Module 15
Olive's Ocean
Summary
Just before going on vacation, Martha receives a letter from a schoolmate named Olive. This letter was written before Olive was killed in a accident. This letter changes Martha's attitude about her life and brings a new focus while she is on vacation at her grandmother's place by the ocean. Olive had wanted to be Martha's friend and now Martha feels guilty that they were never very close. While at her grandmother's, Olive contemplates what she can do for Olive's mother and she also has decided to become a writer and this gives her some perspective on what to write about. In the meantime, she is a twelve year old girl dealing with peer pressure, parents, and siblings. She learns alot about herself during this vacation and even though she does not get to give Olive's mother the present she wanted to, she feels better because she is home.
Citation
Henkes, Kevin. (2003). Olive's Ocean. New York: Greenwillow Books.
Impressions
This was the week of censored or challenged books so I was curious as to why each was on the list. Olive's Ocean, I assume, is on the list due to the young girl dying and probably more so the occasional swear words. I enjoyed the story even though it I felt it was more of a girl book. There was pretty good insight into the world of the age group that the main characters fall in. I really liked the grandmother and how she was the old and wise, as well as, patient and understanding of the things going on around here. Her peacefulness is comforting. It would be a hard thing to deal with for a 12 year old to find out that a classmate wanted to be a friend but could never be due to their death. She is also dealing with her grandmother's frailty and realizes that the time is precious. Some may not like the language in the book but the story is a beautiful one and I liked it.
Review
Ellis, Sarah.(2003) Horn Book Magazine , Vol. 79 (6), p745-747 Retrieved from Library & Information Science Source 7 Dec. 2013.
Martha opens the door. A strange woman holding an envelope announces: "Olive Barstow was my daughter." Olive, a schoolmate that Martha had barely noticed, has recently been killed in a car accident; the envelope contains an extract from Olive's diary in which she shares her dreams, including the hope that Martha, "the nicest person in my whole entire class," would become her friend. With this original and compelling opening scene Henkes draws us into one summer in the life of a familiar, convincing, fully realized twelve-year-old girl. Olive's Ocean has all the elements of a traditional summer novel: a grandmother with a house by the sea, sandcastles, Parcheesi, a summer crush, and the idea of summer as the time between, the hinge time of growth and change. The book is a web of relationships with Martha at the center. A beloved older brother begins to pull away. Martha sees her grandmother with new eyes. Martha and her mother can't seem to stop irritating each other. The crush-object turns out to have feet of clay. In other hands this might be too much material, but Henkes has a jeweler's touch, strong and delicate. All of Henkes's strengths as a fiction writer — economy, grace, humor, respect for his characters, a dramatist's eye for gesture, and an underlying good-naturedness — are given wonderful play here. In her diary Olive reveals that she dreamed of writing a book. "Not a mystery or adventure one, but an emotional one. Maybe I can make kids change their opinions on emotion books like some authors did to me." Who were those authors, we wonder. Very likely somebody just like Kevin Henkes.
Use
This would be a good booktalk due to the issues of dealing with loss and dealing with normal feelings of a preteen.
Saturday, December 7, 2013
Module 14
Module 14
A Kick in the Head
Summary
It is a poetry book that teaches the many kinds of poetry there is by giving examples. Each type of poem is defined in small print and the example is in bigger font. It is illustrated in a somewhat abstract way but colorful.
Citation
Janeczko, Paul B. (2005). A Kick in the Head: An Everyday Guide to Poetic Forms. Candlewick Press: Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Impressions
This is the kind of poetry book I need. It is relatively short, informative and entertaining. For me, the illustrations were decorative but not very relevant. They did not add much to the poetry, in my opinion. I very much enjoyed seeing all of the different kinds of poems and seeing the examples. Probably some of the forms are very rarely used but the examples were good. It almost makes me think I could write some poetry.
Review
Tillotson, Laura.(2006). Book Links , Vol. 15 (3), p32-33. Retrieved from Library & Information Science Source 7 Dec. 2013.
familiar sonnet and limerick to lesserknown
forms such as the clerihew (a
poem that makes fun of a celebrity)
and the aubade (a poem that "laments
or celebrates the coming ofthe
dawn"). With poems by both classic
poets (Shakespeare and Ogden Nash)
and contemporary writers (Kristine
O'Gonnell George and many more),
each page or two pages focuses on
one form, witb Raschkas stylistic
multimedia illustrations boldly splashing
across the white backgrounds.
Comparing the constraints of
poetic forms to rules in
sports ("Imagine how muchless intriguing the game would be if
there were no foul lines"), Janeczko
provides a brief explanation of each
form on the pages where the poems
appear, in addition to "Notes on the
Forms" at the end ofthe book. Perfect
for classroom use, this terrific picture
book will help students appreciate
poetry and become better poets
Uses
With a poety unit going on in English, this book could be a great tool and example of the different types of poems. Could get more practice and put the poems up in the library.
A Kick in the Head
Summary
It is a poetry book that teaches the many kinds of poetry there is by giving examples. Each type of poem is defined in small print and the example is in bigger font. It is illustrated in a somewhat abstract way but colorful.
Citation
Janeczko, Paul B. (2005). A Kick in the Head: An Everyday Guide to Poetic Forms. Candlewick Press: Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Impressions
This is the kind of poetry book I need. It is relatively short, informative and entertaining. For me, the illustrations were decorative but not very relevant. They did not add much to the poetry, in my opinion. I very much enjoyed seeing all of the different kinds of poems and seeing the examples. Probably some of the forms are very rarely used but the examples were good. It almost makes me think I could write some poetry.
Review
Tillotson, Laura.(2006). Book Links , Vol. 15 (3), p32-33. Retrieved from Library & Information Science Source 7 Dec. 2013.
This marvelous follow-up to Janeczko and Raschka's
A Poke in the I
is an accessible look at a variety
of poetic forms, from the morefamiliar sonnet and limerick to lesserknown
forms such as the clerihew (a
poem that makes fun of a celebrity)
and the aubade (a poem that "laments
or celebrates the coming ofthe
dawn"). With poems by both classic
poets (Shakespeare and Ogden Nash)
and contemporary writers (Kristine
O'Gonnell George and many more),
each page or two pages focuses on
one form, witb Raschkas stylistic
multimedia illustrations boldly splashing
across the white backgrounds.
Comparing the constraints of
poetic forms to rules in
sports ("Imagine how muchless intriguing the game would be if
there were no foul lines"), Janeczko
provides a brief explanation of each
form on the pages where the poems
appear, in addition to "Notes on the
Forms" at the end ofthe book. Perfect
for classroom use, this terrific picture
book will help students appreciate
poetry and become better poets
Uses
With a poety unit going on in English, this book could be a great tool and example of the different types of poems. Could get more practice and put the poems up in the library.
Friday, December 6, 2013
Module 13
Module 13
Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Summary
Greg Heffley is middle schooler now. He is still little and wimpy. He decides to write down his story so that when he becomes famous, he will already have written down all of the answers to questions he may be asked. He deals with a best friend who is still immature, a little brother who can do no wrong, an older brother that enjoys making his life miserable, parents who dont seem to understand him, and middle school with all of its unique issues. All of his plans seem to backfire on him.
Citation
Kinney, Jeff. (2007). Diary of a Wimpy Kid. New York: Amulet Books.
Impressions
I actually saw the movie before I read the book so I was a little behind on the Wimpy Kid Series but I enjoyed the humor of it. The way it is written is pretty unique: as if Greg is writing it in a diary or journal. The illustrations are very simple as if a sixth grader was drawing them. I teach middle school and I can probably pick out several Gregs in the sixth grade every year. It made it that much more relevant to me. The illustrations give a good visual to the words but dont overwhelm either. My son has the books and the kids I teach still enjoy them so Kinney hit on something with this format. It is easy to read, funny, and relatable to kids. I think most late elementary and middle school student would like this book.
Review
Tillotson, Laura. (2008). Book Links. Jan2008, Vol 17 (3), p19-20. Library & Information Science Source 12 Dec. 2013.
promised Wimpy Kid books.
Uses
A journal writing activity., with illustrations like the book. It would help the English teachers out with writing and could help explain graphic novel types.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Summary
Greg Heffley is middle schooler now. He is still little and wimpy. He decides to write down his story so that when he becomes famous, he will already have written down all of the answers to questions he may be asked. He deals with a best friend who is still immature, a little brother who can do no wrong, an older brother that enjoys making his life miserable, parents who dont seem to understand him, and middle school with all of its unique issues. All of his plans seem to backfire on him.
Citation
Kinney, Jeff. (2007). Diary of a Wimpy Kid. New York: Amulet Books.
Impressions
I actually saw the movie before I read the book so I was a little behind on the Wimpy Kid Series but I enjoyed the humor of it. The way it is written is pretty unique: as if Greg is writing it in a diary or journal. The illustrations are very simple as if a sixth grader was drawing them. I teach middle school and I can probably pick out several Gregs in the sixth grade every year. It made it that much more relevant to me. The illustrations give a good visual to the words but dont overwhelm either. My son has the books and the kids I teach still enjoy them so Kinney hit on something with this format. It is easy to read, funny, and relatable to kids. I think most late elementary and middle school student would like this book.
Review
Tillotson, Laura. (2008). Book Links. Jan2008, Vol 17 (3), p19-20. Library & Information Science Source 12 Dec. 2013.
Gr. 5-8. Now on many a best-seller list, Kinney's print incarnation of the
Web-based "Diary of a Wimpy Kid"comic is a laugh-out-loud journal
kept by middle-schooler Greg Hetflcy.
(Just don't expect him to be "all 'Dear
Diary' this and 'Dear Diary' that. )
This "novel in cartoons" features a
mix of text and black-and-white spot
art, and the first-person narration is hoot, whether Greg is describing the difference hetwcen school and
TV wrestling, or the reason why
his grandma's house
wasT.P.'d. Perfect
for reluctant readers,
this is the first of five
promised Wimpy Kid books.
Uses
A journal writing activity., with illustrations like the book. It would help the English teachers out with writing and could help explain graphic novel types.
