Title: Rules
Author: Cynthia Lord
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Publication City: New York, New York
Publication Date: 2006
ISBN: 0-439-44382-2
Summary
Catherine is 12-years-old and she longs for a normal life. Catherine's younger brother David is autistic and her world revolves around him and his disability because that is what her family revolves around. David loves rules even if he does not always obey the rules. Catherine keeps a notebook with her that keeps her rules for David and any new rules she thinks up. For example, one of her rules is when someone says Hi, you are supposed to say Hi back. But this rule backfires when David says Hi to someone and they do not say Hi back. David shouts the rule at the person, who looks at David funny, which causes Catherine to run back home dragging David behind her.
Catherine is easily embarrassed by David because she does not like the pity looks David gets from people. But this summer is destined to be different when a new 12-year-old girl moves in next door who doesn't know about David's differences, and the chance to be a "normal" girl turns out to be too much for Catherine.
Jason is mute and has to use a book full of little cards with words in order to communicate. Catherine meets Jason at physical therapy where David goes every week, and Catherine tags along because it's the only time she gets her mother to herself. Catherine and Jason strike up a friendship that goes beyond Jason's communication abilities. But when the time comes to introduce Jason to the new girl, Catherine's reaction shocks every one who truly knows her. Has she really accepted the differences in Jason and her brother, or is she just kidding herself?
Review
Catherine wants to be normal because life with an autistic brother, David, is anything but normal. What Catherine does not realize is that normal is different for everyone, but what 12-year-old really knows that? Cynthia Lord, herself the mother of an autistic child, looks into the world of a child who is normal in the IQ-spectrum, but lives surrounded by the life of another child who demands attention because of their disability. Catherine cannot hate her little brother for his problems, and she knows and understands that. What Catherine cannot handle is the way other people treat David, and her when she is with him. Catherine must come to grips with her feelings about disability in general when she is faced by another person with a different disability.
Teens and children will love reading this book, as it's about confronting the preconceived notions people have about "handicapped" people. Jason's speech teacher yells every word to him, and at one point he tells Catherine that just because he is mute does not mean he cannot hear. Teens will love the interest that Jason has in music, and will identify with him when his mother refuses to let him buy a guitar. Rules forces the reader to examine themselves in the way they treat people with differences. Do they treat everyone the same or are they treating the person with disabilities as a lesser person? Is this something they do on purpose or is it unintentional?
As the sister of a younger brother with a learning disability, not as severe as David's, but with a family eerily similar to Catherine's, I would say that Lord did a good job of portraying Catherine and her pleas for normalcy. I love my brother, but when I was 12 I felt the same way that Catherine did. I was desperate for friends who would understand me and my little brother, and I was desperate for signs that my parents would notice me as someone, not just as a baby-sitter for Max. The words that Lord chooses for Catherine to draw for Jason that are her feelings are accurate.
Professional Reviews
From School Library Journal
Grade 4-7-Twelve-year-old Catherine has conflicting feelings about her younger brother, David, who is autistic. While she loves him, she is also embarrassed by his behavior and feels neglected by their parents. In an effort to keep life on an even keel, Catherine creates rules for him (It's okay to hug Mom but not the clerk at the video store). Each chapter title is also a rule, and lots more are interspersed throughout the book. When Kristi moves in next door, Catherine hopes that the girl will become a friend, but is anxious about her reaction to David. Then Catherine meets and befriends Jason, a nonverbal paraplegic who uses a book of pictures to communicate, she begins to understand that normal is difficult, and perhaps unnecessary, to define. Rules of behavior are less important than acceptance of others. Catherine is an endearing narrator who tells her story with both humor and heartbreak. Her love for her brother is as real as are her frustrations with him. Lord has candidly captured the delicate dynamics in a family that revolves around a child's disability. Set in coastal Maine, this sensitive story is about being different, feeling different, and finding acceptance. A lovely, warm read, and a great discussion starter.-Connie Tyrrell Burns, Mahoney Middle School, South Portland, ME
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Booklist
Gr. 4-7. "No toys in the fish tank" is one of many rules that 12-year-old Catherine shares with her autistic younger brother, David, to help him understand his world. Lots of the rules are practical. Others are more subtle and shed light on issues in Catherine's own life. Torn between love for her brother and impatience with the responsibilities and embarrassment he brings, she strives to be on her parents' radar and to establish an identity of her own. At her brother's clinic, Catherine befriends a wheelchair-bound boy, Jason, who talks by pointing at word cards in a communication notebook. Her drawing skills and additional vocabulary cards--including "whatever" (which prompts Jason to roll his eyes at his mother)--enliven his speech. The details of autistic behavior are handled well, as are depictions of relationships: Catherine experiences some of the same unease with Jason that others do in the presence of her brother. In the end, Jason helps Catherine see that her rules may really be excuses, opening the way for her to look at things differently. A heartwarming first novel. Cindy Dobrez
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Connections
1. Have students research autism and what scientist think cause it. Are there any known cures? With the science teacher research other conditions involving the brain and report back to the class.
2. Spend some time with the special education class. Brainstorm ways you can help them learn, and then use them.
3. Buy a small cheap photo album, and create a word card for each slot. They must be words you use in everyday conversation. The words have to be school appropriate. Then for two days walk around with the book and you can only point to the word/s when you want to use it. Did you get frustrated after awhile? Write a short paper (1 pg) based on your experience and turn it in with the book.
Thursday, November 22, 2007
The Giver
Title: The Giver
Author: Lois Lowry
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Publication City: New York, New York
Publication date: 1993
ISBN: 0-395-64566-2
Summary
Jonas is almost 12, and it is almost December, and Jonas is frightened. In December all the 12-year-olds receive their life assignment from the Elders at the Ceremony. The life assignment will determine what Jonas will do for the rest of his life until he becomes a member of the Old in the House of the Old. Other Elevens in his community have an idea of what they want to do and whet the Elders will choose for them, but Jonas has no clue. The community where he lives in marked by orderly perfection. There is no backtalk from children, people share their feelings and their dreams everyday, and everything is black and white. Anything or anyone gray is simply released.
When the day arrives for The Ceremony Jonas watches as his friends receive assignments that fit their personalities, and himself get skipped over in the list. For this orderly community, the skip over is a big deal and Jonas frantically wonders what he did wrong. But things are smoothed over when it is revealed that Jonas has been given the special job of Receiver.
When Jonas shows up for training as the Receiver he only knows a few things: he cannot discuss his training with anyone, he can lie, and it will be painful. When he meets the Receiver he is to replace the old man without a name tells Jonas to call him the Giver. As Jonas learns, the Receiver is the holder of all of the memories of the past. It is the job of the Giver to transmit all the memories to Jonas. Soon Jonas learns what snow is and the feeling of riding down a hill on a sled. He learns the word love and the meaning behind it. But he also learns of war, death, and what it truly means to be released. After learning the truth of release Jonas decides something has to be done to show the people of his perfected community what the past was like.
Review
A world of perfection, a Utopian society, sounds wonderful, but when it actually exists problems begin to emerge. In a world of perfection there is no feelings, even though they are discussed each day. In a world of perfection only 50 children are born each year, they all get their parents the same day, and they all turn two on the same day. In a world of perfection everything is black and white because colors are not the same, and differences do not lead to perfection. In a world of perfection you get no choices because the Elders make the big life choices, and when you get older maybe you can be an Elder and make the decisions for other people. In a world of perfection you do not die; you are simply released to live "elsewhere."
Lois Lowry does an outstanding job of making a world of perfection sound wonderful one minute, and absolutely terrifying the next. As Jonas discovers what colors are, what feelings are, and what death means, he realizes the life he lives is not perfection, but seriously flawed. Teens will identify with Jonas' dilemma about keeping the feelings and memories to himself and how to make adults believe they perfect world that has been created is, in fact, far from perfect. Children and teens are use to authority looking down on them because they are younger.
Lowry examines the area of release & death, love, and "sameness" without a lecture hammering a person over the head. The Giver gives students, and adults, something to think about, and in a novel that is a wonderful thing.
Professional Reviews
Amazon.com
In a world with no poverty, no crime, no sickness and no unemployment, and where every family is happy, 12-year-old Jonas is chosen to be the community's Receiver of Memories. Under the tutelage of the Elders and an old man known as the Giver, he discovers the disturbing truth about his Utopian world and struggles against the weight of its hypocrisy. With echoes of Brave New World, in this 1994 Newbery Medal winner, Lowry examines the idea that people might freely choose to give up their humanity in order to create a more stable society. Gradually Jonas learns just how costly this ordered and pain-free society can be, and boldly decides he cannot pay the price. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
From Publishers Weekly
In the "ideal" world into which Jonas was born, everybody has sensibly agreed that well-matched married couples will raise exactly two offspring, one boy and one girl. These children's adolescent sexual impulses will be stifled with specially prescribed drugs; at age 12 they will receive an appropriate career assignment, sensibly chosen by the community's Elders. This is a world in which the old live in group homes and are "released"--to great celebration--at the proper time; the few infants who do not develop according to schedule are also "released," but with no fanfare. Lowry's development of this civilization is so deft that her readers, like the community's citizens, will be easily seduced by the chimera of this ordered, pain-free society. Until the time that Jonah begins training for his job assignment--the rigorous and prestigious position of Receiver of Memory--he, too, is a complacent model citizen. But as his near-mystical training progresses, and he is weighed down and enriched with society's collective memories of a world as stimulating as it was flawed, Jonas grows increasingly aware of the hypocrisy that rules his world. With a storyline that hints at Christian allegory and an eerie futuristic setting, this intriguing novel calls to mind John Christopher's Tripods trilogy and Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Match Girl. Lowry is once again in top form--raising many questions while answering few, and unwinding a tale fit for the most adventurous readers. Ages 12-14.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Connections
1. Define "Utopia" and design your own Utopian society complete with map and rules. Present it to the class.
2. Could you live in a society like Jonas'? Why do you think it worked? Look at the book closely, can you see cracks in the way the community worked?
3. Get in "family groups" and discuss your feelings about the book. Web your feelings about release, jobs, the age levels, and sameness. Then discuss with the class how you feel about those categories.
Author: Lois Lowry
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Publication City: New York, New York
Publication date: 1993
ISBN: 0-395-64566-2
Summary
Jonas is almost 12, and it is almost December, and Jonas is frightened. In December all the 12-year-olds receive their life assignment from the Elders at the Ceremony. The life assignment will determine what Jonas will do for the rest of his life until he becomes a member of the Old in the House of the Old. Other Elevens in his community have an idea of what they want to do and whet the Elders will choose for them, but Jonas has no clue. The community where he lives in marked by orderly perfection. There is no backtalk from children, people share their feelings and their dreams everyday, and everything is black and white. Anything or anyone gray is simply released.
When the day arrives for The Ceremony Jonas watches as his friends receive assignments that fit their personalities, and himself get skipped over in the list. For this orderly community, the skip over is a big deal and Jonas frantically wonders what he did wrong. But things are smoothed over when it is revealed that Jonas has been given the special job of Receiver.
When Jonas shows up for training as the Receiver he only knows a few things: he cannot discuss his training with anyone, he can lie, and it will be painful. When he meets the Receiver he is to replace the old man without a name tells Jonas to call him the Giver. As Jonas learns, the Receiver is the holder of all of the memories of the past. It is the job of the Giver to transmit all the memories to Jonas. Soon Jonas learns what snow is and the feeling of riding down a hill on a sled. He learns the word love and the meaning behind it. But he also learns of war, death, and what it truly means to be released. After learning the truth of release Jonas decides something has to be done to show the people of his perfected community what the past was like.
Review
A world of perfection, a Utopian society, sounds wonderful, but when it actually exists problems begin to emerge. In a world of perfection there is no feelings, even though they are discussed each day. In a world of perfection only 50 children are born each year, they all get their parents the same day, and they all turn two on the same day. In a world of perfection everything is black and white because colors are not the same, and differences do not lead to perfection. In a world of perfection you get no choices because the Elders make the big life choices, and when you get older maybe you can be an Elder and make the decisions for other people. In a world of perfection you do not die; you are simply released to live "elsewhere."
Lois Lowry does an outstanding job of making a world of perfection sound wonderful one minute, and absolutely terrifying the next. As Jonas discovers what colors are, what feelings are, and what death means, he realizes the life he lives is not perfection, but seriously flawed. Teens will identify with Jonas' dilemma about keeping the feelings and memories to himself and how to make adults believe they perfect world that has been created is, in fact, far from perfect. Children and teens are use to authority looking down on them because they are younger.
Lowry examines the area of release & death, love, and "sameness" without a lecture hammering a person over the head. The Giver gives students, and adults, something to think about, and in a novel that is a wonderful thing.
Professional Reviews
Amazon.com
In a world with no poverty, no crime, no sickness and no unemployment, and where every family is happy, 12-year-old Jonas is chosen to be the community's Receiver of Memories. Under the tutelage of the Elders and an old man known as the Giver, he discovers the disturbing truth about his Utopian world and struggles against the weight of its hypocrisy. With echoes of Brave New World, in this 1994 Newbery Medal winner, Lowry examines the idea that people might freely choose to give up their humanity in order to create a more stable society. Gradually Jonas learns just how costly this ordered and pain-free society can be, and boldly decides he cannot pay the price. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
From Publishers Weekly
In the "ideal" world into which Jonas was born, everybody has sensibly agreed that well-matched married couples will raise exactly two offspring, one boy and one girl. These children's adolescent sexual impulses will be stifled with specially prescribed drugs; at age 12 they will receive an appropriate career assignment, sensibly chosen by the community's Elders. This is a world in which the old live in group homes and are "released"--to great celebration--at the proper time; the few infants who do not develop according to schedule are also "released," but with no fanfare. Lowry's development of this civilization is so deft that her readers, like the community's citizens, will be easily seduced by the chimera of this ordered, pain-free society. Until the time that Jonah begins training for his job assignment--the rigorous and prestigious position of Receiver of Memory--he, too, is a complacent model citizen. But as his near-mystical training progresses, and he is weighed down and enriched with society's collective memories of a world as stimulating as it was flawed, Jonas grows increasingly aware of the hypocrisy that rules his world. With a storyline that hints at Christian allegory and an eerie futuristic setting, this intriguing novel calls to mind John Christopher's Tripods trilogy and Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Match Girl. Lowry is once again in top form--raising many questions while answering few, and unwinding a tale fit for the most adventurous readers. Ages 12-14.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Connections
1. Define "Utopia" and design your own Utopian society complete with map and rules. Present it to the class.
2. Could you live in a society like Jonas'? Why do you think it worked? Look at the book closely, can you see cracks in the way the community worked?
3. Get in "family groups" and discuss your feelings about the book. Web your feelings about release, jobs, the age levels, and sameness. Then discuss with the class how you feel about those categories.
The First Part Last
Title: The First Part Last
Author: Angela Johnson
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Publication City: New York, New York
Publication Date: 2003
ISBN: 0-689-84922-2
Summary
Bobby is excited to turn sixteen, until his girlfriend Nia gives him the surprise of his young life. She's pregnant. From there life starts to turn upside down for the young couple. Neither set of parents are very excited about being grandparents, and it is decided that they will give up the baby, so Bobby and Nia can live normal lives. But things do not always go as planned and Bobby ends up taking care of the baby by himself. As Bobby struggles to take care of baby Feather, flashbacks to life while Nia was pregnant show a Bobby who realizes there is more to life than just hanging out. Then chapters show the semi-carefree Bobby. Now chapters show the Bobby who has a support system of friends in K-Boy and J.L. and his mom, but he knows at the end of the day it is him taking care of little Feather. Bobby makes some poor choices, but in the end he learns from them, and learns that parenting doesn't always mean living in a comfort zone.
Review
Most Young Adult books that deal with a teenage pregnancy tell the story from the point of view from the girl, but Angela Johnson uses the boy's point of view for this poignant story. Bobby's whole world turned upside down the moment he turned 16, and it is not because he could finally drive, which is pointless for a boy in New York City. No, it's because his girlfriend Nia gives him the shock of his life, she's pregnant. Told in alternating flashback and current day snippets, the First Part Last looks at the male of teenage pregnancy. Not every teenage male who gets his girlfriend pregnant ditches her. Bobby deals with trying to keep up with Nia's cravings, his classes, and frets about keeping the baby when Nia is pregnant. After baby Feather is born Bobby deals with a Mom who refuses to really help him besides allowing them to live with her, friends who don't understand his new role, staying awake in class, and taking care of a baby who thinks nighttime is playtime.
Teens will love the viewpoint of the young African-American father and how he speaks at their level. He tells it as it is, even if they are a little over-the-top. But then again, 16-year-olds can be prone to narcissism and over-exaggerating. However, Johnson writes a novel that makes the reader feel a bit of the struggle of a young father. The reader is left wondering why Nia is not helping Bobby when the couple seemed so close during the pregnancy. The revelation that Nia is now in a persistent vegetative state due to eclampsia and lives in a nursing home, is a bit much and falls flat in the storyline. It's a "so that's what happened" moment and nothing more. Johnson's build up to the birth is anti-climatic due to the eclampsia storyline, but readers will love the now chapters as Bobby tries to live his life as normal as possible.
Professional Review
From School Library Journal
Grade 8 Up-Brief, poetic, and absolutely riveting, this gem of a novel tells the story of a young father struggling to raise an infant. Bobby, 16, is a sensitive and intelligent narrator. His parents are supportive but refuse to take over the child-care duties, so he struggles to balance parenting, school, and friends who don't comprehend his new role. Alternate chapters go back to the story of Bobby's relationship with his girlfriend Nia and how parents and friends reacted to the news of her pregnancy. Bobby's parents are well-developed characters, Nia's upper-class family somewhat less so. Flashbacks lead to the revelation in the final chapters that Nia is in an irreversible coma caused by eclampsia. This twist, which explains why Bobby is raising Feather on his own against the advice of both families, seems melodramatic. So does a chapter in which Bobby snaps from the pressure and spends an entire day spray painting a picture on a brick wall, only to be arrested for vandalism. However, any flaws in the plot are overshadowed by the beautiful writing. Scenes in which Bobby expresses his love for his daughter are breathtaking. Teens who enjoyed Margaret Bechard's Hanging on to Max (Millbrook, 2002) will love this book, too, despite very different conclusions. The attractive cover photo of a young black man cradling an infant will attract readers.
