Anderson, Laurie Halse. 2008. Chains: Seeds of America. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. ISBN-13: 978-1416905868
Plot Summary:
Chains: Seeds of America. tells the story of Isabel, a slave in America in 1776, and her little sister, Ruth. Despite their owner's freeing them in her will, their owner's only living relative sells them. Their new owner and his wife take Isabel and Ruth to New York City as the American Revolution begins. Liberty by the Patriots sounds like a great idea to Isabel, but her Loyalist owners cling to the British, who also promise freedom. The American Revolution begins and sides must be chosen, but does Isabel really have a choice?
Critical Analysis:
Chains handles the American Revolution differently than any book I've ever read about it. I am not a history person, but Anderson easily sucked me into the early beginning of the American Revolution through the story of Isabel and her sister. Isabel is a strong force to be reckoned with throughout Chains. When she realizes the freedom she was promised will not happen, her focus becomes keeping her five year old sister, who suffers from "fits" (seizures) with her. For awhile, Isabel is able to keep Ruth safe, but one horrible night, Isabel's worst nightmare comes true and her new owner's wife, who believes Ruth is demon possessed, drugs Isabel, and sells Ruth. At that moment, Isabel commits to freeing herself from her Loyalist owners and finding freedom. Most books I've read about the American Revolution do not discuss the effect of the war on slaves or even how slaves played into it. Anderson skillfully weaves Isabel and slavery seamlessly into the Revolution so that it is no longer just about the British and the Colonists. It is about freedom, but what will it take to be free and who gets to be free?
This question is partially answered by the actions Isabel takes as she tries to gain her freedom. Isabel is befriended by a Patriot slave when she first arrives in New York, and she agrees to pass along any useful information against her Loyalist owners. She is promised her freedom, and when her owners devise a plot to kill Washington that she overhears, Isabel immediately turns them into the Patriots. However, she does not gain her freedom, so she turns to the British, but again, Isabel finds disappointment. It seems that freedom does not apply to her situation. The British will not free her because she is the property of Loyalists. The Patriots use her for information but also will not interfere with her owners.
Chains shows the reader that freedom, even then, was highly subjective and practically non-existent.
Anderson obviously researched the time period extensively. The details of New York City are perfect and historically accurate as is the depictions of the Patriots, Loyalists, and the British. The abuse Isabel and Ruth suffer at the cruel hands of their owners is not downplayed and again is historically accurate. While the abuse does not make for a pleasant read, it is necessary in the novel for accuracy.
Ultimately, Chains is more than history in action. Chains looks at what it was like to be a young slave in a time period where no one, really, cared about how the Revolution would affect them and freedom, for them, was an illusion. The reader knows Isabel cannot succeed in her bid for freedom; but still, you hope she finds it, and in the end, the reader and Isabel are rewarded. Isabel is a character that should be celebrated and young readers should look at her experience not as a microcosm of the American Revolution but as universal to any experience they may have where failure seems a given.
Review Excerpts:
"Set in New York City at the beginning of the American Revolution, Chains addresses the price of freedom both for a nation and for individuals. Isabel tells the story of her life as a slave. She was sold with her five-year-old sister to a cruel Loyalist family even though the girls were to be free upon the death of their former owner. She has hopes of finding a way to freedom and becomes a spy for the rebels, but soon realizes that it is difficult to trust anyone. She chooses to find someone to help her no matter which side he or she is on. With short chapters, each beginning with a historical quote, this fast-paced novel reveals the heartache and struggles of a country and slave fighting for freedom. The characters are well developed, and the situations are realistic." Denise Moore, O'Gorman Junior High School, School Library Journal
"The specifics of Isabel’s daily drudgery may slow some readers, but the catalogue of chores communicates the brutal rhythms of unrelenting toil, helping readers to imagine vividly the realities of Isabel’s life. The story’s perspective creates effective contrasts. Overwhelmed with domestic concerns, Isabel and indeed all the women in the household learn about the war from their marginalized position: they listen at doors to rooms where they are excluded, and they collect gossip from the streets. Anderson explores elemental themes of power (“She can do anything. I can do nothing,” Isabel realizes about her sadistic owner), freedom, and the sources of human strength in this searing, fascinating story." Gillian Engberg, Booklist
Awards:
2008 National Book Award finalist
2009 Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction
2009 American Library Association Notable Children's Books
Connections:
The end of the book provides an extensive explanation of parts of the Revolution that readers may be unfamiliar with and readers would highly benefit from exploring and discussing what Anderson explains perhaps before reading the book.
Chains now has a companion novel called Forge. For readers who enjoy Chains, they should explore Forge.
Chains will cause questions for readers and teachers should allow ample time for discussing the novel whether it be through set discussion questions from the teacher or a student led discussion. I am a proponent of student led discussions and would go that route in my classroom.
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Lily's Crossing
Giff, Patricia Reilly. 1999. Lily's Crossing. New York: Bantam Doubleday Dell Book for Young Readers. ISBN-13: 978-0440414537
Plot Summary:
Lily is an 11 year old girl living with her grandmother in America during World War II. In 1944, that fateful summer, Lily and her grandmother go, as they do every summer, to Rockaway, where Lily meets Albert, a Hungarian refugee her age with a secret. That's okay because Lily has a secret, too.
Critical Analysis:
Using the beach as a backdrop, Giff immerses the reader in the world of Rockaway, New York in 1944 and World War II. Rationing is alive and well and the war affects nearly everyone Lily knows. Margaret's, Lily's best friend, brother is missing at Normandy and her family moves so that Margaret's father can help the war effort in America, and Lily's own beloved Poppy joins the army to assist with the war effort in Europe.
While in Rockaway, alone with her grandmother, Lily meets Albert, the nephew of one of her neighbors. Seemingly very different and off to a rocky start, Lily and Albert forge a bond that begins with a drowning kitten that they save. As they care for the kitten and are forced together by their families, Lily and Albert tell each other about their lives, eventually becoming best friends.
Throughout the novel, Lily struggles with a problem she recognizes: She lies constantly and her lies put Albert at risk. She tells him that she's going to take her boat and swim to the military boats constantly leaving the ports of New York and go to her father in Europe. Albert immediately seizes on the idea of returning to Europe because of guilt. He left his younger sister behind in France. Lily teaches Albert to swim, but she makes him promises not to try to get to the boats. She confesses to him her problem with lying. Still, Albert takes the boat out during a horrible storm nearly costing him, Lily, and the kitten they saved their lives.
Giff immerses the reader so skillfully into Lily's life that it is easy to identify with her and to see her, and Albert. While the problems Lily and Albert deal with are definitely adult situations, they deal with them like kids who aren't quite children but aren't yet teenagers. They experience the fear of children, but they manage to work through their problems with the problem solving skills of older children. The emotions that the characters experience are real and so true to children...Albert's longing for his family and the heart-wrenching tale he tells Lily of his parents and grandmother, Lily bringing a star off her ceiling at home to Rockaway every summer as a way of remembering her mother, who is dead, no matter where she is.
The backdrop of the beach and of the war make this book engrossing and engaging, and the ending of the book is enough to bring tears (truly!). It is the perfect, happy ending to this wonderful book.
Review Excerpts:
"Set during World War II, this tenderly written story tells of the war's impact on two children, one an American and one a Hungarian refugee. Lily Mollahan, a spirited, sensitive youngster being raised by her grandmother and Poppy, her widower father, has a comfortable routine that includes the family's annual summer migration to Gram's beach house in Rockaway, NY. Lily looks forward to summer's freedom and fishing outings with Poppy. She meets Albert, a Hungarian boy who is staying at a neighbor's house. At first, her fertile imagination convinces her that perhaps Albert is a Nazi spy, but eventually the two become good friends. The war interferes directly with Lily's life when Poppy, an engineer, is sent to Europe to help with clean-up operations. History is brought to life through Giff's well chosen details and descriptions. Both children suffer from the separation from loved ones, and both live with guilt for not having said proper good-byes. Albert even feels that he in some ways betrayed his sister Ruth, who was too ill to make the transatlantic journey. The developing friendship between Lily and Albert, and Albert's plan to swim to Europe to find Ruth, will grab readers' attention and sustain it to book's end. Despite convenient plot twists to reach a happy ending, Giff's well-drawn, believable characters and vivid prose style make this an excellent choice." Renee Steinberg, Fieldstone Middle School, School Library Journal
"In 1944, Lily's eagerly awaited summer vacation becomes a time of anxiety when her widower father, Poppy, announces that he's off to Europe with the US Army Corps of Engineers. Lily's lonely in Rockaway with both her father and her summer friend, Margaret, gone, until she meets an orphan from Budapest living temporarily with her grandmother's neighbor. At first she responds coldly to Albert, but is soon drawn to him by his awkward dignity and his tragic tale of dead parents and ill sister, Ruth, left behind in France. As they care for an abandoned kitten together and wistfully watch ships passing on the horizon, a solid friendship develops, and by the time they part, Lily and Albert have helped each other through difficult times." Kirkus Reviews
Awards:
1998 Newbery Honor Book
1998 Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards
1998 ALA Notable Books for Children Award
Connections:
Lily's Crossing could be used at the beginning of the school year (or the end) to explore summer vacation.
An interesting lesson for fourth graders has them working in teams to produce a newspaper for Rockaway that involves researching the time period.
Lily's Crossing can supplement and enhance social studies lessons about World War II for older elementary school students.
Plot Summary:
Lily is an 11 year old girl living with her grandmother in America during World War II. In 1944, that fateful summer, Lily and her grandmother go, as they do every summer, to Rockaway, where Lily meets Albert, a Hungarian refugee her age with a secret. That's okay because Lily has a secret, too.
Critical Analysis:
Using the beach as a backdrop, Giff immerses the reader in the world of Rockaway, New York in 1944 and World War II. Rationing is alive and well and the war affects nearly everyone Lily knows. Margaret's, Lily's best friend, brother is missing at Normandy and her family moves so that Margaret's father can help the war effort in America, and Lily's own beloved Poppy joins the army to assist with the war effort in Europe.
While in Rockaway, alone with her grandmother, Lily meets Albert, the nephew of one of her neighbors. Seemingly very different and off to a rocky start, Lily and Albert forge a bond that begins with a drowning kitten that they save. As they care for the kitten and are forced together by their families, Lily and Albert tell each other about their lives, eventually becoming best friends.
Throughout the novel, Lily struggles with a problem she recognizes: She lies constantly and her lies put Albert at risk. She tells him that she's going to take her boat and swim to the military boats constantly leaving the ports of New York and go to her father in Europe. Albert immediately seizes on the idea of returning to Europe because of guilt. He left his younger sister behind in France. Lily teaches Albert to swim, but she makes him promises not to try to get to the boats. She confesses to him her problem with lying. Still, Albert takes the boat out during a horrible storm nearly costing him, Lily, and the kitten they saved their lives.
