American Born Chinese

American Born Chinese is a tale of trying to fit in. Initally, we are presented with three different stories, a 'folktale' about the magical monkey king of flower-fruit mountain, the story of Wei-Chen Sun and Jing Wang trying to fit in in an American middle school, and Danny's visits from his cousin Chin-kee. At first these stories appear to have nothing to do with each other, besides a link to being Asian. However, when the stories braid together, Jing Wang/Danny learns a dramatically important lesson about being who you are and remembering where you came from. This theme is universal, and not one that should just be learned by Asian Americans.

Graphically speaking, American Born Chinese has some beautiful moments. My favorite moments are the moments when there are not though bubbles on the page, when the story goes silent. These moments don't need to belong to a specific culture. Isn't any middle school boy on his first date extremely awkward?

Each main character in each individual tale experiences dynamic changes as the plot develops, Jing Wang, Danny and the Monkey King. All learn the theme or moral lesson of the tale, be true to yourself and true affections and friendships will develop.

This book belongs in the hands of students who have trouble fitting in, probably all of them, not just those who are Chinese. This is a great book to book talk, particularly if you have a document camera. Most middle school students would do almost anything to fit in. Thus, as far as the development of the characters goes, it isn't surprising that Jing Want would completely lose his identity and become Danny.

Yang manages to tell a beautifully written and illustrated story with a complicated braided plot line and make a comment on the nature of the Chinese-American immigrant culture. Why is it socially acceptable for every Chinese immigrant to change their names when they move to America?

One thing worth commenting on when assessing the value of a graphic novel are the drawings. In this case they are very vibrant and colorful. An Amazon.com review of the paperback edition of American Born Chinese says that "The artwork, rendered in a chromatically cool palette, is crisp and clear, with clean white space around center panels that sharply focuses the reader's attention in on Yang's achingly familiar characters."

Publisher's Weekley says that "Even when Yang slips in an occasional Chinese ideogram or myth, the sentiments he's depicting need no translation. " To be perfectly honest, these ideograms and myths about Chinese culutre occasionally made me uncomfortable. I think that I could have done without the episode when Chin-kee used the bathroom in one of Danny's friend's Coke. Also, within the first few pages of American Born Chinese , I was a little put-off because one of the characters compliments another character's peaches, which look dramatically like breasts in the drawing. I feel like some of this is inevetable with graphic novels, but also dramataically unessarry.

Inevetiablly, this story is well-written with characters that young people, regradless of race, can identify with. The setting adds a dramatic touch as well with the inclusion of a "folktale" set in ancient China. I feel like there are lessons to be learned here, both on the literal level and on a slightly more personal level.

Using this book in the school setting could be difficult. However, if studying folktales, it would be easy to show and read one section of the book using a document camera to a class of students. Kids might enjoy participating in a reader's theater. However, as the adult in the room it would be important to discuss sterotypes and racism. If students are interested in investigating other cultures, I would reccomend that they read Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi. That story is set in Iran and would require a slightly more advanced reading level than American Born Chinese's 5th Grade level. Another great book would be An Absolutley True Diary of a Part Time Indian by Sherman Alexi.

American Born Chinese was on the list for School Library Journal Best Books of the Year and Publisher's Weekly Best Books of the Year. It also won the Printz Award.

Reference:

Yang, Gene Luen. American Born Chinese. Roaring Book Press, New York: 2006. ISBN 978-1-4299-6936-9

The Book Thief

Markus Zusak's The Book Thief is one of the most powerful and touching books that I have read in a long time. First of all, it is not often, as readers or viewers, that we get to learn what it was like to live in and grow up in Nazi Germany. I, like many others out there, operate under the assumption that most, if not all, Germans from that time period are strictly bad people. The Book Thief has modified my point of view there.

Zusak's main character Liesel, is given to foster parents in the town of Molching outside Munich. Her stay on Himmel Street (Himmel= German for Heaven) is the meat and bones of the story and is narrated by none other than death. This narration provides readers with a unique prospective on the war and allows us to see what is happening across the world and outside of the Hubberman's house hold. While there, Liesel develops a beautiful relationship with her Papa, a cigarette smoking, house painting according player. She also learns the ways of the world through her miserable and book thieving experiences with her best friend Rudy. And, the most dynamic part of the story revolves around the Jew the Hubbermans hide in the basement, Max Vandenberg.

According to a starred review from School Library Journal, "Death is not a sentimental storyteller, but he does attend to an array of satisfying details, giving Liesel's story all the nuances of change, folly, and fulfilled expectation that it deserves. An extraordinary narrative."

The plot of this book focus on the the struggles of the poor people of Nazi Germany. It is gripping and sorrowful at the same time. Papa may not have been sent to a concentration camp because he offered bread to a Jew who was marching down Munich street. However, he was essentially drafted into military service and assigned to a crew of men who stayed above ground during the air raids. The plot, of course, is driven by the setting- Nazi Germany.

That setting provides Zusak with an opportunity to address a unique theme, much like a more adult book set in the same time and place, The Reader by Bernhard Schlink. (I had no idea that illiteracy was such a problem in Germany). Words are extremely powerful. When Liesel arrives at the Hubbermans, she can not read. She is taught how to read words by her father and then later how to use words by Max.

Utilizing this book in a classroom setting could be difficult. Students would need extensive background knowledge to understand the context of the story. Also, it would be an incredibly long whole class read.

However, I would utilize passages of this book if I were a social studies teacher. The Diary of Anne Frank covers the point of view of the Jewish people very well. This book covers the point of view of the poor German. Obviously, I would ask students about how they would react or hope to behave in each context. We can imagine that we would do more to protect the Jewish population than the Hubbermans did. However, if we sit and actually think about it, there was nothing more that Liesel could have done and ensured her own survival. Asking students to write from Liesel, Rudy, Hans or Max's point of view could cause some very serious reflective thinking too. After selecting and reading a scene with the students, reader's theater would generate more learning through experiences. Great scenes to reenact would be one of Liesel's thefts, a night by the fire with the Hubbermans and Max, or when Liesel tries to demonstrate that she can read to the teacher.

The Book Thief has won several awards. Some of those awards include School Library Journal's Best Book of the Year, Publisher's Weekly's Best Book of the Year. The Book Thief was also nominated for the Printz award.

Of all the books that I have read for my Children's Literature course, this book was the most thought provoking.

References:

Zusak, Markus. The Book Thief. Knopf Books for Young Readers, New York, 2006. ISBN: 978-0-375-84220-7

Joey Pigza Loses Control

In Joey Pigza Loses Control, Joey's mom sends Joey to visit his father for the summer. To most of us, nothing seems right from the beginning. Dad takes Joey to Storybook Land, compares himself to Humpty Dumpty, never stops talking, and then does the unthinkable by flushing Joey's medicine down the toilet. Now, by all appearances, Joey and his father are just alike; they are self-medicators. The real tale begins when Joey starts to learn how little he actually has in common with his father.

