The next book I chose to review is the 2008 Coretta Scott King award winner, Elijah of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis.
Elijah was the first child born in the Buxton Settlement in Canada, a safe place for former slaves. Despite this distinction, Elijah’s mom is concerned about his fears and fragility. Elijah eventually meets up with some former slaves as well as some who are trying to escape. He decides to get involved in a dangerous plan to free them and shows incredible bravery and resolve.
This story started off a little slow but it really picked up. The first hand look at slavery was definitely eye opening. I was so glad to see Elijah find courage deep within himself to help the slaves who were trying to escape.
This book looks at the touchy subject of slavery in a memorable way. Students may not remember much they’ve learned in school about slavery but I bet they could recall the details of this book.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Feathers
For my second Newbery selection, I chose the 2008 Honor Book Feathers by Jacqueline Woodson. This book is about a young girl named Frannie.
Frannie has dealt with her fair share of grief and heartache in her short lifetime, with her brother being deaf and her mother losing a child and having several miscarriages. She becomes obsessed with an Emily Dickinson poem that contains the message “Hope is the thing with feathers” and wonders about its meaning. When a new boy (nicknamed Jesus) comes to their all black school, she learns a lot by watching his interactions with the other kids and eventually begins to make sense of the poem’s words and finds hope in her own life.
I really wanted to like this book. The message is good but it just didn’t hold my interest like I had hoped it would. I did like how Frannie went from a vulnerable, confused girl to a confident young lady. Even though she had dealt with a lot of obstacles in her short life, she eventually found peace with her situation.
This book has a very honest tone, which is refreshing. I believe it would speak to students who have dealt with prejudice, loss, or other family problems. It would also be a good book for discussion with a class.
Frannie has dealt with her fair share of grief and heartache in her short lifetime, with her brother being deaf and her mother losing a child and having several miscarriages. She becomes obsessed with an Emily Dickinson poem that contains the message “Hope is the thing with feathers” and wonders about its meaning. When a new boy (nicknamed Jesus) comes to their all black school, she learns a lot by watching his interactions with the other kids and eventually begins to make sense of the poem’s words and finds hope in her own life.
I really wanted to like this book. The message is good but it just didn’t hold my interest like I had hoped it would. I did like how Frannie went from a vulnerable, confused girl to a confident young lady. Even though she had dealt with a lot of obstacles in her short life, she eventually found peace with her situation.
This book has a very honest tone, which is refreshing. I believe it would speak to students who have dealt with prejudice, loss, or other family problems. It would also be a good book for discussion with a class.
Friday, September 12, 2008
The Higher Power of Lucky
After reading some of the articles posted on the Course Documents section of my LME 518 course, I decided to read The Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron and illustrated by Matt Phelan just to see what all the fuss is about.
Apparently, there is a controversy because the book received the 2007 Newbery Medal despite its use of the word "scrotum". I was actually kind of surprised that our school library had the book on the shelf. I asked our library media specialist about the book and she said she was not aware of any controversy.
This book is about a girl named Lucky and her dog, HMS Beagle. Lucky's name is a bit of a misnomer, considering her mother died in a freak electrocution accident and her father wants nothing to do with her. After her mother's death, Lucky's father contacts his first wife, Brigitte (who lives in France), to care for Lucky. Brigitte reluctantly comes over to America, but Lucky is always wondering when she's going to return to France since she misses it so much.
Lucky spends her time after school doing odd jobs to pick up extra money in the tiny town of Hard Pan, California. After her chores are complete, she eavesdrops on various Anonymous meetings (Alcoholics Anonymous, Smokers Anonymous, etc.) to hear about how the people hit rock bottom then find their Higher Power.
She thinks that if she can find her Higher Power, she can deal with Brigitte returning to France only to leave her in an orphanage. As Lucky seeks out her Higher Power, she comes up with a plan to run away so she will not have to deal with Brigitte's departure. Things don't work out exactly as planned, however, so Lucky eventually returns home to find out Brigitte is not leaving after all. Lucky does discover her higher power, and is able to let go of her mother and embrace her new life.
I thought this book was pretty good, although there was a lot of build-up at the beginning and I felt that the author kind of rushed through the end. As far as the "scrotum" controversy goes, I was not offended by the author's use of the term in any way and I don't really see what all the fuss is about.
Apparently, there is a controversy because the book received the 2007 Newbery Medal despite its use of the word "scrotum". I was actually kind of surprised that our school library had the book on the shelf. I asked our library media specialist about the book and she said she was not aware of any controversy.
This book is about a girl named Lucky and her dog, HMS Beagle. Lucky's name is a bit of a misnomer, considering her mother died in a freak electrocution accident and her father wants nothing to do with her. After her mother's death, Lucky's father contacts his first wife, Brigitte (who lives in France), to care for Lucky. Brigitte reluctantly comes over to America, but Lucky is always wondering when she's going to return to France since she misses it so much.