Miranda Doyle, San Francisco Public Library
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Connections
1. Put yourself in the feet of Bobby. Would you have done the same thing? What would you have named Feather? What would you have done when Nia slipped into a coma?
2. Talk to a teenage mother/father and ask them about their experiences. Do they have support? Write about their experiences.
3. Split the class into two sections- Now and Then. Have them turn the sections into a play and act it out in order so they can see the story in chronological order. Which way was more effective to portray the differences in Bobby's life? Discuss and brainstorm, no essay needed.
Author: Angela Johnson
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Publication City: New York, New York
Publication Date: 2003
ISBN: 0-689-84922-2
Summary
Bobby is excited to turn sixteen, until his girlfriend Nia gives him the surprise of his young life. She's pregnant. From there life starts to turn upside down for the young couple. Neither set of parents are very excited about being grandparents, and it is decided that they will give up the baby, so Bobby and Nia can live normal lives. But things do not always go as planned and Bobby ends up taking care of the baby by himself. As Bobby struggles to take care of baby Feather, flashbacks to life while Nia was pregnant show a Bobby who realizes there is more to life than just hanging out. Then chapters show the semi-carefree Bobby. Now chapters show the Bobby who has a support system of friends in K-Boy and J.L. and his mom, but he knows at the end of the day it is him taking care of little Feather. Bobby makes some poor choices, but in the end he learns from them, and learns that parenting doesn't always mean living in a comfort zone.
Review
Most Young Adult books that deal with a teenage pregnancy tell the story from the point of view from the girl, but Angela Johnson uses the boy's point of view for this poignant story. Bobby's whole world turned upside down the moment he turned 16, and it is not because he could finally drive, which is pointless for a boy in New York City. No, it's because his girlfriend Nia gives him the shock of his life, she's pregnant. Told in alternating flashback and current day snippets, the First Part Last looks at the male of teenage pregnancy. Not every teenage male who gets his girlfriend pregnant ditches her. Bobby deals with trying to keep up with Nia's cravings, his classes, and frets about keeping the baby when Nia is pregnant. After baby Feather is born Bobby deals with a Mom who refuses to really help him besides allowing them to live with her, friends who don't understand his new role, staying awake in class, and taking care of a baby who thinks nighttime is playtime.
Teens will love the viewpoint of the young African-American father and how he speaks at their level. He tells it as it is, even if they are a little over-the-top. But then again, 16-year-olds can be prone to narcissism and over-exaggerating. However, Johnson writes a novel that makes the reader feel a bit of the struggle of a young father. The reader is left wondering why Nia is not helping Bobby when the couple seemed so close during the pregnancy. The revelation that Nia is now in a persistent vegetative state due to eclampsia and lives in a nursing home, is a bit much and falls flat in the storyline. It's a "so that's what happened" moment and nothing more. Johnson's build up to the birth is anti-climatic due to the eclampsia storyline, but readers will love the now chapters as Bobby tries to live his life as normal as possible.
Professional Review
From School Library Journal
Grade 8 Up-Brief, poetic, and absolutely riveting, this gem of a novel tells the story of a young father struggling to raise an infant. Bobby, 16, is a sensitive and intelligent narrator. His parents are supportive but refuse to take over the child-care duties, so he struggles to balance parenting, school, and friends who don't comprehend his new role. Alternate chapters go back to the story of Bobby's relationship with his girlfriend Nia and how parents and friends reacted to the news of her pregnancy. Bobby's parents are well-developed characters, Nia's upper-class family somewhat less so. Flashbacks lead to the revelation in the final chapters that Nia is in an irreversible coma caused by eclampsia. This twist, which explains why Bobby is raising Feather on his own against the advice of both families, seems melodramatic. So does a chapter in which Bobby snaps from the pressure and spends an entire day spray painting a picture on a brick wall, only to be arrested for vandalism. However, any flaws in the plot are overshadowed by the beautiful writing. Scenes in which Bobby expresses his love for his daughter are breathtaking. Teens who enjoyed Margaret Bechard's Hanging on to Max (Millbrook, 2002) will love this book, too, despite very different conclusions. The attractive cover photo of a young black man cradling an infant will attract readers.
Miranda Doyle, San Francisco Public Library
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Connections
1. Put yourself in the feet of Bobby. Would you have done the same thing? What would you have named Feather? What would you have done when Nia slipped into a coma?
2. Talk to a teenage mother/father and ask them about their experiences. Do they have support? Write about their experiences.
3. Split the class into two sections- Now and Then. Have them turn the sections into a play and act it out in order so they can see the story in chronological order. Which way was more effective to portray the differences in Bobby's life? Discuss and brainstorm, no essay needed.
Sunday, November 4, 2007
Babe Didrikson Zaharias
Title: Babe Didrikson Zaharias: The Making of a Champion
Author: Russell Freedman
Publisher: Clarion Books
Publication City: New York, New York
Publication Date: 1999
ISBN: 0-395-63367-2
Summary
Mildred Ella Didrikson was born on June 26, 1911 in Beaumont, TX, the sixth of seven children born to Norwegian immigrants Ole and Hannah Didriksen. As a baby, she was called "Baby" until her younger brother Arthur was born in 1915, when the family shortened it to "Babe." The nickname really stuck when she began to hit home runs in the sandlot games with the neighborhood boys. From an early age Babe knew that she was talented in the sports arena, and from an early age she made it her goal to become the greatest athlete ever.
While she is not considered the best athlete ever now, she is defintely considered to be the greatest female athlete ever. Babe battled many odds in her career. She lived and played sports at a time when women were considered too weak to do sports well. Every sport she tried she mastered, whether it was natural talent or through determination. When she was told she was not able to do something, it only made her work harder. She co-founded the LPGA to give more women a chance to earn money as pro-golfers.
Babe wanted to live a larger-than-life life. She added to that desire in her own life when she fudged on some of the details of her life. For example, she listed her date of birth as 1913, instead of 1911 for the Olympics so that the sports writers would think that she was still a teen instead of 21. In her autobiography she listed her year of birth at 1914. Babe won three medals at the 1932 Olympics: a silver in the running high jump in a controversial ruling, a gold in the javelin, and another gold in the 80-meter hurdles. Babe also holds a controversial record of 17 straight golf tournament victories, but some people believe there is a buried loss after 13 tournaments. Babe herself said she has 17.
Babe had to endure the ridicule of many people in her life. From fellow women athletes to the press, Babe was called every name in the book, and even had a few made-up names like "Muscle Moll" that stuck. Babe did not always take the names in stride, but was determined to be the best athlete no matter what.
By the time Babe died of cancer at the age of 45 in 1956, Babe had won the Woman Athlete of the Year awards 6 times, and the AP Female Athlete of the Half-century in 1950. No other woman has won the awards more times.
Review
Russell Freeman tackles another larger-than-life person in his biography of Babe Didrikson Zaharias. Babe was a determined woman in an era when women were not yet making their voices heard ian areas that were considered "men only" areas. Babe did her best to conquer the world of women's sports and conquered it she did. Freedman discusses the bumps, the brusies, and the victories of Babe's life. He frankly discusses the ego problems that Babe had, and how she was not well-liked among many of the other female athletes of the time. Freedman also discusses the fame that Babe had as she tackled sports records head on, and how that fame affected her and her family.
Freedman tackles most of the issues that surrounded Babe's life, but sidestepped the issues Babe had with her husband, wrestler George Zaharias and the close relationship Babe had with another female golfer, Betty Dodd. But Freedman can be excused for side-stepping when Babe herself did not mention Dodd in her autobiography until the last pages, and only listed Dodd as a close friend.
Despite Babe's ability to trump up her achievements and her awards, Freedman does not and mentions in the biography that Babe touted her own achievements. Freedman acknowledges he does not know the complete truth of some parts of Babe's life in his bibliography.
Professional Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
In another exemplary biography, Newbery Medalist Freedman (Martha Graham) turns to Mildred "Babe" Didrikson Zaharias (1911-1956), arguably the preeminent woman athlete of the 20th century. He pays ample attention to Babe's extraordinary achievementsAe.g., her three world records in track and field at the 1932 Olympics; her record-setting golf career in the '40s and '50sAbut his book's greatest strength lies in his portrait of the person behind the athlete, a portrait that hums with the energy and vibrancy of Babe herself. A bold tomboy Texan from a poor family, Babe saw sports as a way to earn recognition, respect and a living, something almost unheard of for a woman at the time. Using quotations from friends, rivals and Zaharias herself, as well as a bounty of period photographs, Freedman brings her irrepressible personality leaping from the page. At a golf championship in Scotland, she egged on the polite and quiet crowd to cheer for her; playing a bit part in the movie Pat and Mike, she obliged the screenwriters to change the script so she wouldn't have to lose to the Katharine Hepburn character. Freedman tiptoes around the issue of Zaharias's sexuality, especially when describing her troubled marriage to a former wrestler and her close association with another female athlete. By paying attention, however, to the times in which she lived, Freedman demonstrates Zaharias's role as a challenger not only of sporting records, but of cultural assumptions about class and gender as well. This celebratory work gives readers a chance to cheer Zaharias's legendary life. Ages 10-up.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Grade 5 Up-Freedman is on top of his game with this engaging profile of one of this century's most remarkable athletes and larger-than-life personalities. The Michael Jordan of her day, Didrikson not only excelled at every sport she tried, but she also became a darling of the media. This attractive, oversized photo-biography recounts her life story and sets it into the larger context of the evolving role of women's athletics, and the development of professional sports in the U.S. The account could have been overwhelmed with statistics-Didrikson was responsible for the rewriting of the record books (several times over) and was, more than once, the impetus behind the reworking of the rules. However, the narrative transcends her various fields of play and is essentially a powerful personal story. Freedman delves into the psyche of the fierce competitor, whose natural abilities belied her single-minded drive and obsessive training regimes, and enlivens the text with quotes by the charismatic sports star and many other primary sources. The book includes a wonderful array of black-and-white photos that reveal much about the public and private Didrikson-her agile grace, her intense concentration, and her love of the limelight-even in the face of tragedy. Befitting a champion, this superbly crafted, impeccably documented biography ranks head and shoulders above its peers.
Luann Toth, School Library Journal
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Connections
Have students look at other female athletes like Wilma Rudolph or Nadia Comaneci to compare their achievements and background. How did their lives shape who they were?
Babe was not truthful in her own autobiography. Have students talk about how lying in your own autobiography can affect the perception of people years down the road. Would they be tempted to lie to make themselves look better? How do they feel about Babe's accomplishments?
Have the students write a theatre play based on Babe's life. Break up into two groups. The first group will concentrate on birth-the olympics. The other group will focus on the olympics-death. This will focus on two of Babe's major sports: track which she competed in, in the olympics, and golf which was her sport of choice after the Olympics. Have the students perform the plays.
Author: Russell Freedman
Publisher: Clarion Books
Publication City: New York, New York
Publication Date: 1999
ISBN: 0-395-63367-2
Summary
Mildred Ella Didrikson was born on June 26, 1911 in Beaumont, TX, the sixth of seven children born to Norwegian immigrants Ole and Hannah Didriksen. As a baby, she was called "Baby" until her younger brother Arthur was born in 1915, when the family shortened it to "Babe." The nickname really stuck when she began to hit home runs in the sandlot games with the neighborhood boys. From an early age Babe knew that she was talented in the sports arena, and from an early age she made it her goal to become the greatest athlete ever.
While she is not considered the best athlete ever now, she is defintely considered to be the greatest female athlete ever. Babe battled many odds in her career. She lived and played sports at a time when women were considered too weak to do sports well. Every sport she tried she mastered, whether it was natural talent or through determination. When she was told she was not able to do something, it only made her work harder. She co-founded the LPGA to give more women a chance to earn money as pro-golfers.
Babe wanted to live a larger-than-life life. She added to that desire in her own life when she fudged on some of the details of her life. For example, she listed her date of birth as 1913, instead of 1911 for the Olympics so that the sports writers would think that she was still a teen instead of 21. In her autobiography she listed her year of birth at 1914. Babe won three medals at the 1932 Olympics: a silver in the running high jump in a controversial ruling, a gold in the javelin, and another gold in the 80-meter hurdles. Babe also holds a controversial record of 17 straight golf tournament victories, but some people believe there is a buried loss after 13 tournaments. Babe herself said she has 17.
Babe had to endure the ridicule of many people in her life. From fellow women athletes to the press, Babe was called every name in the book, and even had a few made-up names like "Muscle Moll" that stuck. Babe did not always take the names in stride, but was determined to be the best athlete no matter what.
By the time Babe died of cancer at the age of 45 in 1956, Babe had won the Woman Athlete of the Year awards 6 times, and the AP Female Athlete of the Half-century in 1950. No other woman has won the awards more times.
Review
Russell Freeman tackles another larger-than-life person in his biography of Babe Didrikson Zaharias. Babe was a determined woman in an era when women were not yet making their voices heard ian areas that were considered "men only" areas. Babe did her best to conquer the world of women's sports and conquered it she did. Freedman discusses the bumps, the brusies, and the victories of Babe's life. He frankly discusses the ego problems that Babe had, and how she was not well-liked among many of the other female athletes of the time. Freedman also discusses the fame that Babe had as she tackled sports records head on, and how that fame affected her and her family.
Freedman tackles most of the issues that surrounded Babe's life, but sidestepped the issues Babe had with her husband, wrestler George Zaharias and the close relationship Babe had with another female golfer, Betty Dodd. But Freedman can be excused for side-stepping when Babe herself did not mention Dodd in her autobiography until the last pages, and only listed Dodd as a close friend.
Despite Babe's ability to trump up her achievements and her awards, Freedman does not and mentions in the biography that Babe touted her own achievements. Freedman acknowledges he does not know the complete truth of some parts of Babe's life in his bibliography.
Professional Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
In another exemplary biography, Newbery Medalist Freedman (Martha Graham) turns to Mildred "Babe" Didrikson Zaharias (1911-1956), arguably the preeminent woman athlete of the 20th century. He pays ample attention to Babe's extraordinary achievementsAe.g., her three world records in track and field at the 1932 Olympics; her record-setting golf career in the '40s and '50sAbut his book's greatest strength lies in his portrait of the person behind the athlete, a portrait that hums with the energy and vibrancy of Babe herself. A bold tomboy Texan from a poor family, Babe saw sports as a way to earn recognition, respect and a living, something almost unheard of for a woman at the time. Using quotations from friends, rivals and Zaharias herself, as well as a bounty of period photographs, Freedman brings her irrepressible personality leaping from the page. At a golf championship in Scotland, she egged on the polite and quiet crowd to cheer for her; playing a bit part in the movie Pat and Mike, she obliged the screenwriters to change the script so she wouldn't have to lose to the Katharine Hepburn character. Freedman tiptoes around the issue of Zaharias's sexuality, especially when describing her troubled marriage to a former wrestler and her close association with another female athlete. By paying attention, however, to the times in which she lived, Freedman demonstrates Zaharias's role as a challenger not only of sporting records, but of cultural assumptions about class and gender as well. This celebratory work gives readers a chance to cheer Zaharias's legendary life. Ages 10-up.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Grade 5 Up-Freedman is on top of his game with this engaging profile of one of this century's most remarkable athletes and larger-than-life personalities. The Michael Jordan of her day, Didrikson not only excelled at every sport she tried, but she also became a darling of the media. This attractive, oversized photo-biography recounts her life story and sets it into the larger context of the evolving role of women's athletics, and the development of professional sports in the U.S. The account could have been overwhelmed with statistics-Didrikson was responsible for the rewriting of the record books (several times over) and was, more than once, the impetus behind the reworking of the rules. However, the narrative transcends her various fields of play and is essentially a powerful personal story. Freedman delves into the psyche of the fierce competitor, whose natural abilities belied her single-minded drive and obsessive training regimes, and enlivens the text with quotes by the charismatic sports star and many other primary sources. The book includes a wonderful array of black-and-white photos that reveal much about the public and private Didrikson-her agile grace, her intense concentration, and her love of the limelight-even in the face of tragedy. Befitting a champion, this superbly crafted, impeccably documented biography ranks head and shoulders above its peers.
Luann Toth, School Library Journal
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Connections
Have students look at other female athletes like Wilma Rudolph or Nadia Comaneci to compare their achievements and background. How did their lives shape who they were?
Babe was not truthful in her own autobiography. Have students talk about how lying in your own autobiography can affect the perception of people years down the road. Would they be tempted to lie to make themselves look better? How do they feel about Babe's accomplishments?
Have the students write a theatre play based on Babe's life. Break up into two groups. The first group will concentrate on birth-the olympics. The other group will focus on the olympics-death. This will focus on two of Babe's major sports: track which she competed in, in the olympics, and golf which was her sport of choice after the Olympics. Have the students perform the plays.
Friday, November 2, 2007
Worth
Title: Worth
Author: A. LaFaye
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Publication City: New York, New York
Publication Date: 2004
ISBN: 0-689-85730-6
Summary
Everything in Nathaniel's life was going well, until his leg is smashed in an accident rendering him useless to his parent's farm. Since Nathaniel cannot help with the crops, he is sent to school for the first time where he is immediately put with the younger children. Now Nathaniel not only has to deal with his feelings of worthlessness on the farm, but also feelings of being the school dunce. To make matters worse at home, to help with the farm labor Nathaniel's father brings home a boy from the Orphan Train named John Worth.
Everything in John Worth's world is also crumbling. He is a city boy, and knows nothing about working on a farm. He isn't even allowed to sleep in the house because Nathaniel's mom believes that all orphans are ruffians. He longs to attend school like Nathaniel, but is not allowed because so much work has to be done on the farm.
The two boys end up bonding over a book of Greek tales, and the only way boys can truly be brothers-a fistfight. But they truly become a family when an arguement between ranchers and farmers comes to a head and the boys find themselves in the middle of it.
Review
People have plans for their lives, but life does not always go how it is planned. 11-year-old Nataniel Peale never planned on becoming a cripple. He was going to learn how to work a farm from his Father, and someday take over the farm when he was old enough for a family of his own. 11-year-old John Worth was going to live in the city his whole life and become a banker. But that dream was taken away in one day by a fire that swept through the building he lived in, killing his entire family. Worth and Peale's lives intertwine when Peale's condition lives his father no choice but to "adopt" an orphan to work on the farm in Nathaniel's place.
