Reading on the Mountaintop

Becoming Naomi Leon

2008-04-29T04:43:00.000-07:00

Title: Becoming Naomi Leon
Author: Ryan, Pam Munoz
Publisher: Scholastic, 2004
Genre: Novel, multi-cultural
Age Range: 4th grade and up
Awards: ALA Notable Children's Book, ALA Schneider Family Book Award, Book Sense Book of the Year Honor Book, 2004 Parent's Choice Silver Honor Award

Summary: I absolutely loved this book! Naomi Leon is a young girl that comes from a torn household. Her and brother, Owen, live happily with their gret-grandmother who has raised them for seven years. One day, their mother Terri Lynn (aka Skyla) comes back home. She has nothing to do with Owen and only wants Naomi. Owen has some issues with his legs and she wants nothing to do with a crippled. She doesn't care that he is as smart as everyone else. Owen has a weird obsession with transparent tape having to be on his shirt at all times (it's a comfort thing, I love it!) Naomi has the unique talent of carving soap (little does she know how much that will come in handy.) After almost being kidnapped by their mother, Gram takes the two kids, and friends, in Baby Beluga (their camper/home) to Mexico. Here, Naomi has the chance to meet her father, Santiago, who loves and adores both her and Owen very much. After going back to the States, the judge rules that Gram will continue to keep custody of the children. The father will take over once Gram dies, and Skyla can have scheduled visitations. By the end of the book, Naomi has become a lion! She discovers who she really is, understands her heritage, and appreciates the people in her life more than she could ever imagine.

Response: What an inspiring book! Never in my life have I read such a revealing book. For young readers, this book really delves into serious issues; child abuse, neglect, seperation, diversity, etc. Surprisingly, this book connected a lot to my own life. My real father left my mother when I was just an infant. I have never met him, but have always wondered about him (just like Naomi.) Fortunately, Santiago wanted to keep in touch and be a father. I am not sure if I would be so lucky. I guess that is one of the things that is holding me back. My step-father, who adopted me, has kind of become "Gram" for me and my mom. I never think twice about him being my Dad....after all, he raised me. However, I still have questions about my real, blood father. I think anyone would.

Anyway, this book even helped me deal with some issues. I really like how Ryan introduced these topics. She did not ignore that her mother slapped her and told Naomi that "there is more where that came from." She did not ignore that there was a six pack in the back of the car. I really like how Ryan put these topics in terms that children could understand, such as "smelled like gardenia and Gram's rum cake - but more like Gram's rum cake."

So many children would be able to connect with this book. Despite the fact that it is culturally diverse, many students come from broken homes and have surprisingly experienced topics that appeared in this book.

My favorite part of the whole book was the last chapter. I really like how Ryan allowed Naomi to sum it all up for the reader. The language was so poetic and beautiful. I really think that Ryan created a story that can be quoted and remembered for years.

Teaching Ideas: This would be such a great book to teach these controversial topics. Of course, teachers should approach it the appropriate way.

Another fun idea to do with this book is have students research their names. I love how throughout this entire book, Naomi discovers different parts to her name - and how she realizes how special it is.

"Becoming Naomi Leon" would be a great book to start the school year with. Have students research their names, and then throughout the year keep a journal of different things they find interesting in lists (like Naomi.) Encourage your students to come back to these time to time. This would be an excellent writing/ideas resource.

-jeana

my favorite poems...

2008-04-21T20:47:00.001-07:00

Here are some of my favorite poems from Kristine O'Connell George's "The Great Frog Race"

"Ghost Children"
I hear the quiet clank of the chains
against the pole.
The ghost children are swinging
in the moonlight.
Warm breezes and spring smells float
on slivered grasses.
Ghost mothers creak the wicker rockers
on the porch.
Talking softly as they weave their
honeysuckle dreams.
The children are swinging higher
into the trees.
Catching the moon between their knees.

"Dragonfly"
Hovering and darting,
brightly iridescent,
wings scord like windowpanes,
this tiny piece of flying
cellophane.

"Metal Bucket"
No one remembers when
(or even if)
they ever bought one.

One day, it's just there,
sharp and shiny
in the sun. Proud.

A thin strong handle,
lip rolled just so for pouring,
smooth flat bottom for sitting.

Later, grayed and dented,
it is even friendlier,
loyal and steadfast.

A metal bucket
stays with its family
for life.

POETRY! (my favorite!)

2008-04-21T20:25:00.000-07:00

Title: The Great Frog Race and other poems
Author: George, Kristine O'Connell
Illustrator : Kiesler, Kate
Publisher: Houghton Millflin, 2005
Genre: Poetry anthology, picture book
Age Range: 2nd grade and Up
Awards: The Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award

Summary: It is so hard to give a summary of a poetry anthology, but I will talk a lot about themes. George (in this book) writes about nature, specifically the midwest. She uses a lot of outdoor imagery and figurative language (this tiny piece of flying cellophane.) Although George's poems are often short, they are not simple. The illustrations help play into this. The book is covered with beautiful photographs, many are which full spreads. One of my favorite photos is the full page in "Weeping Willow" and "September." The bale of hay perfectly resembles a weeping willow. This helps shows the complexity in the this poem as well. One of the types of poems George uses is a concrete poem. Egg is a perfect representation of this. She also experiments with rhyme and free verse. Although she does use some rhyme, it is not "sing-songy." This, too, helps create the more serious literary effect. This is one reason I enjoyed her so much, because I could really get inside the poem and not be distracted by rhyme. As I have mentioned before, George definitely uses imagery. She paints a picture for the reader in almost every poem!

Response: I have never heard of Kristine George before, but I am so glad I did! I loved her work. She is so sophisticated in such a simple way. Her sense of language, literary elements, and the world around her all come together perfectly in this book. I don't think I have found a children's poet that I like quiet as much (besides Silverstein, he will always be my personal fav.)

Teaching Ideas: I am definitely going to go out and buy this book! I want to use it in my classroom all the time. It teaches so many wonderful things such as imagery, personification, and point of view. The hardest things for high schoolers to learn can be easily seen in this anthology.

I think one of the best ways to teach poetry is by reading some to your students everyday. Share a new poet with them. Share their work with each other. And share your work with them. One of the most uncomfortable things for me is to read my poetry a loud. By doing this everyday, you are creating an environment in which it is welcomed. I think this is the perfect way to get kids to enjoy it!

Also, don't forget to read the poetry aloud!! DONT MAKE KIDS JUST SIT IN THEIR DESKS! They will not understand rhyme, rythm, and meter! Here is George's website on just that!

now, go have fun!
-jeana

Author Emails!

2008-04-20T20:40:00.001-07:00

So, I emailed David Almond, the author who I completed my "author study" on....and he emailed me back!

Here is what I emailed him...
Dear Mr. Almond, My name is Jeana Sigmon and I am a junior, Secondary English education major at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina (USA). I am taking World Literature for Children this semester and we have to do an "author study." I have chosen, and completed, mine on you. While deciding who to complete my study on,my professor recommend that I read "Skellig." After doing so, I was so captivated! I loved the story so much that I continued reading. So far, in four weeks, I have read "Skellig," "Kate, The Cat and The Moon," "Secret Heart," "Kit's Wilderness," "Heaven's Eyes," and I am beginning "Counting Stars." I have never read anything like your works before. Since I am going to teach high school English next year, your books have really helped build my repertoire. Not only can males easily connect with your blurred magical/real life happenings, but females can easily get pulled in. Each of your books have wonderful elements that I will discuss with my future classes. I would love to have a unit planned around you and your works. I just wanted to THANK YOU for writing such thoughtful, imaginative pieces of literature. You have actually made me pause, and think about the everyday occurrences that I dismiss everyday. I read in one of your interviews that you do not claim to write fantasy, but instead you are a realist. You went on to say that the everyday world can be magical for children. I did not realize that I forgot this. How sad! Thank YOU for helping me realize this. Without imagination, this world can be a very boring place. I have attached the brochure that I completed on you and your works for my "author study" project. I also completed a visual display on "Skellig" and "Secret Heart," as well as a powerpoint on you. I look forward to reading "Savage" and all of your other works I have not gotten to yet. I am sure they will be just as enjoyable. Thank you for taking your time to read this, Jeana Sigmon

And here is what I heard back....
dear Jeana

thanks so much for your kind words about my work - and for doing your author study on me. Great to know that my work is being used so creatively so far from home! I've tried to download the attachment, but I can't for some reason. If there's another format you could send it in - a simple Word file maybe - then I might be able to. But don't worry if you can't. It's nice to hear from you. Good luck with your teaching. say hello to your students from me!

All best

David

So...I sent him another email (re-attaching the brochure).....

Dear Mr. Almond, Oh wow! Thank you so much for responding! You have no idea how much that means to me! You are so kind. I also wanted to let you know that I just finished "My Dad's A Birdman." I loved it! I think that is such an amazing book! I look forward to reading more books that are accompanied by graphics (Savage). I have re-attached the brochure. You should be able to open it now. I hope it depicts you the way you would hope. Thank you and take care, Jeana Sigmon

Now I am waiting to hear from him! I will let you know!

Here is a picture of him...Isn't he a doll?

The Mirror of Erised

2008-04-20T20:29:00.000-07:00

The Mirror of Erised plays an important role in this later part of the book. Think about what the mirror symbolizes, the significance of the mirror to Harry Potter, and the theme captured by this mirror. Create a visual representation of what you would see in the Mirror of Erised along with an explanation of your image. Please post to your blog. :)

The Mirror of Erised is definitely one of the beautiful, magical elements Rowling creates. (I have no idea where she thinks of these things.) The mirror that reads, " erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi" really means, "I show not your face but your heart's desire." Harry sees his parents alive. If I were to look into the Mirror of Erised, I would see several things.
One of the things I would see is a family. By this point I would be married and would be holding a child. I have always wanted to be a mother and I hope that I have that opportunity one day.
The other thing I would see is a classroom full of happy students. I only hope that when I have my own classroom that the students will be happy and will be learning.
These are probably my two most desires. Hopefully, one day, I will have both of them!
(My camera was on the fritz, but I will post my picture as soon as it is back up!) Here are some temporary pictures for now....

Response to Harry Potter

2008-04-20T20:16:00.000-07:00

Question: J.K. Rowling’s writing has often been referred to as being so descriptive that it is though you are in the theatre watching a play or a movie; her words create such vivid mental images in your mind. You will soon take on the role of a “Thematic Thinker” as you present important themes through this fantastical work of fantasy. As you have read, many novels classified as high fantasy embody the classic theme of the struggle between good and evil. Harry and his friends are part of this struggle as they face the evil of Voldemort in "another world." Part of the power of fantasy lies in the truths it reveals about the “real world.” Think about any of the many themes that are revealed in this book. For example: power of love, bravery, loyalty, prejudice, making choices/decisions, names and identities, dreams, truth, determination, fear, desires, rebellion/rule-breaking, success , or any other themes you think may be appropriate. Please blog about Harry Potter through these many thematic connections. Be specific and reference the book through specific examples.
Answer: One of my favorite examples of the "power of love" is when Hermione burns Snape's clothes to save Harry during the Quidditch match. I think it is so funny how Hermione always tries to be "big and bad" but deep down she is so caring. She is my favorite character, too! Success can be seen through Hermione as well. She is a girl who is smarter than all the boys. She can do so much! I think she is a great character to look up to. Choices and decisions are apparent all throughout the Harry Potter books. One of my favorites in the Sorcerer's Stone is when they make the decision to go find the stone. This has to be hard for them, but they do not want Voldemort to find it first. They are all so brave!