I deeply enjoyed Joey Pigza Loses Control for several reasons. First of all, as the narrator, Joey is captivating. This is what middle school boys think like right? I can't help but be reminded of Jeff Kinney's Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Joey's insights are not always abvious, but are always thought provoking.

I also enjoyed the book because it is written for two levels of readers, the middle school reader and the adult. As an adult, I could focus more on Joey's spiral as he becomes an unmedicated child with ADHD. As a child, readers would focus on all of the silly and funny things that Joey gets away with as the medicine leaves his system. As an adult, the hardest part of the plot for me to read however were the father's struggles with alcoholism and the borderline elderly abuse that the grandmother struggles with. I fear children reading this might not see either of these cases as problems. The important them or lesson that students should learn includes the concept of making sure that you know what adults in your life will be there to take care of you and what adults in your life might not be as trustworthy.

This book could open up some quality discussions within families and classrooms about divorce, special needs learning, and alcohol and cigeratte abuse. As a librarian, I would promote this book to students who struggle with being calm or understanding their classmates who can't remain calm. I would also ask students who are reading this text "when did you realize things were going wrong for Joey?" --or his dad? I would then prompt them to look for earlier or earlier problems or details they should have caught in the story. So many issues and problems are obvious in retrospect. What kind of adult never stops talking and does all of his deep thinking in an amusement park? Because some of Joey's behavior is so humorous, there are also great opportunites for reader's theater within this text.

Using this book as a morning or afternoon read aloud in an upper elementary school setting would prompt great discussions about maturity, both in children and adults. When should Joey have called his mother to get him after all? (Probably the moment his dad flushed his medicine or drank a beer for breakfast!)

Joey Pigza Loses Control was a Newbery Honor Book and was nominated for the Young Reader's Choice award. Publisher's Weekly says "Struggling to please everyone even as he sees himself hurtling toward disaster, Joey emerges as a sympathetic hero, and his heart of gold never loses its shine." In summation, the charaters of Joey Pigza Loses Control are well developed, particularly Joey as the narrator. The plot is interesting and enterataining to both adults and children. Set in a contemporary Pennsylvania, the most captivating stylistic element of the book is Joey's narration.

Joey Pigza Loses Control is a part of a series that begins with Joey Pigza Swallowed a Key and includes What would Joey Do? and I am not Joey Pigza.

References:

Gantos, Jack. Joey Pigza Loses Control. Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, New York: 2000. ISBN: 9-780374-399894-51600.

Hiroshima

In Hiroshima, Laurence Yep tells a story of Sachi and her sister Riko. Sachi's entire life is defined by one moment, the moment the Enola Gay dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. This was a moment Riko didn't survive. Needless to say, that morning, August 6, 1945, changed Sachi's life forever and Yep's entire simple plot centers on this moment.

What makes Hiroshima a poignant read is Yep's direct writing style. All sentences are brief and to the point. Sentences like "Everyone is busy as the Enola Gay approaches" make readers realize the gravity of the matter (page 15). Publisher's Weekly says "though Yep's spare, deliberate description of the bomb's consequences delivers a brutal emotional punch- and though it is on the whole extremely well suited to the target audience- his novella has some jarring stylistic elements."

On the other hand, Yep's characters are simple. As readers, we get a little insight into survivor emotions as Sachi ventures to the United States as one of the Hiroshima Maidens. Perhaps, sending the women to the United States for surgeries was more therapeutic for Americans than for Japan or the city of Hiroshima.

Hiroshima also promotes a theme of peace, even through questioning the building up of more atomic weapons during "peace" time.

I found Yep's tale of the tragedy of Hiroshima to be both touching and informative. I was heart broken that such a tragedy could occur at the hands of man and learned about the causes and results of the attack.

I believe that this book would make a great 5 minute read-aloud at the beginning and/or end of a Social Studies class studying World War II. Students would learn a great deal about humanity from Sachi's experience. I might ask students about their worst scar or most vivid memory before reading this book. I might then have them compare those scars to Sachi's.

Yep provides readers with an amazing reading experience through the reading of this brief novella. The reading level is 4th through 8th grade, but to truly understand the message or content, a reader might need more emotional maturity, around 10th grade. Booklist says "Though accessible to middle-grade readers, this will also interest older readers who will find nothing condescending in content or format."

Other books by Yep include The Serpent's Children, Mountain Light, and The Traitor. Yep has received the Newbery Honor for two books, Dragon's Gate and Dragonwings. He has also been awarded the Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal for his contributions to children's literature. According to his website, http://www.harpercollinschildrens.com/Kids/AuthorsAndIllustrators/ContributorDetail.aspx?CId=12929, Yep has written over 60 books.

Hiroshima, though written for a level of younger children, provides a mature and well-rounded look at what some people call "America's biggest mistake." School Library Journal says that "Hiroshima has a more adult format than Junko Morimoto's more personal My Hiroshima (Viking, 1990) or Toshi Maruki's Hiroshima No Pika (Lothrop, 1982), both of which tell the story in pictures as well as words."

Reference:

Yep, Laurence. Hiroshima. Scholastic Inc., New York: 1995. ISBN: 0-590-20832-2.

Turtle in Paradise

Turtle in Paradise is the story of a young girl's journey to find a way to fit in with the Conchs of the Great Depression in Key West. Turtle, as she is nicknamed, is sent to Key West when her mother gets a job housekeeping for a woman who does not like children. While in Key West, Turtle encounters cousins in the form of the Diaper Gang, a busy Aunt who manages a home full of boys without the help of their father, and a grandmother she never knew she had.

Turtle is a tough kid. She has been made that way by a slightly naive mother and a string of employer's kids who have treated her poorly. Turtle is a natural skeptic, but as another character points out to her, turtles have soft under bellies. By the end of the stay in Key West, Turtle has found that soft spot.

The characters and the plot of Turtle in Paradise are very entertaining. Of course, a pair of best friends named Pork Chop and Beans live up to your expectations as a reader. Also, botched quests for gold are fun too.

Set in the Great Depression in a place where food hangs from trees, Key West, readers can recognize some of the elements of the time period. For example, the father in the story is absent because he is working on a public works project, building the bridges to Key West. Also, the Curry family and most of the people in Key West are living in extreme poverty; Turtle's shoes are a rarity.

Turtle's narration and honesty are heart warming. This brings us closer to her and involves us more in the plot. We learn through the theme or central message of Turtle in Paradise and maybe the Great Depression, that our individual walls or protective barriers might work for a while, but only when we start giving and caring for others, we are protected.

Holm also teachers readers about a time period, the 1930s, and a culture, the Conch culture of Key West. Holm utilizes an "Author's Note" to provide more detail about some of her pop culture references and to explain the origins of some of her characters. For example, the character Kermit, one of Turtle's cousins in the story, was based on a character by the same name who later became mayor of Key West.

Turtle in Paradise would prove a great supplement to a study of the Great Depression. As students read or discuss this book, it would be important to ask them how their summers and free time differ from those of Turtle's and the Diaper Gang's. When students get to the root of the question, they will most likely discuss the lack of shoes or the types of foods the characters ate. Otherwise, I found the historical value of Turtle in Paradise to be slightly limited in comparison to other books I have read in this unit.

