Tuesday, August 17, 2004

Locomotion



Woodson, Jacqueline. 2003. LOCOMOTION. New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons. ISBN 0399231153 [Suggested Grade Levels 4-7]

SUMMARY and ANALYSIS
In a foster home and separated from his sister, Lonnie Collins Motion discovers the power of poetry through an understanding teacher who urges him to write down his thoughts and feelings as fast as they come. As he works through the various assignments of different kinds of poems, Lonnie gradually reveals the source of all his anguish. His parents’ deaths, the separation from his sister, and the desire to once again be a part of a family provide a wealth of inspiration for Lonnie’s emerging talent as a poet. As the story progresses, the poetry transforms from simply an outpouring of overwhelming emotion to carefully crafted works of self-expression.

Using both free verse and formal poetry, Woodson develops a story not soon to be forgotten. By addressing the poetry directly through Lonnie’s assignments, the reader learns and begins to appreciate along with him. The secondary characters develop to just the right degree to validate their importance in Lonnie’s life, but do not distract from the intensity of his revelations. Lonnie’s poetry is both heartbreaking and endearing, leaving the reader hoping desperately that everything will work out in the end.

CONNECTIONS
Recommend this book to students who are struggling, due to lack of interest, to complete required poetry assignments. Point it out as an excellent example of non-stereotypical free verse and formal forms of poetry that might surprise a reluctant reader.

For children dealing with grief or anger issues, this book makes an “easy-to-relate-to” choice. Encourage them to follow Lonnie’s example by writing and getting their feelings out.

RELATED BOOKS
Other poetry books about expressing feelings:
Grimes, Nikki. BRONX MASQUERADE. ISBN 0803725698
Smith, Hope Anita. THE WAY A DOOR CLOSES. ISBN 080506477X
WritersCorps. PAINT ME LIKE I AM. ISBN 0064472647

Other books by Jacqueline Woodson:
HUSH. ISBN 0399231145
LAST SUMMER WITH MAIZON. ISBN 0399237550
MIRACLE’S BOYS. ISBN 0399231137

By Amy D. Picard

Sunday, August 15, 2004

The Blood-Hungry Spleen and Other Poems About Our Parts




Wolf, Allan. 2003. THE BLOOD-HUNGRY SPLEEN AND OTHER POEMS ABOUT OUR PARTS. Ill. by Greg Clark. Cambridge: Candlewick Press. ISBN 076361565X [Suggested Grade Levels 1-5]

SUMMARY and ANALYSIS
This collection of poetry answers questions for readers curious about their kidneys or suspicious about their spleen. This poetry collection capitalizes on the notion that body parts and bodily functions are funny for young readers. Each poem examines a body part or system. Poetic grace is sometimes sacrificed for the sake of scientific explanation, but the poems are entertaining. The illustrations are cartoon-like and organs sometimes appear with their own eyes, arms and legs. However, some illustrations have charts providing further information, such as the opening illustration of the body or the chambers of the heart. The illustrations are no substitute for a reference text, but they provide a comical approach to organs and body systems to budding biology buffs and reluctant science scholars alike.

Written by a former junior high school science teacher, this collection of poems will ring true with that audience. The catchy poems will provide reinforcement for complex scientific concepts. The droll writing style provides simple and accurate information for readers. The author’s notes provide detailed definitions as well as resources for additional reading for students, teachers, parents, and even “the serious anatomist.”


CONNECTIONS

Encourage readers to do further research on the body part that was the most interesting to them. Have readers write their own poems about a body part and illustrate it. The readers can then reassemble a body using the body parts they wrote about and illustrated.

RELATED BOOKS

Other books that use poetry or humor to explain or demystify concepts:
Leedy, Loreen. THERE’S A FROG IN MY THROAT. ISBN 0823417743
Pullver, Robin. PUNCTUATION TAKES A VACATION. ISBN 0823416879
Scieszka, Jon. MATH CURSE. ISBN 0670861994

By Lea Ann Gilbert

Friday, August 13, 2004

Avalanche Annie: A Not-So-Tall Tale




Wheeler, Lisa. 2003. AVALANCHE ANNIE: A NOT-SO-TALL TALE. Ill. by Kurt Cyrus. New York: Harcourt. ISBN 0152167358 [Suggested Grade Levels PreK-2]

SUMMARY and ANALYSIS
Annie Halfpint’s exploits wrangling a runaway avalanche are nothing short of legendary. As she leads the participants of the annual snowshoe race up the mountain, Annie’s sweet but booming voice sets off a powerful snow slide. As the angry avalanche roars to life, Annie comes to the rescue in true Paul Bunyan style. She attacks the monster from all sides, finally lassoing it into submission. The townsfolk cheer for their new hero and give her a new nickname.

