Fantasy Audiobook
1. Bibliography
Hale, Shannon. PRINCESS ACADEMY. New York: Full Cast Audio, 2007. ISBN 1933322772.
2. Plot Summary
Prejudice, empowerment through education, and finding one’s place in the world are some of the numerous themes in this fantasy story. Motherless Miri lives in a village known for mining and selling of linder rock. She dreams of working in the quarry with her father and sister, mainly because she needs to feel necessary and appreciated in the family unit. Miri, like most other girls in this story, feels the strong inward nudge to prove herself. One day it is announced that all village girls must go to the Princess Academy to be educated and trained in a manner that befits a princess; it has been ordained that the prince will choose one of them for a wife. The villagers have their qualms about this, but it is decided that they must comply with the wishes of those of greater power than themselves. The academy tests the girls’ very spirits, and they find their tutor, Olana, to be strict, even harsh, in her dealings with them. Olana often makes remarks expressing her prejudices toward their humble mountain origins and their probable lack of intellect. Miri regrets leaving behind her (male) childhood friend, Peder, and deals with her conflicting emotions about the possibility of marrying the Prince. The girls are met by tests and disasters and tough decisions, and in the end make important discoveries about themselves.
3. Critical Analysis
The descriptive language and the names of people in the story might make one think of the Alps or some such northern, cold and snowy place. The idea of linder rock, which is an integral part of the trade for Miri’s village on Mount Eskel, is also an integral part of the story. The girls in this story are trying to figure out who they are, and make choices about their lives, which is a universal occupation for most young people of either gender. The interactions of these girls with one another seems fairly typical of girls of that age, although the excessive use of similes and metaphors in their thoughts and speech is a bit distracting. Some characters are not terribly likable in the beginning but become likeable or at least more likeable as they learn and change. The characters have many adventures, and in the beginning this is engaging, but seems to run on somewhat longer than necessary. The intent of the book at many points seems to be to empower girls, but at the same time doling out the standard idea of a prince choosing one of them to be worthy of being his wife, and the competition among the girls to be the chosen one. That could be considered a bit contradictory to a nobler message, especially when considering that many of the girls see this possibility as the potential opportunity to make something of themselves. The audio book is well-done. It utilizes multiple voices for the characters rather than providing one person reading an entire story. In this case, the multiple voices make it seem much livelier, and make approximately eight hours on eight CDs go by without the monotone effect possible from a single voice.
4. Awards and Excerpt(s)
2006 Newbery Honor Book
Publisher’s Weekly review:
“…Princess training is not all it's cracked up to be for spunky Miri in the isolated school overseen by cruel Tutor Olana. But through education-and the realization that she has the common mountain power to communicate wordlessly via magical "quarry-speech"-Miri and the girls eventually gain confidence and knowledge that helps transform their village. Unfortunately, Hale's lighthearted premise and underlying romantic plot bog down in overlong passages about commerce and class, a surprise hostage situation and the specifics of "quarry-speech." The prince's final princess selection hastily and patly wraps things up.”
Hornbook Audio review:
“When Miri spends a year in princess training, she learns surprising things about herself, her family, and her quarry-working community. Miri not only wins the title of academy princess but also transforms her mountain village's entire economy, vanquishes a horde of murderous bandits, and wins the heart of the boy she loves. This full-cast recording of Hale's 2006 Newbery honor book reflects care, with an accomplished narrator and snatches of song that introduce each chapter...“
KLIATT (Audio) review:
“...Although 14-year-old Miri wants to be princess to help her family, she is torn by her growing love for her lifelong friend Peder. Tensions rise when the prince fails to make a selection after the ball, and the princess training extends into a second year. Laura Credidio and the Full Cast family present a successful blend of masculine and feminine voices, lending great variety to the characters. For fans of clever, feisty female heroines and those who relish a touch of fantasy and suspense suitable for family listening.“
5. Connections
This story could be used to discuss the fantasy genre.
This story could be used to discuss the idea of mixing genres such as “fairy tale meets fantasy.”
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Book Review -- Rapunzel's Revenge (Module 6)
Graphic Novel
1. Bibliography
Hale, Shannon and Dean Hale. RAPUNZEL’S REVENGE. New York: Bloomsbury, 2008. ISBN 159990070X.
2. Plot Summary
In Shannon and Dean Hale’s Old West meets Graphic Novel version of Rapunzel’s Revenge, Rapunzel realizes as a teen that the woman she has believed to be her mother is actually not her mother, and that this woman is capable of diabolical acts. Rapunzel discovers the identity of her true mother as well as the wickedness enacted upon her by her imposter mother, the politically powerful and money-grubbing “Mother Gothel.” Her reaction to this knowledge leads to her placement in a tower by the enraged Mother Gothel. Reuniting with her real mother and avenging Mother Gothel become her two missions in life. In order to fulfill these quests, Rapunzel must escape from a high tower with the use of her long, roped hair put to use as a ladder, which she continues to use as a tool to survive many of her adventures along the way, such as a rope or a whip. She soon allies herself with a fumbling sidekick, Jack, and together they face danger after danger on their way back to avenge Mother Gothel and set innocent people free from her power.
3. Critical Analysis
The medieval context of Rapunzel transported into the Old West is an adjustment readers must make to enjoy this novel. Those disparate settings do not easily merge. Readers expecting gentle, sophisticated language typical of fairy tales will find a Rapunzel who makes such observations as “It was half a day’s ride to the ranch house, and I was hungry enough to eat a horse…and chase the rider with a fork.” The characters are fun, but it is difficult to sustain belief in the characterizations and story line. The witch of traditional Rapunzel stories is replaced with a crazed, power-and-money-hungry middle-aged woman who happens to have a specific magical talent. Most people Rapunzel and Jack encounter are hostile and suspicious, and this can be a bit wearing and predictable. This story is told as one adventure after another, in which Rapunzel usually saves the day. It also employs a budding romance between Rapunzel and her sidekick, Jack, and is therefore possibly more likely to appeal to female readers. Although enacted in a fairly incredible and unlikely style, there are scenes, hints, and references to violent behavior.
4. Review Excerpt(s)
Booklist Review:
“This graphic novel retelling of the fairy-tale classic, set in a swashbuckling Wild West, puts action first and features some serious girl power in its spunky and strong heroine. Young Rapunzel lives a lonely life, never knowing what lies beyond the high garden walls of her mother’s royal villa until one day she climbs the wall to see what’s on the other side. When she finds that the world outside is a dark place oppressed by her mother’s greed for power and uncovers the real secret of her own birth, she is imprisoned in a magic tree tower…Rich with humor and excitement, this is an alternate version of a classic that will become a fast favorite of young readers.”
Publisher’s Weekly review:
“The popular author of Princess Academy teams with her husband and illustrator Hale (no relation) for a muscular retelling of the famously long-haired heroine's story, set in a fairy-tale version of the Wild West. The Hales' Rapunzel, the narrator, lives like royalty with witchy Mother Gothel, but defies orders, scaling villa walls to see what's outside—a shocking wasteland of earth-scarring mines and smoke-billowing towers. She recognizes a mine worker from a recurrent dream: it's her birth mother, from whom she was taken as punishment for her father's theft from Mother G.'s garden. Their brief reunion sets the plot in motion...With its can-do heroine, witty dialogue and romantic ending, this graphic novel has something for nearly everybody.”
5. Connections
This graphic novel could be used for a creative writing exercise, in which a classic character from another time has his or her story retold in the present day or another time. It could be used as a compare and contrast with the traditional Rapunzel.
1. Bibliography
Hale, Shannon and Dean Hale. RAPUNZEL’S REVENGE. New York: Bloomsbury, 2008. ISBN 159990070X.
2. Plot Summary
In Shannon and Dean Hale’s Old West meets Graphic Novel version of Rapunzel’s Revenge, Rapunzel realizes as a teen that the woman she has believed to be her mother is actually not her mother, and that this woman is capable of diabolical acts. Rapunzel discovers the identity of her true mother as well as the wickedness enacted upon her by her imposter mother, the politically powerful and money-grubbing “Mother Gothel.” Her reaction to this knowledge leads to her placement in a tower by the enraged Mother Gothel. Reuniting with her real mother and avenging Mother Gothel become her two missions in life. In order to fulfill these quests, Rapunzel must escape from a high tower with the use of her long, roped hair put to use as a ladder, which she continues to use as a tool to survive many of her adventures along the way, such as a rope or a whip. She soon allies herself with a fumbling sidekick, Jack, and together they face danger after danger on their way back to avenge Mother Gothel and set innocent people free from her power.
3. Critical Analysis
The medieval context of Rapunzel transported into the Old West is an adjustment readers must make to enjoy this novel. Those disparate settings do not easily merge. Readers expecting gentle, sophisticated language typical of fairy tales will find a Rapunzel who makes such observations as “It was half a day’s ride to the ranch house, and I was hungry enough to eat a horse…and chase the rider with a fork.” The characters are fun, but it is difficult to sustain belief in the characterizations and story line. The witch of traditional Rapunzel stories is replaced with a crazed, power-and-money-hungry middle-aged woman who happens to have a specific magical talent. Most people Rapunzel and Jack encounter are hostile and suspicious, and this can be a bit wearing and predictable. This story is told as one adventure after another, in which Rapunzel usually saves the day. It also employs a budding romance between Rapunzel and her sidekick, Jack, and is therefore possibly more likely to appeal to female readers. Although enacted in a fairly incredible and unlikely style, there are scenes, hints, and references to violent behavior.
4. Review Excerpt(s)
Booklist Review:
“This graphic novel retelling of the fairy-tale classic, set in a swashbuckling Wild West, puts action first and features some serious girl power in its spunky and strong heroine. Young Rapunzel lives a lonely life, never knowing what lies beyond the high garden walls of her mother’s royal villa until one day she climbs the wall to see what’s on the other side. When she finds that the world outside is a dark place oppressed by her mother’s greed for power and uncovers the real secret of her own birth, she is imprisoned in a magic tree tower…Rich with humor and excitement, this is an alternate version of a classic that will become a fast favorite of young readers.”
Publisher’s Weekly review:
“The popular author of Princess Academy teams with her husband and illustrator Hale (no relation) for a muscular retelling of the famously long-haired heroine's story, set in a fairy-tale version of the Wild West. The Hales' Rapunzel, the narrator, lives like royalty with witchy Mother Gothel, but defies orders, scaling villa walls to see what's outside—a shocking wasteland of earth-scarring mines and smoke-billowing towers. She recognizes a mine worker from a recurrent dream: it's her birth mother, from whom she was taken as punishment for her father's theft from Mother G.'s garden. Their brief reunion sets the plot in motion...With its can-do heroine, witty dialogue and romantic ending, this graphic novel has something for nearly everybody.”
5. Connections
This graphic novel could be used for a creative writing exercise, in which a classic character from another time has his or her story retold in the present day or another time. It could be used as a compare and contrast with the traditional Rapunzel.
Book Review -- The First Part Last (Module 6)
Contemporary Realistic Fiction
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Johnson, Angela. THE FIRST PART LAST. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2003. ISBN 0689849222.
2. PLOT SUMMARY
Angela Johnson’s book concerns unplanned teenage pregnancy and its effect on all involved. It is told in flashbacks of “then” and “now” through the experience of the main character, Bobby.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Johnson has been honored with one Coretta Scott King Honor Award and two Coretta Scott King Awards. In this story, Bobby, the protagonist, is dealing with a crisis in his sixteen-year-old life. He has fathered a child with his teenage girlfriend, and struggles with both the idea and the responsibility of fatherhood so young. In flashbacks and current slices of “then” and “now” Bobby candidly describes his feelings toward his girlfriend, Nia, his new role as a father, and his new baby. It is refreshing to read a novel of this subject matter told through a male voice. Details of his life in New York and time spent with his girlfriend before, during, and after the baby’s birth set up the poignancy throughout, and an unexpected twist tests Bobby’s maturity to its core.
4. Review Excerpt(s) and Awards
School Library Journal review:
“…[The twist in the story], which explains why Bobby is raising Feather on his own against the advice of both families, seems melodramatic. So does a chapter in which Bobby snaps from the pressure and spends an entire day spray painting a picture on a brick wall, only to be arrested for vandalism. However, any flaws in the plot are overshadowed by the beautiful writing. Scenes in which Bobby expresses his love for his daughter are breathtaking…”
Publisher’s Weekly review:
“A 16-year-old tells the story of how he became a single dad. In a starred review of this companion to Heaven, PW said, "The author skillfully relates the hope in the midst of pain."
5. CONNECTIONS
This book would be suitable for discussing the need for responsibility and doing what must be done regardless of age when the worst has already happened. It addresses making wise choices, and how some choices can have life-long, irreversible effects. The subject matter is a story of crisis met. It could be beneficial for showing that youth does not necessarily negate adult-level problems.
