I don’t think any teen-ager will be able to put down. It has all the feelings and situations that most teen-age girls deal with every day. I would recommend this book for Junior High and High School students only. It is sexually suggestive, although there is no sex, it is contemplated and discussed.
The poems are great on their own, but the whole package is a wonderful and uplifting story. The poems are easy to read, which is great for reluctant readers, as well as the fact that most readers will be hooked after only a few pages.
The situations are dead on, from the distant father, to the depressed mother, to the ever judging friends. Every school has someone like Murphy, that is the butt of jokes, and more or less a non person. I’m just so glad that this Murphy, finally gets the girl. I just can’t say enough good things about this book. You will laugh, cry, and walk away with a warm, fuzzy feeling. It is precious.
4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY Review:
"...Sones (Stop Pretending) poignantly captures the tingle and heartache of being young and boy-crazy...With its separate free verse poems woven into a fluid and coherent narrative with a satisfying ending, Sophie's honest and earthy story feels destined to captivate a young female audience, avid and reluctant readers alike."
LIBRARY SCHOOL JOURNAL Review:
"...Sones is a bright, perceptive writer who digs deeply into her protagonist's soul... Sones's poems are glimpses through a peephole many teens may be peering through for the first time, unaware that others are seeing virtually the same new, scary, unfamiliar things... Sones's book makes these often-difficult years a little more livable by making them real, normal, and OK."
5. CONNECTIONS
I think it would be great to have a “What My Mother Doesn’t Know,” box in the room. Students could anonymously write whenever they want and put it in the box. One could be pulled out each day or week, discussed or used for a writing prompt. It would be a great way for students to learn about each other and provide an outlet for feelings that might otherwise not surface.
Have students pick their favorite scene in the book and illustrate it.
Students could make a poster showing the good choices Sophie made in the book, or they could pick to show the poor choices Sophie made in the book. They could use collage (like the book jacket cover), attach objects, cut words and pictures out of magazines, or draw to illustrate their points.
The book could be paired with the documentary film, 5 GIRLS
(2001). This documentary aired on PBS on October 2, 2001. It focuses on five young women from diverse backgrounds. The uniting element of this documentary is the need that the girls feel to have connected relationships with their families. After viewing, discuss students relationships with their own families. Students could write about their own family relationships and pick one girl from the film that they felt the most connection with and explain why. Students could also make a poster about themselves and one of the girls in the film or they could compare the character Sophie with one of the girls featured in the film for their poster project. They could also choose to compare themselves to the character Sophie from the book.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Review of THE COMPANY OF CROWS by Marilyn Singer
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Singer, Marilyn. 2002. THE COMPANY OF CROWS. Ill. by Linda Saport. New York: Clarion Books. ISBN 0168083405
2. PLOT SUMMARY
This collection of poems includes 24 illustrated selections, some from the point of view of the crow. We also hear the voices of humans and other animals eloquently describe their interactions with crows. In the end, the author gives us factual information about the crow, as well as why she chose to write about this much overlooked creature.
3 CRITICAL ANALYSIS
I enjoyed this collection, because the author so obviously loves and admires the crow. I think her use of rhyme and metaphors to describe encounters with this bird will be enjoyable for older children. I think some of the vocabulary might not be familiar to younger children. As an adult, I thought the poems were beautiful and display this bird, which most think is nothing more than an annoyance, in a whole new light.
Younger children will love the illustrations. The pastels used in the illustrations create beautiful and colorful pictures. In their simplicity, they are childlike because of their lack of details and bold strokes. I wish the text used, had been a color other than black or white, and also bolder and larger. The script of the poem doesn’t go with the boldness in the title name. It almost disappears on the page, especially with the bold, primary colors used on the pages.
I also wish there had been a Table of Contents. The book is 48 pages long, and that would have made finding certain poems easier. I also wish the author’s note had been placed at the first of the book, instead of at the end. Students would be able to understand the poems better if they knew more about the crow before reading. The students would also understand why the author picked to write about this particular bird species.
I also didn’t like that the titles to a few poems had the same name. I think that will be confusing to students, and will have to be explained. It would have been much simpler to just name each poem something different. Students will be asking, “Why is this poem named “The Father,” and this poem named, “The Father?” They will understand that it is from a different point of view, but why not just name one of them, “The Crow Father?” I would love to ask Ms. Singer why she did this.
4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY Review:
“Despite the striking full-bleed art and the author's enthusiasm for her subject, this collection of poems about crows may not fly with the target audience. For starters, youngsters may have trouble reading the poems, printed as they are in thin font against deep-colored backgrounds. The design compounds the problems sometimes the titles, contained within the art, appear below the poem, so that readers may not recognize that a new poem has begun. The slightly abstract quality of her compositions makes them best viewed from a slight distance, whereas close proximity is needed to make out the text. Ages 5-9.”
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL Review:
“Children will enjoy the illustrations and language and take pleasure in the thoughts posed in these selections.”
5. CONNECTIONS
This book of poems would be best read after a nonfiction picture book about the crow. This will help students to understand the poems in this selection.