Giff immerses the reader so skillfully into Lily's life that it is easy to identify with her and to see her, and Albert. While the problems Lily and Albert deal with are definitely adult situations, they deal with them like kids who aren't quite children but aren't yet teenagers. They experience the fear of children, but they manage to work through their problems with the problem solving skills of older children. The emotions that the characters experience are real and so true to children...Albert's longing for his family and the heart-wrenching tale he tells Lily of his parents and grandmother, Lily bringing a star off her ceiling at home to Rockaway every summer as a way of remembering her mother, who is dead, no matter where she is.
The backdrop of the beach and of the war make this book engrossing and engaging, and the ending of the book is enough to bring tears (truly!). It is the perfect, happy ending to this wonderful book.
Review Excerpts:
"Set during World War II, this tenderly written story tells of the war's impact on two children, one an American and one a Hungarian refugee. Lily Mollahan, a spirited, sensitive youngster being raised by her grandmother and Poppy, her widower father, has a comfortable routine that includes the family's annual summer migration to Gram's beach house in Rockaway, NY. Lily looks forward to summer's freedom and fishing outings with Poppy. She meets Albert, a Hungarian boy who is staying at a neighbor's house. At first, her fertile imagination convinces her that perhaps Albert is a Nazi spy, but eventually the two become good friends. The war interferes directly with Lily's life when Poppy, an engineer, is sent to Europe to help with clean-up operations. History is brought to life through Giff's well chosen details and descriptions. Both children suffer from the separation from loved ones, and both live with guilt for not having said proper good-byes. Albert even feels that he in some ways betrayed his sister Ruth, who was too ill to make the transatlantic journey. The developing friendship between Lily and Albert, and Albert's plan to swim to Europe to find Ruth, will grab readers' attention and sustain it to book's end. Despite convenient plot twists to reach a happy ending, Giff's well-drawn, believable characters and vivid prose style make this an excellent choice." Renee Steinberg, Fieldstone Middle School, School Library Journal
"In 1944, Lily's eagerly awaited summer vacation becomes a time of anxiety when her widower father, Poppy, announces that he's off to Europe with the US Army Corps of Engineers. Lily's lonely in Rockaway with both her father and her summer friend, Margaret, gone, until she meets an orphan from Budapest living temporarily with her grandmother's neighbor. At first she responds coldly to Albert, but is soon drawn to him by his awkward dignity and his tragic tale of dead parents and ill sister, Ruth, left behind in France. As they care for an abandoned kitten together and wistfully watch ships passing on the horizon, a solid friendship develops, and by the time they part, Lily and Albert have helped each other through difficult times." Kirkus Reviews
Awards:
1998 Newbery Honor Book
1998 Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards
1998 ALA Notable Books for Children Award
Connections:
Lily's Crossing could be used at the beginning of the school year (or the end) to explore summer vacation.
An interesting lesson for fourth graders has them working in teams to produce a newspaper for Rockaway that involves researching the time period.
Lily's Crossing can supplement and enhance social studies lessons about World War II for older elementary school students.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
The Wednesday Wars
Schmidt, Gary D. 2007. The Wednesday Wars. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN-13: 978-0547237602
Plot Summary:
In 1968, Holling Hoodhood is a 7th grader convinced that his English teacher, Mrs. Baker, comes to hate him on the very first day of school. He's not Jewish, nor is he Catholic, which means on Wednesday afternoons, his teacher is stuck with him (or is he stuck with his teacher?) while half of his class goes to Catholic school and the other half goes to Jewish school. To make Wednesday afternoons pass by, Mrs. Baker assigns Holling various works of Shakespeare, which cements Holling's belief that Mrs. Baker despises him. While the war wages in Vietnam and the country begins to rebel against the status quo, Holling learns Shakespeare knew something about life and learns there is more to Mrs. Baker, as a person, than just sentence diagramming.
Critical Analysis:
The Wednesday Wars is a funny, coming-of-age story set during the Vietnam War. Holling Hoodhood is an anomaly in his 7th grade class. He name does not end in "berg" or "zog" or "stein" nor does it end in "elli" or "ini" or "o." So, from the moment Mrs. Baker calls the roll on the first day of class she knows Holling will not attend religious classes on Wednesday afternoons. He will need a place to stay and that place is in her classroom. The look in her eyes at that moment convinces Holling that she immediately hates him and Holling is put on guard for retribution, which comes in the form of Shakespeare after a disastrous attempt to feed Mrs. Baker's rats and the accidental destroying of Mrs. Baker's cream puffs.
Shakespeare's plays provide a link for Holling between what is going on in his home and in the world to what is going on for him at school. Through Shakespeare's plays, Holling learns the importance of being who you are, who you want to be, and not doing what everyone expects of you. He sees his family members in some Shakespeare's characters. Holling's mother is spineless, his father is apathetic, his sister is a budding flower child, and he is the somewhat unwilling heir apparent to his father's architecture firm. His father and sister argue, sometimes fiercely, about the events in Vietnam and the opposition in the country as Walter Cronkite narrates the nightly news.
Also, Holling is enchanted with the curses he learns and uses them, liberally, while at school, and just like at most schools, the only person (or people) that really get his curses is his English teacher, who as the year goes on, Holling comes to see she doesn't hate him. They have interesting discussions over The Tempest, Romeo and Juliet, Much Ado About Nothing, Julius Caesar, and The Merchant of Venice.
Mrs. Baker's push for Holling to learn Shakespeare puts him in an awkward position when he's cast as Ariel for the community play. Holling prays no one from his school will find out, but of course, Mrs. Baker encourages everyone to attend. Holling's brief foray into acting occurs on a singularly important night in his life: Mickey Mantle is appearing at a local sporting goods store (owned by Mrs. Baker's brother-in-law) and he is Holling's idol. But when Holling comes into the store, late, wearing his fairy costume, Mantle takes one look at him, makes a comment about not giving his autograph to fairies, and leaves, breaking Holling's heart on a night where he has already suffered from his father's apathy towards his only son. His parents skip their son's acting debut and then his father forgets to pick him up afterwards leaving him on his own to make it to see Mickey Mantle.
The only character in the book that seems too good to be true, at times, is Mrs. Baker, and for me, the way she intervened and had two of the Yankee players come to Holling's school to play ball with him after his disappointment in Mantle is one of those times. The other is when she appeals to the Yankees to use another architecture firm in town to repair and rebuild Yankee Stadium so that another student of hers father has a job. However, I identified with her sometimes snarky and smart-aleck teacher humor. She reminded me of me as a teacher because I've often rolled my eyes at something my students have said or made a smart comment I probably should have kept to myself.
Thematically, the book explores the importance of friendship, the effects of betrayal, love, family, education, prejudice, and tolerance of differences. The use of humor throughout the novel makes the characters real, identifiable, and enjoyable. There are moments in the novel that elicit laughter (the rats in the ceiling, anyone? Or, Doug's brother's list of a ways to get a teacher to hate you?) and there are moments that make the reader smile, not because something is funny, but because something is right (Holling meeting the Yankees and running the bases at Yankee Stadium or standing up to his father after Holling's sister runs away and calls home, crying, ready to come home but needs help and their father refuses or Mrs. Baker's husband found safely in Vietnam and coming home).
The Wednesday Wars does everything right. It is funny, it is serious, it is realistic. We all went to school with a Holling (or were Holling!), and we all had (or I hope we did) that teacher that tried their best to make a difference in our lives. It is a memorable coming of age novel that all middle schoolers should have the opportunity to read.
Review Excerpts:
"Still, while “The Wednesday Wars” was one of my favorite books of the year, it wasn’t written for me. Sometimes books that speak to adults miss the mark for their intended audience. To see if the novel would resonate as deeply with a child, I gave it to an avid but discriminating 10-year-old reader. His laughter, followed by repeated outbursts of “Listen to this!,” answered my question. Best of all, he asked if I had a copy of “The Tempest” he could borrow." Tanya Lee Stone, Sunday Book Review, The New York Times
"Schmidt...seamlessly knits together the story's themes: the cultural uproar of the '60s, the internal uproar of early adolescence, and the timeless wisdom of Shakespeare's words. Holling's unwavering, distinctive voice offers a gentle, hopeful, moving story of a boy who, with the right help, learns to stretch beyond the limitations of his family, his violent times, and his fear, as he leaps into his future with his eyes and his heart wide open." Engberg, Gillian, Booklist.
Awards:
2008 Newbery Honor Book
2008 ALA Notable Children's Book
2008 ALA Best Book for Young Adults
2007 Booklist Editors' Choice
2007 Book Sense Award Finalist
Connections:
The Wednesday Wars would enhance any unit over the late 1960s. It discusses nearly every world important event of that time period.
In a classroom, students should have the opportunity to explore the Shakespeare plays mentioned throughout the novel.
Using discussion questions found on the internet could enhance any exploration of the novel.
Plot Summary:
In 1968, Holling Hoodhood is a 7th grader convinced that his English teacher, Mrs. Baker, comes to hate him on the very first day of school. He's not Jewish, nor is he Catholic, which means on Wednesday afternoons, his teacher is stuck with him (or is he stuck with his teacher?) while half of his class goes to Catholic school and the other half goes to Jewish school. To make Wednesday afternoons pass by, Mrs. Baker assigns Holling various works of Shakespeare, which cements Holling's belief that Mrs. Baker despises him. While the war wages in Vietnam and the country begins to rebel against the status quo, Holling learns Shakespeare knew something about life and learns there is more to Mrs. Baker, as a person, than just sentence diagramming.
Critical Analysis:
The Wednesday Wars is a funny, coming-of-age story set during the Vietnam War. Holling Hoodhood is an anomaly in his 7th grade class. He name does not end in "berg" or "zog" or "stein" nor does it end in "elli" or "ini" or "o." So, from the moment Mrs. Baker calls the roll on the first day of class she knows Holling will not attend religious classes on Wednesday afternoons. He will need a place to stay and that place is in her classroom. The look in her eyes at that moment convinces Holling that she immediately hates him and Holling is put on guard for retribution, which comes in the form of Shakespeare after a disastrous attempt to feed Mrs. Baker's rats and the accidental destroying of Mrs. Baker's cream puffs.
Shakespeare's plays provide a link for Holling between what is going on in his home and in the world to what is going on for him at school. Through Shakespeare's plays, Holling learns the importance of being who you are, who you want to be, and not doing what everyone expects of you. He sees his family members in some Shakespeare's characters. Holling's mother is spineless, his father is apathetic, his sister is a budding flower child, and he is the somewhat unwilling heir apparent to his father's architecture firm. His father and sister argue, sometimes fiercely, about the events in Vietnam and the opposition in the country as Walter Cronkite narrates the nightly news.