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Johnson, Angela. THE FIRST PART LAST. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2003. ISBN 0689849222.
2. PLOT SUMMARY
Angela Johnson’s book concerns unplanned teenage pregnancy and its effect on all involved. It is told in flashbacks of “then” and “now” through the experience of the main character, Bobby.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Johnson has been honored with one Coretta Scott King Honor Award and two Coretta Scott King Awards. In this story, Bobby, the protagonist, is dealing with a crisis in his sixteen-year-old life. He has fathered a child with his teenage girlfriend, and struggles with both the idea and the responsibility of fatherhood so young. In flashbacks and current slices of “then” and “now” Bobby candidly describes his feelings toward his girlfriend, Nia, his new role as a father, and his new baby. It is refreshing to read a novel of this subject matter told through a male voice. Details of his life in New York and time spent with his girlfriend before, during, and after the baby’s birth set up the poignancy throughout, and an unexpected twist tests Bobby’s maturity to its core.
4. Review Excerpt(s) and Awards
School Library Journal review:
“…[The twist in the story], which explains why Bobby is raising Feather on his own against the advice of both families, seems melodramatic. So does a chapter in which Bobby snaps from the pressure and spends an entire day spray painting a picture on a brick wall, only to be arrested for vandalism. However, any flaws in the plot are overshadowed by the beautiful writing. Scenes in which Bobby expresses his love for his daughter are breathtaking…”
Publisher’s Weekly review:
“A 16-year-old tells the story of how he became a single dad. In a starred review of this companion to Heaven, PW said, "The author skillfully relates the hope in the midst of pain."
5. CONNECTIONS
This book would be suitable for discussing the need for responsibility and doing what must be done regardless of age when the worst has already happened. It addresses making wise choices, and how some choices can have life-long, irreversible effects. The subject matter is a story of crisis met. It could be beneficial for showing that youth does not necessarily negate adult-level problems.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Book Review -- Weedflower (Module 5)
1. Bibliography
Kadohata, Cynthia. WEEDFLOWER. New York: Atheneum, 2006. ISBN 0689865740.
2. Plot Summary
Sumiko is a twelve-year-old Japanese-American girl, orphaned and living with extended family on a flower farm in California in 1941. Her life is fairly content, spending her days at school, taking care of her younger brother Takao “Tak-Tak”, and grading commercially-grown flowers the family cultivates and sells for their livelihood. The world outside is changing, and the friction amongst world powers is growing more intense. Although Sumiko’s family members try to keep her and Takao safely sheltered from the repercussions of that friction, especially between the United States and Japan, the realization of its effect upon their family and community is inevitable. Sumiko's rejection at the birthday party of a wealthy white classmate marks the beginning of her own experience in the “us against them” feeling permeating relations between the United States and Japan, and the anxiety growing with her Japanese-American community. Soon afterward, Pearl Harbor is bombed by the Japanese, and the resulting hatred as well as government policy turns the lives of the Japanese-American community upside down. The family meets hardship after hardship and many unanswered questions about the future. This book shows their resilience and difficult decisions made in surviving the war in body and spirit.
3. Critical Analysis
The personalities in this story are memorable and distinctive. Kadohata describes them and tells this story in third person, from Sumiko’s perspective. The style was thoroughly engaging. This novel evokes a full range of emotions, and was difficult to put down at times. Other times, putting it down and absorbing the weight of what occurred seemed necessary. Kadohata based this book on stories she heard from her father, who was held in an internment camp during World War II. In addition, more survivors of internment were interviewed for this book, as were experts on Indian Reservations of this point in time. The Acknowledgments page in the front of this novel recounts those consulted in the writing of this novel.
4. Reviews and Awards
Publisher’s Weekly review:
"Kadohata clearly and eloquently conveys her heroine's mixture of shame, anger and courage. Readers will be inspired...."
Kirkus review:
”Kadohata combines impressive research and a lucent touch, bringing to life the confusion of dislocation.... “
Awards:
Agatha Award Finalist
ALA Best Books for Young Adults Nominee
ALA Notable Children's Book Nominee
Booklist Editors' Choice
CBC/NCSS Notable Social Studies Trade Book
CCBC Choices (Cooperative Children's Book Council)
Charlie May Simon Book Award ML (AR)
Chicago Public Library's Best of the Best
Dorothy Canfield Fisher Book Award Master List (VT)
Indian Paintbrush Book Award Master List (WY)
IRA/CBC Children's Choices
Jane Addams Children's Book Award
Kentucky Bluegrass Award Master List
Keystone to Reading Book Award Master List (PA)
Massachusetts Children's Book Award Master List
Nene Award Master List (HI)
Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award
Texas Bluebonnet Master List
Young Hoosier Book Award Master List (IN)
5. Connections
This book could be used as in a Social Studies unit about World War II, Indian Reservations, and Japanese Internment Camps. It could be used to discuss diversity.
Kadohata, Cynthia. WEEDFLOWER. New York: Atheneum, 2006. ISBN 0689865740.
2. Plot Summary
Sumiko is a twelve-year-old Japanese-American girl, orphaned and living with extended family on a flower farm in California in 1941. Her life is fairly content, spending her days at school, taking care of her younger brother Takao “Tak-Tak”, and grading commercially-grown flowers the family cultivates and sells for their livelihood. The world outside is changing, and the friction amongst world powers is growing more intense. Although Sumiko’s family members try to keep her and Takao safely sheltered from the repercussions of that friction, especially between the United States and Japan, the realization of its effect upon their family and community is inevitable. Sumiko's rejection at the birthday party of a wealthy white classmate marks the beginning of her own experience in the “us against them” feeling permeating relations between the United States and Japan, and the anxiety growing with her Japanese-American community. Soon afterward, Pearl Harbor is bombed by the Japanese, and the resulting hatred as well as government policy turns the lives of the Japanese-American community upside down. The family meets hardship after hardship and many unanswered questions about the future. This book shows their resilience and difficult decisions made in surviving the war in body and spirit.
3. Critical Analysis
The personalities in this story are memorable and distinctive. Kadohata describes them and tells this story in third person, from Sumiko’s perspective. The style was thoroughly engaging. This novel evokes a full range of emotions, and was difficult to put down at times. Other times, putting it down and absorbing the weight of what occurred seemed necessary. Kadohata based this book on stories she heard from her father, who was held in an internment camp during World War II. In addition, more survivors of internment were interviewed for this book, as were experts on Indian Reservations of this point in time. The Acknowledgments page in the front of this novel recounts those consulted in the writing of this novel.
4. Reviews and Awards
Publisher’s Weekly review:
"Kadohata clearly and eloquently conveys her heroine's mixture of shame, anger and courage. Readers will be inspired...."
Kirkus review:
”Kadohata combines impressive research and a lucent touch, bringing to life the confusion of dislocation.... “
Awards:
Agatha Award Finalist
ALA Best Books for Young Adults Nominee
ALA Notable Children's Book Nominee
Booklist Editors' Choice
CBC/NCSS Notable Social Studies Trade Book
CCBC Choices (Cooperative Children's Book Council)
Charlie May Simon Book Award ML (AR)
Chicago Public Library's Best of the Best
Dorothy Canfield Fisher Book Award Master List (VT)
Indian Paintbrush Book Award Master List (WY)
IRA/CBC Children's Choices
Jane Addams Children's Book Award
Kentucky Bluegrass Award Master List
Keystone to Reading Book Award Master List (PA)
Massachusetts Children's Book Award Master List
Nene Award Master List (HI)
Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award
Texas Bluebonnet Master List
Young Hoosier Book Award Master List (IN)
5. Connections
This book could be used as in a Social Studies unit about World War II, Indian Reservations, and Japanese Internment Camps. It could be used to discuss diversity.
Book Review -- The Game of Silence (Module 5)
1. Bibliography
Erdrich, Louise. THE GAME OF SILENCE. New York: HarperCollins, 2005. ISBN 0060297905.
2. Plot Summary
The Ojibwe Indians of the Northwestern United States and Canada are the subjects of this story. The story commences on The Island of the Yellow-Breasted Woodpecker (“Moningwanaykanig” in Ojibwe) in the year 1849. Ojibwe coming from further east arrive on this island by canoe, clearly having suffered greatly and having weathered something horrible. They are “a bony, hungry anxious group” with tattered clothing, or as with the little children, no clothing at all. These people have been driven out of their land by the U.S. government in efforts to claim possession of it, and in the process they have been pushed into territory claimed by the neighboring tribe of Bwaanag Indians. At one time these tribes coexisted and traded with each other, but this was based on clearly defined territories. As the Ojibwe encroach upon the Bwaanag lands, the Bwaanags grow to resent their presence, and respond by warfare. Collectively the survivors and the tribe endure another harsh year, and each season’s challenges are described in the chapters that follow. Eventually, the inhabitants must decide whether to move on and find a way to live elsewhere, or stay and risk losing their land to the U.S. government by force.
3. Critical Analysis
The narrative style of this novel is very factual. It is told in third person, as if we are observing the happenings rather than being inside the head of the characters. The author, Erdrich, made the effort to include Ojibwe dialect(s) in the story, and includes a glossary of Ojibwe words in the back of the novel. In the author’s note in the back of the book in regard to this complicated language, Erdrich explains that this language developed as a spoken language, and describes her attempts to phonetically spell out the words for this book as “idiosyncratic”. She further explains that there are many dialects of this language. She gave her best efforts, based upon these complexities of language, to make the text authentic. Many processes of Ojibwe life were delved into, such as the process of harvesting rice, or killing a moose for use as food and for its hide, cleaning a fresh catch of fish, constructing a canoe, and the like, in great detail.
4. Review(s) and Awards
Booklist starred review:
“Like its predecessor The Birchbark House (1999), this long-awaited sequel is framed by catastrophe, but the core of the story, which is set in 1850, is white settlers' threats to the traditional Ojibwe way of life. Omakayas is now nine and living at her beautiful island home in Lake Superior. But whites want Ojibwe off the island: Where will they go? In addition to an abundance of details about life through the seasons, Erdrich deals with the wider meaning of family and Omakayas' coming-of-age on a vision quest…In this heartrending novel the sense of what was lost is overwhelming.”
School Library Journal review:
“…Although the story is set on an island in Lake Superior in 1850, readers will identify with the everyday activities of the Ojibwa, from snowball fights to fishing excursions, providing a parallel to their own lives while encouraging an appreciation for one that is very different. The action is somewhat slow, but Erdrich's captivating tale of four seasons portrays a deep appreciation of our environment, our history, and our Native American sisters and brothers.”
Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction
Horn Book Fanfare
ALA Booklist Editors’ Choice
ALA Notable Children’s Book
Kirkus Editor’s Choice
New York Times Notable
5. Connections
This book could be used in a Social Studies unit, particularly about Native Americans. It could be used in a study of Indian reservations. It could be used to discuss diversity, and adversity from a particular cultural perspective.
Erdrich, Louise. THE GAME OF SILENCE. New York: HarperCollins, 2005. ISBN 0060297905.
2. Plot Summary
The Ojibwe Indians of the Northwestern United States and Canada are the subjects of this story. The story commences on The Island of the Yellow-Breasted Woodpecker (“Moningwanaykanig” in Ojibwe) in the year 1849. Ojibwe coming from further east arrive on this island by canoe, clearly having suffered greatly and having weathered something horrible. They are “a bony, hungry anxious group” with tattered clothing, or as with the little children, no clothing at all. These people have been driven out of their land by the U.S. government in efforts to claim possession of it, and in the process they have been pushed into territory claimed by the neighboring tribe of Bwaanag Indians. At one time these tribes coexisted and traded with each other, but this was based on clearly defined territories. As the Ojibwe encroach upon the Bwaanag lands, the Bwaanags grow to resent their presence, and respond by warfare. Collectively the survivors and the tribe endure another harsh year, and each season’s challenges are described in the chapters that follow. Eventually, the inhabitants must decide whether to move on and find a way to live elsewhere, or stay and risk losing their land to the U.S. government by force.
3. Critical Analysis
The narrative style of this novel is very factual. It is told in third person, as if we are observing the happenings rather than being inside the head of the characters. The author, Erdrich, made the effort to include Ojibwe dialect(s) in the story, and includes a glossary of Ojibwe words in the back of the novel. In the author’s note in the back of the book in regard to this complicated language, Erdrich explains that this language developed as a spoken language, and describes her attempts to phonetically spell out the words for this book as “idiosyncratic”. She further explains that there are many dialects of this language. She gave her best efforts, based upon these complexities of language, to make the text authentic. Many processes of Ojibwe life were delved into, such as the process of harvesting rice, or killing a moose for use as food and for its hide, cleaning a fresh catch of fish, constructing a canoe, and the like, in great detail.