Turtle in Paradise was a Newbery Honor Book and won the the Golden Kite Award and was named to the American Library Association's Notable Books for Children list. School Library Journal says that "Readers who enjoy melodic, humorous tales of the past won't want to miss it." In a starred review from Booklist, Ilene Cooper says "The numerous references to 1930's entertainments (Terry and the Pirates, Shirley Temple) will most likely go over kids' heads, but they'll get how much comics and movies meant to a population desperate for smiles."

Other books by Jennifer Holm include The Babymouse Series with Matthew Holm, Boston Jane: An Adventure, Boston Jane: Wildness Days, Boston Jane: The Claim, The Creek, Middle School is Worse than Meatloaf, Our Only Amelia, Penny from Heaven, and The Stink Files Series with Jonathan Hamel. At the end of Turtle in Paradise, Holm also provides a brief list of resources and related websites.

References:

Holm, Jennifer, L. Turtle in Paradise. Random House Children's Books, New York: 2010. ISBN: 978-0-375-836886.

Elijah of Buxton

Elijah of Buxton is the story of a settlement of former slaves and a "fra-gile" young boy named Elijah. Elijah is a young man who follows the rules of the settlement by helping others and going beyond what is asked of him. He struggles with the idea that he is not accepted as an adult because he is young, cries all the time, and once threw up on Fredrick Douglas. As the first free-born child in Buxton, Elijah is on the path to greatness by learning to read and write. If only he can get people, mainly his mother and father, in the settlement to accept him as an adult.

To me, I missed the plot of the book for a very long time. However, Curtis is front loading his readers so that they understand the culture of Buxton and the restrictions that freed slaves in Canada might face. When the story truley starts, Elijah of Buxton is nearly impossible to put down. Elijah leaves Buxton and the saftey of Canada with his friend Mr. Leroy in search of the reverand who stole Mr. Leroy's money that was supposed to be used to free the Leroy family from slavery down south. Needless to say, things go terribly wrong while Mr. Leroy and Elijah are in America. However, Elijah finds his way into adulthood by the end of the book.

Elijah of Buxton is the winner of a large number of awards, including the Coretta Scott King Award, the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction, and the Canadian Library Association's Book of the Year Award. Elijah of Buxton was also a Newbery Honor Book, an American Library Association Notable Book, and a finalist for the Governor General's Literary Award. Other books by Christopher Paul Curtis include The Watsons go to Birmingham-- 1963, Bud, Not Buddy, Bucking the Sage, Mr. Chickee's Funny Money, and Mr. Chickee's Messy Mission.

Reading Elijah of Buxton should play an important role in any child's education. Students could enrich their learning by writing a short scene from the book. The use of dialogue will be dramatically important to student learning. Students will learn about the importance of education and should discuss why freed adult slaves might have had such difficulty learning to read and write. Also, students could create their own photo album with descriptions of important people, places, and objects in the fictional Buxton that Curtis created.

In the "Author's Note," Curtis encourages readers to visit "an interesting, beautiful, hope-filled place the Elgin Settlement and Buxton Misson of Raleigh." He also states that "Buxton is an inspiration, and its importance in both American and Canadian history deserves to be much recognized." In a stared review from Booklist, Carolyn Phelan states that "Narrator Elijah tells an episodic story that builds a broad picture of Buxton's residents before plunging into the dramatic events that take him out of Buxton and, quite possibly, out of his depth."

In Elijah of Buxton, Curtis uses characters, plot, setting, the theme of coming of age in a difficult time, and unique style most noticable through dialogue to develop a historically accurate and emotionally striking story.

The Called Themselves the K.K.K.: The Birth of An American Terrorist Group

Susan Campbell-Bartoletti has thoughtfully crafted the tale of southern mistakes as well as misplaced anger. She uses media from the time period, including the Emancipation Proclamation, newspaper and political cartoons, and interviews written in dialect with former slaves. This inclusion of media adds to a narrative that portrays the southern state of mind and reasoning in the deserved negative light.

Tales of fear of former slaves and how the Klan made them suffer, by killing or ruining any possible chance at prosperity, will create a sense of anger and empathy in any reader. Mark Tinker sums up why we should be and why others should have been sympathetic by saying "I have no heart to work all day and then think at night I will be killed" (page 83). The Klan had more tangible power through politics and even more intangible power through the fear they invoked in both their appearance and the fact it was difficult to determine who or what they would target next.

Though I found Bartoletti's narrative to be interesting, well-written, and thoughtfully crafted, I take issue with her inclusion of "A Note to the Reader." I question the need to include notes like these in any kind of book. To me, as someone who reads frequently, including this note shows some sort of failure in writing. In the note Bartoletti explains the regret she fees for including offensive political cartoons and interviews written in dialect. Basically, I found the note unecessary. Perhaps it was included to set the tone for the book. However, I feel it showed a certain lack of faith Bartoletti has in her own writing. The inclusion of such cartoons and interviews were a reflection of the time period and the book would not be considered notable without such media.

Bartoletti is very accurate in her portrayal of the Klan. Some writers have been rightfully harsh on the clan. However, Bartoletti manages to be rightfully harsh and consider the groups origins, from angry white former Confederate soldiers who thought they were not being treated properly, at the same time. Her book is organized chronologically and includes chapters that focus on how the Klan disturbed the education of former slaves as well as their religious practices.

She also provides a Civil Rights Time Line that begins with the Emancipation Proclamation and follows to the election of Barack Obama. Also an important part of any work of non-fiction are the sections labeled "Quote Attributions," "Bibliography and Source Notes," "Acknowledgements," and "Index." The style of the book is also enticing. Though the cartoons and pictures are not in color, they appear with captions on nearly every page. This keeps young readers actively engaged in the learning process of reading a non-fiction book.

Susan Campbell- Bartoletti has made a name for herself by creating notable non-fiction books for young adults. Some of those books include Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow, Black Potatoes: The Story of the Great Irish Famine, Kids on Strike!, and Growing up in Coal Country.

This book, They Called Themselves the K.K.K.: The Birth of an American Terrorist Group, is a finalist for the YALSA Excellence in Non-Fiction Award. It is also an ALA notable title.

Kirkus says that "Documentation is superb, and even the source notes are fascinating." School Library Journal says "This richly documented, historically contextualized account traces the origin and evolution of the Ku Klux Klan."

I learned a great deal from reading this book. However, I wonder what place a book on such a mature topic will find in many school libraries. I think that teachers who are exploring contemporary terrorist groups can find good information in this text that will be illuminating to students when they compare the Klan to modern terrorist groups. Sharing this book out loud would require a lot of front loading or previous learning because the topic discussed does require a certain level of maturity to understand. However, the much of the media included here would be useful to explain attitudes during reconstruction.

From my reading and exploration, I understand why this book has gotten so much praise. However, as a southern person living in the north, I was ashamed to pull it out and read it in front of other people. The image on the front cover, though attention grabbing and thought provoking, conjures strong reactions in so many people. I imagine that is why it was selected.

