Monday, February 18, 2013

Module 6 - Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus


Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, by Mo Willems

Summary

Pigeon really, really wants to drive the bus.  He tries many different ways to convince the bus driver to let him drive.  He is not successful, but he does not give up easily.

Willems, M. (2003). Don't let the pigeon drive the bus. New York: Hyperion Books for Children.


Impressions

Mo Willems does an excellent job of imitating how small children go about trying to get what they want.  I read this to my students and they loved it. They can relate to wanting to do something so badly that they resort to bargaining, begging, and pleading.  Though simple, illustrations thoroughly show Pigeon's personality. 

Reviews
The premise of this cheeky debut is charmingly absurd. When a bus driver goes on break, he asks the audience to keep an eye on his vehicle and the daft, bug-eyed pigeon who desperately wants to drive it. The pigeon then relentlessly begs readers for some time behind the wheel: "I tell you what: I'll just steer. My cousin Herb drives a bus almost every day! True story." Willems hooks his audience quickly with the pigeon-to-reader approach and minimalist cartoons. The bluish-gray bird, outlined in black crayon, expresses countless, amusing emotions through tiny shifts in eye movement or wing position. The plucky star peeks in from the left side of a page, and exhibits an array of pleading strategies against window-pane panels in mauve, salmon and willow ("I'll be your best friend," he says wide-eyed in one, and whispers behind a wing, "How 'bout I give you five bucks?"). Finally he erupts in a full-spread tantrum on an orange background, the text outlined in electric yellow ("Let me drive the bus!!!"). When the driver returns and takes off, the bird slumps dejectedly until a big red truck inspires a new round of motoring fantasies. Readers will likely find satisfaction in this whimsical show of emotions and, perhaps, a bit of self-recognition. Ages 2-6. 

Don't let the pigeon drive the bus. (2003, February 10).Publisher's weekly, Retrieved from http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-7868-1988-1


Suggestions for Use in Library
  • Read the book then sing "The Wheels on the Bus"
  • Discuss why the pigeon shouldn't drive the bus
  • Have the students act out the story
  • Have students write and illustrate a sequel








Monday, February 11, 2013

Module 5 - Goin' Someplace Special

Goin' Someplace Special, by Patricia McKissack

Summary


'Trisha Ann is excited to be going Someplace Special.  She convinces her grandmother to let her go alone for the first time.  'Trisha Ann travels through racially segregated Nashville and experiences racism without her grandmother to help her.  She is saddened, but Blooming Mary helps her believe that her grandmother is with her and gives her the confidence to continue on to Someplace Special.  She finally arrives at the Public Library, where there is no segregation and everyone is welcome.

McKissack, P., & Pinkney, J. (2001). Goin' someplace special. New York: Antheneum Books for Young Readers.

My Impression

This is an excellent book for younger students to experience what it must have been like for a young black girl to live with racism and segregation.  With each experience she has with segregation and racist attitudes, her joy is dimmed just a bit.  When she is at her lowest and wants to give up she is reminded of the strength that her grandmother gives her, even when she is not there. The illustrations are lovely and enhance the story; they help show 'Trisha Ann's joy amidst her circumstances.

Reviews

In an eye-opening journey, McKissack takes the child through an experience based upon her own personal history and the multiple indignities of the period  She experiences a city bus ride and segregated parks, restaurants, hotels, and theaters and travels toward "Someplace Special."  In the end, readers see that 'Trisha Ann's destination is the integrated public library, a haven for all in a historical era of courage and change.

Elam, M. (2001). Goin' someplace special. School Library Journal, 47(9), 199-199. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/211703144?accountid=7113

There are many books about a child's first trip alone, and many books about racism and the struggle for civil rights, but this book is about more than either: it is the story of a child facing a difficult time sustained by the support of the adults in her life.  McKissack and Pinkney strike just the right balance in a picture book for your readers and listeners: informative without being preachy; hopeful without being sentimental.

