BIBLIOGRAPHY
Marchetta, Melina. 2006. Jellicoe Road. NY: Harper Teen. ISBN -- 9780061431838
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Melina Marcheta spins a tale foreign to most American teens, both because of the setting and the format. Taylor Markham may be a teen, but an Australian teen in a boarding school with none of the romance of days gone by might be a harder sell than many American teens might be willing to work for. There is no question that the characters are gripping. Taylor definitely has an appeal, as do Jonah, Raffaella, and Ben. She does have an intriguing story, but the plot is so convoluted that until the last pages, the reader may still not understand all of its intricacies. In a shorter work, what one learns in the first pages can be quickly recalled and placed neatly in its slot, but at 421 pages, some of those facts are lost to the reader. On the other hand, the tome does scream for a second read, if only to piece together the plot.
REVIEW EXCERPTS
"Melina Marchetta has a knack for writing stories that swallow you up and refuse to let you go until you've read every last word....Marchetta is a master at creating intriguing characters and her stories are heartfelt."- Sydney Morning Herald
A beautifully rendered mystery.- (Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
...the novel might put off casual readers, [but] patient, thoughtful teens will remain to extract clues from the interwoven scraps of Hannah's narrative... Elegiac passages and a complex structure create a somewhat dense, melancholic narrative with elements of romance, mystery, and realistic fiction (School Library Journal)
... nearly every relationship in Taylor’s life has unexpected ties to her past, and the continual series of revelations is both the book’s strength and weakness; the melodrama can be trying, but when Marchetta isn’t forcing epiphanies, she has a knack for nuanced characterizations and punchy dialogue. The complexity of the backstory will be offputting to younger readers, but those who stick it out will find rewards in the heartbreaking twists of Marchetta’s saga. (Booklist)
CONNECTIONS
*an excellent guide for use in the classroom is available at http://www.penguin.co.nz/webfiles/PenguinGroupNZ/files/OnJellicoeRdTeachNotes.pdf
*have students research Australia
*have students create a map of Jellicoe school, townie, and cadet lands based on the descriptions in the novel
*prepare a display of several novels with friendship, family, or Australian themes
Monday, November 30, 2009
Book Review Module 6 -- The Graveyard Book
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Gaiman, Neil. 2008. The Graveyard Book (Audio). NY: Harper Children’s Audio. ISBN -- 9780061551895.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Neil Gaiman creates for readers (and listeners) a world where a toddler can escape a killer by taking refuge in a graveyard and makes the reader fully believe that a couple there adopt him as the child they never had. Not only is Nobody (Bod for short) adopted by the Owenses, but by all of the graveyard’s inhabitants.
As the tale unfolds, the ghosts seem more and more like they are the real people and the townspeople the odd ones. Bod is fed and clothed by his guardians, especially with the help of Silas, who is the only one who can actually leave the graveyard, but he is also furnished a well-rounded education by Silas, Miss Lupescu, and Mr. Pennyworth.
Gaiman fully utilizes the setting of the British graveyard but also includes the village and some of its inhabitants to teach the readers that life is not always fair, growing up is hard no matter who your parents are, most rules are established for good reasons, and good character will always have its enemies. Yet he teaches these life truths through an engaging story and admirable characters.
The audio version is read by the author whose English accent makes the story even more wonderful. Each character has a unique and suitable voice. For this listener, the entire experience was totally enjoyable.
REVIEW EXCERPTS
--Neil Gaiman is one of the true gems in the audio industry... Gaiman gives each specter a different—and wholly appropriate—voice... an absolute showstopper. A.H.A. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award, 2009 Audies Winner © AudioFile 2008
Praise for the print version
--Hugo Award for Best Novel (2009)
--Newbery Medal (2009)
--Locus Award for Best Young Adult Novel (2009)
--British Fantasy Award Nominee for Best Novel (2009)
--Cybils Award (2008)
--Audie Award Nominee for Thriller/Suspense (2009)
--American Library Association (ALA) Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) Notable Children's Book for Middle Readers (2009)
"Like a bite of dark Halloween chocolate, this novel proves rich, bittersweet and very satisfying." (Washington Post )
"Lucid, evocative prose and dark fairy-tale motifs imbue the story with a dreamlike quality. .this ghost-story-cum-coming-of-age-novel as readable as it is accomplished." (Horn Book (starred review) )
"The Graveyard Book is endlessly inventive, masterfully told and, like Bod himself, too clever to fit into only one place. This is a book for everyone. You will love it to death." (Holly Black, co-creator of The Spiderwick Chronicles )
"It takes a graveyard to raise a child. My favorite thing about this book was watching Bod grow up in his fine crumbly graveyard with his dead and living friends. The Graveyard Book is another surprising and terrific book from Neil Gaiman." (Audrey Niffenegger, author of The Time Traveler's Wife )
"Wistful, witty, wise-and creepy. This needs to be read by anyone who is or has ever been a child." (Kirkus Reviews (starred review) )
The Graveyard Book is everything everyone loves about Neil Gaiman, only multiplied many times over, a novel that showcases his effortless feel for narrative, his flawless instincts for suspense, and above all, his dark, almost silky sense of humor. (Joe Hill, author of Heart-Shaped Box )
"The Graveyard Book manages the remarkable feat of playing delightful jazz riffs on Kipling's classic Jungle Books. One might call this book a small jewel, but in fact it's much bigger within than it looks from the outside." (Peter S. Beagle, author of The Last Unicorn )
"After finishing The Graveyard Book, I had only one thought - I hope there's more. I want to see more of the adventures of Nobody Owens, and there is no higher praise for a book." (Laurell K. Hamilton, author of the Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter novels )
"This is an utterly captivating tale that is cleverly told through an entertaining cast of ghostly characters. There is plenty of darkness, but the novel's ultimate message is strong and life affirming..this is a rich story with broad appeal. " (Booklist (starred review) )
"This is, quite frankly, the best book Neil Gaiman has ever written. How he has managed to combine fascinating, friendly, frightening and fearsome in one fantasy I shall never know, but he has pulled it off magnificently - perfect for Halloween and any other time of the year." (Diana Wynne Jones, author of The Chronicles of Chrestomanci )
"THE GRAVEYARD BOOK, by turns exciting and witty, sinister and tender, shows Gaiman at the top of his form. In this novel of wonder, Neil Gaiman follows in the footsteps of long-ago storytellers, weaving a tale of unforgettable enchantment." (New York Times Book Review )
"I wish my younger self could have had the opportunity to read and re-read this wonderful book, and my older self wishes that I had written it." (Garth Nix, author of The Abhorsen Trilogy )
CONNECTIONS
*Prepare a display of other Neil Gaiman books, as readers are sure to want more
*Compare and contract The Graveyard Book with Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book
*Watch the video on Gaiman’s website (http://www.mousecircus.com/videotour.aspx?VideoID=18) and have students choose a passage to practice reading aloud
Gaiman, Neil. 2008. The Graveyard Book (Audio). NY: Harper Children’s Audio. ISBN -- 9780061551895.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Neil Gaiman creates for readers (and listeners) a world where a toddler can escape a killer by taking refuge in a graveyard and makes the reader fully believe that a couple there adopt him as the child they never had. Not only is Nobody (Bod for short) adopted by the Owenses, but by all of the graveyard’s inhabitants.
As the tale unfolds, the ghosts seem more and more like they are the real people and the townspeople the odd ones. Bod is fed and clothed by his guardians, especially with the help of Silas, who is the only one who can actually leave the graveyard, but he is also furnished a well-rounded education by Silas, Miss Lupescu, and Mr. Pennyworth.
Gaiman fully utilizes the setting of the British graveyard but also includes the village and some of its inhabitants to teach the readers that life is not always fair, growing up is hard no matter who your parents are, most rules are established for good reasons, and good character will always have its enemies. Yet he teaches these life truths through an engaging story and admirable characters.
The audio version is read by the author whose English accent makes the story even more wonderful. Each character has a unique and suitable voice. For this listener, the entire experience was totally enjoyable.
REVIEW EXCERPTS
--Neil Gaiman is one of the true gems in the audio industry... Gaiman gives each specter a different—and wholly appropriate—voice... an absolute showstopper. A.H.A. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award, 2009 Audies Winner © AudioFile 2008
Praise for the print version
--Hugo Award for Best Novel (2009)
--Newbery Medal (2009)
--Locus Award for Best Young Adult Novel (2009)
--British Fantasy Award Nominee for Best Novel (2009)
--Cybils Award (2008)
--Audie Award Nominee for Thriller/Suspense (2009)
--American Library Association (ALA) Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) Notable Children's Book for Middle Readers (2009)
"Like a bite of dark Halloween chocolate, this novel proves rich, bittersweet and very satisfying." (Washington Post )
"Lucid, evocative prose and dark fairy-tale motifs imbue the story with a dreamlike quality. .this ghost-story-cum-coming-of-age-novel as readable as it is accomplished." (Horn Book (starred review) )
"The Graveyard Book is endlessly inventive, masterfully told and, like Bod himself, too clever to fit into only one place. This is a book for everyone. You will love it to death." (Holly Black, co-creator of The Spiderwick Chronicles )
"It takes a graveyard to raise a child. My favorite thing about this book was watching Bod grow up in his fine crumbly graveyard with his dead and living friends. The Graveyard Book is another surprising and terrific book from Neil Gaiman." (Audrey Niffenegger, author of The Time Traveler's Wife )
"Wistful, witty, wise-and creepy. This needs to be read by anyone who is or has ever been a child." (Kirkus Reviews (starred review) )
The Graveyard Book is everything everyone loves about Neil Gaiman, only multiplied many times over, a novel that showcases his effortless feel for narrative, his flawless instincts for suspense, and above all, his dark, almost silky sense of humor. (Joe Hill, author of Heart-Shaped Box )
"The Graveyard Book manages the remarkable feat of playing delightful jazz riffs on Kipling's classic Jungle Books. One might call this book a small jewel, but in fact it's much bigger within than it looks from the outside." (Peter S. Beagle, author of The Last Unicorn )
"After finishing The Graveyard Book, I had only one thought - I hope there's more. I want to see more of the adventures of Nobody Owens, and there is no higher praise for a book." (Laurell K. Hamilton, author of the Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter novels )
"This is an utterly captivating tale that is cleverly told through an entertaining cast of ghostly characters. There is plenty of darkness, but the novel's ultimate message is strong and life affirming..this is a rich story with broad appeal. " (Booklist (starred review) )
"This is, quite frankly, the best book Neil Gaiman has ever written. How he has managed to combine fascinating, friendly, frightening and fearsome in one fantasy I shall never know, but he has pulled it off magnificently - perfect for Halloween and any other time of the year." (Diana Wynne Jones, author of The Chronicles of Chrestomanci )
"THE GRAVEYARD BOOK, by turns exciting and witty, sinister and tender, shows Gaiman at the top of his form. In this novel of wonder, Neil Gaiman follows in the footsteps of long-ago storytellers, weaving a tale of unforgettable enchantment." (New York Times Book Review )
"I wish my younger self could have had the opportunity to read and re-read this wonderful book, and my older self wishes that I had written it." (Garth Nix, author of The Abhorsen Trilogy )
CONNECTIONS
*Prepare a display of other Neil Gaiman books, as readers are sure to want more
*Compare and contract The Graveyard Book with Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book
*Watch the video on Gaiman’s website (http://www.mousecircus.com/videotour.aspx?VideoID=18) and have students choose a passage to practice reading aloud
Book Review Module 6 -- Diary of a Wimpy Kid
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Kinney, Jeff. 2007. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Greg Heffley’s Journal. NY: Amulet Books. ISBN -- 9780810993136.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Jeff Kinney writes just what the title implies -- the diary of a kid, complete with illustrations. Greg Heffley is a completely believable character for anyone who has been or is currently enrolled in middle school. Greg has huge plans for his life (growing up to be rich and famous) which have little or nothing to do with his present reality (a short kid who does not like to do his homework or sports).