References:

Campbell-Bartoletti, Susan. They Called Themselves the K.K.K.: The Birth of an American Terrorist Group. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 2010. ISBN: 978-06-618-44033-7

Amelia Lost: The Life and Disappearance of Ameila Earhart

Most people know the ending of the story of Amelia Earhart. So, Fleming does not condescend to hold the story of the search for Amelia and her navigator Fred Noonan until the end of her book. She utilizes radio logs and stories of Americans picking up Amelia on their high- tech radios to generate an element of suspense.

I learned quite a bit from Fleming's account of Amelia Earhart, even though there was a time period as a child that I attempted to emulate Earhart by cutting my hair and wearing a leather jacket in the July heat. Amelia's father's drinking problem had a profound effect on her teen years and social development, according to Fleming. I knew that Amelia had broken up George Putnam's previous marriage to a woman named Dorthy. However, Fleming makes it feel like Amelia had no fault in the divorce. Perhaps in an effort to make the aviator look like a hero, Fleming rushes to excuse this poor personal behavior. On the other hand, Fleming does point out that Earhart did not take the man who installed her radio before her last flight seriously. Before she left, Amelia had only one lesson in using her radio. This adds an element of sadness, because a woman known for her whit and independence may have had the tool to save herself right at her fingertips but didn't know how to use it.

In the end, Fleming paints Earhart as a role model for girls. She does give her faults, openly stating that Earhart was not the most well-rounded pilot, that young people can learn from.

Not only is the lettering by Jessica Hische attractive and enticing, I believe that the style of this book gives readers added value. This in not simply a boring, sad narrative of a life lost. "Grey" pages tell the story of the disappearance of and search for Amelia Earhart. Chapters break her life into parts such as Little Amelia 1897-1908 or Fame 1927-1928. Kirkus Reviews said that "Handwritten notes, photos, maps and inquisitive sidebars (What did Earhart eat during flight? Tomato juice and chocolate) complete this impeccably researched, appealing package. A stunning look at an equally stunning lady."

Fleming proves her worth as a researcher and a biographer through her questioning of the accounts provided my Earhart's publisher and husband. Fleming says that many of the reports or the facts that are accepted about Earhart's life were generated to boost her image. Fleming also provides an extensive bibliography and pathfinder for finding out more about Amelia on the web. Source notes are organized by chapter and an index as well as picture credits are provided.

I would pull this book for a class working on a biography project if classes were researching heroes, specifically American heroes. I would also utilize this book if a teacher were talking about how radios worked in a science class. The "grey" pages I mentioned earlier discuss how radios and radio waves work. School Library Journal says "Ho-Hum history? Not in Fleming's apt hands. What could be a dry recitation of facts and dates is instead a gripping and suspenseful thriller."

Fleming's publisher provides a free curriculum guide at http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/teachers_guides/9780375841989.pdf. Also, this book was a starred review for Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, Horn Book, Kirkus Reviews, and School Library Journal.

Most of the learning from using this book in a classroom or reading it would be very motivational. I felt as if Fleming, through the story of Amelia was encouraging young readers to go further, learn more, and reach for the next thing no matter how far away that thing feels.

References:

Fleming, Candace. Amelia Lost: The Life and Disappearance of Amelia Earhart. New York: Random House Children's Books, 2011.

Bootleg: Murder, Moonshine & the Lawless days of Prohibition

Blumenthal begins and ends her tale of Prohibition with the story of the 1929 St. Valentine's Day Massacre. At first, this seems like a very unfitting starting point. However, Blumenthal dedicates the remainder of her book to explaining how both the Temperance Movement and the enforcement, or lack of enforcement, of Prohibition could get so our of control. Blumenthal intersperses biographies of important Temperance movement leaders such as Morris Sheppard and Carrie Nation as well as Prohibition figures like Al Capone.

I found this book to be richly entertaining and felt that it accomplished a second task beyond entertainment, being informative. I had laugh-out-loud moments when I imagined "Carry A. Nation," a little old lady, walking into an illegal saloon and smashing up the place because of her hatred of booze.

Before reading this book, I thought I knew everything that I would find between the covers, the origins of NASCAR, crooked cops, and a society that refused to follow the laws that they had fought for only a few year prior. However, I was most impressed by and learned a great deal from Blumenthal's content on the Temperance movement. I've always understood that parts of American society had a certain hatred for drinking, but by learning the origins of that hatred, I came to understand how the 14th Amendment came to be.

The 14th Amendment was backed by a very politically savvy group that once enjoyed the majority, if only for a brief time. Once they achieved their means, passing an amendment to outlaw alcohol, they did not really have a plan. This is one of the main reasons the amendment was repealed, lack of political foresight.

Students should take learning from this. A politician can often sway us to follow him or her, but when that politician lacks the ability to follow through, we need to be smart enough to identify that. Thus, before and after reading this book I would ask students to make contemporary political connections.

I find few faults in this book. However, I understand that there are a few school districts across this country where parents would not appreciated their children reading about speakeasies, saloons, and gangsters. Kirkus Reviews calls Bootleg "an informative, insightful account of a fascinating period of American history." School Library Journal says that "The breadth of the well-researched material makes Bootleg a substantial resource for reports; a deep bibliography and copious source notes provide ample opportunities for further study."

I found the content to be accurate and the method of organization to be enticing; beginning and ending with the St. Valentine's Day Massacre helped me to understand the lack of control of human emotions on all sides of the Prohibition debate, from members of Temperance Leagues, to gangsters.

Interspersed with full page photographs of prominent figures, political cartoons, newspaper clippings, and actual photographs of bootleggers and Temperance advocates, the design and style of writing keep this from being a dry book of facts.

Most of the classroom or school learning that comes from this book might be supplementary. I doubt that much of the content will tie into state social studies standards. However, I would include this text if a teacher asked me to pull biographies for a student biography project. There are too many interesting and unsavory characters to not point inquiring minds this way.

This text also provides a good model for researchers. There are bibliography and source notes by chapter, a list of acknowledgements, picture credits and an extensive index. At the end of the book, Blumenthal also provides lists of books on important topics in the text like Women of the WCTU, Carrie Nation, the Anti-Saloon League, Cars and Henry Ford, and Al Capone.

Finally, don't misunderstand me, but I would have worn a "Carry A. Nation" hatchet pin because I admire a woman who has the courage to walk into a bar and bust the place up.

Resources:

Blumenthal, Karen. Bootleg: Murder, Moonshine, and the Lawless Years of Prohibition. New York: Roaring Book Press, 2011. ISBN:978-1-59643-449-3

Form takes the show

In the text for my course, we were directed to review poetry based on rhythm, rhyme, sound, language, imagery, and emotion. I believe that form is a new element for evaluation.

I've been reading over my reviews from a few days ago and I've begun to wonder. In the review of What My Mother Doesn't Know, I've mentioned the strong emotions that Sophie experiences in the span of a few days. In A Pocketful of Poems, I've made reference to the clever imagery that is mirrored in the poems and in the collage illustrations (straws and "one last sip of summer").