Module 12
Module 12
Phineas Gage
Summary
Phineas Gage is a foreman of a construction gang that is blasting for the railroad. In a horrible accident, a metal rod that he uses for tamping sand and black powder is shot through his cheek and out through the top of his head. He is out in the middle of nowhere and it takes a while to get to a doctor. For the first day after, he felt ok. He had a big hole in his head but he believed he would be better soon. Then, infection took over and he nearly lost his life. Luck and a good doctor help him to recover. He recovers bodily but his mind is not the same. Information about the brain is extremely limited at the time. Phineas becomes a walking test subject and will be instrumental in furthering knowlege of the brain and how it works.
Citation
Fleischman, John. (2002). Phineas Gage: A Gruesome but True Story About Brain Science. Boston: Houhgton Mifflin Company.
Impressions
It is certainly a gruesome book. I didn't like or dislike this one. It is an interesting story and one that led to many breakthroughs in brain research but I found it a little boring in places. I know it is a true story so it should not be imbellished but I thought it was a little long. If it had been a little less detailed on the doctors, it wouldn't have bogged down so much. I understand the premise of the book but, again, just didn't do alot for me.
Review
Engelfried, Steven. (2002). School Library Journal , Vol. 48 (3), p247.
Gr 5 Up --"The fascinating story of the construction foreman who survived for 10 years after a 13-pound iron rod shot through his brain. Fleischman relates Gage's "horrible accident" and the subsequent events in the present tense, giving immediacy to the text. He avoids sensationalizing by letting the events themselves carry the impact. The straightforward description of Gage calmly chatting on a porch 30 minutes after the accident, for example, comes across as horrifying and amazing. The author presents scientific background in a conversational style and jumps enthusiastically into such related topics as phrenology, 19th-century medical practices, and the history of microbiology. He shows how Gage's misfortune actually played an intriguing and important role in the development of our knowledge of the brain. The present-tense narrative may cause occasional confusion, since it spans several time periods and dates are not always immediately apparent from the text. Illustrations include historical photographs; one showing the iron bar posed dramatically next to Gage's skull is particularly impressive. Other photos and diagrams help explain the workings of the brain. The work of Gage expert Malcolm Macmillan, cited in the list of resources, seems the likely main source for the quotes and details of Gage's life, but this is not clearly spelled out in the text or appendixes. Like Penny Colman's Corpses, Coffins, and Crypts (Holt, 1997) and James M. Deem's Bodies from the Bog (Houghton, 1998), Phineas Gage brings a scientific viewpoint to a topic that will be delightfully gruesome to many readers.
Uses
I think you could get a brain model (might have to check at the high school if not at one) and discuss how right and left brain works and what happened to Phineas Gage by pointing out the part on the model. Also discuss the advancements even since the book came out.
Phineas Gage
Summary
Phineas Gage is a foreman of a construction gang that is blasting for the railroad. In a horrible accident, a metal rod that he uses for tamping sand and black powder is shot through his cheek and out through the top of his head. He is out in the middle of nowhere and it takes a while to get to a doctor. For the first day after, he felt ok. He had a big hole in his head but he believed he would be better soon. Then, infection took over and he nearly lost his life. Luck and a good doctor help him to recover. He recovers bodily but his mind is not the same. Information about the brain is extremely limited at the time. Phineas becomes a walking test subject and will be instrumental in furthering knowlege of the brain and how it works.
Citation
Fleischman, John. (2002). Phineas Gage: A Gruesome but True Story About Brain Science. Boston: Houhgton Mifflin Company.
Impressions
It is certainly a gruesome book. I didn't like or dislike this one. It is an interesting story and one that led to many breakthroughs in brain research but I found it a little boring in places. I know it is a true story so it should not be imbellished but I thought it was a little long. If it had been a little less detailed on the doctors, it wouldn't have bogged down so much. I understand the premise of the book but, again, just didn't do alot for me.
Review
Engelfried, Steven. (2002). School Library Journal , Vol. 48 (3), p247.
Gr 5 Up --"The fascinating story of the construction foreman who survived for 10 years after a 13-pound iron rod shot through his brain. Fleischman relates Gage's "horrible accident" and the subsequent events in the present tense, giving immediacy to the text. He avoids sensationalizing by letting the events themselves carry the impact. The straightforward description of Gage calmly chatting on a porch 30 minutes after the accident, for example, comes across as horrifying and amazing. The author presents scientific background in a conversational style and jumps enthusiastically into such related topics as phrenology, 19th-century medical practices, and the history of microbiology. He shows how Gage's misfortune actually played an intriguing and important role in the development of our knowledge of the brain. The present-tense narrative may cause occasional confusion, since it spans several time periods and dates are not always immediately apparent from the text. Illustrations include historical photographs; one showing the iron bar posed dramatically next to Gage's skull is particularly impressive. Other photos and diagrams help explain the workings of the brain. The work of Gage expert Malcolm Macmillan, cited in the list of resources, seems the likely main source for the quotes and details of Gage's life, but this is not clearly spelled out in the text or appendixes. Like Penny Colman's Corpses, Coffins, and Crypts (Holt, 1997) and James M. Deem's Bodies from the Bog (Houghton, 1998), Phineas Gage brings a scientific viewpoint to a topic that will be delightfully gruesome to many readers.
Uses
I think you could get a brain model (might have to check at the high school if not at one) and discuss how right and left brain works and what happened to Phineas Gage by pointing out the part on the model. Also discuss the advancements even since the book came out.
Thursday, December 5, 2013
Module 11
Module 11
Leonardo's Horse
Summary
Leonardo Da Vinci was commissioned to build a large bronze horse but never got to do it because his original model got destroyed. He was supposed to craft it for the duke of Milan and it was one of his disappointments that he never got to complete the job. 500 years later, an American pilot took up this dream and brought it to reality. It took a lot of time and money but Leonard's horse was finished.
Citation
Fritz, Jean. (2001). Leonardo's Horse. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons.
Impressions
I knew nothing of this story but it is a very interesting one. To resurrect a dream of Leonardo's after all that time is amazing and on such a big scale is even more cool. I liked this in the picture book form because I think it is a story that can be for any age. Quite a few words for a picture type book but it is definately a kids book. The art is good, visually compliments the story and the writing is simple but effective. I also thought it did a good job of advertising the foundation. Good story and a true one at that.
Review
Long, Joanna Rudge (2001). Horn Book Magazine. Vol. 77(5). p. 609.
In 1482, Leonardo da Vinci began work on a mammoth bronze horse. But though he completed a twenty-four-foot clay model, it was never cast, and the invading French destroyed it in 1499. Meanwhile, the artist's patron, the Duke of Milan, commandeered the bronze for armaments. Half a millennium later, retired pilot Charles Dent dedicated himself to re-creating Leonardo's dream, a venture eventually realized with the help of sculptor Nina Akamu. Fritz relates all this in her signature forthright style; unfortunately, her narrative, while engaging, begs several questions-notably, how much of Leonardo's original conception survived and how this twentieth-century homage was extrapolated from it. (The book does list a website that states that the completed sculpture is "faithful to Leonardo da Vinci's drawings," but there are otherwise no notes.) Nor does Fritz ever mention the original statue's role as a symbol of political power, or Leonardo's fascination with an engineering problem-casting such a massive figure-that may have been insoluble with technology available to him. Talbott's handsome illustrations are beautifully set off by the book's die-cut shape, which echoes both the dome that dominated fifteenth-century Florence and the one Dent constructed to house his project. But the art is no more forthcoming than the text. Talbott segues between Leonardo's sketches and his own impressionistic watercolors without a word of explanation. What is the reader to make of Talbott's Last Supper, in grisaille save for Leonardo himself, sitting in for Jesus as he tosses about his rejected sketches of Judas? Why is there no photograph of the finished horse? "At last Leonardo's horse was home," Fritz concludes. But what exactly makes it Leonardo's? That question is never addressed here.
Uses
Give the students a certain number or random items and tell them to create whatever they can with it. Present and then vote on best ones. Prizes to the best. This could be tied in with Leonardo the inventor.
Leonardo's Horse
Summary
Leonardo Da Vinci was commissioned to build a large bronze horse but never got to do it because his original model got destroyed. He was supposed to craft it for the duke of Milan and it was one of his disappointments that he never got to complete the job. 500 years later, an American pilot took up this dream and brought it to reality. It took a lot of time and money but Leonard's horse was finished.
Citation
Fritz, Jean. (2001). Leonardo's Horse. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons.
Impressions
I knew nothing of this story but it is a very interesting one. To resurrect a dream of Leonardo's after all that time is amazing and on such a big scale is even more cool. I liked this in the picture book form because I think it is a story that can be for any age. Quite a few words for a picture type book but it is definately a kids book. The art is good, visually compliments the story and the writing is simple but effective. I also thought it did a good job of advertising the foundation. Good story and a true one at that.
Review
Long, Joanna Rudge (2001). Horn Book Magazine. Vol. 77(5). p. 609.
In 1482, Leonardo da Vinci began work on a mammoth bronze horse. But though he completed a twenty-four-foot clay model, it was never cast, and the invading French destroyed it in 1499. Meanwhile, the artist's patron, the Duke of Milan, commandeered the bronze for armaments. Half a millennium later, retired pilot Charles Dent dedicated himself to re-creating Leonardo's dream, a venture eventually realized with the help of sculptor Nina Akamu. Fritz relates all this in her signature forthright style; unfortunately, her narrative, while engaging, begs several questions-notably, how much of Leonardo's original conception survived and how this twentieth-century homage was extrapolated from it. (The book does list a website that states that the completed sculpture is "faithful to Leonardo da Vinci's drawings," but there are otherwise no notes.) Nor does Fritz ever mention the original statue's role as a symbol of political power, or Leonardo's fascination with an engineering problem-casting such a massive figure-that may have been insoluble with technology available to him. Talbott's handsome illustrations are beautifully set off by the book's die-cut shape, which echoes both the dome that dominated fifteenth-century Florence and the one Dent constructed to house his project. But the art is no more forthcoming than the text. Talbott segues between Leonardo's sketches and his own impressionistic watercolors without a word of explanation. What is the reader to make of Talbott's Last Supper, in grisaille save for Leonardo himself, sitting in for Jesus as he tosses about his rejected sketches of Judas? Why is there no photograph of the finished horse? "At last Leonardo's horse was home," Fritz concludes. But what exactly makes it Leonardo's? That question is never addressed here.
Uses
Give the students a certain number or random items and tell them to create whatever they can with it. Present and then vote on best ones. Prizes to the best. This could be tied in with Leonardo the inventor.