LaFaye takes on the world of rural Nebraska in the late nineteenth-century and the Orphan Trains that rode the rails transporting children needing homes from the overcrowded cities of the east. The reader can picture the Peale farm from the descriptions of Nathaniel, and the uproar his injury causes his family. The everyday survival of the Peale family is much like that of the typical farm family. Each day is a battle to survive, especially when money is in short supply.
Many of the riders from the Orphan Train ended up in a situation similar to John Worth's. They were used as hired hands on farms, especially the bigger, older boys. When a train made a stop in a town, the bigger, older boys were among the first "adopted" because they could help out on the farm.
Professional Reviews
From School Library Journal
Grade 3–6—Crippled by a freak farming accident, 11-year-old Nathaniel is bitter, helpless, frustrated, and angry when his father brings John Worth, an Orphan Train boy, into their home to help with the chores Nate can no longer manage in A. LeFaye's novel (S & S, 2004). But the two boys, each wounded in a different yet similar way, discover they have more in common than initially apparent and slowly begin to develop a friendship based on their joint desire to save the family's farm. LaFaye's unsparing look at the grueling hardships of day-to-day farm life during the late 19th-century and the ongoing battle between farmers and ranchers for control of the land is matched by the narrator Tommy Fleming's skill at portraying the starkness of the emotions felt by each of the characters in this short, spare, and beautifully told winner of the Scott O'Dell Award for historical fiction. Speaking with an authentic Nebraska accent, Fleming captures the poignancy of Nate's battle to overcome his disability, learn to read, and reinvent himself within his unhappy family. A compelling and historically accurate story beautifully rendered.—Cindy Lombardo, Tuscarawas County Public Library, New Philadelphia, OH
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.
From AudioFile
What is the source of one's worth? In the hardscrabble life of the Nebraska plain, a fluke accident crushes an only son's leg, bringing even more difficult times to the family. Nathaniel's sense of self is also crushed. Through grappling with his feelings toward his father, the orphan boy who comes to help out, the Greek family attending school, and the power struggles between farmers and ranchers, Nathaniel emerges as a whole individual. Tommy Fleming narrates with an edgy voice that helps the listener understand the raw feelings that permeate the story. Heartfelt emotions are evident, and Fleming's youthful voice and slight Midwestern accent add to the story's authenticity. A.R. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.
Connections
Have students research the statistics of Orphan Train riders and adoptive families. Is the book accurate?
Have student look up what the plain states were like during the late-ninteenth century. What were the conditions like? What was medicine like back then? What were the lending practices like? Did Ranchers and Farmers really fued like they did in Worth?
Put yourself in the shoes of Worth or Nathaniel. Would you react the same way they did? Write an essay about how you would feel and be authentic. For this assignment I would not grade so much on grammar and spelling, but more on how authentic they can write. Too many students get caught up in being "perfect" and either try to hard or don't try at all.
Author: A. LaFaye
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Publication City: New York, New York
Publication Date: 2004
ISBN: 0-689-85730-6
Summary
Everything in Nathaniel's life was going well, until his leg is smashed in an accident rendering him useless to his parent's farm. Since Nathaniel cannot help with the crops, he is sent to school for the first time where he is immediately put with the younger children. Now Nathaniel not only has to deal with his feelings of worthlessness on the farm, but also feelings of being the school dunce. To make matters worse at home, to help with the farm labor Nathaniel's father brings home a boy from the Orphan Train named John Worth.
Everything in John Worth's world is also crumbling. He is a city boy, and knows nothing about working on a farm. He isn't even allowed to sleep in the house because Nathaniel's mom believes that all orphans are ruffians. He longs to attend school like Nathaniel, but is not allowed because so much work has to be done on the farm.
The two boys end up bonding over a book of Greek tales, and the only way boys can truly be brothers-a fistfight. But they truly become a family when an arguement between ranchers and farmers comes to a head and the boys find themselves in the middle of it.
Review
People have plans for their lives, but life does not always go how it is planned. 11-year-old Nataniel Peale never planned on becoming a cripple. He was going to learn how to work a farm from his Father, and someday take over the farm when he was old enough for a family of his own. 11-year-old John Worth was going to live in the city his whole life and become a banker. But that dream was taken away in one day by a fire that swept through the building he lived in, killing his entire family. Worth and Peale's lives intertwine when Peale's condition lives his father no choice but to "adopt" an orphan to work on the farm in Nathaniel's place.
LaFaye takes on the world of rural Nebraska in the late nineteenth-century and the Orphan Trains that rode the rails transporting children needing homes from the overcrowded cities of the east. The reader can picture the Peale farm from the descriptions of Nathaniel, and the uproar his injury causes his family. The everyday survival of the Peale family is much like that of the typical farm family. Each day is a battle to survive, especially when money is in short supply.
Many of the riders from the Orphan Train ended up in a situation similar to John Worth's. They were used as hired hands on farms, especially the bigger, older boys. When a train made a stop in a town, the bigger, older boys were among the first "adopted" because they could help out on the farm.
Professional Reviews
From School Library Journal
Grade 3–6—Crippled by a freak farming accident, 11-year-old Nathaniel is bitter, helpless, frustrated, and angry when his father brings John Worth, an Orphan Train boy, into their home to help with the chores Nate can no longer manage in A. LeFaye's novel (S & S, 2004). But the two boys, each wounded in a different yet similar way, discover they have more in common than initially apparent and slowly begin to develop a friendship based on their joint desire to save the family's farm. LaFaye's unsparing look at the grueling hardships of day-to-day farm life during the late 19th-century and the ongoing battle between farmers and ranchers for control of the land is matched by the narrator Tommy Fleming's skill at portraying the starkness of the emotions felt by each of the characters in this short, spare, and beautifully told winner of the Scott O'Dell Award for historical fiction. Speaking with an authentic Nebraska accent, Fleming captures the poignancy of Nate's battle to overcome his disability, learn to read, and reinvent himself within his unhappy family. A compelling and historically accurate story beautifully rendered.—Cindy Lombardo, Tuscarawas County Public Library, New Philadelphia, OH
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.
From AudioFile
What is the source of one's worth? In the hardscrabble life of the Nebraska plain, a fluke accident crushes an only son's leg, bringing even more difficult times to the family. Nathaniel's sense of self is also crushed. Through grappling with his feelings toward his father, the orphan boy who comes to help out, the Greek family attending school, and the power struggles between farmers and ranchers, Nathaniel emerges as a whole individual. Tommy Fleming narrates with an edgy voice that helps the listener understand the raw feelings that permeate the story. Heartfelt emotions are evident, and Fleming's youthful voice and slight Midwestern accent add to the story's authenticity. A.R. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.
Connections
Have students research the statistics of Orphan Train riders and adoptive families. Is the book accurate?
Have student look up what the plain states were like during the late-ninteenth century. What were the conditions like? What was medicine like back then? What were the lending practices like? Did Ranchers and Farmers really fued like they did in Worth?
Put yourself in the shoes of Worth or Nathaniel. Would you react the same way they did? Write an essay about how you would feel and be authentic. For this assignment I would not grade so much on grammar and spelling, but more on how authentic they can write. Too many students get caught up in being "perfect" and either try to hard or don't try at all.
Rodzina
Title: Rodzina
Author: Karen Cushman
Publisher: Clarion Books
Publication City: New York, New York
Publication Date: 2003
ISBN: 0-618-13351-8
Summary
Rodzina Clara Jadwiga Anastazya Brodski has lost her brothers in a fire, her father at the hoof of a runaway horse, and her mother to a broken heart. Rodzina lived a few days on the street before she eneded up at the Little Wanderers Refuge. Soon after arriving there, the orphan was shuffled off to go west on an Orphan Train. Rodzina is the story of Rodzina's trek from Chicago to California on the Orphan Train. Rodzina had been told by another orphan that the orphans on the train were sold as slaves, and the impression is made deeper when Rodzina is told she is in charge of the young orphans because she is the oldest femail rider. Rodzina just wants to be left alone in her misery, but little Lacey attaches herself to Rodzina. Lacey is "slow" and an easy target for the other orphans: Mickey Doolet, Sammy, Joe, Gertie, Horton, Chester, and Spud. Accompanying them is "Miss Doctor", a cold-hearted looking woman going west to escape the Chicago mindset that women can't be doctors, and Mr. Szprot, the man in charge of placing children.
THe trip proves interesting for Rodzina when Gertie disappears after Rodzina gives her to Miss Doctor, and when she is adopted at the first stop, and adopted again after the second stop. Rodzina has much to learn about herself before she can become a member of any family.
Review
The Orphan Trains ran from 1850 to 1929, many of them from New York. One can only imagine what was going through the mind of the children as they left homes they had made for themselves or when their parent(s) had to give them up for a better life. Cushman does a good job of creating an orphan train rider who is hesitant about making the trip out west. The main character, and the title character, Rodzina ia a fairly recent orphan who is still in a state of denial. Not only is she in denial, but she has been given false information by another orphan about the orphan train being a way for people to get slave labor for cheap. This colors her view of the people who come to look at adopting her and the other orphans. It is not hard to believe that other orphans felt the same way Rodzina did. She witnessed the breaking up of families as adopting families were willing to adopt only one sibling. Cushman does a good job of making the reader feel the panic Rodzina feels when she is adopted the first time and realizes she is to be a hired hand, and forces the family to bring her back. The reader cannot help but sympathize with the plight of the orphans throughout the whole book. Many of the things Rodzina saw on the Orphan Train were what the real Orphan Train riders saw and worried about.
The adult main characters are aloof and not friendly, only adding to the harshness of the Orphan Train experience for Rodzina and the other orphans. Mr. Szprot makes it known that he does not care for the Orphans one bit when he promises Rodzina hes going too make sure she is adopted by anyone who will take her, whether or not they promise to treat her right. "Miss Doctor" is riding along with the orphans as another chaperone, but from the beginning lets Rodzina know she has no time to talk to the orphans. However, it is Rodzina and "Miss Doctor" who discover themselves on the trip and the characters who undergo the greatest transformation.
Professional Reviews
From School Library Journal
Grade 4-7-Twelve-year-old Rodzina Clara Jadwiga Anastazya Brodski tells the story of her journey across the United States on an orphan train in 1881 in this audio version of Karen Cushman's novel (Clarion, 2003). A strong-willed, not very attractive Polish girl from Chicago, Rodzina is convinced that she is unlovable and would only be adopted to be used as a slave. More than 20 orphans, along with the harsh Mr. Szprot and the strict Miss Doctor, make up the cast of characters. Narrator Becky Ann Baker's voice reflects the emotions and maturity level of each character. Despite the unfortunate situation that the orphans have found themselves in, the book has many funny and lighthearted moments, such as playing baseball on the train and having dinner with "circus" folk. Listeners see new cities in untamed parts of the West through the eyes of the children. Rodzina sees Indians riding on the platform between trains, meets mail-order brides, and reads the variety of notices posted at train stations along the way. The children on the orphan train worry about their fate, but Rodzina does her best to comfort them with Polish folktales and stories about her family. After the most appealing children have been adopted and Rodzina has made her escape from a few undesirable placements, we see her as the capable girl that she is. The narrator gives a slightly different voice to each character. Her pronunciation of the Polish words in the text is extremely helpful. Cushman gives us a valuable insight into American history, especially from a woman's perspective, and adds an extensive final note and list of resources for further information about orphan trains and orphans throughout world history. An introduction read by Cushman is particularly poignant as she tells about her own Polish family. An excellent choice for public and school libraries.
Casey Rondini, Westerly Public Library, RI
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From AudioFile
Becky Ann Baker narrates this poignant tale set in the late 1800s with clarity and charm. The awkward 12-year-old Rodzina finds herself plucked from the streets of Chicago and placed on an orphan train to the West. Throughout the story, Baker animates this young girl whose life has turned upside down. Rodzina tries to cope as best she can, all the while seeing to the needs of the younger orphans. She learns about herself, the world, and people who really do care for her. This is a painstaking account of a slice of American history not often represented. D.L.M. © AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.
Connections
Read articles about real people who traveled on the Orphan Train and Charles Loring Brace. Does Rodzina do a good job of portraying what happened? Why or Why not?
Research the Kindertransport in Europe. How does that compare to the Orphan Train system? What about Kindertransport is different?
If you were a passenger on the Orphan Train, how would you feel? Would you feel the same as Rodzina or Mickey Dooley? Why or Why not?
Author: Karen Cushman
Publisher: Clarion Books
Publication City: New York, New York
Publication Date: 2003
ISBN: 0-618-13351-8
Summary
Rodzina Clara Jadwiga Anastazya Brodski has lost her brothers in a fire, her father at the hoof of a runaway horse, and her mother to a broken heart. Rodzina lived a few days on the street before she eneded up at the Little Wanderers Refuge. Soon after arriving there, the orphan was shuffled off to go west on an Orphan Train. Rodzina is the story of Rodzina's trek from Chicago to California on the Orphan Train. Rodzina had been told by another orphan that the orphans on the train were sold as slaves, and the impression is made deeper when Rodzina is told she is in charge of the young orphans because she is the oldest femail rider. Rodzina just wants to be left alone in her misery, but little Lacey attaches herself to Rodzina. Lacey is "slow" and an easy target for the other orphans: Mickey Doolet, Sammy, Joe, Gertie, Horton, Chester, and Spud. Accompanying them is "Miss Doctor", a cold-hearted looking woman going west to escape the Chicago mindset that women can't be doctors, and Mr. Szprot, the man in charge of placing children.
THe trip proves interesting for Rodzina when Gertie disappears after Rodzina gives her to Miss Doctor, and when she is adopted at the first stop, and adopted again after the second stop. Rodzina has much to learn about herself before she can become a member of any family.
Review
The Orphan Trains ran from 1850 to 1929, many of them from New York. One can only imagine what was going through the mind of the children as they left homes they had made for themselves or when their parent(s) had to give them up for a better life. Cushman does a good job of creating an orphan train rider who is hesitant about making the trip out west. The main character, and the title character, Rodzina ia a fairly recent orphan who is still in a state of denial. Not only is she in denial, but she has been given false information by another orphan about the orphan train being a way for people to get slave labor for cheap. This colors her view of the people who come to look at adopting her and the other orphans. It is not hard to believe that other orphans felt the same way Rodzina did. She witnessed the breaking up of families as adopting families were willing to adopt only one sibling. Cushman does a good job of making the reader feel the panic Rodzina feels when she is adopted the first time and realizes she is to be a hired hand, and forces the family to bring her back. The reader cannot help but sympathize with the plight of the orphans throughout the whole book. Many of the things Rodzina saw on the Orphan Train were what the real Orphan Train riders saw and worried about.
The adult main characters are aloof and not friendly, only adding to the harshness of the Orphan Train experience for Rodzina and the other orphans. Mr. Szprot makes it known that he does not care for the Orphans one bit when he promises Rodzina hes going too make sure she is adopted by anyone who will take her, whether or not they promise to treat her right. "Miss Doctor" is riding along with the orphans as another chaperone, but from the beginning lets Rodzina know she has no time to talk to the orphans. However, it is Rodzina and "Miss Doctor" who discover themselves on the trip and the characters who undergo the greatest transformation.
Professional Reviews
From School Library Journal
Grade 4-7-Twelve-year-old Rodzina Clara Jadwiga Anastazya Brodski tells the story of her journey across the United States on an orphan train in 1881 in this audio version of Karen Cushman's novel (Clarion, 2003). A strong-willed, not very attractive Polish girl from Chicago, Rodzina is convinced that she is unlovable and would only be adopted to be used as a slave. More than 20 orphans, along with the harsh Mr. Szprot and the strict Miss Doctor, make up the cast of characters. Narrator Becky Ann Baker's voice reflects the emotions and maturity level of each character. Despite the unfortunate situation that the orphans have found themselves in, the book has many funny and lighthearted moments, such as playing baseball on the train and having dinner with "circus" folk. Listeners see new cities in untamed parts of the West through the eyes of the children. Rodzina sees Indians riding on the platform between trains, meets mail-order brides, and reads the variety of notices posted at train stations along the way. The children on the orphan train worry about their fate, but Rodzina does her best to comfort them with Polish folktales and stories about her family. After the most appealing children have been adopted and Rodzina has made her escape from a few undesirable placements, we see her as the capable girl that she is. The narrator gives a slightly different voice to each character. Her pronunciation of the Polish words in the text is extremely helpful. Cushman gives us a valuable insight into American history, especially from a woman's perspective, and adds an extensive final note and list of resources for further information about orphan trains and orphans throughout world history. An introduction read by Cushman is particularly poignant as she tells about her own Polish family. An excellent choice for public and school libraries.
Casey Rondini, Westerly Public Library, RI
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From AudioFile
Becky Ann Baker narrates this poignant tale set in the late 1800s with clarity and charm. The awkward 12-year-old Rodzina finds herself plucked from the streets of Chicago and placed on an orphan train to the West. Throughout the story, Baker animates this young girl whose life has turned upside down. Rodzina tries to cope as best she can, all the while seeing to the needs of the younger orphans. She learns about herself, the world, and people who really do care for her. This is a painstaking account of a slice of American history not often represented. D.L.M. © AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.
Connections
Read articles about real people who traveled on the Orphan Train and Charles Loring Brace. Does Rodzina do a good job of portraying what happened? Why or Why not?
Research the Kindertransport in Europe. How does that compare to the Orphan Train system? What about Kindertransport is different?
If you were a passenger on the Orphan Train, how would you feel? Would you feel the same as Rodzina or Mickey Dooley? Why or Why not?
Monday, October 22, 2007
Now You See It, Now You Don't
Title: Now You See It, Now You Don't: The Amazing World of Optical Illusions
Drawings: Constance Ftera
Author: Seymour Simon
Publisher: Morrow Junior Books
Publication City: New York, NY
Publication Date: 1976,1998
ISBN: 0-688-16152-9
Summary
The Amazing World of Optical Illusions is created in the book by Seymour Simon. Simon shows the reader how optical illusions are created and how the reader can create their own illusions. He also explains why exactly optical illusions happen, and how our eye plays tricks on us. Illusions happen in everyday circumstances, but the readers do not realize that what they are seeing is actually an illusions. There is a whole chapter devoted to illusions in art. What some people may consider art technique, Seymour considers an illusion. He uses MC Esher as an example of illusion in art, in addition to Jacob Van Ruisdael. The book is interactive giving readers many experiments to try.