However, the rhythm in most of the poetry books I picked out was not obvious had had little impact on the actual reading or interpretation. Also, nothing rhymed in any of the the three poetry books I read. Sound didn't stand out either to me. There was limited onomatopoeia, assonance or consonance. Language was important, particularly in Pocketful of Poems where one word directed an entire layout and two poems.

Form was dramatically important in all three books that I read. In Pocketful of Poems, Grimes provides an author's note to describe her poetic form of choice, Haiku. In What My Mother Doesn't Know, Sones uses line breaks to create dramatic pauses. In Blue Lipstick, the form is the poem. The shapes that are created with the words create a deeper meaning and require a longer reading.

A Pocketful of Poems

Nikki Grimes takes readers through a year in the life of a young girl living in Harlem. To successfully complete the task of show readers the beauty of Harlem, Grimes uses free verse and haiku. Tiana has words in her pocket and pulls one out to inspire each poem or haiku. As readers, we have the opportunity to meet her mother in the morning, spend a HOT day with Tiana, see her hit a HOMER on Labor Day, and watch an ANGEL catch her as she decorates a Christmas tree. For each spread, Tiana gives us one word that came out of her pocket that describes a time of year or part of a day.

These experiences create a rateable experience, much like Uptown, which I have previously reviewed. As a matter of fact, both books have another commonality besides Harlem. Both books are illustrated with collage. In A Pocketful of Poems, Javaka Steptoe, winner of a Coretta Scott King Award for Illustration, uses a wide range of materials to create charming, fascinating, and memorable images that students would have the capacity to imitate. For example, in a poem titled "Caterpillar," Steptoe uses actual leaves to represent leaves, but to give the illustration a colorful vibe she backs those leaves with blue construction paper.

Not only are the illustrations in this book of poetry interesting and entertaining, but the poems themselves tend to take the show. My favorite has to be from the HOMER page, 21.

"Labor Day-- watch me

smash one last homer, take on

last sip of summer."

Tiana's team jersey is labeled "Sippers" and the collage on the page is scattered with drinking straws. This made me smile; I found it to be simple and clever.

School Library Journal calls this "a playful and thoroughly successful paring of words and pictures." Booklist says that "There's so much vibrant energy and freshness in this collaboration, the book will dance into the hearts of children right away." As usual, they are right; the colors and poems in A Pocketful of Poems are so bright, exciting, and energizing that it is nearly impossible not to relate and enjoy in some fashion. A Pocketful of Poems was nominated for the Emphasis on Reading Award

If completing a poetry program with students, this is a great book to share because you would have the ability to pick out a poem for a specific time of year. For example, if it were Halloween, you could read the PUMPKIN page. Perhaps if you were ambitions and depending on what kinds of classes you teach, you could even have library patrons or students make a paper mache pumpkin or bake a pumpkin pie. Or in the SPRINGtime, you and the students could make a window box of flowers like mama's from the story.

While this kind of sharing is always fun and entertaining, the most useful part of this book comes from the Author's Note on Haiku. Grimes says "The style of haiku depends on the personality of the poet. And while this form of poetry originated in Japan, haiku is as exportable, and as open to universal interpretation, as the American art form, jazz" (page 32). Grimes also explains what a haiku is and encourages others to write some of their own. If teaching a unit on haiku at any grade level, A Pocketful of Poems is a more than useful tool to aide in showing the beauty and simplicity of the poetic form.

Reference:

Grimes, Nikki. A Pocketful of Poems. Illustrated by Javake Steptoe. New York: Clarion Books, 2001.

Blue Lipstick

Jessie, a high school student, struggles to find her place. Her unique interests, from modern art to the cello to volleyball and of course blue lipstick, with the help of her own personal wall and aversion to meat eaters and pretty much everyone in high school keep Jessie a bit lonely. However, she starts to take down that wall throughout the book and build friendships with unexpected people.

While the plot of this poetry book is a bit scattered or limited compared to some of the much longer Ellen Hopkins and Sonya Sones books that are told in verse form, the visuals of this form poetry provide a strong element of humor and fun. I found myself rotating and turning the book as I read many of the poems and identifying with Jessie. I too do my best thinking in the shower and was amused when the words tumbled out of the shower head like water.

There is a certain element of visual literacy required to understand the humor or cleverness of this book and the poems in it. Interpreting a deeper meaning would be nearly impossible if a reader were unable to first take in the entire picture, read the text, and follow Jessie's sense of humor. Obviously, without this skill in visual literacy the plot would feel even more fragmented

I enjoyed and shared this book with students at several grade levels for several reasons. The themes, becoming a woman and overcoming teen angst, are understatedly mature. The moral, dealing with the pressures of high school is a task best completed with company, can be applied by almost anyone. Also, this book and the one Grandits wrote previously, Technically, It's Not My Fault: Concrete Poems, are constantly interactive. For example, in Blue Lipstick, Jessie writes a poem about what she sees in the mirror. To read the poem, I had to hold the book up to the mirror and read the reflection. The only real issue that I have with this book is the way that it mocks cheerleaders, though I am not naive enough to think that people in the stands aren't doing that. I found it unnecessary, when creating the form of a cheerleader with letters, to use the Os of "boobs" as breasts.

Blue Lipstick has won several awards. These awards include being named to the American Library Association's Notable Books for Children list, being nominated for the Beehive Children's Poetry Award and the Dorthory Canfield Fisher's Children's Book Award, and being named to School Library Journal's Best Books of the Year list.

School Library Journal calls this a "irreverent, witty collection." Also, the Horn Book says that this book has a cover that "will grab and adolescent girls attention---and the poetry inside is equally appealing."

As someone who has taught creative writing, I wish I had known about this book then. The are some great examples that students from 4th to 12th grade would enjoy mimicking. For example, in a poem titled Volleyball Practice, the words follow the path of the ball as it is served, spiked, and the point is delivered as the ball rolls away. Students could easily do this with a game of football, hockey, basketball, or pretty much any other sport. Stands of words on top of a head make for a poem titled Bad Hair Day. Every person could share a similar experience. The book also makes an interactive read aloud, having students or listeners read a steam of water as they trace the path down with their finger.

All in all, this book made me smile and laugh while I was reading it. Also, every person that I have shared a poem or two with have responded with "neat" or "cool." This book is easy to share and show to students and library patrons.

What My Mother Doesn't Know

Sophie is an artistic and talented high school freshman who falls in and out of love very quickly with a handsome boy named Dylan. She has some serious problems in her life, like parents who are not too interested in what she is doing and who argue with each other all the time. When her best friends, Grace and Rachel, go on vacations for Christmas break, Sophie finally falls for a guy for reasons beyond his appearance. Too bad it is Murphy, the school's social outcast. Sophie's choice between making her friends happy and making her happy defines the moral of the story.