4. Review(s) and Awards
Booklist starred review:
“Like its predecessor The Birchbark House (1999), this long-awaited sequel is framed by catastrophe, but the core of the story, which is set in 1850, is white settlers' threats to the traditional Ojibwe way of life. Omakayas is now nine and living at her beautiful island home in Lake Superior. But whites want Ojibwe off the island: Where will they go? In addition to an abundance of details about life through the seasons, Erdrich deals with the wider meaning of family and Omakayas' coming-of-age on a vision quest…In this heartrending novel the sense of what was lost is overwhelming.”
School Library Journal review:
“…Although the story is set on an island in Lake Superior in 1850, readers will identify with the everyday activities of the Ojibwa, from snowball fights to fishing excursions, providing a parallel to their own lives while encouraging an appreciation for one that is very different. The action is somewhat slow, but Erdrich's captivating tale of four seasons portrays a deep appreciation of our environment, our history, and our Native American sisters and brothers.”
Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction
Horn Book Fanfare
ALA Booklist Editors’ Choice
ALA Notable Children’s Book
Kirkus Editor’s Choice
New York Times Notable
5. Connections
This book could be used in a Social Studies unit, particularly about Native Americans. It could be used in a study of Indian reservations. It could be used to discuss diversity, and adversity from a particular cultural perspective.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Book Review -- Number The Stars (Module 5)
Historical Fiction
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Lowry, Lois. NUMBER THE STARS. New York: Bantam Doubleday Dell, 1989. ISBN 0440403278.
2. PLOT SUMMARY
What does it mean to be brave? This is a question Annemarie Johansen has to face at the tender age of ten years old in 1943 Denmark. Nazi soldiers occupy every street corner. The Danes are treated with cold suspicion. Annemarie’s best friend, Ellen Rosen, is Jewish. That fact becomes important to Annemarie as events unfold that show her the danger her friend and others like her face at the hands of the Nazi regime because they are Jews. At the same time, Annemarie sees the sacrifices her own family is willing to make and life-and-death risks that must be taken to keep their friends free. Early on in this story, when thinking about the danger that the Jews and those who were caught trying to hide them would face, the book tells us Annemarie’s thoughts: “Would she die to protect them? Truly? Annemarie was honest enough to admit, there in the darkness, to herself, that she wasn’t sure.” The time comes when circumstances require Annemarie to be brave and risk her life alongside her family. The reader learns of the historically heroic people of Denmark. In the Afterward of this book, it is explained that due to the efforts of such convicted, valiant people, “In the weeks following the Jewish New Year, almost the entire Jewish population of Denmark- nearly seven thousand people- was smuggled across the sea to Sweden.” This was not accomplished without bloodshed; very young men and women of the Resistance were executed when caught trying to aide the Jews in escape. This book reads as a testament to those brave souls.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The subject of the Holocaust brings to mind a very dark and depraved time in history. This book focuses on the bravery of Denmark, though captured by the Nazis. Through the eyes of the main character, Annemarie Johansen, the reader learns about what the world was like at that time and place. Annemarie tells us that people don’t laugh as they used to before the Germans came. Food is scarce and often confiscated by the Germans for their own use. A simple act of two young girls running and racing in the street is cause for suspicion from the two German guards who daily man that part of the street. Citizens of Denmark, whatever their faith, are easily made into targets for harassment or cruelty from the Nazi soldiers. Historic fact bears out in horrific detail the heinous acts of the Nazis against the Jews. To some degree the soldiers in this book seemed one-dimensional, as in a morality tale, without much individualization. Perhaps this was necessary to represent the entirety of the carnage left behind by that regime. So many ordinary people’s convictions compelled them to be nothing less than heroic. The poignancy of the risks taken and lives saved by so many people in a nation under German rule and guard is overwhelming.
4. Review Excerpts and Awards
Newbery Award Medal
Booklist review:
"Lowry tells her story well. . . . While the novel has an absorbing plot, its real strength lies in its evocation of deep friendship between two girls and of a caring family who make a profoundly moral choice to protect others during wartime. Permeated with clear elements of popular appeal as well as rich substance, this novel will also be an ideal support for classroom units on World War II."
Hornbook review:
“…The appended author's note details the historical incidents upon which Lowry bases her plot. By employing the limited omniscient third-person perspective, she draws the reader into the intensity of the situation as a child of Annemarie's age might perceive it. The message is so closely woven into the carefully honed narrative that the whole work is seamless, compelling, and memorable--impossible to put down; difficult to forget."
5. CONNECTIONS
This book underscores the points of bravery, risk, and sacrifice.
It could be used in a Social Studies unit.
It could be used to discuss diversity.
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Lowry, Lois. NUMBER THE STARS. New York: Bantam Doubleday Dell, 1989. ISBN 0440403278.
2. PLOT SUMMARY
What does it mean to be brave? This is a question Annemarie Johansen has to face at the tender age of ten years old in 1943 Denmark. Nazi soldiers occupy every street corner. The Danes are treated with cold suspicion. Annemarie’s best friend, Ellen Rosen, is Jewish. That fact becomes important to Annemarie as events unfold that show her the danger her friend and others like her face at the hands of the Nazi regime because they are Jews. At the same time, Annemarie sees the sacrifices her own family is willing to make and life-and-death risks that must be taken to keep their friends free. Early on in this story, when thinking about the danger that the Jews and those who were caught trying to hide them would face, the book tells us Annemarie’s thoughts: “Would she die to protect them? Truly? Annemarie was honest enough to admit, there in the darkness, to herself, that she wasn’t sure.” The time comes when circumstances require Annemarie to be brave and risk her life alongside her family. The reader learns of the historically heroic people of Denmark. In the Afterward of this book, it is explained that due to the efforts of such convicted, valiant people, “In the weeks following the Jewish New Year, almost the entire Jewish population of Denmark- nearly seven thousand people- was smuggled across the sea to Sweden.” This was not accomplished without bloodshed; very young men and women of the Resistance were executed when caught trying to aide the Jews in escape. This book reads as a testament to those brave souls.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The subject of the Holocaust brings to mind a very dark and depraved time in history. This book focuses on the bravery of Denmark, though captured by the Nazis. Through the eyes of the main character, Annemarie Johansen, the reader learns about what the world was like at that time and place. Annemarie tells us that people don’t laugh as they used to before the Germans came. Food is scarce and often confiscated by the Germans for their own use. A simple act of two young girls running and racing in the street is cause for suspicion from the two German guards who daily man that part of the street. Citizens of Denmark, whatever their faith, are easily made into targets for harassment or cruelty from the Nazi soldiers. Historic fact bears out in horrific detail the heinous acts of the Nazis against the Jews. To some degree the soldiers in this book seemed one-dimensional, as in a morality tale, without much individualization. Perhaps this was necessary to represent the entirety of the carnage left behind by that regime. So many ordinary people’s convictions compelled them to be nothing less than heroic. The poignancy of the risks taken and lives saved by so many people in a nation under German rule and guard is overwhelming.
4. Review Excerpts and Awards
Newbery Award Medal
Booklist review:
"Lowry tells her story well. . . . While the novel has an absorbing plot, its real strength lies in its evocation of deep friendship between two girls and of a caring family who make a profoundly moral choice to protect others during wartime. Permeated with clear elements of popular appeal as well as rich substance, this novel will also be an ideal support for classroom units on World War II."
Hornbook review:
“…The appended author's note details the historical incidents upon which Lowry bases her plot. By employing the limited omniscient third-person perspective, she draws the reader into the intensity of the situation as a child of Annemarie's age might perceive it. The message is so closely woven into the carefully honed narrative that the whole work is seamless, compelling, and memorable--impossible to put down; difficult to forget."
5. CONNECTIONS
This book underscores the points of bravery, risk, and sacrifice.
It could be used in a Social Studies unit.
It could be used to discuss diversity.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Book Review: Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World (Module 4)
1. Bibliography
Armstrong, Jennifer. SHIPWRECK AT THE BOTTOM OF THE WORLD: THE EXTRAORDINARY TRUE STORY OF SHACKLETON AND THE ENDURANCE. New York: Crown Publishers, 1998. ISBN 0517800144.
2. Plot Summary
Antarctica was a mysterious frozen continent which had not been sighted prior to the 19th century. This is one of the facts we learn in Armstrong’s account of Shackleton’s expedition to Antarctica in 1915. At the turn of the 20th century, numerous attempts were made by various adventurers to reach it, explore it, and literally “put it on the map.” One such adventurer was Englishman Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton, who made several attempts in competition with others to walk on the ice of Antarctica’s interior and document what was found there. Shackleton took meticulous care in choosing his crew, filling his ship with necessary food and supplies, and relying upon the Norwegian craftsmanship and knowledge of icy water conditions that built his ship for the journey, The Endurance. Endurance in its psychological sense was certainly needed by the crew when the ship collapsed from the pressure exerted upon it by the frozen waters. Thereafter, the story shifts to the hardships suffered by the crew, and ultimately, the miracle that all crew members survived.
3. Critical Analysis
Captions under original photos, a wealth of information from the trivial to the essential within the text, and the bibliographical sources included in the back of the book give evidence of much research and discovery in the preparation for writing this account of Shackleton’s expedition to Antarctica on the Endurance. The subject matter was compelling. Stating facts without emotion as a continuous narrative style through a book of more than 128 pages can seem a little dry – unfortunately, that was true of this book. Still, there was much to learn about what happened, and much to absorb in reading this book, at any age.
Although this book is intended for young adults, as with the expedition it documents, it is not for the faint of heart. There are disturbing revelations, such as on page 27. The necessity of hunting seals and penguins for supplemental food is as described as follows: “It was pitifully easy to kill the seals: they had no fear of anything on land, and the men could ski or walk up to the trusting animals and club them to death.” This may be more graphic description than is required, especially for young adults. Page 11 shows a photo taken of a ship’s stowaway (who became the ship’s steward) with a cat named Mrs. Chippy perched upon his right shoulder. Later in the book, after the shipwreck, we learn, “In the meantime, there was much to get ready. Mrs. Chippy, the carpenter’s cat, had to be shot, because without the protection of the ship the dogs would have eaten him.” A mercy killing of sorts is described, and desperate times are said to call for desperate measures. Still, the unemotional statement of these and other facts have the potential to depress the reader with brutality as much as to inform.
This book shows that exploring and documenting our world, even to recent centuries, has not been an easy task. It shows how wild and unforgiving our world can be, and yet how resilient and persevering mankind can be in trying to make the unknown the known.
4. Review Excerpts
Booklist review:
"Using text filled with details about daily life, quotes (unfortunately not sourced), fascinating archival photos by one of the members of the expedition, and insight into elements of science with important bearing on the story (navigation techniques, different kinds of ice), Armstrong paints a vivid picture of the ordeal."
School Library Journal review:
"...Utilizing Shackleton's memoirs and original expedition photographs, Kimmel re-creates events in exciting detail. She puts the story in historical perspective by comparing the exploration of Antarctica to the exploration of space, which plays a part in making this an accessible but not oversimplified account."
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books review:
"...The author uses her sources well for provision of evocative details, such as the impact, a year after getting stuck in the ice and four months after abandoning the ship, of the discovery of a twig and the homesickness engendered by the smell of its burning. Nor does she shrink from harder truths about the fate of the ship's sled dogs and cat mascot, but the overwhelming impression is of the skill and luck that enabled Shackleton to bring all his men back alive."
Connections:
This book could be used in conjunction with a unit on exploration in history.
Armstrong, Jennifer. SHIPWRECK AT THE BOTTOM OF THE WORLD: THE EXTRAORDINARY TRUE STORY OF SHACKLETON AND THE ENDURANCE. New York: Crown Publishers, 1998. ISBN 0517800144.
2. Plot Summary
Antarctica was a mysterious frozen continent which had not been sighted prior to the 19th century. This is one of the facts we learn in Armstrong’s account of Shackleton’s expedition to Antarctica in 1915. At the turn of the 20th century, numerous attempts were made by various adventurers to reach it, explore it, and literally “put it on the map.” One such adventurer was Englishman Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton, who made several attempts in competition with others to walk on the ice of Antarctica’s interior and document what was found there. Shackleton took meticulous care in choosing his crew, filling his ship with necessary food and supplies, and relying upon the Norwegian craftsmanship and knowledge of icy water conditions that built his ship for the journey, The Endurance. Endurance in its psychological sense was certainly needed by the crew when the ship collapsed from the pressure exerted upon it by the frozen waters. Thereafter, the story shifts to the hardships suffered by the crew, and ultimately, the miracle that all crew members survived.