From bittersweet memories of head lice and the stinky-cheese touch (or dork touch, or whatever-touch) adults reading the book can remember and commiserate with middle school students and the misery that one school day can hold. The humorous illustrations add to the plot with dialogue in this otherwise monologue, which is a JOURNAL NOT A DIARY which was Greg’s Mom’s idea, anyway. Late elementary and all middle school students will definitely relate to Greg.
REVIEW EXCERPTS
From Publishers Weekly --Starred Review. Kinney has a gift for believable preteen dialogue and narration (e.g., "Don't expect me to be all 'Dear Diary' this and 'Dear Diary' that"), and the illustrations serve as a hilarious counterpoint to Greg's often deadpan voice...Kinney ably skewers familiar aspects of junior high life, from dealing with the mysteries of what makes someone popular to the trauma of a "wrestling unit" in gym class.
From School Library Journal -- Kinney does a masterful job of making the mundane life of boys on the brink of adolescence hilarious... it is an excellent choice for reluctant readers, but more experienced readers will also find much to enjoy and relate to in one seventh grader's view of the everyday trials and tribulations of middle school.
From Booklist -- ...laugh-out-loud novel ...short, episodic chapters...revolve around the adolescent male curse: the need to do incredibly dumb things because they seem to be a good idea at the time. Yet, unlike some other books about kids of this age, there's no sense of a slightly condescending adult writer behind the main character. At every moment, Greg seems real, and the engrossed reader will even occasionally see the logic in some of his choices. Greatly adding to the humor are Kinney's cartoons, which appear on every page. The simple line drawings perfectly capture archetypes of growing up, such as a preschool-age little brother, out-of-touch teachers, and an assortment of class nerds. Lots of fun throughout.
CONNECTIONS
*See this complete booklet of connections by an LSU LS student available at http://www.state.lib.la.us/empowerlibrary/Diary_of_a_Wimpy_Kid.doc
*Have students keep a diary for a set amount of time and have them illustrate it
*TeacherVision also has a great resource for extension activities with Wimpy Kid at http://www.teachervision.fen.com/childrens-book/diaries/28677.html?detoured=1
Kinney, Jeff. 2007. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Greg Heffley’s Journal. NY: Amulet Books. ISBN -- 9780810993136.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Jeff Kinney writes just what the title implies -- the diary of a kid, complete with illustrations. Greg Heffley is a completely believable character for anyone who has been or is currently enrolled in middle school. Greg has huge plans for his life (growing up to be rich and famous) which have little or nothing to do with his present reality (a short kid who does not like to do his homework or sports).
From bittersweet memories of head lice and the stinky-cheese touch (or dork touch, or whatever-touch) adults reading the book can remember and commiserate with middle school students and the misery that one school day can hold. The humorous illustrations add to the plot with dialogue in this otherwise monologue, which is a JOURNAL NOT A DIARY which was Greg’s Mom’s idea, anyway. Late elementary and all middle school students will definitely relate to Greg.
REVIEW EXCERPTS
From Publishers Weekly --Starred Review. Kinney has a gift for believable preteen dialogue and narration (e.g., "Don't expect me to be all 'Dear Diary' this and 'Dear Diary' that"), and the illustrations serve as a hilarious counterpoint to Greg's often deadpan voice...Kinney ably skewers familiar aspects of junior high life, from dealing with the mysteries of what makes someone popular to the trauma of a "wrestling unit" in gym class.
From School Library Journal -- Kinney does a masterful job of making the mundane life of boys on the brink of adolescence hilarious... it is an excellent choice for reluctant readers, but more experienced readers will also find much to enjoy and relate to in one seventh grader's view of the everyday trials and tribulations of middle school.
From Booklist -- ...laugh-out-loud novel ...short, episodic chapters...revolve around the adolescent male curse: the need to do incredibly dumb things because they seem to be a good idea at the time. Yet, unlike some other books about kids of this age, there's no sense of a slightly condescending adult writer behind the main character. At every moment, Greg seems real, and the engrossed reader will even occasionally see the logic in some of his choices. Greatly adding to the humor are Kinney's cartoons, which appear on every page. The simple line drawings perfectly capture archetypes of growing up, such as a preschool-age little brother, out-of-touch teachers, and an assortment of class nerds. Lots of fun throughout.
CONNECTIONS
*See this complete booklet of connections by an LSU LS student available at http://www.state.lib.la.us/empowerlibrary/Diary_of_a_Wimpy_Kid.doc
*Have students keep a diary for a set amount of time and have them illustrate it
*TeacherVision also has a great resource for extension activities with Wimpy Kid at http://www.teachervision.fen.com/childrens-book/diaries/28677.html?detoured=1
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Book Review Module 5 -- The Land
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Taylor, Mildred. 2001. THE LAND. NY: Phyllis Fogelman Books. ISBN 0803719507.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
As a lover of Mildred Taylor and the Logans, THE LAND was like a visit with a good friend. Recognizing some of the names from books later in the family’s story in this prequel gave me the same warm fuzzies as looking through old family photo albums. However, the rubric for evaluating historical fiction begs the question of the true quality of the work.
The characters are familiar, if only because the reader will recognize their descendants from other Taylor works. They must be believable, because Taylor fully explains her rationale for the work in the Acknowledgments; she took the characters from her own family’s stories. They do not, however, fit with any mainstream stories of Anglos and African Americans set during the same period. I know of no other white slave owners who recognized their children by slaves, especially none who allowed those children the same privileges as their legitimate children. Paul-Edward and Cassie were habitually fed at the table with their half-siblings and were taught to read and write. One must wonder if the family stories were embellished through the last 140 years, or if Taylor’s family really was so non-conformist. If so, how did they survive? The South was not known for encouraging individualism or even for allowing it.
If the reader can get past the question of believable characters, Taylor’s plot was a gripping tale of family, and friends, and hard work; love and marriage and death. The setting, again, was based on family lore. The story follows Paul-Edward from Georgia to East Texas to Mississippi, where Taylor’s other books are set. I particularly identified with the section on East Texas and the logging camps, imagining Paul-Edward on each slope of our land.
As a whole, I would recommend the book simply because it answers questions regarding the beginning of the Logan family. It does have its problems, but if readers loved Taylor’s other works, they will love THE LAND.
REVIEW EXCERPTS
Readers...will grab this and be astonished by its powerful story. -- Booklist, starred review
Taylor's gift for combining history and storytelling is as evident here as in her other stories about the Logan family. -- Publishers Weekly, starred review
In this prequel to Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry (Dial, 1976), readers meet the relatives of the Logan family who lived during Civil War and Reconstruction times... The ugliness of racial hatred and bigotry is clearly demonstrated throughout the book. The characters are crisply drawn and believable, although at times Paul's total honesty, forthrightness, and devotion to hard work seem almost too good to be true. While this book gives insight and background to the family saga, it stands on its own merits. It is wonderful historical fiction about a shameful part of America's past. Its length and use of the vernacular will discourage casual readers, but those who stick with it will be richly rewarded. For fans of the other Logan books, it is not to be missed. -- School Library Journal
CONNECTIONS
* Research the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments. How did they affect the lives of people like Paul-Edward Logan and other characters in the Logan stories?
*Research the Civil Rights Act of 1875.
*Assist students in writing their own family stories and family trees
*Display other Mildred Taylor books and encourage reading them in chronological order.
*Display other books about racism or discrimination which may include -- To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Sounder by William H. Armstrong, Color me dark : the diary of Nellie Lee Love, The great migration North by Pat McKissack, My name is Rachamim by Jonathan P. Kendall, Freedom Summer by Deborah Wiles and Jerome Lagarrigue, The Other Half of My Heart by Sundee T. Frazier, or Tofu Quilt by Ching Yeung Russell
Taylor, Mildred. 2001. THE LAND. NY: Phyllis Fogelman Books. ISBN 0803719507.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
As a lover of Mildred Taylor and the Logans, THE LAND was like a visit with a good friend. Recognizing some of the names from books later in the family’s story in this prequel gave me the same warm fuzzies as looking through old family photo albums. However, the rubric for evaluating historical fiction begs the question of the true quality of the work.
The characters are familiar, if only because the reader will recognize their descendants from other Taylor works. They must be believable, because Taylor fully explains her rationale for the work in the Acknowledgments; she took the characters from her own family’s stories. They do not, however, fit with any mainstream stories of Anglos and African Americans set during the same period. I know of no other white slave owners who recognized their children by slaves, especially none who allowed those children the same privileges as their legitimate children. Paul-Edward and Cassie were habitually fed at the table with their half-siblings and were taught to read and write. One must wonder if the family stories were embellished through the last 140 years, or if Taylor’s family really was so non-conformist. If so, how did they survive? The South was not known for encouraging individualism or even for allowing it.
If the reader can get past the question of believable characters, Taylor’s plot was a gripping tale of family, and friends, and hard work; love and marriage and death. The setting, again, was based on family lore. The story follows Paul-Edward from Georgia to East Texas to Mississippi, where Taylor’s other books are set. I particularly identified with the section on East Texas and the logging camps, imagining Paul-Edward on each slope of our land.
As a whole, I would recommend the book simply because it answers questions regarding the beginning of the Logan family. It does have its problems, but if readers loved Taylor’s other works, they will love THE LAND.
REVIEW EXCERPTS
Readers...will grab this and be astonished by its powerful story. -- Booklist, starred review
Taylor's gift for combining history and storytelling is as evident here as in her other stories about the Logan family. -- Publishers Weekly, starred review
In this prequel to Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry (Dial, 1976), readers meet the relatives of the Logan family who lived during Civil War and Reconstruction times... The ugliness of racial hatred and bigotry is clearly demonstrated throughout the book. The characters are crisply drawn and believable, although at times Paul's total honesty, forthrightness, and devotion to hard work seem almost too good to be true. While this book gives insight and background to the family saga, it stands on its own merits. It is wonderful historical fiction about a shameful part of America's past. Its length and use of the vernacular will discourage casual readers, but those who stick with it will be richly rewarded. For fans of the other Logan books, it is not to be missed. -- School Library Journal
CONNECTIONS
* Research the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments. How did they affect the lives of people like Paul-Edward Logan and other characters in the Logan stories?
*Research the Civil Rights Act of 1875.
*Assist students in writing their own family stories and family trees
*Display other Mildred Taylor books and encourage reading them in chronological order.
*Display other books about racism or discrimination which may include -- To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Sounder by William H. Armstrong, Color me dark : the diary of Nellie Lee Love, The great migration North by Pat McKissack, My name is Rachamim by Jonathan P. Kendall, Freedom Summer by Deborah Wiles and Jerome Lagarrigue, The Other Half of My Heart by Sundee T. Frazier, or Tofu Quilt by Ching Yeung Russell
Book Review -- Historical Fiction Module 5 -- Jip: His Story
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Paterson, Katherine. 1996. Jip: his story. NY: Lodestar Books. ISBN 0525675434.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Jip, short for Gypsy, lived on the poor farm where he was primarily responsible for the crops and livestock due to the manger’s laziness and inefficiency. Jip reportedly fell off the back of a gypsy’s wagon and was taken to the farm as an infant. Jip’s intelligence and compassion make living on the farm tolerable for himself and the other residents. When a raving lunatic is transferred to the farm, Jip finds himself also the primary caregiver for the lunatic, Put. Surprisingly, the “lunatic” is actually a wise man who befriends Jip and, when not suffering from an “episode”, helps Jip run the farm.
