Monday, July 6, 2009

Author Spotlight - Kevin Henkes

My students grapple with lots of issues in the school where I teach. That is one of the reasons I like Kevin Henkes's work. Henkes (pronounced HENK-us) speaks to a number of issues in many of his children's books. And even though my students are a bit older than the youngsters in Henkes's stories, they love using the experiences of his characters as a springboard to write about their own issues.



My favorite book is Chrysanthemum in which character of the same name loves her name - it is the most perfect name for the most perfect little girl - until she gets to school and her name is teased and twisted so that it is no longer perfect. (How many of us have not had our names rhymed with something not-so-pleasant or had clever friends who figured out that by changing a letter or two, our name became something totally different?) Suddenly, school, which had seemed so exciting to little Chrysanthemum was no longer fun. And then Chrysanthemum and the rest of the students met Mrs. Twinkle, the special teacher who was able right the world again for Chrysanthemum. (I hope to be such a teacher for my kids!)


Henkes's Caldecott Honor Book Owen is the cute story of a little boy about to start school - but what to do about his blanket that he carries everywhere? Mrs. Tweezers, Owen's neighbor, has lots of "good" ideas for Owen's parents about how to separate Owen from his beloved blanket, but fortunately Owen's mom comes up with the best idea of all.





In Wemberly Worried, poor little Wemberly worries about everything all the time. Surely no one will come to her birthday party; then when they all do, she worries about not having enough cake for everyone. Her biggest worry of all was starting school. Wemberly's experience on the first day results in a miracle. (I won't need to read this book to my little Corbyn. Examples: ME: Corbyn, I can't find your Thomas train. HIM: Don't worry, Nonna. We'll find it later. ME: Corbyn, your bacon fell on the floor so you can't eat it. HIM: Don't worry, Nonna. I can just blow on it. ~Yikes!)




And finally, every school age child should read and think about what happens to best friends Chester and Wilson when a new kid comes to their neighborhood in Chester's Way. In fact, big people should probably read this one, too!








These books fall into Henkes's "mouse books," which are my favorites. But he has many other books, including some which are illustrated by others.

In 2005, Henkes won the Caldecott Medal for Kitten's First Full Moon, which is for very young children. The year before, in 2004, Henkes's young adult novel Olive's Ocean received the Newbery Honor, making Henkes one of the rare author/illustrators to have been recognized by both awards. Check out his website - there is a link to a great review of this author that was published in the New York Times in which Henkes was referred to as a "genius." I think I would have to agree!
















Monday, June 8, 2009

Author Spotlight - David Wiesner

David Wiesner is an artist who has been illustrating children's stories since 1980. However, in 1988, he illustrated the first book which he also wrote, Free Fall, which was named as a Caldecott Honor book in 1989. Since then, he has become only the second author in the history of the Caldecott Medal to win the pretigious award three times:


  • 2007 Flotsam
  • 2002 The Three Pigs
  • 1992 Tuesday
Sector 7 was also named a Caldecott Honor book in 2000.


His illustrations are beautiful pieces of art. Original paintings from Tuesday were displayed in a special exhibit in the Dallas Museum of Art several years ago, and I never would have thought I'd use the word "breathtaking" to describe pictures of flying frogs, but the pieces were beautiful.


Wiesner's fantasies fall into two categories - stories with words and stories without. Tuesday, Free Fall, and Sector 7 are some which fall into the wordless category. But the reader will have no trouble reading these stories. The art is engaging and easy to follow. His work is often described as cinematic for their ability to portray not only a snapshot of an exact moment, but also what led up to the moment and what followed. If you have never read a wordless picture book, Wiesner is the perfect place to start.



His books which have words are equally fascinating. My favorite may be Hurricane which has some of my favorite paintings. I particularly love looking for the boys' cat Hannibal in each piece of art. However, for those who love to collect variations on traditional literature, The Three Pigs is a must have. As the three brothers wander off the pages of their own folktale and head into the pages of others, all the while rescuing characters who are about to meet an untimely demise and enticing others to follow them in their adventure, the reader will be left wondering how this tale will turn out. This is a wonderful addition for the collector who already has variants on the traditional tale (some where the pigs get eaten, some where they don't, for example) as well as the fractured fairy tale The True Story of the Three Pigs by A. Wolf (Jon Scieszka, 1989).

Of course, when you have time, check out Wiesner's web page at Houghton Mifflin:

http://www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/authors/wiesner/home.html


Monday, May 25, 2009

Author Spotlight - Melanie Watt

Let's change directions for the summer and look at some of my favorite authors.

MELANIE WATT

Melanie Watt is an author from Montreal that you will not want to miss! She has written many pictures books for Ages 1 - 9. She has two series that are my favorites, geared toward 4- to 9-year-olds.



The first is the Scaredy Squirrel series. Scaredy Squirrel is afraid of everything! He lives his life trying to figure out how to avoid the scarey things that are out there. In Scaredy Squirrel at Night, Scaredy Squirrel is afraid that if he goes to sleep, he will have a bad dream. He is particularly afraid that one of these could appear in that dream: ghosts, unicorns, dragons, fairies, vampire bats, and polka-dot monsters. But Scaredy Squirrel is exhausted, so he creates an action plan and gathers the things he will need to face his bad dreams, which includes cupcakes, safety cones, and molasses, among other things. See what happens when Scaredy Squirrel's night doesn't go according to plan.


This is Scaredy Squirrel's website. http://www.scardeysquirrel.com/ Check him out!




The second series is Chester and Chester's Back, co-written by Melanie and Chester the Cat, who isn't thrilled that Melanie is writing about a mouse. Before long, Chester has changed the story with his trusty red marker from that of a mouse who lived in the country to a book about himself. The dueling authors fight throughout the rest of the book for control of the story, with Chester making Melanie's life very difficult! See who wins in these fun stories!





Next time you are at the library, give yourself a treat and head to the children's section and sit down in a little chair and read some Scaredy Squirrel and Chester books. You will make some wonderful new friends!

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Fantasy - A Review of AMONG THE HIDDEN


1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Haddix, Margaret Peterson. 2002. AMONG THE HIDDEN. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0689817002

2. PLOT SUMMARY
Luke has been hiding for his whole life. He’s never met another person outside his father, mother, and two brothers because no one knows he exists, not even his grandparents. Luke is a “shadow child.” He is the third child in a society that only allows families to have two children each. The penalties for having more than two children are severe, so Luke has learned to stay hidden. One day he notices a face in a window in the house across from his - a girl’s face in a house where two other boys already live. Suddenly Luke realizes he isn’t the only child in the world who is hiding. As he peers day after day through the vent in his attic bedroom, hoping to see the face again, he begins to hatch a plan for making contact with the person who is home alone all day just as he is. When he finally makes that contact and meets Jen, a whole new world opens up to Luke. Jen has access to the internet and TV, and she has made contact with what she believes are about 800 other shadow children. Jen has a plan to hold a rally in front of the president’s house. Surely with 800 third and fourth children, the government will have to acknowledge them and change its laws. Now Luke must decide if he will join her and the other shadow children, and he’s not sure he has the courage to do it. The results of the rally send events spiraling in an unexpected direction, and the future for Luke and other shadow children is suddenly in jeopardy.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Luke is a fairly ordinary boy who lives in extraordinary circumstances. This novel describes Luke in a way that makes it impossible not to ponder what it would be like to have to hide from everyone - forever. The plot gradually reveals what life is like from Luke’s perspective, and as the hopelessness of his fate sinks in with Luke, it likewise makes an impact on the reader. The setting feels like America sometime in the not-so-distant future; a world-wide famine has created a panic about the food supply which has caused many changes in the laws, including restrictions on family size. The Population Police is an ever-present force, and the government has created two classes - the working class barely able to keep their heads above water financially (by design of the government, unbeknownst to them), and the wealthy class known as the Barons. Readers will be struck by the unfairness of the situation, by the manipulation of the government, and by the negative consequences for both classes. Readers will find themselves hoping, maybe against hope, that Jen will succeed, and when the rally is over, sadness and rage will mingle in a “how could they do that?” which will linger in the mind for quite a while.