Review
Most people are familiar with the saying "your eyes are playing tricks on you." Seymour Simon explains how your eye actually does play tricks with you. Optical illusions are a tricky thing. They do not always happen the way they are supposed to happen. This happened many times to me as I was reading the book. Simon would point out how something looked as though it bent outward towards us, but my perception was that it bent away from me. Simon discusses how the optical illusion occurs and gives the reader many examples to try. Students will love the chance to get out of the seats and "trick" their eyes.
The illustrations are what brings the book to life. The examples given are fun to look at, and helps the reader understand the concepts given in the book. Without the illustrations the book would make no sense to the reader.
Simon presents the information in a way that is exciting to the student, if they are very interested in illusions. After awhile, if the student is only interested in the pictures and looking at optical illusions they might become bored. The hands on activities are nice, but if one is not interested in art, the book becomes a bit tedious. The book is written toward the audience of upper elementary students, and asks many questions of the reader, in addition to the experiments given.
Professional Reviews
From Booklist
Gr. 3^-6. One of the clearest and most interesting discussions of optical illusions ever written for children, this was first published in 1976 as The Optical Illusion Book. The new format allows space to increase the size of the illustrations, making them clearer and more effective. Though the text of the new edition remains substantially the same, improvements to the volume include a more attractive book design and more dynamic jacket. An appealing choice for school and public libraries. Carolyn Phelan
Book Description
This classic book on optical illusions explores dozens of visual riddles about distance, depth, brightness, contrast, and color. Newly designed and filled with more than eighty illustrations -- plus eight full-color pages of optical illusions -- Now You See It, Now You Don't lets youngsters see for themselves why they can't always believe their eyes!
Connections
Have students create their own book of optical illusions. Explain the concept of a tessellation and how that can become an illusion itself.
Have students perform the experiments, using an adult when needed, and have them record their findings in a journal. Have them explain what they found, and how they felt about their findings.
Take a trip to an art exhibit appropriate for the age group and have the students record illusions they see in the art in a journal. They can even decorate the front with their own illusion.
Drawings: Constance Ftera
Author: Seymour Simon
Publisher: Morrow Junior Books
Publication City: New York, NY
Publication Date: 1976,1998
ISBN: 0-688-16152-9
Summary
The Amazing World of Optical Illusions is created in the book by Seymour Simon. Simon shows the reader how optical illusions are created and how the reader can create their own illusions. He also explains why exactly optical illusions happen, and how our eye plays tricks on us. Illusions happen in everyday circumstances, but the readers do not realize that what they are seeing is actually an illusions. There is a whole chapter devoted to illusions in art. What some people may consider art technique, Seymour considers an illusion. He uses MC Esher as an example of illusion in art, in addition to Jacob Van Ruisdael. The book is interactive giving readers many experiments to try.
Review
Most people are familiar with the saying "your eyes are playing tricks on you." Seymour Simon explains how your eye actually does play tricks with you. Optical illusions are a tricky thing. They do not always happen the way they are supposed to happen. This happened many times to me as I was reading the book. Simon would point out how something looked as though it bent outward towards us, but my perception was that it bent away from me. Simon discusses how the optical illusion occurs and gives the reader many examples to try. Students will love the chance to get out of the seats and "trick" their eyes.
The illustrations are what brings the book to life. The examples given are fun to look at, and helps the reader understand the concepts given in the book. Without the illustrations the book would make no sense to the reader.
Simon presents the information in a way that is exciting to the student, if they are very interested in illusions. After awhile, if the student is only interested in the pictures and looking at optical illusions they might become bored. The hands on activities are nice, but if one is not interested in art, the book becomes a bit tedious. The book is written toward the audience of upper elementary students, and asks many questions of the reader, in addition to the experiments given.
Professional Reviews
From Booklist
Gr. 3^-6. One of the clearest and most interesting discussions of optical illusions ever written for children, this was first published in 1976 as The Optical Illusion Book. The new format allows space to increase the size of the illustrations, making them clearer and more effective. Though the text of the new edition remains substantially the same, improvements to the volume include a more attractive book design and more dynamic jacket. An appealing choice for school and public libraries. Carolyn Phelan
Book Description
This classic book on optical illusions explores dozens of visual riddles about distance, depth, brightness, contrast, and color. Newly designed and filled with more than eighty illustrations -- plus eight full-color pages of optical illusions -- Now You See It, Now You Don't lets youngsters see for themselves why they can't always believe their eyes!
Connections
Have students create their own book of optical illusions. Explain the concept of a tessellation and how that can become an illusion itself.
Have students perform the experiments, using an adult when needed, and have them record their findings in a journal. Have them explain what they found, and how they felt about their findings.
Take a trip to an art exhibit appropriate for the age group and have the students record illusions they see in the art in a journal. They can even decorate the front with their own illusion.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Quest for the Tree Kangaroo
Title: Quest for the Tree Kangaroo:An Expedition to the Cloud Forest of New Guinea
Author: Sy Montgomery
Photographer: Nic Bishop
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Company
Publication City: Boston, Massachusetts
Copyright: 2006
ISBN: 0-618-49641-6
ISBN-13: 978-0618-49641-9
Summary
The Matschie's Tree Kangaroo lives in the tree forest of Papua New Guinea, and it is one of the rarest animals in the world. It lives only in the cloud forest on the Hunon Peninsula. Tree Kangaroos were hunted for food for many years, and have grown afraid of people. Spotting one and being able to catch it to tag it is a hard task.
Seven people gathered on a team to help Lisa find and track the tree kangaroo. A three day hike left the team exhausted, but determined to help the tree kangaroos. When they finally find one, the kangaroo is foundto have a problem with his leg. The vet fixes him up the best way she can without much modern technology. Will the poor thing survive?
While searching the team learns about their surroundings and other rare animals that live in the clouad forest, but it is still the tree kangaroo that they are most excited about catching. When they catch a male and female tree kangaroo "on a date" the rare chance to track mating brings excitement to the team. This has never been done before! This makes the trip a successful one!
Review
The Quest for the Tree Kangaroowill get the attention of any student who judges the book by the cover, sees the cuddly tree kangaroo and decides any book with a cuddly animal on the front just has to be great. In this case, it is not a bad judgment. Sy Montgomery writes the book with a flair for explanation that does not make the student think they are failures for not knowing the fact, or make them think Montgomery thinks they are too stupid to understand difficult concepts. The pictures are colorful and well composed. Boys will especially like the picture of the leech on one of the worker's skin. Students will be just as excited as the leader of the expedition, Lisa, when they find a Matschie's tree kangaroo, and they will be just as sad when they learn what happens to Ombum, one of the tree kangaroos they captured.
The book is also a good lesson on how people can change. The village near the cloud forest in Papua New Guinea use to hunt tree kangaroo for food. Now the villagers understand that killing the kangaroos led to the endangerment of the species, and help with the studies of the creature. They have found food sources in other items like chickens. Quest for the Tree Kangaroo also teaches students the culture of another society without hammering the facts into the student's head.
Professional Reviews
From School Library Journal
Starred Review. Grade 4-9–Montgomery and Bishop continue their outstanding collaboration to introduce readers to scientists at work. Here, they document their participation in an expedition to the rugged and remote cloud forest of Papua New Guinea in search of the elusive and fascinating Matschie's tree kangaroo. Biologist Lisa Dabek heads a team of scientists from around the world who work with local guides to locate the creatures and fit them with radio collars to learn more about them. Bishop's photographs capture the expedition in detail. Stunning close-ups of plants, insects, and birds vie for attention with panoramas of moss-draped trees in the eerie, ancient forest. Montgomery describes both the hardships and exhilaration of the enterprise. She also introduces readers to some of the local people dedicated to conservation efforts. Dabek's pursuit of her interest in animals despite problems with asthma and her suggestions about exploring the natural world should encourage young scientists. The book's fascinating glimpses into a little-explored region will hold the attention of anyone interested in unusual creatures and the efforts to study them.–Kathy Piehl, Minnesota State University, Mankato
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Booklist
*Starred Review* Montgomery and Bishop follow award-wining titles such as The Tarantula Scientist (2004) with another beautifully illustrated entry in the Scientists in the Field series. This time, they join researchers on a grueling expedition in Papua New Guinea to track the rare Matschie's tree kangaroo. Montgomery gives a chronological, sometimes moment-by-moment account of the challenging climb into the remote cloud forest, the conditions in camp (rice-and-fern dinners, icy waterfall showers), and the awe-inspiring encounters with barely studied animals. The text occasionally veers into a casual tone ("a leech dropped into Lisa's eye. Yuck!") that seems aimed at a young audience, while the small font, exacting detail, and meandering narrative may demand older readers. Still, Montgomery gives an unusually strong, visceral sense of the work and cooperation fieldwork entails and the scope and uniqueness of this particular mission. She also communicates the thrill of studying animals in the wild, making observations, and discovering new information. As usual, Bishop's color photographs are exemplary and extend the excitement in stunning close-ups of creatures and of the team at work. Web resources, notes about conservation, and a glossary of Tok Pisin (the language spoken by the team's Papuan members) are appended. Gillian Engberg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Connections
Read other books in the "Scientists in the Field" series and compare the animals or other sciences.
The book was written two years ago, what research has happened since then? Students can learn research skills looking up articles by Lisa Dabek about the Matschie's tree kangaroo.
There are many endangered species out there. Have students branstorm using a web how they can help these animals.
Author: Sy Montgomery
Photographer: Nic Bishop
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Company
Publication City: Boston, Massachusetts
Copyright: 2006
ISBN: 0-618-49641-6
ISBN-13: 978-0618-49641-9
Summary
The Matschie's Tree Kangaroo lives in the tree forest of Papua New Guinea, and it is one of the rarest animals in the world. It lives only in the cloud forest on the Hunon Peninsula. Tree Kangaroos were hunted for food for many years, and have grown afraid of people. Spotting one and being able to catch it to tag it is a hard task.
Seven people gathered on a team to help Lisa find and track the tree kangaroo. A three day hike left the team exhausted, but determined to help the tree kangaroos. When they finally find one, the kangaroo is foundto have a problem with his leg. The vet fixes him up the best way she can without much modern technology. Will the poor thing survive?
While searching the team learns about their surroundings and other rare animals that live in the clouad forest, but it is still the tree kangaroo that they are most excited about catching. When they catch a male and female tree kangaroo "on a date" the rare chance to track mating brings excitement to the team. This has never been done before! This makes the trip a successful one!
Review
The Quest for the Tree Kangaroowill get the attention of any student who judges the book by the cover, sees the cuddly tree kangaroo and decides any book with a cuddly animal on the front just has to be great. In this case, it is not a bad judgment. Sy Montgomery writes the book with a flair for explanation that does not make the student think they are failures for not knowing the fact, or make them think Montgomery thinks they are too stupid to understand difficult concepts. The pictures are colorful and well composed. Boys will especially like the picture of the leech on one of the worker's skin. Students will be just as excited as the leader of the expedition, Lisa, when they find a Matschie's tree kangaroo, and they will be just as sad when they learn what happens to Ombum, one of the tree kangaroos they captured.
The book is also a good lesson on how people can change. The village near the cloud forest in Papua New Guinea use to hunt tree kangaroo for food. Now the villagers understand that killing the kangaroos led to the endangerment of the species, and help with the studies of the creature. They have found food sources in other items like chickens. Quest for the Tree Kangaroo also teaches students the culture of another society without hammering the facts into the student's head.
Professional Reviews
From School Library Journal
Starred Review. Grade 4-9–Montgomery and Bishop continue their outstanding collaboration to introduce readers to scientists at work. Here, they document their participation in an expedition to the rugged and remote cloud forest of Papua New Guinea in search of the elusive and fascinating Matschie's tree kangaroo. Biologist Lisa Dabek heads a team of scientists from around the world who work with local guides to locate the creatures and fit them with radio collars to learn more about them. Bishop's photographs capture the expedition in detail. Stunning close-ups of plants, insects, and birds vie for attention with panoramas of moss-draped trees in the eerie, ancient forest. Montgomery describes both the hardships and exhilaration of the enterprise. She also introduces readers to some of the local people dedicated to conservation efforts. Dabek's pursuit of her interest in animals despite problems with asthma and her suggestions about exploring the natural world should encourage young scientists. The book's fascinating glimpses into a little-explored region will hold the attention of anyone interested in unusual creatures and the efforts to study them.–Kathy Piehl, Minnesota State University, Mankato
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Booklist
*Starred Review* Montgomery and Bishop follow award-wining titles such as The Tarantula Scientist (2004) with another beautifully illustrated entry in the Scientists in the Field series. This time, they join researchers on a grueling expedition in Papua New Guinea to track the rare Matschie's tree kangaroo. Montgomery gives a chronological, sometimes moment-by-moment account of the challenging climb into the remote cloud forest, the conditions in camp (rice-and-fern dinners, icy waterfall showers), and the awe-inspiring encounters with barely studied animals. The text occasionally veers into a casual tone ("a leech dropped into Lisa's eye. Yuck!") that seems aimed at a young audience, while the small font, exacting detail, and meandering narrative may demand older readers. Still, Montgomery gives an unusually strong, visceral sense of the work and cooperation fieldwork entails and the scope and uniqueness of this particular mission. She also communicates the thrill of studying animals in the wild, making observations, and discovering new information. As usual, Bishop's color photographs are exemplary and extend the excitement in stunning close-ups of creatures and of the team at work. Web resources, notes about conservation, and a glossary of Tok Pisin (the language spoken by the team's Papuan members) are appended. Gillian Engberg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Connections
Read other books in the "Scientists in the Field" series and compare the animals or other sciences.
The book was written two years ago, what research has happened since then? Students can learn research skills looking up articles by Lisa Dabek about the Matschie's tree kangaroo.
There are many endangered species out there. Have students branstorm using a web how they can help these animals.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Secrets of a Civil War Submarine
Title: Secrets of a Civil War Submarine: Solving the mysteries of the H.L. Hunley
Author: Sally M. Walker
Publisher: Carolrhoda Books, Inc.
Publication City: Minneapolis, MN
Publication Date: 2005
ISBN-13: 978-1-57505-830-6
ISBN-10: 1-57505-830-8
Summary
Secrets of a Civil War Submarine is about the H.L. Hunley, the first submarine to make a successful hit on an enemy submarine, but unfortunately the Hunley sank after the hit and no one knows what happened to it. That is, until 1995 when she was found covered under 131 years of mud. The process to preserve the condition of the submarine while trying to uncover it's secrets are detailed in the book. It was a painstaking process, but in the end most secrets are revealed through various sciences, like forensic science to reconstruct the faces of the crewmen. The book includes pictures from The Friends of the Hunley which is an organization that helped finance the restoration and excavation of the Hunley. There are also biographies of the crewman with pictures of what they might look like.
Review
Secrets of a Civil War Submarinetells the story of a submarine that was missing for 131 years. No one knew where the Hunley was because no one knew where she went after she made the first successful hit from a submarine. While not all secrets cannot be completely revealed because the people involved are deceased, the secrets told in this book are fascinating. Students will love trying to figure out the reasons the Hunley sank, but they have to get through the history part of submarine technology first. Walker's writing brings alive the painstaking process of cleaning the Hunley while maintaining the integrity of a piece of machinery that has been underwater for 131 years. If the book gets a little tedious describing the excavation process, it is because the process itself was tedious. The pictures in the book help move the story along and provide much needed description for those readers who have a hard time picturing descriptions. Students will enjoy the forensic science part of the book where the forensic scientist recreates the facial structure of the crew members from the facial bones. Walker once again brings alive the science behind the recreation, and reveals what exactly a forensic scientist can tell just from the teeth.
Professional Reviews
From School Library Journal
Starred Review. Grade 6-10–Walker brings a little-known story of the Civil War to life in this fascinating book. When the Union blockade of all ports in the South stopped supplies from reaching the Confederate Army, Horace L. Hunley decided to create a submarine that would be able to sneak up on enemy ships and blow them up. After many years of trial and error, the H. L. Hunley actually succeeded in sinking the USS Housatonic in February of 1864. But the submarine never returned to port, and her crew perished in the Charleston Harbor. This is a finely crafted account of the Hunley from its inception to the modern archaeological quest to exhume her from the water. It is divided into chronological chapters complete with pictures, maps, and primary sources. Half of the book discusses the construction and design of the submarine, in addition to its practice runs and its first and only mission. The second half consists of the process of locating and excavating the Hunley, as well as piecing together the puzzle of exactly what happened on that fateful night in 1864. The archaeological process is well documented in both words and pictures, and the conclusions are interesting and even surprising. Highly recommended for school and public libraries.–Anna M. Nelson, Collier County Public Library, Naples, FL
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Booklist
*Starred Review* Gr. 7-10. The author of Fossil Fish Found Alive (2002) now discusses a different sort of discovery, the Confederate submarine H. L. Hunley. After sinking a Union sloop near Charleston, South Carolina, in 1864, the hunley did not return to port. Although divers searched for more than 130 years, the sub was not found until 1995. Over the last 10 years, archaeologists have carefully raised the hunley and painstakingly sifted through the 20,000 pounds of sediment it contained for artifacts and human remains and, ultimately, clues to why, when, and how the vessel sank. Walker begins with the history of the Hunley's design and construction as well as its place in Civil War and naval history. She really hits her stride, though, in explaining the complex techniques and loving care used in raising the craft, recovering its contents, and even reconstructing models of the crewmembers' bodies. Back matter includes a detailed author's note, source notes, a bibliography, and recommended Web sites. Thoroughly researched, nicely designed, and well illustrated with clear, color photos, the book will serve as an informative guide to anyone interested in the hunley or intrigued by archaeology. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Connections
Have the students research current submarine technology. What characteristics do they share with the Hunley? What did they learn from the Hunley?
Have the students brainstorm other ways to remove the naval blockade. Have students choose one of the answers and research if it would have worked or not.
Create some sort of archaeological dig, or if they are near one, take a field trip where they can learn hands on experience.
Have students create a timeline of the Hunley from the beginning of it's inception to teh end of the book. What do the scientist think happened in the 131 years it was underwater? Plot that on the line also.
Author: Sally M. Walker
Publisher: Carolrhoda Books, Inc.