Also, Holling is enchanted with the curses he learns and uses them, liberally, while at school, and just like at most schools, the only person (or people) that really get his curses is his English teacher, who as the year goes on, Holling comes to see she doesn't hate him. They have interesting discussions over The Tempest, Romeo and Juliet, Much Ado About Nothing, Julius Caesar, and The Merchant of Venice.
Mrs. Baker's push for Holling to learn Shakespeare puts him in an awkward position when he's cast as Ariel for the community play. Holling prays no one from his school will find out, but of course, Mrs. Baker encourages everyone to attend. Holling's brief foray into acting occurs on a singularly important night in his life: Mickey Mantle is appearing at a local sporting goods store (owned by Mrs. Baker's brother-in-law) and he is Holling's idol. But when Holling comes into the store, late, wearing his fairy costume, Mantle takes one look at him, makes a comment about not giving his autograph to fairies, and leaves, breaking Holling's heart on a night where he has already suffered from his father's apathy towards his only son. His parents skip their son's acting debut and then his father forgets to pick him up afterwards leaving him on his own to make it to see Mickey Mantle.
The only character in the book that seems too good to be true, at times, is Mrs. Baker, and for me, the way she intervened and had two of the Yankee players come to Holling's school to play ball with him after his disappointment in Mantle is one of those times. The other is when she appeals to the Yankees to use another architecture firm in town to repair and rebuild Yankee Stadium so that another student of hers father has a job. However, I identified with her sometimes snarky and smart-aleck teacher humor. She reminded me of me as a teacher because I've often rolled my eyes at something my students have said or made a smart comment I probably should have kept to myself.
Thematically, the book explores the importance of friendship, the effects of betrayal, love, family, education, prejudice, and tolerance of differences. The use of humor throughout the novel makes the characters real, identifiable, and enjoyable. There are moments in the novel that elicit laughter (the rats in the ceiling, anyone? Or, Doug's brother's list of a ways to get a teacher to hate you?) and there are moments that make the reader smile, not because something is funny, but because something is right (Holling meeting the Yankees and running the bases at Yankee Stadium or standing up to his father after Holling's sister runs away and calls home, crying, ready to come home but needs help and their father refuses or Mrs. Baker's husband found safely in Vietnam and coming home).
The Wednesday Wars does everything right. It is funny, it is serious, it is realistic. We all went to school with a Holling (or were Holling!), and we all had (or I hope we did) that teacher that tried their best to make a difference in our lives. It is a memorable coming of age novel that all middle schoolers should have the opportunity to read.
Review Excerpts:
"Still, while “The Wednesday Wars” was one of my favorite books of the year, it wasn’t written for me. Sometimes books that speak to adults miss the mark for their intended audience. To see if the novel would resonate as deeply with a child, I gave it to an avid but discriminating 10-year-old reader. His laughter, followed by repeated outbursts of “Listen to this!,” answered my question. Best of all, he asked if I had a copy of “The Tempest” he could borrow." Tanya Lee Stone, Sunday Book Review, The New York Times
"Schmidt...seamlessly knits together the story's themes: the cultural uproar of the '60s, the internal uproar of early adolescence, and the timeless wisdom of Shakespeare's words. Holling's unwavering, distinctive voice offers a gentle, hopeful, moving story of a boy who, with the right help, learns to stretch beyond the limitations of his family, his violent times, and his fear, as he leaps into his future with his eyes and his heart wide open." Engberg, Gillian, Booklist.
Awards:
2008 Newbery Honor Book
2008 ALA Notable Children's Book
2008 ALA Best Book for Young Adults
2007 Booklist Editors' Choice
2007 Book Sense Award Finalist
Connections:
The Wednesday Wars would enhance any unit over the late 1960s. It discusses nearly every world important event of that time period.
In a classroom, students should have the opportunity to explore the Shakespeare plays mentioned throughout the novel.
Using discussion questions found on the internet could enhance any exploration of the novel.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Lincoln Tells a Joke
Krull, Kathleen and Paul Brewer. Ill. Stacy Innerst. 2010. Lincoln Tells a Joke: How Laughter Saved the President (and the country). Boston, Mass.: Harcourt Children's Books/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Plot Summary:
Lincoln Tells a Joke: How Laughter Saved the President (and the country) is a unique biography of Abraham Lincoln and how his sense of humor and laughter helped him survive some of the more difficult aspects of his life. From joking about his height, losing elections and his mother, and even joking about the difference between him and his wife, readers are presented with a different look at president most known in history for the Civil War, the Emancipation Proclamation, his monument, and his face on the penny. As Kathleen Krull and Paul Brewer show readers through this biography, though, one of Lincoln's most memorable, yet least known, aspects was his sense of humor and ability to laugh.
Critical Summary:
Throughout Lincoln Tells a Joke: How Laughter Saved the President (and the country) readers learn, or are reminded of, some fairly commonly known facts about President Lincoln. He was born in a log cabin; his mother died when he was nine; he was a voracious learner but couldn't attend school; he was a lawyer; he married Mary Todd; and, he became the 16th President of the United States. These facts are dry, but Kathleen Krull takes these dry facts and makes them fascinating through her irreverent tone, exploration of Lincoln's sense of humor, use of jokes attributed to him, and incorporation of lesser known facts (Lincoln kept a scrapbook of favorite words! As an English teacher, I love this and didn't know this!), and combined with Stacey Innerst's illustrations, the book becomes an engaging (not boring) biography of Lincoln.
The biography is organized in chronological order through Lincoln's life, beginning with his birth in the log cabin to his assassination, but the true connection in this book is Lincoln's humor and use of language. No matter where readers begin reading Lincoln Tells a Joke: How Laughter Saved the President (and the country), they will learn about President Lincoln through his sense of humor. Lincoln's sense of humor, in the darkest times for him, makes him more human and approachable for readers today who are so often just taught the historical Lincoln, the great speaker who managed to save the United States and was so unexpectedly and horrible assassinated. This biography makes Lincoln more understandable, even contemporary as a comedian, for young readers who only know him from history books.
Not only does the biography take the reader through Lincoln's life, but it also teaches readers about Lincoln's sense of humor and his love of language. Learning is emphasized. For young readers, this serves a dual purpose: Not only do they learn about one of the most famous presidents in US history, but they are also exposed to the idea of constant learning and the importance of reading. Readers learn that Lincoln loved to read and write so much that "he would stand on a tree stump and read aloud" to his friends, that "he wrote his first nonsense poem at age eleven" (Abraham Lincoln/ His hand and pen/ He will be good but/ God knows when), and that "at age seven [Lincoln] learned to write [words]" and "kept a scrapbook of his favorite words." Many young children will relate to Lincoln through this information, because those who are outgoing and enjoy performing will connect to Lincoln by learning this about him.
In our society that sometimes downplays the importance of learning, of education, and of language, this biography of Lincoln shows young readers the importance of them. It is a funny, engaging, and unique look at Lincoln's life that is enhanced through Innerst's illustrations. According to the cover information, the illustrations in the book are acrylics done on illustration board. The illustrations add to the humor of the biography and pair well with the text. One of the layouts shows the White House on one side and a picture window with Lincoln in the background. Lincoln is rocked back in a rocking chair with his mouth open in obvious laughter, but surrounding the illustration of the White House and the window is the word "Ha" in various fonts. The information on these pages concerns Lincoln's election to the White House and how negatively the "proper folks" viewed him because of his sense of humor. The illustration that stands out the most to me, though, is the double layout of a serious Lincoln sitting at a desk, a pen in his hand, obviously writing something. The text on the page discusses Lincoln's gift of language "and how it can inspire people." The background of the page looks like parchment, and scrawled across it are some of Lincoln's most famous words: "Four score and seven years ago our fathers..." It is truly a breathtaking illustration when combined with the facts on the page and the reminder of Lincoln's gift for words.
At the end of the biography, the authors provide a bibliography of sources. The only issue in authenticity arises with the jokes attributed to Lincoln throughout the book. The authors state: "Lincoln's jokes in this book are from collections complied by a variety of people, often after his death. Some of his clever remarks were passed on by eyewitnesses; some are second-hand, third-hand, or further removed." Still, whether the quotes are Lincoln's words or not, it does not diminish the fact that this is a Lincoln readers don't often see, and the facts are historically accurate.
Review Excerpts:
"The legends that endure about Lincoln are many: his log-cabin childhood, his honesty, his eloquence. What is less-often discussed is how he used humor to diffuse tense political situations, disarm critics, and undo the stresses of running the country. His love of words in general, and jokes and humor more specifically, helped him throughout his life when things were difficult, uncomfortable, and downright dire, as they often were during the Civil War. Krull is an expert at teasing out the fun, quirky sides of her subjects and sharing them in a way that is both genuine and engaging." School Library Journal, Jody Kopple, Shady Hill School, Cambridge, MA
"Krull and her husband, Brewer, begin this unique portrait of Lincoln by cataloguing the reasons he had to be depressed (“His childhood was harsh. He looked homely and he knew it”). Subsequent pages proceed to tell Lincoln's story through the lens of his antidote for these disappointments: humor. Whether finding it in joke books or by making fun of his ungainly frame and snobby in-laws (“ 'One d is enough for God, but the Todds need two,' he wrote”), this chronological biography shows how the president used his sophisticated wit and penchant for wordplay to salve hardships and soothe foes." Publishers Weekly
Awards:
2011 ALSC Notable Children’s Books – Nominated Title
2010 Cybils Nominations: Non-Fiction/Informational Picture Books
Connections:
After reading Lincoln Tells a Joke: How Laughter Saved the President (and the country) a great idea would be for children to make a collage. Children could make a powerful and informative collage using pictures of Lincoln, the US, etc. and words or phrases from Lincoln's speeches and letters.
The biography could supplement elementary (or even middle or high school) textbook information about President Lincoln. Social studies teachers could use it or English teachers could use it if they study Lincoln's speeches. (I use Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address with my AP students, and I am seriously considering just showing some of the illustrations from this book on my projector to lighten the mood as we read through and annotate his address.)
Teach with Picture Books has a great lesson plan to use with the book and connects it to persuasive writing. This lesson could be modified to fit most grade levels.
Plot Summary:
Lincoln Tells a Joke: How Laughter Saved the President (and the country) is a unique biography of Abraham Lincoln and how his sense of humor and laughter helped him survive some of the more difficult aspects of his life. From joking about his height, losing elections and his mother, and even joking about the difference between him and his wife, readers are presented with a different look at president most known in history for the Civil War, the Emancipation Proclamation, his monument, and his face on the penny. As Kathleen Krull and Paul Brewer show readers through this biography, though, one of Lincoln's most memorable, yet least known, aspects was his sense of humor and ability to laugh.