Lucky spends her time after school doing odd jobs to pick up extra money in the tiny town of Hard Pan, California. After her chores are complete, she eavesdrops on various Anonymous meetings (Alcoholics Anonymous, Smokers Anonymous, etc.) to hear about how the people hit rock bottom then find their Higher Power.
She thinks that if she can find her Higher Power, she can deal with Brigitte returning to France only to leave her in an orphanage. As Lucky seeks out her Higher Power, she comes up with a plan to run away so she will not have to deal with Brigitte's departure. Things don't work out exactly as planned, however, so Lucky eventually returns home to find out Brigitte is not leaving after all. Lucky does discover her higher power, and is able to let go of her mother and embrace her new life.
I thought this book was pretty good, although there was a lot of build-up at the beginning and I felt that the author kind of rushed through the end. As far as the "scrotum" controversy goes, I was not offended by the author's use of the term in any way and I don't really see what all the fuss is about.
Caldecott and Newbery Awards
Since I am reviewing Caldecott and Newbery Award winning books, I thought it would be nice to find out more about the two awards and the differences between them.
After exploring the website for the Association of Library Service to Children (ALSC), I learned that the Caldecott Medal is named for a famous 19th Century illustrator, Randolph Caldecott. The medal is awarded yearly to the artist of the best children's picture book. The medal winner is chosen by the ALSC.
The Newbery Medal is named for an 18th Century bookseller, John Newbery. The yearly winner is also chosen by the ALSC and goes to the author of the most notable piece of children's literature.
The awards are for completely different things, so it would not be fair to say one is more prestigious than the other. To receive either one would be a tremendous honor.
References
Association for Library Service to Children. (n.d.). Caldecott Medal Home Page. Retrieved September 12, 2008, from http://www.ala.org/ala/alsc/awardsscholarships/literaryawds/caldecottmedal/caldecottmedal.cfm
Association for Library Service to Children. (n.d.). Newbery Medal Home Page. Retrieved September 12, 2008, from http://www.ala.org/ala/alsc/awardsscholarships/literaryawds/newberymedal/newberymedal.cfm
After exploring the website for the Association of Library Service to Children (ALSC), I learned that the Caldecott Medal is named for a famous 19th Century illustrator, Randolph Caldecott. The medal is awarded yearly to the artist of the best children's picture book. The medal winner is chosen by the ALSC.
The Newbery Medal is named for an 18th Century bookseller, John Newbery. The yearly winner is also chosen by the ALSC and goes to the author of the most notable piece of children's literature.
The awards are for completely different things, so it would not be fair to say one is more prestigious than the other. To receive either one would be a tremendous honor.
References
Association for Library Service to Children. (n.d.). Caldecott Medal Home Page. Retrieved September 12, 2008, from http://www.ala.org/ala/alsc/awardsscholarships/literaryawds/caldecottmedal/caldecottmedal.cfm
Association for Library Service to Children. (n.d.). Newbery Medal Home Page. Retrieved September 12, 2008, from http://www.ala.org/ala/alsc/awardsscholarships/literaryawds/newberymedal/newberymedal.cfm
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Ella Sarah Gets Dressed
The final Caldecott Honor book I chose was Ella Sarah Gets Dressed by Margaret Chodos-Irvine. This is the story of a little girl who is very passionate about wearing a particular outfit of polka-dot pants, a flowery dress, striped socks, yellow shoes, and a red hat.
Ella Sarah's mother, father, and sister try to talk her out of wearing the ridiculous outfit, but Ella Sarah's mind is made up. She goes to her closet and puts on her chosen apparel, then the doorbell rings. She finds her friends at the door, all dressed similarly because they are going to have a tea party! Ella Sarah's style is not so strange after all.
This story makes me think of how unimaginative our society is. Many people think we have to fit in a certain mold and do things a certain way because it's the "right" thing to do. Ella Sarah reminds us that it's okay to be different and stand out in a crowd. I think this is a good lesson for young people and adults.
I'm actually going through that a little bit myself. I'm 7 months pregnant and people remind me every day that I'm changing and getting bigger. Sometimes I let it bother me a bit too much. I need to be more like Ella Sarah and embrace this time in my life!
Ella Sarah's mother, father, and sister try to talk her out of wearing the ridiculous outfit, but Ella Sarah's mind is made up. She goes to her closet and puts on her chosen apparel, then the doorbell rings. She finds her friends at the door, all dressed similarly because they are going to have a tea party! Ella Sarah's style is not so strange after all.
This story makes me think of how unimaginative our society is. Many people think we have to fit in a certain mold and do things a certain way because it's the "right" thing to do. Ella Sarah reminds us that it's okay to be different and stand out in a crowd. I think this is a good lesson for young people and adults.
I'm actually going through that a little bit myself. I'm 7 months pregnant and people remind me every day that I'm changing and getting bigger. Sometimes I let it bother me a bit too much. I need to be more like Ella Sarah and embrace this time in my life!
