BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Lewis, J. Patrick. 2002. A WORLD OF WONDERS. Ill. by Alison Jay. New York: Dial. ISBN 0803725795
PLOT SUMMARY:
A WORLD OF WONDERS is poetic, geographical, and biographical journey. The poem topics in this collection include famous explorers, MARCO POLO PILGRIM and famous or unusual geographic locations, ANGEL FALLS and ITALIAN BOOT. There are poems explaining geologic phenomena, HOW A CAVE WILL BEHAVE, and how the names of certain seas relate to their appearance, IS THE YELLOW SEA YELLOW? Riddles about famous European cities and other verses regarding unusual facts about the Earth and its land and people are included also. This collection is a trip through a Social Studies textbook (no passport required).
CRITICAL ANALYSIS:
A WORLD OF WONDERS is a single poet collection of Social Studies poems. Many of the poems could be a part of a school Social Studies curriculum. There is a balanced variety of poems, within the topical parameters. The poems are not organized by type or by specific topic. The varying poem type in each page makes this text an interesting read.
Most of the poems Mr. Lewis wrote for this collection are free verse. A few have a loosely flowing rhyme scheme while others have an ABAB rhyme scheme. However, most of the poems do not rhyme. These poems do have a rhythmic quality associated with them. As one reads, a tempo emerges. There is a page of riddles included (along with the answers). Mr. Lewis includes concrete poems. ANGEL FALLS is the most distinctive. The text starts out small and narrow, and it spreads as it moves down; it models the waterfall it is describing.
A WORLD OF WONDERS is an unusual type of poetry. It is educational. Mr. Lewis blends a need to know geography and historical information with poetry. The poems are relatively short but posses a wealth of information. They could also spark further research. A reader may not learn every tidbit about Marco Polo, but the information in the poem may spark further research.
Most of the poems in this collection are timeless. Information about Christopher Columbus is not going to change. The poems of unusual facts, DID YOU KNOW?, and trivia, 136°F, as well as the poems explaining a natural phenomena, AURORA BOREALIS.
However, some of the poems could lose their educational value over time. NEW NAMES, OLD PLACES and ONE SQUARE FOOT PER PERSON, PLEASE could become dated. If the names of the places changed once, it is possible that they would change again and the poem would become difficult to understand. Similarly, with ONE SQUARE FOOT PER PERSON, PLEASE, as the popular changes the length of the line would change. The overall meaning of the poems would be constant. Geographic names change, and the population is large. But some of the facts may be incorrect as time progresses. The topics chosen for poems are the traditional pieces of information associated with an elementary Social Studies program.
The illustrations in this book are fantastic. Each page is brightly decorated. The illustrations add to the meaning and understandability of the poems. Each illustration looks appears to have a crackle finish placed on it. The illustrations look like stereotypical explorer maps. The poems in this book are wonderful and they are made extraordinary by the illustrations added to the text.
This reviewer wishes she had known about the poem HOW TO TELL LATITUDE FROM LONGITUDE when she taught elementary school geography. This is a concept continually confused by students. This poem provides an excellent analogy of how to remember. The author uses an expanded font to display the “flatitude” of latitude and stretches the letters taller to show “longitude”. The poem explains that longitude lines rise like porcupine quills. The illustration is excellent. People are running across the lines of latitude and climbing up the lines of longitude. There is a porcupine sitting on top of the earth, with his quills extends. Another such poem that explains confused terms is HOW A CAVE WILL BEHAVE, which relays the difference between stalagmites and stalactites.
WALK LIGHTLY is a particular favorite poem of this reviewer. The poem covers the last two pages of the text. It is an admonishment to all of humankind to take care of the earth and the resources she contains. The illustrations show many of the different geographic features of the earth and her people. While they are simple in the detail they present, they are a profound display of how different the earth is as one travels around but how closely related everything is as well.
While students often dislike poetry and social studies, this reviewer believes that they were combined in such an awesome way for this text, that this book will be irresistible to children and young adults. The topics are brought to life using light-hearted poems and fantastic illustrations.
REVIEW EXCERPTS:
*From PUBLISHERS WEEKLY “A full-scale treat for the armchair traveler”
*From BOOKLIST: “still quite accessible--making an appealing package for children” Carolyn Phelan
CONNECTIONS:
Arctic Information:
Arctic - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Antarctic Information:
Antarctica - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Marco Polo biography:
Marco Polo and His Travels
National Geographic for Kids: facts, games, and videos for children
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/
For the young cartographer: Maps of the World
maps of the world - Google Image Search
Official website of J. Patrick Lewis
J. Patrick Lewis Children's Poet & Author
Using the poem NEW NAMES, OLD PLACES, students could research several items. First, find other places throughout the world that have experienced a name change.
Second, research the reason that the names were changed.