Wheeler keeps the excitement high in this rhyming story through excellent use of rich verbs. For example, the ferocity of the avalanche is dramatically clear. “It bucked her like a bronco! It mauled her like a bear! It flipped her like a spatula – she flapjacked through the air!” Cyrus’s bright illustrations keep the story in perpetual motion through swirling lines and whirling colors. With its female hero and thrilling action, this adventure will appeal to a wide range of readers.

CONNECTIONS

A minor twist at the end is that the narrator is actually Annie Halfpint’s husband. He is depicted as a minor character in almost every illustrated scene. Young children will enjoy going back to reexamine all the pictures and discovering his role in the story.

Have children read and compare this story to other tall tales and legends with female heroes.

RELATED BOOKS
Other stories by Lisa Wheeler that rhyme:
SAILOR MOO: COW AT SEA. ISBN 0689842198
SIXTEEN COWS. ISBN 0152026762
WOOL GATHERING: A SHEEP FAMILY REUNION. ISBN 0689843690

Other tall-tales with female heroes:
Isaacs, Anne. SWAMP ANGEL. ISBN 0525452710
Kellogg, Steven. SALLY ANN THUNDER ANN WHIRLWIND CROCKETT: A TALL TALE. ISBN 0688140424
Williams, Suzanne. LIBRARY LIL. ISBN 0803716982

By Amy D. Picard

Wednesday, August 11, 2004

Grow Up




Turner, S. 2003. GROW UP. New York: Joanna Cotler Books. ISBN 0060009543. [Suggested Grade Levels PreK-2]

SUMMARY and ANALYSIS
The story begins with an adult asking a young boy a “simple” question. “What are you going to be when you grow up?” The boy cannot give just one response. Instead, the youngster describes a variety of occupations he may want to explore when he grows up. Moreover, he may want to be a nurse, a cowboy, an undertaker, and the list goes delightfully on.

The occupation topic has been done before. However, Ms. Turner handles it extremely well. The hero of the story describes many occupations he may want to consider. The text matches the occupation the child discusses. For example, the text goes from bottom to top when the mountain climbing occupation is described. In addition, the text comes out wiggly and tall when the little boy talks about becoming a professional saxophone player. The boy briefly thinks about being a chef. He goes on to envision himself as the fireman putting out the flames of his own cooking. The illustrations are child-like. The art looks like a sketchbook that a child could have the ability to create. Moreover, Ms. Turner’s depiction of what children want to be when they grow up is clever. The readers are engaged as soon as they pick up the book. That is, readers are enthralled from dustcover to end matter. The text and child-like illustrations make this the kind of book that children and adults can enjoy together.

CONNECTIONS
Children could make new dustcovers to go with their favorite books. As discussed, Ms. Turner includes the dustcover as part of the reading material. Children could take old favorites and make new dustcovers that go with and add to the story.

Children could pantomime a career highlighted in the text. The children could choose independently which one to do, or the children could draw the occupation out of a hat.

RELATED BOOKS

Other books that can prompt career discussion:
Falconer, Ian. OLIVIA. ISBN 0689829531
Numeroff, Laura. WHAT MOMMIES DO BEST/WHAT DADDIES DO BEST. ISBN 0689805772

Other books that can prompt dustcover discussion:
Scieszka, Jon. THE STINKY CHEESE MAN AND OTHER FAIRLY STUPID STORIES. ISBN 0670035696

By Laura K. Davis

Monday, August 9, 2004

Inside Out




Trueman, Terry. 2003. INSIDE OUT. New York: HarperTempest. ISBN 006623962 [Suggested Grade Levels 7-10]

SUMMARY AND ANALYSIS

A sixteen year old boy named Zach Wahhsted goes to a coffee shop to get a maple bar. While he is there, two boys come in to rob the place and end up holding everyone hostage. What the robbers do not know is that Zach suffers from schizophrenia. Throughout the ordeal, Zach is tormented by the voices that no one else can hear. The robbers have a surprising motive for their crime. At the end, there is a twist that will make the book unforgettable.

The book is told from Zach’s point of view, and he has a lot of trouble distinguishing reality from fantasy. The readers will cringe when they read about what Zach goes through without his medication. Mr. Trueman covers a difficult topic well. He challenges stereotypes by making Zach the hero rather than the criminal. He also mentions stereotypes when one of the robbers thinks Zach is retarded. At the beginning, the voices torment him so much that he wants to take his life. Luckily, his mother and psychiatrist intervene. The book’s sad topic and dark tone are not for everybody.