CROWS by Sylvia A. Johnson, would be a good companion book. Students could discuss their ideas about crows and how they agree or disagree with the new information. The class could make a before and after reading chart to display the new information learned.
Students could make an Acrostic poem using the word, Crow, and make their own illustrations.
Students could pick another bird species or animal, and write and illustrate their own poem.
Teachers could download videos of crows doing some of the activities talked about in the poem. You Tube, has several that go along with the poems. This would give students a visual to help understand some of the author’s observations.
Singer, Marilyn. 2002. THE COMPANY OF CROWS. Ill. by Linda Saport. New York: Clarion Books. ISBN 0168083405
2. PLOT SUMMARY
This collection of poems includes 24 illustrated selections, some from the point of view of the crow. We also hear the voices of humans and other animals eloquently describe their interactions with crows. In the end, the author gives us factual information about the crow, as well as why she chose to write about this much overlooked creature.
3 CRITICAL ANALYSIS
I enjoyed this collection, because the author so obviously loves and admires the crow. I think her use of rhyme and metaphors to describe encounters with this bird will be enjoyable for older children. I think some of the vocabulary might not be familiar to younger children. As an adult, I thought the poems were beautiful and display this bird, which most think is nothing more than an annoyance, in a whole new light.
Younger children will love the illustrations. The pastels used in the illustrations create beautiful and colorful pictures. In their simplicity, they are childlike because of their lack of details and bold strokes. I wish the text used, had been a color other than black or white, and also bolder and larger. The script of the poem doesn’t go with the boldness in the title name. It almost disappears on the page, especially with the bold, primary colors used on the pages.
I also wish there had been a Table of Contents. The book is 48 pages long, and that would have made finding certain poems easier. I also wish the author’s note had been placed at the first of the book, instead of at the end. Students would be able to understand the poems better if they knew more about the crow before reading. The students would also understand why the author picked to write about this particular bird species.
I also didn’t like that the titles to a few poems had the same name. I think that will be confusing to students, and will have to be explained. It would have been much simpler to just name each poem something different. Students will be asking, “Why is this poem named “The Father,” and this poem named, “The Father?” They will understand that it is from a different point of view, but why not just name one of them, “The Crow Father?” I would love to ask Ms. Singer why she did this.
4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY Review:
“Despite the striking full-bleed art and the author's enthusiasm for her subject, this collection of poems about crows may not fly with the target audience. For starters, youngsters may have trouble reading the poems, printed as they are in thin font against deep-colored backgrounds. The design compounds the problems sometimes the titles, contained within the art, appear below the poem, so that readers may not recognize that a new poem has begun. The slightly abstract quality of her compositions makes them best viewed from a slight distance, whereas close proximity is needed to make out the text. Ages 5-9.”
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL Review:
“Children will enjoy the illustrations and language and take pleasure in the thoughts posed in these selections.”
5. CONNECTIONS
This book of poems would be best read after a nonfiction picture book about the crow. This will help students to understand the poems in this selection.
CROWS by Sylvia A. Johnson, would be a good companion book. Students could discuss their ideas about crows and how they agree or disagree with the new information. The class could make a before and after reading chart to display the new information learned.
Students could make an Acrostic poem using the word, Crow, and make their own illustrations.
Students could pick another bird species or animal, and write and illustrate their own poem.
Teachers could download videos of crows doing some of the activities talked about in the poem. You Tube, has several that go along with the poems. This would give students a visual to help understand some of the author’s observations.
Review of TOASTING MARSHMALLOWS by Kristine O'Connell George
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
George, Kristine O’Connell. 2001. TOASTING MARSHMALLOWS. Ill. By Kate Kiesler. New York: Clarion Books. ISBN 016804597
2. PLOT SUMMARY
This collection of camping poems, include 30 poems, with each poem illustrated. The poems cover almost anything that might be done or seen during a family camping trip. The family consists of a girl, her brother, mother, father, and the family dog. The poetry collection begins with a poem about putting up the tent, seeing a deer, and the first night around a campfire. It goes on to poems about the next morning, and activities enjoyed the next day. The poems go through the day and night camping activities of a few days. The book concludes with a poem about taking down the tent and stowing away an old shirt, so the character can remember the smells and fun of that trip.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This collection of poetry brings all the wonderful sensations of a family camping trip to life. The book includes 30 poems, that cover the whole spectrum of camping activities and experiences. The book includes no Table of Contents, which would have been great for looking up a certain poem, since the book is 48 pages long and made for impatient children.
The illustrations were done in acrylic paint, and are beautiful and realistic. The text and illustrations will take you away to your childhood, when happiness could be achieved by just experiencing nature. The text placement also enhances the book. The first poem about putting up the tent, has the text alignment forms a triangle, to look like a tent. This is done in several poems throughout the book.
I think it would have been great if the author had included some background about her camping experiences and why she wrote the book. I think it would have been great if she had included some favorite recipes her family made and ate by the campfire for students to try.