Smith, R. (2001). Goin' someplace special. The Horn Book Magazine, 77(6), 736-737. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/199261900?accountid=7113

Suggestions for Use in Library

  • During Black History Month - prior to reading the book, discuss with students what life might have been like before Civil Rights.
  • DIscuss how each time 'Trisha Ann faces a problem she encounters a problem she is encouraged by someone.
  • Discuss Human Rights.  What rights should ALL humans have?


Sunday, February 10, 2013

Module 5 - Lockdown

Lockdown, by Walter Dean Myers

Summary

This is the story of Reese, a 15 year old boy, sentenced to a youth detention facility called Progress.  Reese wants to get out as soon as possible so he is trying to stay out of trouble, but he keeps getting into fights.  These fights result in "lockdown."  He is isolated, he cannot leave, but the good thing is, no one can enter.  He feels safe.  While involved in a work release program, Reece meets Mr. Hooft.  He learns that there are many ways a person can be in "lockdown" even if they are not in prison.  Mr. Hooft teaches Reece some valuable lessons.

Myers, W. (2010). Lockdown. New York City: Harper Collins.

My Impression

This is a gritty book that helps individuals see how difficult life can be for young men or women that have a good heart, but do not have resources or support for success.  I like the reality that the book portrays.  Reece learns valuable insights from Mr. Hooft; however, when he leaves prison, life is still difficult.  There is not really a happy ending.

Reviews


“That’s what I wanted to do, to fit in and be nobody special.” That’s the goal of Reese, short for Maurice, who’s allowed out of his juvenile corrective facility for work-release shifts at Evergreen, a residential facility for the elderly. There he sees the kind of normal daily life, of bantering with co-workers and developing buddies, for which he yearns; he also begins to find an unexpected friend in Mr. Hooft, an initially prickly and suspicious resident whose insights and experiences compel Reese to think about his own struggles. And struggles there are aplenty back in the Progress Center, essentially prison for young offenders, where Reese knows he needs to stay out of trouble but can’t bring himself to step aside when gang members make a helpless youngster the target of their violence. There’s much YA literature about kids teetering on the edge of doing juvenile time, but there’s not so much about the realities of youthful incarceration and what it means to one’s personhood and future, issues that Myers tackles with sympathy and authenticity. Reese is a likable guy, particularly in his adoration of his live-wire younger sister, and his situations both at home and at the Progress Center are complicated and unfair; however, he’s not simply a doe-eyed innocent, either. The book gives the minor characters resonance as well, with even a bullying prison guard proving to have some interesting facets, and the relationship between Reese and Mr. Hooft refreshingly avoids cliché with its awkwardness and absence of mutually cathartic confession. Readers who’ve followed Myers’ law-and-order-related sagas in Monster 
(BCCB 5/99) and Dope Sick (BCCB 2/09), among others, will find this a logical next step, and it’s a moving tale of a kid who may have made a mistake but who still deserves the modest future he seeks.  DS


Stevenson, D. (2010). Lockdown. Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, 63(7), 298-298. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/223694017?accountid=7113

Fourteen-year-old Reese broke into a doctor's office, stole prescription pads, and sold them to a drug dealer. Now he's in a juvenile detention facility in the Bronx, trying to make the right choices, the ones that will bring him an early release date. Reese has a host of things working against him: a penchant for fighting his fellow inmates, a disadvantaged background, a dysfunctional family (a drug-addicted mother, an absentee father, an older brother running with the wrong crowd). But there are also people who give him hope: a smart younger sister who seems bent on making a better life for herself; a prison superintendent who is able to overlook Reese's problems to see his potential; and, at Reese's work release program, a cantankerous old man with his own troubled past. Myers returns toa familiar milieu to riff on favorite themes: hard luck, second chances, overcoming adversity, living with purpose and determination. JONATHAN HUNT

Hunt, J. (2010). Lockdown. The Horn Book Magazine, 86(2), 65-65. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/199458925?accountid=7113