Publication City: Minneapolis, MN
Publication Date: 2005
ISBN-13: 978-1-57505-830-6
ISBN-10: 1-57505-830-8
Summary
Secrets of a Civil War Submarine is about the H.L. Hunley, the first submarine to make a successful hit on an enemy submarine, but unfortunately the Hunley sank after the hit and no one knows what happened to it. That is, until 1995 when she was found covered under 131 years of mud. The process to preserve the condition of the submarine while trying to uncover it's secrets are detailed in the book. It was a painstaking process, but in the end most secrets are revealed through various sciences, like forensic science to reconstruct the faces of the crewmen. The book includes pictures from The Friends of the Hunley which is an organization that helped finance the restoration and excavation of the Hunley. There are also biographies of the crewman with pictures of what they might look like.
Review
Secrets of a Civil War Submarinetells the story of a submarine that was missing for 131 years. No one knew where the Hunley was because no one knew where she went after she made the first successful hit from a submarine. While not all secrets cannot be completely revealed because the people involved are deceased, the secrets told in this book are fascinating. Students will love trying to figure out the reasons the Hunley sank, but they have to get through the history part of submarine technology first. Walker's writing brings alive the painstaking process of cleaning the Hunley while maintaining the integrity of a piece of machinery that has been underwater for 131 years. If the book gets a little tedious describing the excavation process, it is because the process itself was tedious. The pictures in the book help move the story along and provide much needed description for those readers who have a hard time picturing descriptions. Students will enjoy the forensic science part of the book where the forensic scientist recreates the facial structure of the crew members from the facial bones. Walker once again brings alive the science behind the recreation, and reveals what exactly a forensic scientist can tell just from the teeth.
Professional Reviews
From School Library Journal
Starred Review. Grade 6-10–Walker brings a little-known story of the Civil War to life in this fascinating book. When the Union blockade of all ports in the South stopped supplies from reaching the Confederate Army, Horace L. Hunley decided to create a submarine that would be able to sneak up on enemy ships and blow them up. After many years of trial and error, the H. L. Hunley actually succeeded in sinking the USS Housatonic in February of 1864. But the submarine never returned to port, and her crew perished in the Charleston Harbor. This is a finely crafted account of the Hunley from its inception to the modern archaeological quest to exhume her from the water. It is divided into chronological chapters complete with pictures, maps, and primary sources. Half of the book discusses the construction and design of the submarine, in addition to its practice runs and its first and only mission. The second half consists of the process of locating and excavating the Hunley, as well as piecing together the puzzle of exactly what happened on that fateful night in 1864. The archaeological process is well documented in both words and pictures, and the conclusions are interesting and even surprising. Highly recommended for school and public libraries.–Anna M. Nelson, Collier County Public Library, Naples, FL
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Booklist
*Starred Review* Gr. 7-10. The author of Fossil Fish Found Alive (2002) now discusses a different sort of discovery, the Confederate submarine H. L. Hunley. After sinking a Union sloop near Charleston, South Carolina, in 1864, the hunley did not return to port. Although divers searched for more than 130 years, the sub was not found until 1995. Over the last 10 years, archaeologists have carefully raised the hunley and painstakingly sifted through the 20,000 pounds of sediment it contained for artifacts and human remains and, ultimately, clues to why, when, and how the vessel sank. Walker begins with the history of the Hunley's design and construction as well as its place in Civil War and naval history. She really hits her stride, though, in explaining the complex techniques and loving care used in raising the craft, recovering its contents, and even reconstructing models of the crewmembers' bodies. Back matter includes a detailed author's note, source notes, a bibliography, and recommended Web sites. Thoroughly researched, nicely designed, and well illustrated with clear, color photos, the book will serve as an informative guide to anyone interested in the hunley or intrigued by archaeology. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Connections
Have the students research current submarine technology. What characteristics do they share with the Hunley? What did they learn from the Hunley?
Have the students brainstorm other ways to remove the naval blockade. Have students choose one of the answers and research if it would have worked or not.
Create some sort of archaeological dig, or if they are near one, take a field trip where they can learn hands on experience.
Have students create a timeline of the Hunley from the beginning of it's inception to teh end of the book. What do the scientist think happened in the 131 years it was underwater? Plot that on the line also.
Friday, October 5, 2007
Something BIG Has Been Here
Title: Something BIG Has Been Here
Author: Jack Prelutsky
Illustrator: James Stevenson
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Publication City: New York, New York
Publication Date: 1990
ISBN: 0-688-06434-5
Summary
"Something BIG Has Been Here" is a book of poems that any child will love and use for those pesky memorization grades. Poem topics range from a lady who buys perfumes with dubious scents to the title poem about a monster with very large feet. Where else can you find four vain tortoises try to beat each other in a "slow" race, a fish who can ride a bike but can't swim, an Addle-pated Paddlepuss, and a boy digging a hole in the ceiling with a spoon.
Review
Jack Preltusky's poems are entertaining and just plain fun, which is why students love them so much. They are not the type of poems where the reader has to sit down and figure out what the poet meant, they are straight forward and some even have great punchlines. Each poem does have some sort of a rhyme scheme which will make the students feel comfortable and is a great teaching tool in finding different rhyme schemes. Prelutzsky's use of big words like trepidation, mellifluous, and succulent is a wonderful learning tool for the student. It does not insult the intelligence of the student. The students are able to figure out the meaning of the word using context clues.
Each poem is illustrated by James Stevenson. The illustrations are simple sketches. Most of the time they add little to the story. In a few they actually ruin the punchline, like in "The Barber of Shrubbery Hollow". In the poem Prelutzsky talks about a barber who doesn't know why he stays open because no one frequents his shop. It isn't until the punchline that he reveals that all the men in the town are bald!But if you look at the picture, you can tell that right away.
Professional Reviews
Amazon.com
In this delightful companion to Jack Prelutsky's The New Kid on the Block, an early worm frightens the early bird, four vain and ancient tortoises race to see who can get to the finish line last, and outrageous imaginary characters such as the "Know-Nothing Neebies" ("We're perfectly pompous, / indelibly dense, / we haven't a trace / of a semblance of sense") pop up as magically as any creature from The Phantom Tollbooth or The Wizard of Oz ever did.
In "Captain Conniption," young readers will giggle to meet the self-professed "scourge of the sea." "I'm Captain Conniption, / and up to no good, / you'll soon walk the plank / if I think that you should, / I'd show you right now / how I vanquish a foe, / but I hear my mother, / so I have to go." Other subjects near and dear to children's hearts make fabulous fodder for fun, including sibling rivalry, bad table manners, meatloaf, and bats. Illustrator James Stevenson's lively line drawings capture Prelutsky's goofy poetic antics perfectly, making this collection another essential addition to any child's library. (Ages 4 to 12) --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
From Publishers Weekly
If this anthology of light verse and black-and-white drawings from Prelutsky and Stevenson were a movie, it would be titled The New Kid on the Block Part II. In format, subject matter and tone, fans of the earlier volumes will rejoice in finding more of the same. These are not poems to savor for their metaphoric language or depth of thought, but are instead frivolous, rib-tickling verses about the "Ghost Who's Lost His Boo," about "Rhododendra Rosenbloom" who buys perfume from a "ten scent store," or about the "Fearless Flying Hotdogs" who are "mustered in formation / to climb, to dip, to dive." Prelutsky's comic monologues focus on such topics as "I am Tired of Being Little" or "I'm Sorry! for being a brat," or the irresistible declaration of love, "Warteena Weere Just Bit My Ear." From Twickles and Moodles to the making of Grasshopper Gumbo, the emphasis is on the preposterous. Stevenson's waggish drawings provide half the fun in this comic collection that skips lightly on the mind and tongue. Ages 5-up.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Connections
Have students create their own "Addle-pated Paddlepuss" or a Moodle without a middle and create a poem about them.
Have students write down words they did not understand and have them look them up and create a "definition drawing" where they draw the meaning of the word instead of just copying it out of the dictionary.
Have students brainstorm what the "Something BIG" was and draw it.
Have students compare & contrast poems from other Prelutsky poem books. Are they all the same, or are there differences?
Author: Jack Prelutsky
Illustrator: James Stevenson
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Publication City: New York, New York
Publication Date: 1990
ISBN: 0-688-06434-5
Summary
"Something BIG Has Been Here" is a book of poems that any child will love and use for those pesky memorization grades. Poem topics range from a lady who buys perfumes with dubious scents to the title poem about a monster with very large feet. Where else can you find four vain tortoises try to beat each other in a "slow" race, a fish who can ride a bike but can't swim, an Addle-pated Paddlepuss, and a boy digging a hole in the ceiling with a spoon.
Review
Jack Preltusky's poems are entertaining and just plain fun, which is why students love them so much. They are not the type of poems where the reader has to sit down and figure out what the poet meant, they are straight forward and some even have great punchlines. Each poem does have some sort of a rhyme scheme which will make the students feel comfortable and is a great teaching tool in finding different rhyme schemes. Prelutzsky's use of big words like trepidation, mellifluous, and succulent is a wonderful learning tool for the student. It does not insult the intelligence of the student. The students are able to figure out the meaning of the word using context clues.
Each poem is illustrated by James Stevenson. The illustrations are simple sketches. Most of the time they add little to the story. In a few they actually ruin the punchline, like in "The Barber of Shrubbery Hollow". In the poem Prelutzsky talks about a barber who doesn't know why he stays open because no one frequents his shop. It isn't until the punchline that he reveals that all the men in the town are bald!But if you look at the picture, you can tell that right away.
Professional Reviews
Amazon.com
In this delightful companion to Jack Prelutsky's The New Kid on the Block, an early worm frightens the early bird, four vain and ancient tortoises race to see who can get to the finish line last, and outrageous imaginary characters such as the "Know-Nothing Neebies" ("We're perfectly pompous, / indelibly dense, / we haven't a trace / of a semblance of sense") pop up as magically as any creature from The Phantom Tollbooth or The Wizard of Oz ever did.
In "Captain Conniption," young readers will giggle to meet the self-professed "scourge of the sea." "I'm Captain Conniption, / and up to no good, / you'll soon walk the plank / if I think that you should, / I'd show you right now / how I vanquish a foe, / but I hear my mother, / so I have to go." Other subjects near and dear to children's hearts make fabulous fodder for fun, including sibling rivalry, bad table manners, meatloaf, and bats. Illustrator James Stevenson's lively line drawings capture Prelutsky's goofy poetic antics perfectly, making this collection another essential addition to any child's library. (Ages 4 to 12) --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
From Publishers Weekly
If this anthology of light verse and black-and-white drawings from Prelutsky and Stevenson were a movie, it would be titled The New Kid on the Block Part II. In format, subject matter and tone, fans of the earlier volumes will rejoice in finding more of the same. These are not poems to savor for their metaphoric language or depth of thought, but are instead frivolous, rib-tickling verses about the "Ghost Who's Lost His Boo," about "Rhododendra Rosenbloom" who buys perfume from a "ten scent store," or about the "Fearless Flying Hotdogs" who are "mustered in formation / to climb, to dip, to dive." Prelutsky's comic monologues focus on such topics as "I am Tired of Being Little" or "I'm Sorry! for being a brat," or the irresistible declaration of love, "Warteena Weere Just Bit My Ear." From Twickles and Moodles to the making of Grasshopper Gumbo, the emphasis is on the preposterous. Stevenson's waggish drawings provide half the fun in this comic collection that skips lightly on the mind and tongue. Ages 5-up.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Connections
Have students create their own "Addle-pated Paddlepuss" or a Moodle without a middle and create a poem about them.
Have students write down words they did not understand and have them look them up and create a "definition drawing" where they draw the meaning of the word instead of just copying it out of the dictionary.
Have students brainstorm what the "Something BIG" was and draw it.
Have students compare & contrast poems from other Prelutsky poem books. Are they all the same, or are there differences?
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Fold Me A Poem
Title: Fold Me a Poem
Author: Kristine O'Connell George
Illustrator: Lauren Stringer
Publisher: Harcourt, Inc.
Publishing City: San Diego, CA
Publication Date: 2005
ISBN: 0-15-202501-4
Summary
A series of poems about a little boy who creates various Origami animals. Most of the poems are written in free verse, but the first poem, Origami, is a Haiku. Poems range from poems about folding to poems about doctoring an animal after the cat gets to it. The illustrations by Stringer add to the poetry by showing the origami characters and their surroundings.
Review
The poems are short and mostly done in free verse. The first poem, Origami, is obviously a 5-7-5 haiku. Other poems just mimic a haiku, but do not share the syllable pattern. Children will like the poems, but will enjoy Stringer's illustrations just as much, if not more. Each illustration adds to the poem by showing the actual origami animal and the little boy interacting with the paper or paper creatures. For the poem "Camel" George talks about leaning the Camel against a sand dune, and the reader sees the salt shaker "sand dune." Students will also enjoy the little boy's cat who eyes the paper creatures, and will boo the cat when he actually catches an ostrich during a "Wind Storm". The students will be relieved when the boy fixes his ostrich, and it is shown with a band-aid in later pictures. The patterned paper used in the illustrations give depth to the animals, and is appropriate for each animal. The moth is a particularly bland beige color, and the students can imagine a green dog with other doggy friends that are red, yellow, and blue.
Professional Reviews
From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 2–George's 32 brief poems focus on a boy as he folds a series of origami animals and imagines their thoughts and possible activities. Some of the selections exhibit a creative spark, while others tend to take their meaning from the illustrations, which are the real strength of the presentation. The vividly colored acrylics depict the boy actively engaged in play with his creations, and the details that Stringer provides infuse the verses with both energy and humor. Her illustrator's note offers insight into her own efforts to master the art of origami. No patterns or instructions are included, although a useful bibliography is appended to guide those wishing to learn the craft themselves.–Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJ
From Booklist
Gr. 1-3. From morning until night, a boy spends his day folding squares of colored paper into animals. The opening poem, "Origami," follows the five-seven-five-syllable haiku form while defining the magic of the paper-folding art: "Square sheet of paper-- / folded, suddenly wakes up. / Good morning, Rooster." While many of the other poems have the terseness of haiku, they follow their own syllabic patterns. Each appears on a single page or a double-page spread along with a large-scale painting of the boy making his animals, playing with them, observing them, or, in one case, repairing them after a cat attack. In "Hungry" he comes to a realization: "All afternoon / the paper cows / have been eyeing / the green paper. Oh. / Grass!" Warm in colors and often large in scale, Stringer's acrylic paintings capture the world of the boy's imaginative play as well as the intricately folded paper figures that inspire and inhabit it. Unusual, handsome, and good for reading aloud. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Connections
Get a bunch of patterned paper and print off instructions on how to create origami animals and let the children create animals as you read the poems to them.
Discuss what Origami means and how it came to be. Look up other Japanese art and see how it is used in everyday life.
Discuss this question: Is a paper airplane origami? Why does it actually fly? Turn it into a basic physics lesson.
Author: Kristine O'Connell George
Illustrator: Lauren Stringer
Publisher: Harcourt, Inc.
Publishing City: San Diego, CA
Publication Date: 2005
ISBN: 0-15-202501-4
Summary
A series of poems about a little boy who creates various Origami animals. Most of the poems are written in free verse, but the first poem, Origami, is a Haiku. Poems range from poems about folding to poems about doctoring an animal after the cat gets to it. The illustrations by Stringer add to the poetry by showing the origami characters and their surroundings.
Review
The poems are short and mostly done in free verse. The first poem, Origami, is obviously a 5-7-5 haiku. Other poems just mimic a haiku, but do not share the syllable pattern. Children will like the poems, but will enjoy Stringer's illustrations just as much, if not more. Each illustration adds to the poem by showing the actual origami animal and the little boy interacting with the paper or paper creatures. For the poem "Camel" George talks about leaning the Camel against a sand dune, and the reader sees the salt shaker "sand dune." Students will also enjoy the little boy's cat who eyes the paper creatures, and will boo the cat when he actually catches an ostrich during a "Wind Storm". The students will be relieved when the boy fixes his ostrich, and it is shown with a band-aid in later pictures. The patterned paper used in the illustrations give depth to the animals, and is appropriate for each animal. The moth is a particularly bland beige color, and the students can imagine a green dog with other doggy friends that are red, yellow, and blue.
Professional Reviews
From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 2–George's 32 brief poems focus on a boy as he folds a series of origami animals and imagines their thoughts and possible activities. Some of the selections exhibit a creative spark, while others tend to take their meaning from the illustrations, which are the real strength of the presentation. The vividly colored acrylics depict the boy actively engaged in play with his creations, and the details that Stringer provides infuse the verses with both energy and humor. Her illustrator's note offers insight into her own efforts to master the art of origami. No patterns or instructions are included, although a useful bibliography is appended to guide those wishing to learn the craft themselves.–Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJ
From Booklist
Gr. 1-3. From morning until night, a boy spends his day folding squares of colored paper into animals. The opening poem, "Origami," follows the five-seven-five-syllable haiku form while defining the magic of the paper-folding art: "Square sheet of paper-- / folded, suddenly wakes up. / Good morning, Rooster." While many of the other poems have the terseness of haiku, they follow their own syllabic patterns. Each appears on a single page or a double-page spread along with a large-scale painting of the boy making his animals, playing with them, observing them, or, in one case, repairing them after a cat attack. In "Hungry" he comes to a realization: "All afternoon / the paper cows / have been eyeing / the green paper. Oh. / Grass!" Warm in colors and often large in scale, Stringer's acrylic paintings capture the world of the boy's imaginative play as well as the intricately folded paper figures that inspire and inhabit it. Unusual, handsome, and good for reading aloud. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Connections
Get a bunch of patterned paper and print off instructions on how to create origami animals and let the children create animals as you read the poems to them.
Discuss what Origami means and how it came to be. Look up other Japanese art and see how it is used in everyday life.
Discuss this question: Is a paper airplane origami? Why does it actually fly? Turn it into a basic physics lesson.
Monday, October 1, 2007
Witness
Title: Witness
Author: Karen Hesse
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Publication City: New York, New York
Copyright: 2001
ISBN: 0-439-27199-1 (hc)
Summary
Witness, a story told in free verse poetry, takes place in a small Vermont town in 1924. Things are at an upheaval in the town. The Ku Klux Klan has come to town and it could mean disaster for 6-year-old Esther Hirsh and 12-year-old African-American Leanora Sutter. Little Esther and her doting father had recently moved to the town to live with Sara Chickering, an older woman who has never married. Esther had spent time the summer before with Chickering as a Fresh Air kid. Esther brightened the world around Chickering, but to the other townspeople she was still the little Jewish girl. Esther is a naive little girl who does not make the connection between her dead dog and the KKK.