4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL REVIEW:
“Kindergarten-Grade 4-George has penned 30 sublimely simple poems that capture the sights, sounds, smells, and sensations of a family's camping trip, from pitching the tent to pulling up stakes and returning home. All of the selections convey a child-focused sense of wonder as the campers explore the lakefront and surrounding terrain, enjoy the marvels of the natural world, relish meals round the campfire, and toast marshmallows ("This is art-/a time of serious reflection/as my pillowed confection/slowly reaches golden perfection"). The poems are varied and inventive, replete with marvelous images and universal truths.”
HORN BOOK REVIEW:
“The pleasure and surprise of going camping are conveyed in eighteen brief poems. . . .Richly colored paintings enhance the verses.”
5. CONNECTIONS
It would be great fun to have a “Camping Day,” in the library or classroom. Make a fake campfire or pitch or make a tent, read the poems, read other storybooks about camping, and tell our favorite scary stories. This would be a great time of year for this, with Halloween approaching.
Another great activity would be to find a camping cookbook. You could read the recipes and make something from the cookbook, and eat while reading TOASTING MARSHMALLOWS.
Students could write a poem about a favorite vacation, going to the beach, going to visit relatives, and you could put all the student’s works together, and name it, OUR VACATION BOOK OF POETRY. Students could also write several poems and author their own individual poetry books. Students could also illustrate their camping poems for the book.
You could read other poetry books on camping and compare and contrast the different activities each poet chose to write about. After discussion, students could come up with other activities that weren’t covered in other books. Why do you think the activities weren’t included?
George, Kristine O’Connell. 2001. TOASTING MARSHMALLOWS. Ill. By Kate Kiesler. New York: Clarion Books. ISBN 016804597
2. PLOT SUMMARY
This collection of camping poems, include 30 poems, with each poem illustrated. The poems cover almost anything that might be done or seen during a family camping trip. The family consists of a girl, her brother, mother, father, and the family dog. The poetry collection begins with a poem about putting up the tent, seeing a deer, and the first night around a campfire. It goes on to poems about the next morning, and activities enjoyed the next day. The poems go through the day and night camping activities of a few days. The book concludes with a poem about taking down the tent and stowing away an old shirt, so the character can remember the smells and fun of that trip.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This collection of poetry brings all the wonderful sensations of a family camping trip to life. The book includes 30 poems, that cover the whole spectrum of camping activities and experiences. The book includes no Table of Contents, which would have been great for looking up a certain poem, since the book is 48 pages long and made for impatient children.
The illustrations were done in acrylic paint, and are beautiful and realistic. The text and illustrations will take you away to your childhood, when happiness could be achieved by just experiencing nature. The text placement also enhances the book. The first poem about putting up the tent, has the text alignment forms a triangle, to look like a tent. This is done in several poems throughout the book.
I think it would have been great if the author had included some background about her camping experiences and why she wrote the book. I think it would have been great if she had included some favorite recipes her family made and ate by the campfire for students to try.
4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL REVIEW:
“Kindergarten-Grade 4-George has penned 30 sublimely simple poems that capture the sights, sounds, smells, and sensations of a family's camping trip, from pitching the tent to pulling up stakes and returning home. All of the selections convey a child-focused sense of wonder as the campers explore the lakefront and surrounding terrain, enjoy the marvels of the natural world, relish meals round the campfire, and toast marshmallows ("This is art-/a time of serious reflection/as my pillowed confection/slowly reaches golden perfection"). The poems are varied and inventive, replete with marvelous images and universal truths.”
HORN BOOK REVIEW:
“The pleasure and surprise of going camping are conveyed in eighteen brief poems. . . .Richly colored paintings enhance the verses.”
5. CONNECTIONS
It would be great fun to have a “Camping Day,” in the library or classroom. Make a fake campfire or pitch or make a tent, read the poems, read other storybooks about camping, and tell our favorite scary stories. This would be a great time of year for this, with Halloween approaching.
Another great activity would be to find a camping cookbook. You could read the recipes and make something from the cookbook, and eat while reading TOASTING MARSHMALLOWS.
Students could write a poem about a favorite vacation, going to the beach, going to visit relatives, and you could put all the student’s works together, and name it, OUR VACATION BOOK OF POETRY. Students could also write several poems and author their own individual poetry books. Students could also illustrate their camping poems for the book.
You could read other poetry books on camping and compare and contrast the different activities each poet chose to write about. After discussion, students could come up with other activities that weren’t covered in other books. Why do you think the activities weren’t included?