3. Critical Analysis
Captions under original photos, a wealth of information from the trivial to the essential within the text, and the bibliographical sources included in the back of the book give evidence of much research and discovery in the preparation for writing this account of Shackleton’s expedition to Antarctica on the Endurance. The subject matter was compelling. Stating facts without emotion as a continuous narrative style through a book of more than 128 pages can seem a little dry – unfortunately, that was true of this book. Still, there was much to learn about what happened, and much to absorb in reading this book, at any age.
Although this book is intended for young adults, as with the expedition it documents, it is not for the faint of heart. There are disturbing revelations, such as on page 27. The necessity of hunting seals and penguins for supplemental food is as described as follows: “It was pitifully easy to kill the seals: they had no fear of anything on land, and the men could ski or walk up to the trusting animals and club them to death.” This may be more graphic description than is required, especially for young adults. Page 11 shows a photo taken of a ship’s stowaway (who became the ship’s steward) with a cat named Mrs. Chippy perched upon his right shoulder. Later in the book, after the shipwreck, we learn, “In the meantime, there was much to get ready. Mrs. Chippy, the carpenter’s cat, had to be shot, because without the protection of the ship the dogs would have eaten him.” A mercy killing of sorts is described, and desperate times are said to call for desperate measures. Still, the unemotional statement of these and other facts have the potential to depress the reader with brutality as much as to inform.
This book shows that exploring and documenting our world, even to recent centuries, has not been an easy task. It shows how wild and unforgiving our world can be, and yet how resilient and persevering mankind can be in trying to make the unknown the known.
4. Review Excerpts
Booklist review:
"Using text filled with details about daily life, quotes (unfortunately not sourced), fascinating archival photos by one of the members of the expedition, and insight into elements of science with important bearing on the story (navigation techniques, different kinds of ice), Armstrong paints a vivid picture of the ordeal."
School Library Journal review:
"...Utilizing Shackleton's memoirs and original expedition photographs, Kimmel re-creates events in exciting detail. She puts the story in historical perspective by comparing the exploration of Antarctica to the exploration of space, which plays a part in making this an accessible but not oversimplified account."
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books review:
"...The author uses her sources well for provision of evocative details, such as the impact, a year after getting stuck in the ice and four months after abandoning the ship, of the discovery of a twig and the homesickness engendered by the smell of its burning. Nor does she shrink from harder truths about the fate of the ship's sled dogs and cat mascot, but the overwhelming impression is of the skill and luck that enabled Shackleton to bring all his men back alive."
Connections:
This book could be used in conjunction with a unit on exploration in history.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Book Review -- The Road to Oz (Module 4)
Biography by Kathleen Krull
1. Bibliography
Krull, Kathleen. THE ROAD TO OZ: TWISTS, TURNS, BUMPS, AND TRIUMPHS IN THE LIFE OF L. FRANK BAUM. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2008. ISBN 03759322168.
2. Plot Summary
This autobiography of L. Frank Baum by Kathleen Krull details the colorful life of the creator of "The Wizard of Oz" and the Oz books that followed. We learn of Baum's wealthy upbringing, his vivid imagination, and his love of children and storytelling. We learn of his various careers and his great love of his family life. "The Wizard of Oz" was published in 1900. In the "Storyteller's Note" at the back of the book, the author points out, "...Oz was the Harry Potter of it's day..."
3. Critical Analyis
The reader learns how very likeable and yet how very human Baum was. Children learn of some of Baum's inspirations for the book. Although several examples are given, one example is that the tin man likely came into being from Baum's stint as a window dresser in a hardware store, in which he made a unique display - a man made of metal parts.
Many of Kevin Hawkes illustrations hint at other inspirations. A scarecrow on a hillside, poppies growing roadside, and a broom being used for a prop for one of Baum's stories are several examples. The pictures throughout are very colorful. They carry the action on associated pages well.
4. Review Excerpts
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books review:
"...Sprinkled through with wry parenthetical asides, Krull's text is witty and reader-friendly, and it provides a narrative yellow brick road that makes the writing of the Oz books seem inevitable, a natural out'growth of all of the experiences Baum had along the way..."
Hornbook review:
"Though Baum's financial ups and downs before Oz offer dramatic "bumps," that may not be the most appropriate structure for his life story... Krull's frequent parentheses produce a distracting stop-start rhythm: "Finally it dawned on Frank that he could be writing down those bedtime fantasies he told the children. (Actually, his mother-in-law was the one who pointed this out.)" Krull does describe Baum's anti-Native editorials in his small Dakota newspaper more forthrightly than previous biographers. In all, an entertaining look at how a peripatetic man in a rapidly changing society produced a lasting fantasy tale."
The Christian Science Monitor review:
"Younger readers will enjoy the vibrant, detailed illustrations, while older readers (or history buffs) will delight in the little-known facts and literary allusions. . . . Sharp-eyed readers will also spot references to the story of the girl from Kansas who trekked to the Emerald city--even on the first page of this colorful biography..."
5. Connections
This book could be used in a unit to show what biographies are. It could also be incorporated supplementally into a study of "The Wizard of Oz" or any of the Oz books. It could also be used to illustrate the value of focus and perserverance.
1. Bibliography
Krull, Kathleen. THE ROAD TO OZ: TWISTS, TURNS, BUMPS, AND TRIUMPHS IN THE LIFE OF L. FRANK BAUM. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2008. ISBN 03759322168.
2. Plot Summary
This autobiography of L. Frank Baum by Kathleen Krull details the colorful life of the creator of "The Wizard of Oz" and the Oz books that followed. We learn of Baum's wealthy upbringing, his vivid imagination, and his love of children and storytelling. We learn of his various careers and his great love of his family life. "The Wizard of Oz" was published in 1900. In the "Storyteller's Note" at the back of the book, the author points out, "...Oz was the Harry Potter of it's day..."
3. Critical Analyis
The reader learns how very likeable and yet how very human Baum was. Children learn of some of Baum's inspirations for the book. Although several examples are given, one example is that the tin man likely came into being from Baum's stint as a window dresser in a hardware store, in which he made a unique display - a man made of metal parts.
Many of Kevin Hawkes illustrations hint at other inspirations. A scarecrow on a hillside, poppies growing roadside, and a broom being used for a prop for one of Baum's stories are several examples. The pictures throughout are very colorful. They carry the action on associated pages well.
4. Review Excerpts
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books review:
"...Sprinkled through with wry parenthetical asides, Krull's text is witty and reader-friendly, and it provides a narrative yellow brick road that makes the writing of the Oz books seem inevitable, a natural out'growth of all of the experiences Baum had along the way..."
Hornbook review:
"Though Baum's financial ups and downs before Oz offer dramatic "bumps," that may not be the most appropriate structure for his life story... Krull's frequent parentheses produce a distracting stop-start rhythm: "Finally it dawned on Frank that he could be writing down those bedtime fantasies he told the children. (Actually, his mother-in-law was the one who pointed this out.)" Krull does describe Baum's anti-Native editorials in his small Dakota newspaper more forthrightly than previous biographers. In all, an entertaining look at how a peripatetic man in a rapidly changing society produced a lasting fantasy tale."
The Christian Science Monitor review:
"Younger readers will enjoy the vibrant, detailed illustrations, while older readers (or history buffs) will delight in the little-known facts and literary allusions. . . . Sharp-eyed readers will also spot references to the story of the girl from Kansas who trekked to the Emerald city--even on the first page of this colorful biography..."
5. Connections
This book could be used in a unit to show what biographies are. It could also be incorporated supplementally into a study of "The Wizard of Oz" or any of the Oz books. It could also be used to illustrate the value of focus and perserverance.
Book Review -- Giant Snakes (Module 4)
Non-fiction book by Seymour Simon
1. Bibliography
Simon, Seymour. GIANT SNAKES. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books, 2006. ISBN 0118854108.
2. Plot Summary
Boa Constrictors and Pythons are the giant snakes of our world. This book describes and explains details about these two types of giant snakes. The reader finds that these snakes differ from each other in some ways - the boa gives birth to live young, while the python lays eggs which she guards until they hatch. These snakes are very much alike in other ways, such as their physical characteristics - they both lack outside ears and eyelids. Many facts are presented about the diet, hunting techniques, habitat, and size of these snakes. Full-color photographs of these snakes are provided on every page.
3. Critical Analysis
This book, written as a Level 2 reader for elementary grades 1-3, provides an overview of giant snakes, which are the boa constrictors and pythons of our world. The average lifespan of these snakes is an example of a question that this book does not address, focusing instead mainly on the birth, size, and eating habits of various giant snakes. Still, many interesting facts about these snakes are presented. The book concludes with the reassurance that attacks on human beings by giant snakes are rare, and the call to remember that "snakes are neither good nor bad. Giant Snakes are part of the natural life of the countries in which they live."
One page states that "Anacondas are the largest snakes in the world." The following page states that "[t]he reticulated (re-TICK-u-late-d) python of Southeast Asia is the longest snake in the world." It is difficult to determine which snake is the biggest, since it is unclear whether length or width is the determining factor. Despite this seeming contradiction, the idea that these snakes are quite large does come through, many of them approaching or exceeding 30 feet in length.
The photographs do add to the comprehension of the subject matter. There are some fairly graphic images included. One shows a snake suffocating a mouse, the mouse wearing an agonized expression. Another photo shows a boa constrictor giving birth to live young.
4. Review Excerpts:
Science Books & Films review:
"The text is lively, well organized, and clear, with the many facts it presents cleverly woven into the story. The illustrations, which are beautiful, show distinctly the intricate patterns of the snakes' skin. The differently colored pages of the book are attractive, and often the color is perfect for the information presented. The book is easy to read, and there was only one typo to mar the presentation. This book would be ideal for the classroom or the young reader's bookshelf."
5. Connections
This book could be used to supplement a study of reptiles in general or snakes in particular. It could be used in a compare and contrast study of snakes, some being poisonous, some not, some giant, some small, and the like.
1. Bibliography
Simon, Seymour. GIANT SNAKES. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books, 2006. ISBN 0118854108.
2. Plot Summary
Boa Constrictors and Pythons are the giant snakes of our world. This book describes and explains details about these two types of giant snakes. The reader finds that these snakes differ from each other in some ways - the boa gives birth to live young, while the python lays eggs which she guards until they hatch. These snakes are very much alike in other ways, such as their physical characteristics - they both lack outside ears and eyelids. Many facts are presented about the diet, hunting techniques, habitat, and size of these snakes. Full-color photographs of these snakes are provided on every page.
3. Critical Analysis
This book, written as a Level 2 reader for elementary grades 1-3, provides an overview of giant snakes, which are the boa constrictors and pythons of our world. The average lifespan of these snakes is an example of a question that this book does not address, focusing instead mainly on the birth, size, and eating habits of various giant snakes. Still, many interesting facts about these snakes are presented. The book concludes with the reassurance that attacks on human beings by giant snakes are rare, and the call to remember that "snakes are neither good nor bad. Giant Snakes are part of the natural life of the countries in which they live."
One page states that "Anacondas are the largest snakes in the world." The following page states that "[t]he reticulated (re-TICK-u-late-d) python of Southeast Asia is the longest snake in the world." It is difficult to determine which snake is the biggest, since it is unclear whether length or width is the determining factor. Despite this seeming contradiction, the idea that these snakes are quite large does come through, many of them approaching or exceeding 30 feet in length.
The photographs do add to the comprehension of the subject matter. There are some fairly graphic images included. One shows a snake suffocating a mouse, the mouse wearing an agonized expression. Another photo shows a boa constrictor giving birth to live young.
4. Review Excerpts:
Science Books & Films review:
"The text is lively, well organized, and clear, with the many facts it presents cleverly woven into the story. The illustrations, which are beautiful, show distinctly the intricate patterns of the snakes' skin. The differently colored pages of the book are attractive, and often the color is perfect for the information presented. The book is easy to read, and there was only one typo to mar the presentation. This book would be ideal for the classroom or the young reader's bookshelf."
5. Connections
This book could be used to supplement a study of reptiles in general or snakes in particular. It could be used in a compare and contrast study of snakes, some being poisonous, some not, some giant, some small, and the like.
Friday, July 3, 2009
Book Review -- Stop Pretending: What Happened When My Big Sister Went Crazy (Module 3)
Verse Novel
1. Bibliography
Sones, Sonya. STOP PRETENDING: WHAT HAPPENED WHEN MY BIG SISTER WENT CRAZY. New York: HarperTempest, 1999. ISBN 0064462188.
2. Plot Summary
When the author was twelve years old, her older sister had a nervous breakdown on Christmas Eve, requiring months of hospitalization in a psychiatric ward. This book was drawn from that time in Sones’s life. The book provides a free verse poetic memoir of what that time was like for the author and her family, and their collective journey as a family toward recovery.