Critical Summary:
Throughout Lincoln Tells a Joke: How Laughter Saved the President (and the country) readers learn, or are reminded of, some fairly commonly known facts about President Lincoln. He was born in a log cabin; his mother died when he was nine; he was a voracious learner but couldn't attend school; he was a lawyer; he married Mary Todd; and, he became the 16th President of the United States. These facts are dry, but Kathleen Krull takes these dry facts and makes them fascinating through her irreverent tone, exploration of Lincoln's sense of humor, use of jokes attributed to him, and incorporation of lesser known facts (Lincoln kept a scrapbook of favorite words! As an English teacher, I love this and didn't know this!), and combined with Stacey Innerst's illustrations, the book becomes an engaging (not boring) biography of Lincoln.
The biography is organized in chronological order through Lincoln's life, beginning with his birth in the log cabin to his assassination, but the true connection in this book is Lincoln's humor and use of language. No matter where readers begin reading Lincoln Tells a Joke: How Laughter Saved the President (and the country), they will learn about President Lincoln through his sense of humor. Lincoln's sense of humor, in the darkest times for him, makes him more human and approachable for readers today who are so often just taught the historical Lincoln, the great speaker who managed to save the United States and was so unexpectedly and horrible assassinated. This biography makes Lincoln more understandable, even contemporary as a comedian, for young readers who only know him from history books.
Not only does the biography take the reader through Lincoln's life, but it also teaches readers about Lincoln's sense of humor and his love of language. Learning is emphasized. For young readers, this serves a dual purpose: Not only do they learn about one of the most famous presidents in US history, but they are also exposed to the idea of constant learning and the importance of reading. Readers learn that Lincoln loved to read and write so much that "he would stand on a tree stump and read aloud" to his friends, that "he wrote his first nonsense poem at age eleven" (Abraham Lincoln/ His hand and pen/ He will be good but/ God knows when), and that "at age seven [Lincoln] learned to write [words]" and "kept a scrapbook of his favorite words." Many young children will relate to Lincoln through this information, because those who are outgoing and enjoy performing will connect to Lincoln by learning this about him.
In our society that sometimes downplays the importance of learning, of education, and of language, this biography of Lincoln shows young readers the importance of them. It is a funny, engaging, and unique look at Lincoln's life that is enhanced through Innerst's illustrations. According to the cover information, the illustrations in the book are acrylics done on illustration board. The illustrations add to the humor of the biography and pair well with the text. One of the layouts shows the White House on one side and a picture window with Lincoln in the background. Lincoln is rocked back in a rocking chair with his mouth open in obvious laughter, but surrounding the illustration of the White House and the window is the word "Ha" in various fonts. The information on these pages concerns Lincoln's election to the White House and how negatively the "proper folks" viewed him because of his sense of humor. The illustration that stands out the most to me, though, is the double layout of a serious Lincoln sitting at a desk, a pen in his hand, obviously writing something. The text on the page discusses Lincoln's gift of language "and how it can inspire people." The background of the page looks like parchment, and scrawled across it are some of Lincoln's most famous words: "Four score and seven years ago our fathers..." It is truly a breathtaking illustration when combined with the facts on the page and the reminder of Lincoln's gift for words.
At the end of the biography, the authors provide a bibliography of sources. The only issue in authenticity arises with the jokes attributed to Lincoln throughout the book. The authors state: "Lincoln's jokes in this book are from collections complied by a variety of people, often after his death. Some of his clever remarks were passed on by eyewitnesses; some are second-hand, third-hand, or further removed." Still, whether the quotes are Lincoln's words or not, it does not diminish the fact that this is a Lincoln readers don't often see, and the facts are historically accurate.
Review Excerpts:
"The legends that endure about Lincoln are many: his log-cabin childhood, his honesty, his eloquence. What is less-often discussed is how he used humor to diffuse tense political situations, disarm critics, and undo the stresses of running the country. His love of words in general, and jokes and humor more specifically, helped him throughout his life when things were difficult, uncomfortable, and downright dire, as they often were during the Civil War. Krull is an expert at teasing out the fun, quirky sides of her subjects and sharing them in a way that is both genuine and engaging." School Library Journal, Jody Kopple, Shady Hill School, Cambridge, MA
"Krull and her husband, Brewer, begin this unique portrait of Lincoln by cataloguing the reasons he had to be depressed (“His childhood was harsh. He looked homely and he knew it”). Subsequent pages proceed to tell Lincoln's story through the lens of his antidote for these disappointments: humor. Whether finding it in joke books or by making fun of his ungainly frame and snobby in-laws (“ 'One d is enough for God, but the Todds need two,' he wrote”), this chronological biography shows how the president used his sophisticated wit and penchant for wordplay to salve hardships and soothe foes." Publishers Weekly
Awards:
2011 ALSC Notable Children’s Books – Nominated Title
2010 Cybils Nominations: Non-Fiction/Informational Picture Books
Connections:
After reading Lincoln Tells a Joke: How Laughter Saved the President (and the country) a great idea would be for children to make a collage. Children could make a powerful and informative collage using pictures of Lincoln, the US, etc. and words or phrases from Lincoln's speeches and letters.
The biography could supplement elementary (or even middle or high school) textbook information about President Lincoln. Social studies teachers could use it or English teachers could use it if they study Lincoln's speeches. (I use Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address with my AP students, and I am seriously considering just showing some of the illustrations from this book on my projector to lighten the mood as we read through and annotate his address.)
Teach with Picture Books has a great lesson plan to use with the book and connects it to persuasive writing. This lesson could be modified to fit most grade levels.
Biggest, Strongest, Fastest
Jenkins, Steve. 1995. Biggest, Strongest, Fastest. New York: Ticknor & Fields Books for Young Readers.
Plot Summary:
In Biggest, Strongest, Fastest, Steve Jenkins introduces children to "fourteen members of the animal kingdom" that are all the best at a unique characteristic. Using interesting facts and paper collage illustrations, Jenkins' informational text teaches young children about these animals with facts they can relate to like comparing the size of an animal to a teaspoon, or the span of another's jump to a tall building.
Critical Analysis:
Young children are endlessly fascinated with the world around them and the animals in it. Biggest, Strongest, Fastest uses a child's natural curiosity about animals to teach them the facts of particular animals by teaching young children about characteristics unique to that animal that it is the best at in the animal world.
The book begins with African elephants: They're the biggest land animal in the world. To help children relate to this fact, at the bottom the page, Jenkins includes a brief blurb about the largest elephant ever (13 feet tall and 22,000 pounds) and how much an elephant eats every day. The nuggets of information are small enough for a young reader to remember about their favorite animal, and these little facts are presented in a way that are appealing to the reader and do not interfere with the main text of the page.
The reader's eyes are drawn to the information by small, black, ink-blot like illustrations on the page. The illustrations depict the animal in comparison to whatever piece of information is presented about the animal. For example, the sun jellyfish is placed next to a tiny speck of a human to emphasize for a young reader how long the sun jellyfish is (200 feet long, by the way).
The animals themselves are illustrated in a colorful paper collage technique against a background color designed to for the image to pop against the page. The giraffe, beautifully colored in beige and brown, is on a background of green; the multi-colored bee hummingbird drinks from a red flower against a backdrop of sky blue. The animal illustrations dominate the pages, but they do not overwhelm the reader. The illustrations, facts, and ink-blot illustrations all blend together to create a wonderful, fun way for youngsters to learn more about the animals they love.
At the end of the book, Jenkins provides a chart of the animals discussed throughout, the facts of each one, and adds their diets, and where the animal's natural habitat is. At the beginning of the book, Jenkins provides a bibliography of sources for the information found throughout the text. The sources prove the book to be well researched and accurate.
Review Excerpts:
"Large, clear print; fascinating facts; and beautiful, detailed, cut-paper collages make this excellent title a delight. One main fact is presented per spread about each of 14 animals, e.g., "The Etruscan shrew, the world's smallest mammal, could sleep in a teaspoon." Two more relevant facts are given in smaller print. Silhouette drawings show comparative sizes?the blue whale is shown next to an adult human. The realistic, inventive, textured illustrations, mostly double spreads, flow smoothly from page to page. A helpful chart at the end contains further information about each creature, such as diet and habitat. An all-round superlative effort." School Library Journal, Jan Shepherd Ross, Dixie Elementary Magnet School, Lexington, KY
"Beautiful double-page-spread cut-paper collages illustrate a picture book about "some of the biggest and smallest, fastest and slowest, strongest and longest" record holders in the animal world. The facts are amazing. Their juxtaposition makes you gasp, not just about size and speed but about comparative wonders. Right after the African elephant, which eats more than 300 pounds of grass and leaves every day, there's a close-up two-page picture of an ant, which turns out to be the strongest animal for its size: it can carry five times its own weight. The book's design makes it accessible at many levels. The youngest can identify the various creatures. Preschoolers can enjoy the one-sentence descriptions in large type ("The cheetah can run faster than any other animal. . . . The flea is very small, but it is the world's best jumper"). Older kids will love thinking about the additional facts regarding scale and proportion that are printed in small type, accompanied by a tiny silhouette in the corner of each picture ("If a 5 1/2-foot-tall woman could jump as well as a flea, she could leap to the top of a 65-story building"). Here's proof that power isn't just about size and that science can be a lot of fun." Booklist, Hazel Rochman
Awards:
1998 Washington Children's Choice Picture Book
Connections:
This book would make an excellent companion for young children prior to a trip to the zoo. Children, whether they've been to the zoo before or not, would all benefit from the facts of the novel before a visit.
Inviting a zookeeper or wildlife expert to speak to children is another way this book could be used. I've been to several children's birthday parties where the parents have hired a wildlife expert to come speak to the kids and bring along some animals to show the children. Not only were the kids fascinated by the information and pictures the expert brought with her, but the hands on experience of the animals reinforced what they learned.
Biggest, Strongest, Fastest lends itself to a "did you know" display. Whether in a teacher's classroom or in a library, a display of the animals in the book along with some of the facts would be very effective and engaging. The display would draw children to it and would educate them with the facts from the book.
Plot Summary:
In Biggest, Strongest, Fastest, Steve Jenkins introduces children to "fourteen members of the animal kingdom" that are all the best at a unique characteristic. Using interesting facts and paper collage illustrations, Jenkins' informational text teaches young children about these animals with facts they can relate to like comparing the size of an animal to a teaspoon, or the span of another's jump to a tall building.
Critical Analysis:
Young children are endlessly fascinated with the world around them and the animals in it. Biggest, Strongest, Fastest uses a child's natural curiosity about animals to teach them the facts of particular animals by teaching young children about characteristics unique to that animal that it is the best at in the animal world.