CONNECTIONS

This book can jump start a discussion about mental illness. Teens can talk about the different kinds of illnesses and how they affect people. They can also discuss stereotypes and other misconceptions about the mentally ill.

Teens can read books to learn more about schizophrenia and other mental illnesses. By educating themselves, they can fight the stereotypes and stigmas that add to the pain of the mentally ill.

RELATED BOOKS

Other books about schizophrenia:
Phillips, Jane E. SCHIZOPHRENIA. ISBN 0766018962

Other books by Trueman that could be compared to this one:
STUCK IN NEUTRAL. ISBN 0064472132

By Christine Cortez

Saturday, August 7, 2004

When Everybody Wore a Hat




Steig, William. 2003. WHEN EVERYBODY WORE A HAT. New York: Joanna Cotler Books. ISBN 0060097000 [Suggested Grade Levels 1 and Up]

SUMMARY and ANALYSIS

This picture book takes a nostalgic and generalized look at the year 1916, when 96-year-old author and illustrator William Steig was eight years old. In this book, he crafts brief lines of text, which offer up interesting tidbits about his life and the ways of the world at the time. Whimsical watercolor cartoons illustrate the people and events that still live in his memory.

Children will get a glimpse at a world gone by, where “boys never played with girls,” the doctor came to the patient, and a nickel made a fine birthday present. Steig’s casual mentions of ephemera of the past such as by-gone women’s fashions, hand-cranked phonographs and old-style cameras will pique the interest of inquisitive children and make them want to learn more about this era.

This book isn’t entirely lighthearted however, with mentions (albeit brief and rather detached ones) and illustrations depicting World War I and events such as getting sad news from the Old Country. Sensitive children may ask “Why is his mom crying?” or “Why is that man bleeding?” For more mature children, this could provide an entrĂ©e for a history lesson. The absence of explanation in the text could prompt a dialogue between a child and an older person (ex: “Why do you think his mom is crying? When have you cried like that?”).

The glimpses that are provided into a variety of events of 1916 will intrigue readers of all ages and make them want to learn more about the era when everybody wore a hat.

CONNECTIONS

Children can discuss the elements, innovations and events of their own time period that they feel will be interesting to children of the future as they reflect back. They can use Steig’s art as a guideline for illustrating the descriptions they come up with, or as a group project these illustrations could be done on a mural.

RELATED BOOKS

Picture books featuring autobiographical or biographical aspects of an author’s life:
Lester, Helen. AUTHOR! A TRUE STORY. ISBN 0395827442
McElroy, Lisa Tucker. MEET MY GRANDMOTHER: SHE’S A CHILDREN’S BOOK AUTHOR. ISBN 0761319727

By Shannon McGregor

Thursday, August 5, 2004

The Green Dog: A Mostly True Story




Staples, Suzanne Fisher. 2003. THE GREEN DOG: A MOSTLY TRUE STORY. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. ISBN 0374327793 [Suggested Grade Levels 2-4]

SUMMARY and ANALYSIS
Written by the author of Newberry award winning SHABANU, Suzanne Fisher Staples writes a beautiful, sentimental tale of a little girl’s dreams. This heart warming and humorous story is taken from Suzanne’s own childhood. Swimsuits, sun and long lazy days by the lake are ahead of the first day of summer after forth grade, and this lonely little tomboy longs for the companionship of a loyal dog. She spends her time daydreaming about what she and her dog, she would call him Jeff, would do together, filling each moment of the long summer days. Through an amazing turn of events, the dog she has been dreaming of becomes her very own. It requires some maneuvering and convincing though, for her parents to permit Jeff to stay. And, the question becomes, will she be able to keep him out of trouble long enough so he will not be taken to the farm?

This story eloquently examines a little girl’s feelings as to how she relates to friends and peers as well as the various members of her family, such as siblings, parents and her Grandmother, affectionately referred to as Mema. Also noteworthy is the relationship between the mother and the father. An incident occurs in which the mother, though she does not agree with the action of her husband, does not disagree with him in front of the children. The parent’s unified front is exemplified throughout the story. These details and many more work together to add to the magical feeling combined to create the heartwarming sentimentality of this delightful story.

CONNECTIONS
Lead a discussion and challenge the children to think of the themes throughout the book, such as man verses man, or man verse nature as relationships are forged and transformed. Ask the students for support from the story for their responses.