3. Critical Analysis
The strength of this verse novel is its straight-forward style. The narrator, affectionately called “Cookie” by her family, tells about dealing with her sister’s mental illness as if she were writing in her journal; it is offered with candor. We are allowed into her world and into her mind, where as a young adult she must cope with a sudden, tragic, and extreme change in her family status quo – her sister is suffering from a mental breakdown, and her entire family feels powerless to help her. The narrator desperately wants her sister back, as she was before, and wants her family to return to the happiness they knew before the breakdown happened. This verse novel is a journey toward hope.
4. Awards and Review Excerpts
Christopher Award
Claudia Lewis Award for Poetry
Myra Cohn Livingston Poetry Award
Gradiva Award for Pest Poetry Book
ALA Best Book for Young Adults
IRA/CBC Young Adults Choice
(And the list goes on…)
Review Excerpts:
School Library Journal review:
“An unpretentious, accessible book that could provide entry points for a discussion about mental illness-its stigma, its realities, and its affect on family members. Based on the journals Sones wrote at the age of 13 when her 19-year-old sister was hospitalized due to manic depression, the simply crafted but deeply felt poems reflect her thoughts, fears, hopes, and dreams during that troubling time…”
Kirkus review:
“In a story based on real events, and told in poems, Sones explores what happened and how she reacted when her adored older sister suddenly began screaming and hearing voices in her head, and was ultimately hospitalized. Individually, the poems appear simple and unremarkable, snapshot portraits of two sisters, a family, unfaithful friends, and a sweet first love. Collected, they take on life and movement, the individual frames of a movie that in the unspooling become animated, telling a compelling tale and presenting a painful passage through young adolescence…”
5. Connections
This verse novel could be used to discuss mental illness and its effect on the sufferer and their family and friends.
1. Bibliography
Sones, Sonya. STOP PRETENDING: WHAT HAPPENED WHEN MY BIG SISTER WENT CRAZY. New York: HarperTempest, 1999. ISBN 0064462188.
2. Plot Summary
When the author was twelve years old, her older sister had a nervous breakdown on Christmas Eve, requiring months of hospitalization in a psychiatric ward. This book was drawn from that time in Sones’s life. The book provides a free verse poetic memoir of what that time was like for the author and her family, and their collective journey as a family toward recovery.
3. Critical Analysis
The strength of this verse novel is its straight-forward style. The narrator, affectionately called “Cookie” by her family, tells about dealing with her sister’s mental illness as if she were writing in her journal; it is offered with candor. We are allowed into her world and into her mind, where as a young adult she must cope with a sudden, tragic, and extreme change in her family status quo – her sister is suffering from a mental breakdown, and her entire family feels powerless to help her. The narrator desperately wants her sister back, as she was before, and wants her family to return to the happiness they knew before the breakdown happened. This verse novel is a journey toward hope.
4. Awards and Review Excerpts
Christopher Award
Claudia Lewis Award for Poetry
Myra Cohn Livingston Poetry Award
Gradiva Award for Pest Poetry Book
ALA Best Book for Young Adults
IRA/CBC Young Adults Choice
(And the list goes on…)
Review Excerpts:
School Library Journal review:
“An unpretentious, accessible book that could provide entry points for a discussion about mental illness-its stigma, its realities, and its affect on family members. Based on the journals Sones wrote at the age of 13 when her 19-year-old sister was hospitalized due to manic depression, the simply crafted but deeply felt poems reflect her thoughts, fears, hopes, and dreams during that troubling time…”
Kirkus review:
“In a story based on real events, and told in poems, Sones explores what happened and how she reacted when her adored older sister suddenly began screaming and hearing voices in her head, and was ultimately hospitalized. Individually, the poems appear simple and unremarkable, snapshot portraits of two sisters, a family, unfaithful friends, and a sweet first love. Collected, they take on life and movement, the individual frames of a movie that in the unspooling become animated, telling a compelling tale and presenting a painful passage through young adolescence…”
5. Connections
This verse novel could be used to discuss mental illness and its effect on the sufferer and their family and friends.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Book Review -- Comets, Stars, The Moon, and Mars (Module 3)
Poetry
1. Bibliography
Florian, Douglas. COMETS, STARS, THE MOON, AND MARS. New York: Harcourt, 2007. ISBN 0152053727.
2. Plot Summary
Twenty poems provide commentary, trivia, and facts regarding outer space. Specifically considered are the universe, the galaxy, the sun, the moon, the solar system, each individual planet, minor planets, comets, constellations, black holes, and "the Great Beyond."
3. Critical Analysis
Florian is the writer and illustrator of this book about space. He opens with the poem, "Skywatch" to encourage the reader to actually look into the sky and see the stars. Whether within the text of the poems or contained within the captions of the illustrations, this book contains proper names which may inspire further research. "Alpha Centauri" or "Sirius" are two such examples. However, Florian does make the effort to define and explain space terminology in simple terms. Florian's book informs while it entertains. The poem "Pluto" is a good example: "Pluto was a planet...Till one day it got fired."
Florian's illustrations are eclectic. Each page has a feeling of watercolor wash, and the wash effect makes the subject matter seem fluid. The watercolor backgrounds are juxtaposed with collage cut outs imposed into the foreground. Simplistic drawings are also used, such as of constellation patterns, and interesting color mixes are utilized in the drawings of the planets. The style feels very abstract, lacking the encyclopedic quality and content in favor of science as art.
This book appears to have the goal of inspiring readers to learn more about space. It could have been a straight-forward, precisely drawn, non-fiction dry read. However, Florian made it interesting subject matter. His work draws from facts, and creatively combines the scientific with the artistic.
4. Review Excerts
The Horn Book review:
"Florian sums up the heavens in twenty snappy rhymes, all agreeably tongue-in-cheek but never so much so as to distort the information he conveys. Variants of flame-orange and its complementary blues predominate in the full-spread paintings. . . . With its gorgeous palette, sweeping vistas, and ingenious effects (including occasional die-cut holes), this is an expansive and illuminating view of its subject..."
Natural History review:
"In his latest children's book, Douglas Florian, an accomplished poet-painter and father of five, romps through the universe. Each spread features light verse printed over gouache images of planets and other heavenly bodies decorated with collage and rubber stamps. As always, Florian loads his paintings with witty details..."
School Library Journal review:
"Nothing gladdens the heart of believers in good poetry for children more than a new collection by Florian, whose verses and paintings consistently capture the essence of his featured themes. This one literally sings the music of the spheres..."
Connections:
This book could be used supplementary to a unit on the space. It could be used after studying the planets, such as having the students pick a planet, research it, and write a poem about it.
1. Bibliography
Florian, Douglas. COMETS, STARS, THE MOON, AND MARS. New York: Harcourt, 2007. ISBN 0152053727.
2. Plot Summary
Twenty poems provide commentary, trivia, and facts regarding outer space. Specifically considered are the universe, the galaxy, the sun, the moon, the solar system, each individual planet, minor planets, comets, constellations, black holes, and "the Great Beyond."
3. Critical Analysis
Florian is the writer and illustrator of this book about space. He opens with the poem, "Skywatch" to encourage the reader to actually look into the sky and see the stars. Whether within the text of the poems or contained within the captions of the illustrations, this book contains proper names which may inspire further research. "Alpha Centauri" or "Sirius" are two such examples. However, Florian does make the effort to define and explain space terminology in simple terms. Florian's book informs while it entertains. The poem "Pluto" is a good example: "Pluto was a planet...Till one day it got fired."
Florian's illustrations are eclectic. Each page has a feeling of watercolor wash, and the wash effect makes the subject matter seem fluid. The watercolor backgrounds are juxtaposed with collage cut outs imposed into the foreground. Simplistic drawings are also used, such as of constellation patterns, and interesting color mixes are utilized in the drawings of the planets. The style feels very abstract, lacking the encyclopedic quality and content in favor of science as art.
This book appears to have the goal of inspiring readers to learn more about space. It could have been a straight-forward, precisely drawn, non-fiction dry read. However, Florian made it interesting subject matter. His work draws from facts, and creatively combines the scientific with the artistic.
4. Review Excerts
The Horn Book review:
"Florian sums up the heavens in twenty snappy rhymes, all agreeably tongue-in-cheek but never so much so as to distort the information he conveys. Variants of flame-orange and its complementary blues predominate in the full-spread paintings. . . . With its gorgeous palette, sweeping vistas, and ingenious effects (including occasional die-cut holes), this is an expansive and illuminating view of its subject..."
Natural History review:
"In his latest children's book, Douglas Florian, an accomplished poet-painter and father of five, romps through the universe. Each spread features light verse printed over gouache images of planets and other heavenly bodies decorated with collage and rubber stamps. As always, Florian loads his paintings with witty details..."
School Library Journal review:
"Nothing gladdens the heart of believers in good poetry for children more than a new collection by Florian, whose verses and paintings consistently capture the essence of his featured themes. This one literally sings the music of the spheres..."
Connections:
This book could be used supplementary to a unit on the space. It could be used after studying the planets, such as having the students pick a planet, research it, and write a poem about it.
Book Review -- My Man Blue (Module 3)
Poetry
1. Bibliography
Grimes, Nikki. MY MAN BLUE. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers, 1999. ISBN 0142301973.
2. Plot Summary
Fourteen poems show the progression of a relationship between a man named Blue and a young boy named Damon. The first poem professes Damon's admiration for this man, this "Gentle giant." In the following poem, we are taken backward in time to the day Blue and Damon met. Initially, Damon suspects that Blue's attentions are meant to impress Damon's single-parent mother, and this is not a scenario Damon favors at all. However, we are shown later in the poem and in the succeeding ones that Blue is sincere and has no alterior motives in befriending young Damon. Blue earns Damon's respect and affinity through his insight, genuine concern, and example. In the final poem, Damon concludes, "One day I'll be like Blue."
3. Critical Analysis
These poems show the risks and rewards of trusting through the eyes of a skeptical young boy named Damon. Serving as the narrator, Damon carries around the distrust and pain from having an absentee father. When a man named Blue comes into his life, Damon must decide whether or not to allow him to matter. Initially he fights the impulse. Blue wins him over and becomes a father figure. Each poem shows an interaction with Blue, or an event in which Blue's advice or insight are useful to Damon to get through the situation. We are shown two people with their own pain and issues - one having lost a son, one with an absentee father - whose individual losses help them connect in a complimentary and meaningful way. The language is very conversational and frank, descriptive and flowing. The rhyme scheme is fairly precise.
The illustrations by Jerome Lagarrigue look like oil paintings created with dark colors or colors in dark shades, presented in a somewhat impressionistic style. The lighting in most pictures gives the effect of a thunderstorm, in that most of the scenes are outside, and the sky is never clear and blue. It is shown as cloudy and gray with only some hints of blue at times; other times, the sky consists of mixed shades of brown, yellow, and green. The illustration for the opening poem, "My Man Blue" fittingly shows a close-up of Blue wearing a very pensive expression, with faint traces of blue paint woven into the contours of his dark brown skin.
Damon recounts an encounter with a "Class Bully", who happens to be a girl named Tiffany. Damon draws on Blue's admonition that "Guys don't hit girls" and acts accordingly, even though he is taunted as though he is weak as a result. Again he remembers Blue telling him that true strength comes from not hitting back. These poems show Blue's increasingly positive influence on Damon's life. The story, told through poems, not only pays homage to a man named Blue, but to the comfort forged through alternate families that often come into being by choice rather than by birth.
4. Review Excerts
Booklist review:
"In a simple, lyrical series of poems, Grimes speaks in the voice of Damon, a child in Harlem, whose "missing daddy's left a hole" and who finds a mentor in Blue, who lost a son to the streets. It's a scary place ("A boy got shot / At school last month"). Lagarrigue's strong realistic acrylic paintings show the poignant connection between the needy child and the gentle, heavily built man in the dangerous neighborhood, where wedges of blue sky are sandwiched in between the roofs."
School Library Journal review:
"A child's suspicion of the new man in his mother's life grows into admiration and love. . . . By the end, Damon is hoping, one day, to be 'Like Blue'; 'Not fierce/ In black leather/ Or built like/ A heavyweight/ Boxing machine/ But like that/ Other Blue I've seen/ The one who/ Says he cares/ And shows it.'"
5. Connections
This story could be used supplementary to lessons and discussion on character traits. It could be used to inspire writing about a person who had made a difference in the lives of the children. It could be used in a study of poetry to show a style of poetry that is conversational.
1. Bibliography
Grimes, Nikki. MY MAN BLUE. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers, 1999. ISBN 0142301973.