Some awards this book has won, include Booklist Editor's Choice, ALA 2002 Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers, the Iowa Teen Award, and ALA 2002 Best Book for Young Adults. What My Mother Doesn't Know also found a place on Amazon.com's best seller list.

The poetry in this book is dramatically simple, but Sones intelligently uses line breaks as pauses to convey Sophie's strong emotions as she falls in and out and in and out of love. Taken out of context of the plot, some of the poems reach far into the emotions surrounding teen angst, new love, and fading love. As a teen, I remember having these emotions within the span of 20 minutes, so it didn't bother me to see them in the span of 4 pages.

A poem on page 66 titled I Wish would be an excellent tool to use to discuss writing shaped poetry. The poem ends with one word at the bottom of a funnel and gives readers a feeling that Sophie feels like she is spiraling, either out of control or into love--she doesn't really know. Many other individual poems could be used out of context for quality examples, specifically those that address Sophie's emotions of love and loving someone she probably should not. Using one of this poems would also give a teacher or a librarian an easy transition to book talk the book to the entire class.

I believe that this is a cleverly written book. However, I worry about some of the lessons that girls could take away from reading it. Boys are not disposable and they don't always understand when you break up with them because you feel like it. While the book ends with a positive moral, stay true to yourself and what you love, I'm not sure that a teen struggling to fit in would walk away from this story with that lesson.

Also, I recently asked a friend what the dirtiest book she had ever read was. Her reply, without too much delay, was What My Mother Doesn't Know. I was surprised because I really didn't find this to be what I would consider a dirty book. However, if you take all the moments where Sophie is talking about kissing Murphy or Dylan or sneaking around to "hang out" with one of them and think about it as sex, I would understand why someone would think this is a "dirty book," because that is pretty my the entire book. In a Starred Review from Publishers Weekly, the direct comment was made "Sones poignantly captures the tingle and heartache of being young and boy-crazy." I simply think that there was to much "tingle" for my friend.

This book could be a precursor to some of the Ellen Hopkins books that address more mature issues like Crank and Impulse. What my Mother Doesn't Know is a very simple book to book talk in a library setting because it is a quick read for the librarian and sharing a few pages of poems could be quite enticing to a female reader. I would recommend having a document camera handy to show the shape of poems to the class.

This book would be popular among girls in 5th through 8th grades. As stated previously, some of the poems in this book address love and falling in love very well. The sing-song pattern of some more juvenile poetry books is missing and thus adds to the appeal for slightly older readers.

Reference:

Sones, Sonya. What My Mother Doesn't Know. New York: Simon Pulse, 2001.

All Night, All Day: A Child's First Book of African American Spirituals

I found All Night, All Day to be a very culturally intriguing book. As an Caucasian American, I expected to be reading or seeing songs I had never heard before. However, I wasn't. To summarize what the book contains, there are twenty African American Spirituals intermixed with about a dozen illustrations in vibrant shades of blue, yellow, red, orange, and green. The piano accompaniment and guitar chords are include for each song. These illustrations capture the experiences and joyful emotions portrayed in the songs. Songs include, "This Little Light of Mine," "Wade in the Water," "O'When the Saints Go Marching In," and "I'm Going to Eat at the Welcome Table."

To be perfectly honest, I did not recognize many of these songs as African American Spirituals. However, after some thought they obviously have the markers of the culture, soulfully religious and a strong will to overcome adversity. In his ending note, Bryan says that this genre of music is "America's most distinctive contribution to the world of music" (page 48). Initially, I was prepared to argue this point. What about Jazz? Or the Blues? Then, I had an 'ah-ha' moment and came to the realization that these African American Spirituals were the forerunners of both genres of music.

These songs are true traditional literature and fit firmly in with most folk tales for several reasons. As Bryan says, "The names of the individual creators of these songs have been lost, but we know they come from the musical genius of African American slaves."

This book has won the Coretta Soctt King Award and is recommended for four to nine year olds. School Library Journal's Susan Giffard states that "these illustrations are dynamic and full of movement, and the people and angels radiate an unearthly light." Bryan has other books of spirituals, including Let it Shine: Three Favorite Spirituals. The text for my course also offers high praise for Beautiful Blackbird.

I'm not a musician, so I couldn't play the songs and for the ones that I didn't know, I could only guess at the tune. However, I think that young children would enjoy the accompanies pictures if they could hear others sing and play the songs. This book most likely belongs in the libraries of most churches, African American or not.

As a teacher, I can see elementary school music teachers asking students to "draw" a song, as Bryan has done here. Most would recognize "This Little Light of Mine" and would understand the assignment when show the drawing that accompanied the song in this book. An assignment like this would give teachers the opportunity to guide students with thoughtful and creative expression, as well as an opportunity to teach students to appreciate music.

In my course text by Sylvia Vardell, Bryan writes "There are so many ways in which we learn about life and self. Each day opens paths to this exploration. For many of us, books play a major role in that adventure" (page 88). I feel that Bryan has hit that mark with this book. Personally speaking, books have and will continue to play a major role in my exploration of life. This book, though intended for children, helped me to realize the influence that African American culture has had on my own life.

References:

Bryan, Ashley. All Night, All Day: A Child's First Book of African American Spirituals. Musical arrangements by David Manning Thomas. New York: Maxwell Macmillan Publishing Company, 1991. ISBN: 0-689-31662-3.

Vardell, Sylvia. Children's Literature in Action: A Librarian's Guide. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited, 2008.

The Three Little Dassies

The Three Little Dassies is the much beloved Three Little Pigs with an African spin. Three sisters, Mimbi, Pimbi, and Timbi move away from home, with the very untypical warning to watch out for the eagle. The sisters each build their own houses from different materials, grass, driftwood, and stone in the Namib Desert of Southern Africa. The eagle gives his warning of "I'll flap and I'll clap and I'll blow your house in." Then, with the help of their new neighbor, the sisters (and maybe even the readers) learn a very valuable lesson about hard work.

The art is done in watercolors and gouache. The airbrush backgrounds were created by Joseph Hearne. One large picture graces the center of the page and two side panels float in the margins. Each drawing is framed or bordered with culturally bright prints and fabrics. These side panels provide additional visual images and let observant picture book readers know more about what is or will be happening in the main frame of the story.

Booklist's Andrew Wedlar gives high praise to Brett's drawings. He states "Brett invokes the African setting with details of the desert landscape and the animals' colorful patterned clothing. The last page turns the story into an inspired pourqoui tale about dassies' habitat and soot like coloring of native eagles. School Library Journal's Carrie Rogers-Whitehead states that "Children will enjoy following both stories and will linger on each page following the exciting detail of the setting; the desert, the characters, the decorative boarders and all the small touches in between. This tale will captivate children and introduce a setting and unfamiliar animals to most of them." Though no awards were noted, this book has appeared on the New York Times bestseller list, as well Publisher's Weekly's list.

The dassies, by their more technical name of rock hyraxes, resemble a cross between a prairie dog and a Kola bear. Their cute little paws and charming noses make them wonderful damsels in distress for the Agama Man, a colorful lizard, to save from the eagles nest.