Module 10
Module 10
Here Lies The Librarian
Summary
Eleanor McGrath is a 14 year old tomboy who wants to work on cars with her brother Jake more than go to school. The town librarian has passed away and the library is closed. Four college girls drive to the town to see tornado damage and decide to try to reopen the library. The girls are in Library Science courses. The town does not want a new librarian but the girls end up convincing the town and open the library again. They all get hired because they would split the salary. Meanwhile, the girls also are determined to make Eleanor a little more feminine. Eleanor becomes a little bit famous for winning a local race. Jake goes off the Indianapolis and ends up serving in the military and marrying one of the girls. Eleanor goes to high school but never stops dreaming of cars and adventure.
Citation
Peck, Richard. (2006). Here Lies the Librarian. New York: Scholastic, Inc.
Impressions
I had read The Teacher's Funeral and since this was on the list and about librarians, I thought it would be a good choice. I liked this one as well. It was not quite as funny to me as Funeral was but Peck is good a telling a story and developing characters that you can really relate to. My family owned a tire shop and I worked in it growing up. I found the parts of the story about the garage and fixing flats to be accurate and brought back some good and bad memories. I really liked the tomboy part and the battle within her to be girly or not. There was a little of drama, with some implied romance, comedic parts that kept interest. I am certainly a Peck fan.
Review
S. D. L (2006) The Horn Book Magazine 325.
first-person account (this time it’s Peewee’s), and the gentility of the librarians mixes amusingly with their practical determination. Carefully researched period details convincingly ground the novel without overwhelming the plot or characters, while an auto race provides a big, exciting climax complete with bad guys, crashes, and a rousing victory.
Uses
Hot wheels races. Get a bunch of track or even make some and race the cars. Small prizes for the winner. If you announce ahead of time, students could bring their own cars. This ties in with the car theme in the book and the race near the end.
Could also do a discussion on what a libarian does. Myths vs. reality.
Here Lies The Librarian
Summary
Eleanor McGrath is a 14 year old tomboy who wants to work on cars with her brother Jake more than go to school. The town librarian has passed away and the library is closed. Four college girls drive to the town to see tornado damage and decide to try to reopen the library. The girls are in Library Science courses. The town does not want a new librarian but the girls end up convincing the town and open the library again. They all get hired because they would split the salary. Meanwhile, the girls also are determined to make Eleanor a little more feminine. Eleanor becomes a little bit famous for winning a local race. Jake goes off the Indianapolis and ends up serving in the military and marrying one of the girls. Eleanor goes to high school but never stops dreaming of cars and adventure.
Citation
Peck, Richard. (2006). Here Lies the Librarian. New York: Scholastic, Inc.
Impressions
I had read The Teacher's Funeral and since this was on the list and about librarians, I thought it would be a good choice. I liked this one as well. It was not quite as funny to me as Funeral was but Peck is good a telling a story and developing characters that you can really relate to. My family owned a tire shop and I worked in it growing up. I found the parts of the story about the garage and fixing flats to be accurate and brought back some good and bad memories. I really liked the tomboy part and the battle within her to be girly or not. There was a little of drama, with some implied romance, comedic parts that kept interest. I am certainly a Peck fan.
Review
S. D. L (2006) The Horn Book Magazine 325.
(Intermediate, Middle School)
A tornado whirls through their 1914 Indiana
town, but young Peewee and her big brother
Jake survive intact, and so does their garage, which does a pretty good business fixing flat
tires punctured by horseshoe nails in the dirt
road. When a quartet of well-to-do young ladies studying library science visit the tiny
town to view the tornado damage, they
decide to restore the public library, deserted
since the librarian “expired,” and end up
making a big difference in the lives of Peewee
and Jake. Peck retains his knack for using
wry humor to create an authentic voice in a
first-person account (this time it’s Peewee’s), and the gentility of the librarians mixes amusingly with their practical determination. Carefully researched period details convincingly ground the novel without overwhelming the plot or characters, while an auto race provides a big, exciting climax complete with bad guys, crashes, and a rousing victory.
Uses
Hot wheels races. Get a bunch of track or even make some and race the cars. Small prizes for the winner. If you announce ahead of time, students could bring their own cars. This ties in with the car theme in the book and the race near the end.
Could also do a discussion on what a libarian does. Myths vs. reality.
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
Module 9
Module 9
The Case of the Bizarre Bouquets
Summary
Sherlock Holmes' sister Enola is hiding from her older brothers in disguise. This is not an easy thing to do when Sherlock is her brother and so good at solving mysteries. Dr. Watson comes up missing and Enola is not sure whether she wants to get involved because it may reveal her identity to her brothers. A strange bouquet of flowers gets her involved in the case. She finally determines that Watson has been put in an asylum under a false name and alerts her brothers. They do not find her but are thankful for her help.
Citation
Springer, Nancy. (2008). The Case of the Bizarre Bouquets: An Enola Holmes Mystery. New York: Philomel Books.
Impressions
Very interesting giving Sherlock Holmes a sister. I liked this more than I thought I would since Im really not a mystery person very often. Enola is a very well developed character and she is capable of doing just about anything she wants to. It was good use of the time period stereotypes of what women and men are supposed to do. The mystery itself was good because it kept you guessing until the end. I think this would interest boys and girls of about a middle school level. The character with no nose and the backstory on that was my favorite part.
Review
Uses: English class comes to library and writes about women they know that have done things that most people consider to be a man's job. Again, short written assignment to go along with the book, parameters given for number of words. They could present to the group.
The Case of the Bizarre Bouquets
Summary
Sherlock Holmes' sister Enola is hiding from her older brothers in disguise. This is not an easy thing to do when Sherlock is her brother and so good at solving mysteries. Dr. Watson comes up missing and Enola is not sure whether she wants to get involved because it may reveal her identity to her brothers. A strange bouquet of flowers gets her involved in the case. She finally determines that Watson has been put in an asylum under a false name and alerts her brothers. They do not find her but are thankful for her help.
Citation
Springer, Nancy. (2008). The Case of the Bizarre Bouquets: An Enola Holmes Mystery. New York: Philomel Books.
Impressions
Very interesting giving Sherlock Holmes a sister. I liked this more than I thought I would since Im really not a mystery person very often. Enola is a very well developed character and she is capable of doing just about anything she wants to. It was good use of the time period stereotypes of what women and men are supposed to do. The mystery itself was good because it kept you guessing until the end. I think this would interest boys and girls of about a middle school level. The character with no nose and the backstory on that was my favorite part.
Review
Slagenwhite, Laurie. (2008) School Library Journal. Vol 54(1). p.126.
Gr 5-8-It is March, 1889, in London, and Enola is still lodging in the East End and evading her brothers, Mycroft and Sherlock, so as to avoid boarding school. For six months, she has been using the alias Ivy Meshle and pursuing her "life's calling" as a Perditorian ("finder of the lost") but, afraid that she has been discovered, she must choose a new identity: Viola Everseau. Her new disguise: a beautiful woman. Her new case: finding the missing Dr. Watson. Her first act is to visit Dr. Watson's wife, and her first clue is a bizarre bouquet the frantic woman has received. Using her knowledge of the "language of flowers," Enola deduces that the bouquet suggests revenge and knows that this is a detail that her sleuthing brother will overlook. Her investigation leads her from a theatrical shop to a hothouse, from one dangerous situation to another. Enola is a delightful character, with the sharp wit one would expect from Sherlock Holmes's sister, and a wry voice that is uniquely hers. Springer's descriptions of late-19th-century England are vivid, the mystery is intriguing, and Enola's cleverness and capability will appeal to readers who like their heroines both sprightly and savvy. Move over, SherlockUses: English class comes to library and writes about women they know that have done things that most people consider to be a man's job. Again, short written assignment to go along with the book, parameters given for number of words. They could present to the group.
Module 8
Module 8
Ender's Game
Summary
A boy named Ender is bred and groomed to be the leader of a war with an alien invader race. Ender is sent to training school and advances quickly through the ranks even though he is younger than many of the other trainees and is put through severe stress and problems. Ender thinks he is playing a game when the real battle breaks out only to find out after the victory that it was real. Ender feels bad for his enemy and finds a pupa to start the species over. He spends many years going from planet to planet looking for a place to start the buggers species again.
Citation
Card, Orson Scott. (1977). Ender's Game. New York: Tom Doherty Associates, LLC.
Impressions
I did not read this book until I knew that there was a movie coming out based on it. I enjoyed the book but it was a little bit sad reading about how the powers used Ender. I felt much compassion for Ender and his friends because they were treated like objects and not humans. I liked the twist of having Ender feel empathy for his foes and want to get to know them. I think this must have been popular at the time with Star Wars being fresh and science fiction enjoying popularity. The story is timeless though and I think the audience would be any sci-fi fan.
Review
Cassada, Jackie. (1985). Library Journal Vol 110 (3). p182. Retrieved from Library & Information Science Source 4 Dec. 2013.
Chosen as a six-year-old for his potential military genius, Ender Wiggin spends his childhood in outer space at the Battle School of the Belt. Severed from his family, isolated from his peers, and rigorously tested and trained, Ender pours all his talent into the war games that will one day repel the coming alien invasion. Card's latest novel is both a gripping tale of adventure in space and a scathing indictment of the militaristic mind. Recommended for adult and YA sf collection. --JC
Uses
Video game night to go with the games that Ender played. Games would have to be age appropriate and students would get a set amount of time to play. Consoles could be borrowed.
Ender's Game
Summary
A boy named Ender is bred and groomed to be the leader of a war with an alien invader race. Ender is sent to training school and advances quickly through the ranks even though he is younger than many of the other trainees and is put through severe stress and problems. Ender thinks he is playing a game when the real battle breaks out only to find out after the victory that it was real. Ender feels bad for his enemy and finds a pupa to start the species over. He spends many years going from planet to planet looking for a place to start the buggers species again.
Citation
Card, Orson Scott. (1977). Ender's Game. New York: Tom Doherty Associates, LLC.
Impressions
I did not read this book until I knew that there was a movie coming out based on it. I enjoyed the book but it was a little bit sad reading about how the powers used Ender. I felt much compassion for Ender and his friends because they were treated like objects and not humans. I liked the twist of having Ender feel empathy for his foes and want to get to know them. I think this must have been popular at the time with Star Wars being fresh and science fiction enjoying popularity. The story is timeless though and I think the audience would be any sci-fi fan.