Suggestions for Use in Library


  • Booktalk it!
  • Use as a selection for a reading or book club




My

Sunday, February 3, 2013

Module 4 - The Witch of Blackbird Pond

The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare

Summary

Kit Tyler is orphaned and has no choice but to move from the Barbados to Connecticut to live with her Puritan relatives.  She meets friends on the journey to Connecticut, but once she arrives she is met with disdain.  She immediately generates suspicion when she dives into the frigid waters to save a doll for a small child.  Only witches can float, in fact, that is one of the tests to determine if a woman is a witch.  The suspect is thrown into the water: if she sinks she is innocent, if she survives she is a witch.  Kit never really fits in with the community, nor with the family. Things get better when she begins teaching Dame School with Mercy.  She finds that she is finally good at something.  She also discovers an elderly woman, Hannah, that lives alone in meadow next to Blackbird Pond.  Many people in the colony believe that Hannah is a witch.  Kit is forbidden to see her, but she continues to sneak away to help the woman.  She is helped by Nat, the young man that she met on her voyage to Connecticut.  One day Kit notices that she is being watched while teaching Dame School.  It was Prudence's doll that Kit rescued from the water.  Prudence's mother will not allow her to attend Dame School so Kit begins secretly tutoring her at Hannah's cottage by Blackbird Pond.  A serious epidemic strikes the colony and fear spreads like wildfire.  The colonists believe that Hannah has cast a witch spell and is making everyone sick.  Kit overhears plans to get rid of Hannah and sneaks away to warn her.  Nat helps Hannah escape and Kit returns home.  The next day it comes to light that Kit has helped Hannah and therefore she must be a witch also.  She is arrested and must face trial.  Prudence and Nat come to her rescue.  

Speare, E. (1993). The witch of blackbird pond. New York: Dell Publishing.

My Impression

I have to admit, when I chose this book I expected it to be boring.  I had a preconceived notion that since this book was about living in a Puritan colony it must be boring.  Was I ever wrong!  This is one of my favorite books that I have read so far this semester.  I can't wait to recommend it to my students!

Reviews


#36 The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare (1958)
53 points
Somehow I never read this one as a kid, and that fact hasn’t bothered me.  But if you check out the 90-Second Newbery video of this title at the end of this post, you’ll be forced to agree with me when I say . . . where can I get that book?
School Library Journal described the plot as, “The setting is the Colony of Connecticut in 1687 amid the political and religious conflicts of that day. Sixteen-year-old Kit Tyler unexpectedly arrives at her aunt and uncle’s doorstep and is unprepared for the new world which awaits her. Having been raised by her grandfather in Barbados, she doesn’t understand the conflict between those loyal to the king and those who defend the Connecticut Charter. Unprepared for the religious intolerance and rigidity of the Puritan community, she is constantly astounding her aunt, uncle, and cousins with her dress, behavior, and ideas. She takes comfort in her secret friendship with the widow, Hannah Tupper, who has been expelled from Massachusetts because she is a Quaker and suspected of being a witch. When a deathly sickness strikes the village, first Hannah and then Kit are accused of being witches. Through these conflicts and experiences, Kit comes to know and accept herself. She learns not to make hasty judgments about people, and that there are always two sides to every conflict.”
This was Speare’s second children’s novel. Silvey says that with this book, “After spending a year and a half working on the novel, Speare sent it to Mary Silva Cosgrave, the editor who had rescued her first book, Calico Captive, from a pile of unsolicited manuscripts. Cosgrave found the manuscript for The Witch of Blackbird Pond to be the most perfectly crafted she had ever seen. Because Speare had been so thorough in her research and in the way she had pieced the book together, Cosgrave suggested only one minor correction before the book went to press.”
It won the Newbery, of course, beating out The Family Under The Bridge by Natalie Savage Carlson, Along Came A Dog by Meindert Dejong, Chucaro: Wild Pony of the Pampa by Francis Kalnay, and The Perilous Road by William O. Steele. But Silvey reports a shocking piece of news about that committee. “Although the details of the Newbery’s selection process usually remain confidential, the chair of the committee revealed that The Witch of Blackbird Pond won the Newbery Medal unanimously on the first ballot, an extremely rare event.” No secrets that year, I see.
Of course Lizzie Skurnick had to have her say about the book over at Fine Lines.  A sample:
“What’s wonderful about Witch — and what distinguishes it, I think, from the American Girl novels I like to flog unmercifully because I don’t think novels should have branded stores with cafes that serve things like ‘American Girl Pasta’ — is that the narrative isn’t a flimsy cover for a history lesson, and neither is Kit a stand-in for heroic, spunky girls resisting the powers-that-be everywhere.”
Bird, E. (2012, May 30). [Web log message]. Retrieved from http://blogs.slj.com/afuse8production/2012/05/30/top-100-childrens-novels-36-the-witch-of-blackbird-pond-by-elizabeth-george-speare/
Suggestions for Use in Library
  • While reading the book (or after), research:
    • Puritans
    • Quakers
    • Witch hunts/witch trials
    • Pilgrim's Progress
    • King Charles II of England
    • King James II of England
    • Horn books
    • Dame schools