The book begins with African elephants: They're the biggest land animal in the world. To help children relate to this fact, at the bottom the page, Jenkins includes a brief blurb about the largest elephant ever (13 feet tall and 22,000 pounds) and how much an elephant eats every day. The nuggets of information are small enough for a young reader to remember about their favorite animal, and these little facts are presented in a way that are appealing to the reader and do not interfere with the main text of the page.
The reader's eyes are drawn to the information by small, black, ink-blot like illustrations on the page. The illustrations depict the animal in comparison to whatever piece of information is presented about the animal. For example, the sun jellyfish is placed next to a tiny speck of a human to emphasize for a young reader how long the sun jellyfish is (200 feet long, by the way).
The animals themselves are illustrated in a colorful paper collage technique against a background color designed to for the image to pop against the page. The giraffe, beautifully colored in beige and brown, is on a background of green; the multi-colored bee hummingbird drinks from a red flower against a backdrop of sky blue. The animal illustrations dominate the pages, but they do not overwhelm the reader. The illustrations, facts, and ink-blot illustrations all blend together to create a wonderful, fun way for youngsters to learn more about the animals they love.
At the end of the book, Jenkins provides a chart of the animals discussed throughout, the facts of each one, and adds their diets, and where the animal's natural habitat is. At the beginning of the book, Jenkins provides a bibliography of sources for the information found throughout the text. The sources prove the book to be well researched and accurate.
Review Excerpts:
"Large, clear print; fascinating facts; and beautiful, detailed, cut-paper collages make this excellent title a delight. One main fact is presented per spread about each of 14 animals, e.g., "The Etruscan shrew, the world's smallest mammal, could sleep in a teaspoon." Two more relevant facts are given in smaller print. Silhouette drawings show comparative sizes?the blue whale is shown next to an adult human. The realistic, inventive, textured illustrations, mostly double spreads, flow smoothly from page to page. A helpful chart at the end contains further information about each creature, such as diet and habitat. An all-round superlative effort." School Library Journal, Jan Shepherd Ross, Dixie Elementary Magnet School, Lexington, KY
"Beautiful double-page-spread cut-paper collages illustrate a picture book about "some of the biggest and smallest, fastest and slowest, strongest and longest" record holders in the animal world. The facts are amazing. Their juxtaposition makes you gasp, not just about size and speed but about comparative wonders. Right after the African elephant, which eats more than 300 pounds of grass and leaves every day, there's a close-up two-page picture of an ant, which turns out to be the strongest animal for its size: it can carry five times its own weight. The book's design makes it accessible at many levels. The youngest can identify the various creatures. Preschoolers can enjoy the one-sentence descriptions in large type ("The cheetah can run faster than any other animal. . . . The flea is very small, but it is the world's best jumper"). Older kids will love thinking about the additional facts regarding scale and proportion that are printed in small type, accompanied by a tiny silhouette in the corner of each picture ("If a 5 1/2-foot-tall woman could jump as well as a flea, she could leap to the top of a 65-story building"). Here's proof that power isn't just about size and that science can be a lot of fun." Booklist, Hazel Rochman
Awards:
1998 Washington Children's Choice Picture Book
Connections:
This book would make an excellent companion for young children prior to a trip to the zoo. Children, whether they've been to the zoo before or not, would all benefit from the facts of the novel before a visit.
Inviting a zookeeper or wildlife expert to speak to children is another way this book could be used. I've been to several children's birthday parties where the parents have hired a wildlife expert to come speak to the kids and bring along some animals to show the children. Not only were the kids fascinated by the information and pictures the expert brought with her, but the hands on experience of the animals reinforced what they learned.
Biggest, Strongest, Fastest lends itself to a "did you know" display. Whether in a teacher's classroom or in a library, a display of the animals in the book along with some of the facts would be very effective and engaging. The display would draw children to it and would educate them with the facts from the book.
Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow
Bartoletti, Susan Campbell. 2005. Hitler Youth: Growing up in Hitler's Shadow. New York: Scholastic Nonfiction. ISBN-13: 978-0439353793
Plot Summary:
Susan Bartoletti tells the reader at the beginning of Hitler Youth: Growing up in Hitler's Shadow that the book is not directly about Hitler. Instead, this is a book about the children of the Nazi Youth, how they came to follow Hitler, and the effect Hitler had on their lives. Bartoletti uses this informational young adult novel to show that these children were not the cruel, cold blooded, automatons that history sometimes shows them to be. Bartoletti shows them to simply be children who were inspired by propaganda and a man that managed to convince and coerce a nation into doing the unthinkable.
Critical Analysis:
Any author that chooses to examines Nazi Germany must take care in their approach of the subject matter. Bartoletti handles the subject matter with care by focusing on a microcosm of Hitler's regime and counter balancing her exploration of these youth with stories of Jewish children as well. Through her writing, she even manages to evoke sympathy in the readers for the children of Hitler's Youth. Bartoletti shows that the children in the pictures at the beginning of the book were human and fell victim, as so many did, to Hitler. She draws the reader to these children with the pictures and with brief explanations of how each child came to Hitler Youth and how each participated in the Hitler Youth. Their stories are told throughout the book and woven together with information found through Bartoletti's exhaustive research.
Authenticity is given to Bartoletti's text through her obvious, in-depth, research and the occasional use of the German language that appears through the book. She presents a Germany not often seen in other informational texts through her use of primary sources. The use of interviews of Hitler Youth, examination of books written by the children of the youth regime, articles from the 1930s, and her own visit to Germany to see the location of Nazi atrocities not only show the depth of her research but gives the book credibility. At times, informational books fall into a trap of becoming boring through the use of such primary sources because the details overwhelm the reader in dry facts; however, Bartoletti's book does not fall into this trap. She uses the facts of the primary texts and the interest in the subject matter to immerse the reader in Germany during Hitler's rise to power. Her writing has an emotional tone that appeals to the reader and makes the presentation of facts and details interesting. The reader becomes invested in the history and considering that the targeted readership may not know that much about Hitler, other than he was bad, and Nazi Germany, her way of drawing the reader into the text through emotional appeals is good because it keeps the reader's attention.
While I consider myself fairly educated about World War II having had several family members who fought in Europe and Japan during the war, I learned quite a bit from this book. I am also generally not a fan of non-fiction (although, I'm converting to the "dark side" thanks to a good friend who is a rhetoric professor in the DCCCD) because of the usual dryness of the subject matter, but not only is Baroletti's book interesting, it is educational, even for those that think they know a great deal about Hitler, Nazi Germany, and even the Hitler Youth, which, admittedly, I did not know that much about...I thought they were heartless children who did Hitler's bidding without a second thought. Through the presentation of these children and their stories, I learned why they chose to do what they did and why they followed him. It is an eye-opening exploration of this part of Nazi Germany and of the power of propaganda and rhetoric.
Hitler Youth: Growing up in Hitler's Shadow is a heart-wrenching and view changing look at this part of Hitler's regime. It forces readers (like myself) to question their beliefs about this sect of Hitler's Nazi Germany and proves the stereotypes associated with the children of Hitler Youth to be incorrect. These children were victims of Hitler, too.
Review Excerpts:
"Hitler's plans for the future of Germany relied significantly on its young people, and this excellent history shows how he attempted to carry out his mission with the establishment of the Hitler Youth, or Hitlerjugend, in 1926. With a focus on the years between 1933 and the end of the war in 1945, Bartoletti explains the roles that millions of boys and girls unwittingly played in the horrors of the Third Reich. The book is structured around 12 young individuals and their experiences, which clearly demonstrate how they were victims of leaders who took advantage of their innocence and enthusiasm for evil means. Their stories evolve from patriotic devotion to Hitler and zeal to join, to doubt, confusion, and disillusion." School Library Journal, Andrew Medlar, Chicago Public Library, IL Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information
"Formed in 1926, the Hitler Youth involved seven million boys and girls by 1939 and was instrumental in Hitler's rise to power. Bartoletti makes it clear what appealed to youth: "Excitement, adventure, and new heroes to worship," hope, power, and the "opportunity to rebel against parents, teachers, clergy, and other authority figures." She covers Hitler Youth, the resistance movement among young people and the de-Nazification process after the war in this study of Hitler's horrifying 12 years and the courageous moral stance of those who resisted. Case studies of actual participants root the work in specifics, and clear prose, thorough documentation and an attractive format with well-chosen archival photographs make this nonfiction writing at its best." Kirkus Reviews
Awards:
2006 Newbery Honor Book
2006 The Robert F. Sibert Honor Book
2006 Orbis Pictus Honor
Connections:
Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow would complement any unit about World War II or Nazi Germany.
The intended age group usually reads The Diary of Anne Frank, and Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow would present another view of being a young person in Nazi Germany. Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow does discuss life for Jewish children as well as the individuals singled out as part of the youth regime.
Older readers exploring Night would also benefit from Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow. An interesting lesson for Night on readwritethink.org has students create photomontages over symbolism. The pictures in Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow, while not a photomontage, would give students a visual lesson of the youth in Nazi Germany.
Plot Summary:
Susan Bartoletti tells the reader at the beginning of Hitler Youth: Growing up in Hitler's Shadow that the book is not directly about Hitler. Instead, this is a book about the children of the Nazi Youth, how they came to follow Hitler, and the effect Hitler had on their lives. Bartoletti uses this informational young adult novel to show that these children were not the cruel, cold blooded, automatons that history sometimes shows them to be. Bartoletti shows them to simply be children who were inspired by propaganda and a man that managed to convince and coerce a nation into doing the unthinkable.
Critical Analysis:
Any author that chooses to examines Nazi Germany must take care in their approach of the subject matter. Bartoletti handles the subject matter with care by focusing on a microcosm of Hitler's regime and counter balancing her exploration of these youth with stories of Jewish children as well. Through her writing, she even manages to evoke sympathy in the readers for the children of Hitler's Youth. Bartoletti shows that the children in the pictures at the beginning of the book were human and fell victim, as so many did, to Hitler. She draws the reader to these children with the pictures and with brief explanations of how each child came to Hitler Youth and how each participated in the Hitler Youth. Their stories are told throughout the book and woven together with information found through Bartoletti's exhaustive research.
Authenticity is given to Bartoletti's text through her obvious, in-depth, research and the occasional use of the German language that appears through the book. She presents a Germany not often seen in other informational texts through her use of primary sources. The use of interviews of Hitler Youth, examination of books written by the children of the youth regime, articles from the 1930s, and her own visit to Germany to see the location of Nazi atrocities not only show the depth of her research but gives the book credibility. At times, informational books fall into a trap of becoming boring through the use of such primary sources because the details overwhelm the reader in dry facts; however, Bartoletti's book does not fall into this trap. She uses the facts of the primary texts and the interest in the subject matter to immerse the reader in Germany during Hitler's rise to power. Her writing has an emotional tone that appeals to the reader and makes the presentation of facts and details interesting. The reader becomes invested in the history and considering that the targeted readership may not know that much about Hitler, other than he was bad, and Nazi Germany, her way of drawing the reader into the text through emotional appeals is good because it keeps the reader's attention.