Review
Cassada, Jackie. (1985). Library Journal Vol 110 (3). p182. Retrieved from Library & Information Science Source 4 Dec. 2013.
Chosen as a six-year-old for his potential military genius, Ender Wiggin spends his childhood in outer space at the Battle School of the Belt. Severed from his family, isolated from his peers, and rigorously tested and trained, Ender pours all his talent into the war games that will one day repel the coming alien invasion. Card's latest novel is both a gripping tale of adventure in space and a scathing indictment of the militaristic mind. Recommended for adult and YA sf collection. --JC
Uses
Video game night to go with the games that Ender played. Games would have to be age appropriate and students would get a set amount of time to play. Consoles could be borrowed.
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
Module 7
Module 7
Harris and Me : A Summer Remembered
Summary
A boy is sent to live with his relatives on a farm. His home is not a good place so other people in his family take care of him sometimes. On the farm he meets Harris and his family. The two boys get in to lots of predicaments in an exciting summer.
Citation
Paulsen, Gary. (1993). Harris and Me: A Summer Remembered. Orlando, Florida: Harcourt, Inc. .
Impressions
This is the funniest book I have ever read. Paulsen's descriptions of the mishaps of the boys is dead on and you can really see it in your mind. I dont have a huge farm background, but I could relate to the things going on in the story. As with many of Paulsen's books, the target would seem to be males but I have found that females enjoy the story as well.
Review
Bock, Lee (1994) School Library Journal 40, 1. p132 Retrieved from Library & Information Science Source 3 Dec. 2013.
Harris and Me : A Summer Remembered
Summary
A boy is sent to live with his relatives on a farm. His home is not a good place so other people in his family take care of him sometimes. On the farm he meets Harris and his family. The two boys get in to lots of predicaments in an exciting summer.
Citation
Paulsen, Gary. (1993). Harris and Me: A Summer Remembered. Orlando, Florida: Harcourt, Inc. .
Impressions
This is the funniest book I have ever read. Paulsen's descriptions of the mishaps of the boys is dead on and you can really see it in your mind. I dont have a huge farm background, but I could relate to the things going on in the story. As with many of Paulsen's books, the target would seem to be males but I have found that females enjoy the story as well.
Review
Full Text:
A nostalgic journey through a boy's breakneck summer. Told by a narrator recalling his experiences the summer he was 11, the stories begin with his being dropped by a deputy at the farm home of a distant relative. “We heard your folks was puke drunks, is that right?” asks the beguiling and reckless nine-year-old Harris almost immediately. Of course they are, but that dismal fact of life is forgotten nearly at once as Harris leads the two of them off on one wild adventure after another. As one might suspect from Paulsen, there are no ordinary characters residing on this backwoods farm: there's Vivian, the ornery, kicking cow; 300 pound pigs who don't look kindly on wrestling matches with boys; Ernie, the attack-rooster; Louie, the hired hand with strange table manners and an artistic streak; Buzzer, his pet lynx; and Harris's older sister, Glennis, who is constantly whacking him for swearing. (At times the language does get a little salty.) The plot is a loosely constructed romp with each chapter an episode that's fast paced, highly descriptive, and funny. Using headings such as “In which war is declared and honor established,” Paulsen raises readers' expectations and sets the tone for the action to follow. Some stories push beyond believability and edge into tall-tale territory, but it doesn't matter, for this is storytelling in the tradition of Twain and Harte, memorable and humorous and very telling of human nature.
Uses
Somehow set up a small farm scene or even do something outside where the students could milk a cow or at least use a rubber glove to simulate.
Module 7
The Penderwicks on Gardam Street
Summary
The sisters are back home and trying to get back to normal. Their aunt gives their father a letter from their mother who had passed away a few years back. The letter urges the father to remarry and carry on with life. The daughter have other plans in mind and try to sabotage the plan. The father really doesnt want to do it either. There are some school project issues which the girls try to do one anothers work that backfires and a great woman moves in next door. In the end, the girls come around because the woman is the right one and they are all happy.
Citation
Birdsall, J. (2008). The Penderwicks on Gardam Street. New York: Knopf.
Impressions
I did not read the first book so I didn't have any background on it. It is a story dealing with a few normal reactions to life's twists and turns. Many kids will be able to relate to what it feels like when a new adult is introduced into a family, no matter what the circumstances are. I liked the humor of the girls trying to hatch this Save Daddy plan. Even he really didn't want to be back in the dating world. No one can replace a mother but sometimes things work out pretty good. The mixture of the drama of the co worker being stalked and the issues with the neighborhood boys makes for a relatable story that I very much enjoyed. Maybe Ill get to read the rest of the series sometime.
Review
Steele, Linda (2008). School Library Journal 54(9). p75-76. Retrieved from Library & Information Science Source. 3 Dec 2013.
Gr 4-7-- Jeanne Birdsall's second book (Knopf, 2008) about the Penderwick family is even better than her first, the National Book Award-winning The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy (Knopf, 2005). The story begins as the four daughters return home to begin a normal school year. Much to their surprise, they find that their aunt has given their father a letter from their mother who died three years ago. In the letter, she begs him to continue on with his life, date, marry, and have a happy family life. The oldest daughter, Rosalind, hatches the "Save Daddy Plan" since she is determined never to have a replacement for her late mother. Of course, plans have a way of going awry and father has a few plans of his own. In the meantime, the sisters have their own problems. What will happen to Rosalind's relationship with her neighbor Tommy? Sisters Skye and Jane have homework and school disasters, and youngest sister Batty goes on a secret spy mission. Susan Denaker's narration creates a pace that's soothing but never boring. Listeners will relate to the well-drawn, charming characters. Birdsall plans at least three more installments to this series.
Uses
I think this would be another chance at a quick writing opportunity. It would be about each of their feelings about how they would react to news of a parent dating again after losing the other parent.
Uses
Somehow set up a small farm scene or even do something outside where the students could milk a cow or at least use a rubber glove to simulate.
Module 7
The Penderwicks on Gardam Street
Summary
The sisters are back home and trying to get back to normal. Their aunt gives their father a letter from their mother who had passed away a few years back. The letter urges the father to remarry and carry on with life. The daughter have other plans in mind and try to sabotage the plan. The father really doesnt want to do it either. There are some school project issues which the girls try to do one anothers work that backfires and a great woman moves in next door. In the end, the girls come around because the woman is the right one and they are all happy.
Citation
Birdsall, J. (2008). The Penderwicks on Gardam Street. New York: Knopf.
Impressions
I did not read the first book so I didn't have any background on it. It is a story dealing with a few normal reactions to life's twists and turns. Many kids will be able to relate to what it feels like when a new adult is introduced into a family, no matter what the circumstances are. I liked the humor of the girls trying to hatch this Save Daddy plan. Even he really didn't want to be back in the dating world. No one can replace a mother but sometimes things work out pretty good. The mixture of the drama of the co worker being stalked and the issues with the neighborhood boys makes for a relatable story that I very much enjoyed. Maybe Ill get to read the rest of the series sometime.
Review
Steele, Linda (2008). School Library Journal 54(9). p75-76. Retrieved from Library & Information Science Source. 3 Dec 2013.
Gr 4-7-- Jeanne Birdsall's second book (Knopf, 2008) about the Penderwick family is even better than her first, the National Book Award-winning The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy (Knopf, 2005). The story begins as the four daughters return home to begin a normal school year. Much to their surprise, they find that their aunt has given their father a letter from their mother who died three years ago. In the letter, she begs him to continue on with his life, date, marry, and have a happy family life. The oldest daughter, Rosalind, hatches the "Save Daddy Plan" since she is determined never to have a replacement for her late mother. Of course, plans have a way of going awry and father has a few plans of his own. In the meantime, the sisters have their own problems. What will happen to Rosalind's relationship with her neighbor Tommy? Sisters Skye and Jane have homework and school disasters, and youngest sister Batty goes on a secret spy mission. Susan Denaker's narration creates a pace that's soothing but never boring. Listeners will relate to the well-drawn, charming characters. Birdsall plans at least three more installments to this series.
Uses
I think this would be another chance at a quick writing opportunity. It would be about each of their feelings about how they would react to news of a parent dating again after losing the other parent.
Monday, December 2, 2013
Module 6
Module 6
Skippyjon Jones
Summary
A young siamese kitten imagines himself to be anything but a cat. His mother does not like that he acts like many other animals and not a cat. She sends him to his room to think about it but his imagination is too great and he becomes a Chihuahua and goes on an adventure. He finds his birthday pinata but his mother can't stay mad at him.
Citation
Schachner, Judy (2003). Skippyjon Jones. New York: Scholastic, Inc.
Impressions
I really enjoyed this book. I found myself doing my best hispanic voices to say the dialog. It is a funny premise that this kitten wants to be all of these other animals. I liked the rhythm of the book and the nonsense rhyming words in Spanish. It really is a great book to read aloud. Most the children I know of that have read or had it read to them have really enjoyed it. You might not learn alot of real Spanish (thought there is some very real dialog), but it is a good time.
Review
Use
This one would have to be a storytime book. You could definately have some props like castanets to let the students know what they are. It needs to be done with a good voice for the accent of the characters.
Skippyjon Jones
Summary
A young siamese kitten imagines himself to be anything but a cat. His mother does not like that he acts like many other animals and not a cat. She sends him to his room to think about it but his imagination is too great and he becomes a Chihuahua and goes on an adventure. He finds his birthday pinata but his mother can't stay mad at him.
Citation
Schachner, Judy (2003). Skippyjon Jones. New York: Scholastic, Inc.
Impressions
I really enjoyed this book. I found myself doing my best hispanic voices to say the dialog. It is a funny premise that this kitten wants to be all of these other animals. I liked the rhythm of the book and the nonsense rhyming words in Spanish. It really is a great book to read aloud. Most the children I know of that have read or had it read to them have really enjoyed it. You might not learn alot of real Spanish (thought there is some very real dialog), but it is a good time.
Review
Constantinides, Judith. (2004) School Library Journal. Vol 50, Issue 1, p106. Retrieved from Library & Information Science Source 2 Dec. 2013.