Paterson creates wonderfully complex characters who could very easily be transported to any time or place. Put could just as easily be a homeless man from any city, and the lazy manger could be any bureaucrat living off the toil of others. Paterson’s plot, too, is amazingly complex for such a short work and is suitable for a range from lower grades to college level. Her style is direct -- easy for the lower grades or older second language learners.
As the plot unfolds, the reader learns that Jip’s story is not as simple as it appears. Jip gets to attend school for a short while and is hungry for knowledge. There he is exposed to Dickens’s OLIVER TWIST and his dream of a family searching for him is fanned to full flame. When a stranger comes to town and hints that Jip does have a father who is searching for him, Jip is sure that his dreams will soon come true. Through hope and loss, Jip learns some hard truths about his past and the world he lives in which is just on the brink of a civil war.
Paterson reveals what ultimately happens to Jip in an endnote, and though the journey cost him dearly, Jip finally has his happy ending. It is just an ending that neither Jip nor the reader could have foreseen.
REVIEW EXCERPTS
This historical novel about a maltreated orphan "is full of revelations and surprises," said PW's starred review; "first-rate entertainment." -- Publisher's Weekly
Paterson's companion novel to Lyddie (Lodestar, 1991) rewards readers with memorable characters and a gripping plot…Paterson's story resonates with respect for the Vermont landscape and its mid-19th-century residents, with the drama of life during a dark period in our nation's history, and with the human quest for freedom. Fans of the previous book will relish meeting up with Lyddie and Luke again at a somewhat later period in their lives. Readers will be talking and thinking about this book long after they finish the last chapter.-- School Library Journal
What a story. It's not often that the revelations of the plot are so astonishing--and yet so inevitable--that they make you shout and think and shiver and cry. Paterson has taken the old orphan foundling tale, set it in Vermont in the 1850s, and made it new. …There are some problems with this book. Jip is idealized, too saintly to be true; in fact, as in Dickens, most of the characters are either totally good or totally bad. But the time and the place are drawn with powerful realism. Paterson's simple sentences lay bare the dark historical truth and the transforming light of love.--starred review Booklist
… As usual for Paterson, all the characterizations are penetrating--even the villains are interesting... Unfortunately, the ending is abrupt...and it is not clear what lesson Jip derives... Regardless, this is fine historical fiction.-- Kirkus Reviews
CONNECTIONS
*Create a Venn diagram of “then and now” on subjects found in the novel. These could include the following: treatment of orphans, the mentally ill, or the poor, OR attitudes toward education, schools, or teachers. Based on http://literacy.kent.edu/Oasis/Pubs/0300-25.pdf
*Have students compare the slaves on the Underground Railroad to the Jews trying to escape the Holocaust
*Locate and display other books about slavery and the Underground Railroad
Paterson, Katherine. 1996. Jip: his story. NY: Lodestar Books. ISBN 0525675434.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Jip, short for Gypsy, lived on the poor farm where he was primarily responsible for the crops and livestock due to the manger’s laziness and inefficiency. Jip reportedly fell off the back of a gypsy’s wagon and was taken to the farm as an infant. Jip’s intelligence and compassion make living on the farm tolerable for himself and the other residents. When a raving lunatic is transferred to the farm, Jip finds himself also the primary caregiver for the lunatic, Put. Surprisingly, the “lunatic” is actually a wise man who befriends Jip and, when not suffering from an “episode”, helps Jip run the farm.
Paterson creates wonderfully complex characters who could very easily be transported to any time or place. Put could just as easily be a homeless man from any city, and the lazy manger could be any bureaucrat living off the toil of others. Paterson’s plot, too, is amazingly complex for such a short work and is suitable for a range from lower grades to college level. Her style is direct -- easy for the lower grades or older second language learners.
As the plot unfolds, the reader learns that Jip’s story is not as simple as it appears. Jip gets to attend school for a short while and is hungry for knowledge. There he is exposed to Dickens’s OLIVER TWIST and his dream of a family searching for him is fanned to full flame. When a stranger comes to town and hints that Jip does have a father who is searching for him, Jip is sure that his dreams will soon come true. Through hope and loss, Jip learns some hard truths about his past and the world he lives in which is just on the brink of a civil war.
Paterson reveals what ultimately happens to Jip in an endnote, and though the journey cost him dearly, Jip finally has his happy ending. It is just an ending that neither Jip nor the reader could have foreseen.
REVIEW EXCERPTS
This historical novel about a maltreated orphan "is full of revelations and surprises," said PW's starred review; "first-rate entertainment." -- Publisher's Weekly
Paterson's companion novel to Lyddie (Lodestar, 1991) rewards readers with memorable characters and a gripping plot…Paterson's story resonates with respect for the Vermont landscape and its mid-19th-century residents, with the drama of life during a dark period in our nation's history, and with the human quest for freedom. Fans of the previous book will relish meeting up with Lyddie and Luke again at a somewhat later period in their lives. Readers will be talking and thinking about this book long after they finish the last chapter.-- School Library Journal
What a story. It's not often that the revelations of the plot are so astonishing--and yet so inevitable--that they make you shout and think and shiver and cry. Paterson has taken the old orphan foundling tale, set it in Vermont in the 1850s, and made it new. …There are some problems with this book. Jip is idealized, too saintly to be true; in fact, as in Dickens, most of the characters are either totally good or totally bad. But the time and the place are drawn with powerful realism. Paterson's simple sentences lay bare the dark historical truth and the transforming light of love.--starred review Booklist
… As usual for Paterson, all the characterizations are penetrating--even the villains are interesting... Unfortunately, the ending is abrupt...and it is not clear what lesson Jip derives... Regardless, this is fine historical fiction.-- Kirkus Reviews
CONNECTIONS
*Create a Venn diagram of “then and now” on subjects found in the novel. These could include the following: treatment of orphans, the mentally ill, or the poor, OR attitudes toward education, schools, or teachers. Based on http://literacy.kent.edu/Oasis/Pubs/0300-25.pdf
*Have students compare the slaves on the Underground Railroad to the Jews trying to escape the Holocaust
*Locate and display other books about slavery and the Underground Railroad
Book Review Module 5 -- Historical Fiction -- Rodzina
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Cushman, Karen. 2003. Rodzina. NY: Clarion. ISBN 0618133518.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Karen Cushman’s Rodzina offers a look at the 19th century orphan trains through the unique perspective of a young Polish girl. Cushman’s research is evident not just with the extensive bibliography, but through the seamless weave of historical detail and realistic story.
Rodzina Clara Jadwiga Anastazya Brodski may be just 12 years old, but she has already suffered the loss of her beloved parents and brothers. She expects nothing better when she is “selected” to board an orphan train headed west from Chicago in March of 1881. She is sure she will not be adopted, and if she is unlucky enough to be selected, she knows she will be doomed to a life of slavery. The plot of the story unfolds as the train continues its journey west, and readers appreciate the hardships of life on a train. Through freezing weather, days-old sandwiches, withered apples, the plight of orphans is revealed to the reader.
We are also introduced to the other orphans, who play lesser roles to Rodzina and Miss Doctor, the female chaperone who is also displaced and heading west to an unknown future. Miss Doctor is in the unfortunate position of being an educated woman in the latter 19th century, when women are supposed to be at home looking after their husbands. Unfortunately, Miss Doctor’s dreams are not so staid. Rodzina and Miss Doctor are at odds throughout the journey, and through their conflict, the reader is able to grasp the strength of these two females is a male-dominated world.
Cushman’s style, familiar to readers through A Midwife's Apprentice, effectively deals with the harsh realities as well as the tender moments experienced on this ride to California and the conflicts and that are resolved for an ultimately happy ending.
REVIEW EXCERPTS
"Rodzina is prickly, stubborn, and heart-sore but she's also honest, likable and smart...Enough unpredictability to nicely unsettle expectations." --The Horn Book
“It is 1881, and twelve-year-old Rodzina Clara Jadwiga Anastazya Brodski finds herself on an orphan train bound from Chicago to the west where, she is sure, she will be sold into slavery. . . . Rodzina’s musings and observations provide poignancy, humor, and a keen sense of the human and topographical landscape.”—School Library Journal, Starred
“A natural for American history or social studies classes, this is especially interesting as a women’s history title, with Rodzina portrayed as an unromantic protagonist, big, angry, tough. . . . Cushman talks about the history in a lengthy final note, and she includes a bibliography of other orphan books.”—Booklist, Starred
Booklist Top 10 Historical Fiction for Youth
CONNECTIONS**
• Divide students into groups. Assign them various cities that are mentioned in the book: Chicago, Illinois; Grand Island, Nebraska; Cheyenne, Wyoming; Ogden, Utah; Virginia City, Nevada; Reno, Nevada; Oakland, California. Have students research their assigned city and write an essay comparing and contrasting life in the 1800’s and today.
• Have students create a Polish-themed poster, with photographs of people, places or things associated with Poland or Polish-American culture.
• Have students trace on a map the route Rodzina’s train took, starting in Chicago and ending in California.
• Invite someone to your classroom that has either lived in orphanage, rode an Orphan Train or immigrated to the United States. Have each student compose a question and ask the guest.
**Taken from Kraemer, Courtney. Unk. Youth Services Librarian, Terrebonne Parish Library, Houma, LA. Available http://www.state.lib.la.us/empowerlibrary/2006%203-5%20Rodzina.pdf.
Cushman, Karen. 2003. Rodzina. NY: Clarion. ISBN 0618133518.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Karen Cushman’s Rodzina offers a look at the 19th century orphan trains through the unique perspective of a young Polish girl. Cushman’s research is evident not just with the extensive bibliography, but through the seamless weave of historical detail and realistic story.
Rodzina Clara Jadwiga Anastazya Brodski may be just 12 years old, but she has already suffered the loss of her beloved parents and brothers. She expects nothing better when she is “selected” to board an orphan train headed west from Chicago in March of 1881. She is sure she will not be adopted, and if she is unlucky enough to be selected, she knows she will be doomed to a life of slavery. The plot of the story unfolds as the train continues its journey west, and readers appreciate the hardships of life on a train. Through freezing weather, days-old sandwiches, withered apples, the plight of orphans is revealed to the reader.
We are also introduced to the other orphans, who play lesser roles to Rodzina and Miss Doctor, the female chaperone who is also displaced and heading west to an unknown future. Miss Doctor is in the unfortunate position of being an educated woman in the latter 19th century, when women are supposed to be at home looking after their husbands. Unfortunately, Miss Doctor’s dreams are not so staid. Rodzina and Miss Doctor are at odds throughout the journey, and through their conflict, the reader is able to grasp the strength of these two females is a male-dominated world.
Cushman’s style, familiar to readers through A Midwife's Apprentice, effectively deals with the harsh realities as well as the tender moments experienced on this ride to California and the conflicts and that are resolved for an ultimately happy ending.
REVIEW EXCERPTS
"Rodzina is prickly, stubborn, and heart-sore but she's also honest, likable and smart...Enough unpredictability to nicely unsettle expectations." --The Horn Book
“It is 1881, and twelve-year-old Rodzina Clara Jadwiga Anastazya Brodski finds herself on an orphan train bound from Chicago to the west where, she is sure, she will be sold into slavery. . . . Rodzina’s musings and observations provide poignancy, humor, and a keen sense of the human and topographical landscape.”—School Library Journal, Starred
“A natural for American history or social studies classes, this is especially interesting as a women’s history title, with Rodzina portrayed as an unromantic protagonist, big, angry, tough. . . . Cushman talks about the history in a lengthy final note, and she includes a bibliography of other orphan books.”—Booklist, Starred
Booklist Top 10 Historical Fiction for Youth
CONNECTIONS**
• Divide students into groups. Assign them various cities that are mentioned in the book: Chicago, Illinois; Grand Island, Nebraska; Cheyenne, Wyoming; Ogden, Utah; Virginia City, Nevada; Reno, Nevada; Oakland, California. Have students research their assigned city and write an essay comparing and contrasting life in the 1800’s and today.