The science fiction “big brother” aspect of this novel may appeal to readers who do not like created worlds and creatures of high fantasy, but would rather ponder what life might be like under different circumstances where technology facilitates an evil sociological entity. Don’t expect a happy ending. Among the Hidden has an intense feeling that lasts all the way to the end and leaves the reader hanging somewhat. But the story is not over at the end of this book. This novel is one of seven in the series written by Haddix. The characters are intertwined through the stories. Readers who like characters in one novel will be happy to discover that they reappear in others. Double agents, secrets, daring risks and courageous children keep this story and the series engaging and exciting. Could our world really change like the one in this story? How far are we willing to go to stand up for what is right? How brave are we? This novel creates many questions that are interesting, if a little frightening, to ponder.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
* Kirkus: “In a chilling and intelligent novel, Haddix (Leaving Fishers, 1997, etc.) envisions a near future where a totalitarian US limits families to only two children. . . . these pages will give readers a new appreciation for their own world after a visit to Luke's.”
*The ALAN Review: “Although the denouement is swift and tidy, the fully realized setting, honest characters, and fast paced plot combine for a suspenseful tale of two youngsters fighting for their very existence.”
*VOYA: “This is an easily understood, younger reader's 1984 or Brave New World, presenting a chilling vision of a possibly not-too-distant future.”

5. CONNECTIONS
*Research a totalitarian government. What are countries like where a totalitarian government has existed? How far away are we from having to worry about being in a totalitarian society? Could it happen? What might cause it to happen?
*Create a shadow children network newspaper. (Teachers who have access to Moodle, Publisher, or other appropriate software might want to actually do this online). Students can imagine they are shadow children in contact with other shadow children online and write articles that would demonstrate what it would be like to live in this type of society.
*Students could create a diary written by Luke or Jen, but what might be even more interesting would be to write the diary from the perspective of Matthew or Mark, Luke’s older brothers. What might their life be like because of living with a hidden third child?

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Review of THE FIRST PART LAST - Contemporary Realistic Fiction


1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Johnson, Angela. 2003. THE FIRST PART LAST. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0689849222

2. PLOT SUMMARY
Bobby loves New York City - the noise, the action, the people. He’s a teenager who is into what middle-class teenage boys are typically into - parties, hanging out with friends, having a girlfriend. However, on his 16th birthday, Bobby finds out that his girlfriend is pregnant, and his world changes. Bobby and Nia decide to give their baby up for adoption so they can go back to a normal life. But until the baby is born, Bobby is committed to going with Nia to her doctor appointments, bringing her pizza early in the morning, and rubbing her feet or her back when she’s feeling the stress of her changing body. But things don’t go as planned, and Bobby has to make a decision. Can he do the right thing, even when it’s the hardest thing he’s ever had to do?

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Bobby is a typical teen, which means there is so much more to him than one might see on the surface. Yes, he hangs out with friends, goes to parties, skips school on his birthday with his buddies to eat pizza and go to a movie. However, Angela Johnson is able to reveal the sensitive, insecure thoughts of an otherwise regular guy in a story that looks at the boy’s side of teenage pregnancy and its repercussions. Bobby isn’t a tough street kid, he’s just a normal high-schooler whose parents are divorced. Young adults - both male and female - will find Johnson’s portrayal of a young expectant father refreshing. What do boys think about when they find out that the “one time” turned into something much bigger? Do all boys just skip out and say, “Sorry, your problem”? Not this one. The setting of New York City serves to emphasize the difficulties of being responsible, and the commitment of this young man who is willing to step up to the plate to do what he believes is the right thing. Many young adult readers will be able to relate to Bobby - like them, there is so much more to this teenager than the often visible couldn’t-care-less attitude that rides on the surface of many teens as a defense against the struggles of their world. Johnson tells the story through chapters titled simply “now” and “then, revealing the details a little at a time in flashbacks that gradually explain the present situation until the reader crashes into the ending which is unexpected and heartrending.

I wish I had a copy of this book to hand to everyone who finds out I’m a high school teacher and says, “Wow, how can you stand to work with teenagers? They’re so disrespectful and misbehaved.” No, they’re just kids who are trying to figure out life, often in circumstances that many of us can only imagine. Bobby says, “. . . if the world were really right, humans would live life backward and do the first part last. They’d be all knowing in the beginning and innocent in the end.” There are many more Bobbys in the world than many adults realize. If only they would take the time to get to know a few of them. This young man would be a good place to start.

The book received the 2004 Michael L. Printz Award and was selected as one of the YALSA 2004 Top Ten Best Books for Young Adults.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT
*Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy: “The novel's effective alternating now/then organizational pattern reinforces the theme that the present and past are inextricably connected on the basis of choices that we make for ourselves, particularly bad choices made by youngsters who knowingly engage in risky behavior.”
*KLIATT Review: “Johnson has a way of getting to her readers’ emotions with few words, creating characters we really care about. Her young people are thoughtful, conscientious, and loving--certainly with failings, but trying to do better.”
* Kutztown University Book Review: “This is a well written and touching book that will appeal to young adult readers for its true-to-life characters."

5. CONNECTIONS
*Students who enjoy this book may want to read Angela Johnson’s previous novel Heaven. There is a connection to this previous novel at the end of The First Part Last. Conversely, this novel would also be a good follow up for students who have already read Heaven, which received the Coretta Scott King Award.
*Students can seek out other books - fiction and nonfiction - about teenage fathers. While books from the young father’s perspective are fewer, they do exist and students may want to compare experiences.
*To emphasize the theme of the novel - life is hard when you’re a kid trying to raise a kid - students who read this book can keep a journal for a week of their activities. Then reviewing the journal, think about what would have to change if they were full time parents with an infant. Rewrite the journal as a story, expanding the entries to include feelings, emotions, and thoughts.

Monday, April 20, 2009

Comtemporary Realistic Fiction - A Review of HOOT


1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Hiaasen, Carl. 2002. HOOT. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN 0375821813

2. PLOT SUMMARY
Roy is new at his school - again. Because of his father’s job with the Department of Justice, Roy’s family has moved many times. Newly transplanted from Montana to Florida, Roy once again becomes the target of a big bully. However, as Roy’s face is being smashed into the school bus window, he sees something interesting - a barefoot boy running like the wind through the neighborhood near one of the bus stops. Roy’s curiosity leads him to find and follow the boy. What is the boy up to? Why isn’t he in school? How is he able to run like that? Roy finds the boy and the adventure that ensues in pursuit of answers to his questions plops Roy into events he never could have anticipated.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
“Roy had resigned himself to the fact that there was no change of seasons in South Florida, only mild variations of summer.” The hot, humid weather of south Florida, often sunny but just as likely to break into a thunderstorm at any moment, is an ideal backdrop for this funny tale of a boy who finds himself in the middle of an unlikely situation. With events that are wacky, funny, and sometimes tense, Roy tries to unravel a mystery is happening in his corner of the community of Coconut Cove. Something is definitely “fishy,” and Roy is determined to figure out what it is. The plot is quick and funny with a hint of suspense - enough to keep the reader flying forward to find out what is happening. And once the situation is discovered, to find out how it will turn out. Roy is a smart, witty twelve-year-old who attends Trace Middle School. He’s an immensely likeable, if not exactly realistic, middle-schooler who has discovered different ways to cope when faced once again with being the new kid. Young adult readers will find his ability to outsmart the bully quite satisfying. They will enjoy his happy, sincere demeanor, and will most likely appreciate his relationship with his parents, which is solid and positive. Roy tries to help “Mullet Fingers,” the barefoot boy who doesn’t enjoy the same advantages of a loving, supportive home. While the end of the story leaves Mullet Fingers with an unknown, uncertain future, the reader is left with the hope that he will be able to make his way in the world. Adult readers will appreciate the fact that not all the adults are portrayed as completely incompetent bumblers who are unable to do anything right. While the tale is definitely offbeat, most readers will like the outcome for both the adult and kid characters alike. Carl Hiaasen, writer for the Miami Herald and author of best-selling novels for adults, has definitely hit a homerun with this first novel for young adults which was a Newbery Honor book and the recipient of a YALSA Best Book for Young Adults award.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
*The Horn Book: “Hoot is quintessential Hiaasen - a mystery/adventure set in South Florida, peopled with original and wacky characters.”
* Booklist: “It seems unlikely that the master of noir-tinged, surrealistic black humor would write a novel for young readers. And, yet, there has always been something delightfully juvenile about Hiaasen’s imagination; beneath the bent cynicism lurks a distinctly 12-year-old cackle."
* The Miami Herald: “A tale torn from the pages of Hiaasen’s past and South Florida’s present, a rollicking, righteous story about two middle-school eco-warriors."