K-Gr 3-This is a wildly wonderful book about a hyperactive kitten, Skippyjon Jones, whose head and ears are too big for his body, and whose imagination is too intense for his mama. According to her, he needs to do some serious thinking about what it means to be a Siamese cat instead of a bird (Skippyjon always wakes up and eats worms with his feathered friends). She sends him to his room, where he imagines he is a Chihuahua ("My name is Skippito Friskito./I fear not a single bandito"). Chock-full of rhyming chants and Spanish expressions, the feline's adventure as a doggy Zorro ends in chaos. His frazzled mother gives him a hug anyway and says, "Say good night, Skippyjon Jones." "Buenas noches, mis amigos," says the kitten, as he bounces on his bed all ready for another adventure. The buoyant and colorful cartoon illustrations match the exuberant text perfectly. Spanish-speaking children will be especially delighted by the words and humor; others may be a little bewildered by all of the foreign phrases and will need some explanation, but the story definitely has the potential of a fun read-aloud. A good multicultural offering.-Use
This one would have to be a storytime book. You could definately have some props like castanets to let the students know what they are. It needs to be done with a good voice for the accent of the characters.
Sunday, December 1, 2013
The Lightning Thief Book Trailer
The Lightning Thief
Picture Credits
http://booksfromtheaddict.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/lightning_thief.jpg
http://www.graphicdesigninspiration.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Hades.jpg
http://www.kotusozluk.com/img/2012/03/poseidon_1331001757.jpeg
http://timcooley.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/zeus1.jpg
http://static1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20120510105252/olympians/images/e/ee/Percy_leaving_Mount_Olympus.jpg
Song is Believe by Windsor Drive in the animoto song library.
Picture Credits
http://booksfromtheaddict.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/lightning_thief.jpg
http://www.graphicdesigninspiration.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Hades.jpg
http://www.kotusozluk.com/img/2012/03/poseidon_1331001757.jpeg
http://timcooley.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/zeus1.jpg
http://static1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20120510105252/olympians/images/e/ee/Percy_leaving_Mount_Olympus.jpg
Song is Believe by Windsor Drive in the animoto song library.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid Book Trailer
Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Picture Credits
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLoAhYJ88mSEbYBSYUePXwvoeAuVEctVUp_TwMWJBweM3e4DrIpepjNktuSPui08iz5fO0XsAZCXcgr7NDaP0JzF1dNG1etYW3M5Be3-utoWdxKhyphenhyphenPA9jllMgkcGnLW4cQ-kweWaC8DA4/s1600/Diary+of+a+Wimpy+Kid+Book+1_ABRAMS.JPG
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMb6uNtK801UcM0kt1gNlZ4zjpezRmdINFEIzUzk4UHDyLO9D3vIskwcNsvfsILPv_hOzXbDX5XugcLEqrt17QdIgPYkHMa5wTpi2bGt7X6x9G-D8Mf5EuiLlssWb_ula885E_ypj1NWY/s1600/how-to-draw-wimpy-kid.jpg
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-db9tOA6xMyo/TxYwLO_qUZI/AAAAAAAACBE/zmOd9b6LYxY/s1600/wimpy_kid_workout.jpg
http://www.mojolondon.co.uk/a/i/products/800/02934_icon.jpg
http://www.powells.com/kidsqa/kinney.html
http://lindseyh2222.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/sixth-grade.jpg
Song Credit
Fuzz by Benji Jumping on Animoto song library.
Picture Credits
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLoAhYJ88mSEbYBSYUePXwvoeAuVEctVUp_TwMWJBweM3e4DrIpepjNktuSPui08iz5fO0XsAZCXcgr7NDaP0JzF1dNG1etYW3M5Be3-utoWdxKhyphenhyphenPA9jllMgkcGnLW4cQ-kweWaC8DA4/s1600/Diary+of+a+Wimpy+Kid+Book+1_ABRAMS.JPG
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMb6uNtK801UcM0kt1gNlZ4zjpezRmdINFEIzUzk4UHDyLO9D3vIskwcNsvfsILPv_hOzXbDX5XugcLEqrt17QdIgPYkHMa5wTpi2bGt7X6x9G-D8Mf5EuiLlssWb_ula885E_ypj1NWY/s1600/how-to-draw-wimpy-kid.jpg
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-db9tOA6xMyo/TxYwLO_qUZI/AAAAAAAACBE/zmOd9b6LYxY/s1600/wimpy_kid_workout.jpg
http://www.mojolondon.co.uk/a/i/products/800/02934_icon.jpg
http://www.powells.com/kidsqa/kinney.html
http://lindseyh2222.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/sixth-grade.jpg
Song Credit
Fuzz by Benji Jumping on Animoto song library.
Harry Potter Book Trailer
Harry Potter
Picture Credits
http://iwritealot.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/harry_potter_and_the_sorcerers_stone.jpg
http://colouringbook.org/FAVS/2011/October/COLOURINGBOOK.ORG/chpeau_de_sorcier_wizard_hat-31px.png
http://simplywallpaper.net/pictures/2010/10/02/Hogwarts-Castle.jpg
http://www.geekalerts.com/harry-potter-sorcerers-stone/
Song Credit
Sneaky Freaky by Matthew Slater and Steve Fawcett on Animoto's song library.
Picture Credits
http://iwritealot.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/harry_potter_and_the_sorcerers_stone.jpg
http://colouringbook.org/FAVS/2011/October/COLOURINGBOOK.ORG/chpeau_de_sorcier_wizard_hat-31px.png
http://simplywallpaper.net/pictures/2010/10/02/Hogwarts-Castle.jpg
http://www.geekalerts.com/harry-potter-sorcerers-stone/
Song Credit
Sneaky Freaky by Matthew Slater and Steve Fawcett on Animoto's song library.
Sunday, November 17, 2013
Module 5
Module 5
Kit's Wilderness
Summary
Kit's family is back where their ancestors have been mining for years. He meets a boy named John who has a rough life. They play a game called Death and Kit sees ghosts of boys who died in the mines. John sees them too and this bonds them together. Kit is determined to save John from his alcoholic father. Kit also befriends a girl who tries to protect and warn him of danger. Kit's grandfather is dying as well but he still gives Kit some life lessons.
Bibliographic Citation
Almond, David. (1999). Kit's Wilderness. Delacorte Press: New York
Impression
This was an interesting book with alot of different plot lines in it. The mysterious ancestor ghost game is a little creepy but does keep you interested. John Askew is a pretty dark character but you can see why when you learn of his background. I thought that the bond between the two boys was done really well. I can not say this was one of my favorites but it did keep me involved enough to get though it. It was just a little too dark for me.
Review
Uses
I think this would be a good book to base an activity on embracing the differences in people and not judging by looks or even always actions. You could make a list of attributes or characteristics and get impressions on them from the students then write about a stereotype they have seen or been subject to.
Module 5
American Born Chinese
Summary
This is a graphic novel with three stories that overlap each other. One is about the Monkey King that wants to be powerful and be a god but gets punished and becomes humbled, the second is about a Chinese-American student who is in an all white school and has a crush on a girl but gets picked on by his classmates, and the third is about a popular, athletic boy who dreads the visits from his very stereotype acting Chinese cousin. All of the stories are about the problems of racism and they are all brought together at the end to illustrate how this can easily happen.
Bibliographic Citation
Yang, G. L. (2006). American Born Chinese. New York: First Second.
Impression
This was a sad but inspirational book. You can really get a sense of what the lifestyle was like at that time for a sharecropper family. The sad parts of the book like Sounder getting shot or the father and Sounder dying toward the end of the book is offset some by the boy finding strength in the journey and learning to read. This book would be better for middle and high school.
Review
Glantz, Shelley (2007)Library Media Connection; Vol. 25 Issue 4, p65-65, 1/6p Retrived from Literary Reference Center, 17 Nov 2013.
Kit's Wilderness
Summary
Kit's family is back where their ancestors have been mining for years. He meets a boy named John who has a rough life. They play a game called Death and Kit sees ghosts of boys who died in the mines. John sees them too and this bonds them together. Kit is determined to save John from his alcoholic father. Kit also befriends a girl who tries to protect and warn him of danger. Kit's grandfather is dying as well but he still gives Kit some life lessons.
Bibliographic Citation
Almond, David. (1999). Kit's Wilderness. Delacorte Press: New York
Impression
This was an interesting book with alot of different plot lines in it. The mysterious ancestor ghost game is a little creepy but does keep you interested. John Askew is a pretty dark character but you can see why when you learn of his background. I thought that the bond between the two boys was done really well. I can not say this was one of my favorites but it did keep me involved enough to get though it. It was just a little too dark for me.
Review
Almond, David (2000) Booklist starred Vol. 96, No. 9/10 p860. Retrieved from Library & Information Science Source 17 Nov. 2013.
Gr. 6-9. Almond, whose Skellig is the Booklist 1999 Top of the List winner for youth fiction, creates a heartbreakingly real world fused with magic realism in this story, set in an English coal-mining town. Thirteen-year-old Kit Watson and his family have returned to Stonygate to care for Kit's recently widowed grandfather. Almost immediately, Kit is enticed by John Askew, also of an old mining family, into a game called Death. Like the other members of Askew's gang, Kit is left alone in an abandoned mine until he sees ghosts of ancestors who died there as boys. Kit's friend Allie tells him that the other kids pretend to see these apparitions, but Kit really does see--and Askew knows it. The boys share a bond. Both are artistic: Kit is a writer; Askew is an artist. And both are sensitive enough to perceive what may not be there. But Kit comes from a strong, loving family, and Askew is the child of an ineffectual mother and a father who's a vicious drunk. Slowly, as Kit hears stories from his grandfather and writes his own, he realizes he has a mission--to save John Askew, body and soul. Almond has set an enormous task for himself. He juggles several plot elements--grandfather's fading mental capacities, Allie's acting aspirations, one of Kit's stories--along with the boys' struggle for redemption. But he succeeds beautifully, knitting dark and light together and suffusing the multilayered plot with an otherworldly glow. This is a long book, and a complex one, but Almond's language is a pleasure to read; and, as with Skellig, the story's ruminations about death and the healing power of love will strike children in unsuspected ways.Uses
I think this would be a good book to base an activity on embracing the differences in people and not judging by looks or even always actions. You could make a list of attributes or characteristics and get impressions on them from the students then write about a stereotype they have seen or been subject to.