2. Plot Summary
Fourteen poems show the progression of a relationship between a man named Blue and a young boy named Damon. The first poem professes Damon's admiration for this man, this "Gentle giant." In the following poem, we are taken backward in time to the day Blue and Damon met. Initially, Damon suspects that Blue's attentions are meant to impress Damon's single-parent mother, and this is not a scenario Damon favors at all. However, we are shown later in the poem and in the succeeding ones that Blue is sincere and has no alterior motives in befriending young Damon. Blue earns Damon's respect and affinity through his insight, genuine concern, and example. In the final poem, Damon concludes, "One day I'll be like Blue."
3. Critical Analysis
These poems show the risks and rewards of trusting through the eyes of a skeptical young boy named Damon. Serving as the narrator, Damon carries around the distrust and pain from having an absentee father. When a man named Blue comes into his life, Damon must decide whether or not to allow him to matter. Initially he fights the impulse. Blue wins him over and becomes a father figure. Each poem shows an interaction with Blue, or an event in which Blue's advice or insight are useful to Damon to get through the situation. We are shown two people with their own pain and issues - one having lost a son, one with an absentee father - whose individual losses help them connect in a complimentary and meaningful way. The language is very conversational and frank, descriptive and flowing. The rhyme scheme is fairly precise.
The illustrations by Jerome Lagarrigue look like oil paintings created with dark colors or colors in dark shades, presented in a somewhat impressionistic style. The lighting in most pictures gives the effect of a thunderstorm, in that most of the scenes are outside, and the sky is never clear and blue. It is shown as cloudy and gray with only some hints of blue at times; other times, the sky consists of mixed shades of brown, yellow, and green. The illustration for the opening poem, "My Man Blue" fittingly shows a close-up of Blue wearing a very pensive expression, with faint traces of blue paint woven into the contours of his dark brown skin.
Damon recounts an encounter with a "Class Bully", who happens to be a girl named Tiffany. Damon draws on Blue's admonition that "Guys don't hit girls" and acts accordingly, even though he is taunted as though he is weak as a result. Again he remembers Blue telling him that true strength comes from not hitting back. These poems show Blue's increasingly positive influence on Damon's life. The story, told through poems, not only pays homage to a man named Blue, but to the comfort forged through alternate families that often come into being by choice rather than by birth.
4. Review Excerts
Booklist review:
"In a simple, lyrical series of poems, Grimes speaks in the voice of Damon, a child in Harlem, whose "missing daddy's left a hole" and who finds a mentor in Blue, who lost a son to the streets. It's a scary place ("A boy got shot / At school last month"). Lagarrigue's strong realistic acrylic paintings show the poignant connection between the needy child and the gentle, heavily built man in the dangerous neighborhood, where wedges of blue sky are sandwiched in between the roofs."
School Library Journal review:
"A child's suspicion of the new man in his mother's life grows into admiration and love. . . . By the end, Damon is hoping, one day, to be 'Like Blue'; 'Not fierce/ In black leather/ Or built like/ A heavyweight/ Boxing machine/ But like that/ Other Blue I've seen/ The one who/ Says he cares/ And shows it.'"
5. Connections
This story could be used supplementary to lessons and discussion on character traits. It could be used to inspire writing about a person who had made a difference in the lives of the children. It could be used in a study of poetry to show a style of poetry that is conversational.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Book Review -- Horse Hooves and Chicken Feet: Mexican Folktales (Module 2)
Folktale Collection
1. Bibliography
Philip, Neil, ed. HORSE HOOVES AND CHICKEN FEET: MEXICAN FOLKTALES. New York: Clarion Books, 2003. ISBN 0618194630.
2. Plot Summary
Philip selected 14 folktales from Mexican folklore for inclusion in this book, including a Cinderella variant, “The Two Marias.” These fanciful and imaginative stories reference magic and religion in numerous instances. In “The Flea,” a young magician wins consent to marry the girl he loves only by meeting the challenge of outwitting the girl’s magician father. In “Pedro the Trickster,” the main character is so skilled at persuasion and deception that he manages to manipulate Saint Peter, the devils, Death, and even the Lord in getting his own way. Twelve other stories in combination with these two seem to be told with the intent not to elevate the listeners to model citizenship, but rather to observe the human character with all its foibles. These stories show mankind as he is – prone to brilliance and stupidity, selfishness and humanitarianism. They exhibit a fascination with the supernatural in stories about devils and witches, or with the great unknown through tales of bargaining with God for a glimpse of heaven or a longer life span.
3. Critical Analysis
The fourteen folktales chosen for this book vary in subject matter and length. Some are very simple, while others are more complicated. Details and endings are often unexpected in the way they unfold, with unique imagery and interactions. In “The Flea,” a boy turns himself into a flea and sleeps on a sombrero to avoid being found. In “The Tailor Who Sold His Soul to the Devil,” a tailor outwits the Devil in a sewing contest. In “The Two Marias,” two women visit the Virgin Mary’s home separately. One calms the crying baby Jesus, and is rewarded with a gold star on her head, while the other spanks the baby Jesus to “shut Him up,” and two horns grow out of her head. These stories are highly imaginative and descriptive even in small details. Many concepts are perhaps unique to the culture, not commonly found in mainstream Western literature, giving them a unique, fresh perspective.
The illustrations by Jacqueline Mair use a highly colorful palette. The pictures bring to mind Mexican tiles and pottery, or a vibrant marketplace where such goods are sold. Many illustrations are cluttered with so many images that is becomes difficult to concentrate on any one image very long. For example, page 48 provides an illustration from “The Two Marias” with six separate images framed on a single page. Chili peppers run almost throughout the book above the page numbers, giving the book a little extra Mexican “flavor.”
As with other folktales, these stories provide an opportunity to observe aspects of another culture. Younger children are not as likely to find these stories entertaining; some concepts need insight, the stories tend to be much longer than stories told in picture books, and not every page is illustrated. Older children, on the other hand, would likely be amused by the craftiness or silliness of some of the characters. Understanding of symbolism and irony would be helpful to fully understand the points of the stories, also a developmental milestone of older children.
4. Review Exert(s)
Booklist review: “Philip brings together a useful and attractively presented selection of 14 folktales from Mexico and people of Mexican decent from the American Southwest. The stories are simply yet effectively retold, usually in five or six pages, with many reflecting the strong influence of the Catholic Church on Mexican culture. Adding considerably to the overall appeal of the book are Mair's exuberant illustrations, accomplished in the style of Mexican folk art.”
School Library Journal review: “From the familiar "Cinderella" variant presented in "The Two Marias" to the Chelm-like stupidity of the "The Mule Drivers Who Lost Their Feet," this richly varied collection presents the unique blend of folkloric elements and Catholicism that defines Mexican folklore. In an informative introduction, Philip delineates the distinctive flavor of Mexican tales, their blend of religion and humor, and the particular pointed bite of many of the stories.”
Awards
2003 Aesop Prize
5. Connections
This book could be used to learn about Mexican folktales and discuss their unique traits. They could be used for a cross-cultural study of folktales.
1. Bibliography
Philip, Neil, ed. HORSE HOOVES AND CHICKEN FEET: MEXICAN FOLKTALES. New York: Clarion Books, 2003. ISBN 0618194630.
2. Plot Summary
Philip selected 14 folktales from Mexican folklore for inclusion in this book, including a Cinderella variant, “The Two Marias.” These fanciful and imaginative stories reference magic and religion in numerous instances. In “The Flea,” a young magician wins consent to marry the girl he loves only by meeting the challenge of outwitting the girl’s magician father. In “Pedro the Trickster,” the main character is so skilled at persuasion and deception that he manages to manipulate Saint Peter, the devils, Death, and even the Lord in getting his own way. Twelve other stories in combination with these two seem to be told with the intent not to elevate the listeners to model citizenship, but rather to observe the human character with all its foibles. These stories show mankind as he is – prone to brilliance and stupidity, selfishness and humanitarianism. They exhibit a fascination with the supernatural in stories about devils and witches, or with the great unknown through tales of bargaining with God for a glimpse of heaven or a longer life span.
3. Critical Analysis
The fourteen folktales chosen for this book vary in subject matter and length. Some are very simple, while others are more complicated. Details and endings are often unexpected in the way they unfold, with unique imagery and interactions. In “The Flea,” a boy turns himself into a flea and sleeps on a sombrero to avoid being found. In “The Tailor Who Sold His Soul to the Devil,” a tailor outwits the Devil in a sewing contest. In “The Two Marias,” two women visit the Virgin Mary’s home separately. One calms the crying baby Jesus, and is rewarded with a gold star on her head, while the other spanks the baby Jesus to “shut Him up,” and two horns grow out of her head. These stories are highly imaginative and descriptive even in small details. Many concepts are perhaps unique to the culture, not commonly found in mainstream Western literature, giving them a unique, fresh perspective.
The illustrations by Jacqueline Mair use a highly colorful palette. The pictures bring to mind Mexican tiles and pottery, or a vibrant marketplace where such goods are sold. Many illustrations are cluttered with so many images that is becomes difficult to concentrate on any one image very long. For example, page 48 provides an illustration from “The Two Marias” with six separate images framed on a single page. Chili peppers run almost throughout the book above the page numbers, giving the book a little extra Mexican “flavor.”
As with other folktales, these stories provide an opportunity to observe aspects of another culture. Younger children are not as likely to find these stories entertaining; some concepts need insight, the stories tend to be much longer than stories told in picture books, and not every page is illustrated. Older children, on the other hand, would likely be amused by the craftiness or silliness of some of the characters. Understanding of symbolism and irony would be helpful to fully understand the points of the stories, also a developmental milestone of older children.
4. Review Exert(s)
Booklist review: “Philip brings together a useful and attractively presented selection of 14 folktales from Mexico and people of Mexican decent from the American Southwest. The stories are simply yet effectively retold, usually in five or six pages, with many reflecting the strong influence of the Catholic Church on Mexican culture. Adding considerably to the overall appeal of the book are Mair's exuberant illustrations, accomplished in the style of Mexican folk art.”
School Library Journal review: “From the familiar "Cinderella" variant presented in "The Two Marias" to the Chelm-like stupidity of the "The Mule Drivers Who Lost Their Feet," this richly varied collection presents the unique blend of folkloric elements and Catholicism that defines Mexican folklore. In an informative introduction, Philip delineates the distinctive flavor of Mexican tales, their blend of religion and humor, and the particular pointed bite of many of the stories.”
Awards
2003 Aesop Prize
5. Connections
This book could be used to learn about Mexican folktales and discuss their unique traits. They could be used for a cross-cultural study of folktales.
Book Review -- The Rough-Face Girl (Module 2)
Cinderella Variant
1. Bibliography
Martin, Rafe. THE ROUGH-FACE GIRL. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1992. ISBN 0399218559.
2. Plot Summary
This version of Cinderella, derived from the folklore of the Algonquin Indians of Lake Ontario, tells of a village where there lives a mysterious man, or being, described as a “very great, rich, powerful and supposedly handsome Invisible Being.” Only his sister can see him; to all others, a clear sighting of him is elusive. To marry this Invisible Being is a wish of many women in the village, but his sister makes it plain that “Only the one who can see him can marry him.” As with other variants of the Cinderella theme, two beautiful sisters are cruel to the third kind and timid sister, while their father does nothing to prevent this. Once again, it is virtue that triumphs in the end.
3. Critical Analysis
In the Author’s Note in the beginning of this book, the author (Martin) purports that Cinderella tales illustrate the cross-cultural wish “[t]o see good rewarded and evil punished…” As with many variations of morality tales, the characters in The Rough-Face Girl are one-dimensional. The cruel sisters are shown as consistently selfish women without mercy, and the rough-face girl never appears to resent her lot – she remains perpetually kind and humble. The father, in his failure to administer justice, represents indifference and weakness. The characters are representational as concepts of good and evil, rather than flesh-and-blood people. With this approach, this story from the Algonquin culture emphasizes a greater value placed on spirituality than physical beauty.
This story deals with the concept of an “Invisible Being.” Nearly every illustration by David Shannon retains that mysterious quality in some way. Darkness, Shadowy figures, and faces either partially covered by hair or turned away from the reader are some of the methods Shannon uses to denote mystery. The illustrations of the Invisible Being as a man made out of a cloud or made out of a constellation compliment the spiritual emphasis of this story. Shannon’s most powerful illustration is used for the book cover. It depicts the rough-face girl, silhouetted by darkness, covering her face with both hands, hiding herself, despairing, peeking out at the reader with one fearful eye.