Harry Potter

2008-04-20T16:42:00.000-07:00

Title: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Author: J.K. Rowling
Publisher: Scholastic Inc., 1997
Genre: Fiction Literature, Fantasy, Novel
Age Range: 5th grade and up

Summary: This book has already become a fantastic hit that most people know about. Young Harry Potter is a child who is a living legend. He survived an attack by the horrible Lord Voldemort and ever since the wizard world has been buzzing about him. After fast forwarding 10 years, Harry is met by Hagrid, a huge man from the wizard world. Hagrid takes Harry to the Diagon Alley, the "main street" of the wizard world. He gets supplies he will need for school. While on the bus to Hogwarts (the wizard school that Harry will attend) he meets two people who will become his very best friends, Ron and Hermione. After a run-in with a troll, Snape, and Malfoy, Harry plays at a Quidditch match and almost gets into trouble. Snape tries to hurt Harry during the match. Hermione sees him doing it and sets him ablaze! (His clothes, that is.) While playing with the invisibility cloak one day, Harry sees the Mirror of Erised and sees his parents alive. This is one of my favorite parts of the book because he is taken a back and you never saw it coming. While on the quest for the sorcerer's stone, Harry has a run-in with Quirrell (who is actually Voldemort in disguise.) Quirrell is told to kill Harry, but with one touch of the magic boy he is burned. Dumbledore saves Harry and at the award banquet (surprisingly) awards Griffindor the house cup trophy!

Response: I read this book when it first came out in 1997. Since then, I have read three more of them and been an avid fan of all the movies. These books are so special and I really enjoyed taking a second look at it. Rowling is such an amazing writer that you really do catch something new each time. This is definitely a book (and series) that can be enjoyed through the ages. Rowling includes so many different elements that beginning readers and even sixty year olds can connect in what ever way they choose. The themes that encompass this novel also make it very special. Friendship and bravery are just a few that are my favorite. I personally think that this is an amazing book that takes readers to a new world they will not want to leave.

Teaching Ideas: I think there are several ways to approach this book. One of these ways is by talking about it being a banned book in many areas. This is a lesson you could do to use with that avenue. Since it is made into a movie, 3-5th graders could use this lesson to talk about differences in books and movies. Teachers could make this book a lot of fun. It also teaches really good literary elements such as foreshadowing.

I think this would be an awesome book to teach and if you haven't, you definitely should!

Sea Turtles

2008-04-07T13:34:00.001-07:00

Title: Sea Turles
Author & Illustrator : Gibbons, Gail
Publisher: Scholastic Press, 2004
Genre: Picture Book, Nonfiction Literature
Age Range: 4th grade and Up

Summary: This is a book all about sea turtles. Gibbons takes the reader through all different aspects of sea turtles. (A pre-historic sea turtle, their characteristics, what makes them unique, where they live, where they lay their eggs, etc.) Gibbons even talks about how humans have effected sea turtles.

Response: I went on a week long adventure at Cape Lookout National Seashore last summer. We studied sea turtles (Cape Lookout is one of their main nesting sites.) That is why I chose this book. I love sea turtles and I actually learned some things I didn't know before. One of these things was that I didn't realize a leatherback sea turtle's shell isn't hard. I knew it was different than the other turtles, but I thought it was still hard. I also didn't know that Loggerhead's had to be at least 15 years old before they could lay eggs. I really enjoyed this book. It was"chok-full" of information on sea turtles and easy to understand, labeled pictures.

Teaching Ideas: This is a fantastic book to use when teaching reptiles. Gibbons clearly outlines the differences in sea turtles and land turtles. She also provides easy pictures to look at and see the parts of each. For older science classrooms, students could use this as a jumpstart into more research. Here is a website about Sea Turtles from the place I visited. Students could even use it to get started.

-jeana

2008-04-07T13:08:00.000-07:00

Title: Rosa
Author: Giovanni, Nikki
Illustrator : Collier, Brian
Publisher: Scholastic Inc. 2005
Genre: Picture Book, Nonfiction Literature
Age Range: 3rd grade and Up
Awards: Caldecott Honor, Coretta Scott King Award

Summary: This is the story of Rosa Parks and her courageous effort to stand up against racism and say "No" when asked to move on the bus. Rosa had gotten off work early. She was on her way home to make supper for her husband. She was sitting in the neutral section of the bus when the driver asked her to move. When she said no, the police came and she was arrested. The people around her town made signs to protest. They thought that segregation had ended, but when Emmett Till was persecuted, and killed, they knew it was not. Martin Luther King Jr. preached that noone would ride the bus. And they didn't. Eventually, justice was served. Segregation was ruled illegal.

Response: I really enjoyed this book. The author and illustrator's note gave some great insight on what I was about to read. I found it so interesting of Collier's idea of making Mrs. Parks "illuminate." I loved his artwork throughout this novel. It was so dimensional and captivating. The story that Giovanni captured was perfect. I really liked how she pointed out the simple things like, getting on the bus from the back and making enough signs for every person of color.

Teaching Ideas: This book is so captivating and poignant that it could be used in almost any grade (3rd and up.) I think that the content is dense enough that highschoolers could learn something from it, and younger students could use it as a research base. Of course this book would also work in nicely with a social studies lesson on the civil rights movement.

-jeana

Walt Whitman: Words for America

2008-04-07T12:34:00.000-07:00

Title: Walt Whitman: Words for America
Author: Kerley, Barbara Illustrator : Selznick, Brian
Publisher: Scholastic Press, 2004
Genre: Picture Book, Nonfiction Literature
Age Range: 4th grade and Up

Summary: This is the biography of the great American poet, Walt Whitman. Kerley and Selznick the reader on a larger than life adventure throughout Whitman's life. The two combine beautiful photographs and Whitman's poetry to make an amazing book. One of my favorite things about this book is how the words are separated from the pictures. I really like how everything is sectioned off. This creates two worlds for the reader. The colors of this book really tell a story, too. For example, When he began writing, the pages are mainly white (signifying a new beginning etc.) When Lincoln dies, the pages are black (indicating sadness, upset etc.) This book provides the reader with SO much useful information. I didn't know half of the things this book mentions. I am glad that Dr. Frye recommended that I try this book out.

Response: I liked this book a lot better than the Thoreau one. I got so much useful information from this. This book is so good, that it could be used in a social studies classroom too! The pictures are so amazing in this book. I really enjoyed experiencing Walt Whitman in a larger than life way. He did so many amazing things. Growing up, I only knew him as an American poet who wrote really long poetry. This book brought him to life for me. I connected so much to him. I also think this book connects to a lot of Americans at this time, because of the war in Iraq. Whitman would have been appalled.

Teaching Ideas: This is a wonderful book to introduce American poets to. It would also fit nicely into a cross-curriculum talk on Whitman and the Civil War. I would love to go out and find this book so I can have it in my classroom someday. I think high schoolers would automatically become more interested in this legend and want to learn more.
I found a website, the Walt Whitman Archive, which would be great to use with this book.

-jeana

Walking With Henry

2008-04-07T12:17:00.000-07:00

Title: Walking With Henry
Author & Illustrator : Locker, Thomas
Publisher: Fulcrom Publishing, 2002
Genre: Picture Book, Nonfictional Text
Age Range: 2-3rd grade

Summary: This is a nonfictional text about Henry David Thoreau. The book "walks" the reader through part of Thoreau's life when he just spends time becoming one with nature. Locker relates Thoreau's life to a walking cane he found when he first started his journey.

Response: This would be a good book for younger students, but I did not find that much useful information in it. I visited a few websites to find out more about Thoreau. This is a simple book that could easily introduce Thoreau to small children, but I think there could be a better way to approach doing so with older kids. The thing that caught my eye about this book is the gorgeous pictures and use of color. I could see Thoreau enjoying this. Locker does an amazing job of portraying him and nature.

Teaching Ideas: Like I said before, I think this would be a great book to introduce American poets and/or Thoreau to young children. I guess it could work for older children, but as a teacher you would need to supply more information.

-jeana

2008-04-07T12:00:00.000-07:00

Henry David
Curious, observant, intellectual, peaceful Friend of the earth.
Lover of water, air, nature.
Who feels quite, inspired, and hopeful.
Who finds happiness in solitude.
Who needs sunlight, rain.
Who gives his thoughts to all to readers.
Who fears industrialization, tuberculosis, and materialism.
Who would like to see everyone explore and assert their individualism.
Who enjoys Emerson, Greek, and the Transcendentalist movement.
Who likes to go barefoot all the time.
Resident of the wilderness.
Thoreau

2008-04-07T09:24:00.000-07:00

Walt
Talented, selfless, loving, heartfelt.
Sibling of George.
Lover of words, America, equality.
Who feels pain, loss, and anguish.
Who finds happiness in his brother, helping others, and making a difference.
Who needs support, reconciliation, and a good leader.
Who gives support, time, and hope to Soldiers.
Who fears America separating, losing his brother, and his writing not making a difference.
Who would like to see the Civil War come to an end.
Who enjoys helping fallen soldiers.
Who likes to wear nothing when reciting Shakespeare on the beach.
Resident of America.
Whitman

Nonfiction Texts

2008-04-07T08:46:00.000-07:00

Assignment: Blog about your impressions of nonfiction texts. What do you think about these kinds of books? How do you think children will respond to these types of books?

Personally, I really enjoy most nonfiction texts. However, there are some I could pull my hair out trying to read. I think the layout of informational texts has a lot to do with how well it is read and enjoyed (by myself, anyways.) Informational text is a great way to get lots of information, fast! A lot of the times it can be fun too, for example "Actual Size" is a fun book to use with small children...and even older ones. Since I will be working with high schoolers, I think they could easily have negative feelings about informational texts. Many of the nonfiction texts highschoolers work with are text books or encyclopedias in the library. I have read some great adolescent literature books that are nonfiction. This would be a great way to change student opinions. I guess in these kinds of situations, you just have to find new ways around things.

Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters

2008-04-01T18:23:00.000-07:00

Title: Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters, An African Tale
Author & Illustrator : Steptoe, John
Publisher: Scholastic Inc., 1987
Genre: Picture Book, Traditional Literature, Cinderella Tale
Age Range: 2-3rd grade
Awards: Caldecott Honor Book, Coretta Scott King Award, ALA Notable Book

Summary: This is the African Cinderella tale. In an African village far away from the city, Mufaro lived with his two beautiful daughters Manyara and Nyasha. He thought both of them were equally beautiful. Manyara did not like to work and had a bad temper. She talked down to Nyasha a lot. She told Nyasha that she would be a queen one day and have to wait on her. One day, her father announced that the King wanted a wife. Mufaro told his daughters that all three of them would head out in the morning. Manyara insisted that Nyasha stay to take care of him, but the father said the king must choose who is the most beautiful. Manyara left without her father and sister for the city. On the way, she met a hungry boy, an old woman, laughing trees, and a man with his head tucked under his arm. Manyara ignored everything the woman told her. The next morning, Nyasha and her father headed out. The whole way Nyasha was worried about her sister. Nyasha gave food to the hungry boy and sunflower seeds to the woman. When they got to the city, Manyara ran out from the city gates crying to Nyasha to not go in. The king was a five headed snake! Nyasha took all of her courage into the great room and saw her friend, Nyoka, the small green snake. The snake grew into the great king. He asked Nyasha if she would be his wife because she was put through many tests and passed and was beautiful and worthy. Nyasha agreed and Manyara became her servant in the household.

Response: I liked this version better than Baba Yaga. I think one reason I liked this so much is because it was so simple to understand and it had a great lesson in the end. This lesson was more explicit to me than Baba Yaga. This story reminded me a lot of "The Talking Eggs." I like how Manyara and Nyasha were both tested. This is a predictable pattern and makes the reader want to guess what tests they will have to pass. I think this is a great story that relates to African Culture because of the snake, the bridal party, and the King choosing a wife. All of it seems very culturally based. I also enjoyed the author's note at the beginning. It gave me some great insight as to where Steptoe was coming from.

Teaching Ideas: This is a good book to use when teaching Cinderella. It would also be good to teach the idea of charity and giving back. Nyasha was very selfless and this would be a great book to illustrate that. I think this is a book that primary teachers should think about using in their classroom. The plot is simple enough that students could act it out. Wouldn't it be cool to see Nyoka in action?!

-jeana

Writing the "I Poem"

2008-03-31T17:57:00.000-07:00

Question: Post an entry on your blog about this experience; what is your opinion of the I POEM for 2 Voices; describe the process; what did you learn specifically about your cultural group? Please write thoughtful responses, as we will come back to these.

Answer: I think the I Poem for two voices is a great idea. I love poetry and having students write their own. I think this is a wonderful idea for students to engage themselves with poetry and readings. I personally enjoyed doing I Poems for Two Voices with the Cinderella stories because doing it at a level with more simplistic readings would help me understand how to do it better with more difficult readings. Completing the poems was also really hard. I thought it wouldn't take me very long to "fill in the blanks" but it did...and I am still not very happy with the result. I am going to go back and change things so that I can be happy with it and even turn it in with my portfolio in another class. One of the things I enjoyed reading most about was Baba Yaga. I couldn't find many ways to include her in my poem, but she really intrigued me. This is a cool website I found that tells all about her. Baba Yaga is like our "wicked witch of the west." I love it! This website also help me better understand Baba Yaga's role in Vasilisa and the Brave. She did not serve as a bad woman who wanted food, but a woman who sought our pureness and pureness of the heart. She rewarded Vasilisa with the glowing skull that killed her step-mother. In the end, Baba Yaga was a good person. This website help me understand that better. I also enjoyed looking up Nyoka from "Mufaro's Beautiful Face." I loved this word and found it neat to read more about it.

I hope I can use this type of assessment in my classroom one day. I really enjoyed trying to compare the two, and I think it would be neat to try and even do three! That would a fun challenge!

Baba Yaga and Vasilisa the Brave

2008-03-30T14:37:00.000-07:00

Title: Baba Yaga and Vasilisa the Brave
As Told By : Mayer, Marianna
Illustrator: Craft, K.Y.
Publisher: Morrow Junior Books, 1994
Genre: Picture Book, Traditional Literature, Cinderella Tale
Age Range: 3rd grade and up

Summary: This picture book is the Russian Cinderella. Vasilisa is the "cinderella" of this story. After her mother dies, her step mother only adores her other two sisters. The only comfort Vasilisa finds is in the doll her mother made and gave her before she died. She told Vasilisa, "if you are ever in need, this doll will comfort you." And the doll did. Vasilisa gets treated very badly. When the step mother puts a spell on the house and makes all of the candles go out, Vasilisa is sent to Baba Yaga house for a candle. Baba Yaga is a horrific woman whose house is made out of real skeleton bones. Noone who ever visits returns. That is just what the step-mother wants. Once Vasilisa gets to Baba Yaga's, Baba Yaga tells her to clean her house, seperate the wheat, and make her a feast. If all of these things are done, then she will be happy. Vasilisa gets help from doll (her mother's love) and completes everything. This continues for another night. Baba Yaga sends Vasilisa safetly home with a skull lamp and makes Vasilisa give it to her step mother. When Vasilisa passes it over, it burns the step mother and the two sisters up! Vasilisa found a woman who "adopted" her. At her home, she spun thread. The woman thought it was the most beautiful thread ever, so she took it to the royal tzar. He loved it so much he sent for the woman who made it, Vasilisa. He asked her to marry him. She never did forget about her little doll, that helped her through it all.

Response: I really enjoyed this version of Cinderella. It is certainly different from anything I have read before. I could tell that the pictures were very "Russian." I looked up Baba Yaga and learned that she is more than a witch that appears in this story. Instead, she is a well known witch in Russia that punishes but rewards those who are pure of heart. This is exactly what she did with Vasilisa. One of my favorite aspects of this story is the doll Vasilisa's mom made her. It helped her through so many things and she never forgot about it. What a special gift it must have been. I also liked how Vasilisa wasn't looking for a prince. It just happened. I think that made this story special. I liked how in the end, she was a princess by chance.

Teaching Ideas: I think this is a perfect version of Cinderella to use in the high school classroom. It is complex enough to where there are lots of things to pick out, but still sticks to the standard traditional tale schema. I would love to do a Cinderella lesson in my classroom. I know I talked to Dr. Frye about it and she suggested "Chinese Cinderella" and "Baba Yaga and Vasilisa" together. Why couldn't I do this? She also sent me this website that talks about Cinderella in the highschool classroom. Thank you Dr. Frye!

--jeana

The Talking Eggs

2008-03-16T19:19:00.000-07:00

Title: The Talking Eggs
Author : San Souci, Robert
Illustrator: HPinkney, Jerry
Publisher: Scholastic Inc., 1989
Genre: Picture Book, Folk Tale, Traditional Literature
Age Range: 2-5th grade

Summary: This is an American Folktale from the south. It is about Blanche, the sweet hard-worker and Rose the older, mean sister. One day when Blanche was sent to get a bucket of water she met an old woman. When Blanche got back home, Rose scalded her and made her run away in the woods. While in the woods, Blanche met the old woman and went back to her house. The old woman told her not to laugh at the things she would see at the house, and she didn't! When they got inside the old woman gave her an old beef bone to make dinner. Surprisingly it made a hearty meal. The next morning the old woman told Blanche to go milk the cow and gather any eggs that say "Take Me" but not the ones that say "Don't Take Me." Of course all the beautifully jeweled ones said "Don't take me," but as tempted as she was, Blanche listened to the old woman. When Blanche was leaving the old woman told her to take the eggs and throw them one by one over her shoulders. As she did, a carriage, silver coins and more appeared. When she returned home her mother and sister were so surprised and they wanted more! The mother sent Rose out to the old lady's home. Rose did not listen to anything the old woman said. She laughed at the cows and chickens, did not believe the beef bone would make a meal, and gathered the eggs that said "Don't take me." On the way home, she threw the eggs over her shoulders and wolfs, snakes, and yellow jackets appeared. When she got home, she discovered Blanche had left for the city and Rose and her mother searched and searched for the old woman's house but could never find it.
Response: I remember this book from Elementary school. It was always one of my favorites. I LOVE the lesson it teaches - don't be greedy, be grateful. I never thought about it being a Cinderella story until our class on Cinderella tales. It definitely fits into this category though. I think it is wonderful how San Souci weaves the Cajun cuture (old house in the woods etc... into this story. And although the pictures are rather "old school" (for lack of a better term) I think they help make the story. I enjoy seeing these watercolor and colored pencil pictures. They help create a "story-telling" tone, that I enjoy.

Teaching Ideas: I think it would be neat to make "eggs" that tell our own story. OR, students could make plain eggs and write on them what they represent (to them) and do the same for decorative eggs. This is a simple lesson, but would be fun and could really bring the lessons this story portrays to life.

--jeana!

Creative Venn Diagram

2008-03-16T17:57:00.000-07:00

Here is my creative Venn Diagram. I compared Lon Po Po with the traditional Little Red Riding Hood and also Petite Rouge to the traditional Little Red Riding Hood.

I used the traditional Venn Diagram circles. This is easier for me to see the similarities between the different pieces of literature. I think since I compared three different works, the traditional circles worked best. Instead of making my Venn Diagram fill in the blank, I made it to be more of an example for my classroom. Since I will be teaching high school, students would like an example to go by, instead of "what goes here" types of interaction. I feel that my students could definitely do this in my class! I would have students compare classic works to contemporary works, or a classic work with a children's book. How much fun would high schoolers have?!

Here is a link from google with lots of Little Red Riding Hood activities!

Don't forget to check out the fractured fairytale page, too!

The whole Venn Diagram:

The Petite Rouge side.....

The Lon Po Po side.....

A closer look at the whole thing.....

Now, go make your own!

Petite Rouge: A Cajun Red Riding Hood

2008-03-14T14:57:00.000-07:00

Title: Petite Rouge: A Cajun Red Riding Hood
Author : Artell, Mike
Illustrator: Harris, Jim
Publisher: Dial Books For Young Readers, 2001
Genre: Picture Book, Folk Tale, Traditional Literature
Age Range: 2-5th grade

Summary: This book is a twist on the traditional Little Red Riding Hood. Instead of Little Red Riding Hood being a wolf, he is a GATOR! His name is Claude. The granddaughter isn't a human girl either, she is a duck. When Petite Rouge is sent out by her mother (with her cat, TeJean) to take some food to her Grand-mere, she runs into a rock! But, the rock is ole trickster Claude. Claude goes to Grand-mere's house and scares Granny into the closet (which is even better for Claude.) When Petite Rouge and TeJean go to Grand-mere's house, they soon question what is wrong with her; green head, bumps, big mouth, and big teeth. That is when Petite and TeJean realized WHO Grand-mere was! The duo thought fast and TeJean tossed a bottle of hot sauce to Petite Rouge who squirted it on some boudin and lit Claude on fire! He was never seen bothering humans again! And of course, Grand-mere, Petite Rouge, and TeJean had a wonderful laugh about it!

Response: Classic Cajun dialect, influences from that region, rhyme, fun rhythm, and perfectly picturesque pictures brought this book to life! This was such a fun book. Artell and "Ten Little Dinosaurs" illustrator, Jim Harris made a perfect team for the laugh out loud book. I absolutely adored everything about it. My real father and his family were from Baton Rouge. And even though I have never met any of them (long story) my mom has still told me Cajun stories. I thought this book would be a fun one to check out because it always seems as if Gators make their way into Louisianan tales. This was a wonderful traditional take on Little Red Riding Hood. Reading silently does NOT do this book justice! It needs to be read outloud! I really, really enjoyed the extras that Artell included. The brief history of the Cajun people and Glossary took this book to a whole different level for me. I never knew many of those things before! The dedication also showed me how much love went into this book.