Module 5
American Born Chinese
Summary
This is a graphic novel with three stories that overlap each other. One is about the Monkey King that wants to be powerful and be a god but gets punished and becomes humbled, the second is about a Chinese-American student who is in an all white school and has a crush on a girl but gets picked on by his classmates, and the third is about a popular, athletic boy who dreads the visits from his very stereotype acting Chinese cousin. All of the stories are about the problems of racism and they are all brought together at the end to illustrate how this can easily happen.
Bibliographic Citation
Yang, G. L. (2006). American Born Chinese. New York: First Second.
Impression
This was a sad but inspirational book. You can really get a sense of what the lifestyle was like at that time for a sharecropper family. The sad parts of the book like Sounder getting shot or the father and Sounder dying toward the end of the book is offset some by the boy finding strength in the journey and learning to read. This book would be better for middle and high school.
Review
Glantz, Shelley (2007)Library Media Connection; Vol. 25 Issue 4, p65-65, 1/6p Retrived from Literary Reference Center, 17 Nov 2013.
In this graphic novel, three humorous and seemingly unrelated stories keep the reader’s attention until they come together atthe end. The first story concerns a Chinese-American boy trying to fit in. The second is a retelling of the Chinese fable of the monkey king. Those familiar with the anime/manga
Saiyki will immediately recognize the characters of the monk, water sprite, and boar in the Journey to the West. The third story involves a Chinese cousin who visits an American boy each year. The depiction of the cousin is so painfully stereotypical that you feel guilty laughing. In each story, the central character
is unsatisfied with who he is and goes to great lengths to be someone else—with humorous results. The reader might be puzzled as to how the three stories are connected until the conclusion. It’s a nice combination of a fable and contemporary stories to convey the wonderful lesson of accepting one’s culture and identity with pride. A quick read, this title has engaging art, and at times, funny dialogue. There are some mild sexual references. One of my students, an active graphic novel reader, pronouncedit, “Really funny with good characters.”
Recommended.
Uses
This would good to use with a graphic novel display. Examples of several types could be used.
Module 4
Module 4
Number the Stars
Summary
A Jewish family is smuggled out of Denmark into Sweden. Her name is Annemarie Johansen and she and her family have had to deal with the Nazi occupation for a while. They even take in another girl and act like she is part of the family so that she will not be taken by the Nazis. This is the story of a brave girl and what she and her family go through in World War II. They do make it back home.
Bibliographic Citation
Lowry, L. (1989). Number the Stars. New York: Houghton Mifflin Co.
Impression
A little bit like the story of Anne Frank. It gives a pretty good impression of what it was like for the Jewish people during that time. I did enjoy this book because it was a little bit suspenseful and kept you wanting to find out what would happen next. I think this book would appeal to upper elementary and middle schoolers.
Review
Gepson, Lolly.(2004) Booklist Vol. 100 Issue 21, p1857-1857, 1/8p. Retieved from Library & Information Science Source 17 Nov. 2013.
Uses
This book could be used as a book for a book club discussion by a history class when discussing the Nazis and Jews. This would be done in the library...teacher or librarian can moderate.
Module 4
Holes
Summary
Stanley is a boy at a juvenille detention facility called Camp Green Lake. He got there by being convicted of stealing (which he did not do). He blames it on a curse of a great-great grandfather whose story we get here as well. Another part of the story is a tale of a woman who hid money somewhere in the Camp Green Lake area. All the detainees do is dig holes and Stanley figures out that they are looking for something. There is an escape by Stanley and a friend Zero but they return to find the money. They do find a suitcase and they get a pardon to keep it.
Review
Sutton, Roger. (1998) Horn Book Magazine Vol. 74 Issue 5, p593, 3p. Retrieved from Library & Information Science Source 17 Nov. 2013.
Number the Stars
Summary
A Jewish family is smuggled out of Denmark into Sweden. Her name is Annemarie Johansen and she and her family have had to deal with the Nazi occupation for a while. They even take in another girl and act like she is part of the family so that she will not be taken by the Nazis. This is the story of a brave girl and what she and her family go through in World War II. They do make it back home.
Bibliographic Citation
Lowry, L. (1989). Number the Stars. New York: Houghton Mifflin Co.
Impression
A little bit like the story of Anne Frank. It gives a pretty good impression of what it was like for the Jewish people during that time. I did enjoy this book because it was a little bit suspenseful and kept you wanting to find out what would happen next. I think this book would appeal to upper elementary and middle schoolers.
Review
Gepson, Lolly.(2004) Booklist Vol. 100 Issue 21, p1857-1857, 1/8p. Retieved from Library & Information Science Source 17 Nov. 2013.
Gr. 4–6. It is 1943, and 10-year-old Annemarie lives in Copenhagen under German
occupation. Her somewhat normal life is engulfed with terror when Nazis begin
rounding up Jews for relocation. When the Germans threaten her best friend, Ellen
Rosen, Annemarie must examine whether
she is courageous enough to be a “bodyguard
for all of Denmark’s Jews.” Brown
reads with precision and empathy as she recreates
this horrific time. She is able to
express Annemarie’s brashness in the face
of her fears and gives credible voice to
Annemarie’s feisty little sister, self-controlled
parents, and the heroic resistance
fighters. She portrays the brutal soldiers
with a convincing German accent. A stellar
audio version of the 1990 Newbery award
winner. —
Uses
This book could be used as a book for a book club discussion by a history class when discussing the Nazis and Jews. This would be done in the library...teacher or librarian can moderate.
Module 4
Holes
Summary
Stanley is a boy at a juvenille detention facility called Camp Green Lake. He got there by being convicted of stealing (which he did not do). He blames it on a curse of a great-great grandfather whose story we get here as well. Another part of the story is a tale of a woman who hid money somewhere in the Camp Green Lake area. All the detainees do is dig holes and Stanley figures out that they are looking for something. There is an escape by Stanley and a friend Zero but they return to find the money. They do find a suitcase and they get a pardon to keep it.
Citation
Sachar, L. (1998). Holes. New York: Random House
Sachar, L. (1998). Holes. New York: Random House
Impressions
I thought the book was a very well written story. It has three different stories, two for background, and the story happening at the present. I have seen the movie but it has been a while. I liked the relationships between the kids and how they caught on to what they were really doing. The happy ending made me feel good about the book. I know that the english dept at my school uses this book in class so that's what made me read it. It was hard not to try to picture the characters as the movie ones but of course the book is better detailed. I felt sorry for the students at first but during the book they hold their own and so you start to root for them by the end.
Review
Sutton, Roger. (1998) Horn Book Magazine Vol. 74 Issue 5, p593, 3p. Retrieved from Library & Information Science Source 17 Nov. 2013.
Louis Sachar has written an exceptionally funny, and heart-rending, shaggy dog story of his own. With its breadth and ambition, Holes may surprise a lot of Sachar fans, but it shouldn't. With his Wayside School stories and — this reviewer's favorite — the Marvin Redpost books, Sachar has shown himself a writer of humor and heart, with an instinctive aversion to the expected. Holes is filled with twists in the lane, moments when the action is happily going along only to turn toward somewhere else that you gradually, eventually, sometimes on the last page, realize was the truest destination all along.
The book begins, "There is no lake at Camp Green Lake," and we are immediately led into the mystery at the core of the story: "There once was a very large lake here, the largest lake in Texas." We soon learn that there is no camp here either, not really, only a boys' detention facility to which our hero, Stanley Yelnats, is headed. Stanley has been convicted of stealing a pair of shoes donated by baseball great Clyde Livingston to a celebrity auction. The fact that Stanley didn't steal the shoes, that indeed they fell from the sky onto his head, is disbelieved by the judge, and even deemed immaterial by Stanley, who blames the whole misadventure on his "no-good-dirtyrotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather!" — a favorite family mantra. And as the book goes on to show, with great finesse anci a virtuoso's display of circularity in action, Stanley is right. His destiny is as palindromic as his name.
We soon learn about that pig-stealing great-greatgrandfather and the curse that has haunted Stanley's family, even though the hapless eider Yelnats, like Stanley, didn't steal anything, and the curse is more of an ordination, a casting of the die. Stanley's great-grandfather found his place in the pattern when he encountered Kissing Kate Barlow, nee Miss Katherine Barlow, who became a ruthless outlaw of the Wild West when her love for Sam, the Onion Man, became cause for small-town opprobrium — and murder. Miss Barlow's recipe for spiced peaches also plays a large part in the story.
Heck, it all plays a large part in the story. Those peaches show up more than a century after they were canned, and their efficacy remains unchallenged. Just like Sam's onions. Just like the lullaby, sung, with telling variations, by the Yelnats cian:
"If only, if only," the woodpecker sighs, "The bark on the tree was as soft as the skies." While the wolf waits below, hungry and lonely, Crying to the moo-oo-oon, "If only, if only."
As for the title: when Stanley gets to Camp Green Lake, he discovers that every day each boy, each inmate, must dig a hole five feet by five feet by five feet. (Why? Too bad you can't ask Kissing Kate Barlow.) Stanley makes a friend, Zero (nicknamed thus because this is exactly what the world finds him to be), with whom he eventually escapes the camp. These boys have a date with destiny and, trust me, it has everything to do with the pig, Kissing Kate, the lullaby, the peaches, the onions… even the sneakers, Sachar is masterful at bringing his realistic story and tall-tale motifs together, using a simple declarative style —
Stanley Yelnats was given a choice. The judge said, "You may go to jail, or you may go to Camp Green Lake."
Stanley was from a poor family. He had never been to camp before.
— that is all the more poignant, and funny, for its understatement, its willingness to stay out of the way.
We haven't seen a book with this much plot, so suspensefully and expertly deployed, in too long a time. And the ending will make you cheer — for the happiness the Yelnats family finally finds — and cry, for the knowledge of how they lost so much for so long, all in the words of a lullaby. Louis Sachar has long been a great and deserved favorite among children, despite the benign neglect of critics. But Holes is witness to its own theme: what goes around, comes around. Eventually.
Uses
Library scavenger hunt. They must find the Hole that each object is in. Winners get prizes.
Monday, September 16, 2013
Module 3
This Is Not My Hat
Summary
A story about a little fish who steals a hat from a big fish and thinks he got away with it. The big fish comes to get the hat and in the end does get it back after going into the weeds to find the little fish. You are left to imagine what happened as the next thing you see is the big fish with the had and no sign of the little fish.