While I consider myself fairly educated about World War II having had several family members who fought in Europe and Japan during the war, I learned quite a bit from this book. I am also generally not a fan of non-fiction (although, I'm converting to the "dark side" thanks to a good friend who is a rhetoric professor in the DCCCD) because of the usual dryness of the subject matter, but not only is Baroletti's book interesting, it is educational, even for those that think they know a great deal about Hitler, Nazi Germany, and even the Hitler Youth, which, admittedly, I did not know that much about...I thought they were heartless children who did Hitler's bidding without a second thought. Through the presentation of these children and their stories, I learned why they chose to do what they did and why they followed him. It is an eye-opening exploration of this part of Nazi Germany and of the power of propaganda and rhetoric.
Hitler Youth: Growing up in Hitler's Shadow is a heart-wrenching and view changing look at this part of Hitler's regime. It forces readers (like myself) to question their beliefs about this sect of Hitler's Nazi Germany and proves the stereotypes associated with the children of Hitler Youth to be incorrect. These children were victims of Hitler, too.
Review Excerpts:
"Hitler's plans for the future of Germany relied significantly on its young people, and this excellent history shows how he attempted to carry out his mission with the establishment of the Hitler Youth, or Hitlerjugend, in 1926. With a focus on the years between 1933 and the end of the war in 1945, Bartoletti explains the roles that millions of boys and girls unwittingly played in the horrors of the Third Reich. The book is structured around 12 young individuals and their experiences, which clearly demonstrate how they were victims of leaders who took advantage of their innocence and enthusiasm for evil means. Their stories evolve from patriotic devotion to Hitler and zeal to join, to doubt, confusion, and disillusion." School Library Journal, Andrew Medlar, Chicago Public Library, IL Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information
"Formed in 1926, the Hitler Youth involved seven million boys and girls by 1939 and was instrumental in Hitler's rise to power. Bartoletti makes it clear what appealed to youth: "Excitement, adventure, and new heroes to worship," hope, power, and the "opportunity to rebel against parents, teachers, clergy, and other authority figures." She covers Hitler Youth, the resistance movement among young people and the de-Nazification process after the war in this study of Hitler's horrifying 12 years and the courageous moral stance of those who resisted. Case studies of actual participants root the work in specifics, and clear prose, thorough documentation and an attractive format with well-chosen archival photographs make this nonfiction writing at its best." Kirkus Reviews
Awards:
2006 Newbery Honor Book
2006 The Robert F. Sibert Honor Book
2006 Orbis Pictus Honor
Connections:
Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow would complement any unit about World War II or Nazi Germany.
The intended age group usually reads The Diary of Anne Frank, and Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow would present another view of being a young person in Nazi Germany. Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow does discuss life for Jewish children as well as the individuals singled out as part of the youth regime.
Older readers exploring Night would also benefit from Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow. An interesting lesson for Night on readwritethink.org has students create photomontages over symbolism. The pictures in Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow, while not a photomontage, would give students a visual lesson of the youth in Nazi Germany.
Friday, July 8, 2011
Book Trailer for Cousins of Clouds: Elephant Poems
As part of my class, I had to create a book trailer for a book of children's poetry. I chose Cousins of Clouds: Elephant Poems since my daughter loves elephants.
ETA: On this video file, I forgot to add my citation for Soundzabound on my credits slide. That has been updated on the video I submitted to my professor. The citation for my music is: Cobb, James. “Flat Calm.” Volume 6 nature Instrumental Acoustic. Soundzabound Royalty Free Music, www.soundzabound.com. (Accessed July 8, 2011).
ETA: On this video file, I forgot to add my citation for Soundzabound on my credits slide. That has been updated on the video I submitted to my professor. The citation for my music is: Cobb, James. “Flat Calm.” Volume 6 nature Instrumental Acoustic. Soundzabound Royalty Free Music, www.soundzabound.com. (Accessed July 8, 2011).
Monday, July 4, 2011
What My Mother Doesn't Know
Sones, Sonya. 2001. What My Mother Doesn't Know. New York, New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN: 978-0689855535
Plot Summary:
Sophie is a teenage girl. She's slightly boy crazy, she's a little confused, and she's torn between her two best friends and her heart. What My Mother Doesn't Know is a touching look at the life of a typical teenage girl who is trying to make sense of her changing emotions and view on what love really is. What separates this story from countless others with the same theme and subject matter is the storytelling. Sonya Sones writes Sophie's story in verse, and nearly every page is a new free verse, narrative poem relating Sophie's thoughts and feelings with the events occurring at that time.
Critical Analysis:
Many adults reading What My Mother Doesn't Know will see themselves as a teenager in Sophie just as teenagers reading the book today will identify with Sophie. Sones uses the verse novel technique to draw readers into Sophie's story with emotionally charged language, strong imagery, and fairly short poems that quickly give readers an insight into Sophie. The free verse poems reflect the confusion Sophie feels as she tries to sort through her lessening attraction to her boyfriend and her growing attraction to a boy no one at school would ever think of dating all while chatting online with another boy. It is not difficult to see Sophie (or yourself as a teenager) breaking up with her boyfriend, feel the terror she feels as she struggles to tell her friends about her new boyfriend, or feel and see the horror as Sophie finds out what the mysterious Chaz (her online friend) does in libraries. The verse novel makes these experiences more captivating for the reader because there is no extraneous language or information as there can be in traditional novels. The free verse poems get right to the point of Sophie's experiences, thoughts, and emotions.
Another way Sones grabs the reader and makes the novel more personal is once Sophie begins to date the new boy in her life and realizes how much she cares for him, a cartoon-like doodle appears in the bottom corner of the book pages. The doodle builds upon itself and becomes a flip-art picture of a man and woman (in old-fashioned looking dress) kissing. As a teacher, I often see these little drawings in my high school students' in-class journals. It is one more mark of personality that not only draws the reader more into Sophie's world, but it makes the book seem less like a commercial work of fiction and more like a personal journal or diary.
Teenagers today will identify with Sophie and her use technology as a means of communicating with her friends and strangers alike since most of them use text messaging, Facebook, and Tumblr as a primary way of communication. My seventeen-year-old sister-in-law is rarely without her iPhone where she constantly chats with her friends through text messaging and posts updates for her friends to read to her Tumblr. Teenagers will also identify with the emotions Sones so compellingly details in Sophie as all teenagers experience the highs of love and lows of life that Sophie goes through in these pages. The verse novel style will also keep their attention by allowing them to read Sophie's thoughts in short bursts of information. Also, Sones uses the verse novel style to create a more personal mood allowing teenage readers to feel like Sophie could be any girl they know.
Personal Note:
When I told my teenaged sister-in-law that I choose this book from our list to read she told me over and over that I would love the book, go buy the sequel to it, and that I would see myself as a teenager in Sophie. She was right, and this is a book that will be added to my in-class library as soon as school starts back in August.
Review Excerpts:
"A story written in poetry form. Sophie is happily dating Dylan, "until he's practically glued himself to my side." Then she falls for cyberboy ("if I could marry a font/I'd marry his"). Imagine her surprise when he becomes downright scary. In the satisfying ending, Sophie finds the perfect boyfriend-someone she's known all along...Sones's poems are glimpses through a peephole many teens may be peering through for the first time, unaware that others are seeing virtually the same new, scary, unfamiliar things (parents having nuclear meltdowns, meeting a boyfriend's parents, crying for no apparent reason)...Sones's book makes these often-difficult years a little more livable by making them real, normal, and OK." -- School Library Journal, Sharon Korbeck, Waupaca Area Public Library, WI
"In a fast, funny, touching book, Sones uses the same simple, first-person poetic narrative she used in Stop Pretending: What Happened When My Big Sister Went Crazy (1999), but this story isn't about family anguish; it's about the joy and surprise of falling in love...The poetry is never pretentious or difficult... Sophie's voice is colloquial and intimate, and the discoveries she makes are beyond formula, even while they are as sweetly romantic as popular song. A natural for reluctant readers, this will also attract young people who love to read." --Booklist, Hazel Rochman
Awards:
International Reading Association Young Adult's Choice 2003
ALA Top Ten Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers 2002
ALA Best Book for Young Adults 2002
Booklist Editor's Choice 2001
Connections:
After reading What My Mother Doesn't Know, one of the natural questions is "What happens with Sophie and Robin?" Sonya Sones answers that question in her 2008 free verse novel What My Girlfriend Doesn't Know, written from Robin's perspective as a teenage boy who is ridiculed by his classmates. While boys may not identify as easily with Sophie, they might identify more with Robin and his story.
Readers who enjoy Sones verse novel style of writing but aren't necessarily interested in reading more about Sophie and Robin should go to the author's website (http://www.sonyasones.com/) and read more about her novels or look for suggestions of what to read next.
Teachers could use excerpts of the novel to teach narrative, free verse poetry. Students could relate an experience of their own in a free verse poem, or students could keep a journal over a set time period in free verse poems in imitation of Sophie and Sones' writing style.
Plot Summary:
Sophie is a teenage girl. She's slightly boy crazy, she's a little confused, and she's torn between her two best friends and her heart. What My Mother Doesn't Know is a touching look at the life of a typical teenage girl who is trying to make sense of her changing emotions and view on what love really is. What separates this story from countless others with the same theme and subject matter is the storytelling. Sonya Sones writes Sophie's story in verse, and nearly every page is a new free verse, narrative poem relating Sophie's thoughts and feelings with the events occurring at that time.
Critical Analysis:
Many adults reading What My Mother Doesn't Know will see themselves as a teenager in Sophie just as teenagers reading the book today will identify with Sophie. Sones uses the verse novel technique to draw readers into Sophie's story with emotionally charged language, strong imagery, and fairly short poems that quickly give readers an insight into Sophie. The free verse poems reflect the confusion Sophie feels as she tries to sort through her lessening attraction to her boyfriend and her growing attraction to a boy no one at school would ever think of dating all while chatting online with another boy. It is not difficult to see Sophie (or yourself as a teenager) breaking up with her boyfriend, feel the terror she feels as she struggles to tell her friends about her new boyfriend, or feel and see the horror as Sophie finds out what the mysterious Chaz (her online friend) does in libraries. The verse novel makes these experiences more captivating for the reader because there is no extraneous language or information as there can be in traditional novels. The free verse poems get right to the point of Sophie's experiences, thoughts, and emotions.