This story provides an interesting Cinderella variant and a glimpse into the culture of the Algonquin Indians. One concept that might require some further research and explanation occurs when the two cruel sisters set out to marry the Invisible Being in cooperation with each other, rather than in competition with each other. They are questioned at the same time, as though it is a collaborative effort. This seems to imply both women would marry him simultaneously. Not enough information is provided within the story itself to determine if polygamy was an accepted custom for the Algonquin Indians. If so, this concept would have to be explained. Additionally, when the rough-face girl decides to seek out the Invisible Being to marry, there is no explanation for her sudden courage and conviction where cruelty had kept her in bondage to her sisters her entire life. A sudden, decisive outburst of this kind seems a bit out of character with this gap left in the story. Still, the story is thought-provoking.
4. Review Exert(s)
Publisher’s Weekly review: “Shannon (How Many Spots Does a Leopard Have?) paints powerful, stylized figures and stirring landscapes, heightening their impact with varied use of mist, shadows and darkness.”
School Library Journal review: “Another in the recent succession of Cinderella stories, The Rough-Face Girl begs for comparison with Princess Furball (Greenwillow, 1989), Tattercoats (Putnam, 1989), Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters (Lothrop, 1987), Moss Gown (Clarion, 1987), etc., and will provide both entertainment and a cultural lesson..”
Kirkus review: "...Martin's retelling is spare and understated, but never dry; the two sisters are richly comic figures, the climax and ending uncontrived yet magically romantic..."
Awards:
Winner of multiple awards including:
1993 IRA Teacher's Choice Award
1993 Association of Booksellers for Children Booksellers' Choice Award
1994 Golden Sower Award
5. Connections
This book could be used to compare and contrast Cinderella variants. After reading other stories utilizing the Cinderella formula, it could be used for a basis for children to write their own Cinderella variant.
1. Bibliography
Martin, Rafe. THE ROUGH-FACE GIRL. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1992. ISBN 0399218559.
2. Plot Summary
This version of Cinderella, derived from the folklore of the Algonquin Indians of Lake Ontario, tells of a village where there lives a mysterious man, or being, described as a “very great, rich, powerful and supposedly handsome Invisible Being.” Only his sister can see him; to all others, a clear sighting of him is elusive. To marry this Invisible Being is a wish of many women in the village, but his sister makes it plain that “Only the one who can see him can marry him.” As with other variants of the Cinderella theme, two beautiful sisters are cruel to the third kind and timid sister, while their father does nothing to prevent this. Once again, it is virtue that triumphs in the end.
3. Critical Analysis
In the Author’s Note in the beginning of this book, the author (Martin) purports that Cinderella tales illustrate the cross-cultural wish “[t]o see good rewarded and evil punished…” As with many variations of morality tales, the characters in The Rough-Face Girl are one-dimensional. The cruel sisters are shown as consistently selfish women without mercy, and the rough-face girl never appears to resent her lot – she remains perpetually kind and humble. The father, in his failure to administer justice, represents indifference and weakness. The characters are representational as concepts of good and evil, rather than flesh-and-blood people. With this approach, this story from the Algonquin culture emphasizes a greater value placed on spirituality than physical beauty.
This story deals with the concept of an “Invisible Being.” Nearly every illustration by David Shannon retains that mysterious quality in some way. Darkness, Shadowy figures, and faces either partially covered by hair or turned away from the reader are some of the methods Shannon uses to denote mystery. The illustrations of the Invisible Being as a man made out of a cloud or made out of a constellation compliment the spiritual emphasis of this story. Shannon’s most powerful illustration is used for the book cover. It depicts the rough-face girl, silhouetted by darkness, covering her face with both hands, hiding herself, despairing, peeking out at the reader with one fearful eye.
This story provides an interesting Cinderella variant and a glimpse into the culture of the Algonquin Indians. One concept that might require some further research and explanation occurs when the two cruel sisters set out to marry the Invisible Being in cooperation with each other, rather than in competition with each other. They are questioned at the same time, as though it is a collaborative effort. This seems to imply both women would marry him simultaneously. Not enough information is provided within the story itself to determine if polygamy was an accepted custom for the Algonquin Indians. If so, this concept would have to be explained. Additionally, when the rough-face girl decides to seek out the Invisible Being to marry, there is no explanation for her sudden courage and conviction where cruelty had kept her in bondage to her sisters her entire life. A sudden, decisive outburst of this kind seems a bit out of character with this gap left in the story. Still, the story is thought-provoking.
4. Review Exert(s)
Publisher’s Weekly review: “Shannon (How Many Spots Does a Leopard Have?) paints powerful, stylized figures and stirring landscapes, heightening their impact with varied use of mist, shadows and darkness.”
School Library Journal review: “Another in the recent succession of Cinderella stories, The Rough-Face Girl begs for comparison with Princess Furball (Greenwillow, 1989), Tattercoats (Putnam, 1989), Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters (Lothrop, 1987), Moss Gown (Clarion, 1987), etc., and will provide both entertainment and a cultural lesson..”
Kirkus review: "...Martin's retelling is spare and understated, but never dry; the two sisters are richly comic figures, the climax and ending uncontrived yet magically romantic..."
Awards:
Winner of multiple awards including:
1993 IRA Teacher's Choice Award
1993 Association of Booksellers for Children Booksellers' Choice Award
1994 Golden Sower Award
5. Connections
This book could be used to compare and contrast Cinderella variants. After reading other stories utilizing the Cinderella formula, it could be used for a basis for children to write their own Cinderella variant.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Book Review -- The Hunter (Module 2)
Picture Book - Folktale
1. Bibliography
Casanova, Mary. THE HUNTER: A CHINESE FOLKTALE. New York: Atheneum Books, 2000. ISBN 068982906.
2. Plot Summary
This Chinese folktale centers on the ideas of credibility and self-sacrifice. Hai Li Bu was a good hunter as well as a man of conscience in a time when food was scarce. The prospect of keeping the people of his village fed weighed on him daily, and daily Hai Li Bu set out in search of food. One such day he saved a snake from being devoured by a crane, and the Dragon King of the Sea rewarded him for his compassion with a gift of a luminous stone. However, the gift had a condition placed upon it. This condition would test the depths of Hai Li Bu's love for his people.
3. Critical Analysis
This folktale is told in an unpredictable narrative style. As each page turns, more details combine to set up Hai Li Bu’s eventual fate. It is engaging in its likeable, selfless hero, trying to save his village from starvation and destruction against the odds.
The illustrations throughout are drawn as if with a calligraphy pen. There is the impression of small splatters of ink, reminding the reader of ancient Chinese scrolls. The images are simply drawn primarily in black ink outlines with some color embellishment, and forms tend to be hinted at rather than completely defined. Perhaps this is meant to hint at the tenuous quality of life.
This story is poignant in its dual lessons: a person with a record of selfless behavior should be believed even if his statement seems absurd, and sometimes the only way to save others is through extreme self-sacrifice.
4. Review Exert(s)
Awards:
2000 Parent's Choice Award
2000 Aesop Accolade
Reviews:
Booklist review: "Casanova, who lists several sources for the story, tells the tale in a dignified yet moving way that is complemented by the stark artwork."
Parent's Choice review: "The reader/viewer has the sense of having been transported to ancient China and seeing the story unfold through the eyes of a gifted Chinese scroll painter. A rare work of picture-book art."
5. Connections
This book could be used in a study of folktales in general or a study of folktales around the world. It could be used to show how stories told for useful life lessons cross cultures. It might be used to study the concept of the dragon across cultures; in this particular story the dragon is seen as essential and benevolent.
1. Bibliography
Casanova, Mary. THE HUNTER: A CHINESE FOLKTALE. New York: Atheneum Books, 2000. ISBN 068982906.
2. Plot Summary
This Chinese folktale centers on the ideas of credibility and self-sacrifice. Hai Li Bu was a good hunter as well as a man of conscience in a time when food was scarce. The prospect of keeping the people of his village fed weighed on him daily, and daily Hai Li Bu set out in search of food. One such day he saved a snake from being devoured by a crane, and the Dragon King of the Sea rewarded him for his compassion with a gift of a luminous stone. However, the gift had a condition placed upon it. This condition would test the depths of Hai Li Bu's love for his people.
3. Critical Analysis
This folktale is told in an unpredictable narrative style. As each page turns, more details combine to set up Hai Li Bu’s eventual fate. It is engaging in its likeable, selfless hero, trying to save his village from starvation and destruction against the odds.
The illustrations throughout are drawn as if with a calligraphy pen. There is the impression of small splatters of ink, reminding the reader of ancient Chinese scrolls. The images are simply drawn primarily in black ink outlines with some color embellishment, and forms tend to be hinted at rather than completely defined. Perhaps this is meant to hint at the tenuous quality of life.
This story is poignant in its dual lessons: a person with a record of selfless behavior should be believed even if his statement seems absurd, and sometimes the only way to save others is through extreme self-sacrifice.
4. Review Exert(s)
Awards:
2000 Parent's Choice Award
2000 Aesop Accolade
Reviews:
Booklist review: "Casanova, who lists several sources for the story, tells the tale in a dignified yet moving way that is complemented by the stark artwork."
Parent's Choice review: "The reader/viewer has the sense of having been transported to ancient China and seeing the story unfold through the eyes of a gifted Chinese scroll painter. A rare work of picture-book art."
5. Connections
This book could be used in a study of folktales in general or a study of folktales around the world. It could be used to show how stories told for useful life lessons cross cultures. It might be used to study the concept of the dragon across cultures; in this particular story the dragon is seen as essential and benevolent.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Book Review -- Talking to Artists (Module 1)
Non-fiction Picture Book
1. Bibliography
Cummings, Pat, ed. TALKING WITH ARTISTS, VOLUME THREE. New York: Clarion Books, 1999. ISBN 0395891329.
2. Plot Summary
This third volume of the TALKING WITH ARTISTS series focuses on the beginnings, early inspiration, and artistic training of thirteen illustrators of children’s books. These illustrators are Peter Catalanotto, Raul Colon, Lisa Desimini, Jane Dyer, Kevin Hawkes, G. Brian Karas, Betsy Lewin, Ted Lewin, Keiko Narahashi, Elise Primavera, Anna Rich, Peter Sis, and Paul O. Zelinsky. Each illustrator describes his or her early, childhood inclinations in art, training, and the process of how that led to careers in children’s book illustration for each. In the back of the book, drawing tips are provided by some of the illustrators, and each listed five favorite books for which he or she provided illustrations.
3. Critical Analysis
Each artist provides background information and anecdotes in a very casual, often humorous manner, intended for interaction with children. Rather than simply writing about the illustrators, Cummings allows the illustrators to communicate their background information for themselves. This approach makes the book flow; it seems more like the reader is meeting each person rather than simply reading about them. Within each artist profile, the artists follow up background and anecdotal information by answering questions of interest, such as whether or not they use family members and friends as models for their illustrations. Again, this allows the individual personalities of the artists to be known from their own words rather than purely through description by the editor.
Included are portraits of the illustrators as children, as well as portraits current to the publication date of this volume. Most profiles show a sample picture drawn by the artist as a child, as well as an illustration drawn by the artist as an adult, for a children’s book. This demonstrates that the illustrators began as children with interest in art and continued to pursue that interest through practice, training, and eventual acceptance by children’s book publishers. It reinforces the idea that this achievement requires effort and focus, but that the children reading this volume have the capabilities to do likewise.
This volume was easy to read and very encouraging in tone. For the child reader, it is a pep rally in print for “follow your dream,” especially if that dream involves art. For the parent or teacher, it might have a similar effect as well, or perhaps it might simply induce the adult reader to venture to the library and purposefully seek out some books by these talented artists.
4. Review Exert(s)
Awards: 1992 Boston Globe/Horn Book Award for Nonfiction
School Library Journal review: “While many readers will find the artists' tips that conclude the volume useful, all will appreciate these insightful conversations.”
Booklist review: “A special treat for budding artists and wonderful for teachers.”
5. Connections
This book could be used to tie into books children are already reading, in also exploring the illustrators who collaborated on the craft of the book publication. In addition, it could be used to promote self-esteem in showing the students that the illustrators were once children like themselves, who simply pursued their interests in art to achieve their career as illustrators.
1. Bibliography
Cummings, Pat, ed. TALKING WITH ARTISTS, VOLUME THREE. New York: Clarion Books, 1999. ISBN 0395891329.
2. Plot Summary
This third volume of the TALKING WITH ARTISTS series focuses on the beginnings, early inspiration, and artistic training of thirteen illustrators of children’s books. These illustrators are Peter Catalanotto, Raul Colon, Lisa Desimini, Jane Dyer, Kevin Hawkes, G. Brian Karas, Betsy Lewin, Ted Lewin, Keiko Narahashi, Elise Primavera, Anna Rich, Peter Sis, and Paul O. Zelinsky. Each illustrator describes his or her early, childhood inclinations in art, training, and the process of how that led to careers in children’s book illustration for each. In the back of the book, drawing tips are provided by some of the illustrators, and each listed five favorite books for which he or she provided illustrations.