• Have students create a Polish-themed poster, with photographs of people, places or things associated with Poland or Polish-American culture.
• Have students trace on a map the route Rodzina’s train took, starting in Chicago and ending in California.
• Invite someone to your classroom that has either lived in orphanage, rode an Orphan Train or immigrated to the United States. Have each student compose a question and ask the guest.
**Taken from Kraemer, Courtney. Unk. Youth Services Librarian, Terrebonne Parish Library, Houma, LA. Available http://www.state.lib.la.us/empowerlibrary/2006%203-5%20Rodzina.pdf.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Book Review -- Module 4 -- Informational Books -- Michelangelo
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Stanley, Diane. 2000. MICHELANGELO. NY: HarperCollins. ISBN 0688150861.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Diane Stanley biography presents interesting facts (with bibliography) interspersed with original watercolor, colored pencil and gouache. The illustrations are not prize-winning, but they do flow well with the story. One exception is the Adobe Photoshop-manipulated photos of actual Michelangelo works. Stanley attempts to combine her original work with that of the master, and the effect is a glaring offense to the senses. The sympathy behind the attempts is laudable, but she does not effectively carry out her plan.
The text, on the other hand, is fresh, interesting, and authentic. Stanley manages to convey many facts in a manner that is not overbearing or patronizing. She begins as most biographies do, at the beginning. One interesting point is that very little of the information is of personal nature. Only a couple of times do we get glimpses of Michelangelo the person rather than Michelangelo the artist. Once is when he is referring to his love of architecture. He remarked that it must have come to him along with his foster mother’s milk. Another is later in life when remarking upon his lack of a wife. “I already have a wife who is too much for me; one who keeps me unceasingly struggling on. It is my art, and my works are my children.”
REVIEW EXCERPTS
There is no one like Stanley (Leonardo da Vinci; Joan of Arc) for picture-book biography. She brings to the genre an uncanny ability to clarify and compress dense and tricky historical matter, scrupulous attention to visual and verbal nuances, and a self-fulfilling faith in her readers' intelligence. … Unfortunately, the digital techniques she used to good effect in Leonardo collaging in photos of her subject's work are not successful here. The … effect blemishes an otherwise outstanding work. Ages 8-up. (Sept.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --Publisher’s Weekly
Grade 4-7-As Michelangelo breathed life into stone, Stanley chisels three-dimensionality out of documents. Her bibliography lists original material as well as respected scholarship; from these sources she has crafted a picture-book biography that is as readable as it is useful. … An author's note and map provide historical context, the former explaining the impact of the classical excavations on the Renaissance sensibilities. Integrating Michelangelo's art with Stanley's watercolor, gouache, and colored-pencil figures and settings has the desired effect: readers will be dazzled with the master's ability, while at the same time pulled into his daily life and struggles. … For further information, readers may sample Gabriella Di Cagno's Michelangelo (1996) or Vittorio Giudici's The Sistine Chapel (2000, both Peter Bedrick). For fascinating facts with an attitude, try Veronique Milande's Michelangelo and His Times (Holt, 1996).
Wendy Lukehart, Dauphin County Library, Harrisburg, PA
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. -- School Library Journal
Stanley continues her series of outstanding biographies, but this time she puts a new twist on some venerable art by using computer images. One of the most pleasing things about Stanley's books is the way her sturdy texts stand up to her strong artwork. That's particularly evident here, as she tells the story of Michelangelo's turbulent life in a style that is so readable, and occasionally so colloquial, that even children not readily interested in the subject will be drawn in. Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association.--Booklist
"...Images of Michelangelo's art are photo-based and computer manipulated, and they're seamlessly integrated into the compositions...an in-depth picture of Michelangelo..." -- -- Bulletin of the Center for Children' s Books
CONNECTIONS
*Collect photographs of all of Michelangelo’s works and have students try to remember which ones they remember from his biography
*Get clay and have students try sculpting
*Collect other Michelangelo biographies and have students compare and contrast the information they find in each
Stanley, Diane. 2000. MICHELANGELO. NY: HarperCollins. ISBN 0688150861.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Diane Stanley biography presents interesting facts (with bibliography) interspersed with original watercolor, colored pencil and gouache. The illustrations are not prize-winning, but they do flow well with the story. One exception is the Adobe Photoshop-manipulated photos of actual Michelangelo works. Stanley attempts to combine her original work with that of the master, and the effect is a glaring offense to the senses. The sympathy behind the attempts is laudable, but she does not effectively carry out her plan.
The text, on the other hand, is fresh, interesting, and authentic. Stanley manages to convey many facts in a manner that is not overbearing or patronizing. She begins as most biographies do, at the beginning. One interesting point is that very little of the information is of personal nature. Only a couple of times do we get glimpses of Michelangelo the person rather than Michelangelo the artist. Once is when he is referring to his love of architecture. He remarked that it must have come to him along with his foster mother’s milk. Another is later in life when remarking upon his lack of a wife. “I already have a wife who is too much for me; one who keeps me unceasingly struggling on. It is my art, and my works are my children.”
REVIEW EXCERPTS
There is no one like Stanley (Leonardo da Vinci; Joan of Arc) for picture-book biography. She brings to the genre an uncanny ability to clarify and compress dense and tricky historical matter, scrupulous attention to visual and verbal nuances, and a self-fulfilling faith in her readers' intelligence. … Unfortunately, the digital techniques she used to good effect in Leonardo collaging in photos of her subject's work are not successful here. The … effect blemishes an otherwise outstanding work. Ages 8-up. (Sept.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --Publisher’s Weekly
Grade 4-7-As Michelangelo breathed life into stone, Stanley chisels three-dimensionality out of documents. Her bibliography lists original material as well as respected scholarship; from these sources she has crafted a picture-book biography that is as readable as it is useful. … An author's note and map provide historical context, the former explaining the impact of the classical excavations on the Renaissance sensibilities. Integrating Michelangelo's art with Stanley's watercolor, gouache, and colored-pencil figures and settings has the desired effect: readers will be dazzled with the master's ability, while at the same time pulled into his daily life and struggles. … For further information, readers may sample Gabriella Di Cagno's Michelangelo (1996) or Vittorio Giudici's The Sistine Chapel (2000, both Peter Bedrick). For fascinating facts with an attitude, try Veronique Milande's Michelangelo and His Times (Holt, 1996).
Wendy Lukehart, Dauphin County Library, Harrisburg, PA
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. -- School Library Journal
Stanley continues her series of outstanding biographies, but this time she puts a new twist on some venerable art by using computer images. One of the most pleasing things about Stanley's books is the way her sturdy texts stand up to her strong artwork. That's particularly evident here, as she tells the story of Michelangelo's turbulent life in a style that is so readable, and occasionally so colloquial, that even children not readily interested in the subject will be drawn in. Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association.--Booklist
"...Images of Michelangelo's art are photo-based and computer manipulated, and they're seamlessly integrated into the compositions...an in-depth picture of Michelangelo..." -- -- Bulletin of the Center for Children' s Books
CONNECTIONS
*Collect photographs of all of Michelangelo’s works and have students try to remember which ones they remember from his biography
*Get clay and have students try sculpting
*Collect other Michelangelo biographies and have students compare and contrast the information they find in each
Module 4 Book Review -- Informational Book -- ANIMALS NOBODY LOVES
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Simon, Seymor. 2001. ANIMALS NOBODY LOVES. NY: SeaStar Books. ISBN 1587170795.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Seymour Simon presents ANIMALS THAT NOBODY LOVES with short narratives placed opposite amazing photographs of the real creatures. He covers animals as large and fierce as the grizzly bear and as small and innocuous as the cockroach.
In each passage he presents factual information about a creature, presents some untrue myth, and then either debunks the myth or tells why a small fact has taken on mythical proportions. For example, when discussing sharks, he says that “some sharks are large and dangerous. Others are just a few feet long and eat small fish.” Later on in the passage Simon admits that though great white sharks usually swim around in the open ocean, some swimmers have been attacked and killed. In a later passage about the Cobra, he says, “In India alone, cobras are reported to kill thousands of people each year, more than sharks all over the world do in fifty years.” Through the uses of such comparisons, one learns the equivalent danger of gila monsters and rattlesnakes and the relative numbers of rats and cockroaches.
While the text may be factual, it is sparse. The true power of Simon’s work is the photographs. Each is clear, striking, and extremely detailed, down to the “hair” on the ant’s head and tail.
REVIEW EXCERPT
Gr. 4-6. The photos (and even the text) won't do much to change the reputation of animals such as the vulture and the rat, but there's no denying they'll draw a crowd and a chorus of "Gross." The pictures are fine, large, and in full color, as fascinating as they are repulsive and scary: the yawning jaws of a shark; a hyena consuming bloody food; a wasp enlarged bigger than a human fist, stinging a grasshopper. Simon puts forward some interesting facts and dispels a few myths about these 20 unlovable subjects, but report writers won't find enough material here, nor are there notes to lead curious kids on to more information. There's no question this will look great on display, but it will serve kids best when it's presented with more fact-rich natural histories. Stephanie Zvirin Copyright © American Library Association. All rights --Booklist
CONNECTIONS
* Select and display other “creature” books
*As Simon suggests on the last page of the book, have students make lists of the animals they “don’t love” and choose one to research.
*Have students create animal mobiles with interesting facts
Simon, Seymor. 2001. ANIMALS NOBODY LOVES. NY: SeaStar Books. ISBN 1587170795.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Seymour Simon presents ANIMALS THAT NOBODY LOVES with short narratives placed opposite amazing photographs of the real creatures. He covers animals as large and fierce as the grizzly bear and as small and innocuous as the cockroach.
In each passage he presents factual information about a creature, presents some untrue myth, and then either debunks the myth or tells why a small fact has taken on mythical proportions. For example, when discussing sharks, he says that “some sharks are large and dangerous. Others are just a few feet long and eat small fish.” Later on in the passage Simon admits that though great white sharks usually swim around in the open ocean, some swimmers have been attacked and killed. In a later passage about the Cobra, he says, “In India alone, cobras are reported to kill thousands of people each year, more than sharks all over the world do in fifty years.” Through the uses of such comparisons, one learns the equivalent danger of gila monsters and rattlesnakes and the relative numbers of rats and cockroaches.
While the text may be factual, it is sparse. The true power of Simon’s work is the photographs. Each is clear, striking, and extremely detailed, down to the “hair” on the ant’s head and tail.
REVIEW EXCERPT
Gr. 4-6. The photos (and even the text) won't do much to change the reputation of animals such as the vulture and the rat, but there's no denying they'll draw a crowd and a chorus of "Gross." The pictures are fine, large, and in full color, as fascinating as they are repulsive and scary: the yawning jaws of a shark; a hyena consuming bloody food; a wasp enlarged bigger than a human fist, stinging a grasshopper. Simon puts forward some interesting facts and dispels a few myths about these 20 unlovable subjects, but report writers won't find enough material here, nor are there notes to lead curious kids on to more information. There's no question this will look great on display, but it will serve kids best when it's presented with more fact-rich natural histories. Stephanie Zvirin Copyright © American Library Association. All rights --Booklist
CONNECTIONS
* Select and display other “creature” books
*As Simon suggests on the last page of the book, have students make lists of the animals they “don’t love” and choose one to research.