This is also a great book to initiate creative writing as the students consider their own hopes and dreams which they currently hold or have held. They might then consider how they would respond to various outcomes to their dreams. Then the students can share and discuss their stories with each other and or the class.

RELATED BOOKS

Other stories about love and hope:
Creech, Sharon. GRANNY TORRELLI MAKES SOUP. ISBN 0060292903
Dicamillo, Kate. TALE OF DESPEREAUX: BEING THE STORY OF A MOUSE, A PRINCESS, SOME SOUP, AND A SPOOL OF THREAD. ISBN 0763617229

By Kristi Mays

Tuesday, August 3, 2004

Three Pebbles and a Song




Spinelli, E. 2003. THREE PEBBLES AND A SONG. Ill. by S.D. Schindler. New York: Dial Books. ISBN 0803725280 [Suggested Grade Levels K-2]

SUMMARY and ANALYSIS

Precocious Moses the mouse is supposed to be out gathering food and materials for winter’s arrival. Poor Moses is caught dancing, singing, and collecting pebbles. His family members all tell him that gathering is best to prepare for the cold season. Yet, Moses cannot help enjoying the little things in his environment. When he returns home, the family members share what they have gathered for the winter. Papa mouse brings soft rags. Sister mouse brings raisins, and Mama has a collection of crumbs to eat. Moses laments the fact that he brought nothing useful back. Thanks to the other family members, the family is well-fed and warm. However, they all become bored as winter proceeds because they are confined to their winter dwelling. When Moses shares his pebbles, song, and dance, he provides much needed entertainment.

Spinelli’s book is a refreshing look at what is truly important in life. Too often, play gets a bad name. People forget that the little things in life are what truly matter in retrospect. Play becomes just as important as work in the text. Readers will enjoy the flowing story and the rich message. In addition, readers will pore over the gorgeous illustrations made with pastels and watercolors. Each mouse is drawn with careful detail. The mice have tender expressions that exude warmth and compassion. The art work has the kind of detail in which individual splinters can be identified on pieces of wood. In truth, this is the kind of book that will be appreciated in terms of its poignant message as well as its quality illustrations.

CONNECTIONS
Children could discuss three items they would bring with them from the outside environment if they were confined to their homes for the winter.

Children could rewrite the ending to THREE PEBBLES AND A SONG. How would the story have ended if Moses had not shared what he gathered for winter?

RELATED BOOKS
Other books or tales that can prompt discussion about the value of play:
Lionni, Leo. FREDERICK. ISBN 0394826140
Ottolenghi, Carol. JACK AND THE BEANSTOCK. ISBN 1577683773
Stevens, Janet. THE TORTOISE AND THE HARE. ISBN 0823405648

Other books by Spinelli that could be compared to this one in terms of spirit and drive:
SOPHIE’S MASTERPIECE: A SPIDER’S TALE. ISBN 068980112

By Laura K. Davis

Sunday, August 1, 2004

Aesop's Fables




Sneed, Brad. 2003. AESOP’S FABLES. New York: Dial. ISBN 0802727518 [Suggested Grade Levels Preschool-2]

SUMMARY and ANALYSIS

Brad Sneed retells and illustrates fifteen of Aesop’s fables. The book includes classic fables such as “The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse” and lesser known works such as “The Caged Bird and the Bat.” At the end of each story is a one sentence moral. The book also includes a special treat for sharp-eyed readers which consists of an extra story told only in pictures.

Basically, Sneed updated all these fables because he wanted to give the stories a fresh new look. Children will laugh when they read about the animals that possess some human traits such as cunning, laziness, and foolishness. His use of puns is quite amusing. For example, the fox asks the crow, “Hey good looking! What’s a beautiful chick like you doing all alone in this forest?” The crow wonders why the fox thinks she is a chicken. The book is a simple, non-preachy way to teach children lessons. They will notice that the characters’ actions have consequences. Sneed also uses rich, delicate watercolors to create his pictures. He often exaggerates an animal’s features for humorous purposes. Kids will laugh when they see the country mouse’s expression when she see the grand feast before her. Overall, it is a classic with a fresh new twist.

CONNECTIONS

Afterwards, the kids can search for the sixteenth tale in the book. Unlike the other stories, this one is told only in pictures. Nevertheless, the pictures have no trouble telling the story on their own. Look for the tale of The Tortoise and the Hare.

The kids can also dramatize the fables.

RELATED BOOKS

Ash, Russell. AESOP’S FABLES: A CLASSIC ILLUSRATED VERSION. ISBN 0877017808
Lynch, Tom. FABLES OF AESOP. ISBN 0670889482

By Christine Cortez