Another way Sones grabs the reader and makes the novel more personal is once Sophie begins to date the new boy in her life and realizes how much she cares for him, a cartoon-like doodle appears in the bottom corner of the book pages. The doodle builds upon itself and becomes a flip-art picture of a man and woman (in old-fashioned looking dress) kissing. As a teacher, I often see these little drawings in my high school students' in-class journals. It is one more mark of personality that not only draws the reader more into Sophie's world, but it makes the book seem less like a commercial work of fiction and more like a personal journal or diary.
Teenagers today will identify with Sophie and her use technology as a means of communicating with her friends and strangers alike since most of them use text messaging, Facebook, and Tumblr as a primary way of communication. My seventeen-year-old sister-in-law is rarely without her iPhone where she constantly chats with her friends through text messaging and posts updates for her friends to read to her Tumblr. Teenagers will also identify with the emotions Sones so compellingly details in Sophie as all teenagers experience the highs of love and lows of life that Sophie goes through in these pages. The verse novel style will also keep their attention by allowing them to read Sophie's thoughts in short bursts of information. Also, Sones uses the verse novel style to create a more personal mood allowing teenage readers to feel like Sophie could be any girl they know.
Personal Note:
When I told my teenaged sister-in-law that I choose this book from our list to read she told me over and over that I would love the book, go buy the sequel to it, and that I would see myself as a teenager in Sophie. She was right, and this is a book that will be added to my in-class library as soon as school starts back in August.
Review Excerpts:
"A story written in poetry form. Sophie is happily dating Dylan, "until he's practically glued himself to my side." Then she falls for cyberboy ("if I could marry a font/I'd marry his"). Imagine her surprise when he becomes downright scary. In the satisfying ending, Sophie finds the perfect boyfriend-someone she's known all along...Sones's poems are glimpses through a peephole many teens may be peering through for the first time, unaware that others are seeing virtually the same new, scary, unfamiliar things (parents having nuclear meltdowns, meeting a boyfriend's parents, crying for no apparent reason)...Sones's book makes these often-difficult years a little more livable by making them real, normal, and OK." -- School Library Journal, Sharon Korbeck, Waupaca Area Public Library, WI
"In a fast, funny, touching book, Sones uses the same simple, first-person poetic narrative she used in Stop Pretending: What Happened When My Big Sister Went Crazy (1999), but this story isn't about family anguish; it's about the joy and surprise of falling in love...The poetry is never pretentious or difficult... Sophie's voice is colloquial and intimate, and the discoveries she makes are beyond formula, even while they are as sweetly romantic as popular song. A natural for reluctant readers, this will also attract young people who love to read." --Booklist, Hazel Rochman
Awards:
International Reading Association Young Adult's Choice 2003
ALA Top Ten Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers 2002
ALA Best Book for Young Adults 2002
Booklist Editor's Choice 2001
Connections:
After reading What My Mother Doesn't Know, one of the natural questions is "What happens with Sophie and Robin?" Sonya Sones answers that question in her 2008 free verse novel What My Girlfriend Doesn't Know, written from Robin's perspective as a teenage boy who is ridiculed by his classmates. While boys may not identify as easily with Sophie, they might identify more with Robin and his story.
Readers who enjoy Sones verse novel style of writing but aren't necessarily interested in reading more about Sophie and Robin should go to the author's website (http://www.sonyasones.com/) and read more about her novels or look for suggestions of what to read next.
Teachers could use excerpts of the novel to teach narrative, free verse poetry. Students could relate an experience of their own in a free verse poem, or students could keep a journal over a set time period in free verse poems in imitation of Sophie and Sones' writing style.
Saturday, July 2, 2011
A Dazzling Display of Dogs
Franco, Betsy. Ill. Michael Wertz. 2011. A Dazzling Display of Dogs. Berkeley, CA: Tricycle Press. ISBN: 978-1582463438
Plot Summary:
A Dazzling Display of Dogs is the newest book of concrete poems from Betsy Franco and is a follow up to her award winning collection A Curious Collection of Cats. In A Dazzling Display of Dogs, readers are treated to 32 poems of different breeds of dogs going through daily adventures, and the poems are written in a style that mimics whatever the dog is doing. The dogs do just about everything a reader can associate with dogs, from the endless in-and-out's of Gwen to Coco circling on the rug to find just the perfect spot to sleep.
Critical Analysis:
For a reader who has never reader who has not read anything by Betsy Franco and Michael Wertz before, the first page of poetry is an assault to the senses with the shapes and colors and jumble of words, but once the reader's senses adjust, they find themselves immersed in the world of dogs. This book of children's poetry should not be just directed to children but to anyone, no matter their age, that loves dogs or that loves shape poems, concrete poems, haikus, and cinquains or all of the above!
The writing style of the poems is reminiscent of EE Cummings' poetry in the way that the lines of many of Cummings' poetry formed the shape of the subject matter of that poem. In A Dazzling Display of Dogs, the lines of the poems form shapes or are in the shape of the subject of that poem. Mathilda wears a white plastic dog cone collar, presumably from surgery, and the lines of her poem fit inside the cone. Miss Olive sleeps with a teddy bear, and the poem about her bear is inside the cut out of a teddy bear. Jake, a Jack Russell Terrier, barks at everything, and the lines of his poem shoot out from around his open muzzle giving off the impression of loud barks. Jazzy jumps on his owner and the lines of his poem wave giving the reader the sensation of a dog jumping up and down and then on his owner.
The bright colors and writing style appeal to young and older readers alike, and since most of the poems are concrete poems, even the youngest readers would have no trouble reading and understanding the poetry in this collection. Also, the upbeat and sometimes silly rhymes and use of alliteration throughout the collection keeps the reader's attention and add to the humor of the poems.
The illustrations throughout the book are eye-catching and enhance the poems. According to the cover information, "The illustrations in this book were started in pencil and finished using monoprints and Adobe Photoshop," but to me, the illustrations look like the layouts of an intricately done scrapbook. In fact, my first thought upon opening the book was that I have scrapbooking paper that looks similar to the book's illustrations that I used throughout my son's baby book. The illustrations and page layouts draw the reader's eye to take in the entire page and not just the words of the poem. The poems and the illustrations work together to create an interconnected and beautiful work of art.
Review Excerpt:
"This follow-up to A Curious Collection of Cats (Tricycle, 2009) is dazzling indeed. Each of the 34 poems features a different animal, most of them engaged in true dog behavior. From farting in the car to wheezing and snoring while sleeping, these pups are funny and lovable even when they're being annoying. The verses and the book's design are beautifully matched. In "Emmett's Ode to His Tennis Ball," the text is enclosed in a circle held firmly in the dog's mouth. It begins, "Slobbery, sloppy, slimy, sphere—oh, tennis ball, I hold you dear…." Like the poems, the pictures are funny and dynamic. The pages are definitely full, yet careful use of color, typeface, and detail means they never look chaotic." Lauralyn Persson, Wilmette Public Library, IL, From School Library Journal
"The creators of A Curious Collection of Cats (2009) offer another volume of concrete poems filled with playful action. Elementary students will pick up the wry wordplay, but younger children will have trouble deciphering the words amid the packed, digitally touched artwork. The poems do capture familiar scenes with pets, such as a dog playing with a tennis ball (“sloppery slippery slimy”) and the pitfalls of car trips with a pooch: “The very worst part / without a doubt / is when Cassandra / makes a fart.” Both silly and on-target, the slapstick rhymes are good choices for family sharing." --Hazel Rochman, From Booklist
Awards:
starred review in School Library Journal
Connections:
Another book of poems about dogs that children might enjoy is Little Dog Poems by Kristine O'Connell George. The book follows one dog, and the voice of the poems is his owner, a young girl.
While not all children own a dog, most have a pet or have friends with pets. After reading A Dazzling Display of Dogs, children could discuss (or older children could journal) experiences with their pets and how those experiences are similar to the ones detailed in A Dazzling Display of Dogs.
Children who really enjoy the style and illustrations of A Dazzling Display of Dogs would also enjoy reading A Curious Collection of Cats.
Plot Summary:
A Dazzling Display of Dogs is the newest book of concrete poems from Betsy Franco and is a follow up to her award winning collection A Curious Collection of Cats. In A Dazzling Display of Dogs, readers are treated to 32 poems of different breeds of dogs going through daily adventures, and the poems are written in a style that mimics whatever the dog is doing. The dogs do just about everything a reader can associate with dogs, from the endless in-and-out's of Gwen to Coco circling on the rug to find just the perfect spot to sleep.
Critical Analysis:
For a reader who has never reader who has not read anything by Betsy Franco and Michael Wertz before, the first page of poetry is an assault to the senses with the shapes and colors and jumble of words, but once the reader's senses adjust, they find themselves immersed in the world of dogs. This book of children's poetry should not be just directed to children but to anyone, no matter their age, that loves dogs or that loves shape poems, concrete poems, haikus, and cinquains or all of the above!
The writing style of the poems is reminiscent of EE Cummings' poetry in the way that the lines of many of Cummings' poetry formed the shape of the subject matter of that poem. In A Dazzling Display of Dogs, the lines of the poems form shapes or are in the shape of the subject of that poem. Mathilda wears a white plastic dog cone collar, presumably from surgery, and the lines of her poem fit inside the cone. Miss Olive sleeps with a teddy bear, and the poem about her bear is inside the cut out of a teddy bear. Jake, a Jack Russell Terrier, barks at everything, and the lines of his poem shoot out from around his open muzzle giving off the impression of loud barks. Jazzy jumps on his owner and the lines of his poem wave giving the reader the sensation of a dog jumping up and down and then on his owner.
The bright colors and writing style appeal to young and older readers alike, and since most of the poems are concrete poems, even the youngest readers would have no trouble reading and understanding the poetry in this collection. Also, the upbeat and sometimes silly rhymes and use of alliteration throughout the collection keeps the reader's attention and add to the humor of the poems.
The illustrations throughout the book are eye-catching and enhance the poems. According to the cover information, "The illustrations in this book were started in pencil and finished using monoprints and Adobe Photoshop," but to me, the illustrations look like the layouts of an intricately done scrapbook. In fact, my first thought upon opening the book was that I have scrapbooking paper that looks similar to the book's illustrations that I used throughout my son's baby book. The illustrations and page layouts draw the reader's eye to take in the entire page and not just the words of the poem. The poems and the illustrations work together to create an interconnected and beautiful work of art.