*Have students create animal mobiles with interesting facts
Book Review Module 4 -- Informational Books -- AN AMERICAN PLAGUE
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Murphy, Jim. 2003. AN AMERICAN PLAGUE: THE TRUE AND TERRIFYING STORY OF THE YELLOW FEVER EPIDEMIC OF 1793. NY: Clarion. ISBN 0395776082.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Jim Murphy presents the details of Philadelphia’s yellow fever epidemic factually and interestingly. The book is not suitable for the very young, as the format contains few black and white illustrations and little white space. The facts are presented in a very straightforward way, often using direct quotations for emphasis and credibility. For example, the diary entry for Elizabeth Drinker on August 28 sums up quite clearly the spread of the disease with “There is a man next door but one to us, who Dr. Kuhn says will quickly die of this terrible disorder. Caty Prusia, over against us is very ill, and a man at ye Shoemakers next door the Neighr Waln’s; some sick in our Alley.”
The facts are presented in chapters named (with great use of foreshadowing) followed by a quotation of either a victim or survivor, subsequently followed by a date; therefore the course of events unfolds in perfectly logical manner. In the course of his text, Murphy covers not just the actual epidemic of 1793, but also timely descriptions of state and national affairs, the medical community, injustices in society, and personal vignettes of post-Revolutionary residents. Murphy uses each of those descriptions not to tease the curiosity rather than preach his convictions.
Overall, the text is clear, factual, and interesting in an attempt to explain a disease that is unclear, mysterious, and scary. Murphy uses the final chapter to explain the current threat of yellow fever and the probability that it will be just as devastating in the 21st century as it was in the 18th.
REVIEW EXCERPTS
Grade 6-10-If surviving the first 20 years of a new nationhood weren't challenge enough, the yellow fever epidemic of 1793, centering in Philadelphia, was a crisis of monumental proportions. … An afterword explains the yellow fever phenomenon, its causes, and contemporary outbreaks, and source notes are extensive and interesting. Pair this work with Laurie Halse Anderson's wonderful novel Fever 1793 (S & S, 2000) and you'll have students hooked on history. -- School Library Journal
Mary R. Hofmann, Rivera Middle School, Merced, CA
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Gr. 6-12. History, science, politics, and public health come together in this dramatic account of the disastrous yellow fever epidemic that hit the nation's capital more than 200 years ago. .. . ]T]he most interesting chapters discuss what is now known of the tiny fever-carrying mosquito and the problems created by over-zealous use of pesticides. Hazel Rochman Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved -- Booklist
"Murphy's dramatic history book...brings to life the determination and perseverance of a people whose future was uncertain." CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR -- Review
"A mesmerizing, macabre account...powerful evocative prose... compelling subject matter...fascinating discussion...valuable lesson in reading and writing history. Stellar." KIRKUS REVIEWS, STARRED REVIEW
"Leisurely, lyrical tone...Murphy injects the events with immediacy...archival photographs...bring the story to life...comprehensive history." PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY
"laudable insight...Readers view the panic from several vantage points...allows his audience to share the contemporary complexity...truly absorbing" THE BULLETIN OF THE CENTER FOR CHILDREN'S BOOKS, STARRED REVIEW
"solid research and a flair for weaving facts into fascinating stories...extensive and interesting...you'll have students hooked on history." SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL, STARRED REVIEW
"diverse voices...representative images...Everywhere, Murphy is attentive to telling detail...Thoroughly documented...the work is both rigorous and inviting." THE HORN BOOK MAGAZINE
"Nobody does juvenile nonfiction better than Murphy...transparently clear and well-paced prose...grueseome medical details...also plenty of serious history" --The Washington Post
"superbly written...represents nonfiction at its best...extremely accessible and readable...captivating...an outstanding annotated bibliography...an excellent choice" VOICE OF YOUTH ADVOCATES (VOYA) VOYA (Voice of Youth Advocates)
"Lavishly illustrated . . . Murphy unflinchingly presents the horrors. . . . he has produced another book that can make history come alive. . . ."--NY TIMES BOOK REVIEW The New York Times Book Review
CONNECTIONS
*Gather and display for further reading other books on epidemics, diseases, and/or yellow fever
*After further reading, students can make up “Did you know?” mobiles or posters with facts they discovered during their research
*Coordinate with a science class or county extension agent to discuss mosquitoes and their breeding grounds. See if you can identify the kinds in your area and determine the kinds of diseases they may carry.
*Borrow a microscope and allow students to see more closely pond water, mosquito larvae, or other gross materials
Murphy, Jim. 2003. AN AMERICAN PLAGUE: THE TRUE AND TERRIFYING STORY OF THE YELLOW FEVER EPIDEMIC OF 1793. NY: Clarion. ISBN 0395776082.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Jim Murphy presents the details of Philadelphia’s yellow fever epidemic factually and interestingly. The book is not suitable for the very young, as the format contains few black and white illustrations and little white space. The facts are presented in a very straightforward way, often using direct quotations for emphasis and credibility. For example, the diary entry for Elizabeth Drinker on August 28 sums up quite clearly the spread of the disease with “There is a man next door but one to us, who Dr. Kuhn says will quickly die of this terrible disorder. Caty Prusia, over against us is very ill, and a man at ye Shoemakers next door the Neighr Waln’s; some sick in our Alley.”
The facts are presented in chapters named (with great use of foreshadowing) followed by a quotation of either a victim or survivor, subsequently followed by a date; therefore the course of events unfolds in perfectly logical manner. In the course of his text, Murphy covers not just the actual epidemic of 1793, but also timely descriptions of state and national affairs, the medical community, injustices in society, and personal vignettes of post-Revolutionary residents. Murphy uses each of those descriptions not to tease the curiosity rather than preach his convictions.
Overall, the text is clear, factual, and interesting in an attempt to explain a disease that is unclear, mysterious, and scary. Murphy uses the final chapter to explain the current threat of yellow fever and the probability that it will be just as devastating in the 21st century as it was in the 18th.
REVIEW EXCERPTS
Grade 6-10-If surviving the first 20 years of a new nationhood weren't challenge enough, the yellow fever epidemic of 1793, centering in Philadelphia, was a crisis of monumental proportions. … An afterword explains the yellow fever phenomenon, its causes, and contemporary outbreaks, and source notes are extensive and interesting. Pair this work with Laurie Halse Anderson's wonderful novel Fever 1793 (S & S, 2000) and you'll have students hooked on history. -- School Library Journal
Mary R. Hofmann, Rivera Middle School, Merced, CA
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Gr. 6-12. History, science, politics, and public health come together in this dramatic account of the disastrous yellow fever epidemic that hit the nation's capital more than 200 years ago. .. . ]T]he most interesting chapters discuss what is now known of the tiny fever-carrying mosquito and the problems created by over-zealous use of pesticides. Hazel Rochman Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved -- Booklist
"Murphy's dramatic history book...brings to life the determination and perseverance of a people whose future was uncertain." CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR -- Review
"A mesmerizing, macabre account...powerful evocative prose... compelling subject matter...fascinating discussion...valuable lesson in reading and writing history. Stellar." KIRKUS REVIEWS, STARRED REVIEW
"Leisurely, lyrical tone...Murphy injects the events with immediacy...archival photographs...bring the story to life...comprehensive history." PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY
"laudable insight...Readers view the panic from several vantage points...allows his audience to share the contemporary complexity...truly absorbing" THE BULLETIN OF THE CENTER FOR CHILDREN'S BOOKS, STARRED REVIEW
"solid research and a flair for weaving facts into fascinating stories...extensive and interesting...you'll have students hooked on history." SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL, STARRED REVIEW
"diverse voices...representative images...Everywhere, Murphy is attentive to telling detail...Thoroughly documented...the work is both rigorous and inviting." THE HORN BOOK MAGAZINE
"Nobody does juvenile nonfiction better than Murphy...transparently clear and well-paced prose...grueseome medical details...also plenty of serious history" --The Washington Post
"superbly written...represents nonfiction at its best...extremely accessible and readable...captivating...an outstanding annotated bibliography...an excellent choice" VOICE OF YOUTH ADVOCATES (VOYA) VOYA (Voice of Youth Advocates)
"Lavishly illustrated . . . Murphy unflinchingly presents the horrors. . . . he has produced another book that can make history come alive. . . ."--NY TIMES BOOK REVIEW The New York Times Book Review
CONNECTIONS
*Gather and display for further reading other books on epidemics, diseases, and/or yellow fever
*After further reading, students can make up “Did you know?” mobiles or posters with facts they discovered during their research
*Coordinate with a science class or county extension agent to discuss mosquitoes and their breeding grounds. See if you can identify the kinds in your area and determine the kinds of diseases they may carry.
*Borrow a microscope and allow students to see more closely pond water, mosquito larvae, or other gross materials
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Book Reviews Module 3 -- Poetry -- J. Patrick Lewis -- DOODLE DANDIES
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Lewis, J. Patrick. 1998. DOODLE DANDIES: POEMS THAT TAKE SHAPE. Images by Lisa Desimini. NY: Atheneum. ISBN 0-689-81075-X.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
In a mix of traditional concrete and closely illustrated poetry, Lewis and Desimini pair up for a delightful collection of poems for young children. Some poems are almost riddles and depend upon the illustrations for their full meaning, and some illustrations simply add to the experience. The same is true of the concrete poems -- some take the form of riddles and depend on the title, which is not always at the top of the page, to fully reveal the topic of the verse.
As with most poems, a second or even third reading reveals subtle meanings. For example, “The Turtle is a giant hurdle” is one poem in its entirety. Only the most observant reader may see the tiny ant on the turtle’s back and the slightly larger font used for the last three syllables, “-ant hurdle.”
Some of the poems are mediocre, at best, and without the clever illustrations would be just lame. For example, the only redeeming quality of “Lashondra Scores” is that it contains plenty of “O’s” which are substituted with basketballs. As the lines arch up and over the page, the balls leap from Lashondra’s hand through the hoop.
REVIEW EXCERPTS
Publishers Weekly Starred review
“The interplay between words and pictures effectively conjures images from seasons, to sports, to the jungle. From endpaper to doodled endpaper, this mix of clever language and visual delights makes a dandy treat for all ages." Ages 3-8.
School Library Journal“Doodle Dandies captures the joy that wordplay can bring. It deserves a place on every library shelf.”
CONNECTIONS
*A suggestion by J. Patrick Lewis: Have students use stencils or clip art to put various shapes of animals/ objects on paper. What words do these images inspire? From http://www.readingrecovery.org/pdf/conferences/NC06/Handouts/Lewis.pdf
*Have students choose their favorite poems to practice and read aloud to the class.
Lewis, J. Patrick. 1998. DOODLE DANDIES: POEMS THAT TAKE SHAPE. Images by Lisa Desimini. NY: Atheneum. ISBN 0-689-81075-X.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
In a mix of traditional concrete and closely illustrated poetry, Lewis and Desimini pair up for a delightful collection of poems for young children. Some poems are almost riddles and depend upon the illustrations for their full meaning, and some illustrations simply add to the experience. The same is true of the concrete poems -- some take the form of riddles and depend on the title, which is not always at the top of the page, to fully reveal the topic of the verse.
As with most poems, a second or even third reading reveals subtle meanings. For example, “The Turtle is a giant hurdle” is one poem in its entirety. Only the most observant reader may see the tiny ant on the turtle’s back and the slightly larger font used for the last three syllables, “-ant hurdle.”