5. CONNECTIONS
*Research burrowing owls - What do they look like? Where are their roosts? What are their habits? What are land developers’ responsibilities toward them?
*Find out more about Environmental Impact Studies. Companies must conduct one before commencing with construction. What are the responsibilities of companies who are planning new developments? What are the results if they falsify or hide the results of their EIS?
*Plan a protest - what would be some effective ways to protest if something were planned for your community that you believed was wrong? Strategize the process that students could use to realistically protest.
*Hoot was made into a major motion picture directed by Wil Shriner and starring Luke Wilson. It was release in 2006. Students might enjoy knowing they can rent the movie to watch after reading the book.

Sunday, April 12, 2009

Historical Fiction - A Review of MATILDA BONE


1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Cushman, Karen. 2000. MATILDA BONE. New York: Clarion. ISBN 0395881560

2. PLOT SUMMARY
Matilda has lived for 14 years in a fine manor house where the hardest thing she had to do was find her way to the privy in the dark. However, through unfortunate circumstances, Matilda finds herself thrust into the job of apprentice to Peg the Bonesetter who lives in Blood and Bone Alley. Suddenly, she must assist with all sorts of jobs that are beneath her pious upbringing. The last words of Father Leufredus ring in her ears constantly: “Remember all I have taught you, about right and wrong, sin and Hell, and the evils of joy and pleasure. Do always as you think I would have you do, remember your Latin, and pray ceaselessly.” Now, every time she turns around, she is asked to do something lowly which requires neither her spirituality nor her education. While Matilda yearns to seek higher things, she begins to learn about life for those who must live in the every day world.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Matilda is a judgmental, self-centered character throughout the story and does not mature as many readers might expect at the outset of the novel. While we get a glimpse of the fact that she is recognizing that perhaps what she was taught by Father Leufredus does not take the realities of life into consideration, that realization does not come until the very end of the story. Although she is given opportunity after opportunity to realize her short-sighted attitudes, she only inches toward the discovery that prayers and Latin are not the be-all and end-all of life. However, how many people do we know who are just like she is? The frustration that many readers may feel every time Matilda thinks Master Theobald superior to Doctor Margery may easily translate to the feelings they have had about friends or family members who just do not seem to “get it.”

Matilda is a character who gets lost in this story that focuses on the interesting details of medieval medicine and life among those who must live day by day. Although the author states in her “Author’s Note” that she is concerned about the story sounding too much like a text book, the story itself is still subordinate to the setting. However, many younger readers (middle schoolers, in particular), will enjoy the descriptions of bone setting, bleeding, and remedies such as pounded earthworms, ants’ eggs, and bull urine. They may be surprised to find that barbers were as likely to cut off legs as hair. However, readers who are more interested in character and conflict may not find enough to keep them engaged with the story. For those who thoroughly enjoy the setting, the bibliography of books dealing with medieval medicine used by the author may spur readers on to further nonfiction reading.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
*Kirkus: “This has much to commend it: a robust setting, the author's deft way with imagery (Peg's decent face is "beslobbered with freckles") and an impressive command of medieval medical detail.”
*The ALAN Review: “This book, with its delightfully gory descriptions of "prescriptions," leeches, medical treatments and beliefs, would make a wonderful choice to read aloud to a class.”
*Horn Book: “Cushman reveals her concern that her research on the medicine of the day not overwhelm her story; the truth is, this information is just as interesting as Matilda's tale.”
*VOYA: “No one has a better grasp of the flavor of the Middle Ages than Cushman. . . . Students studying the Middle Ages will find this novel a delightful way to learn about fourteenth-century English town life, and those who enjoy historical fiction will treasure the independent spirit of young Matilda Bone.”

5. CONNECTIONS
*Social Studies’ teachers could use this well-researched book to help students get a better picture of the Middle Ages. English Language Arts teachers would find this book an interesting read-aloud.
*Students interested in the topic of medieval times may find reading about medicine a great research topic, especially if they can get a copy of Eyewitness Books Medicine from Dorling Kindersley (which is now out of print). This book was referenced by Cushman in her bibliography, and the full-color pictures that dot each page will help readers picture what medicine throughout history has been like.
*Students may want to read other books set in the Middle Ages - including Cushman’s Catherine, Called Birdy and The Midwife’s Apprentice. Or teachers could use these three books all set in the same time period to compare characters and details of the setting through literature circles.

Sunday, April 5, 2009

Historical Fiction at Its Best - A Review of THE LAND


1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Taylor, Mildred D. 2001. THE LAND. New York: Scholastic. ISBN 0439434173

2. PLOT SUMMARY
Paul-Edward Logan was born in post-Civil War Georgia - his mother a freed part black-part Indian slave, his father her former master. Paul has grown up being treated as his father’s child. He and his sister Cassie sit at the family table with their three white brothers, George and Hammond who are older than Paul, and Robert who is the same age. Because of his unique situation of having a father who cared for him, and the fact that he could pass as white, Paul has not learned about the realities of being “a man of color” in a white world. His brother Robert is his best friend as well as his brother. However, changes start to happen when Edward Logan, their father, sends the boys separate ways for their education. Then Robert betrays his brother during one of their vacations home when he and two white buddies get in a fight with Paul, and Robert sides with his friends. Paul has also established an uneasy truce with Mitchell, the son of a sharecropper on his father’s land. Their relationship has slowly evolved into one of respect and friendship. Unfortunately, Mitchell has a temper, and after attacking a white man who cheated Paul out of pay, he and Paul find themselves on the run. Unable to return home, Paul begins a journey of trying to establish a life for himself in a difficult world where he doesn’t fit in with whites or blacks. Paul had always loved his father’s land - land which he had assumed might one day be his. So now Paul is trying to find his life and the land where he will establish his own family.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
I have never met a family like the Logans - a family full of passion and strength living at a time when there was so much heartache. Perhaps because the Logans are based on Mildred Taylor’s family and their stories and experiences, she is able to portray them in a way that allows the reader to feel what it was like to be black at a time in history that is difficult for many of us to face. I fell in love with Cassie and her brothers in Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, and while I had read many stories describing prejudice and discrimination, none touched me like that story - and Taylor’s subsequent novels - did. I realized that I had had no concept of what it felt like to be black in a country where emancipation did not mean acceptance, opportunities were hard-fought, and “life is not fair” was such an unbelievable understatement.

The Land takes us back to Cassie’s grandfather, Paul-Edward. A prequel to all the other stories, it does not disappoint. The descriptions of the people and times are vivid and authentic. Paul-Edward’s struggle to purchase the piece of property he fell in love with is based on Taylor’s own struggle to obtain a piece of land she found in the Rocky Mountains and paid dearly to purchase - not only financially, but emotionally as well. (Taylor sold among other things, at great emotional sacrifice, the typewriter on which she wrote Roll of Thunder in order to make payments on time). Thus the anxiety, tension, hard work and fear are palpable. We find out how John Wallace, whom we grew to hate in The Friendship, and Tom Bee were first introduced to the Logan family. And we meet the young Caroline, Cassie’s Big Ma. Taylor weaves the importance of family into this novel in a way that reveals the pain of family betrayal. I have left each novel thinking about how much I would have loved being friends with the Logans, and how impossible that would have been, and it is heartbreaking. In her “A Note to the Reader” Taylor states, “it has been my wish to have readers walk in the shoes of the Logan family, who are based on my family, and to feel what they felt.” She goes on to say that she hopes this understanding will help readers further understand what millions of families endured as well as the Civil Rights movement.

Taylor provides a description, a chart and a family tree to help the reader keep the Logan family saga sequenced, given that the novels were not written in chronological order. A biography of Mildred Taylor is also included, giving the reader insight as to where the stories originated. “Further Readings” are included along with “Questions for Discussion” and “Connections to U. S. History.”

