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
Saturday, October 31, 2009
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.
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