Teaching Ideas: There are so many ways that this book could become a classroom favorite. I would use this in my highschool classroom to teach effective use of dialect in writing. Huck Finn can become overused sometimes. Or why not use both to teach it? I also like the idea of teaching oral tales and/or traditional tales through this story. It would be neat to have students write poems, maybe 2-4 stanzas, in response to this book. I would allow my students to maybe choose a perspective of a character and how they felt after Claude ran off. This would also be a fun book to use in lower age classes. I would LOVE to see it acted out!

I found a neat website on fractured fairytales. Check it out! It has lots of suggestions on versions of traditional tales!

--jeana!

Swamp Angel

2008-03-14T12:12:00.000-07:00

Title: Swamp Angel
Author: Issacs, Anne
Illustrator: Zelinsky, Paul
Publisher: Puffin Books, 1994
Genre: Picture Book, Tall Tale, Traditional Literature
Age Range: 2-5th grade

Summary: This book is a tall tale about a girl, Angelica Longrider and her adventure with Thundering Tarnation. It all began when Angelica was a young girl. Her family never thought that she would become such a legend, but she did! When a larger than life bear, Tarnation, began destroying the town and taking all the winter rations of food a competition was set out to catch him. The winner would get to keep his pelt and be a hero! Angelica (later known as Swamp Angel because she once came out of the swamp to help some stranded folks) entered the contest. Many of the men downgraded her by saying "go make a pie" or "go quilt." But Angel didn't give up. After wrestling with Tarnation and by sheer luck killing him by snoring down a tree, the town was restored to order. Everyone was fed by Tarnation and even had enough to stock themselves through the winter!

Response: HAHA! What an amazing book, in so many different ways. I actually began reading this book to myself and then I thought, "this would be much better read outloud." So, I read it to my cat. I LOVED IT! Tall Tales having always been some of my favorite stories. I love hearing what these larger than life people create, such as the

Smokey Mountains

Shortgrass Prairie

and the Great Bear Constellation.

I also LOVED the way this book was layed out. The border really made a difference for me. I felt like I was looking back in time. One of my favorite pages was where Tarnation was introduced and his head and paws were going around the edges of the border. How creative of Zelinsky! It is so interesting that he used oils on actually wood to make the pictures. How much more realistic can you get? That fits the story perfectly. Another thing I enjoyed was the dialect. Issacs really allows the reader to get a sense of Tennessee. "Tarnation," and "Confound it" are just two of the words that are very native to the south. I also enjoyed how Angel was portrayed. She wasn't the typical girl. She held her own against the boys, she even had tobacco! :) haha Swamp Angel would be so neat in comparison to Paul Bunyan. I would love to have a story where the two meet!

Teaching Ideas: I don't think I could list all the ways this book could be used in the classroom. Of course it SHOULD be used to teach Tall Tales. Why not have students make up their own story of Paul Bunyan and Swamp Angel - What happens when they meet? Or have students write a short play on how another piece of nature was formed using Tall Tale personalities. Ideas could come from; Grandfather Mountain, the Sun, The Grand Canyon etc... This book also does a great job of illustrating a strong woman. Perhaps you could choose other books that do the same and teach them too. Here is a good handout with ideas for this book! This is a great piece of literature and I plan on using it in my own class!

- jeana

Lon Po Po

2008-03-13T18:39:00.000-07:00

Title: Lon Po Po
Author, Translator, and Illustrator : Young, Ed
Publisher: Paperstar Books, 1989
Genre: Picture Book, Traditional Literature, Trickster Tale
Age Range: 2-4th grade
Awards: 1990 Caldecott Medal, Most Distinguished Picture Book

Summary: This is the Chinese Tale of Little Red Riding Hood. When the mother of Shang, Tao, and Paotze leaves to go see her grand-mother on her birthday, a mischievous wolf tries to take advantage of three children. The wolf dressed up as the grandmother and went knocking at the door. The children believe that it is their Po Po and tell her their mother has gone to see her. When the children ask why she has come so late "Po Po" answers, "The journey is long, my children, and the day is short." The children continue to question the wolf, but he is witty. Finally, the children let him in. They climb in the bed together and Shang felt a tail, sharp claws, and a hairy face! Shang was the eldest and most clever of all the children. She did not say anything to her siblings but instead asked Po Po if she had ever tried gingko nuts - nits that will make you live forever. The curious wolf wanted to taste one! Each of the children climbed up the tree, where Shang told them about the wolf. Shang tells "Po Po" that she has to directly pick the nuts from the tree for it to be any good. They assist the wolf by levering a basket up the tree with the wolf in it. They try lifting Po Po three times, dropping her each time. The last drop kills the wolf! When their mother returned, they told her the story.

Response: I remember my elementary school librarian reading this to me! I LOVED it then, and I love it now! It is so different from the traditional Little Red Riding Hood that I know. One of my favorite aspects about this book is how Young illustrates it. I love the panel pictures! They are so captivating and flow so well!

I also really enjoy the language that Young uses. This tale is definitely a Chinese tale, mostly by language. Names, choice words, and pictures all help this book come to life - otherwise it would just be another Little Red Riding Hood.

Teaching Ideas: Just like we are doing in class, I think this book would be great to use with a Venn Diagram. In fact, comparing this with another traditional tale could be a good way to introduce that mapping concept. Teachers could also get vocabulary from this book; ginkgo, disguised etc. Teachers could also talk about the oral tradition; How might this story have changed through the years? For older students, Fairy Tale Autobiographies would be neat to do! Have fun with it! -jeana
-jeana

Baseball Saved Us

2008-03-10T19:06:00.000-07:00

Title: Baseball Saved Us
Author : Mochizuki,Ken
Illustrator: Lee, Dom
Publisher: LEE AND LOW BOOKS, 1993
Genre: Picture Book, Historical Fiction
Age Range: 2-4th grade
Awards: Lee and Low Award Winner, 1993 Parent's Choice Award

Summary: This book is about a young boy who is Japanese American. Baseball Saved Us is his story about being relocated to internment camps during WWII. He understands why he has been moved, but along with everyone else - doesn't like it. When his brother Teddy snaps at his father, his dad realizes it is time for a release. He gets almost everyone involved in building a baseball field. Since noone works, this is a great way to spend time and get their minds off of the situation at hand. During the championships the narrator looks up and sees the guard watching him. This angers him and the release of his anger ends up being a homerun ball that wins his team the championship! Once back at school, the narrator tries coping with being the only Japanese American on his baseball team. Teasing and tormenting are things he has to deal with. The book ends with him taking his anger out on another homerun ball!

Response: I think this book was a great portrayal of the times. It showed these Americans trying the make the best of of a horrible situation. I really enjoyed the pictures, too. I would have never guessed that beeswax, in conjunction with oils were used to make them. The picture that grabbed my attention the most was the one of the narrator sitting at the lunchtable eating all alone. He looks as if he could cry. If I were in his situation, I am sure I would cry. One of the big themes I pull out from this book is irony. Americans put their own kind in camps because they thought they may turn on them. It was funny to me that they chose baseball. I don't think you can get any more American than that! I also noticed that no one tried to fight back. I think it was really neat how this book really tried to pull out the best. I also like how it is told from a first person point of view. If you were reading this to younger children, it would give them a great perspective!

Teaching Ideas: I think this book would be a great supplement to any class studying war. In elementary school it could be read as a way for students to understand. Older children could get into more discussion about it, younger children could participate in some of the same abandonment activities we participated in. I think this would also be good to use in high school. Before reading this and Weedflower, I had no idea that Japanese Americans were even re-located. This could open some eyes! Social studies teachers could use it to go along with WWII, while English could supplement it with books like Night and Aleutian Sparrow. The more perspectives, the better!
-jeana

Skellig

2008-03-10T18:11:00.000-07:00

Title: Skellig
Author : Almond, David
Publisher: Delacorte Press, 1998
Genre: Adolescent Literature
Age Range: 7th - 10 grade
Awards: Michael L. Printz Award,

Summary: Skellig is the story of a young boy, Michael, who is dealing with a lot in his life. After moving into a new home, Michael tries to deal with the pressure of making new friends. He also has the pressure of dealing with his new baby sister that is sick. "Dr. Death" comes over a lot to check on her and Michael just wants her to be better. Michael is a curious boy and loves to explore his new home. He decides to go in the garage one day, which is full of junk, debris, and could potentially fall at any time. While in the garage, Michael notices a feeble character in the back. He is hunched over, has very long nails, is weak, and odd. Michael meets Mina, his neighbor. Mina helps Michael feed and become friends with the arthritic man, who we later know is Skellig. Skellig loves chinese food, beer, and aspirin. Eventually, Mina and Michael move Skellig out of the old garage and into an abandoned home. They learn that Skellig has wings. He takes Mina and Michael on a "flight," where they dance in a circle together and gain wings. Skellig gains enough energy to leave, and Michael later learns that he heals his baby sister. Michael regains his friendships with his buddies at school, loves his sister, and continues to learn and be friends with Mina.

Response: I say it allllll the time, but this book was different than so many others that I have read before, really. It reminded me a lot of the movie, Michael. One of the main reasonings behind this is the way that Skellig looks. If John Travolta would be older and more hunched over, he would fit the aesthetic drawing of Skellig perfectly. Not to mention, Skellig LOVES beer. So does Michael. I actually cried during this book because it evoked so many emotions. It teaches so many different things; friendship, love, family, creativity etc.... All of these aspects make this story very dynamic. I think so many things are symbolic in this book as well (Ex. the owls.) The references to William Blake also make readers more curious. Each of these makes the book spectacularly written! How much more can you ask for as a teacher?!

Teaching Ideas: I am planning on buying a copy (I actually already went to Barnes and Nobles to look for it) to put in my classroom library. This would be an AMAZING book to use in high school. It draws students in, teaches them literary elements such as symbolism, introduces ideas, such as William Blake, and parallels to great World Literature, Gabriel Garcia Marquez's short story A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings. I know it isn't reliable sometimes, but Wikipedia has a great entry on this. I think these two pieces could be read seperatly and then compared. Students could even watch Michael and compare all three. They could differientiate between adolescent literature and "the classics" this way. I am really excited about introducing this book to students! -jeana

using children's books in the high school classroom

2008-02-27T12:07:00.001-08:00

I found these lesson plans on read, write, think.org. I am a firm believer that children's books can be used in the high school classroom. These lessons only enforce that!

Take a look, and enjoy!

Seuss and Silverstein: Posing Questions, Presenting Points

From Dr. Seuss to Jonathan Swift: Exploring the History behind the Satire

enjoy! - jeana

free verse from "Aleutian Sparrow"

2008-02-19T15:35:00.000-08:00

In Kashega, baseball is different.
rock, driftwood, and sand make the playing field.
Here, baseball is modernized.
Here, life is different.
Powered eggs, overbearing flora, and makeshift homes
are everyday life.
Life used to be simple.
Friends, rituals, elders.
Now, that is gone.
Americans, our own people, have taken over what used to be.
Ruined it.
What used to be
Will be no more.