All in all, this novel succeeds in continuing the story of the Logans, providing another layer of the complex story that spans the 1870s through the 1950s. The characters and setting hopefully help those of us living in another time to increase our understanding of a world where injustice reigned, hopefully providing the motivation to help continue the fight for civil rights for all who live in our country. In our multicultural society, Mildred Taylor should be required reading for all students, for unfortunately, the wrongs of prejudice and discrimination described between the covers of her books have not all been righted and we are responsible to continue the struggle.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
*Booklist starred review: “Drawing directly on her family history, especially what [Taylor] knows about her great-grandfather, she goes back to the time of Reconstruction to tell a searing story of cruelty, racism, and betrayal. She also tells a thrilling coming-of-age story about friendship, hope, and family strength.”
*Children’s Literature: “Written with great care, accuracy and emotion, The Land is a wonderful novel, telling a family story that will move and enrich its readers. Readers will come away with a deeper understanding of what life in the South was like for African-Americans struggling to make their way in a society grounded upon prejudice.”
*Horn Book: “Taylor masterfully uses harsh historical realities to frame a powerful coming-of-age story that stands on its own merits.”

5. CONNECTIONS
*Use the discussion questions and host a reading club in the library, perhaps during Black History Month.
*Use Related Novels in the Further Reading suggestions and compare the experiences of the Logans to those written about by other authors. Classroom teachers can conduct Literature Circles using related novels to cover this point in history. This would be particularly effective for Social Studies teachers if they can find the time to conduct this meaningful reading in their tight curriculums. *Students may want to interview their family members to discover their family’s history. What a powerful thing it is to know where your family has come from and how it has shaped who you are. Have students write their own novels or short stories based on their own family stories.

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Jip: His Story - Historical Fiction, a Review


1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Paterson, Katherine. 1996. JIP: HIS STORY. New York: Lodestar. ISBN 0525675434

2. PLOT SUMMARY
Jip fell off the back of a wagon on West Hill Road when he was a toddler, and no one came back looking for him. When he was picked up by a passerby, he ends up at the town poor farm, which becomes his home; the animals, his friends. One day Put arrives at the farm, a lunatic whose rages from his wooden cage terrify everyone. However, as Jip cares for Put, a friendship grows during Put’s long stretches of lucidity. Then Lucy arrives at the farm with her family following the death of her father, and she and Jip begin attending the one-room school house. Jip’s relationships with Put, Lucy, Teacher, and her sweetheart Luke Stevens change Jip’s life. However, a suspicious stranger shows up at the farm asking questions about Jip, and as Jip begins to discover the truth about his past, he finds he must escape if he is to avoid the horrible consequences.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Set in 1855-1856 Vermont, the novel begins immediately with a mystery - who would lose a child and not come back for him? Jip’s story is compelling, and as the truth of his past begins to unfold, the story becomes urgent and breathless. The setting is an integral part of story - first by providing a backdrop of rural America which allows Jip a fairly stable, if sometimes hard, life. Near the end as the plot races toward its climax, the reader finds a thread of pre-Civil War America and the Underground Railroad woven in as well. The plot and setting are realistic, with the plot being the driving force and the setting being the vehicle that carries the story forward.

Jip is not a totally realistic character. He’s definitely older than his 11 years. Charged with taking care of much of the farm, as well as Put when he arrives, Jip handles more than many adults today would be able to cope with. But Jip’s sensitive, caring nature makes him a sympathetic character, one the reader quickly cares and worries about. The universal theme of man’s inhumanity to man sadly encompasses this child who has had to become an adult too quickly. And it is with gratefulness that the reader is able to experience the introduction of Teacher and Luke into young Jip’s life - people who see him as the child he is with all the potential which that entails. Their willingness to put their lives and reputations on the line for him brings tears to the eye. This Scott O’Dell Award Winner does not end “happily ever after,” and the reader will be left with lots of questions about what happens next, but the reader will nevertheless be happy he took the trip through this part of Jip’s story.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
*Booklist starred review: “It's not often that the revelations of the plot are so astonishing--and yet so inevitable--that they make you shout and think and shiver and cry. . . . Paterson's simple sentences lay bare the dark historical truth and the transforming light of love.”
*Kirkus starred review: “As usual for Paterson, all the characterizations are penetrating--even the villains are interesting.”
*Horn Book: “The narrative flows effortlessly, and a riveting pace is maintained throughout.”

5. CONNECTIONS
*This book may be particularly interesting to boys since the protagonist is male. This book could be a real winner for boys who have trouble finding chapter books that they enjoy reading for pleasure.
*This novel would be excellent for analyzing literary elements such as plot, setting, characters, and theme.
*Jip: His Story would make a good read-aloud. Teachers could easily use a Directed Reading-Thinking Activity where students make predictions, beginning with the Prologue, then confirm, adjust, and add to their predictions as the reading proceeds.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

The Boy on Fairfield Street - A Biography Review


1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Krull, Kathleen. 2004. THE BOY ON FAIRFIELD STREET: HOW TED GEISEL GREW UP TO BECOME DR. SEUSS. Ill. by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher. New York: Random House. ISBN 0375922989

2. PLOT SUMMARY
Everyone knows Dr. Seuss. He authored the best selling children’s books ever, with his books selling hundreds of millions of copies. But how did Dr. Seuss get to be Dr. Seuss? This informative and interesting book by Kathleen Krull begins, “Once upon a time, there lived a boy who feasted on books and was wild about animals.” The biography starts with the day Ted was born and describes his childhood growing up with loving immigrant parents. It continues with a description of his school years when Ted’s German background created hardships for Ted as the U.S. headed into war with Germany. Ted made it through college, his parents’ dream for their two children, but just never could seem to get serious about anything but his drawing and humorous quips. What was Ted going to do? “It wasn’t as if men could doodle for a living.” But when The Saturday Evening Post published a drawing of two tourists riding camels, with other offers from magazines soon to follow, Ted began signing his works “Dr. Seuss,” and at twenty-two, Geisel was off to New York to find his place in the world.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Most kids and adults know of Dr. Seuss, even if it is only for The Cat in the Hat or How the Grinch Stole Christmas (the power of TV and the major motion picture!) Because Dr. Seuss is a familiar author, many will find this biography thoroughly entertaining. Krull tells Ted Geisel’s story in fun details that help bring this legendary author to life. What child would not be thrilled to find that someone so famous got in trouble in school for doodling and not paying attention? The text is lively and full of information that is both interesting and engaging. The older reader who grew up with Dr. Seuss books close at hand may find that he or she knows nothing of Dr. Seuss’s beginnings, and finding out about the early years of this beloved storyteller adds to the charm of the long-loved tales.

The main text of the book begins when Ted Geisel is born and continues until he is 22 when he gets his first big break by selling the picture to The Saturday Evening Post. Following this, there is a section titled “On Beyond Fairfield Street” which picks up in a smaller font at Geisel’s move to New York when he was 22 and tells the rest of his story up to his death at the age of 87. Finally, the book ends with a list of great works written and illustrated by Dr. Seuss, a list of further reading (perhaps the bibliography for this book, but not specifically stated as such), and web sites. (Most of the web site addresses are no longer working addresses, but the http://www.seussville.com/ site is still operational as is the address for the Forest Park Zoo.) Interestingly, the publication information that usually occurs at the beginning of a book is found at the back along with the credits for illustrations taken from Dr. Seuss books.

The main illustrations for this picture book are paintings created by husband-and-wife team Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher. While the realistic pictures are beautiful, they are in sharp contrast to the art of Dr. Seuss himself, whose drawings are included on every page. Perhaps the paintings of Johnson and Fancher can help the reader see Ted Geisel as a real boy with real dreams, passions, and hard times – just like all children. But it is the drawings of Dr. Seuss himself that will have readers smiling with memories of their own favorite Dr. Seuss adventures. A photograph of a gray-haired Dr. Seuss is also included at the end.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
*Booklist: “Krull’s pithy text is extended by full-page paintings that glow with the memory of yesteryear and capture the mix of humor and poignancy that comes with trying to fit in.”
*Publishers Weekly: “Johnson and Fancher's (New York's Bravest) representational, nostalgic paintings effectively evoke both the period and Geisel's appealingly puckish personality. Featured in spot art, familiar Seuss characters frolic through these pages, thematically complementing the illustrations while reminding readers why Geisel's life is worth celebrating.”