Leanora Sutter was a talented dancer who had lost her mother the year before when her Daddy's wagon had gotten stuck in the mud and the locals refused to help. Her mothers gave Leanora her sweater, and the mom caught a bad cold she never recovered from. Leanora is world wise and know what the KKK is and is scared of them.
Johnny Reeves, a reverend, believes in the "purity" of America and protestants. He is a staunch supporter of the KKK. Merlin Van Tornhout is a racist who has an overly fond view of himself. The Pettibone's own a general store and are split on their views of the KKK. Other characters join together to try to keep the KK from their town. With unlikely help from the Vermont legislature the town gets out from under the thumb of the KKK, but not before a suicide, a shooting, and a failed attempt at poisoning a well.
Review
Witness is a hard look at a pre-depression small town in Vermont as it accepts the KKK into town and then realizes the true meaning behind the facade of the KKK. The novel is written in free verse poems by the main characters, and the seriousness of the KKK.
The words of 6-year-old Esther Hirsh are those of an innocent child who talks of "have comings" instead of visits and "having sleeps" instead of sleeping. All of the other characters, who are world weary, talk in near perfect English for the period, even 12-year-old African-American Leanora Sutter.
Witness tackles other tough topics than pure racism. The Reverend Johnny Reeves is alluded to be a pedophile, who is taken care of by the Klan despite his initial involvement. The young audience will not fully realize the reason Johnny Reeves is punished by the Klan. The inclusion is a necessary part by showing the pure hypocrisy of what the KKK was and still is. Johnny Reeves truly believed that he was better than the Jews and the "Negros" but his little "problem" exposed him as a hypocrite.
Merlin Van Tornhout deals with self-arrogance that cripples him in decision-making until the KKK reveals it's true self. When he realizes the errand the Klan sent him on was not just, he had to flee. Perhaps a student reading the novel will realize how not doing anything to prevent injustice is just as bad as taking part.
While Witness does focus on the KKK vs. the "negro"", th book does a wonderful job of highlighting the hatred of Jews at the time. One has a tendency to believe that the Jews were only persecuted in Europe, when things as brutal as murders happened in America also.
Professional Reviews
Amazon.com
It is 1924, and a small Vermont town finds itself under siege--by the Ku Klux Klan. Using free verse, Newbery Medal-winning author Karen Hesse (Out of the Dust) allows 11 unique and memorable voices to relate the story of the Klan's steady infiltration into the conscience of a small, Prohibition-era community. The Klan's "all-American" philosophy is at first embraced by several of the town's influential men, including Constable Parcelle Johnson and retailer Harvey Pettibone. But Harvey's sensible wife, Viola, and independent restaurant owner Iris Weaver suspect from the beginning that the Klan's arrival heralds trouble. As the only African Americans in town, 12-year old Leonora Sutter and her father try to escape Klan scrutiny, while 6-year-old, city-born Esther Hirsch remains blissfully unaware of the Klan's prejudice against Jews as she enjoys the Vermont countryside. And Sara Chickering, the lady farmer who has opened her home to Esther and her father, is torn between her own hidden biases and her growing love for Esther.
All, however, are galvanized towards action when a shadowy figure shoots at Esther and her father right through Sara's front door. Who would commit such an evil act? And is it too late to remove the poison that has insidiously leaked into their once tight-knit community? Part mystery, part social commentary, Hesse's historically accurate chronicle is a riveting catalyst for discussion that thoughtfully explores race and identity from every possible point of view. The free verse format and distinct characterizations also make Witness a perfect choice for library or classroom reader's theater productions. (Ages 12 and older) --Jennifer Hubert --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
From Publishers Weekly
The author of Out of the Dust again turns language into music in her second quietly moving novel written entirely in verse. Here, 11 narrative voices chronicle actual events occurring in a sleepy Vermont town after the arrival of the Ku Klux Klan in 1924. Those victimized by the Klan include the families of Leanora Sutter, a 12-year-old African-American girl, and Esther Hirsh, the six-year-old daughter of a Jewish shoe salesman. Rounding out the portrait of the town are community leaders (an enlightened physician, a newspaper editor who moves from neutral to anti-Klan) as well as less prominent folk shopkeepers, a Protestant minister who are swayed into joining the white supremacist group. Their chorus of hatred rings loudly at first, but is tempered by their dawning realization of the severity of the Klan's punishment to their targets as well as the more rational, compassionate strains of the Klan's opponents. Hesse offers glimpses of the world at large through references to Prohibition, the Leopold and Loeb case and a letter Leanora pens to Helen Keller. The author distinguishes the characters (whose pictures appear in the front of the book) not only by their varying opinions but also by their tone of speech. The simpler, candid language of the two youngest cast members, Leanora and Esther, effectively crystallizes their gradual loss of innocence. Easily read in one sitting, this lyrical novel powerfully records waves of change and offers insightful glimpses into the hearts of victims, their friends and their enemies. Ages 9-12.
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
Connections
Together with a history teacher, research the KKK during the pre-Great Depression years and during. Write poems about the experiences of the victims of KKK violence.
Research what a Fresh Air Fund is. Is it still around? Write stories/poems about the growing concerns about our environment.
Have students write essays or poetry of their thoughts after reading the book. They can illustrate first if it helps them.
Author: Karen Hesse
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Publication City: New York, New York
Copyright: 2001
ISBN: 0-439-27199-1 (hc)
Summary
Witness, a story told in free verse poetry, takes place in a small Vermont town in 1924. Things are at an upheaval in the town. The Ku Klux Klan has come to town and it could mean disaster for 6-year-old Esther Hirsh and 12-year-old African-American Leanora Sutter. Little Esther and her doting father had recently moved to the town to live with Sara Chickering, an older woman who has never married. Esther had spent time the summer before with Chickering as a Fresh Air kid. Esther brightened the world around Chickering, but to the other townspeople she was still the little Jewish girl. Esther is a naive little girl who does not make the connection between her dead dog and the KKK.
Leanora Sutter was a talented dancer who had lost her mother the year before when her Daddy's wagon had gotten stuck in the mud and the locals refused to help. Her mothers gave Leanora her sweater, and the mom caught a bad cold she never recovered from. Leanora is world wise and know what the KKK is and is scared of them.
Johnny Reeves, a reverend, believes in the "purity" of America and protestants. He is a staunch supporter of the KKK. Merlin Van Tornhout is a racist who has an overly fond view of himself. The Pettibone's own a general store and are split on their views of the KKK. Other characters join together to try to keep the KK from their town. With unlikely help from the Vermont legislature the town gets out from under the thumb of the KKK, but not before a suicide, a shooting, and a failed attempt at poisoning a well.
Review
Witness is a hard look at a pre-depression small town in Vermont as it accepts the KKK into town and then realizes the true meaning behind the facade of the KKK. The novel is written in free verse poems by the main characters, and the seriousness of the KKK.
The words of 6-year-old Esther Hirsh are those of an innocent child who talks of "have comings" instead of visits and "having sleeps" instead of sleeping. All of the other characters, who are world weary, talk in near perfect English for the period, even 12-year-old African-American Leanora Sutter.
Witness tackles other tough topics than pure racism. The Reverend Johnny Reeves is alluded to be a pedophile, who is taken care of by the Klan despite his initial involvement. The young audience will not fully realize the reason Johnny Reeves is punished by the Klan. The inclusion is a necessary part by showing the pure hypocrisy of what the KKK was and still is. Johnny Reeves truly believed that he was better than the Jews and the "Negros" but his little "problem" exposed him as a hypocrite.
Merlin Van Tornhout deals with self-arrogance that cripples him in decision-making until the KKK reveals it's true self. When he realizes the errand the Klan sent him on was not just, he had to flee. Perhaps a student reading the novel will realize how not doing anything to prevent injustice is just as bad as taking part.
While Witness does focus on the KKK vs. the "negro"", th book does a wonderful job of highlighting the hatred of Jews at the time. One has a tendency to believe that the Jews were only persecuted in Europe, when things as brutal as murders happened in America also.
Professional Reviews
Amazon.com
It is 1924, and a small Vermont town finds itself under siege--by the Ku Klux Klan. Using free verse, Newbery Medal-winning author Karen Hesse (Out of the Dust) allows 11 unique and memorable voices to relate the story of the Klan's steady infiltration into the conscience of a small, Prohibition-era community. The Klan's "all-American" philosophy is at first embraced by several of the town's influential men, including Constable Parcelle Johnson and retailer Harvey Pettibone. But Harvey's sensible wife, Viola, and independent restaurant owner Iris Weaver suspect from the beginning that the Klan's arrival heralds trouble. As the only African Americans in town, 12-year old Leonora Sutter and her father try to escape Klan scrutiny, while 6-year-old, city-born Esther Hirsch remains blissfully unaware of the Klan's prejudice against Jews as she enjoys the Vermont countryside. And Sara Chickering, the lady farmer who has opened her home to Esther and her father, is torn between her own hidden biases and her growing love for Esther.
All, however, are galvanized towards action when a shadowy figure shoots at Esther and her father right through Sara's front door. Who would commit such an evil act? And is it too late to remove the poison that has insidiously leaked into their once tight-knit community? Part mystery, part social commentary, Hesse's historically accurate chronicle is a riveting catalyst for discussion that thoughtfully explores race and identity from every possible point of view. The free verse format and distinct characterizations also make Witness a perfect choice for library or classroom reader's theater productions. (Ages 12 and older) --Jennifer Hubert --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
From Publishers Weekly
The author of Out of the Dust again turns language into music in her second quietly moving novel written entirely in verse. Here, 11 narrative voices chronicle actual events occurring in a sleepy Vermont town after the arrival of the Ku Klux Klan in 1924. Those victimized by the Klan include the families of Leanora Sutter, a 12-year-old African-American girl, and Esther Hirsh, the six-year-old daughter of a Jewish shoe salesman. Rounding out the portrait of the town are community leaders (an enlightened physician, a newspaper editor who moves from neutral to anti-Klan) as well as less prominent folk shopkeepers, a Protestant minister who are swayed into joining the white supremacist group. Their chorus of hatred rings loudly at first, but is tempered by their dawning realization of the severity of the Klan's punishment to their targets as well as the more rational, compassionate strains of the Klan's opponents. Hesse offers glimpses of the world at large through references to Prohibition, the Leopold and Loeb case and a letter Leanora pens to Helen Keller. The author distinguishes the characters (whose pictures appear in the front of the book) not only by their varying opinions but also by their tone of speech. The simpler, candid language of the two youngest cast members, Leanora and Esther, effectively crystallizes their gradual loss of innocence. Easily read in one sitting, this lyrical novel powerfully records waves of change and offers insightful glimpses into the hearts of victims, their friends and their enemies. Ages 9-12.
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
Connections
Together with a history teacher, research the KKK during the pre-Great Depression years and during. Write poems about the experiences of the victims of KKK violence.
Research what a Fresh Air Fund is. Is it still around? Write stories/poems about the growing concerns about our environment.
Have students write essays or poetry of their thoughts after reading the book. They can illustrate first if it helps them.
Monday, September 17, 2007
The Three Kings: A Tale from the Middle East
Name: The Three Kings: A Tale from the Middle East
Author: Eric A. Kimmel
Illustrator: Leonard Everett Fisher
Publisher: Holiday House
Published City: New York, New York
Publication date:1994
ISBN: 0-8234-1115-X
Summary
The Arab Princess is as wise as she is beautiful,but she has a problem. She needs to get married and she cannot decide between three cousins: Prince Fahad, Prince Muhammed, and Prince Moshen. She loved Prince Moshen, but he was a poor Prince with nothing to offer her. The Chief Minister did not like her decision because Moshen had nothing, so she gave him and his two cousins a chance for her hand in marriage. She gave them one year to find "the greatest wonder", and whichever cousin found it would receive her hand in marriage. The cousins started off together and then went off in three directions. A year later they returned to the place where they split off to find their wonder. Prince Muhammed had brought back a crystal ball from distant Hadramaut that he could use to see what is happening anywhere in the world. Prince Fahad brought back a flying carpet from Egypt. Prince Moshen brought back an orange from the shores of the Great Sea. The others laughed at his orange, but it was a special orange. The orange could cure any illness, even when the person was dying. While sitting togther Prince Moshen wondered aloud how the princess was doing. Together they looked into Prince Muhammed's crystal ball and found out the Princess was not well. In fact, she was dying. They all hopped on Prince Fahad's flying carpet and flew to the princess's palace. There Prince Moshen gave her his orange and she was restored. It was time to make a decision. All three wonders helped save her life, but which one would she choose? Every courtier had their opinion, but she choose Prince Moshen. While all had helped save her life, it was Prince Moshen who gave up all he had to save her.
Review
The tale of the Three Princes can be found in The Arabian Nights. The tale has all of the elements of a Disney tale: a princess who wants a poor prince, a flying carpet, a crystal ball, and a cure for any disease. The real difference in the story is that it does not transform anyone into something they are not. The princess is always wise and Prince Moshen will always be poor.
Young children will love the story of the wise princess who does not listen to the cheif priests tell her what to do, but uses solid reasoning to choose her prince. Children will be happy that she chose her poor prince who gave all he had to save the princess. Love triumphs over all, and everyone is happy at the end.
The chalk drawings add the air of mystery and enchantment to the tale. In the notes about the book, illustrator Leonard Everett Fisher tells how he wanted to recreate the essence of the Arab world. The chalk drawings on a black board have a graininess to them that reminds the reader of the desert sand that inhabits the Arab countries.
The reader only sees the face of the wise and beautiful princess when she is on her death bed. The moon in all of the pictures is a cresent, the symbol of the Muslim culture. There are shades of the royal color of purple throughout the book. The flying carpet is purple, the blankets on the Prince's camels are purple, pillows on the Princess's bed is purple, and in one of the illustrations the sky has a purple hue.
Professional Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Three cousins compete to find an object wondrous enough to win the hand of a princess--and end up saving her life. "A sprightly retelling with ambient artwork that shimmers with wisdom and magic," said PW in a starred review. Ages 4-8. (Mar.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Grade 2-4-A wise and beautiful princess is wooed by three princes. Two are men of wealth and renown, while the third, Mohsen, possesses "little more than his handsome face, his cloak, and his camel." It is he, of course, whom she wishes to marry. To give him a chance to compete with them, she sends them all on a quest, vowing to marry the one who returns with the greatest wonder. The first finds a crystal ball; the second, a flying carpet; Mohsen, a curative orange. On their return journey, the men see tragedy in the crystal ball-the princess is dying. The carpet whisks them back to the princess, and Mohsen feeds her his orange. She is saved, but still the question remains-which prince should she marry? She chooses Mohsen because he has sacrificed his treasure for her. Storytellers familiar with Virginia Tashjian's With a Deep Sea Smile (Little, 1974; o.p.) or Harold Courlander's The King's Drum & Other African Stories (Harcourt, 1962; o.p.) will recognize this as a variant of the African story, "The Search." But where these earlier versions leave the final question unresolved, Kimmel's tale provides a satisfying conclusion. His smooth narrative is strong and direct-traditional in structure, but with a fresh, contemporary voice. Dark underpainting and dense blocks of bold color give Fisher's illustrations weight and dimension, while his dramatic use of light focuses the eye effortlessly through the pictures. A welcome addition that deserves to become a read-aloud standard.
Linda Boyles, Alachua County Library District, Gainesville, FL
Connections
Have students get in groups of three or four and have them look at other tales in 1001 Arabian Nights and turn them into Children's books. They must do extra research, and they cannot use Aladdin.
Have students continue the stories of how Prince Fahad and Prince Muhammed found other princess's to marry.
Have students brainstorm which of the three wonders they would have chosen and the many things they could have done with it. In this case, the orange can be sliced and each slice will heal.
Author: Eric A. Kimmel
Illustrator: Leonard Everett Fisher
Publisher: Holiday House
Published City: New York, New York
Publication date:1994
ISBN: 0-8234-1115-X
Summary
The Arab Princess is as wise as she is beautiful,but she has a problem. She needs to get married and she cannot decide between three cousins: Prince Fahad, Prince Muhammed, and Prince Moshen. She loved Prince Moshen, but he was a poor Prince with nothing to offer her. The Chief Minister did not like her decision because Moshen had nothing, so she gave him and his two cousins a chance for her hand in marriage. She gave them one year to find "the greatest wonder", and whichever cousin found it would receive her hand in marriage. The cousins started off together and then went off in three directions. A year later they returned to the place where they split off to find their wonder. Prince Muhammed had brought back a crystal ball from distant Hadramaut that he could use to see what is happening anywhere in the world. Prince Fahad brought back a flying carpet from Egypt. Prince Moshen brought back an orange from the shores of the Great Sea. The others laughed at his orange, but it was a special orange. The orange could cure any illness, even when the person was dying. While sitting togther Prince Moshen wondered aloud how the princess was doing. Together they looked into Prince Muhammed's crystal ball and found out the Princess was not well. In fact, she was dying. They all hopped on Prince Fahad's flying carpet and flew to the princess's palace. There Prince Moshen gave her his orange and she was restored. It was time to make a decision. All three wonders helped save her life, but which one would she choose? Every courtier had their opinion, but she choose Prince Moshen. While all had helped save her life, it was Prince Moshen who gave up all he had to save her.
Review
The tale of the Three Princes can be found in The Arabian Nights. The tale has all of the elements of a Disney tale: a princess who wants a poor prince, a flying carpet, a crystal ball, and a cure for any disease. The real difference in the story is that it does not transform anyone into something they are not. The princess is always wise and Prince Moshen will always be poor.
Young children will love the story of the wise princess who does not listen to the cheif priests tell her what to do, but uses solid reasoning to choose her prince. Children will be happy that she chose her poor prince who gave all he had to save the princess. Love triumphs over all, and everyone is happy at the end.
The chalk drawings add the air of mystery and enchantment to the tale. In the notes about the book, illustrator Leonard Everett Fisher tells how he wanted to recreate the essence of the Arab world. The chalk drawings on a black board have a graininess to them that reminds the reader of the desert sand that inhabits the Arab countries.