Bibliographic Citation
Klassen, J. (2012). This is Not My Hat. Sommerville, Mass. :Candlewick Press.
Impression
I have not read any other Klassen works so I had no idea what to expect. I thought it was a cute little book but a little mysterious in the beginning to middle. Then you get to imagine what happened in the seaweed, that was interesting. It seems like this could be a little controversial for small children. Not really sure if they would be traumatized or think it is funny. Very likely would make for some interesting conversation. I liked the illustration and overall story. Not a lot of words but the pictures do a very good job of telling the story. Overall, I liked it and wouldn't mind comparing some of the author's other works.
Review
Chipman, Ian. Booklist; 8/1/2012, Vol. 108 Issue 22, p67-67, 1/5p. Retrieved from Literary Reference Center 17 Sept. 2013.
Uses
This could be a good book talk because of the thievery and the imagining of the result. You could discuss following the law, punishments. You could also have the students come up with their own versions of what happened in the seaweed.
f.
A Ball For Daisy
Summary
This is a story about a dog with a ball. The dog and its owner go the park to play with the ball. While there, another dog accidently pops the ball and everyone is sad. Daisy mopes around and misses the ball. They end up meeting the other dog again at the park and the other dog gives Daisy a new ball. They both play with it and things are all better.
Bibliographic Citation
Raschka, C. (2011). A Ball For Daisy. New York: Schwartz & Wade Books.
Summary
I dont know exactly why but this one did not do much for me. The no words thing is a little bit weird to me. I really did not particularly like the illustrations either. I think it was probably water color and I though it was pretty crude. I could follow the story through the pictures so it was not confusing or anything but I found myself not really knowing what to get out of the book. It was nice of the other dog to replace the ball but just not really sure of the lesson exactly.
Review
Uses
Have some older students act out the book for younger ones. Ask the students if they can tell what the author is trying to say in the book.
Summary
A story about a little fish who steals a hat from a big fish and thinks he got away with it. The big fish comes to get the hat and in the end does get it back after going into the weeds to find the little fish. You are left to imagine what happened as the next thing you see is the big fish with the had and no sign of the little fish.
Bibliographic Citation
Klassen, J. (2012). This is Not My Hat. Sommerville, Mass. :Candlewick Press.
Impression
I have not read any other Klassen works so I had no idea what to expect. I thought it was a cute little book but a little mysterious in the beginning to middle. Then you get to imagine what happened in the seaweed, that was interesting. It seems like this could be a little controversial for small children. Not really sure if they would be traumatized or think it is funny. Very likely would make for some interesting conversation. I liked the illustration and overall story. Not a lot of words but the pictures do a very good job of telling the story. Overall, I liked it and wouldn't mind comparing some of the author's other works.
Review
Chipman, Ian. Booklist; 8/1/2012, Vol. 108 Issue 22, p67-67, 1/5p. Retrieved from Literary Reference Center 17 Sept. 2013.
Grades K-2. Klassen’s authorial debut, I Want My Hat Back (2011), became one of the surprise picture-book hits of the year. This follow-up is really only related in its hat-theft theme, animal characters, deadpan humor, and a suggestively dark conclusion. Which might seem like everything, but whereas the first book featured light sleuthing by a semi-dopey bear looking to find his lost lid, this is a similar story from a fishy absconder’s point of view. “This hat is not mine. I just stole it,” claims a minnow darting through the deep-sea black. He tells how he lifted it from a bigger fish. At each stage, the minnow reassures himself that he’s gotten away with his perfect crime. We see it ain’t so, as the big fish trolls along right behind him, right down to the minnow’s final, prophetic double entendre: “Nobody will ever find me.” Once again, the simple, dramatic tension and macabre humor mesh splendidly with Klassen’s knack for tiny, telling details and knockout page turns. Who knew hat thievery was such a bottomless well? HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Klassen’s debut was a #1 New York Times best-seller and Geisel Honor Book. The publisher is rolling out a 15-city tour and pulling out all the publicity stops in support of this release.
Uses
This could be a good book talk because of the thievery and the imagining of the result. You could discuss following the law, punishments. You could also have the students come up with their own versions of what happened in the seaweed.
f.
A Ball For Daisy
Summary
This is a story about a dog with a ball. The dog and its owner go the park to play with the ball. While there, another dog accidently pops the ball and everyone is sad. Daisy mopes around and misses the ball. They end up meeting the other dog again at the park and the other dog gives Daisy a new ball. They both play with it and things are all better.
Bibliographic Citation
Raschka, C. (2011). A Ball For Daisy. New York: Schwartz & Wade Books.
Summary
I dont know exactly why but this one did not do much for me. The no words thing is a little bit weird to me. I really did not particularly like the illustrations either. I think it was probably water color and I though it was pretty crude. I could follow the story through the pictures so it was not confusing or anything but I found myself not really knowing what to get out of the book. It was nice of the other dog to replace the ball but just not really sure of the lesson exactly.
Review
Kraus, Daniel. ( 2011) Booklist (June 1, 2011 (Vol. 107, No. 19)) Retrieved from Literary Reference Center 17 Sept 2013.
Preschool-Kindergarten. This story about loss (and joy) is accomplished without a single word, which is perfect—it puts you directly in the head space of its canine protagonist. The title tells us her name is Daisy, but she is a pretty anonymous little thing, drawn by Raschka as just a few indistinct yet somehow expressive squiggly lines. What’s clear is that she loves playing with her ball, both indoors and out, until the fateful moment that another dog bites too hard on the ball and deflates it. In a heartaching series of nearly identical paintings, Daisy slumps into a sofa as depression overtakes her. Dogs, of course, don’t know that there are more balls in the world, which makes her glee at the end of the book all the sweeter. Raschka uses fairly sophisticated comic-book arrangements—long, narrow, horizontal panels, and so forth—but masks them with soft watercolor edges instead of sharp corners. The result feels like something of pure emotion. Pretty close approximation of what it’s like to be a dog, probably.Uses
Have some older students act out the book for younger ones. Ask the students if they can tell what the author is trying to say in the book.
Sunday, September 15, 2013
Module 2
Module 2
Mr. Popper's Penguins
Summary
A painter who has trouble making enough money ends up with a group of penguins. An explorer, whom the the painter has written a fan letter, sends a penguin to the painter. The penguin starts to act differently and the painter takes him to the zoo where he acquires a female. They soon have 10 and he tries to figure out how to make money off of them. This does not go very well and decides to have the explorer take them back to the North Pole.
Bibligraphic Citation
Atwater, R., Atwater, F., & Lawson, R. (1938). Mr. Popper's Penguins. Boston: Little, Brown and Co.
Impression
The book was funny. I thought that the premise that he was sent a penguin for really being such a big fan of exploration and animals was an interesting way of setting up the story. I enjoyed the little things about his wife and how she felt about the situation and how it all ties in with the need to provide for his family, which becomes even harder with the penquins there.
Review
Reid, Rob. Mr. Popper's Penguins. Book Links; Jun2010, Vol. 19 Issue 4, p30-31, 2p. Library & Information Science Source 17 Sept 2013.
penguins and altering their house, so they become a traveling show—the Popper Performing Penguins. This book made its first appearance in 1938.
Uses
Try to get an animal that the student do not know very well or that looks similar to many others and have them guess what it is. The people in the book didnt even know what penguins were.
Module 2
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Summary
Harry Potter lives in an awful situation with his aunt and uncle. On his 11th birthday he begins to get letters from a place called Hogwarts. Despite every attempt to keep the letters from Harry by his relatives, he finds out that he is a wizard and is invited to wizarding school. There he finds out that he is already famous and that he has a mortal enemy. He makes friends, who help him greatly, as well as foes, who try to make sure he fails. He has many issues do deal with and ends up having to save the sorcerers stone from falling in to the hands of his enemy, Voldemort. He, by luck and skill, is able to thwart the plans of Voldemort and temporarily delay his return to the world.
Bibliographic Citation
Rowling, J.K. (1998). Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. New York: Scholastic
Impression
This book has been so well regarded that I had to read it. I thought it was one of the best I have ever read. The teen fiction genre is great and this is one of the best. Rowling makes the book come to life and I wanted to be a Hogwarts. The adventure, drama, comedy are all woven it to make it a great story. It is also a little bit of a mystery because you really wonder what is going to happen next. I can definately see why this is so popular. I am plugging through the whole series now. (very hard with so much other reading to do). All of the characters mesh together. There are the bad guys and the good guys but there is always some doubt on the motives of some of the characters so that adds intrigue. I thought Quiddith was genius and the battle between Voldemort and Harry is classic.
Review
Flowers Ann A. Horn Book Magazine; Jan/Feb99, Vol. 75 Issue 1, p71-71, 3/4p Library & Information Science Source. 17 Sept. 2013
Uses
Have a Harry Potter night. Dress up in costumes. Have refreshments. Give awards for the best costumes. Have a sorting and put the students in Houses.
Mr. Popper's Penguins
Summary
A painter who has trouble making enough money ends up with a group of penguins. An explorer, whom the the painter has written a fan letter, sends a penguin to the painter. The penguin starts to act differently and the painter takes him to the zoo where he acquires a female. They soon have 10 and he tries to figure out how to make money off of them. This does not go very well and decides to have the explorer take them back to the North Pole.
Bibligraphic Citation
Atwater, R., Atwater, F., & Lawson, R. (1938). Mr. Popper's Penguins. Boston: Little, Brown and Co.
Impression
The book was funny. I thought that the premise that he was sent a penguin for really being such a big fan of exploration and animals was an interesting way of setting up the story. I enjoyed the little things about his wife and how she felt about the situation and how it all ties in with the need to provide for his family, which becomes even harder with the penquins there.
Review
Reid, Rob. Mr. Popper's Penguins. Book Links; Jun2010, Vol. 19 Issue 4, p30-31, 2p. Library & Information Science Source 17 Sept 2013.