5. CONNECTIONS
*Take a trip to the library and read books by Dr. Seuss. Kids can pick out their favorites or give a review of one they’ve never read before.
*Older students may want to find books written by Theo Lesieg (another pen name used by Geisel for books he wrote that were illustrated by someone else. Note that Lesieg is Geisel spelled backward). Compare Lesieg books to Seuss books. Which do you like best? Why?
*Students may continue enjoying Dr. Seuss by visiting http://www.seussville.com/.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

The Top of the World: Climbing Mount Everest - A Review


1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Jenkins, Steve. 1999. THE TOP OF THE WORLD: CLIMBING MOUNT EVEREST. New York: Houghton Mifflin . ISBN 0395942187

2. PLOT SUMMARY
What do you need to know if you want to climb Mt. Everest? Jenkins takes the reader on a journey to climb Everest which begins with background information on the mountain itself (its location, how tall it is, how it was formed, its religious significance to the inhabitants of the region, etc.). He continues by describing the attempts of early mountaineers who sought to reach the top, the gear one would need to make the attempt, and the mountain features a climber would encounter on the way up, such as the Khumbu Icefall and the animals and plants of the lower elevations. The dangers encountered along the way make reaching the summit especially exciting.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The facts presented in this picture book are varied and interesting. Several short paragraphs are presented on each two-page spread, each with its own title and accompanying illustration. The very last page of the book includes a comparison chart of the tallest mountain on each continent, records from Everest (up through January, 1999), additional websites, and a bibliography. Unfortunately, this volume did not include any information about the author or the art. While there is no table of contents, the headings of the paragraphs help the reader locate information if he’s willing to flip through the entire book to find particular facts. Rather than being a book that would be appropriate for research, this volume is more appropriate for pleasure reading by a child who is interested in mountains. It makes a great introduction to the highest mountain in the world, Mt. Everest.

The illustrations appear to be made from cut and torn handmade papers and fibers which give each page texture and interest. Different colors of papers layered on each other give a 3-D appearance. The fibers which create the snow and clouds are particularly interesting. The fact that all the equipment is also cut from paper is amazing – the detail is surprising. An older reader would enjoy analyzing the illustrations along with reading about Everest.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
*The Bulletin: “An invigorating and fact-filled look at the great peak.”
*Horn Book, starred review: “Mount Everest may be imposing, but Steve Jenkins takes its measure in a strikingly executed picture book. . . .From start to finish, Jenkins has created a breathtaking tour-de-force.”
*School Library Journal, starred review: “Readers will cheer with the climber illustrated on the summit and want to go back and pore over the details in the words and pictures again. . . [an] excellent example of pictorial nonfiction.”

5. CONNECTIONS
*Check out the additional websites on Mt. Everest. The websites listed in the book are no longer in existence, but there are plenty more that are, including http://www.mnteverest.net/ , and www.nationalgeographic.com/everest .
*Social Studies teachers might find this to be a good source of additional reading for a unit on world geography. English Language Learners in particular will find this volume accessible.
*Art students would enjoy looking at the illustrations and trying to create similar illustrations of their own on a topic of interest to them. Using torn and cut paper creates interesting effects that would be fun to mimic.

Monday, March 16, 2009

Nonfiction - A Review of The Forbidden Schoolhouse


1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Jurmain, Suzanne. 2005. THE FORBIDDEN SCHOOLHOUSE: THE TRUE AND DRAMATIC STORY OF PRUDENCE CRANDALL AND HER STUDENTS. New York: Houghton Mifflin . ISBN 0618473025

2. PLOT SUMMARY
In October of 1831, Prudence Crandall, at the age of 28, opened The Canterbury Female Boarding School in the town of Canterbury, Connecticut. Then in January 1933, Prudence accepted Sarah Harris as a student in her school, and suddenly everyone began to talk. Sarah was black, and while Prudence knew that accepting a black student into her school might create problems in the town, she was unable to face Sarah with a disappointing answer. As expected, the town reacted. As Daniel Frost, a prominent lawyer, explained to Prudence, the men who had come to protest her school were not against educating black people; they just didn’t want to educate them in their hometown. Prudence, although not an abolitionist, believed people of color deserved an education just as much as whites, and she made the decision to not only accept Sarah, but to convert her school to a school which would educate young middle-class black women. Over the next eighteen months, Prudence, her staff, and her students endured threats, jeers, arrests, fines, boycotts, and fires aimed at getting the school to close. Yet Prudence was determined to provide an education to the girls she’d grown to love.

Suggested for ages 10 and up, the story takes the reader on the journey with a young woman determined to do what she believed was right even when she could find very few supporters. Her determination and resolve are an inspiration to readers even now, 175 years later.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Jurmain’s account of Prudence Crandall’s experiences is told in a narrative format that is gripping and builds suspense as readers wait to find out what will happen while keeping their fingers crossed that truth and justice will win out. One can’t help but cringe when the girls are called horrible names, are pelted with rotten eggs, and are even threatened with being whipped by the town leaders if they don’t go home. In this pre-Civil War era, many readers may be surprised to find that even states that were anti-slavery weren’t exactly supportive of blacks, and prejudice and discrimination reigned. The text will keep readers engaged to the very end and includes enough historical background to put the conflict between Prudence and her community in context. Details such as the fact that women could not vote and were not allowed to speak out in public meetings helps modern readers understand the difficulty Prudence had fighting this battle. An explanation of the bloody Nat Turner rebellion helps make more clear why white people would have been hesitant to assist black people. A final chapter and epilogue give a brief summation of Prudence’s life after the school closed.

What makes this book particularly exceptional are the reference aids and access features. The author provides A Note to the Reader which explains the use of offensive words such as “colored” and “nigger” and why they are used in certain places. Photographs of Crandall’s house, now a museum, are included along with portraits of Crandall and other principal players in this story. Prints of advertisements, newspaper articles, and art provide visual context throughout the chapters. Kids will particularly enjoy reading about what happened to the students, teachers, friends, and enemies of the school in the Appendix. The Notes section provides detailed information, chapter by chapter, as to how the author recreated Crandall’s words, conversations, and letters. A Bibliography, an Index, and a Photo Credits section round out the reference aids.

Although Prudence Crandall is an obscure historical figure, her story will provide inspiration to many who read this informational book.


4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
*Booklist, starred review: “Jurmain has plucked an almost forgotten incident from history and has shaped a compelling, highly readable book around it.”
*Horn Book: “Crandall's obscurity may limit the appeal of this book, though readers looking for the individual who bravely fights for the rights of others will be inspired by her dedication, strength, and moral compass.”
*Kirkus: “Jurmain adopts a storyteller's voice to tell the tale, lacing it with excerpts from primary sources, but always locating readers in the emotional heart of the conflict.”

5. CONNECTIONS
*Some of the bibliographic entries include web sites. Students may continue their reading on related topics by looking up some of the sites.
*Social Studies teachers can use this book as supplemental reading when looking at American history leading up to the Civil War and emancipation of the slaves.
*Students may research education today – how are opportunities for blacks different? Are there ways in which they are the same? Has desegregation worked?
*Older students (high school) might want to compare the issue of the rights of blacks in the 1800s with modern day issues such as immigration and illegal residents.

Sunday, March 8, 2009

Out of the Dust - a Review of a Novel in Verse


1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Hesse, Karen. 1997. OUT OF THE DUST. New York: Scholastic. ISBN 0590360809

2. PLOT SUMMARY
Fourteen-year-old Billie Jo Kelby knows what it is like to live in the despair of the Oklahoma dust bowl of the mid-1930s. The crops have died and blown away. The land is barren. And the wind blows and blows, bringing with it the inescapable dust that settles into every crevice and on every surface. Yet her little family still seems to find some joy - the sweet music that Billie Jo and her mother are able to coax from their beautiful piano; the apple trees that bloom in spite of the loss of all other vegetation; the perpetual optimism that things will be better soon. Then a terrible tragedy takes her mother and baby brother with it, and life seems unbearable. When Billie Jo leaves Oklahoma to find a better life out of the dust, she realizes that her life is more firmly rooted in the strength of her father than she had realized, and “what I am, / I am because of the dust. / And what I am is good enough. / Even for me.”