Monday, September 28, 2009
Review of YEH-SHEN, A CINDERELLA STORY FROM CHINA by Ai-Ling Louie
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Louie, Ai-Ling. 1982. YEH-SHEN. Ill. By Ed Young. New York: Philomel Books. ISBN 039920900X
2. PLOT SUMMARY
In China, a cave chief takes two wives and each gives him a daughter. One wife dies, and the chief also dies soon after. The orphaned daughter is raised by her stepmother. Yeh-Shen is beautiful, while the step-mother’s daughter is not. Yeh-Shen is ostracized by her step-mother and befriends a fish in her loneliness. The step-mother murders the fish, but the fish’s spirit lives on to grant Yeh-Shen anything that she needs. Yeh-Shen talks to the bones of her deceased fish. The Spring festival arrives, which is where young men and women pick a mate. The step-mother and daughter attend this event without Yeh-Shen. She tells her fish that she wants to go, but has no clothes. The fish gives her new clothes, along with Golden Shoes. She goes to the festival, but fears that she is recognized by her step-mother. She rushes home and loses one of her shoes. The shoe ends up in the hands of a prince. He tries to find the owner, and discovers that Yeh-Shen’s feet are the only ones to fit the shoes. He marries her and punishes the step-mother and daughter by banning them from the kingdom. They are left to live forever in their cave and are later crushed to death by falling stones.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This story is set in China, and was written during the T’ang dynasty (618-907 A.D.) The author was told this story by her grandmother. She researched the story to an ancient Chinese manuscript. The story is simple to read and will hold the interest of any age group. Most children will relate to a girl who grows up lonely and loses her only friend. Most children will also recognize that this is a variant of the Cinderella story.
The illustrations are beautiful. The illustrator uses pastels and shimmering water colors, which are set in panels like those of a Chinese printed screen. This adds to the authenticity of the story. Children of Chinese heritage will find the story and illustrations familiar. Every child will find the story appealing and the art work magical, but it also offers a glimpse into Chinese culture, which many might not otherwise have been exposed.
4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
BOOKLIST review: "A misty dreamlike air. A worthwhile addition to picture-book collections."
PUBLISHER‘S WEEKLY review: "Misty, jewel-like illustrations evoke the mythic past in this Chinese Cinderella story."
AWARDS:
* School Library Best Book of the Year,
* ALA notable Book
* IRA-CBC Children's Choice Book
5. CONNECTIONS
This book could be used to look further into Chinese culture. A non-fiction book about China could be used along with this book to show how the author and illustrations parallel the Chinese culture. This book could also be used with excerpts from novels by Laurence Yep, which focus on the difficulty some Chinese families have trying to blend in with American culture as new citizens. Another great short-story that goes along with this idea, would be “The All-American Slurp” by Lensey Namioka.
This Cinderella story could also be used as a compare and contrast activity when read along with the Disney Cinderella story with which most Americans are familiar.
You could display all the Cinderella variants that you have in your library and let students choose one. They could present it to the class and also look into the culture and talk about interesting facts about the culture from which their story originated.
Students could also write their own version of Cinderella. How could they come up with a story from their own family dynamics. Their brothers or sisters could become the wicked step-brothers, or their dog or pet could become their fairy-godmothers. If they can’t come up with the whole story, you could list the main characters and let them pick which characters from their own family or friends to use in the story. You could have a generic version and let them put in their own character names. Then, each could share their version for the class.
Louie, Ai-Ling. 1982. YEH-SHEN. Ill. By Ed Young. New York: Philomel Books. ISBN 039920900X
2. PLOT SUMMARY
In China, a cave chief takes two wives and each gives him a daughter. One wife dies, and the chief also dies soon after. The orphaned daughter is raised by her stepmother. Yeh-Shen is beautiful, while the step-mother’s daughter is not. Yeh-Shen is ostracized by her step-mother and befriends a fish in her loneliness. The step-mother murders the fish, but the fish’s spirit lives on to grant Yeh-Shen anything that she needs. Yeh-Shen talks to the bones of her deceased fish. The Spring festival arrives, which is where young men and women pick a mate. The step-mother and daughter attend this event without Yeh-Shen. She tells her fish that she wants to go, but has no clothes. The fish gives her new clothes, along with Golden Shoes. She goes to the festival, but fears that she is recognized by her step-mother. She rushes home and loses one of her shoes. The shoe ends up in the hands of a prince. He tries to find the owner, and discovers that Yeh-Shen’s feet are the only ones to fit the shoes. He marries her and punishes the step-mother and daughter by banning them from the kingdom. They are left to live forever in their cave and are later crushed to death by falling stones.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This story is set in China, and was written during the T’ang dynasty (618-907 A.D.) The author was told this story by her grandmother. She researched the story to an ancient Chinese manuscript. The story is simple to read and will hold the interest of any age group. Most children will relate to a girl who grows up lonely and loses her only friend. Most children will also recognize that this is a variant of the Cinderella story.
The illustrations are beautiful. The illustrator uses pastels and shimmering water colors, which are set in panels like those of a Chinese printed screen. This adds to the authenticity of the story. Children of Chinese heritage will find the story and illustrations familiar. Every child will find the story appealing and the art work magical, but it also offers a glimpse into Chinese culture, which many might not otherwise have been exposed.
4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
BOOKLIST review: "A misty dreamlike air. A worthwhile addition to picture-book collections."
PUBLISHER‘S WEEKLY review: "Misty, jewel-like illustrations evoke the mythic past in this Chinese Cinderella story."
AWARDS:
* School Library Best Book of the Year,
* ALA notable Book
* IRA-CBC Children's Choice Book
5. CONNECTIONS
This book could be used to look further into Chinese culture. A non-fiction book about China could be used along with this book to show how the author and illustrations parallel the Chinese culture. This book could also be used with excerpts from novels by Laurence Yep, which focus on the difficulty some Chinese families have trying to blend in with American culture as new citizens. Another great short-story that goes along with this idea, would be “The All-American Slurp” by Lensey Namioka.