In the tale, the dassies are wearing colorful versions of traditional African dress. As a matter of fact, as is characteristic of many traditional tales, animals are often given human characteristics or repurposed. For example, a turtle assumes the role of a pack mule as the dassies move away from home.

This variant was written by Jan Brett and the fact that she is not African is the only strong criticism that I can muster. She says in the jacket that she was inspired to write the story of the three little dassies after seeing them on vacation. I realize this is a children's tale. However, the fact that she wrote this after a vacation makes me question some of the attempts at authenticity. Prints and certain colors are often of tribal and regional significance throughout Africa. I feel that this significance would be difficult to detect as a vacationer.

On the other hand, this variant offers teachers and students the opportunity to study nature and wildlife in the desert. After studying the different types of predators and prey that exist in the desert or other ecosystems, perhaps students could write their own variant of the three little pigs. This would give students the opportunity to research different ecosystems and to be creative when they work at adapting the tale. For example, they would have to decide what kind of resources would be available to the animals with which to build their houses. Students could also discuss the evolutionary purposes for a black eagle that appears in the pourqoui ending of this variant.

Before reading this tale, I would ask students what they think it would be like to live in the desert or to move away from home on their own. After reading this tale, I would ask students about which dassie they think is the most intelligent and why she was rewarded.

Other unique cultural variations of The Three Little Pigs include The Three Tamales by Eric Kimmel and Valeria Docampo and The Little Cajun Pigs by Mike Artell and Jim Harris.

I find so much value in this text. The text reads evenly and could be mastered by a young independent reader. That reader would most likely know the plot and could focus on the words. He or she would still have the rewards of mastering a book that might be considered difficult. Young readers can learn so much about different animals, cultures and ecosystems and the importance of hard work.

Reference:

Brett, Jan. The Three Little Dassies. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, Penguin Young Reader's Group, 2010. ISBN: 978-0-399-25499-4.

Reference

The Lion & The Mouse

This book is a wordless adaptation of an Aesop fable. The tale is staged in the African Serengeti of Tanzania and Kenya. In the tale, a mouse disturbs a lion in his sleep, but the lion lets the mouse go. The mouse later returns the favor of the lion by freeing her from a poacher's net. The moral is simple: No act of kindness is ever wasted.

As I was reading this tale, I found myself "talking" the story out loud even though I wasn't reading it to anyone. The drawings, prepared with pencil, watercolor and colored pencils on paper, make up for the lack of words because you have to read them so closely, by repeating to yourself what is happening in the picture. You might say to yourself "The lion is walking into the trap that the poachers just set! Oh No!"

Awards this book won include Publishers Weekly Best Children's Books, the Caldecott Medal, School Library Journal's Best Books of the Year, Boston Globe Horn Book Awards. The Lion & The Mouse also appeared on the best seller lists for the New York Times, Amazon.com, Publishers Weekly, and Barnes and Noble. A review from School Library Journal states "This story starts on the cover with the glorious, golden countenance of a lion." The review also states that "Moments of affection and humor complete the drama."

The beauty of Pinkney's version of this classic is in the fact that the story is told through the glorious drawings. They are more engaging than any words could ever be. This is obvious in the high sales and massive number of awards that grace the cover of this "text."

As an adult, "reading" this story with children in mind, it is obvious to point out what is happening early in the story, but after you have modeled a few pages to ask children "What do you see happening here?" Then, perhaps younger children who don't know how to read can feel the rewards of being a reader.

Before reading, be sure to ask kids "What do you think would happen if you woke a lion up from a nap?" Of course, this tale is easily acted out by children after a close "reading." Some drawings, like the one on the opening flap of the book might be useful to a class studying the Serengeti.

In my humble opinion as a library science student, I believe that this "text" belongs in every library collection of children's books. The art and the moral of the story will be timelessly captivating.

Pinkney, Jerry. The Lion & The Mouse. New York: Little, Brown and Company, Books for Young Readers, 2009.

UPTOWN

When I went to return Goodnight Moon and Make Way for Ducklings, I discovered a lovely book that was not on my reading list for my course. Uptown by Bryan Collier caught my attention for several reasons.

The plot appears simple but would inspire pride in any African American or resident of Harlem. A young boy takes readers on a tour of the most important parts of Uptown, Harlem. We visit the Apollo, have chicken and waffles, and listen to Jazz and the Boys Choir of Harlem. The young boy not only takes pride in what he shows us but gives readers a culture and history lesson. I'm a little ashamed to admit that I had to Google "Van Der Zee."

Collier and the boy leading the tour don't come off as preachy. As a matter of fact, they teach children a valuable lesson: Be proud of where you come from even if that place produces strange combinations like chicken and waffles.

One of the reasons I wanted to read this book was because it had a Coretta Scott King Medal on the front cover. It also won the Ezra Jack Keats award. Also, I found the following reviews.

• "A young boy provides a particularly inviting, personally guided tour of his uptown home... Collier's evocative watercolor and collage illustrations create a unique sense of mood and place"- School Library Journal, starred review
• "This is a visual love song that makes it easy to see why the narrator loves it uptown."- Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
• "Collier debuts with a set of dazzling paint and photo collages paired to a child's tribute to his Harlem neighborhood"- Kirkus Review

Speaking of these illustrations, I was first captivated by the color. Then, I stopped on the page that reads "Uptown is a row of brownstones. I like the way they come together when you look at them down the block. They look they're made of chocolate." This is when I started getting closer to the picture. The collage was made from actual chocolate bars. How clever and entertaining for children and adults. When I started looking at the pictures very closely, I started trying to figure out what Collier had cut up to make is collage, actual photos, a pair of jeans, and some really interesting African prints.

As I started looking for connections for this text, I discovered that Collier was an illustrator on several the Caldecott Honor Books Rosa by Niki Giovanni and Martin's Big Words: The Life of Martin Luther King Jr. by Doreen Rappaport. A lot of the art looks like that of Ezra Jack Keats in Snowy Day. Imitating the collage aspect of the art could be interesting to children. However, Collier combines that with water color. This book might be a good lead in to a study of music or poetry by members of the Harlem Renaissance. Simply put, cultural connections abound and this would be a great February read for African American History month.

Reference:

Collier, Bryan. Uptown. New York: Henry Hold and Company, 2000.

ISBN: 0-8050-5721-8

Make Way For Ducklings

Mr. and Mrs. Mallard begin this tale with a search for a place to raise their ducklings. No place will do for Mrs. Mallard and after a false start, a close encounter with a bike, and a flight over Boston, they settle on an island in the Charles River. The tale ends with Mrs. Mallard's and the 8 ducklings march through Boston aided by friendly police officers. Once to the Public Garden, the ducklings and Mrs. Mallard live a happy life filled with peanuts with Mr. Mallard.

The tales charcole drawings show talent and give enormous vale to this tale of family and kindness. The pictures are charming and detaled and are worthy of the Caldecott they won McClosky. This is not the standard 32 page picture book by any means. It provides readers with more food for thought (what does our world really look like from an animal's point of view?) and beauty. My favorite drawing in the book is the one where Mr. Mallard almost gets hit by the boy on the bike. The boy is completely oblivious to the harm he almost caused!