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Out of the Dust is written in free verse that helps create the melancholy tone of the story. The narrative is moved forward by separate poems, each with a title, that describe events in the life of Billie Jo and her family. The date at the end of each poem also gives the story the feel of a diary as we see the tragedy of the dust bowl through young Billie Jo’s eyes. The poetry creates haunting images that stay with the reader long after the story is over. Children who read the book can gain an appreciation of the hardness of this time that coupled the Great Depression with the drought that created the dust bowl in the central United States. Through the imagery of the poetry, the reader can almost feel the dust coating the bedsheets, taste the grit of the dirt in the milk, and see the black clouds moving in as the next dust storm approaches. The emotional impact is genuine and strong. The description of the accident that claims the life of Billie Jo’s mother and baby brother is short, yet powerful, and it’s impact on Billie Jo and her father is felt throughout the rest of the story. With regard to the plot structure, there doesn’t seem to be a clear climax to the story, but there are many images that will haunt long after the novel is complete.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
*Publishers Weekly: “Readers may find their own feelings swaying in beat witht the heroine’s shifting moods as she approaches her coming-of-age and a state of self-acceptance.”
*Horn Book: “Filled with memorable images—such as Billie Jo's glimpse of her pregnant mother bathing outdoors in a drizzle—the spare verses showcase the poetry of everyday language . . . .”
*School Library Journal: “Hesse's ever-growing skill as a writer willing to take chances with her form shines through superbly in her ability to take historical facts and weave them into the fictional story of a character young people will readily embrace.”

5. CONNECTIONS
*This book is a good candidate for performing in a Readers’ Theater. Have students create scripts from their favorite passages.
*Social studies teachers may find this novel useful as a supplemental piece for their students when studying about the Depression. Seeing this period of time through the eyes of someone close to their own age could help this period of U.S. history come alive as well as helping children sympathize with the difficulties families faced.
*Compare this novel to one that is told in diary format, such as Ann M. Martin’s Sunny in her California Diaries Series. How is Out of the Dust similar? different? As students write a personal narrative, have them try doing it in diary or free verse style.

Sunday, March 1, 2009

Once Upon a Tomb - A Review


1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Lewis, J. Patrick. 2006. ONCE UPON A TOMB: GRAVELY HUMOROUS VERSES. Ill. by Simon Bartram. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press. ISBN 100763618373

2. PLOT SUMMARY
Epitaphs - we’ve all seen some interesting ones. This picture book volume of poetry includes epitaphs for professions of all kinds, from the dairy farmer to the teacher, the fortune teller to the gardener, the mailman, and many others. Need ideas for what to put on the tombstone of a loved one? This group of 22 hilarious poems may provide just the answer.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
While this book is advertised as being for children ages 6-10, this collection of poems seems suited for the older reader, which makes this volume perfect for middle school and high school students. Lewis uses vocabulary and puns which may fly over the heads of the younger reader but will delight the more experienced reader. “Here lies” on the tomb of a fortune teller, for example. Or how about the mailman who was “Returned to Sender.” Older children will enjoy figuring out the meanings of some of the verses so they can understand the humor behind them. Most of the poems rhyme in a-b-a-b or a-a-b-b fashion. While most are rhythmic and read aloud easily, one or two are difficult to read as the rhythm is sacrificed for the sake of the rhyme. But otherwise, the poems roll easily off the tongue.

The vividly colorful illustrations by Simon Bartram have a cartoon-like quality that adds to the humorous mood and in some cases clarifies the meanings of the poems they accompany. What an interesting thought that a pizza delivery guy would take a pie to the food critic in his grave. The vine, reminiscent of Jack in the Beanstalk, that takes the gardener to heaven is another fun visual. The acrylic paintings are very bright and fanciful. Even the front and back endpapers with rows of gray tombstones against a navy blue background with a sprinkling of red flowers adds to the fun.

This would not be a book for those easily offended by verse that may seem to be disrespectful of the recently departed, but most will find it laugh-out-loud fun.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
*Publishers Weekly: “Meticulously rendered, Bertram's paintings toy with traditional icons of death. The fortune teller gazes glumly at a tiny Grim Reaper in her crystal ball, while the actual unwelcome visitor himself looms behind the clairvoyant.”
*School Library Journal: “Bartram's surrealistic acrylic illustrations heighten the humor and, in some cases, clarify the meaning of Lewis's ubiquitous puns. A great selection for a Halloween read-aloud or reluctant poetry readers.”

5. CONNECTIONS
*Pair this book with research on actual epitaphs that are found on real grave markers. Students may be surprised to find that there are humorous verses on the tombstones of real people.
*Children might want to try their hand at creating humorous epitaphs for historical figures.
*What would you want your tombstone to say? Children can write their own epitaphs. (This one could be a bit touchy. Feel this assignment out carefully before requiring students to create their own tombstones. Perhaps this could be one option among several where students think about their goals and what they want to be remembered for.)

Toasting Marshmallows: Camping Poems - A Review


1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
George, Kristine O’Connell. 2001. TOASTING MARSHMALLOWS: CAMPING POEMS. Ill. by Kate Kiesler. New York: Clarion Books. ISBN 061804597X

2. PLOT SUMMARY
This book of poetry by award-winning poet Kristine O’Connell George centers around the theme of a camping trip. Each poem tells of a part of the adventure that a family has as they camp, from setting up their tent when they arrive, to packing up and arriving home where the daughter - the narrator of many of the poems - unpacks and places her flannel shirt in the bottom drawer “where no one will find it/and wash away/my memories." In between, the family enjoys many aspects of their trip, which include observing wildlife, going fishing, visiting a bait shop, and, of course, toasting marshmallows.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This collection of 30 poems covers a wide range of styles in picture book format. Some are concrete poems, such as “Tent” and “Eavesdropping” (can you find the crescent moon?). Some poems have rhyme such as the description of toasting marshmallows where our narrator says it’s an art “a time of serious reflection/as my pillowed confection/slowly reaches golden perfection.” And some are freeform narratives telling the story of visiting a cave or the morning the little brother falls into the lake. But whether the poem includes rhyme or not, the language is always lyrical and musical. The reader can feel the mosquito in the onomotopoeia that brings the buzz to the ear, enjoy the path that takes the wanderer where “you didn’t know/you wanted to go” and feel the fear of something scratching on the tent outside. This collection of poems will have adults nostalgically remembering camping experiences and children and adults alike yearning to get outside and enjoy nature for the first time or all over again.

The poems are beautifully illustrated by Kate Kiesler’s acrylic paintings that draw the reader in and compliment the words of the poem. The reader will see the twinkling stars, feel the breeze blowing across the long grass of the meadow, and hear the buzzing of the bees in the field of wild mustard. Memories of an annoying little brother, quiet moments alone under a tree, or exciting times hand feeding a chipmunk will surface again through the vivid illustrations. While the paintings are realistic, the “soft focus” of each one will have the reader seeing the outdoors through a romantic lens. Even the mosquitoes and rain will seem like a pleasant experience. And as the book jacket flap states, the collaboration between George and Kiesler “will leave you with lively memories of a camping trip - even if you’ve never been on one.”

Children will find the poems fun and may clamor to go on a camping trip of their own. Many children will be able to relate to the brother and sister in these poems and will find the adventures very exciting. For kids who live in large cities and may not have had the chance to go camping, George and Kiesler can take them on a virtual trip that will feel almost as if they’ve been there themselves.


4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
*Starred review, School Library Journal: "...a child-focused sense of wonder...the poems are varied and inventive, replete with marvelous images and universal truths...A terrific idyll for summertime sharing, even for confirmed couch potatoes.”
*Starred review, Booklist: "Infused with the wonder and thrill of living outdoors, these are direct, satisfying poems that will engage kids at school, across the curriculum, or at home."
*Starred review, Publisher's Weekly: "...This volume by George and Kiesler is as delicious as a roasted marshmallow treat. George's poems shine, the images clear and startling."
*Children's Literature: "One can almost see the starlit night, taste the marshmallows, and hear the buzzing insects as words and illustrations combine in this unique collaboration."
*Kirkus: "Altogether, an engaging trip."