Each Little Bird That Sings

2008-02-19T13:04:00.000-08:00

Title: Each Little Bird That Sings
Author : Wiles, Deborah
Publisher: Harcourt Books, 2005
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Age Range: 5th grade and up

Summary: This book is Comfort Snowberger, her family, and her family's business - the local funeral home, "Snowbergers." At Snowbergers "we live to serve." This motto is embraced by her member of her family. All her life Comfort has understood death and how to deal with it, that is until her great - Aunt Florentine dies. Comfort has to come face to face with the person she hates the most, her cousin Peach Shuggars. She also learns that sometimes best friends aren't just that. After almost dying in a flash flood, (on their way to Aunt Florentine's burial) Comfort saved her own and Peach's life - but unfortunately had to let her dog, Dismay go. Comfort learns how to deal with mourning and ultimately learns that her family will always be there to support and love her. They are the ones she needs.

Response: After reading this, I have a found a NEW FAVORITE BOOK!! Honestly, this book hits the top of my favorite list! I connected with Comfort so much! Besides being a girl, growing up in the south, and who is proud of it - Comfort and I are so similar!
- Aunt Florentine: "Even my hair was behaving. Aunt Florentine would be proud." First off, Aunt Florentine reminds me a lot of my grandma. She is very girly, but still loves to get her hands dirty. Her and Comfort are VERY close, just like me and my grandma. I have actually heard my grandma tell me that she is proud of me because I look "half decent!" :) This is something I could see Aunt Florentine say. Aunt Florentine is also very nosey, just like my MeMe. However, Florentine would never admit to is. She always referred to it as "geography." This is so cute! My MeMe would never admit to it either. Florentine is also just like my grandma because she loves to cook, have things in order, and make others happy! I also think it neat that Comfort is so close to her "great" Aunt. That is exactly how my family is. I am so close even all the way to my great-great Aunt's. That is one reason I love growing up in the south!
- Peach Shuggars: This little "brat" is my brother. Although I hated to love him, I did end up loving him in the end. This little boy has a big heart and is very sympathetic - just like my little brother. So many of the emotions that Comfort had for Peach, I have experienced as well. Although just as Comfort realized, it feels good to have someone look up to you! I also really liked at the end when she referred to him as a "perfect peach." This shows her acceptance and love for Peach - what he really wanted in the first place. And what I need to show my brother more often. One thing that made my heart go "aw" was when Peach told Comfort, "you saved my whole life." "When i die will you come to my funeral?" This just showed how much Peach loved Comfort and how he was beginning to accept this fact of death.
- Comfort: I love how Comfort could care less about how she looks. All she wants to do is go outside! This was me when I was growing up! I loved the fireflies, to climb, and to play with my animals. Comfort also taught me so much. I have always had a hard time dealing with death. In fact, I am a little bit like Peach when it comes to someone in my family dying. Comfort really did teach me that your loved ones will always be with you. Comfort also found "comfort" from her dad - just like me. For example, when Ccomfort went on the porch at night to find Dismay and she found her dad sitting out there. She got on his lap and found solice. For the first time her and the Snowbergers were mourning and for the first time Comfort felt sorrow and her dad did too. I recognized this with my dad when my grandpaw died over Christmas. I needed my Dad and he needed me. This was because just as Florentine raised Comfort's dad, my pawpaw was the only one my dad had. He did not want to stay at my grandparent's house by himself - but wanted me to stay with him. This made me feel so good. I also had to have my dad with me to touch my great-grandpaw, when he died, four years ago. I had never touched anyone who had died before. My daddy was the only one I wanted. I think Comfort would have wanted to same. Last thing, I really like how Wiles portrayed Comfort talking to people through her thoughts. For example, talking to her Aunt in Uncle in the ground. I do this too! Just like she talked to Florentine in her casket and said she made her smile, I did the same with my grandpaw - and I think he made me smile!
- The South: There are several things I connected with about the south. The fireflies, the recipe for sweet iced tea! My family does it the same. We even use a wooden spoon. I also really like how her Aunt Goldie says, "let her be." My family says this all the time. Man, I love the south!

I think this book really helped me get a handle of my emotions after my PawPaw Clinton's death. It really helped me come to grips with what has happened.

Teaching Ideas: I am definitely going to have this book avaliable in my classroom. I think it would be wonderful to talk about "voice" in a piece of literature. Also, dialect or regional writing. This book is written on a fairly easy reading level - so I would let me students choose to read it as a "free choice read." However, I would really talk it up because I think it is so great! With younger children (and myself) this is a great book to talk about death and the emotions that come along with that.

Kate, the Cat and the Moon

2008-02-19T07:23:00.001-08:00

Title: Kate, the Cat and the Moon
Author : Almond, David
Illustrator: Lambert, Stephen
Publisher: Random House Children's Books, 2004
Genre: Picture Book
Age Range: k-2

Summary: This book is about a young girl, Kate and her dream. In the middle of the night, Kate awakes to a white cat calling "meow." She goes to meet the cat and from there, magic happens. Kate turns into a cat too! They go on a magical journey through the town, the moon even turns into a cat! A page that turns out of the book shoes the two cats flying through the air, a shoe house, and airplanes that are birds! When Kate goes back home, and stars go away she wakes up to meet her family for breakfast. As they talk about their dreams, Kate only responds with a "meow."

Response:This picture book was really enjoyable. The full page spreads really brought the action to life! The moon itself takes up one whole page! It looks as if Lambert used colored pencils for his drawings. I really enjoy this because it makes the pictures look more "dream-like." I also enjoy how on certain pages Lambert and Almond teamed up to make the pages look like comics (where Kate turns into a cat, and then into a human.) Their creativity runs wild in this book, as it should. I thought it was a great idea of them to do a few pages with just pictures. This really helps the reader understand what Kate is seeing in her dream. The reader gets engrossed in the dream! One last thing, on the page where Kate climbs back into her bed, there is a book! This is one of my favorite elements, because to me, it is saying that a book can take to places you have never dreamed of!

Teaching Ideas: I wish I could use this book in a high school classroom, but unfortunately, I think it would work best in an Elementary class. This book would be so wonderful to use to get children to play pretend! What a better way to talk about imagination than through dreams? This book could also work well with talking about dreams. Students could discuss what happens in their dreams, maybe even keep a dream log, and then write a story or draw a picture based off their notes! This was a pleasure to read! I actually was smiling ear to ear (and looking quite goofy) while reading it in the library! -jeana

Joyful Noise

2008-02-18T20:46:00.000-08:00

Title: Joyful Noise
Author : Fleishchman, Paul
Illustrator: Beddows, Eric
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Inc., 1988
Awards : Newbery Medal Winner
Genre: poetry
Age Range: 5th grade and up

Summary: This book is different than any other book you will ever read. "Joyful Noise" is a book of poetry. Each poem is about a different insect from the Bee to the Book Lice, many insects are represented. Each poem is unique in that it is divided into two columns and meant to be read out loud. It is interesting to try and read it yourself. Reading it silently does this book no justice. It needs to be performed and read aloud, just as the author notes in his note at the beginning!

Response: What a wonderful book of poetry! Paul Fleischman in conjunction with Eric Beddows creates a sensory experience through this book. I enjoyed reading, and hearing, Fleischman's metaphors come to like, "night - our parchment." I also enjoyed hearing dueling insect voices battle with one another, like in "Honeybees." The reader really gets a sense of how the two bee's lives are completely opposite. Through this book, the reader also gains a better understand of how reliable insects are upon one another. For example, "Water Boatmen" gives the listener and reader a wonderful sense of camaraderie as each insect calls out "stroke" in unison. My personal favorite poem is "Book Lice." I love how this poem, with the opposing voices, gives a sense of a love story. These lice become alive in this poem! Fleischman is so talented to be able to make these column-esque poems create such an experience for the reader. Below is an example of how the entire book is written..... Teaching Ideas: This is a book that will make several appearances in my classroom. What a wonderful, wonderful book to teach during a poetry unit! I think it would be so wonderful to have students learn the importance of performance poetry through this book. A good idea would be to have students pair up, practice, and perform. Then, as a group they could write their own dueling poems...to be performed! This would definitely give students a different perspective on traditional poetry. For another idea visit here. Fleischman is such a creative man, I would not want his presence in my classroom to end. Check out his website, and get more great ideas for your own classroom use!

I hope you all hear a JOYFUL NOISE in your classroom soon!
-jeana

Aluetian Sparrow

2008-02-18T10:03:00.000-08:00

Pre-reading:
I am really in awe that I was never taught this while in school. I have always heard that the government keeps things secret, but I never truly saw this until I read the websites that were posted. I am taken-aback by this motive. I understand that the government wanted to help out, but couldn't they have done a little better? These poor Aleuts lived in hell. Separated from everything they knew, owned, and loved and immedieatly relocated is a nightmare. I cannot even begin to understand how they felt. One of my favorite websites was a link off of the Aleutian World War II National Historic Area site. I really enjoyed reading the "kids page." Issues such as this are hard for smaller kids to grasp and understand. This website could really help children. In fact, I learned so much from reading Harriet's Story. By reading this, you can understand where a child is coming from. She had no idea what was happening, but saw the way her mother and sister, Gretchen, were effected. It broke my heart to hear what Harriet's mother did to help others. She was a very strong woman, very selfless. I also think another wonderful site is Aleut TV. I would really like to see this documentary. I feel like this site had wonderful resources, such as photographs/archives of many historical documents. This is such a good resource for me to use in my classroom. I would love to be able to use clips from a video to teach my students just exactly what the Aleuts experienced. I feel like there is a lot more I can learn about this topic. I would love to see this become something taught in mainstream education. To me, it relates so closely to what the Jews experienced from Hitler. Appalling and stunning to see this in the US. -jeana

After reading:
What a sad book. But at the same time, what a wonderful one to use in the classroom. It is such a pity that this is never spoken about, but now that we know we do not have to be silent! We can teach our children, the future about this! I think this book is a great way to talk about bias and prejudices. Americans experienced the horrible events in this book. Students have heard about the Jews and Hitler, but not of the Aleuts and the US government. One way to help this come alive to many students is to put it in perspective. Just as we answered the pre-reading questions, so could students. We could also "simulate" in class one day what the Aleuts may have gone through. At the beginning of the day, give students whatever they could wish for, blankets, clothes, warmth, food, put them in families etc. Then, as the day goes along take things away. Help them create a community, and re-build. Just as Vera did. Make the kuliich bread and take into class. Try to help your students understand.

I think that as teachers we can teach empathy and compassion. By reading this, I gained a greater deal of compassion for these people. Before reading this, I was naive in a way. I had no idea this had happened. By having this knowledge, I am empowered. I know the truth behind this story. The secret is out. I can do something now. Just as our students can.