This Cinderella story could also be used as a compare and contrast activity when read along with the Disney Cinderella story with which most Americans are familiar.
You could display all the Cinderella variants that you have in your library and let students choose one. They could present it to the class and also look into the culture and talk about interesting facts about the culture from which their story originated.
Students could also write their own version of Cinderella. How could they come up with a story from their own family dynamics. Their brothers or sisters could become the wicked step-brothers, or their dog or pet could become their fairy-godmothers. If they can’t come up with the whole story, you could list the main characters and let them pick which characters from their own family or friends to use in the story. You could have a generic version and let them put in their own character names. Then, each could share their version for the class.
Review of IN THE MOONLIGHT MIST by Daniel San Souci
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
San Souci, Daniel. 1999. Ill. By Eujin Kim Neilan. Honesdale, Pennsylvania: Boyds Mills Press. ISBN 1563977540
2. PLOT SUMMARY
A woodcutter rescues a deer, and the deer offers to make the woodcutter’s secret wish come true. The woodcutter wishes for a wife. The deer grants the wish by having the woodcutter take the clothes of a heavenly maiden, while she is bathing in a lake. The deer warns the woodcutter that she should never put on the clothes that he took until she has given him two children. He rescues her, and she falls in love with him. They have a child, but she is soon homesick for heaven. The woodcutter gets her clothes and she puts them on, and she along with the baby descend to heaven, leaving the woodcutter alone with only his mother. The deer comes to the woodcutter and instructs him to go back to the lake and get in a bucket lowered from heaven, which descends to fill the heavenly maiden’s baths. He goes to the lake, but in his selflessness, he lets his mother join his wife and daughter in heaven so she won’t be lonely. The heavenly king sees this, and rewards the woodcutter for his unselfish act. He sends a dragon, and the woodcutter ascends to heaven to join his family.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The book’s story and theme teach several important moral lessons. The selflessness of the woodcutter is an inspiration. Readers see kindness to animals, kindness to elders, and putting other’s wants and needs before your own. Children of all ages will enjoy the story as well as the beautiful illustrations. The colors are bold. Neilan uses acrylic paints along with unusual brush strokes, which make the illustrations stand out.
4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
Review SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “For libraries with large collections of Asian folklore, this would make an interesting comparison to the more famous Chinese and Japanese tale "The Cowherd and the Weaving Maid," but it is not a first purchase.”
Review PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY: “Neilan's images of the enchanted woodland, the maiden's ascent to the heavens with her babe in arms and of the woodcutter astride a magnificent winged dragon en route to join them emits a power readers will long remember.”
Awards: 1999 Parent Choice Award
5. CONNECTIONS
The book could be used as an opening lesson into Korean culture. The story has several moral lessons, which students could research to see if Korean culture supports the moral lessons in the story.
Students could try and find a variant of this story from another country, and analyze and provide evidence as to why they believe their story is a variant.
Students could compare and contrast this story with another Korean folk tale. They could dissect the characters, setting, and conflict, as well as what moral lessons are in each story.
Students could share a time when they gave up something they really wanted for the sake of someone else’s wants. Students could discuss it and then write about it. They could also illustrate their stories.
Students could also pick from one of the moral lessons in the story and write about a time when they did something for an animal, parents, friends, or grandparents, and write about it.
San Souci, Daniel. 1999. Ill. By Eujin Kim Neilan. Honesdale, Pennsylvania: Boyds Mills Press. ISBN 1563977540
2. PLOT SUMMARY
A woodcutter rescues a deer, and the deer offers to make the woodcutter’s secret wish come true. The woodcutter wishes for a wife. The deer grants the wish by having the woodcutter take the clothes of a heavenly maiden, while she is bathing in a lake. The deer warns the woodcutter that she should never put on the clothes that he took until she has given him two children. He rescues her, and she falls in love with him. They have a child, but she is soon homesick for heaven. The woodcutter gets her clothes and she puts them on, and she along with the baby descend to heaven, leaving the woodcutter alone with only his mother. The deer comes to the woodcutter and instructs him to go back to the lake and get in a bucket lowered from heaven, which descends to fill the heavenly maiden’s baths. He goes to the lake, but in his selflessness, he lets his mother join his wife and daughter in heaven so she won’t be lonely. The heavenly king sees this, and rewards the woodcutter for his unselfish act. He sends a dragon, and the woodcutter ascends to heaven to join his family.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The book’s story and theme teach several important moral lessons. The selflessness of the woodcutter is an inspiration. Readers see kindness to animals, kindness to elders, and putting other’s wants and needs before your own. Children of all ages will enjoy the story as well as the beautiful illustrations. The colors are bold. Neilan uses acrylic paints along with unusual brush strokes, which make the illustrations stand out.
4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
Review SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “For libraries with large collections of Asian folklore, this would make an interesting comparison to the more famous Chinese and Japanese tale "The Cowherd and the Weaving Maid," but it is not a first purchase.”