Kitten's First Full Moon
I just adored this charming story about a little kitten who saw "a little bowl of milk in the sky". This book is definitely deserving of the 2005 Caldecott Medal.
This is an all too familiar story of chasing after something you really want, only to find that you really didn't have to look too far to find it. The little kitten just can't seem to get that bowl of milk in the sky, even when she climbs up high in a tree. When she gets to the top of the tree, she sees a "big bowl of milk" in the pond below and goes down to get it. In the end, her misadventures lead her back home, where a bowl of milk is there waiting for her.
I will definitely read this book to my students because I think they would love it. They will enjoy guessing what the little kitten is going to do next. I'm really glad I chose this book to read.
This is an all too familiar story of chasing after something you really want, only to find that you really didn't have to look too far to find it. The little kitten just can't seem to get that bowl of milk in the sky, even when she climbs up high in a tree. When she gets to the top of the tree, she sees a "big bowl of milk" in the pond below and goes down to get it. In the end, her misadventures lead her back home, where a bowl of milk is there waiting for her.
I will definitely read this book to my students because I think they would love it. They will enjoy guessing what the little kitten is going to do next. I'm really glad I chose this book to read.
The Hello, Goodbye Window
This 2006 Caldecott medal winner is written by Norton Juster and illustrated by Chris Raschka. This book tells the lively story of a young girl who visits her grandparents, Poppy and Nanna. They have a special window in their house called the Hello, Goodbye window, where special things happen.
Perhaps more important than the story itself is the powerful imagery captured in the whimsical drawings. The bold colors represent the girl's mood and emotions as she explains why the window is so important to her. The story is very imaginative and I can see why children would enjoy it.
This story was particularly powerful for me because it reminded me of visiting my own Nana, who passed away just 3 years ago. We didn't have a special window, but I will never forget all the wonderful times we shared together.
Perhaps more important than the story itself is the powerful imagery captured in the whimsical drawings. The bold colors represent the girl's mood and emotions as she explains why the window is so important to her. The story is very imaginative and I can see why children would enjoy it.
This story was particularly powerful for me because it reminded me of visiting my own Nana, who passed away just 3 years ago. We didn't have a special window, but I will never forget all the wonderful times we shared together.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity
This charming story by Mo Willems is also a 2008 Caldecott Honor book. In the story, young Trixie can't wait to show off her one-of-a-kind knuffle bunny to all her classmates. To her dismay, her classmate Sonja has one just like it.
The girls spent the day arguing in jealousy until the teacher finally had to take the knuffle bunnies away. The bunnies were returned after school and all was well until both girls realized that they had the wrong bunny in the middle of the night.
Their dads called one another and arranged for an exchange in the middle of the night and both girls were so happy to have their own bunnies back that they realized they were happy each other had the correct bunny. The girls became best friends and shared their bunnies.
I enjoyed this story for several reasons. First, the author combines character illustrations with real black and white photos of the school and city, which kept the story interesting. Also, I believe students will enjoy keeping track of the bunnies and that they will be intrigued to see whether or not the girls are able to get the right bunny back. Finally, the book shares a good lesson that you are still unique, even if someone else has one thing that you have.
The girls spent the day arguing in jealousy until the teacher finally had to take the knuffle bunnies away. The bunnies were returned after school and all was well until both girls realized that they had the wrong bunny in the middle of the night.
Their dads called one another and arranged for an exchange in the middle of the night and both girls were so happy to have their own bunnies back that they realized they were happy each other had the correct bunny. The girls became best friends and shared their bunnies.
I enjoyed this story for several reasons. First, the author combines character illustrations with real black and white photos of the school and city, which kept the story interesting. Also, I believe students will enjoy keeping track of the bunnies and that they will be intrigued to see whether or not the girls are able to get the right bunny back. Finally, the book shares a good lesson that you are still unique, even if someone else has one thing that you have.
First the Egg
I chose a 2008 Caldecott Honor book for my first book review. First the Egg is written by Laura Vaccaro Seeger. This story is a short picture book for young children that explores the age old question: which came first, the chicken or the egg?
At first glance, I wasn't really sure why this book would be a Caldecott Honor book. When I read the book, however, I truly enjoyed its simple, yet profound message that everything comes from something else.
The book's cutouts preview the image on the next page in a clever and unexpected way. Young children will love to guess what's coming up next. I will definitely read this book to my young students in the near future.
At first glance, I wasn't really sure why this book would be a Caldecott Honor book. When I read the book, however, I truly enjoyed its simple, yet profound message that everything comes from something else.
The book's cutouts preview the image on the next page in a clever and unexpected way. Young children will love to guess what's coming up next. I will definitely read this book to my young students in the near future.
Friday, September 5, 2008
Welcome!
Welcome to my blog. I am not new to blogging although I don't do it often. I am excited about reviewing some fantastic children's books here.
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