By reading Aleutian Sparrow in class, students see that Vera had a life much like their own. She played darts, laughed, and had fun (p.104) but also had to grow up and realize that a "war is raging" on every continent on earth (p.113). Vera could have many connections with children, her past life, how she tries to make her present life seem normal but at the same time - students are reminded that her life is anything BUT normal. P. 124 has one of my favorite passages on it, Vera is angry because she didn't choose this, it was chosen for her. She is not treated fairly, her friends have died. This is a harsh reality, but students need to be aware of it. They need to know what is happening in their society.

I think this book could connect very much to The Diary of Anne Frank, and even Night. Both of these books focus on racism, predjucies, and bias. I think all of them could be taught together, in a unit.

I really enjoyed this book and I can see myself using it in the classroom. I think students could connect with it and connect it with other works and points in their life.
-jeana

Where I'm From

2008-02-17T09:22:00.000-08:00

“Where I’m From”
I am from
an incubator that withheld me for 3 solid months.
A Kitchenaid mixer, passed down for three generations.
And from Gold Medal Flour, Grandmaw Zoie swore by it.

I’m from
Catfish Corner with no stop lights, better known as Claremont.

I am from
snapdragons and dogwood trees that grow in my MeMe’s yard.
Every spring, their delicate smells greet me.

I’m from
family gatherings, covered dish dinners, and freckles.
I am from home-grown food.

I am from Boxcar and Poss.
My two great-grandpaws.
Both famous in my hometown.

I’m from
Sunday afternoon naps and childhood stories.

I am from
“ask questions” and “be grateful.”

I’m from
reading every night before going to bed.

I am from
Lutheranism, Catechism,
and being the north STAR in Christmas plays.

I’m from
Forsyth Hospital, deviled eggs, and green beans.
And from pictures of deceased family in their caskets.

I’m from
the Bayou, or at least I am told that.
Mom tells me I’m part “cajun coon-ass.”

I am from
the man who had to quit third grade to raise his brothers.
He couldn’t read, but worked the farm like no other.

I am from
Boxcar’s infamous garden. Complete with scarecrow.

I’m from Ruby’s bell table.

The Wednesday Wars

2008-02-12T20:50:00.000-08:00

Title: The Wednesday Wars
Author & Illustrator: Schmidt
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Co., 2007
Awards : Newbery Honor, 2007
Genre: Realistic Fiction, novel
Age Range: 7th grade and up

Summary: This story has so many parts that I am not even sure where to begin. Holling Hoodhood is narrator, and main character, of this story. During his seventh grade year at school, in 1967, Holling faces some challenges. One of these challenges is that he believes his teacher, Mrs. Baker, hates him. Why? you might ask. Well, on Wednesdays when everyone in school is dismissed to go to Temple or Mass, Holling stays at school. He is the only Presbysterian in his class. First, Mrs. Baker makes him do the worst chores such as clean erasers and the rat pin (which is a whole different story when they get out.) But then, Mrs. Baker realizes she has something better for Holling to do, read Shakespeare. At first, Holling hates it. Eventually he really gets into it. He memorizes lines, acts in a play, and even catches a date with some Shakespeare. Holling himself didn't know he could connect so much to an old man and his plays. Although Holling and Mrs. Baker may not "hit it off" at the beginning, they become close friends. Holling learns that Mrs. Baker's husband is in the Vietnam war and is missing him greatly. Holling also makes great friends, besides Mrs. Baker. Meryl Lee and Mai Tai became two of my favorites. Although Holling lives in the "perfect house" and his life may seem pretty wonderful so far, it isn't. Holling is supposed to inherit the fortune of an architectural business, Hoodhood and Associates. However, Holling wants to make this decision for himself. This is very much a story of self- discovery.

Response: I could not put this book down! It definitely captivated me, from the very beginning. I literally laughed out loud to this book, and at times almost cried. I really loved how Schmidt captured emotion. He also had very "round" characterization. Although there were a lot of characters, Holling, Heather, Meryl Lee, Mrs. Baker, Mai Tai, Danny, Coach Quatrini, Doug Swieteck, Mrs. Sidman, and many others I feel like I got to know each and everyone of them very well. Although Holling grew up in a different time than me and is a lot different than me, I feel like I connected to him well. He was trying to find himself, make his own decisions, connect to things (like Shakespeare), find love, and enjoy life! Seventh grade is such a hard time, anyways. I know that I experienced all of these things. Especially the "find love" part. In the seventh grade I wanted a boyfriend so bad! And one day, I literally flipped over in a chair for one! Holling experienced embarrassment, too. He learned how to get through it and move on, as did I. Holling is also a very smart boy. I have taken an entire class on Shakespeare and I learned more about reciting and memorizing lines from Holling than I did in an entire semester! (Toads, Beetles, Bats!) I really loved this book. It is so dynamic and so many things can be pulled from it.

Teaching Ideas: There are so many teaching applications to this book. I do not think it would be a good read-aloud, though. It has too much dialog and I feel students would get lost. I do think this would be a great book to do a double-entry diary with. The teacher could split up the reading into sections. By the end of each section, the student should have at least five connections made with the book. Honestly, I wish I would have done this while I read. This book is just so dense and there is so much to pull from. This would definitely make the reading experience more valuable and worthwhile. I also think this book could be used as a springboard to talking about war. It definitely talks about society at the time of the Vietnam war. Readers get a good sense of how everyone sat down to hear Walter Cronkite, everynight. These social repercussions would be a great topic to talk about. This book could also be used to jump-start reading Shakespeare. Students could see that Holling had a good time with it, so maybe they would be more likely to give the old man a chance! "The Wednesday Wars" could also be included in a coming of age unit/section of the classroom library.

Please, please, please go check out this book. There is too much for me to tell you here. You will really enjoy it and never look back!
--jeana

A Bad Case of Stripes

2008-02-11T20:36:00.001-08:00

Title: A Bad Case of Stripes
Author & Illustrator: Shannon, David
Publisher: Blue Sky Press, 1998
Genre: Picture Book
Age Range: 1-3rd grade

Summary: This story is of Camilla Cream who loved, loved, loved lima beans but would never eat them in fear of what others would say. All Camilla wanted to do was fit in! Finally, she started to fit in, literally! She turned into the flag during the pledge of allegiance, she turned into a giant pill, she even turned into her room! Camilla was stunning the doctors. They had no idea what was wrong with her! It wasn't until the little old woman came into the room, that was Camilla, and gently coerced what was wrong out of her. All Camilla wanted were lima beans! After eating a few, she began to turn back into herself and never looked back! She ate lima beans all the time.

Response: What a beautiful story and illustrations, too! I think this book is simply amazing. David Shannon includes colorful, double paged spreads that showcase Camilla's colors. Not only through words, but illustrations as well, does he show the reader just how much Camilla wanted to fit in. I think this book is a wonderful read-aloud! It has a great "feel-good" aspect to it as well. One of my favorite photos in the whole book is the one of where Camilla has actually turned into her room! Shannon uses vivid creativity to capture every aspect of Camilla. Her hairbow, her eyes as the windows, her lips as the sheets, and her nose as the dresser. I love how Shannon shows this "roomed girl" as scared, but her parents are scared as well! This is such a neat spread. I also love how Shannon uses food names for each of the characters, Cream, old woman as plump as a strawberry, Dr. Gourd and Dr. Melon. I think this just re-iterates the idea of Camilla turning into this monstrosity because of her favorite food denial! Heck , lima beans are good to me!

Teaching Ideas: Besides being a fun book to read in class, this could be a great way to spark discussion among children about fitting in. As a teacher, you could talk about what makes you unique! Read, Write, Think. Org has a great idea about how to incorporate this into your classroom. I think this is also a great way to make an art project. Why not have students create themselves. They can create draw/paint/color/mold how they view themselves. For example, I love reading. Maybe I would be a giant book!

I hope you enjoy this book, and have fun with it! I know your students will!
--jeana

Alice the Fairy

2008-02-11T10:17:00.000-08:00

Title: Alice the Fairy
Author & Illustrator: Shannon, David
Publisher: Scholastic Inc., 2004
Genre: Picture Book
Age Range: k-1

Summary: This book is the story of a y0ung girl, Alice and her life as a Fairy. Alice lets the reader know that she is is not a "permanent" fairy, only a temporary one. It takes a long time, and special schooling, to become a permanent fairy. In the meantime, Alice shows the reader all the things she does as a fairy. She disappears (turns the lights out), turns her dress red (spills juice on it), and even turns her dad's cookies into her own! (Eats them.) Alice has fun and uses her imagination to be a fairy in every means of the word!

Response: The pictures and text in this font really help it come alive! This story line could be just another, simple story. But instead, Shannon uses his creative illustrations to make the words and actions pop! This picture book is a normal sized picture book, but the double paged spreads are what stand out! The larger than life picutures of Alice riding on her dad's back and hiding under her blanket, help the reader understand how "larger than life" and imaginative little Alice is. The bright colors also allow the reader to feel as if they, themselves, are in fairy land! I really love how Shannon allows Alice to love herself and her talents and a temporary fairy. It seems as if she enjoys it just that way!

Teaching Ideas: Of course this would be a wonderful book to just read aloud to students. The simplicity of this book may also be a good choice for a beginning reader to tackle. After reading this with young children, teachers could allow students to make crown for their father's/mother's or even have imaginative free-play where they are fairies in the classroom! I can even see myself using this in the high school classroom. It would be a great book to read to students if they need a "pick me up" day, or if we were reading another book whose character is trying to understand their "true" self like "The Wednesday Wars," or "The Perks of Being a Wallflower."

I hope you like it as much as I did!
-jeana

Animal Sense

2008-02-11T09:55:00.000-08:00

Title: Animal Sense
Author: Ackerman, Diane
Illustrator: Sis,Peter
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf, 2003
Genre: Illustrated Poetry Book
Grade Range: 3rd-6th grade

Summary: This book is a compliation of poems that talk about the five senses in relevance to animals. For example, there are "chapters" on each touch, hearing, vision, smell, and taste. Throughout these different "chapters" Ackerman explores, through poetry, how different animals experience these senses. Along side of each poem there is a full page picture, adjacent to a smaller picture. It seems as if Sis used small dots to make each illustration. The illustrations for chapters are comprised of a human head, pinpointing each sense through over-exaggerated "swirlies."

Response: I think this book "hits" in many different arenas at one time. The poetry is beautiful and simplistic. But, in a more complex way, everything cohesively comes together. For example, the five senses are all tied back together because it is the stories of different animals experiencing them. I love how Ackerman used onomotopeia to illustrate sounds in this book. For example, the owl "who, who, who." She also uses rhyming words, like two, to re-iterate the sound of the owl. I also especially love how she ties the animal's lives back into the reader's. She uses dialog, common language, and humor to allow to the reader to connect. Like in the "smell" section, she personifies the dog so the reader can better understand this. I also like the way how Sis emphasizes the sense of the animal through the photo. The cow is eating "taste," the mama penguin and the baby peguin are together "touch," and so on.

Teaching Ideas: I see so many possible teaching implications with this book. One of those implications would be to use this book in a lower-elementary classroom as in intro, or part of, a unit on animals. This book could also be used to teach drawing, in an art class. However, in my field of secondary education, I can see this book being used to teach poetry. Although the poems are simple, they interweave each other with a certain complexity. I also see many classical poetry elements in this book, onomotopeia, personification, rhyme, and dialog. High schoolers can be intimidated by Whitman or Dickinson. This would be a great intro to poetry for high schoolers.