5. CONNECTIONS
*Teachers can ask children to compare the experiences of the children in the poems to their own experiences. Children may want to try writing and illustrating their own poems about outdoor experiences.
*Almost every child camps in the living room or the back yard at one time or another. Parents can use this volume to enhance the experience by reading poems and using flashlights on the ceiling or toasting marshmallows in the fireplace. Take a hike through the neighborhood after reading about the chipmunk, the moose, and the deer looking for wildlife native to the area, even if its simply the neighborhood cats, dogs, and birds.

Friday, February 20, 2009

Review - Porch Lies: Tales of Slicksters, Tricksters, and Other Wily Characters


1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
McKissack, Patricia C. 2006. PORCH LIES: TALES OF SLICKSTERS, TRICKSTERS, AND OTHER WILY CHARACTERS. New York: Schwartz & Wade Books. ISBN 9780375836190

2. PLOT SUMMARY
Many hot summer evenings, everyone in the family, often joined by those from the neighborhood, would frequently settle on the front porch to enjoy iced tea or lemonade, homemade tea cakes, and a good story. Porch lies they were called - “tales of humor and exaggeration told to listeners of all ages.” This collection of original creations mimics the stories from the author’s past. Myths, legends, and historical figures from the African American oral tradition are placed into the author’s original stories. Meet Pete Bruce, a rascal who schmoozes several pieces of coconut cream pie from a local baker for free. Or what about Link Murphy, a scoundrel who procures a job as a chauffer for Mis Crickett Thompson and then begins a business on the side using her car. (And was he really trying to save her, or just steal her jewelry?) Then there’s that slickster Montgomery Red who tricks Ralph, the King of the Ghosts with an ordinary rock. These and many other “wily characters” are waiting to entertain the reader. Take the book onto the porch with some iced tea and enjoy the stories.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The stories in this collection are great for reading aloud with others. The stories are a unique blend of legend and history. While the stories are from the imagination of the author based on stories she heard on her grandparents’ front porch, she weaves in characters such as Jesse James and the Ku Klux Klan. The stories are not told in dialect, which might disappoint some who would like the stories to sound authentically African American. However, this may make reading the stories aloud easier for most readers and listeners.

Each story is accompanied by one illustration by noted caricaturist Andre Carrilho of Portugal. The illustrations are black and white, and are interesting and unusual, commanding a second look. The illustrations are perfect compliments to the interesting and unusual characters presented in the stories.

McKissack gives background to the ideas for the stories by painting an engaging picture of listening to “Porch Lies” on her grandparents’ front porch when she was a child in the author’s note at the beginning of the book.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
*Starred Review in Publisher’s Weekly: “Readers of these spry tall tales will have a grand time”
*Booklist: “In black and white, Carrilho's full-page illustrations--part cartoon, part portrait in silhouette--combine realistic characters with scary monsters."
*AudioFile: “Listeners and their children will enjoy Patricia McKissack's stories so much they might not even notice how this Caldecott winner has subtly woven in African-American history."

5. CONNECTIONS
*Research the historical references in the stories - such as Jesse James and the Ku Klux Klan. How do the tales in Porch Lies fit with the historical figures?
*Create illustrations of other scenes in the stories.*Read aloud for the fun of a good story that was meant to be read aloud. Discuss the characters. Do they remind you of anyone you know? Have you ever met a slickster, trickster or other wily character?
*Try downloading the audiobook and listening to the stories. What is the difference in reading them yourself and hearing them read professionally?

Thursday, February 19, 2009

The Legend of the White Buffalo Woman - A Review


1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Goble, Paul. 1998. THE LEGEND OF THE WHITE BUFFALO WOMAN. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Society. ISBN 0792270746

2. PLOT SUMMARY
One of the most important Lakota legends tells how the Lakota people came to receive the first pipe from the White Buffalo Woman. After a brief history of the Lakota people, starting with their flood myth and proceeding through the rebirth of the nation and sad times of being forced from their land by their enemies, the people meet a beautiful, mysterious woman who visits the tribe, presents them with a pipe sent from Wakan Tanka, the Great Spirit, and declares that “from today, your people and my Buffalo Nation will be one family.” This pipe allows the people to pray to the Great Spirit, giving them great hope. Following the gift of the pipe from the Great Spirit, the Buffalo People later gifted the red stone so that everyone could make pipes.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The book jacket states that The Legend of the White Buffalo Woman is told “in stirring prose” and with some of Paul Goble’s “most breathtaking images.” I couldn’t agree more. The main story is that of how the Sacred Calf Pipe came to be given to the Lakotas of the Great Plains. But it is framed by the myths of the flood, the rebirth of the nation by the marriage of a Woman of the Earth and the Eagle of the Sky, and the war which caused the people great sadness and pain. The legend of the pipe is then followed by the legend of the buffalo path where the red stone was discovered that can now be used to create additional pipes. The combination of legends tells a rich, full story of the beliefs of the history of the Plains Indians. Bold print headings help the reader navigate smoothly from legend to legend.

Primary and Secondary references are included, along with an author’s note explaining the background of the pipe and the legend surrounding it, an illustration of a pipe that was given to the author from a pipe-maker in South Dakota with the symbolism of some of the parts explained, and some background on Pipestone Quarry in southwestern Minnesota, the place of the red rock which is now a national monument.

The images are breathtaking. (I was unable to determine specifics about the paintings). The colors are earthy and saturated. The clothing is authentically rendered in the style of the 1870s. In a forward written for All Our Relatives by Dr. Joe Medicine Crow, Crow Tribal Historian and the oldest living man of the Crow tribe, he writes about Paul Goble: “His art is tremendous because he is able to recreate the traditional forms with great accuracy and detail…He is able to recreate the spirit of the old stories with his illustrations and his words."

The rays of the sun are a must-see, and the battle scene with blood splatters and heads rolling will capture the attention of many young readers. The white buffalo calf joining the Buffalo Nation after presenting the pipe to the Lakotas, however, steals the show.

This book is an item that would be an asset to any collection of native American literature and art.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
*Kirkus: “Drawn just above ground level and clad in spectacular ceremonial costume, Goble’s stylized figures seem appropriately larger than life, and the Lakota prayers and comments he quotes further enhance the reverent tone.”
* Booklist: “In this picture book for older readers, Goble uses his characteristic decorative paintings to help retell an important sacred legend of the Lakota people."
* School Library Journal: “The Caldecott Medal-winning author tells the inspiring story of the first peace pipe, presented to the Lakota people to connect them to the Great Spirit, who will guide them through the hardships of life. One of Goble’s most stunning offerings to date."

5. CONNECTIONS
*Compare Goble’s illustrations with those of other picture book illustrators of Native American culture, in particular Byrd Baylor (I’m in Charge of Celebrations is my favorite.) How do the colors compare? How are the styles of the illustrations similar and different?
*Now compare the stories and how they’re told. Which do you prefer - the first person
point of view that is often used by Baylor, or the third person narrator point of view?
*Compare Goble’s art to other artists of the Southwest and Native America, for example Amado Pena or G. E. Mullan.
*Create your own art for a traditional Native American legend.

Sunday, February 15, 2009

Review - Cendrillon: A Caribbean Cinderella




1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
San Souci, Robert D. 1998. CENDRILLON: A CARIBBEAN CINDERELLA. Ill. by Brian Pinkney. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0689848889

2. PLOT SUMMARY
Cendrillon has a godmother who loves her very much and wants us to know the real story. "You may think you know this story I am going to tell you, but you have not heard it for true." When Cendrillon’s haughty step-mother Madame Prosperine will not allow Cendrillon to attend the birthday ball for the handsome Paul Thibault, Cendrillon’s godmother, whom Cendrillon affectionately calls “Nannin’,” comes up with a plan to use her magic mahogany wand to help Cendrillion get to the party, where she meets the love of her life. Her beloved Nannin’ watches on, delightedly eating chocolate sherbet.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The story is told in lively language that includes French Creole vocabulary sprinkled throughout. (A glossary and pronunciation guide is provided at the end for the reader’s benefit). The style is humerous and full of imagery; for example, “the girl’s big foot, with toes like sausages . . .” provides a laughable look at the step-sister Vitaline’s attempt to get her foot into the delicate pink slipper. A slight twist in this variant of the Cinderella story is when Cendrillon has the opportunity to allow Nannin’ to use her magic that same day Vitaline claims to own the shoe. Nannin’ uses the wand to recreate the trappings of the night Cendrillon met Paul, but Cendrillon decides against meeting Paul under the spell, allowing the young man to meet her as she really is. The story is based on life on the island of Martinique, and the costumes and descriptors are based on West Indian culture.