Some of the poems are mediocre, at best, and without the clever illustrations would be just lame. For example, the only redeeming quality of “Lashondra Scores” is that it contains plenty of “O’s” which are substituted with basketballs. As the lines arch up and over the page, the balls leap from Lashondra’s hand through the hoop.
REVIEW EXCERPTS
Publishers Weekly Starred review
“The interplay between words and pictures effectively conjures images from seasons, to sports, to the jungle. From endpaper to doodled endpaper, this mix of clever language and visual delights makes a dandy treat for all ages." Ages 3-8.
School Library Journal“Doodle Dandies captures the joy that wordplay can bring. It deserves a place on every library shelf.”
CONNECTIONS
*A suggestion by J. Patrick Lewis: Have students use stencils or clip art to put various shapes of animals/ objects on paper. What words do these images inspire? From http://www.readingrecovery.org/pdf/conferences/NC06/Handouts/Lewis.pdf
*Have students choose their favorite poems to practice and read aloud to the class.
Book Reviews Module 3 --Poetry-- Karen Hesse's OUT OF THE DUST
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Hesse, Karen. 1997. OUT OF THE DUST. NY: Scholastic.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Karen Hesse uses poetry to write a novel, mimicking the scarcity of water and hope with her sparse words. Each poem can stand alone, but taken together weave a story fraught with the spiking emotions of a young teen most of the audience can relate to even across the decades since the Great Depression.
Because the poems are short, reluctant readers should feel little or no threat at the thought of reading the novel. The characters and plot are revealed slowly, and readers are given the burden (or freedom) of grasping as much or as little as they can handle. For example, in “Outlined in Dust” Billie Jo is imagining what it must be like for her father to live without her mother when she says, “Now he smells of dust and coffee, tobacco and cows. None of the musky woman smell left that was Ma.” Through the imagery of these lines, the reader can sense how much they both miss Ma.
Hesse successfully uses figurative language throughout the novel, like in the poem “Hope” she is describing the rain that finally comes to Oklahoma, “steady as a good friend who walks beside you, not getting in your way, staying with you through a hard time.” Such uses of personification, simile, and metaphor can be isolated for demonstration purposes in the classroom or simply enjoyed in its own context.
REVIEW EXCERPTS
Publisher’s Weekly starred review
Hesse’s sparse prose adroitly traces Billie Jo’s journey in and out of darkness…With each meticulously arranged entry she paints a vivid picture of Billie Jo’s emotions, ranging from desolation…to longing…to hope.
School Library Journal starred review
Booklist starred review
Kirkus Reviews
Hesse presents a hale and determined heroine who confronts unrelenting misery and begins to transcend it. The poem/novel ends with only a trace of hope; there are o pat endings, but a glimpse of beauty wrought from brutal reality.
CONNECTIONS
*Choose excerpts to prepare and demonstrate for UIL Poetry and Prose competition
*Have students take a chapter or selection from a novel and have them reduce it to poetry by eliminating any extra verbiage until only the bare story is left.
*Use one or more poems, if not the whole book, to introduce or conclude a study of the Great Depression in Social Studies
Hesse, Karen. 1997. OUT OF THE DUST. NY: Scholastic.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Karen Hesse uses poetry to write a novel, mimicking the scarcity of water and hope with her sparse words. Each poem can stand alone, but taken together weave a story fraught with the spiking emotions of a young teen most of the audience can relate to even across the decades since the Great Depression.
Because the poems are short, reluctant readers should feel little or no threat at the thought of reading the novel. The characters and plot are revealed slowly, and readers are given the burden (or freedom) of grasping as much or as little as they can handle. For example, in “Outlined in Dust” Billie Jo is imagining what it must be like for her father to live without her mother when she says, “Now he smells of dust and coffee, tobacco and cows. None of the musky woman smell left that was Ma.” Through the imagery of these lines, the reader can sense how much they both miss Ma.
Hesse successfully uses figurative language throughout the novel, like in the poem “Hope” she is describing the rain that finally comes to Oklahoma, “steady as a good friend who walks beside you, not getting in your way, staying with you through a hard time.” Such uses of personification, simile, and metaphor can be isolated for demonstration purposes in the classroom or simply enjoyed in its own context.
REVIEW EXCERPTS
Publisher’s Weekly starred review
Hesse’s sparse prose adroitly traces Billie Jo’s journey in and out of darkness…With each meticulously arranged entry she paints a vivid picture of Billie Jo’s emotions, ranging from desolation…to longing…to hope.
School Library Journal starred review
Booklist starred review
Kirkus Reviews
Hesse presents a hale and determined heroine who confronts unrelenting misery and begins to transcend it. The poem/novel ends with only a trace of hope; there are o pat endings, but a glimpse of beauty wrought from brutal reality.
CONNECTIONS
*Choose excerpts to prepare and demonstrate for UIL Poetry and Prose competition
*Have students take a chapter or selection from a novel and have them reduce it to poetry by eliminating any extra verbiage until only the bare story is left.
*Use one or more poems, if not the whole book, to introduce or conclude a study of the Great Depression in Social Studies
Book Reviews for Module 3 -- Nikki Grimes -- A DIME A DOZEN
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Grimes, Nikki. 1998. A DIME A DOZEN. Pictures by Angelo. NY: Dial Books for Young Readers. ISBN 0-8037-2227-3.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Grimes introduces her poetry collection A DIME A DOZEN with a short inspirational narrative entitled, “Where do writers come from?” She says that her mother discouraged her from becoming a writer, telling her that they are “a dime a dozen,” and the people in her neighborhood didn’t think writers came “from ‘round (t)here.” Despite the discouraging remarks, Grimes encourages kids to follow their hearts in choosing their life’s work.
The poems she includes in the book seem very auto-biographical, with “Stroll” echoing her introduction with the following lines:
But
I set my own pace
‘cause Spirit says
I’m heading places
that aren’t marked
on my mother’s
map.
Later in the collection, other poems also seem to follow her own life, from a little girl’s adoration of her mother and father, to sister rivalries, to appreciation of family. The only poem that did not seem to fit was “Foster Home.” It seemed an aberration in the otherwise natural flow of growth. Of course it is possible that Grimes spent time in a foster home, but there was no other reference in the collection that would lead the reader to believe so.
Each of Grimes’s poems has a unique style. Some are a mere four lines of free verse, and others are lengthier and surprisingly end with a quatrain of AABB rhyme. Still another consists of triplets with each third line rhyming. The unexpected rhymes catch the reader by surprise, as in the case of “Music Lesson.” The irregular meter and rhyme slip into and then out of ABCB rhyming quatrains to end with an AB couplet.
Throughout the collection, Grimes masterfully uses the exact poetic devices needed to convey with perfect clarity the tone for a particular poem. Her somewhat defiant, “I set my own pace” in “Stroll” contrasts perfectly with the longing she feels in “Mother’s Best Friend.” (How could this be the person who hides inside my mother’s skin? Maybe next time Ruby comes she will leave this laughing mom behind a little longer for me.) The short terse line of “Untitled” perfectly expresses the loss of any flowery feeling when a child tells of her parents’ divorce. Simply put, Nikki Grimes is a master.
Angelo’s pictures actually seem to be pencil or charcoal portraits of the subjects in the poems. They are realistic and quite detailed. Not every poem is illustrated, and one wonders if he worked from old photographs or from the author’s descriptions. The illustrations do add to the text.
REVIEW EXCERPTS
VOYA
Through twenty-eight slice-of-life poems, Grimes tells a semi-autobiographical coming-of-age story that comes alive with stunning black-and-white drawings by Angelo.
School Library Journal
A quietly profound, heartfelt work.-
CONNECTIONS
*Use the collection or selected poems like “Untitled” to lead into a class reading of The Divorce Express by Paula Danziger
*Print selected poems from each section on a different sheet of paper and have children put them into chronological order based on the events in the poems.
Grimes, Nikki. 1998. A DIME A DOZEN. Pictures by Angelo. NY: Dial Books for Young Readers. ISBN 0-8037-2227-3.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Grimes introduces her poetry collection A DIME A DOZEN with a short inspirational narrative entitled, “Where do writers come from?” She says that her mother discouraged her from becoming a writer, telling her that they are “a dime a dozen,” and the people in her neighborhood didn’t think writers came “from ‘round (t)here.” Despite the discouraging remarks, Grimes encourages kids to follow their hearts in choosing their life’s work.
The poems she includes in the book seem very auto-biographical, with “Stroll” echoing her introduction with the following lines:
But
I set my own pace
‘cause Spirit says
I’m heading places
that aren’t marked
on my mother’s
map.
Later in the collection, other poems also seem to follow her own life, from a little girl’s adoration of her mother and father, to sister rivalries, to appreciation of family. The only poem that did not seem to fit was “Foster Home.” It seemed an aberration in the otherwise natural flow of growth. Of course it is possible that Grimes spent time in a foster home, but there was no other reference in the collection that would lead the reader to believe so.
Each of Grimes’s poems has a unique style. Some are a mere four lines of free verse, and others are lengthier and surprisingly end with a quatrain of AABB rhyme. Still another consists of triplets with each third line rhyming. The unexpected rhymes catch the reader by surprise, as in the case of “Music Lesson.” The irregular meter and rhyme slip into and then out of ABCB rhyming quatrains to end with an AB couplet.
Throughout the collection, Grimes masterfully uses the exact poetic devices needed to convey with perfect clarity the tone for a particular poem. Her somewhat defiant, “I set my own pace” in “Stroll” contrasts perfectly with the longing she feels in “Mother’s Best Friend.” (How could this be the person who hides inside my mother’s skin? Maybe next time Ruby comes she will leave this laughing mom behind a little longer for me.) The short terse line of “Untitled” perfectly expresses the loss of any flowery feeling when a child tells of her parents’ divorce. Simply put, Nikki Grimes is a master.
Angelo’s pictures actually seem to be pencil or charcoal portraits of the subjects in the poems. They are realistic and quite detailed. Not every poem is illustrated, and one wonders if he worked from old photographs or from the author’s descriptions. The illustrations do add to the text.
REVIEW EXCERPTS
VOYA
Through twenty-eight slice-of-life poems, Grimes tells a semi-autobiographical coming-of-age story that comes alive with stunning black-and-white drawings by Angelo.
School Library Journal
A quietly profound, heartfelt work.-
CONNECTIONS
*Use the collection or selected poems like “Untitled” to lead into a class reading of The Divorce Express by Paula Danziger
*Print selected poems from each section on a different sheet of paper and have children put them into chronological order based on the events in the poems.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Porch Lies: Tales of slicksters, tricksters, and other wily characters --Book Review -- Module 2 -- Traditional Literature
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
McKissack, Patricia C. 2006. PORCH LIES: TALES OF SLICKSTERS, TRICKSTERS, AND OTHER WILY CHARACTERS. Ill. by Andre’ Carrilho. New York: Schwartz & Wade Books. ISBN 978-0-375-93619-7
2. PLOT SUMMARY
In the lengthy introduction, McKissack explains that she grew spending summers at her grandparents’ house in Nashville, Tennessee, listening to adults tell what she calls “porch lies.” Modern librarians may call the lies “folk tales.” McKissack says she attempts to capture the feel of those summer nights with her stories, and in many instances this writer forgets that McKissack warned the reader that the stories included in this volume are completely fiction. She introduces each story with a realistic character sketch of the person supposedly telling the story, and each one is completely believable.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
McKissack’s stories are not typical folk tales, in that her characters are not necessarily archetypal or symbolic. Instead, they seem realistic, even if their exploits are somewhat farfetched. Her style is completely natural, with some word spelled phonetically so that reading the stories aloud would sound completely natural to the setting of a Black neighborhood during and just after the Great Depression. With each story, the reader is exposed to more cultural markers. For example, in the story “Change” the character Sam Perkins says, “One day around noon-thirty….” And later Perkins describes the lunch they had -- “two meat loaf sandwiches and two soda pops down at Sadie’s Place.” Unless one grew up in the South, noon-thirty, dark-thirty, or dawn-thirty would have little meaning. The language McKissack uses also includes cultural clues to living in the South. She spells work phonetically so that the reader truly knows how the characters spoke, with “aine, whilst, yo’, and mighta.” Such spelling begs to be read aloud with a strong southern drawl.