Module 4 - Caddie Woodlawn

Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink

Summary

Caddie Woodlawn is a tomboy. She and two of her brothers have all sorts of adventures that take place during the Civil War.  She is friends with the Indians, she likes to hunt, plow, and do boyish things that her mother doesn't understand.  Her father insists to the mom that Caddie is growing up strong and one day she will be interested in womanly things.  Before that happens, she learns to repair clocks, helps the Indians escape the wrath of uneasy townspeople, and survives a prairie fire.  Caddie finally begins to see the value of womanly things after her cousin comes to visit.  When Caddie begins to enjoy some of the things that Annabelle teaches her, her brothers don't want to be left out, so they join her.  Caddie's father has a chance to return to England and be the heir to his family's estate.  When the family takes a vote, they all decide that they love living in Wisconsin and do not want any other life.

Brink, C. (1990). Caddie Woodlawn. New York: Aladdin Books.

My Impression

Even though this book is historical fiction, it is more about a young girl's adventures being a tomboy.  I think that this would be an excellent book to read while studying the Civil War or the American frontier. Students are drawn into the story and learn about the historical aspects almost as a side note.  Even though this book was first published in 1935, I think that students today would still enjoy it.  

Reviews

Caddie explored fields and forests with her brothers and learned to plough; her sisters helped with household tasks [in Caddie Woodlawn]. The vigorous outdoor life of pioneer Wisconsin in the 60s developed Caddie's courage and independence and a fine loyalty to American ideals.

Ferguson, D. (2010). Review of caddie woodlawn.Children's Literature Review149, Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
Brink, Carol RyrieCaddie Woodlawn (published in 1935 by MacMillan Publishing Company; republished in 2002 by Simon Pulse, an imprint of Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing Division, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York City, NY 10020). As this book opens in 1864, Caddie Woodlawn is eleven and a tomboy living with her parents, brothers Tom, Warren, and baby Joe, and sisters Clara, Hetty, and Minnie in the woods of western Wisconsin. She would rather hunt, plow, and play with her brothers in the forest than sew, bake, or learn to keep house. Caddie and her family have adventures involving the circuit riding preacher, pigeons, a battle in the schoolroom, Indians, a “massacree” scare, a scalp belt, and poor cousin Annabelle. Historically, they experience the end of the Civil War and the assassination of President Lincoln. Caddie’s father, who had emigrated from England, even gets a letter telling him that he has inherited the family estate back in England. Will the Woodlawns go or stay in Wisconsin?
Based on the true stories which the author’s grandmother told her when Brink was little about her own childhood on the Wisconsin frontier, Caddie Woodlawnis great historical fiction which will help young people understand what life was like for children growing up in the wilderness during the middle 1860s. In fact, Caddie was still alive, at age 82, when the book was published in 1935. It won the Newbery Medal the following year. Brink says that she added a few incidents for the purposes of plot but kept the real background and the characters of the real story in mind. I guess the theme of the book can be summed up by Caddie’s thoughts at the end. “Folks keep growing from one person into another all their lives, and life is just a lot of everyday adventures.” The euphemism “golly” appears rather frequently. Most people will have no problem with that, but some parents might want to know. Otherwise, this is a thoroughly enjoyable chronicle about the simple joys of family and community in an earlier time. There is a sequel, originally named Magical Melons but now sold under the title Caddie Woodlawn’s Family.
Walker, W. (2011, January 08). [Web log message]. Retrieved from http://homeschoolblogger.com/homeschoolbookreview/786166/
Suggestions for Use in Library
  • Have a daily read aloud time for a grade level or class.
  • Discuss how Native Americans are portrayed in the book:
    • Assign specific chapters to different groups of children.
    • Ask each group to focus on passages about American Indians in their specific chapter. What words are used to describe them? What tone is conveyed?
    • Repeat this exercise for the non-Native characters.
    • Compare and contrast the two sets of data.
    • Engage the children in conversations about differences in these representations.
    • Talk about the period when the book was written.
    • Talk about the period itself, and how people thought about American Indians at that time.
Reese, D. (2007, March 17). [Web log message]. Retrieved from http://americanindiansinchildrensliterature.blogspot.com/2007/03/reflections-on-caddie-woodlawn-teaching.html