The reader only sees the face of the wise and beautiful princess when she is on her death bed. The moon in all of the pictures is a cresent, the symbol of the Muslim culture. There are shades of the royal color of purple throughout the book. The flying carpet is purple, the blankets on the Prince's camels are purple, pillows on the Princess's bed is purple, and in one of the illustrations the sky has a purple hue.
Professional Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Three cousins compete to find an object wondrous enough to win the hand of a princess--and end up saving her life. "A sprightly retelling with ambient artwork that shimmers with wisdom and magic," said PW in a starred review. Ages 4-8. (Mar.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Grade 2-4-A wise and beautiful princess is wooed by three princes. Two are men of wealth and renown, while the third, Mohsen, possesses "little more than his handsome face, his cloak, and his camel." It is he, of course, whom she wishes to marry. To give him a chance to compete with them, she sends them all on a quest, vowing to marry the one who returns with the greatest wonder. The first finds a crystal ball; the second, a flying carpet; Mohsen, a curative orange. On their return journey, the men see tragedy in the crystal ball-the princess is dying. The carpet whisks them back to the princess, and Mohsen feeds her his orange. She is saved, but still the question remains-which prince should she marry? She chooses Mohsen because he has sacrificed his treasure for her. Storytellers familiar with Virginia Tashjian's With a Deep Sea Smile (Little, 1974; o.p.) or Harold Courlander's The King's Drum & Other African Stories (Harcourt, 1962; o.p.) will recognize this as a variant of the African story, "The Search." But where these earlier versions leave the final question unresolved, Kimmel's tale provides a satisfying conclusion. His smooth narrative is strong and direct-traditional in structure, but with a fresh, contemporary voice. Dark underpainting and dense blocks of bold color give Fisher's illustrations weight and dimension, while his dramatic use of light focuses the eye effortlessly through the pictures. A welcome addition that deserves to become a read-aloud standard.
Linda Boyles, Alachua County Library District, Gainesville, FL
Connections
Have students get in groups of three or four and have them look at other tales in 1001 Arabian Nights and turn them into Children's books. They must do extra research, and they cannot use Aladdin.
Have students continue the stories of how Prince Fahad and Prince Muhammed found other princess's to marry.
Have students brainstorm which of the three wonders they would have chosen and the many things they could have done with it. In this case, the orange can be sliced and each slice will heal.
Friday, September 14, 2007
Cinderella the Dog and Her Little Glass Slipper
Name: Cinderella the Dog and Her Little Glass Slipper
Author & Ilustrator: Diane Goode
Publisher: The Blue Sky Press
Publishing City: New York, New York
Publication Date: 2000
ISBN:0-439-07166-6
Summary
In this telling of the Cinderella story, Cinderella is a dog who looks like a little spaniel. Cinderella's father has married a well-bred lady, who thinks of only herself and her two daughters. Cinderella is a nice dog, so she does everything for her stepmother and stepsisters. She does not tell her father because her father is afraid of his new wife. Not once does Cinderella complain even when her stepsisters are getting ready for the Prince's ball and ridicule her. Cinderella even mentions that a ball is not a place for her to go. When Cinderella cries after her sisters have left, her fairy godmother appears and wisks her up a carraige, horses, footmen, and a ballgown complete with little glass slippers. The story twists here from the original, Cinderella has to attend TWO balls before the leaves her glass slipper behind.
Review
One of a few Cinderella adaptations that features dogs, Cinderella the Dog and Her Little Glass Slipper offers a little twist to the traditional tale. Diane Goode uses almost every breed of dog to tell the story of Cinderella. Cinderella is a loyal spaniel while the step-sisters and step-mother look like the meaner breed of pit-bulls. The Prince is a charming Jack Russell Terrier, and the fairy godmother is a cute little brown & tan mutt with a pink tutu.
Cinderella's father is still living, but is so afraid of his wife he does nothing to help his daughter. He lets his wife and step-daughetrs take all the room in his house, leaving poor Cinderella living in ashes. In this day and age it is hard to imagine a girl not eventually standing up for herself or having such a noble heart that she doesn't evenmention her suffereing to her father. But when the invitation comes for the Prince's ball, she doesn't even question if she should go.
In the other Cinderella stories the Prince has only one ball, but this version the Prince holds two balls. One wonders how the stepsisters did not recognize Cinderella twice. The tale is a feel-good version. Once the sisters find out Cinderlla is the mysterious princess they begged for her forgiveness which the noble Cinderella gave with no thought.
The illustrations of the dog characters are lively despite the use of the pastel colors. Dogs inhabit all of the architecture and some of the dresses. For example, the gargoyles are dogs and inside the castle are bas-reliefs of other dogs. Cinderella's gown has a wolf chasing bunnies, her wedding dress has paw prints, and so do the step-sisters bridesmaids dresses.
Professional Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
As she did in The Dinosaur's New Clothes, Goode gives a familiar fairy tale an unexpected cast, this time introducing a pack of canines with a good-natured spaniel as the title character. The author interjects some witty wordplay (Cinderella's stepmother is a "well-bred" lady; and one of her mangy stepsisters scoffs, "Everyone would laugh to see such a dirty dog at the ball"), but it is the art that throws youngsters the juicier bone. Silly images abound: the nasty stepsisters, dressed in their finery with powdered wigs towering above their ears, primp for the ball; Cinderella's fairy godmother, a winged dog wearing a pink tutu, hovers above the ground; and the tongues of canine revelers hang out literally as the transformed beauty enters the royal ballroom. Goode works dog motifs into her luminous paintings with amusing frequency (dogs are featured on furniture and wall moldings, as weathervanes and statues and a paw-print pattern decorates Cinderella's wedding dress). This imposing heroine and the much smaller prince, a Jack Russell terrier, make quite the fetching couple as they celebrate their wedding at the tail end of this waggish volume. Ages 4-up. (Sept.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 4-Goode, who cast dinosaurs in Hans Christian Andersen's "The Emperor's New Clothes," now makes dogs the actors in this version of "Cinderella." Though she does not acknowledge her source, her shortened, colloquial retelling follows Marcia Brown's free translation of Charles Perrault's story (Scribner, 1971). Dogs dressed as 18th-century French courtiers provide boundless opportunities for verbal and visual jokes. For example, the bodice of one stepsister's ball gown fastens with bones, while bones decorate her extravagant wig. She mocks Cinderella by saying, "Everyone would laugh to see such a dirty dog at the ball." The scenes of the gala feature a wild assortment of breeds, as well as an elegant wolf couple. The prince, looking adoring as only a canine can, is half Cinderella's height, not counting her wig. Goode dresses the animals in pretty pastel colors and displays them against buff stone architecture, carved with dogs in bas-relief. Librarians who enjoy the humor of dressed-up animals as human surrogates may relish the silliness and informality of this story, an irreverent contrast to the standard version. Traditionalists may find it all a bit arch and tedious, and will prefer Brown's classic for storyhour. Collection builders may want to add it to meet demands for comparative retellings of the famous tale.
Margaret A. Chang, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, North Adams
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Connections
Have Students write their own versions of Cinderella.
Have students choose a different animal and tell the Cinderella story using that animal and have them illustrate it.
Compare & Contrast this feel-good version of Cinderella with the original Grimm Fairy Tale. Have the students rate which one they like best and give reasons.
Author & Ilustrator: Diane Goode
Publisher: The Blue Sky Press
Publishing City: New York, New York
Publication Date: 2000
ISBN:0-439-07166-6
Summary
In this telling of the Cinderella story, Cinderella is a dog who looks like a little spaniel. Cinderella's father has married a well-bred lady, who thinks of only herself and her two daughters. Cinderella is a nice dog, so she does everything for her stepmother and stepsisters. She does not tell her father because her father is afraid of his new wife. Not once does Cinderella complain even when her stepsisters are getting ready for the Prince's ball and ridicule her. Cinderella even mentions that a ball is not a place for her to go. When Cinderella cries after her sisters have left, her fairy godmother appears and wisks her up a carraige, horses, footmen, and a ballgown complete with little glass slippers. The story twists here from the original, Cinderella has to attend TWO balls before the leaves her glass slipper behind.
Review
One of a few Cinderella adaptations that features dogs, Cinderella the Dog and Her Little Glass Slipper offers a little twist to the traditional tale. Diane Goode uses almost every breed of dog to tell the story of Cinderella. Cinderella is a loyal spaniel while the step-sisters and step-mother look like the meaner breed of pit-bulls. The Prince is a charming Jack Russell Terrier, and the fairy godmother is a cute little brown & tan mutt with a pink tutu.
Cinderella's father is still living, but is so afraid of his wife he does nothing to help his daughter. He lets his wife and step-daughetrs take all the room in his house, leaving poor Cinderella living in ashes. In this day and age it is hard to imagine a girl not eventually standing up for herself or having such a noble heart that she doesn't evenmention her suffereing to her father. But when the invitation comes for the Prince's ball, she doesn't even question if she should go.
In the other Cinderella stories the Prince has only one ball, but this version the Prince holds two balls. One wonders how the stepsisters did not recognize Cinderella twice. The tale is a feel-good version. Once the sisters find out Cinderlla is the mysterious princess they begged for her forgiveness which the noble Cinderella gave with no thought.
The illustrations of the dog characters are lively despite the use of the pastel colors. Dogs inhabit all of the architecture and some of the dresses. For example, the gargoyles are dogs and inside the castle are bas-reliefs of other dogs. Cinderella's gown has a wolf chasing bunnies, her wedding dress has paw prints, and so do the step-sisters bridesmaids dresses.
Professional Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
As she did in The Dinosaur's New Clothes, Goode gives a familiar fairy tale an unexpected cast, this time introducing a pack of canines with a good-natured spaniel as the title character. The author interjects some witty wordplay (Cinderella's stepmother is a "well-bred" lady; and one of her mangy stepsisters scoffs, "Everyone would laugh to see such a dirty dog at the ball"), but it is the art that throws youngsters the juicier bone. Silly images abound: the nasty stepsisters, dressed in their finery with powdered wigs towering above their ears, primp for the ball; Cinderella's fairy godmother, a winged dog wearing a pink tutu, hovers above the ground; and the tongues of canine revelers hang out literally as the transformed beauty enters the royal ballroom. Goode works dog motifs into her luminous paintings with amusing frequency (dogs are featured on furniture and wall moldings, as weathervanes and statues and a paw-print pattern decorates Cinderella's wedding dress). This imposing heroine and the much smaller prince, a Jack Russell terrier, make quite the fetching couple as they celebrate their wedding at the tail end of this waggish volume. Ages 4-up. (Sept.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 4-Goode, who cast dinosaurs in Hans Christian Andersen's "The Emperor's New Clothes," now makes dogs the actors in this version of "Cinderella." Though she does not acknowledge her source, her shortened, colloquial retelling follows Marcia Brown's free translation of Charles Perrault's story (Scribner, 1971). Dogs dressed as 18th-century French courtiers provide boundless opportunities for verbal and visual jokes. For example, the bodice of one stepsister's ball gown fastens with bones, while bones decorate her extravagant wig. She mocks Cinderella by saying, "Everyone would laugh to see such a dirty dog at the ball." The scenes of the gala feature a wild assortment of breeds, as well as an elegant wolf couple. The prince, looking adoring as only a canine can, is half Cinderella's height, not counting her wig. Goode dresses the animals in pretty pastel colors and displays them against buff stone architecture, carved with dogs in bas-relief. Librarians who enjoy the humor of dressed-up animals as human surrogates may relish the silliness and informality of this story, an irreverent contrast to the standard version. Traditionalists may find it all a bit arch and tedious, and will prefer Brown's classic for storyhour. Collection builders may want to add it to meet demands for comparative retellings of the famous tale.
Margaret A. Chang, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, North Adams
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Connections
Have Students write their own versions of Cinderella.
Have students choose a different animal and tell the Cinderella story using that animal and have them illustrate it.
Compare & Contrast this feel-good version of Cinderella with the original Grimm Fairy Tale. Have the students rate which one they like best and give reasons.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Porch Lies: Tales of Slicksters, Tricksters, and Other Wily Characters
Name: Porch Lies: Tales of Slicksters, Tricksters, and Other Wily Characters
Author: Patricia C. McKissack
Illustrator: Andre Carrilho
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade Books
Publisher City: New York, New York
Publication Date: 2006
ISBN:0-375-83619-5
Summary
Porch Lies: Tales of Slicksters, Tricksters, and Other Wily Characters is a collection of tales Porch lies are tales of humor and exaggeration told to listeners of all ages gathered together on the porch, according to McKissack. Stories involved in this bunch of Porch Lies are a face-to-face encounter with the King of the Ghosts, an encounter where an old grandmother out tricks Jesse James, and the state fair where the granddaddy of all lies is told by saying "not much of nothing."
The reader learns how Cake Norris has died at least 27 times, but somehow is still walking around Earth. Each tale will leave the reader laughing, even the creepy "Earth Bone and King of the Ghosts."
Review
Porch Lies is a compilations of stories based on what author Patricia McKissack heard on the front porch of her grandmother's house. McKissack added her own character names and expanded the outlandishness of the tales.
Each character telling the story is a bit of a stereotype, but in a good way. They are great storytellers who enthral the reader, and they are willing to bend the truth of the story for a great laugh or for spine-tingling effects. Most stories take place in the depression years in the South. Few white people enter into the stories, but they tend to be rich,older ladies, Klansmen, or former slave owners. In "Aunt Gran and The Outlaws" Frank and Jesse James enter the tales for a white version of the "slickster" tales.
Each tale starts off with a little bit of background about the tale. The background information is written in italics to set it off from the rest of the tale. Sometimes the background is just as funny as the story, like in "Change." The storyteller is normally an older person telling a story of their youth. Each tale is also dedicated to a person or people who have somehow inspired the story, or have told the story before.
"A Grave Situation" is a story about a rich, older white woman and her African-American driver. It has shades of "Driving Miss Daisy." The story is told from the viewpoint of a 10-year-old servant girl who had the utmost faith in the slickster character. Mis. Crickett Thompson had a driver named Lincoln "Link" Murphy who was a known slickster or "sneasal". Link walks a fine line between right and wrong, and Mis. Cricket lets him get away with his shenanigans. When Mis. Crickett dies her requests were promptly denied by her lawyer, and it is Link who comes to save the day. The story reads well, and any school teacher or Librarian should read this story aloud to their classes. The reader is sucked into the tale wondering just what Link is going to do next. The naivete of the young Beatrice Perriman is refreshing and elementary students will identify with her ability to see the good in Link Murphy.
Carrilho's illustrations are perfect for the African-America tales. The starkness of the black and white illustrations mirrors the oldness of the tales. One would believe they are looking at an old black and white television set as they read.
Professional Reviews
From School Library Journal
Grade 5 Up–These 10 literate stories make for great leisure listening and knowing chuckles. Pete Bruce flatters a baker out of a coconut cream pie and a quart of milk; Mingo may or may not have anything smaller than a 100-dollar bill to pay his bills; Frank and Jesse James, or the Howard boys, help an old woman against the KKK-ish Knights of the White Gardenia; and Cake Norris wakes up dead one day–again. Carrilhos eerie black-and-white illustrations, dramatically off-balance, lit by moonlight, and elongated like nightmares, are well-matched with the stories. The tales are variously narrated by boys and girls, even though the authors preface seems to set readers up for a single, female narrator in the persona of McKissack herself. They contain the essence of truth but are fiction from beginning to end, an amalgam of old stories, characters, jokes, setups, and motifs. As such, they have no provenance. Still, it would have helped readers unfamiliar with African-American history to have an authors note helping separate the truth of these lies that allude to Depression-era African-American and Southern traditions. That aside, they're great fun to read aloud and the tricksters, sharpies, slicksters, and outlaws wink knowingly at the child narrators, and at us foolish humans.–Susan Hepler, formerly at Burgundy Farm Country Day School, Alexandria, VA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Booklist
*Starred Review* Gr. 3-5. Like McKissack's award-winning The Dark Thirty (1992), the nine original tales in this uproarious collection draw on African American oral tradition and blend history and legend with sly humor, creepy horror, villainous characters, and wild farce. McKissack based the stories on those she heard as a child while sitting on her grandparents' porch; now she is passing them on to her grandchildren. Without using dialect, her intimate folk idiom celebrates the storytelling among friends, neighbors, and family as much as the stories themselves. "Some folk believe the story; some don't. You decide for yourself." Is the weaselly gravedigger going to steal a corpse's jewelry, or does he know the woman is really still alive? Can bespectacled Aunt Gran outwit the notorious outlaw Jesse James? In black and white, Carrilho's full-page illustrations--part cartoon, part portrait in silhouette--combine realistic characters with scary monsters. History is always in the background (runaway slaves, segregation cruelty, white-robed Klansmen), and in surprising twists and turns that are true to trickster tradition, the weak and exploited beat powerful oppressors with the best lies ever told. Great for sharing, on the porch and in the classroom. Hazel Rochman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Connections
Students can write their own Porch Lies.
Have students look up Porch Lies in other literature and compare the story-telling styles.
Students can research Frank & Jesse James and Web Hollow to see if there is a grain of truth in the story "Aunt Gran and the Outlaws."
Author: Patricia C. McKissack
Illustrator: Andre Carrilho
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade Books
Publisher City: New York, New York
Publication Date: 2006
ISBN:0-375-83619-5
Summary
Porch Lies: Tales of Slicksters, Tricksters, and Other Wily Characters is a collection of tales Porch lies are tales of humor and exaggeration told to listeners of all ages gathered together on the porch, according to McKissack. Stories involved in this bunch of Porch Lies are a face-to-face encounter with the King of the Ghosts, an encounter where an old grandmother out tricks Jesse James, and the state fair where the granddaddy of all lies is told by saying "not much of nothing."
The reader learns how Cake Norris has died at least 27 times, but somehow is still walking around Earth. Each tale will leave the reader laughing, even the creepy "Earth Bone and King of the Ghosts."
Review
Porch Lies is a compilations of stories based on what author Patricia McKissack heard on the front porch of her grandmother's house. McKissack added her own character names and expanded the outlandishness of the tales.