Gr. 1—4
A penguin named Captain Cook arrives at Mr.Popper's house courtesy of Admiral Drake. The penguin is sad until the Poppers purchase a second penguin—Greta. Captain Cook and Greta have 10 chicks. "They were Nelson, Columbus,
Louisa, Jenny, Scott, Magellan, Adelina, Isabella, Ferdinand, and Victoria." The Poppers run out of money feeding the penguins and altering their house, so they become a traveling show—the Popper Performing Penguins. This book made its first appearance in 1938.
lO'Minute Selection:
Read Chapter 6, "More Troubles," which opens with the line, "The children were the first to notice the policeman." The officer is responding to a complaint about Captain Cook. Later on, Mr. Popper tries to find out "what the municipal ordinance about penguinsis." He gets nowhere. Skip to Chapter 8, "Penguin's Promenade." Mr. Popper takes Captain Cook on a neighborhood stroll. People refer to the penguin as a goose, a pelican, and a dodo. Mr. Popper and Captain Cook escape into a barbershop. Finish with Chapter 9, "In the BarberShop." The barber throws them out. Mr. Popper hails a taxi and they return home. The passage ends with "He went to lie down, for he was quite exhausted from all the
unusual exercise, while Captain Cook had a shower and took a nap in the icebox."Uses
Try to get an animal that the student do not know very well or that looks similar to many others and have them guess what it is. The people in the book didnt even know what penguins were.
Module 2
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Summary
Harry Potter lives in an awful situation with his aunt and uncle. On his 11th birthday he begins to get letters from a place called Hogwarts. Despite every attempt to keep the letters from Harry by his relatives, he finds out that he is a wizard and is invited to wizarding school. There he finds out that he is already famous and that he has a mortal enemy. He makes friends, who help him greatly, as well as foes, who try to make sure he fails. He has many issues do deal with and ends up having to save the sorcerers stone from falling in to the hands of his enemy, Voldemort. He, by luck and skill, is able to thwart the plans of Voldemort and temporarily delay his return to the world.
Bibliographic Citation
Rowling, J.K. (1998). Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. New York: Scholastic
Impression
This book has been so well regarded that I had to read it. I thought it was one of the best I have ever read. The teen fiction genre is great and this is one of the best. Rowling makes the book come to life and I wanted to be a Hogwarts. The adventure, drama, comedy are all woven it to make it a great story. It is also a little bit of a mystery because you really wonder what is going to happen next. I can definately see why this is so popular. I am plugging through the whole series now. (very hard with so much other reading to do). All of the characters mesh together. There are the bad guys and the good guys but there is always some doubt on the motives of some of the characters so that adds intrigue. I thought Quiddith was genius and the battle between Voldemort and Harry is classic.
Review
J. K. Rowling Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone; illus. by Mary Grandpre
309 pp. Levine/Scholastic 9/98 ISBN 0-590-35340-3 16.95 (Intermediate)
Orphaned Harry Potter has been living a dog's life with his horrible relatives. He sleeps in the broom cupboard under the stairs and is treated as a slavey by his aunt and uncle. On his eleventh birthday, mysterious missives begin arriving for him, culminating eventually in the arrival of a giant named Hagrid, who has come to escort him to the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry learns that his parents died saving him from an evil sorcerer and that he himself is destined to be a wizard of great power. Harry's astonished introduction to the life of wizardry starts with his purchase, under Hagrid's guidance, of all the tools of an aspiring sorcerer: wand, robes, cauldron, broomstick, owl. Hogwarts is the typical British public school, with much emphasis placed on games and the honor of the House. Harry's house is Gryffindor, the time-honored rival of Slytherin: he becomes a star at Quidditch, an extremely complicated game played with four different balls while the whole team swoops about on broomsticks. He studies Herbology, the History of Magic, Charms, Potions, the Dark Arts, and other arcane subjects, all the while getting closer to his destiny and the secret of the sorcerer's stone. He makes friends (and enemies), goes through dangerous and exciting adventures, and justifies the hopeful predictions about him. The light-hearted caper travels through the territory owned by the late Roald Dahl, especially in the treatment of the bad guys--they are uniformly as unshadedly awful as possible--but the tone is a great deal more affectionate. A charming and readable romp with a most sympathetic hero and filled with delightful magic details.
Uses
Have a Harry Potter night. Dress up in costumes. Have refreshments. Give awards for the best costumes. Have a sorting and put the students in Houses.
Module 1
Module 1
Rainbow Fish
Summary
a. A pretty fish will not share his scales and has no friends in the beginning of the book. He finally realizes that if he does not change, he will never have friends. He starts to share his scales and the other fish begin to welcome him.
Bibliographic Citation
b. Pfister, M. (1996). The Rainbow Fish. New York: North-South Books.
Impressions
c. The book is relatively short and the version I had was a large book and very colorful. I believe this is the boardbook edition. I thought the book had a good message and that kids would be able to relate pretty easily to it. The illustrations were very colorful and offer a clear visual of the story. The sparkle on the rainbow fish really added a good cue to understand the difference between it and the other fish. I had never read it to my kids so this was a new book to me. I think young children would be attracted to it because of the pictures and then be able to learn a lesson as well.
Reviews
d. Ages 1-3. This board book presents a bare bones version of the original picture boo story: the vain, lonely Rainbow Fish relinquishes his pride and gives away almost all his special, shiny scales to gain friends. About half the original watercolor paintings appear here, reduced in size and cropped to fit the more compact format. Children too young to sit through the original story will enjoy this version, complete with those irresistible, iridescent fish scales.
Phelan, Carolyn. (1996)."The Rainbow Fish Board Book." Booklist 15 Mar. 1996: 1269. Literature Resource Center. Web. 15 Sept. 2013.
Uses
e. This book would be great for storytime in lower elementary.
The Giving Tree
Summary
a. Follows a boy to manhood and a tree that he visits frequently. The tree gives everything it has to keep the man happy until there is nothing left to give but a stump for the old man to sit on.
Bibliographic Citation
b. Silverstein, S. (1992). The giving tree. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers. (Original work published 1964).
Impressions
c. I thought it was a little bit of a sappy story but I think there are some good lessons in it. Never read this to my kids as well but if I ever read it myself, I didn't remember it. I enjoy Silverstein poetry so I wanted to see what this is. I found myself wishing the tree would just say no but that is not the message. I guess there is a moral to the story and there are a couple of things that could lead to good discussion. Very typical Silverstein illustrations, black and white and simple.
Review
Horn Book (Fall 2003)
“This book about a boy and a generous tree, who gives him all she has, has long been cherished as a tale of unconditional, selfless love, and likewise condemned as a story of complete codependency. Its controversial themes now live on in a new format, with the same short text per page and evocative line drawings now made larger for easier sharing with a group.”
Horn Book. (Fall 2003). The Giving Tree Full-Text Reviews. Retrieved from http://www.titlewave.com/search?SID=4553b1df4ca0aae30f7f9e8c59614c07
Uses
e. This book can be used in a poetry book talk.
Rainbow Fish
Summary
a. A pretty fish will not share his scales and has no friends in the beginning of the book. He finally realizes that if he does not change, he will never have friends. He starts to share his scales and the other fish begin to welcome him.
Bibliographic Citation
b. Pfister, M. (1996). The Rainbow Fish. New York: North-South Books.
Impressions
c. The book is relatively short and the version I had was a large book and very colorful. I believe this is the boardbook edition. I thought the book had a good message and that kids would be able to relate pretty easily to it. The illustrations were very colorful and offer a clear visual of the story. The sparkle on the rainbow fish really added a good cue to understand the difference between it and the other fish. I had never read it to my kids so this was a new book to me. I think young children would be attracted to it because of the pictures and then be able to learn a lesson as well.
Reviews
d. Ages 1-3. This board book presents a bare bones version of the original picture boo story: the vain, lonely Rainbow Fish relinquishes his pride and gives away almost all his special, shiny scales to gain friends. About half the original watercolor paintings appear here, reduced in size and cropped to fit the more compact format. Children too young to sit through the original story will enjoy this version, complete with those irresistible, iridescent fish scales.
Phelan, Carolyn. (1996)."The Rainbow Fish Board Book." Booklist 15 Mar. 1996: 1269. Literature Resource Center. Web. 15 Sept. 2013.
Uses
e. This book would be great for storytime in lower elementary.
The Giving Tree
Summary
a. Follows a boy to manhood and a tree that he visits frequently. The tree gives everything it has to keep the man happy until there is nothing left to give but a stump for the old man to sit on.
Bibliographic Citation
b. Silverstein, S. (1992). The giving tree. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers. (Original work published 1964).
Impressions
c. I thought it was a little bit of a sappy story but I think there are some good lessons in it. Never read this to my kids as well but if I ever read it myself, I didn't remember it. I enjoy Silverstein poetry so I wanted to see what this is. I found myself wishing the tree would just say no but that is not the message. I guess there is a moral to the story and there are a couple of things that could lead to good discussion. Very typical Silverstein illustrations, black and white and simple.
Review
Horn Book (Fall 2003)
“This book about a boy and a generous tree, who gives him all she has, has long been cherished as a tale of unconditional, selfless love, and likewise condemned as a story of complete codependency. Its controversial themes now live on in a new format, with the same short text per page and evocative line drawings now made larger for easier sharing with a group.”
Horn Book. (Fall 2003). The Giving Tree Full-Text Reviews. Retrieved from http://www.titlewave.com/search?SID=4553b1df4ca0aae30f7f9e8c59614c07
This popular classic of modern children's literature was first published in 1963 and has been embraced both by children and adults. It has just been released with a CD narration of the story by Shel Silverstein. This parable teaches lessons on love and acceptance, is simply told. It is illustrated with black and white line drawings and a straightforward text describing how a little boy comes to visit the "giving tree" every day. The tree gives the boy everything from its apples to a place to swing and slide. As the boy grows up, he demands more and more from the tree until finally the tree seems to have nothing left to give. At the end, the boy is an old man and returns to the tree and finds that the tree provides him with one more thing.
The CD operates well, but the recording is not perfectly clear as Mr. Silverstein is close to the microphone at times. But children will love hearing his tender and soulful voice and the melodious harmonica background music. The recording is close to six minutes long and fits into a pocket inside the back cover.
The book's theme of love and the cycle of life will resonate with adults and will provide many discussion points when shared with children.
Highly Recommended.
Douglas, Lorraine. The Giving Tree CM: Canadian Review of Materials; 6/18/2004, Vol. 10 Issue 21, pN.PAG, 0p Retrieved Literature Resource Center. Web. 15 Sept. 2013.Uses
e. This book can be used in a poetry book talk.
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