Review PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY: “Neilan's images of the enchanted woodland, the maiden's ascent to the heavens with her babe in arms and of the woodcutter astride a magnificent winged dragon en route to join them emits a power readers will long remember.”
Awards: 1999 Parent Choice Award
5. CONNECTIONS
The book could be used as an opening lesson into Korean culture. The story has several moral lessons, which students could research to see if Korean culture supports the moral lessons in the story.
Students could try and find a variant of this story from another country, and analyze and provide evidence as to why they believe their story is a variant.
Students could compare and contrast this story with another Korean folk tale. They could dissect the characters, setting, and conflict, as well as what moral lessons are in each story.
Students could share a time when they gave up something they really wanted for the sake of someone else’s wants. Students could discuss it and then write about it. They could also illustrate their stories.
Students could also pick from one of the moral lessons in the story and write about a time when they did something for an animal, parents, friends, or grandparents, and write about it.
Review of AND THE GREEN GRASS GREW ALL AROUND by Alvin Schwartz
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Schwartz, Alvin. 1992. AND THE GREEN GRASS GREW ALL AROUND. Ill. By Truesdell, Susan. New York: Harper Collins. ISBN 0060227575
2. PLOT SUMMARY
The book contains 250 folk poems, an index, and notes, explaining the different types of folk poetry included, a history, and why they are included in the book. The book has chapters which include folk poetry, rhymes, riddles, and chants which are about the chapter title. The chapters include: people, food, school, teases and taunts, wishes and warnings, love and marriage, work, stories, nonsense, riddles, fun and games, rain and shine, a tree, animals and insects, and ends with, other things. Each chapter varies in length, most are 10-15 pages long. The book contains almost any rhyme you are familiar with from childhood, and many that you probably haven’t heard. The book is an easy way to find almost any childhood rhyme and get an explanation about its origin, and whether it was a song, was used for a childhood activity, such as jump rope, or ways to combat childhood taunts.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This book is a great resource for students interested in the background of their childhood rhymes, as well as what the rhymes were originally. Students will enjoy seeing the rhymes they say to each other in writing, as well as learning many more. The illustrations are in black and white, and are comical, to go along with the lightheartedness of the book. I would have preferred the illustrations inside the book to be in color like the front cover of the book. I think it would make them more noticeable and appealing to kids. I also wish the book would include a CD of the songs in the book. I think children would love to listen to these selections.
4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL Review: “ A marvelous book that is sure to become a classic if children have any say in the matter. Schwartz has gathered sassy, funny, scary, and slightly naughty children's folk poetry heard on school grounds and wherever else kids are having fun. It's hard to imagine illustrations better suited to the book's silly, energized tone than Truesdell's big-eyed, animated, and humorous characters. Given plenty of white space, they tumble, goof, and guffaw across the pages, in ideal tandem with the poetry. These drawings may be in black and white, but readers will never pick up a more colorful book. “
KIRKUS Review:
“Not since Carl Withers's A Rocket in My Pocket (1948) has there been such a grand compilation of familiar (and unfamiliar) rhymes and chants from the children's own tradition: riddles, games, wishes and taunts; poems about love, food, school, or animals; parodies, nonsense, and stories.”
5. CONNECTIONS
This book would be a great way to introduce a writing assignment. Students could come up with their own poems, based on the chapter introduced. You could keep assignments from each chapter, and they could make their own book or collections.
The book could also be used as an art project. Students could illustrate their favorite poem, or illustrate their own poem.
The poem about the “Titanic,” could be used to expand on that event. A non-fiction book about the voyage of the Titanic, could be read, as well as a picture book version. Students may have no information about this event in history. DEAR AMERICA: VOYAGE ON THE GREAT TITANIC: THE DIARY OF MARGARET ANN BRADY, R.M.S. TITANIC, 1912 by Ellen Emerson White, could be used, as well as MAGIC TREE HOUSE RESEARCH: TITANIC by Will Osborne and Mary Pope Osborne.
This book could also be used for a discussion with students about their own favorite rhymes, poems, and chants. They could share them, write them down, and illustrate them, and present them to the class.
Students could also make their own recording of their favorite piece or song, and play it for the class. The teacher could put them all together and make a recording for everyone that participates.
Schwartz, Alvin. 1992. AND THE GREEN GRASS GREW ALL AROUND. Ill. By Truesdell, Susan. New York: Harper Collins. ISBN 0060227575
2. PLOT SUMMARY
The book contains 250 folk poems, an index, and notes, explaining the different types of folk poetry included, a history, and why they are included in the book. The book has chapters which include folk poetry, rhymes, riddles, and chants which are about the chapter title. The chapters include: people, food, school, teases and taunts, wishes and warnings, love and marriage, work, stories, nonsense, riddles, fun and games, rain and shine, a tree, animals and insects, and ends with, other things. Each chapter varies in length, most are 10-15 pages long. The book contains almost any rhyme you are familiar with from childhood, and many that you probably haven’t heard. The book is an easy way to find almost any childhood rhyme and get an explanation about its origin, and whether it was a song, was used for a childhood activity, such as jump rope, or ways to combat childhood taunts.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This book is a great resource for students interested in the background of their childhood rhymes, as well as what the rhymes were originally. Students will enjoy seeing the rhymes they say to each other in writing, as well as learning many more. The illustrations are in black and white, and are comical, to go along with the lightheartedness of the book. I would have preferred the illustrations inside the book to be in color like the front cover of the book. I think it would make them more noticeable and appealing to kids. I also wish the book would include a CD of the songs in the book. I think children would love to listen to these selections.