This book is the winner of one of two Caldecotts for McClusky and has sold over 2 million copies. When published, the New York Times provided raving reviews. Also, this is the official children's book of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. There is even a bronze statue of Mrs. Mallard in the Public Garden in Boston. All of this combined makes me wonder: How did my mother not read me this book as a child. I loved animals and being outside. This book would have been one that I loved!

There are so many learning opportunties with this book. On a teacher's level, a kindergarten teacher having trouble with classroom management could use this book to teach children the importance of following directions and about lining up. Children will most likely point out that the ducks look real and can learn some great vocabulary (molt and migration). Because the book it longer than the standard 32 pages, it will take longer to read aloud in story time. However, it will keep children engaged because it is fast pased.

If I were a teacher or a librarian in Boston, this would be an important part of my teaching. Field trip opportunties abound. Most picture books are set ina fictional place. Thus, this one is different and remembered for over 70 years because of the unique setting.

I've included some links and books that will help you to find the opinons of others and comments of the career of Robert McCloskey.

http://nytimes.com/2003/07/01/arts/01MCCL.html

McCloskey, Jane. Robert McCloskey: A Private Life in Words and Pictures. Seapoint Books. ISBN: 978-0-9786899-6-4

Reference

McCloskey, Robert. Make Way for Ducklings. New York: Viking Press, 1941

ISBN: 0-670-45149-5

Goodnight Moon

I have no doubt read this book before, but when the text for my course referred to it several times, I couldn't remember the book well enough to understand what my course text was saying. Thus, I check it out from my local library and thought that I would add a review here.

The story is a simple yet classic tale that has been used to put children to sleep for a very long time. A child, in the shape of a rabbit, takes account for everything in the room and then says goodnight to each item.

This book has been in publication for over 60 years and sold 14 million copies. Margaret Wise Brown won the Caldecott Medal in 1947 for a different book. Her accomplishments as a children's author put her on par with the greats! Translations have been made into countless languages as well. Opposite is a cover from one such translation.

The writing and drawings may be extremely simple, but they work well together to provide a calming tale. The front jacket of the book calls the illustrations "lulling." The purpose and the choices that the author and illustrator made were directed at comforting and settling down a child for sleep. Many of the drawings are in black and white, adding to the therapeutic sense and making the color photos all the more beautiful.

To be honest, I have trouble seeing this book in a library story hour. Children would be sleeping on the floor of the library. This book allows children to develop a vocabulary much like other classics like Brown Bear, Brown Bear and The Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly. Children can point to the telephone and the red balloon when the adult reads the word. They can also hunt to find the mouse in every colored picture.

As with many classic texts, there a so many resources that can accompany this text and the publishers do well but selling different versions with toys attached. I found some "printables" on the HarperCollins website that might be great for activities at a library or in a classroom before nap time. Their website is http://www.harpercollinschildrens.com/. Incidentally, as I attempted to find out what awards this book had won, I also discovered a game called "Goodnight Moon" based on the book. It was a matching/ memory game.

Bibliographic Information:

Wise Brown, Margaret. Goodnight Moon. Illustrated by Clement Hurd. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1975.*

*The original copyright for this book in 1947 by Harper & Row. I'm sure that book collectors would be happy to take this off some one's hands, should you find dusty copy in the attic.

A PIÑATA IN A PINE TREE: A Latino Twelve Days of Christmas

Children's book author, Pat Mora, has adapted the traditional Christmas carol to include Latin flair. Each day "mi amiga" gives the young girl a new gift. Finally on the last day the young girl is given 12 angles to celebrate the birth of her baby sister.


This picture book as received favorable reviews from Horn Book, Kirkus Review, School Library Journal, Booklist, and Publisher's Weekly. It was also named to the 2010 Americas Commended List.


This picture book might not have an extensive plot, however, Mora creates an interesting story by blending two cultures and presenting both in a positive manner. This texts puts a cultural spin on a favorite song. The book itself offers multiple learning opportunities:

• to count the gifts of each day on the page.
  


• to learn Spanish numbers and Spanish pronunciations.

Each picture is engaging because they provide the pronunciation for the gift and the number embedded cleverly into the picture. At the end of the text there is a glossary and pronunciation guide. The colors in the drawings are vibrant and representative of latino culture. Morales uses acrylic paint to achieve this vibrancy. The Author's and Illustrator's notes at the end of the book provide quality explanations for the cultural differences and the inclusions of some of the gifts like spinning tops, trompos girando, and bells ringing, campanitas sonando.

This books offers opportunities for a read aloud during the holiday season. If children are allowed the opportunity to take extended views of the pictures, they can learn the pronunciation of words or practice counting to twelve/doce.

The learning opportunities abound with this book, from counting to a foreign language. This is a great book recommendation for parents who hope to raise bilingual children, be they primarily Spanish-speaking households or primarily English-speaking households.

Bibliographic Information:

Mora, Pat. A Pinata in a Pine Tree: A Latino Twelve Days of Christmas. Illustrated by Magaly Morales. New York: Clarion Books, 2010.

ISBN-13: 978-0-618-84198-1

A Sick Day for Amos McGee

Amos McGee is a zoo worker with a very specific routine. He visits the elephant, tortoise, penguin, rhinoceros, and owl at the zoo each day. When he gets sick one day, the return the favor.

This picture book has been recognized with the Caldecott Award and the New York Times "Best" of Best Illustrated Children's Book Awards. In a November 4, 2010 article about humor in books, the author leads with a mention of this book. This most likely has something to do with the fact that the shy penguin is always wearing socks that are too big for him.

This text values friendship, helping others, and kindness. Children and adults will be enticed by the several pages in the center of the book that 'go silent.' This gives children the opportunity to "read" the pages. The pictures cleverly use color to draw the eye. Amos is always in green and white, but when he is sick his nose has a clever pink tint. The illustrator, Erin Stead, uses woodblock printing techniques and pencil to create the simple but delicate drawings. Children will take note of the mouse, little bird, and red balloon that pop up throughout the book, one being on almost every page.

I enjoyed this picture book because of the lessons it can teach children without sounding like the book is talking down to them. Though I am not an expert on children's literature (yet), the book reminded me of some of Shel Silverstein's poems I read as a child. Like Silverstein's poems, there is a moral that is obvious to adults but requires more thought for children to uncover.

I would use this book frequently in a story time setting. I think that children might enjoy simple reenactments of the plot, each taking a role of the characters, Amos, an elephant, a rhino, a turtle, an owl, and a penguin. I would also ask children to make predictions in a few places in the book, specifically when the animals are waiting at the bus stop. I look forward to more entertaining and beautiful picture books from this duo.

Reference information:
Stead, Phillip. A Sick Day for Amos McGee. Illustrated by Erin Stead. New York: Roaring Brook Press, 2010. ISBN 978-1-59643-402-8.