Brian Pinkney’s illustrations using scratchboard, luma dyes, gouache, and oil paints are bold and vibrant. The brush strokes provide a sense of movement to each illustration. Particularly interesting is the fact that most of the two-page spreads include one larger illustration that covers both pages with another smaller painting included in the text box which is surrounded by a painted border. The beautiful green island of Mer des Antilles is lushly illustrated and Paul’s manor house sets the grand stage for a ball.

The illustrations by this Caldecott Honor Award winner and the text by the acclaimed author of over 50 children’s picture books is a treat to be shared by young and old alike who enjoy the Cinderella story.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
*Publisher’s Weekly: “The lyrical cadences of the text spattered with French and Creole words combine with the sensuous paintings to bring the tropics to life.”
* Starred Review in Booklist: “Particularly vibrant, both in its melodious language and its spirited art. . . A vital rendition of an old favorite."
* Starred Review in School Library Journal: “An outstanding Cinderella variant for any collection."

5. CONNECTIONS
*Use Macmillan’s Caribbean coloring books to allow children to create illustrations of their own which they can then use to author their own original stories.
*Read The Illustrated Anansi: Four Caribbean Folk Tales by Philip Sherlock and illustrated by Petrina Wright and compare the stories with Cendrillon. How are they alike? How do they differ?
*Compare the illustrations in Cendrillon to photographs of the West Indies. Discuss how Pinkney’s illustrations capture the “feel” of the beautiful islands of this region of the world.
*Compare Cendrillon with other Cinderella versions and variants. Allow students to write their own reviews of Cinderella stories to present to the class. Then compile the reviews to create a class book.

Friday, February 6, 2009

Review - A CALDECOTT CELEBRATION: SIX ARTISTS AND THEIR PATHS TO THE CALDECOTT MEDAL


1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Marcus, Leonard S. 1998. A CALDECOTT CELEBRATION: SIX ARTISTS AND THEIR PATHS TO THE CALDECOTT MEDAL. New York: Walker and Company. ISBN 0802786561

2. PLOT SUMMARY
How does a Caldecott Award winning book go from doodles and ideas to finished works worthy of the highest honor in children’s book illustrations? Children’s book historian and critic Leonard S. Marcus looks at six winners - one from each decade beginning with the 1940s and going through the 1990s, when Marcus’s book was published. The children’s works covered include Make Way for Ducklings (1942) by Robert McCloskey, Cinderella; or, The Little Glass Slipper, (1955) by Marcia Brown, Where the Wild Things Are (1964) by Maurice Sendak, Sylvester and the Magic Pebble (1970) by William Steig, Jumanji, (1982) by Chris Van Allsburg, and Tuesday (1992) by David Wiesner. The book begins with an introduction about the award itself. Then the featured books and illustrators are discussed (in the cases of these six books, the illustrator is also the author). Finally, reference material including a list of the Caldecott Medal Winners from 1938-1998, a glossary of terms used within the book, and an index of proper nouns bring the book to a close.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Marcus’s book is fascinating, especially for those who love children’s picture books but don’t have much knowledge of how they come to be. While it’s not necessary for enjoying the “tours” of the books, familiarity with the six works definitely adds to the appeal of this read. The authors/illustrators and the stories of their award-winners come to life with engaging text and a behind-the-scenes look at each author and his or her featured work. Every turn of the page delights the reader with anecdotes, photos, descriptions of where the authors got their ideas, thumbnails and dummies of the art included in the books, other pieces produced by the artists and much more. Even with all that fun packed in, the book is bound in the size and shape of a children’s picture book, and is every bit as enjoyable to read.

The introduction gives historical background, explaining why the six books included were chosen, and providing information about how the dates work (the date the book was published versus the date the medal was given). Reference materials in the back include a list of Caldecott Medal winners spanning the 60 years from 1938 through 1998, a glossary of terms used throughout the book, and an index of proper nouns.

The reader will walk away from Marcus’s book feeling like these six artists and their special works are good friends. However, a word of warning is in order: your pocketbook may take a hit as you lay down this book to head to the bookstore to purchase not only these six treasures, but others in the Caldecott medal family as well.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
*Starred review in PUBLISHERS WEEKLY: “Filled with witty anecdotes and pithy observations, Marcus’s approach to examining the works of six Caldecott Medalists will be of as much interest to adults as to picture book readers.”
*Starred review in BOOKLIST: “Marcus, who interviewed each artist, provides a lively, informative introduction to each book and its maker. A beautifully made book, this will serve as a fine resource for children interested in illustration and for teachers researching author/illustrator studies." --Booklist (starred review)
Children’s Book Page: “My only gripe about this lovely little book is that it isn't longer!”

5. CONNECTIONS
*Use this book to introduce children to the inner workings of creating books.
*Allow children to go through the process of creating their own books by creating sketches and thumbnails, writing text, and creating final illustrations. Bind pages and create a classroom library of “local authors.”
*Gather the six books, examine each one while reading that section in Marcus’s book, and simply enjoy the amazing art and the wonderful stories. Find a friend to share it with.

Friday, January 30, 2009

Click, Clack, Moo - A Picture Book Review


1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Cronin, Doreen. 2000. CLICK, CLACK, MOO: COWS THAT TYPE. Ill. by Betsy Lewin. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0689832133

2. PLOT SUMMARY
Farmer Brown can’t believe his ears when he hears the sound of a typewriter in the barn. Cows that type? Then he can’t believe his eyes when he finds a note nailed to the barn door. The cows are cold and want electric blankets! Soon the hens join in and go on strike with the cows. As demands and negotiations fly back and forth between Farmer Brown and the cows, Duck’s involvement as the neutral third party doesn’t quite go as Farmer Brown intended. Finally an agreement is reached - or is it? The twist at the end will delight readers of all ages.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Doreen Cronin’s background as an attorney sparkles in this, her first book in the Farmer Brown series. The simple text is lively. The negotiations are hilarious. Children may not know about a typewriter, but they get a good idea of how one sounds. “Click, clack, moo. Click, clack, moo. Clickety, clack, moo.” Typed notes are integrated seamlessly into the text, and Farmer Brown’s incredulous exclamations to the notes draw the human readers into the story. (Animal readers may have trouble if they do not understand Moo.)

Betsy Lewin’s watercolor illustrations are bold and bright. While the text indicates the passing of time with transitions such as “The next day” and “early the next morning,” the illustrations help readers differentiate between what is happening during the day between Farmer Brown and the animals, and what is happening at night in the barn as the colors go from bright to shades of gray. The expressions on the animals’ faces are full of personality and spunk. Farmer Brown certainly has his hands full with this bunch!

Fortunately for us, Doreen Cronin and Betsy Lewin have collaborated on several books with the promise of more to come.

• A Caldecott Honor Book
• An ALA Notable Book
• A School Library Journal Best Book
• Child Magazine’s Guide to Top Books,Videos, and Software of the Year
• Publishers Weekly Best Children’s Book of 2000/Picture Book

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
*School Library Journal: “A terrific picture-book debut for Cronin.”
*Horn Book: “That typewriters may be as anachronistic to today's kids as rumble seats and spinning wheels won't lessen their enjoyment of this amusing story.”
*Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy: "A read-aloud must for teachers who wish to create classroom space for conversations about literacy and power with even the youngest of readers."

5. CONNECTIONS
*Have children log on to doreencronin.com and click on “Writer U” for fun ideas for writing stories of their own.
*Read some of the books on doreencronin.com under “Good Reads.” Talk about why she might like these books in particular.
*Read more books in the series - Giggle, Giggle, Quack and Duck for President were the next two, but there have been others as well. Children may then want to try writing their own adventure with Farmer Brown’s animals to add to the collection.
*Discuss the power of the written word as demonstrated by the notes in the book. How can our writing provide us with a voice that might otherwise be ignored?