Module 3 - Many Moons



Many Moons by James Thurber

Summary

Once upon a time there was a princess.  This little princess was sick in bed and when her dad, the king, asked what would make her feel better, she asked for the moon.  The king was desperate to find someway to appease her.  When no one in his court could provide a solution, the jester stepped in.  He found that the princess believed that the moon was no bigger than her thumb and was made of gold. He had a necklace made with a gold sphere.  She was happy.  Then the king began to worry about what would happen when the princess saw the moon at night.  The jester again stepped in and found that the princess believed that the moon would replace itself, just like a tooth or a unicorn's horn.  

Thurber, J. (1943). Many moons. Orlando, Florida: Harcourt Brace & Company.

My Impression

I loved the lesson in this book!  The juxtaposition of the princess's simple wish with the over-thinking king trying to grant it.  Sometimes adults worry about things that are not worth worrying about.  They forget to see what is really wanted.

Reviews

"Buoyant watercolors, full of poignancy and subtle merriment, more than do justice to Thurber's beloved tale of a princess who asks for the moon, and the wise jester who presents her with it," said PW. Ages 4-8. (Sept.)

Many moons. (September, 1998). Retrieved from http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-15-201895-5

Suggestions for Use in Library

  • Discuss the size and composition of the moon.
  • Show Discovery Education clip or Brain Pop showing facts about the moon.

Saturday, February 2, 2013

Module 3 - Song and Dance Man


The Song and Dance Man by Karen Ackerman


Summary
An elderly grandfather takes his three grandchildren to the attic.  While there, they explore his trunk filled with costumes and accessories from his days as a “song and dance man.”  He demonstrates his former skills to them.  The children get to see another side to their grandfather as he relives his younger days.

Ackerman, K. (1988). Song and dance man. New York, NY:      Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.


My Impressions

I really enjoyed The Song and Dance Man.  The soft pictures help add an air of love to the story.  This would be a great book to read before Grandparents’ Day.


Reviews

Lucky kids--Grandpa used to be in vaudeville, and when he takes them to his attic, gets old costumes and tap shoes out of his trunk, and not only sings and dances but tells jokes and does magic tricks, ""the show is better than any show on TV."" Dumpy old Grandpa is comfortable in his modest retirement, but he can still enthrall his loving audience of three, bringing the past to life with a little improvisation and a lot of spirit. Though he's soon out of breath, ""his voice is as round and strong as a canyon echo""; and when he starts to tap-dance, the sounds ""are too many to make with only two feet."" Gammell's colors illuminate the uncommon joy of these homely folks and capture the ghostly images of Grandpa's memories as well as the ebullience he conveys to the children. A warm portrait of a grand old man at peace with his past.

Kirkus. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/karen-ackerman-2/song-and-dance-man/


Suggestions for use in Library
  • Before reading the book, show a clip from an old Fred Astaire movie.
  • Let students put on their own soft-shoe show.  Tape a penny to the sole of each shoe near the toe.  Put on some lively piano music and invite the children to try out their tappers! 

Scholastic.com. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/lesson-plan/song-and-dance-man-extension-activities