Andre’ Carrilho’s illustrations are a perfect match with the tales of ghosties and devils. A cartoonist and caricaturist, as well as illustrator, the characters take on bigger-than-life presence with elongated hands reaching toward or large toothy smiles grimacing at the reader. Each adds dimension and meaning to the stories.
4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
From School Library Journal --Carrilhos eerie black-and-white illustrations, dramatically off-balance, lit by moonlight, and elongated like nightmares, are well-matched with the stories. … 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* … uproarious collection draw on African American oral tradition and blend history and legend with sly humor, creepy horror, villainous characters, and wild farce. Without using dialect, her intimate folk idiom celebrates the storytelling among friends, neighbors, and family as much as the stories themselves. … 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 RochmanCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
5. CONNECTIONS
*Collect local folklore and create a community collection.
*Visit Story Corps (http://www.storycorps.net/) Have children record their families’ stories.
*Have children read other tales by McKissack.
*Locate and have available other African American folktales.
*Have children define “slickster, trickster, and wily characters” and have them write a tale of their own.
McKissack, Patricia C. 2006. PORCH LIES: TALES OF SLICKSTERS, TRICKSTERS, AND OTHER WILY CHARACTERS. Ill. by Andre’ Carrilho. New York: Schwartz & Wade Books. ISBN 978-0-375-93619-7
2. PLOT SUMMARY
In the lengthy introduction, McKissack explains that she grew spending summers at her grandparents’ house in Nashville, Tennessee, listening to adults tell what she calls “porch lies.” Modern librarians may call the lies “folk tales.” McKissack says she attempts to capture the feel of those summer nights with her stories, and in many instances this writer forgets that McKissack warned the reader that the stories included in this volume are completely fiction. She introduces each story with a realistic character sketch of the person supposedly telling the story, and each one is completely believable.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
McKissack’s stories are not typical folk tales, in that her characters are not necessarily archetypal or symbolic. Instead, they seem realistic, even if their exploits are somewhat farfetched. Her style is completely natural, with some word spelled phonetically so that reading the stories aloud would sound completely natural to the setting of a Black neighborhood during and just after the Great Depression. With each story, the reader is exposed to more cultural markers. For example, in the story “Change” the character Sam Perkins says, “One day around noon-thirty….” And later Perkins describes the lunch they had -- “two meat loaf sandwiches and two soda pops down at Sadie’s Place.” Unless one grew up in the South, noon-thirty, dark-thirty, or dawn-thirty would have little meaning. The language McKissack uses also includes cultural clues to living in the South. She spells work phonetically so that the reader truly knows how the characters spoke, with “aine, whilst, yo’, and mighta.” Such spelling begs to be read aloud with a strong southern drawl.
Andre’ Carrilho’s illustrations are a perfect match with the tales of ghosties and devils. A cartoonist and caricaturist, as well as illustrator, the characters take on bigger-than-life presence with elongated hands reaching toward or large toothy smiles grimacing at the reader. Each adds dimension and meaning to the stories.
4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
From School Library Journal --Carrilhos eerie black-and-white illustrations, dramatically off-balance, lit by moonlight, and elongated like nightmares, are well-matched with the stories. … 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* … uproarious collection draw on African American oral tradition and blend history and legend with sly humor, creepy horror, villainous characters, and wild farce. Without using dialect, her intimate folk idiom celebrates the storytelling among friends, neighbors, and family as much as the stories themselves. … 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 RochmanCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
5. CONNECTIONS
*Collect local folklore and create a community collection.
*Visit Story Corps (http://www.storycorps.net/) Have children record their families’ stories.
*Have children read other tales by McKissack.
*Locate and have available other African American folktales.
*Have children define “slickster, trickster, and wily characters” and have them write a tale of their own.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
ASHPET: AN APPALACHIAN TALE -- Book Review for Module 2
1. BIBLIOGRAPHYASHPET: AN APPALACHIAN TALE. 1994. Retold by Joanne Compton. Ill. by Kenn Compton. New York: Holiday House. ISBN 0-8234-1106-0.
2. PLOT SUMMARY
A variant of the classic Cinderella fairy tale, ASHPET is a poor servant girl who ends up with the Appalachian version of a prince -- the doctor's son.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
A true Cinderella variant, Compton retells the Appalachian Tale of a young servant girl mistreated by a wicked Widow woman and her two lazy daughters. The daughters are, of course, also ugly; Ashpet is, of course, .....not as bad. With little description, Compton manages to set up the archetypes of good and evil. Other Appalachian touches, like Aspet’s chores of “bustin’ wood” and “washin’ up,” keep the age-old story fresh; however, the handsome man, the lost shoe, and the fairy tale ending make it classic.
Kenn Compton’s illustrations are simple, but quite funny. Characters are barefoot throughout most of the book, and one crow manages to make it into almost every illustration. Amazingly, Compton’s version of Cinderella isn’t the raging beauty of the tales of old. She is almost as ugly as the widow’s daughters. She is, though, an admirable character -- charming, kind, diligent, obedient, and clever.
4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
From Publishers Weekly
In this capably handled hillbilly version of Cinderella , with elements borrowed from the Grimm Brothers' "Aschenputtel," a servant girl charms a doctor's son. … Ashpet's kind-heartedness never flags, and her generosity toward their "peculiar" neighbor, Granny, pays off. When the Hoopers go off to an important church meeting, Granny magically cleans the house and provides Ashpet with a pretty red calico dress and red shoes. The rest is fairy-tale history. … Kenn Compton opts for an artistic approach that's both subtler and more effective than that of the couple's debut, Granny Greenteeth and the Noise in the Night ; gangly Ashpet and her beau are goofy but not overbearingly so, and shucks, they're kinda cute. Ages 4-8. Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Grade 1-3-As they did with Jack the Giant Chaser (Holiday, 1993), the Comptons have provided a cheerful Appalachian retelling of a classic tale. … Young readers may also note that, unlike some of the more passive Cinderellas, Ashpet earns her right to attend the church meeting by her kindness to the old granny and shows some ingenuity when she deliberately loses her shoe. Kenn Compton's humorous watercolor cartoons capture the action and feature wild facial expressions. Ashpet is depicted as being almost as homely as the widow's daughters. Barbara Chatton, College of Education, University of Wyoming, LaramieCopyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
5. CONNECTIONS
*As suggested in School Library Journal, “Readers will enjoy comparing this to versions of the tale by the Grimms and Perrault, as well as to Louie Ai-Ling's Yeh-Shen (1990), based on the ancient Chinese variant mentioned in the author's note and to other American regional variants such as Rafe Martin's The Rough-Face Girl (1992, both Putnam).”
*Chart, as a group, the basic plot elements of a Cinderella tale and have children then write their own version.
THE GIRL WHO LOVED WILD HORSES --- Book Review for module 2
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Goble, Paul. 1978. THE GIRL WHO LOVED WILD HORSES. NY: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-02-736570-0.
PLOT SUMMARY
A Native American girl truly loves horses, gets to live with them, and finally becomes one. She also loves her people. This is a story of becoming who you are meant to be while loving the family you are born to.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Paul Goble managed to capture the simplicity and complexity of the Native American way of life with his retelling of the folktale THE GIRL WHO LOVED WILD HORSES. The art is reminiscent of ancient Native American drawings and perfectly matches the cultural feel of the tale. The storm scene with angry black clouds even looks like an angry stallion with flashing eyes and a thrashing mane.
The spotted stallion took the girl as one of his herd and they were very happy, even though the girl missed her human family. The entire village knew of the girl's love for horses and accepted the special affinity she had for them, but they were still surprised when she decided to go live with the spotted stallion forever. She had to explain to them, "They are my relatives. If you let me go back to them I shall be happy for evermore."
The simple tale is quite full of symbolism. The love we must feel for nature, with her love of the horses. The pain parents feel when a child makes her own decisions, leaving their home to make one of her own with the partner of her choosing. The joy she can bring to them as an adult, yearly bringing them a spotted colt or a grandchild.
REVIEW EXCERPTS
*Winner of the Caldecott Medal, 1979
*ALA Notable Children's Book
*NCSS/CBC Notable Children's Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies
*Children's Literature --In this Caldecott Medal book, Goble tells the story of how a girl so loved horses that, according to this Native American legend, she eventually became one. Beautiful, bright color illustrations on every spread expand upon the spare, but effective text. A true delight for those who love folklore and horses. The text closes with two Native American songs celebrating horses.
CONNECTIONS
*Before Reading The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses
Remind the children that Native Americans value having a very close relationship with nature. From the title of the book, can the children guess what aspect of nature this Native American story is about? Ask the class to tell how many of them have ever had the chance to ride a horse or to get close to a horse. What were their reactions to their experiences? (http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/collateral.jsp?id=389_type=Book_typeId=59)
*After Reading The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses
Have the class leaf through the book's illustrations to find symbols that they readily associate with Native Americans (e.g., arrows, feathers as hair ornaments, tipis, men with long, braided hair, etc.). What new information did the class learn about Native Americans from reading this book? (http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/collateral.jsp?id=389_type=Book_typeId=59)
*Tie in with a science lesson on horses
*Read in a series with Goble's other Native American tales -- BUFFALO WOMAN (ISBN 9780689711091), THE GIFT OF THE SACRED DOG (ISBN 9780020432807), or STAR BOY (isbn 978-0689714993) to discover commonalities in Native American folk tales.
Goble, Paul. 1978. THE GIRL WHO LOVED WILD HORSES. NY: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-02-736570-0.
PLOT SUMMARY
A Native American girl truly loves horses, gets to live with them, and finally becomes one. She also loves her people. This is a story of becoming who you are meant to be while loving the family you are born to.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Paul Goble managed to capture the simplicity and complexity of the Native American way of life with his retelling of the folktale THE GIRL WHO LOVED WILD HORSES. The art is reminiscent of ancient Native American drawings and perfectly matches the cultural feel of the tale. The storm scene with angry black clouds even looks like an angry stallion with flashing eyes and a thrashing mane.
The spotted stallion took the girl as one of his herd and they were very happy, even though the girl missed her human family. The entire village knew of the girl's love for horses and accepted the special affinity she had for them, but they were still surprised when she decided to go live with the spotted stallion forever. She had to explain to them, "They are my relatives. If you let me go back to them I shall be happy for evermore."
The simple tale is quite full of symbolism. The love we must feel for nature, with her love of the horses. The pain parents feel when a child makes her own decisions, leaving their home to make one of her own with the partner of her choosing. The joy she can bring to them as an adult, yearly bringing them a spotted colt or a grandchild.
REVIEW EXCERPTS
*Winner of the Caldecott Medal, 1979
*ALA Notable Children's Book
*NCSS/CBC Notable Children's Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies
*Children's Literature --In this Caldecott Medal book, Goble tells the story of how a girl so loved horses that, according to this Native American legend, she eventually became one. Beautiful, bright color illustrations on every spread expand upon the spare, but effective text. A true delight for those who love folklore and horses. The text closes with two Native American songs celebrating horses.