4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL Review: “ A marvelous book that is sure to become a classic if children have any say in the matter. Schwartz has gathered sassy, funny, scary, and slightly naughty children's folk poetry heard on school grounds and wherever else kids are having fun. It's hard to imagine illustrations better suited to the book's silly, energized tone than Truesdell's big-eyed, animated, and humorous characters. Given plenty of white space, they tumble, goof, and guffaw across the pages, in ideal tandem with the poetry. These drawings may be in black and white, but readers will never pick up a more colorful book. “
KIRKUS Review:
“Not since Carl Withers's A Rocket in My Pocket (1948) has there been such a grand compilation of familiar (and unfamiliar) rhymes and chants from the children's own tradition: riddles, games, wishes and taunts; poems about love, food, school, or animals; parodies, nonsense, and stories.”
5. CONNECTIONS
This book would be a great way to introduce a writing assignment. Students could come up with their own poems, based on the chapter introduced. You could keep assignments from each chapter, and they could make their own book or collections.
The book could also be used as an art project. Students could illustrate their favorite poem, or illustrate their own poem.
The poem about the “Titanic,” could be used to expand on that event. A non-fiction book about the voyage of the Titanic, could be read, as well as a picture book version. Students may have no information about this event in history. DEAR AMERICA: VOYAGE ON THE GREAT TITANIC: THE DIARY OF MARGARET ANN BRADY, R.M.S. TITANIC, 1912 by Ellen Emerson White, could be used, as well as MAGIC TREE HOUSE RESEARCH: TITANIC by Will Osborne and Mary Pope Osborne.
This book could also be used for a discussion with students about their own favorite rhymes, poems, and chants. They could share them, write them down, and illustrate them, and present them to the class.
Students could also make their own recording of their favorite piece or song, and play it for the class. The teacher could put them all together and make a recording for everyone that participates.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Review of JOSEPH HAD A LITTLE OVERCOAT by Simms Taback
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Taback, Simms. 1999. JOSEPH HAD A LITTLE OVERCOAT. Ill. by Simms Taback. New York: The Penguin Group. ISBN 0670878553
2. PLOT SUMMARY
A Jewish man named Joseph has a worn out overcoat. He recycles the material into various pieces of clothing, and wears each piece to a different social event. In the end, he loses the final piece of the overcoat and is left with nothing. However, he uses his experiences to write a book about the overcoat. This is how he creates something out of nothing. He can keep the book forever, to remind him of the coat he once had.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The cover of the book is bright and appears to use pieces of cloth to make the title stand out. Taback used watercolor, Gouache, pencil, ink, and collage to achieve the effect for the illustrations. The illustrations are wonderful, and children of any age will find them engaging. They achieve a cheerful and lighthearted feeling, and you know this book will probably end happily. The book also uses die cuts on select pages so that Joseph’s overcoat fabric can be seen throughout the book in the cut outs. The black borders around each page highlight the bold yellow text.
The book was adapted from a Yiddish folk song. The writing is simple enough for even the youngest children to understand. Beginning readers should be able to read it independently. He uses repetition and rhyme which all readers will find engaging. The setting, shown through the illustrations, is from a time long ago, in a rural farm setting. Joseph and the villagers’ dress, although colorful, shows that these are not wealthy people. The fact that Joseph reuses his jacket until it is made into a button, also shows that he is thrifty and unable to just throw things away.
The theme of the story is displayed by Joseph’s continued optimism throughout the book. He continually strives to make the best of his situation. The book also shows today’s children, about a time and culture where things were not thrown away, but used until they were completely worn out. Children today will wonder why he doesn’t just throw the coat away and get a new one. They can learn that this was not possible during the time in history that the story depicts.
I also liked that the author puts a letter to readers on the back page where he explains how he came to write the book. He also discusses his earlier version of the book which was illustrated differently. This first book was published in 1977. He also includes the words and music to a song about his overcoat. I wish that he would have included a tape or a button to push that would have played the song. That would have made including the song more engaging for children. I can’t read music, so I couldn’t sing the song to my students. This way they could listen to how the song is supposed to sound, and then we could all sing it together.
4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
Winner of the 2000 Caldecott Award.
Reviewed in SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “A book bursting at the seams with ingenuity and creative spirit.”
Reviewed PUBLISHERS WEEKLY: “Taback’s inventive use of die-cut pages shows off his signature artwork. It’s the bustling mixed-media artwork, highlighted by the strategically placed die-cuts, that steal the show.”