Review Excerpt:
"This follow-up to A Curious Collection of Cats (Tricycle, 2009) is dazzling indeed. Each of the 34 poems features a different animal, most of them engaged in true dog behavior. From farting in the car to wheezing and snoring while sleeping, these pups are funny and lovable even when they're being annoying. The verses and the book's design are beautifully matched. In "Emmett's Ode to His Tennis Ball," the text is enclosed in a circle held firmly in the dog's mouth. It begins, "Slobbery, sloppy, slimy, sphere—oh, tennis ball, I hold you dear…." Like the poems, the pictures are funny and dynamic. The pages are definitely full, yet careful use of color, typeface, and detail means they never look chaotic." Lauralyn Persson, Wilmette Public Library, IL, From School Library Journal
"The creators of A Curious Collection of Cats (2009) offer another volume of concrete poems filled with playful action. Elementary students will pick up the wry wordplay, but younger children will have trouble deciphering the words amid the packed, digitally touched artwork. The poems do capture familiar scenes with pets, such as a dog playing with a tennis ball (“sloppery slippery slimy”) and the pitfalls of car trips with a pooch: “The very worst part / without a doubt / is when Cassandra / makes a fart.” Both silly and on-target, the slapstick rhymes are good choices for family sharing." --Hazel Rochman, From Booklist
Awards:
starred review in School Library Journal
Connections:
Another book of poems about dogs that children might enjoy is Little Dog Poems by Kristine O'Connell George. The book follows one dog, and the voice of the poems is his owner, a young girl.
While not all children own a dog, most have a pet or have friends with pets. After reading A Dazzling Display of Dogs, children could discuss (or older children could journal) experiences with their pets and how those experiences are similar to the ones detailed in A Dazzling Display of Dogs.
Children who really enjoy the style and illustrations of A Dazzling Display of Dogs would also enjoy reading A Curious Collection of Cats.
Button Up!: Wrinkled Rhymes
Schertle, Alice. Ill. Petra Mathers. 2009. Button up!: Wrinkled Rhymes. New York: Harcourt Children's Books/ Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN: 978-0152050504
Plot Summary:
Button Up!: Wrinkled Rhymes is a collection of 15 mask poems for children written by Alice Schertle and illustrated by Petra Mathers. In these poems, articles of clothing have a story to tell of the experiences they have had with their owners. From shoes to coats to bicycle helmets to frilly underwear to soccer uniforms and a hand-me-down hoodie, the reader experiences what it is like for these articles of clothes, and the reader learns about each owner, who are all animals, through the clothing.
Critical Analysis:
Schertle's poems induce laughter and smiles from children as the articles of clothing relate their tales. One of the most interesting and engaging aspects of this collection is that every article of clothing has their own distinctive voice. My five-year-old daughter laughed as we read "The Song of Harvey's Galoshes" and "Tanya's Old T-Shirt" because of the unique voices of each poem and the fact that the owners are animals.
I enjoyed the petulance I heard in Tanya's t-shirt as she complained that it is her owner's fault she is now a dust rag. After all, as the shirt says, her owner grew, not her! The shirt says, "I didn't shrink," and in the book, the "I" is in a bolder print than most of the other text. For a reader, the bolding indicates a stronger emphasis should be placed on that word, so the reader hears a longer, more pronounced word at the beginning of the line than the rest of the line. That bolded "I" lends to the surly, petulant voice of the t-shirt. The voice is similar to the young children these poems are written for and the way young children sulk and pout when they are told they are too little (or too big!) to do something they want to do. The watercolor illustration of the old t-shirt evokes a bit of sympathy from the reader because the t-shirt is in an old metal bucket in a closet under the stairs. The shirt looks old, faded, and dirty as it sits in its dark and lonely home. But, above the bucket, is a thought cloud with a brightly colored illustration of a day at the beach in an obviously happier time as Tanya wears the t-shirt at the beach. The reader can't help but feel some sympathy for the shirt even as it complains about its new role in the family.
The language of the poems is varied and easily understandable for young readers. The use of onomatopoeia in "The Song of Harvey's Galoshes" helps young readers identify with Harvey's shoes because what young child hasn't (to their parents' chagrin) jumped into a mud puddle and made the "squash-galosh, squash-galosh, through the slime" with glee and laughter? The watercolor illustration of Harvey, who is, fittingly, a pig, and his galoshes dancing in the mud is just fun. The delight on Harvey's face is the glee we see on young children's faces as they do just what Harvey does in the mud. And, for Harvey, it's okay to dance in the mud because he is a pig, and we all know, pigs (and young children) love playing in mud.
One of the last poems in the collection, "Hand-me-down Sweatshirt" has a different tone to it as compared to the other poems. This poem is less humorous and the illustrations emphasize the more somber tone. In this poem, the sweatshirt has no complaints or any funny stories to relate. Instead, in this poem, the sweatshirt is just happy to still be "a friend of the family" after he has been passed down from family member to family member. The poem has a much slower pace to it. The animal that owns it stands off to the side. There is no action in the illustration save for the waves. The slower pace and lack of action create a calm mood that the other poems in the collection do not have. The illustration of this poem is a seaside scene with dark colors of moss green, grey, and brown with touches of white in the sea foam and hints of blue in the cloudy sky. The brightest spot in the illustration is the bright red sweatshirt on a figure standing on a rock looking out over the waves. As the sweatshirt says, he is "still looking good" even after so many owners and adventures. He is durable and loyal to his family.
Review Excerpt:
" these creatures have personality, exuberance and high style that perfectly match the verses. Loads of fun."--Kirkus, starred review
"From delicately comical to downright funny, the art perfectly reflects the contagiously rhythmic, playful verse. Made for sharing, and worth learning by heart, too."--Horn Book, starred review
"Playful spreads and spot art suit the small, snappy verses beautifully. This whimsical little volume will make a delightful addition to poetry collections."--School Library Journal, starred review
Awards:
2010 Hopkins Poetry Award Winner
NCTE Poetry for Children at Its Best: 2009 Poetry Notables
Connections:
The poems in this collection would be a great way to use Tonya Rodriguez's "Three Minutes a Day" poetry project, even for kindergartners like my daughter. The catchy rhymes in the poems, the actions of the animals, and the word plays would keep their attention, and kindergartners could easily focus on one of these poems for three minutes over a three-week period.
Children could have a very fun discussion of any of the poems in the collection. Asking them: "What did you see or imagine when we read this poem" (Vardell p.133) would give readers a chance to personally identify with the poems. I asked my daughter this after we read "Emily's Undies" and her answer was simple, but funny: She grinned and said "me."
Plot Summary:
Button Up!: Wrinkled Rhymes is a collection of 15 mask poems for children written by Alice Schertle and illustrated by Petra Mathers. In these poems, articles of clothing have a story to tell of the experiences they have had with their owners. From shoes to coats to bicycle helmets to frilly underwear to soccer uniforms and a hand-me-down hoodie, the reader experiences what it is like for these articles of clothes, and the reader learns about each owner, who are all animals, through the clothing.
Critical Analysis:
Schertle's poems induce laughter and smiles from children as the articles of clothing relate their tales. One of the most interesting and engaging aspects of this collection is that every article of clothing has their own distinctive voice. My five-year-old daughter laughed as we read "The Song of Harvey's Galoshes" and "Tanya's Old T-Shirt" because of the unique voices of each poem and the fact that the owners are animals.
I enjoyed the petulance I heard in Tanya's t-shirt as she complained that it is her owner's fault she is now a dust rag. After all, as the shirt says, her owner grew, not her! The shirt says, "I didn't shrink," and in the book, the "I" is in a bolder print than most of the other text. For a reader, the bolding indicates a stronger emphasis should be placed on that word, so the reader hears a longer, more pronounced word at the beginning of the line than the rest of the line. That bolded "I" lends to the surly, petulant voice of the t-shirt. The voice is similar to the young children these poems are written for and the way young children sulk and pout when they are told they are too little (or too big!) to do something they want to do. The watercolor illustration of the old t-shirt evokes a bit of sympathy from the reader because the t-shirt is in an old metal bucket in a closet under the stairs. The shirt looks old, faded, and dirty as it sits in its dark and lonely home. But, above the bucket, is a thought cloud with a brightly colored illustration of a day at the beach in an obviously happier time as Tanya wears the t-shirt at the beach. The reader can't help but feel some sympathy for the shirt even as it complains about its new role in the family.
The language of the poems is varied and easily understandable for young readers. The use of onomatopoeia in "The Song of Harvey's Galoshes" helps young readers identify with Harvey's shoes because what young child hasn't (to their parents' chagrin) jumped into a mud puddle and made the "squash-galosh, squash-galosh, through the slime" with glee and laughter? The watercolor illustration of Harvey, who is, fittingly, a pig, and his galoshes dancing in the mud is just fun. The delight on Harvey's face is the glee we see on young children's faces as they do just what Harvey does in the mud. And, for Harvey, it's okay to dance in the mud because he is a pig, and we all know, pigs (and young children) love playing in mud.
One of the last poems in the collection, "Hand-me-down Sweatshirt" has a different tone to it as compared to the other poems. This poem is less humorous and the illustrations emphasize the more somber tone. In this poem, the sweatshirt has no complaints or any funny stories to relate. Instead, in this poem, the sweatshirt is just happy to still be "a friend of the family" after he has been passed down from family member to family member. The poem has a much slower pace to it. The animal that owns it stands off to the side. There is no action in the illustration save for the waves. The slower pace and lack of action create a calm mood that the other poems in the collection do not have. The illustration of this poem is a seaside scene with dark colors of moss green, grey, and brown with touches of white in the sea foam and hints of blue in the cloudy sky. The brightest spot in the illustration is the bright red sweatshirt on a figure standing on a rock looking out over the waves. As the sweatshirt says, he is "still looking good" even after so many owners and adventures. He is durable and loyal to his family.
Review Excerpt:
" these creatures have personality, exuberance and high style that perfectly match the verses. Loads of fun."--Kirkus, starred review
"From delicately comical to downright funny, the art perfectly reflects the contagiously rhythmic, playful verse. Made for sharing, and worth learning by heart, too."--Horn Book, starred review
"Playful spreads and spot art suit the small, snappy verses beautifully. This whimsical little volume will make a delightful addition to poetry collections."--School Library Journal, starred review
Awards:
2010 Hopkins Poetry Award Winner
NCTE Poetry for Children at Its Best: 2009 Poetry Notables
Connections:
The poems in this collection would be a great way to use Tonya Rodriguez's "Three Minutes a Day" poetry project, even for kindergartners like my daughter. The catchy rhymes in the poems, the actions of the animals, and the word plays would keep their attention, and kindergartners could easily focus on one of these poems for three minutes over a three-week period.
Children could have a very fun discussion of any of the poems in the collection. Asking them: "What did you see or imagine when we read this poem" (Vardell p.133) would give readers a chance to personally identify with the poems. I asked my daughter this after we read "Emily's Undies" and her answer was simple, but funny: She grinned and said "me."
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