3. Critical Analysis
Each artist provides background information and anecdotes in a very casual, often humorous manner, intended for interaction with children. Rather than simply writing about the illustrators, Cummings allows the illustrators to communicate their background information for themselves. This approach makes the book flow; it seems more like the reader is meeting each person rather than simply reading about them. Within each artist profile, the artists follow up background and anecdotal information by answering questions of interest, such as whether or not they use family members and friends as models for their illustrations. Again, this allows the individual personalities of the artists to be known from their own words rather than purely through description by the editor.
Included are portraits of the illustrators as children, as well as portraits current to the publication date of this volume. Most profiles show a sample picture drawn by the artist as a child, as well as an illustration drawn by the artist as an adult, for a children’s book. This demonstrates that the illustrators began as children with interest in art and continued to pursue that interest through practice, training, and eventual acceptance by children’s book publishers. It reinforces the idea that this achievement requires effort and focus, but that the children reading this volume have the capabilities to do likewise.
This volume was easy to read and very encouraging in tone. For the child reader, it is a pep rally in print for “follow your dream,” especially if that dream involves art. For the parent or teacher, it might have a similar effect as well, or perhaps it might simply induce the adult reader to venture to the library and purposefully seek out some books by these talented artists.
4. Review Exert(s)
Awards: 1992 Boston Globe/Horn Book Award for Nonfiction
School Library Journal review: “While many readers will find the artists' tips that conclude the volume useful, all will appreciate these insightful conversations.”
Booklist review: “A special treat for budding artists and wonderful for teachers.”
5. Connections
This book could be used to tie into books children are already reading, in also exploring the illustrators who collaborated on the craft of the book publication. In addition, it could be used to promote self-esteem in showing the students that the illustrators were once children like themselves, who simply pursued their interests in art to achieve their career as illustrators.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Book Review -- Henry's Freedom Box (Module 1)
Kadir Nelson as Illustrator Picture Book Review
Henry’s Freedom Box
1. Bibliography
Levine, Ellen. HENRY’S FREEDOM BOX. Ill. by Kadir Nelson. New York: Scholastic Press, 2007. ISBN 0439428788
2. Plot Summary
This story recounts the childhood enslavement and eventual flight to freedom through the Underground Railroad system of a historical figure by the name of Henry Brown. The tone is very straight-forward and factual. Twice in his life, Henry Brown is separated from loved ones through the selling of himself or his slave family members to other slave masters. This occurred as a small child, when he was sold away from his mother, and then as an adult, when he watched his wife and children call out to him as they were sold and carried away from him. The pain of such great loss and sorrow eventually inspired Henry Brown to escape his enslavement through the historic Underground Railroad.
3. Critical Analysis
The narrative style is very direct. Truths about slavery and the pain inflicted upon the enslaved are stated without any embellishment. This makes the story about a serious subject all the more grave. If the author’s purpose was to make the readers of this book feel pain along with the main character, Henry Brown, it seems she likely succeeds in this endeavor. The book ends abruptly, leaving unanswered questions as to the fate of Brown's family, what his life might have been like as a free man, what further contributions he might have made to the cause of emancipation, and the like.
The illustrations by Kadir Nelson are highly realistic, varying from silent poses of people in thought to people moving in action. Some elements of the illustration style, though very colorful, are vaguely reminiscent of the lithographs or block drawings seen in history books where pictures from the nineteenth century or earlier are displayed. The infusion of bright colors, while hinting at a more primitive means of creating an image, give the story its remnants of history while creating images children can relate to in our current century.
The subject matter of this picture book is historical, but some information related in this story seems better suited for older children. For instance, the concept of being sold away from one’s family may be too disturbing and abstract for the mind of a very young child, whose limited life experience makes it difficult to adequately explain the many moral and historical implications of slavery. Levine’s style is so forthright that some unpleasant or horrific facts are stated without any preemptive explanation.
4. Review Exert(s)
Caldecott Honor Book
PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY review: “Readers never learn about Henry's life as a free man—or, perhaps unavoidably, whether he was ever reunited with his family. Still, these powerful illustrations will make readers feel as if they have gained insight into a resourceful man and his extraordinary story.
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL review: “While some of the specifics are unfortunately questionable, this book solidly conveys the generalities of Henry Brown's story.”
5. Connections
This book seems most useful as a supplemental story for a study of the Underground Railroad in Social Studies.
Henry’s Freedom Box
1. Bibliography
Levine, Ellen. HENRY’S FREEDOM BOX. Ill. by Kadir Nelson. New York: Scholastic Press, 2007. ISBN 0439428788
2. Plot Summary
This story recounts the childhood enslavement and eventual flight to freedom through the Underground Railroad system of a historical figure by the name of Henry Brown. The tone is very straight-forward and factual. Twice in his life, Henry Brown is separated from loved ones through the selling of himself or his slave family members to other slave masters. This occurred as a small child, when he was sold away from his mother, and then as an adult, when he watched his wife and children call out to him as they were sold and carried away from him. The pain of such great loss and sorrow eventually inspired Henry Brown to escape his enslavement through the historic Underground Railroad.
3. Critical Analysis
The narrative style is very direct. Truths about slavery and the pain inflicted upon the enslaved are stated without any embellishment. This makes the story about a serious subject all the more grave. If the author’s purpose was to make the readers of this book feel pain along with the main character, Henry Brown, it seems she likely succeeds in this endeavor. The book ends abruptly, leaving unanswered questions as to the fate of Brown's family, what his life might have been like as a free man, what further contributions he might have made to the cause of emancipation, and the like.
The illustrations by Kadir Nelson are highly realistic, varying from silent poses of people in thought to people moving in action. Some elements of the illustration style, though very colorful, are vaguely reminiscent of the lithographs or block drawings seen in history books where pictures from the nineteenth century or earlier are displayed. The infusion of bright colors, while hinting at a more primitive means of creating an image, give the story its remnants of history while creating images children can relate to in our current century.
The subject matter of this picture book is historical, but some information related in this story seems better suited for older children. For instance, the concept of being sold away from one’s family may be too disturbing and abstract for the mind of a very young child, whose limited life experience makes it difficult to adequately explain the many moral and historical implications of slavery. Levine’s style is so forthright that some unpleasant or horrific facts are stated without any preemptive explanation.
4. Review Exert(s)
Caldecott Honor Book
PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY review: “Readers never learn about Henry's life as a free man—or, perhaps unavoidably, whether he was ever reunited with his family. Still, these powerful illustrations will make readers feel as if they have gained insight into a resourceful man and his extraordinary story.
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL review: “While some of the specifics are unfortunately questionable, this book solidly conveys the generalities of Henry Brown's story.”
5. Connections
This book seems most useful as a supplemental story for a study of the Underground Railroad in Social Studies.
Book Review -- The Hello, Goodbye Window (Module 1)
Picture Book Review
The Hello, Goodbye Window
1. Bibliography
Juster, Norton. THE HELLO, GOODBYE WINDOW. Ill. by Chris Raschka. Hyperion, 2007. ISBN 0786809140
2. Plot Summary
This picture book by Juster Norton is told through the eyes of a young girl, who is not specifically given a name in the story, serving as the universal child. This story is void of any conflict, but rather depicts a child’s loving relationship with her caretaker grandparents, Nanna and Poppy. The window referenced as the title of the book is a window located at the front of the house where the girl typically meets and is lovingly received by her grandparents before entering the house. The book describes the young girl’s interactions with her grandparents, and the words, gestures, and actions that show their reciprocal affection for one another.
3. Critical Analysis
The narrative style utilized by Juster is that of the narrator, a young girl. Not only does the girl factually relate the details of typical interactions with her grandparents, but a young child’s perceptions and imagination come through, often with a sense of humor or quirkiness. When describing some of the possible visitors she might encounter while sitting in the kitchen and staring outside through the window, her list includes a dinosaur: “Tyrannosaurus Rex (He’s extinct, so he doesn’t come around much.)” This story serves as a window itself – glimpses into the affectionate relationship between a young girl and her beloved grandparents.
The illustrations by Chris Raschka are colorful and detailed. The characters are distinct and consistent page by page, implicit with individual personality. Yet the pictures bring to mind the crayon drawings of small children, typically unconcerned with borders or boundaries, letting one element bleed into another. There is a strong sense of movement. The colors flow, and are cheerfully presented throughout. Additionally, the characters are shown through the artwork as being people of color, and varying shades of color, indicating the diversity within a family where so much love is present.
This book is universal in theme. The love of family members for each other transcends ethnicity. The content is whimsical and cheerful. Only one mention is made of any sadness at all, and this occurs when the young girl’s parents come to take her home at the end of the day. She is reluctant to leave her grandparents. She says “I’m glad because I know we’re going home, but it makes me sad too because I have to leave Nanna and Poppy. You can be happy and sad at the same time, you know.” Many children and adults can easily relate to this sentiment, and to this book.
4. Review Exert(s)
The Caldecott Medal 2006
Starred review in KIRKUS REVIEWS: “Juster adopts the voice of the child, whose present-tense narration is just right, describing pleasures (saying good night to the stars) and perils (the tiger at the back of the garden) with a steady, sweet candor.”
Starred review in SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “While the language is bouncy and fun, it is the visual interpretation of this sweet story that sings. Using a bright rainbow palette of saturated color, Raschka's impressionistic, mixed-media illustrations portray a loving, mixed-race family.”
5. Connections
This story could be read, then followed with children picking a relative or relatives they enjoy visiting and writing a story about the activities that bond them. It could also serve as a light-hearted read that shows the diversity in the world, and that people can differ from one another in physical characteristics or even in the way they perceive the world, and still care for one another.
The Hello, Goodbye Window
1. Bibliography
Juster, Norton. THE HELLO, GOODBYE WINDOW. Ill. by Chris Raschka. Hyperion, 2007. ISBN 0786809140
2. Plot Summary
This picture book by Juster Norton is told through the eyes of a young girl, who is not specifically given a name in the story, serving as the universal child. This story is void of any conflict, but rather depicts a child’s loving relationship with her caretaker grandparents, Nanna and Poppy. The window referenced as the title of the book is a window located at the front of the house where the girl typically meets and is lovingly received by her grandparents before entering the house. The book describes the young girl’s interactions with her grandparents, and the words, gestures, and actions that show their reciprocal affection for one another.
3. Critical Analysis
The narrative style utilized by Juster is that of the narrator, a young girl. Not only does the girl factually relate the details of typical interactions with her grandparents, but a young child’s perceptions and imagination come through, often with a sense of humor or quirkiness. When describing some of the possible visitors she might encounter while sitting in the kitchen and staring outside through the window, her list includes a dinosaur: “Tyrannosaurus Rex (He’s extinct, so he doesn’t come around much.)” This story serves as a window itself – glimpses into the affectionate relationship between a young girl and her beloved grandparents.
The illustrations by Chris Raschka are colorful and detailed. The characters are distinct and consistent page by page, implicit with individual personality. Yet the pictures bring to mind the crayon drawings of small children, typically unconcerned with borders or boundaries, letting one element bleed into another. There is a strong sense of movement. The colors flow, and are cheerfully presented throughout. Additionally, the characters are shown through the artwork as being people of color, and varying shades of color, indicating the diversity within a family where so much love is present.
This book is universal in theme. The love of family members for each other transcends ethnicity. The content is whimsical and cheerful. Only one mention is made of any sadness at all, and this occurs when the young girl’s parents come to take her home at the end of the day. She is reluctant to leave her grandparents. She says “I’m glad because I know we’re going home, but it makes me sad too because I have to leave Nanna and Poppy. You can be happy and sad at the same time, you know.” Many children and adults can easily relate to this sentiment, and to this book.
4. Review Exert(s)
The Caldecott Medal 2006
Starred review in KIRKUS REVIEWS: “Juster adopts the voice of the child, whose present-tense narration is just right, describing pleasures (saying good night to the stars) and perils (the tiger at the back of the garden) with a steady, sweet candor.”
Starred review in SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “While the language is bouncy and fun, it is the visual interpretation of this sweet story that sings. Using a bright rainbow palette of saturated color, Raschka's impressionistic, mixed-media illustrations portray a loving, mixed-race family.”
5. Connections
This story could be read, then followed with children picking a relative or relatives they enjoy visiting and writing a story about the activities that bond them. It could also serve as a light-hearted read that shows the diversity in the world, and that people can differ from one another in physical characteristics or even in the way they perceive the world, and still care for one another.
Purpose
This blog is created for the purpose of book reviews for the course I am taking: Literature for Children and Young Adults at Texas Woman's University toward my Master's Degree in Library and Information Science.
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