Each character telling the story is a bit of a stereotype, but in a good way. They are great storytellers who enthral the reader, and they are willing to bend the truth of the story for a great laugh or for spine-tingling effects. Most stories take place in the depression years in the South. Few white people enter into the stories, but they tend to be rich,older ladies, Klansmen, or former slave owners. In "Aunt Gran and The Outlaws" Frank and Jesse James enter the tales for a white version of the "slickster" tales.
Each tale starts off with a little bit of background about the tale. The background information is written in italics to set it off from the rest of the tale. Sometimes the background is just as funny as the story, like in "Change." The storyteller is normally an older person telling a story of their youth. Each tale is also dedicated to a person or people who have somehow inspired the story, or have told the story before.
"A Grave Situation" is a story about a rich, older white woman and her African-American driver. It has shades of "Driving Miss Daisy." The story is told from the viewpoint of a 10-year-old servant girl who had the utmost faith in the slickster character. Mis. Crickett Thompson had a driver named Lincoln "Link" Murphy who was a known slickster or "sneasal". Link walks a fine line between right and wrong, and Mis. Cricket lets him get away with his shenanigans. When Mis. Crickett dies her requests were promptly denied by her lawyer, and it is Link who comes to save the day. The story reads well, and any school teacher or Librarian should read this story aloud to their classes. The reader is sucked into the tale wondering just what Link is going to do next. The naivete of the young Beatrice Perriman is refreshing and elementary students will identify with her ability to see the good in Link Murphy.
Carrilho's illustrations are perfect for the African-America tales. The starkness of the black and white illustrations mirrors the oldness of the tales. One would believe they are looking at an old black and white television set as they read.
Professional Reviews
From School Library Journal
Grade 5 Up–These 10 literate stories make for great leisure listening and knowing chuckles. Pete Bruce flatters a baker out of a coconut cream pie and a quart of milk; Mingo may or may not have anything smaller than a 100-dollar bill to pay his bills; Frank and Jesse James, or the Howard boys, help an old woman against the KKK-ish Knights of the White Gardenia; and Cake Norris wakes up dead one day–again. Carrilhos eerie black-and-white illustrations, dramatically off-balance, lit by moonlight, and elongated like nightmares, are well-matched with the stories. The tales are variously narrated by boys and girls, even though the authors preface seems to set readers up for a single, female narrator in the persona of McKissack herself. They contain the essence of truth but are fiction from beginning to end, an amalgam of old stories, characters, jokes, setups, and motifs. As such, they have no provenance. Still, it would have helped readers unfamiliar with African-American history to have an authors note helping separate the truth of these lies that allude to Depression-era African-American and Southern traditions. That aside, they're great fun to read aloud and the tricksters, sharpies, slicksters, and outlaws wink knowingly at the child narrators, and at us foolish humans.–Susan Hepler, formerly at Burgundy Farm Country Day School, Alexandria, VA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Booklist
*Starred Review* Gr. 3-5. Like McKissack's award-winning The Dark Thirty (1992), the nine original tales in this uproarious collection draw on African American oral tradition and blend history and legend with sly humor, creepy horror, villainous characters, and wild farce. McKissack based the stories on those she heard as a child while sitting on her grandparents' porch; now she is passing them on to her grandchildren. Without using dialect, her intimate folk idiom celebrates the storytelling among friends, neighbors, and family as much as the stories themselves. "Some folk believe the story; some don't. You decide for yourself." Is the weaselly gravedigger going to steal a corpse's jewelry, or does he know the woman is really still alive? Can bespectacled Aunt Gran outwit the notorious outlaw Jesse James? In black and white, Carrilho's full-page illustrations--part cartoon, part portrait in silhouette--combine realistic characters with scary monsters. History is always in the background (runaway slaves, segregation cruelty, white-robed Klansmen), and in surprising twists and turns that are true to trickster tradition, the weak and exploited beat powerful oppressors with the best lies ever told. Great for sharing, on the porch and in the classroom. Hazel Rochman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Connections
Students can write their own Porch Lies.
Have students look up Porch Lies in other literature and compare the story-telling styles.
Students can research Frank & Jesse James and Web Hollow to see if there is a grain of truth in the story "Aunt Gran and the Outlaws."
Friday, September 7, 2007
A Caldecott Celebration: Six Artist and Their Paths to the Caldecott Medal
Title: A Caldecott Celebration: Six Artist and Their Paths to the Caldecott Medal
Author: Leonard S. Marcus
Publisher: Walker & Co.
Publication City: New York, New York
Publication Date: 1988
ISBNs: 0-8027-8656-1; 0-8027-8658-8(reinforced)
Summary
The Caldecott Medal celebrated 60 years in 1988, and as a tribute to the medal, Leonard S. Marcus chose one book from each decade as a highlight of the decade. The chosen books in order are: Make Way For Ducklings by Robery McCloskey, Cinderella; ot, THe LIttle Glass Slipper adapted by Marcia Brown, Where the Wild Things are by Maurice Sendak, Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig, Jumanji by Chris Van Allsburg, and Tuesday by David Wiesner. Each illustrator gives insight into how they chose the books storyline-or setting in Wiesner's case. The illustrators/authors go into some detail as to how they drew their illustrations, and why they chose the specific medium to portray their ideas.
Review
As the 70th year of Caldecott approaches, it will be interesting to see if there is an update to this book. For a fan of children's books, and for someone who likes to know the behind-the-scenes story of the story, then they will enjoy this book. Marcus makes the assumption that the reader has read each book and is familiar with the plots. The sketches provided to show beginnings of illustrations is a nice touch, and it is noticably lacking in the 1970s choice, Sylvester and the Magic Pebble. It makes the reader wonder why Marcus chose that particular book. "A Caldecott Celebration: is written at an appropriate level for a child who needs to write a book report on awards, illustrators, or children's books. The writing assumes the young reader can handle phrases like "stuffy mythological scenes" and "bloodcurdling rendition."
Professional Reviews
From Publishers Weekly:
Filled with witty anecdotes and pithy observations, Marcus's (Dear Genius: The Letters of Ursula Nordstrom) approach to examining the works of six Caldecott Medalists will be of as much interest to adults as to picture book readers. He has chosen one book from each decade, "so that viewed together, the six offer an informal cross section through time of the American picture book": Robert McCloskey's Make Way for Ducklings, Marcia Brown's Cinderella; or, The Little Glass Slipper, Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are, William Steig's Sylvester and the Magic Pebble, Chris Van Allsburg's Jumanji and David Wiesner's Tuesday. With a generous sprinkling of the artists' own words and sometimes those of his or her editor, Marcus chronicles the inspiration behind these works, the creative process, the artists' reactions to winning the prestigious award and its effect on their careers. He fills the volume with the kinds of details children relish: McCloskey once shared his Greenwich Village digs with 16 ducks and Steig does black-and-white drawings first, then fills in each color one by one throughout the book. Encouraging readers to see each picture book through the artist's eyes, Marcus shows Brown's compositional studies, explains how Van Allsburg chose from which perspective to view the coiled python in the living room and how Sendak decided "that the illustrations leading up to the rumpus would get larger and larger, as Max's emotions pushed out the words." He traces the evolution of the illustrations for Tuesday from Wiesner's first quick sketches, when the idea occurred to him on a jet plane. With Marcus's sure hand guiding this tour, readers will find cause for celebration. All ages.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Connections
Students will choose a book from the past decade (1998-present) and add a chapter on to "A Caldecott Celebration."
Students will compare and contrast the winner with the honors books and use their judgement on whether or not the committee made the correction decision.
Author: Leonard S. Marcus
Publisher: Walker & Co.
Publication City: New York, New York
Publication Date: 1988
ISBNs: 0-8027-8656-1; 0-8027-8658-8(reinforced)
Summary
The Caldecott Medal celebrated 60 years in 1988, and as a tribute to the medal, Leonard S. Marcus chose one book from each decade as a highlight of the decade. The chosen books in order are: Make Way For Ducklings by Robery McCloskey, Cinderella; ot, THe LIttle Glass Slipper adapted by Marcia Brown, Where the Wild Things are by Maurice Sendak, Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig, Jumanji by Chris Van Allsburg, and Tuesday by David Wiesner. Each illustrator gives insight into how they chose the books storyline-or setting in Wiesner's case. The illustrators/authors go into some detail as to how they drew their illustrations, and why they chose the specific medium to portray their ideas.
Review
As the 70th year of Caldecott approaches, it will be interesting to see if there is an update to this book. For a fan of children's books, and for someone who likes to know the behind-the-scenes story of the story, then they will enjoy this book. Marcus makes the assumption that the reader has read each book and is familiar with the plots. The sketches provided to show beginnings of illustrations is a nice touch, and it is noticably lacking in the 1970s choice, Sylvester and the Magic Pebble. It makes the reader wonder why Marcus chose that particular book. "A Caldecott Celebration: is written at an appropriate level for a child who needs to write a book report on awards, illustrators, or children's books. The writing assumes the young reader can handle phrases like "stuffy mythological scenes" and "bloodcurdling rendition."
Professional Reviews
From Publishers Weekly:
Filled with witty anecdotes and pithy observations, Marcus's (Dear Genius: The Letters of Ursula Nordstrom) approach to examining the works of six Caldecott Medalists will be of as much interest to adults as to picture book readers. He has chosen one book from each decade, "so that viewed together, the six offer an informal cross section through time of the American picture book": Robert McCloskey's Make Way for Ducklings, Marcia Brown's Cinderella; or, The Little Glass Slipper, Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are, William Steig's Sylvester and the Magic Pebble, Chris Van Allsburg's Jumanji and David Wiesner's Tuesday. With a generous sprinkling of the artists' own words and sometimes those of his or her editor, Marcus chronicles the inspiration behind these works, the creative process, the artists' reactions to winning the prestigious award and its effect on their careers. He fills the volume with the kinds of details children relish: McCloskey once shared his Greenwich Village digs with 16 ducks and Steig does black-and-white drawings first, then fills in each color one by one throughout the book. Encouraging readers to see each picture book through the artist's eyes, Marcus shows Brown's compositional studies, explains how Van Allsburg chose from which perspective to view the coiled python in the living room and how Sendak decided "that the illustrations leading up to the rumpus would get larger and larger, as Max's emotions pushed out the words." He traces the evolution of the illustrations for Tuesday from Wiesner's first quick sketches, when the idea occurred to him on a jet plane. With Marcus's sure hand guiding this tour, readers will find cause for celebration. All ages.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Connections
Students will choose a book from the past decade (1998-present) and add a chapter on to "A Caldecott Celebration."
Students will compare and contrast the winner with the honors books and use their judgement on whether or not the committee made the correction decision.
The Hello, Goodbye Window
Name: The Hello, Goodbye Window
Author: Norton Juster
Illustrator: Chris Raschka
Publisher: Micheal Di Capua Books, Hyperion Books for Children
Publicaton Date: 2005
ISBN: 0-7868-0914-0
Summary
When a nameless little girl goes over to her grandparent's house, she automatically ventures over to the kitchen window to peek in. This is not an ordinary window for the child, but a magical one because it is the "hello, goodbye" window. This is the where she sees her Nanna and Poppy for the first time every visit and it leads into the room where she identifies the most with her grandparents. The window is where she can tell if she's going to have a good day with her grandparents or one ruined with rain. It's also the window where she says good night to the stars. She has been known to sit by the window to look out because "anybody can come along when you least expect it." She also sits by the window and listens to her grandpa play the harmonica. She also spends time with her grandparents outside of the kitchen, but her visits mainly consist of spending time near the special window. When it is time to go home, she dreams of having her own house with a hello, goodbye window in it.
Review
"The Hello Goodbye Window" is a fresh view on the going to visit the grandparent's story. Norton Juster is the author of the well-known classic "The Phantom Tollbooth." The little girl tells the story through the wide-eyed wonderment of a five- or six-year-old. She has an active imagination that shows when she says she waits by the window looking for amazing things like Tyrannosaurus Rec, who is extinct, "so he doesn't come around much." Juster's use of the word extinct once again shows the trust he has in his young readers. "The Phantom Tollbooth" is full of word jewels and "The Hello, Goodbye Window" uses upscale words like extinct when dead was just as useful. He also shows he understands chldren when the little girl takes a nap and she truly believes that nothing happens while she is asleep. There is no real climax to the story. There is no problem that needs to be solved or no plan that falls apart. It is just a story about a little girl, a window, and a visit to her grandparent's house.
The illustrator Chris Raschka's use of the expressionism style is perfect for the world of a young child who see much more to the world than just a globe. His pictures adds a little to the story. For example, when the little girl tells the reader she doesn't go behind a particular bush because a tige lives behind it, we see a little kitten behind it. The subtleness of the two interracial marriages in the pictures show the reader that the two races can live in harmony. No mention in the text of blcak or white, but it stares back at you in the illustrations. Even though the style is appropriate, at times I felt the illustrations were distracting and a bit much.
Professional Reviews
Parravano, Martha V.
Journal Name: The Horn Book
Source: The Horn Book v. 81 no. 4 (July/August 2005) p. 451-2
Title: The hello, goodbye window[2005; Juster, Norton; Hyperion Books for Children]
"The familial love that is Juster's subtext finds overt expression, spectacularly, in Raschka's illustrations--lush mixed-media creations saturated in watercolor and pastel crayon and set off perfectly by white space. In paintings that are freewheeling yet controlled, Raschka incorporates tight circular scribbles (for the little girl's and Nanna's hair, for bushes, for clouds), solid shapes (for furniture, for floors); thick strokes of watercolor (for trees, for the door that separates the little girl and her grandparents when her parents come to take her home); and a black line that outlines occasional objects. . . . A varied layout, balancing exterior and interior landscapes with smaller character vignettes, helps sustain the book's energy. Say hello to Raschka at the top of his form."
Morrison, Hope
Journal Name: Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
Source: Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books v. 58 no. 11 (July/August 2005) p. 493
Title: The hello, goodbye window[2005; Juster, Norton; Hyperion]
"There is a delightful dose of preschooler ego . . . that is perfectly matched by Raschka's chaotically uninhibited paintings, which similarly evoke a kid-centered world. He uses color fearlessly to reflect the fantastical energy of the child's narrative line, and his bold, splashy brushstrokes create an exciting and fanciful world (though the facial expressions of the multiracial family are sometimes muddied in the process). This holds obvious potential as a story to be shared by grandparents and grandchildren, but young audiences are likely to eagerly listen to anyone willing to read it to them."
Connections
Write a story about what makes your grandparent's house different from anyone elses.
Create a diorama of the kitchen and the window based on the books description.
Author: Norton Juster
Illustrator: Chris Raschka
Publisher: Micheal Di Capua Books, Hyperion Books for Children
Publicaton Date: 2005
ISBN: 0-7868-0914-0
Summary
When a nameless little girl goes over to her grandparent's house, she automatically ventures over to the kitchen window to peek in. This is not an ordinary window for the child, but a magical one because it is the "hello, goodbye" window. This is the where she sees her Nanna and Poppy for the first time every visit and it leads into the room where she identifies the most with her grandparents. The window is where she can tell if she's going to have a good day with her grandparents or one ruined with rain. It's also the window where she says good night to the stars. She has been known to sit by the window to look out because "anybody can come along when you least expect it." She also sits by the window and listens to her grandpa play the harmonica. She also spends time with her grandparents outside of the kitchen, but her visits mainly consist of spending time near the special window. When it is time to go home, she dreams of having her own house with a hello, goodbye window in it.
Review
"The Hello Goodbye Window" is a fresh view on the going to visit the grandparent's story. Norton Juster is the author of the well-known classic "The Phantom Tollbooth." The little girl tells the story through the wide-eyed wonderment of a five- or six-year-old. She has an active imagination that shows when she says she waits by the window looking for amazing things like Tyrannosaurus Rec, who is extinct, "so he doesn't come around much." Juster's use of the word extinct once again shows the trust he has in his young readers. "The Phantom Tollbooth" is full of word jewels and "The Hello, Goodbye Window" uses upscale words like extinct when dead was just as useful. He also shows he understands chldren when the little girl takes a nap and she truly believes that nothing happens while she is asleep. There is no real climax to the story. There is no problem that needs to be solved or no plan that falls apart. It is just a story about a little girl, a window, and a visit to her grandparent's house.
The illustrator Chris Raschka's use of the expressionism style is perfect for the world of a young child who see much more to the world than just a globe. His pictures adds a little to the story. For example, when the little girl tells the reader she doesn't go behind a particular bush because a tige lives behind it, we see a little kitten behind it. The subtleness of the two interracial marriages in the pictures show the reader that the two races can live in harmony. No mention in the text of blcak or white, but it stares back at you in the illustrations. Even though the style is appropriate, at times I felt the illustrations were distracting and a bit much.
Professional Reviews
Parravano, Martha V.
Journal Name: The Horn Book
Source: The Horn Book v. 81 no. 4 (July/August 2005) p. 451-2
Title: The hello, goodbye window[2005; Juster, Norton; Hyperion Books for Children]
"The familial love that is Juster's subtext finds overt expression, spectacularly, in Raschka's illustrations--lush mixed-media creations saturated in watercolor and pastel crayon and set off perfectly by white space. In paintings that are freewheeling yet controlled, Raschka incorporates tight circular scribbles (for the little girl's and Nanna's hair, for bushes, for clouds), solid shapes (for furniture, for floors); thick strokes of watercolor (for trees, for the door that separates the little girl and her grandparents when her parents come to take her home); and a black line that outlines occasional objects. . . . A varied layout, balancing exterior and interior landscapes with smaller character vignettes, helps sustain the book's energy. Say hello to Raschka at the top of his form."
Morrison, Hope
Journal Name: Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
Source: Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books v. 58 no. 11 (July/August 2005) p. 493
Title: The hello, goodbye window[2005; Juster, Norton; Hyperion]
"There is a delightful dose of preschooler ego . . . that is perfectly matched by Raschka's chaotically uninhibited paintings, which similarly evoke a kid-centered world. He uses color fearlessly to reflect the fantastical energy of the child's narrative line, and his bold, splashy brushstrokes create an exciting and fanciful world (though the facial expressions of the multiracial family are sometimes muddied in the process). This holds obvious potential as a story to be shared by grandparents and grandchildren, but young audiences are likely to eagerly listen to anyone willing to read it to them."
Connections
Write a story about what makes your grandparent's house different from anyone elses.
Create a diorama of the kitchen and the window based on the books description.
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