Go take a look at this gem of a book!
--jeana

Because of Winn Dixie

2008-02-11T04:59:00.001-08:00

I was really surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. I feel like it would be challenging for 3/4th graders but at the same time, anyone can learn from it. That is what I enjoyed the most about the book, the lessons learned. I actually found myself writing down quotes from the book like, "There ain't no way you can hold onto something that wants to go...You can only love what you got while you got it." This quote, along with many others help make "Because of Winn Dixie" personal and relevant to me.

I really enjoyed seeing how Opal developed throughout the story. It was as if once she found Winn Dixie, she found courage. Winn Dixie gave her the courage to talk to "preacher" (later referred to as "Daddy") about her Mama. It gave her courage to stand up to the Dewberry's, run through "the witch's" yard, talk to Amanda, and become friends with Otis. Winn Dixie helped Opal do things that she wouldn't normally do.

I believe Winn Dixie was the main character of this story, because if it wasn't for her then there would be no story. It would just be Opal, stuck in a small town with her preacher father. Winn Dixie made this story come alive. He added humor (catching and not killing the mouse.) He added suspense (hiding during the storm at the party.) Winn Dixie also added so much more. He gave Opal something to look forward to, relate to, and take care of. Through Winn Dixie, Opal was allowed to be kid, make friends, and learn things she would have never known before.

One of my favorite lessons I learned from this book was being reminded not to judge. I love how Ms. Dump put it, "you can't always judge people by the things they done. You got to judge them by what they are doing now." I feel like in today's society we get so caught up in judging others by their pasts. Opal learned a great lesson here, for Otis and Gloria were both amazing people, despite mistakes that were made. I feel like this book could be used in the classroom in so many ways. First off, I think this would be a great read-aloud book. DiCamillo stops chapters in spots that are perfect cliff-hangers. I would also enjoy seeing students write stories about their own "Winn-Dixie's." Students could also make a "list of ten things" like Opal did with her mom, near the beginning of the book. Then, at the end of the book they would learn that that list does not merely encompass all that they are. This book could also be tied into the Civil War, since that is what created the idea for the Littmus Lozenge. Also, vocabulary could be taught closely with this book. For example, "melancholy." (On a side note, I have also thought that word had a hint of beauty and grace to it as well.)

This is just a great book. I only wish there were more than one!

-jeana

2008-02-05T13:16:00.000-08:00

Title: Moses : When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom
Author: Weatherford, Carole Boston
Illustrator: Nelson, Kadir
Publisher: Hyperion Books for Children, 2006
Genre: Picture Book, Informational Text, Historical Fiction
Awards: Caldecott Honor Book 2007, Coretta Scott King Award
Age Range: 3-5th graders

Summary: This inspirational book tells the story of Harriet Tubman. The book personifies Tubman as Moses. After questioning herself, she follows what the Lord tells her to do, escape. Once reaching Philadelphia, Tubman turns back around to get her family and friends. The forward and author's notes tell more information about the book. This book is categorized as a historical fiction because it is based on a true event, but contains dialog that may have not actually happened.

Response: This book will be used over and over again in my classroom. The way Weatherford and Boston combined their incredible talents in this picture book is breath-taking. Formatting is one of my favorite aspects of this book. I imagine God being boisterous and loud. This book has his dialog printed large and outstanding. Harriet's voice is subdued through the use of italics. The story-line itself is in a simple, easy to read, distinguishable font. That is what made this book very interesting to me, three different voices are heard. I also love how Weatherford uses vivid language to tell the story. She uses language that almost sounds like a chant, "When that old Chariot comes, I'm going to leave you..." Also, the pictures themselves could be hung on walls. HOW AMAZING! The author's words and illustrator's pictures mesh so well, especially on the "river" page. Or, on the page where Tubman is sitting on the ground. The words wrapped around her makes it seem as if God is enrobing her in his grace.
This book is very impressive, all the way around!

Teaching Ideas: For this book, I am going to focus on it's use in the high school classroom. This book could be used in so many different ways. Again, it could be used to teach voice/perspective/point of view. It could also be used to introduce a unit on African American Literature/slavery. So many things can be incorporated into this book such as slave songs, other stories from this time period, the importance of God to slaves etc. Students could look up the story of Moses, and compare. This could teach allegory! This book will be used in my high school classroom because it catches attention and it talks about a rather controversial topic.

Who said picture books were for kids?!

PS--> Here is a great lesson plan to try out with this book!

--jeana

The Teeny Tiny Teacher

2008-02-05T09:36:00.000-08:00

Title: The Teeny Tiny Teacher

Author: Calmenson, Stephanie

Illustrator: Roche, Denis

Publisher: Scholastic Inc., 1998

Genre: Picture Book

Age Range: k-1

Summary: This book is all about the "teeny tiny teacher and her teeny tiny class." The class decides to go on a "teeny tiny walk." While outside, the teacher finds a teeny tiny bone and decides to take it back with her to use during a science lesson. When the teeny tiny class gets back in the teeny tiny classroom, the teeny tiny teacher forgets all about the bone. Mysterious utterances like, "give me my bone!" are heard. The teeny tiny teacher thinks it is a student, but learns it is coming from their teeny tiny closet. The teacher ends up telling the voice to take the bone. The ghost disappears and all is happy in the teeny tiny world.

Response: One of my first impressions was that the teeny tiny teacher sure does have a BIG voice! I loved this book! The repition of "teeny tiny" really made this book fun for me. One of my favorite things about this book were the pictures. I loved the idea of the teeny tiny school actually being "teeny tiny." The school made from a a notebook, pencils, and eraser was very intelligent. Even the library and recreation center were made from materials that were used in them. This book reminded me a lot of the kids game "Doggie Doggie Where's Your Bone?" and also of the book/movie Thumbelina.

Teaching Ideas: This book could be read for pure enjoyment, or could be used to pull different elements from. For example, this would be a great book to just read to students. However I can see it being used as more. Students could actually build their own teeny tiny houses, out of the materials shown in the teeny tiny village. Students could explore the idea of perception. The pictures in this book tell a great story. Teeny tiny people see things different than we do. Students could discuss and write a whole story of their own about what these teeny tiny people see. I could also see this being used in the high school classroom. Older students could learn about the effects of repition and alliteration. This would be a great story to introduce those two elements.

2008-02-04T18:35:00.000-08:00

Title: What Do You Do With a Tail Like This?
Author: Page, Robin
Illustrator: Jenkins, Steve
Type of Artwork: cut paper collage
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books, 2003
Genre: Picture Book, Concept Book
Awards: Caldecott Honor Book 2007
Age Range: k-1

Summary: This book talks about different animals and their parts. The authors set it up so that readers can guess which parts belong to which animal. Noses, ears, tails, eyes, feet, and mouths are all parts that the authors explore. As the reader continues through the book they learn what distinct differences animals have in these areas. At the end of the book there is an index with more information about each animal.

Response: This book is definitely in a different category than just "picture" book. This book falls under the category of "concept picture book." In this category, the picture book goes a step further to present information and "convey knowledge" on a particular topic. This book conveys info about animals. I really enjoyed this book. In fact, I learned something myself! A girl in my foundations class last week said that teachers couldn't learn from their students. First off, I believe she is wrong. Secondly, if a student read this they could tell me many things! This book is very informative and very interesting. The information in this book was conveyed very nicely. The way Jenkins and Page formatted the text made this book seem different than other information texts. The pictures are very eye-catching. Some of the pictures look so life-life I had to take a second look (like the bat and bush baby.) This is a great text to learn from and see wonderful artwork! The text and artwork go hand in hand in "What Do You Do With a Tail Like This?" This book is unique in the way that the text alone may not be very pleasing to young readers. The text is just informational. The pictures pull the reader in. The artwork for this book was cut paper collage. That is such a great and unique technique!! At points in the book, the paper actually looked like it was painted, for example the scorpion. I think that by using paper for the artwork instead of actual pictures Jenkins drew (not intended as a pun!) more attention to the animals. If the artwork for this book was just pictures of animals, young readers would be bored. Readers have seen pictures of animals all over the place! This technique is new!

Teaching Ideas: This book could be used for several different purposes. In smaller grades, this book could be used as a game. Have students guess which nose belongs to which animal (before the page is flipped.) Younger students could benefit from understanding identification. Older students, first/second grade, could use this book as an intro to research on animals. Each student could choose a different animal and research it. For high school students, teachers could use this book as an intro to creative writing or research. In my high school room, I want students to write children's book. This would be a wonderful example to show to students, especially students who are very artistic. They could try to follow the same format. High school students could also reference the back of the book as a way to understand how to write up research.

This is a great book! Go check it out, then check out some cool animals!

--jeana

The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Curtain

2008-01-29T09:54:00.000-08:00

Title: The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain

Author & Illustrator: Sis, Peter

Publisher: Douglas & McIntyre Ltd. , 2007

Genre: Picture, auto-biography, historical non-fiction

BookAwards: Caldecott Winner, New York Times Best Illustrated Book Award, Kirkus Reviews Editors' Choice, Horn Book FanFare, School Library Journal Best Book, Parents' Choice Award Winner

Age Range: 3rd grade and up

Summary: This book is an auto-biography of Peter Sis. He chronicles growing up in Czechoslovakia during the Cold War. Sis shows his struggles, whether it be emotional or political. Peter finds comfort through art. In a cold, regimented world, Sis uses drawing as an escape. As Sis gets older, he finds himself

Response: This is an interesting book, a well researched, well developed novel. I think it is so interesting how Sis uses his pictures and his words to intertwine with each other. The full page photos, comic-book like strips, and other innovative techniques keep the readers attention. One of my favorite aspects of this book was Sis' use of color. I really enjoyed seeing how Sis used color throughout this book. It was eye-catching how he used black, white, and the occasional red for bad memories. The Beatles, rebellion etc... were all in full color. Sis' joys in life were in color. I also enjoy how he portrayed characters. For example, the government was portrayed as pigs!

Teaching Ideas: Although this book is written on a younger reading level, I feel as if it is intended for an older audience. This would be a great book to use in the high school classroom! In the English class, you could talk about use of color, symbolism etc. Maybe use it as an intro to a unit on war or a piece of literature that you may be reading about the Cold War. I could also see this book being a favorite in social studies classrooms! Art classes could also find Sis' unique style of color and simple pictures helpful!

"The Thief Lord"

2008-01-27T20:55:00.001-08:00

This is perhaps one of the best books I have read in a LONG time! (And I read a lot of books!) I won't lie, I had a hard time getting into this novel but once the action started, the pages began to flip!

As I read the novel, I tried to think about passages to highlight and make notes on. I found myself doing this on EVERY PAGE! This novel was so wonderful. I felt like I was drawn into the world of these children and got to know each and every one of them so well.

"Good books expand awareness." This novel definitely taught me more about Venice. I have looked up so many different sites just so I can connect pictures with words.