5. CONNECTIONS
Students might be interested to see the original book and compare it to the new version.
The story could be introduced by reading Taback’s, THERE WAS AN OLD WOMAN THAT SWALLOWED A FLY. You could then have students compare and contrast these two books. The use of die-cuts and the techniques the author uses in his illustrations would show similarities. Both books also use repetition, which students will pick up on.
The book could be used along with other books about farm life. This would help students understand what life was like was like in small rural villages when farming was a way of life.
For discussion, you could ask students if they have a favorite article of clothing. They could even make their own book about their article of clothing and what they might make out of it when it wears out.
The book could also be used for a lesson about inferences. Have students predict what Joseph will make next. You could also have them try to finish sentences in the book that rhyme.
The book could be used as a moral lesson for older students. Joseph shows them that even when things are bleak, you have to turn it around and try to make the best of your situation. Don’t dwell on what is negative in your life,
For art, you could show students how to make a collage, and then let them make their own. They could even create a collage of the article of clothing from their own personal book.
The book could also be used with other books showcasing the Jewish culture. Students could learn about Jewish celebrations, holidays, and customs. If there are any Jewish children in your school, you could have them come and talk to students. You could also try and have a Jewish adult come and talk to your students. Most students in my school have not been exposed to Jewish culture.
Taback, Simms. 1999. JOSEPH HAD A LITTLE OVERCOAT. Ill. by Simms Taback. New York: The Penguin Group. ISBN 0670878553
2. PLOT SUMMARY
A Jewish man named Joseph has a worn out overcoat. He recycles the material into various pieces of clothing, and wears each piece to a different social event. In the end, he loses the final piece of the overcoat and is left with nothing. However, he uses his experiences to write a book about the overcoat. This is how he creates something out of nothing. He can keep the book forever, to remind him of the coat he once had.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The cover of the book is bright and appears to use pieces of cloth to make the title stand out. Taback used watercolor, Gouache, pencil, ink, and collage to achieve the effect for the illustrations. The illustrations are wonderful, and children of any age will find them engaging. They achieve a cheerful and lighthearted feeling, and you know this book will probably end happily. The book also uses die cuts on select pages so that Joseph’s overcoat fabric can be seen throughout the book in the cut outs. The black borders around each page highlight the bold yellow text.
The book was adapted from a Yiddish folk song. The writing is simple enough for even the youngest children to understand. Beginning readers should be able to read it independently. He uses repetition and rhyme which all readers will find engaging. The setting, shown through the illustrations, is from a time long ago, in a rural farm setting. Joseph and the villagers’ dress, although colorful, shows that these are not wealthy people. The fact that Joseph reuses his jacket until it is made into a button, also shows that he is thrifty and unable to just throw things away.
The theme of the story is displayed by Joseph’s continued optimism throughout the book. He continually strives to make the best of his situation. The book also shows today’s children, about a time and culture where things were not thrown away, but used until they were completely worn out. Children today will wonder why he doesn’t just throw the coat away and get a new one. They can learn that this was not possible during the time in history that the story depicts.
I also liked that the author puts a letter to readers on the back page where he explains how he came to write the book. He also discusses his earlier version of the book which was illustrated differently. This first book was published in 1977. He also includes the words and music to a song about his overcoat. I wish that he would have included a tape or a button to push that would have played the song. That would have made including the song more engaging for children. I can’t read music, so I couldn’t sing the song to my students. This way they could listen to how the song is supposed to sound, and then we could all sing it together.
4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
Winner of the 2000 Caldecott Award.
Reviewed in SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “A book bursting at the seams with ingenuity and creative spirit.”
Reviewed PUBLISHERS WEEKLY: “Taback’s inventive use of die-cut pages shows off his signature artwork. It’s the bustling mixed-media artwork, highlighted by the strategically placed die-cuts, that steal the show.”
5. CONNECTIONS
Students might be interested to see the original book and compare it to the new version.
The story could be introduced by reading Taback’s, THERE WAS AN OLD WOMAN THAT SWALLOWED A FLY. You could then have students compare and contrast these two books. The use of die-cuts and the techniques the author uses in his illustrations would show similarities. Both books also use repetition, which students will pick up on.
The book could be used along with other books about farm life. This would help students understand what life was like was like in small rural villages when farming was a way of life.
For discussion, you could ask students if they have a favorite article of clothing. They could even make their own book about their article of clothing and what they might make out of it when it wears out.
The book could also be used for a lesson about inferences. Have students predict what Joseph will make next. You could also have them try to finish sentences in the book that rhyme.
The book could be used as a moral lesson for older students. Joseph shows them that even when things are bleak, you have to turn it around and try to make the best of your situation. Don’t dwell on what is negative in your life,
For art, you could show students how to make a collage, and then let them make their own. They could even create a collage of the article of clothing from their own personal book.
The book could also be used with other books showcasing the Jewish culture. Students could learn about Jewish celebrations, holidays, and customs. If there are any Jewish children in your school, you could have them come and talk to students. You could also try and have a Jewish adult come and talk to your students. Most students in my school have not been exposed to Jewish culture.
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