CONNECTIONS
*Before Reading The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses
Remind the children that Native Americans value having a very close relationship with nature. From the title of the book, can the children guess what aspect of nature this Native American story is about? Ask the class to tell how many of them have ever had the chance to ride a horse or to get close to a horse. What were their reactions to their experiences? (http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/collateral.jsp?id=389_type=Book_typeId=59)
*After Reading The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses
Have the class leaf through the book's illustrations to find symbols that they readily associate with Native Americans (e.g., arrows, feathers as hair ornaments, tipis, men with long, braided hair, etc.). What new information did the class learn about Native Americans from reading this book? (http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/collateral.jsp?id=389_type=Book_typeId=59)
*Tie in with a science lesson on horses
*Read in a series with Goble's other Native American tales -- BUFFALO WOMAN (ISBN 9780689711091), THE GIFT OF THE SACRED DOG (ISBN 9780020432807), or STAR BOY (isbn 978-0689714993) to discover commonalities in Native American folk tales.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Book Review for Vardell 5603 -- Talking with Artists
1. Bibliography
TALKING WITH ARTISTS: CONVERSATIONS WITH VICTORIA CHESS, PAT CUMMINGS, LEO AND DIANE DILLON, RICHARD EGIELSKI, LOIS EHLERT, LISA CAMPBELL ERNST, TOM FEELINGS, STEVEN KELLOGG, JERRY PINKNEY, AMY SCHWARTZ, LANE SMITH, CHRIS VAN ALLSBURG, AND DAVID WIESNER. 1992. Compiled and edited by Pat Cummings. NY: Macmillan. ISBN 0-02-724245-5.
2. Plot Summary
Cummings collected written responses from 14 successful children's book illustrators. Each illustrator had a two-page spread called "My story" and then each answered eight questions regarding work habits, inspiration, and how they got their big break. Each illustrator also included an early picture and at least one example of their published work.
3. Critical Analysis
Each illustrator had the opportunity in the "My story" section to become a real person to children, often telling of childhood art projects, first pictures, or early disappointments. Children can identify with the narrative style of the biographical sketches, which each included at least one surprising fact about the illustrator. The illustrators also introduced technical terms to the children in easy-to-understand language, explaining terms like painterly, charcoal, pen and ink, and agent. Each illustrator answered the same eight questions:
TALKING WITH ARTISTS: CONVERSATIONS WITH VICTORIA CHESS, PAT CUMMINGS, LEO AND DIANE DILLON, RICHARD EGIELSKI, LOIS EHLERT, LISA CAMPBELL ERNST, TOM FEELINGS, STEVEN KELLOGG, JERRY PINKNEY, AMY SCHWARTZ, LANE SMITH, CHRIS VAN ALLSBURG, AND DAVID WIESNER. 1992. Compiled and edited by Pat Cummings. NY: Macmillan. ISBN 0-02-724245-5.
2. Plot Summary
Cummings collected written responses from 14 successful children's book illustrators. Each illustrator had a two-page spread called "My story" and then each answered eight questions regarding work habits, inspiration, and how they got their big break. Each illustrator also included an early picture and at least one example of their published work.
3. Critical Analysis
Each illustrator had the opportunity in the "My story" section to become a real person to children, often telling of childhood art projects, first pictures, or early disappointments. Children can identify with the narrative style of the biographical sketches, which each included at least one surprising fact about the illustrator. The illustrators also introduced technical terms to the children in easy-to-understand language, explaining terms like painterly, charcoal, pen and ink, and agent. Each illustrator answered the same eight questions:
- Where do you get your ideas from?
- What is a normal day like for you?
- Where do you work?
- Do you have any children? Pets?
- What do you enjoy drawing the most?
- Do you ever put people you know in your pictures?
- What do you use to make your pictures?
- How did you get to do your first book?
After reading all fourteen mini biographies of the children's book authors, children should have an understanding of what is involved in illustrating a children's book. If they are interested in art, the book also serves as a wonderful inspiration to pursue art as a career.
4. Review excerpts
Boston Globe -- Horn Book Award (Non-Fiction, 1992)
Horn Book Fanfare Best Book (1993)
School Library Journal -- "Young artists will learn a lot; teachers and other children will also love it. Well designed and well conceived, this book will be welcomed in all those classrooms in which children's literature has become central to the curriculum."
Publisher's Weekly -- "Unfortunately, the often poignant reminiscences and outstanding talent on display cannot overcome the book's unimaginative layout and distractingly pragmatic text."
5. Connections
*Great for inclusion with a unit on careers.
*As an art lesson, share one of the interviews with students and have them look at several examples of the interviewee's illustrated works. Students could discuss the similarities and differences in each book and why it was or was not effective for a particular story.
*Collect all volumes of Cummings's TALKING WITH ARTISTS and have students find the section on their favorite illustrator, read it, and report to the class.
Book Review for Vardell 5603 -- Thunder Rose
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Nolen, Jerdine. 2002. THUNDER ROSE. Ill. by Kadir Nelson. Orlando: Harcourt. ISBN 0-15-216472-3.
2. PLOT SUMMARY
Jerdine Nolen creates a tall tale of the largest ptoportions with THUNDER ROSE, who sits up on the stormy night of her birth and proclaims that she will want to do more than grow up to be good and strong, "Thank you very kindly!" From that moment, Thunder Rose proceeds to amaze her parents while providing valuable assistance in their ranching efforts -- herding cows, building fences, and saving the ranch from ruin by a stampeding herd. She also is credited with such inventions as barbed wire. The larger-than-life antics of this young girl will astonish readers.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The story is a tall tale, and as such includes subtle allusions that children may or may not understand. The tale is somehwat predictable, with Thunder Rose always conquering the stampede, the double tornadoes, or whatever she encounters, but the story is still a charming one with the main character's being a young girl.
Kadir Nelson's illustrations, on the other hand, steal the story. For not only is the main character a girl, Nelson chose to portray her as an African American girl. The pictures are oil, watercolor, and pencil works of art. Each illustration captures expression, light and shadow, and exquisite detail, even down to the look of surprise on the cow's face as Thunder Rose lifts up the cow's hindquarters to more easily reach the milk. A predictable tall tale becomes a true multicultural prize due to Nelson.
4. REVIEW EXCERPTS.
*School Library Journal -- "The oil, watercolor, and pencil artwork is outstanding. A splendid, colorful, and most welcome addition to the tall-tale genre."
*Booklist -- "A terrific read-aloud."
*Kirkus Starred Review -- "Throughout, [Thunder Rose] shows a reflective bent that give her more dimension than most tall-tale heroes: a doff of the Stetson to her and her creators."
5. CONNECTIONS
*Place with a collection of other tall tales for children including PECOS BILL, by Steven Kellogg (ISBN 0-688-05871-X), FELICIANA FEYDRA LEROUX: A CAJUN TALL TALE, by Tynia Thomassie and Cat Bowman Smith (ISBN 978-0316841252), or PAUL BUNYAN AND HIS BLUE OX, by Patricia Jensen (ISBN 978-0816731626) for a full unit on tall tales.
*Have children make up their own tall tales with themselves as the hero. They can illustrate or "hire" a friend as illustrator.
*Write, or have children write, a Reader's Theater script and take turns performing for one another or another class.
*Use the collection of tall tales to discuss fact/opinion or fiction/non-fiction.
Book Review for Vardell 5603 -- The Hello Goodbye Window
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Juster, Norton. 2005. THE HELLO, GOODBYE WINDOW. Ill. by Chris Racshka. NY: Hyperion Books for Children. ISBN 9780786809141.
2. PLOT SUMMARY
The kitchen window in Nanna and Poppy's house is special. It is called the Hello, Goodbye window. As the unnamed narrator visits with her Nanna and Poppy, we experience life through the eyes of a child. It is part magic, part real, part serious, and part not.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Juster's characters are fully realistic, and the book has a simple, easy plot line. Raschka's illustrations are very simplistic water color and look like they have been done by a child. Many may feel that the simple illustrations contribute to the overall feel of comfort and imagination, but I do not. I feel that many excellent opportunities for superior illustrations were missed with the surreal/almost abstract form of the illustrations. The one spread that was effective was the starry night. The dark sky contrasted extremely well with the lit window framing the faces of Nanna and the narrator.
In light of the many awards and starred reviews, I realize that my opinion is in the minority. I do, however, still feel that children need quality illustrations in books. If they are to be suggestive and stimulating for the imagination, they can be so without being childlike.
4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
Kirkus starred review -- “Juster adopts the voice of a child with a steady, sweet candor” -
School Library Journal starred review -- “Raschka’s visual interpretation of this sweet story sings… this is the art of a masterful hand”
Booklist starred review -- "Two well-known names come together in a book that speaks to the real lives of children.”
Publishers Weekly starred review -- "Juster crafts an endearing portrait of a grandchild and her grandparents in this endearing book illustrated in paintbox colors by Raschka. . . Grandparents will be especially charmed by this relaxed account of how a child's visit occasions everyday magic." -
The Horn Book -- “Say hello to Raschka at the top of his form.”
5. CONNECTIONS**
*Have children visualize thier own homes or their grandparents' and have them draw and color the kitchen.
*Sing "Oh, Susannah" with the children
*Have children fold a piece of drawing paper in quarters. In each quarter, they can
draw a window frame. In each frame they can draw and label one thing the little girl
saw looking in or out of the window.
**These story connections and more are available from Hyperion Books for Children teaching guide available at http://www.hyperionbooksforchildren.com/data/books/tgpdf/07868091401500.pdf
Juster, Norton. 2005. THE HELLO, GOODBYE WINDOW. Ill. by Chris Racshka. NY: Hyperion Books for Children. ISBN 9780786809141.
2. PLOT SUMMARY
The kitchen window in Nanna and Poppy's house is special. It is called the Hello, Goodbye window. As the unnamed narrator visits with her Nanna and Poppy, we experience life through the eyes of a child. It is part magic, part real, part serious, and part not.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Juster's characters are fully realistic, and the book has a simple, easy plot line. Raschka's illustrations are very simplistic water color and look like they have been done by a child. Many may feel that the simple illustrations contribute to the overall feel of comfort and imagination, but I do not. I feel that many excellent opportunities for superior illustrations were missed with the surreal/almost abstract form of the illustrations. The one spread that was effective was the starry night. The dark sky contrasted extremely well with the lit window framing the faces of Nanna and the narrator.
In light of the many awards and starred reviews, I realize that my opinion is in the minority. I do, however, still feel that children need quality illustrations in books. If they are to be suggestive and stimulating for the imagination, they can be so without being childlike.
4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
Kirkus starred review -- “Juster adopts the voice of a child with a steady, sweet candor” -
School Library Journal starred review -- “Raschka’s visual interpretation of this sweet story sings… this is the art of a masterful hand”
Booklist starred review -- "Two well-known names come together in a book that speaks to the real lives of children.”
Publishers Weekly starred review -- "Juster crafts an endearing portrait of a grandchild and her grandparents in this endearing book illustrated in paintbox colors by Raschka. . . Grandparents will be especially charmed by this relaxed account of how a child's visit occasions everyday magic." -
The Horn Book -- “Say hello to Raschka at the top of his form.”
5. CONNECTIONS**
*Have children visualize thier own homes or their grandparents' and have them draw and color the kitchen.
*Sing "Oh, Susannah" with the children
*Have children fold a piece of drawing paper in quarters. In each quarter, they can
draw a window frame. In each frame they can draw and label one thing the little girl
saw looking in or out of the window.
**These story connections and more are available from Hyperion Books for Children teaching guide available at http://www.hyperionbooksforchildren.com/data/books/tgpdf/07868091401500.pdf
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