"Good books provide an enjoyable read that doesn't over teach." This book was definitely an enjoyable read. Getting caught up in the whirlwind of thievery and magical realism was amazing! I did not feel like I was being "preached" to, but in the end I did get a warm, fuzzy feeling!

"Good books tell the truth." This book did not candy coat anything. Victor used the word, "darn," children were homeless, and characters like Morosina felt no pity. Readers were immersed in a REAL world, not a fake one.

"Good books embody quality." The Thief Lord was the embodiment of quality. Interloping plots, foreshadowing, perfectly precise details, and rounded characters made this novel so interesting!

"Good books have integrity." This book had the upmost integrity. It could definitely hold its own to say, JK Rowling or Ronald Dahl.

"Good books show originality." I have never read a book like this before, nor will I probably ever again. This book took me to a whole new world, full of so many different things. I loved getting caught up in a mystery, adventure, and a type of biography. This book was so wonderful!

There were a few unexpected plot twists that I was not expecting. One of course, was Scipio's all telling "true" story. I would have never guessed that he lied to his friends and that his family was rich and famous. Another plot twist is that of Barbarossa. He was a very kniving character. I never thought that he would actually go to Esther's. I also loved the idea of Bo being at Ida's, and Prosper looking for him!! How unexpected!

By the end of this novel I knew all of the characters very well. However, I felt like I knew a few better than others. Prosper, Bo, Hornet, Victor, and Scipio had more characterization than the others. All in all, Bo was my favorite character. I can imagine him being a small, naive, happy child that just wants to be with his big brother. I felt so sorry for him when he mad his Aunt mad. I know that he wasn't happy with her, but it couldn't have made him feel good when she said she didn't want him back.

I feel like there are several themes throughout this novel. I feel like one of the most prevalent is family. These kids barely knew each other. They learned Scipio had lied to them, and that their enemy (Victor, the detective) may not be so much of an enemy anyway. These characters came to love each other. They cared for each other. One of my favorite quotes, from the novel and perhaps ever, came from Victor near the end of the novel, "Being related is not a guarantee of love" p. 331.This quote related directly to the situation between Prosper, Bo, and their Aunt. But also between the whole group. This quote relates directly to my life, because my legal dad is not my blood father. But, he raised me. Being related has nothing to do with the love me and my dad have for each other. Therefore, I feel like I have a deeper understanding for what Victor is saying.

The imagery in the book was astounding! The whole time I was saying to myself, "I can see this being a movie." Little did I know that a movie is in the making! The imagery of the characters, the kittens :), and the city is tell all. I have a vivid image in my mind of the "dilapidated" theater with a torn down curtain and scurrying rats.

I do not feel like it was hard for Funke to incorporate fantastical elements into her story. Venice is know as such a magical place that I feel like those things SHOULD happen. The idea of going to a mystical island is genius in itself. The island is used as a way to set apart "magical" from the "realistic" world. Shakespeare does this in many of his plays, such as "The Merchant of Venice." Belmont is this place that is made to feel "magical and mysterious." I feel that Isola Segreta is the same way. I mean, the Secret Island!

This book, as I have said, is so amazing on so many different levels. While I read, I connected to things I am familiar with. Since I love to cook, and Venice is so much a city of food, I thought about one of my favorite chefs, Giada de Laurentiis, and some of my favorite Italian foods, such as hazelnuts and chocolates, gelato, and pasta!

Now, I can go to sleep with visions of Venice, golden winged lions, and gelato in my head! You should too! Go read "The Thief Lord" By Cornelia Funke, if you haven't already!!

--Ciao! Jeana

How Are You Peeling?

2008-01-24T19:17:00.000-08:00

Title: How Are You Peeling? Foods with Moods
Author: Freymann, Saxton and Elffers, Joost
Photographer: Nimkin/Parrinello
Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books, 1999
Genre: Picture Book
Awards: The New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Book
Age Range: k-1

Summary: This book is all about MOODS! The title, How Are You Peeling? plays on the words "feel" and "peel." As soon as the reader opens the page, colorful pictures of expressive fruit show their faces. As the book continues, readers are encouraged to question, discover, and come to a better understanding about their feelings. The book has beautiful photographs of fruit that has been carved to show expressions of different feelings. At the end of the book, the authors have a short paragraph to explain their process of creating the book.

Response: What isn't there to LOVE about this book! The words are so simple, but the photographs are anything but! The beautiful, artistic sculptures perfectly capture each of the feelings that Freymann and Elffers mention to the reader. This book is one of my favorite books to read when I am feeling upset because it puts me in the best mood. I have never seen another book that uses carved fruit as the pictures. This idea is so innovative and so creative that I am curious to find other books that use this same technique.

Teaching Ideas: This would be a good book to use for the first day of class. As the teacher read it and simultaneously talked about these feelings with the class, students could begin to identify their emotions with words. This book would allow students to engage in open dialog about different emotions they have encountered. In turn, students would begin to feel more comfortable with each other.

If you like this book, check out these similarly constructed ones:
Food For Thought
Baby Food
Dog Food
Fast Food

Eat Up! ;)
--Jeana

Henrietta and the Golden Eggs

2008-01-23T19:54:00.000-08:00

Title: Henrietta and the Golden Eggs
Author: Johansen, Hanna
Illustrator: Bhend, Kathi
Translator: Barrett, John S.
Publisher: David R. Godine, 2002 (First American Publication)
Genre: traditional story, picture book
Age Range: 1-2 grade

Summary: This book is a story about the smallest hen, Henrietta, and her aspirations to lay a golden egg. The other hens in the coop discourage her from every goal she sets for herself. Although the other hens think it is a dis-advantage to be smaller, Henrietta soon learns that she can do many things the other chickens cannot do. The 3,333 chickens are soon set "free" by little Henrietta, and learn that she is smarter than they think. Did they really think a chicken could lay a golden egg?

Response: This book was very different than I was expecting. I really enjoyed getting to know Henrietta and her character. She turned out to be quite a smart little lady. This book definitely is inspiring to "the underdog." I was expecting this picture book to be like "The Little Red Hen," but it definitely wasn't. One of the things I enjoyed most about this book was the illustrations. They were so much more than just pictures, Bhend captured chickens as artwork. The detail in each of the pictures made the book a joy to look at. My great-grandmother collects chickens and I actually thought about photocopying the title page and framing it for her.

Teaching Ideas: One of the biggest ways I could see this book being used in the classroom is through a unit. An animal unit, or chicken unit would be a great way to incorporate this. It would be interesting to have a whole station on chickens. Students could investigate how chickens are portrayed throughout popular culture. Some sites that could be helpful for planning this are: Chicken Little, The Little Red Hen, Chicken Run, and Love and Roast Chicken. This book would also be good to talk about the obvious, bullying and following your dreams. Students should be exposed to these topics and this book would be an easy way to do so.

Go check this book out! It really is a lot of fun! --Jeana

Kitten's First Moon

2008-01-22T21:11:00.000-08:00

Title: Kitten's First Full Moon

Author & Illustrator: Henkes, Kevin

Publisher: Harper Press, 2004

Genre: picture book

Awards: 2005 Caldecott Medal Winner

Age range: K-1

Summary: This picture book is about a kitten's first encounter with a full moon. The kitten mistakes the moon for a big bowl of milk and attempts to reach it. After many attempts, the kitten finally gives up. Little does the kitten know that there is a tasty surprise waiting on him at home

Response: This book was very simple and yet very intriguing. As a young student, I could find myself saying outloud, "poor kitten!" I really enjoyed this simple black and white illustrations. Before this book, I never thought of a full moon being a bowl of milk. Henkes illustrated this perfectly through his illustrations. One of the things I noticed about this simple character, Kitten, is his determination. He walked, climbed, and even jumped to try and get his bowl of milk. He never gave up, until he thought it was too much. The surprise element at the end of the picture book made me say "AW!" I always love when there is a happy ending to a story. As simple as this book was, it really illustrated, through words and pictures, the persona of a kitten. Since I have a kitten I could personally identify with the "stretching," springing from the porch," "chasing," and pure curiosity. Henkes wrote this book very carefully.

Teaching Ideas: There are several ways that this book could be used in the classroom. One way could be a simple read-aloud. Students could say outloud, "Poor Kitty!" only to find in the end that "lucky" is a better adjective! Students could also use this book to learn to read. The simple words and corresponding pictures make it easy for a young reader to get excited and motivated to read. Teachers could also use this book to incorporate into an animal unit. Teachers could allow students to talk about their experiences with pets, or kittens. This could even lead into an art project where students create a piece that illustrates a mistaken association. For example, students could make a sun, but an orange eating monkey may mistaken the sun for an orange! (Just as kitten saw the moon as a bowl of milk.)

Have fun with this book!

--jeana

Carnival At Candlelight

2008-01-22T20:41:00.001-08:00

I am so impressed, and so excited by this book! I forgot how much fun it is to read Children's Literature! The Carnival at Candlelight really impressed me. Despite its short length (for a reader my age) I didn't want to put it down! I could definitly see how young readers could be sucked into the plot.

One of my favorite aspects of the book was how Mary Pope Osborne broke it up. I loved the idea of incorporating letters, "reference sections," and pictures into this novel. It really allowed me to feel as if I were right beside Jack or Annie. As many people have said, I loved the "reference sections." The bold print allowed the reader to easily identify them, but I also enjoyed learning about Venice, Tiepolo, and winged lions! This is such a wonderful way to teach children! The disaster chapter was one of my favorite, "we have to save all of Venice?" This quote exemplifies Jack's paranoia. This chapter is a great lesson for responsibility, and even service. Another one of my favorite aspects was the idea of imagination. Kids are often discouraged to use their imagination because of standardized testing and unexcited teachers. This book really encourages the use of imagination, "in his imagination, Jack saw Neptune..." This book really sucks you into reading the rest of the series too. "We have eight rhymes left....for our next three journeys," Jack says. I really want to read those next three journeys! I am sure many students would as well.

I connected this book, immediately, to Edgar Allan Poe's "The Cask of Amontillado." I learned that the setting was in Venice, Italy, probably during the time of carnival. I could definitely see this book being a seg-way into this short story, especially in a classroom of students with reading defiencies. Students who cannot read well in high school could read "Carnival at Candlelight." Then, they could transition into reading "Cask." This would be so wonderful! They could get some excellent reading time with Osbornes book and then get some "classic" reading in with Poe! Another experience I connected this to was just the experience of Venice. I have always wanted to go there, and I almost was able to in this book.

This book teaches so many different things at once. Social studies, science (flooding in the lagoon,) mythology (Neptune,) patience, responsibility, and much more! This is such a great novel that can be used on so many different levels. Again, I am very impressed and very excited by this wonderful adventure of Annie and Jack.

My Favorite Children's Books

2008-01-21T13:28:00.003-08:00

WELCOME!

2008-01-16T20:32:00.000-08:00

Welcome to my blog! This is my first time blogging and I am very excited about it. This blog will serve as a place for me to gather and share ideas about children's literature. Who knows, maybe this will even broaden out to adolescent literature. Feel free to look around, take ideas, and let me know what you think!
--Jeana

2008-01-15T20:28:00.001-08:00