Using examples from the poetry collection, students could select one exotic location or geographical topic. They would write one unusual fact about that place or explain the geography concept and provide an illustration.
Sunday, February 25, 2007
MODULE 3: A PIZZA THE SIZE OF THE SUN
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Prelutsky, Jack. 1996. A PIZZA THE SIZE OF THE SUN. New York: Greenwillow Press. ISBN 0688132367
PLOT SUMMARY:
A PIZZA THE SIZE OF THE SUN is a collection of humorous poems by Jack Prelutsky. There are poems about animals, MANTEE and AN UNOBSERVANT PORCUPINE, and about interesting people, DAN, THE INVISIBLE MAN and LESTER. Some of the poems are about everyday items, I PUT THE CAT OUT and HURRY GRANDMA HURRY while others are about new invented and fantastical items, AN EXTRATERRESTRIAL ALIEN and THE JELLYBEAN BRIGADE. Various poetry styles and techniques are used throughout the text. Mr. Prelutsky plays with grammar and punctuation conventions. He includes concrete poems. Irony and word play are seen in many of the poems in this collection.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS:
This collection of poems was published 11 years ago. However, Jack Prelutsky has written poems that are timeless in their appeal to people of all ages. There are no cultural references or other topic choices that interfere with a reader’s ability to pick up the book and understand the poems. A reader in 50 years could read these poems and experience the same joy as a reader who read them the day they were first published. They also transcend racial boundaries. The topics of the poems are not racially or ethnically specific. Many of them successfully bridge a gap that has existed for many years.
Jack Prelutsky is the only poet included in this book. He is a very famous and prolific poet. He wrote every poem, and many of the poems have illustrations by James Stevenson. Mr. Stevenson’s illustrations are simple gray cartoon sketches. They accompany many of the poems. They add further meaning and fun to the poems. They are not overwhelming and are not limiting. Not one of the illustrations changed the mental image this reviewer had created regarding a poem. They do not overpower; they blend in and complement each poem.
There is a balanced variety of poems included in this collection. If a reader is interested in animals, there are many poems about animals; if a reader is interested in crafty word plays, there are many poems that include this element. The text is organized in a seemingly haphazard way. The poems are not grouped by type, style, or topic. Rather the seemingly random nature of the organization keeps the reader guessing as to what the next poem is going to be about. If all of the poems that introduced the reader to an interesting imaginary person were lumped together into a chapter, this would be tedious and could lead to students boring of that type of poem. However, they are sprinkled throughout the book so they seem new with each turn of the page.
The rhythmic flow of the poems is amazing. Some of the poems have a rhyme scheme, and others have a free flow type of rhyme scheme—meaning that some of the lines rhyme but it may change within the poem to accommodate the words chosen. It makes them have a “sing-song” quality that appeals to the young. Whether all lines rhyme or not, all of the poems have a cadence or a type of musical flow in them. I’M PROUD OF MY PREPOSTERPUS is a good example of a mix of rhyme style. The second and the fourth lines and the sixth and eighth lines in each stanza rhyme. This means that there are several rhyme structures in each stanza and some lines that do not rhyme at all. However, even without a rhyme at the end of each line, when reading the poem, a musical beat emerges as it is read.
Many of the poems include interesting language games. Mr. Prelutsky uses real words and invented words to suit the purpose of the poem. Language and grammar conventions also fall victim to Mr. Prelutsky. He seems to enjoy visual oddities. He writes entire poems as mirror images, EGAME RORRIM RUOY MA I, with every word written backwards, BACKWARDS FORWARDS SILLY RHYME; with capital letters throughout, I’M ALL MIXED UP. He also includes concrete poems such as A DIZZY LITTLE DUZZLE. These types of visual antics appeal to children’s sense of the absurd. Many of them have just mastered the traditional convention of language and grammar. To see it misused and abused is comical to most children. Word play seems to be a prevalent aspect of many of the poems. PLEASE REMOVE THE SEAL is a wonderful example. A person is instructed to remove the seal before using a product. He doesn’t have a seal so he tosses out a walrus. The pure silliness of this will appeal to younger children, and the word play will appeal to older students. The definition of the word SEAL is misused which leads to a comical outcome.
This reviewer had many favorite poems in this collection. However three poems stand out in this reviewer’s mind. The first is I DO NOT WISH TO GO TO SCHOOL. This poem appeals to this reviewer as a parent. The child tells the mom that she is not going to school and threatens to eat a worm if she is forced to go. The mother calls the child’s bluff by presenting worms ready to be eaten. The child quickly changes her mind and is off to school. This poem could be a mantra for parents everywhere.
The second is HURRY GRANDMA HURRY. In this poem, a child is performing amazing tricks and stunts for his/her grandmother. The child seems so proud of his/her actions and seems to believe the grandmother will be also. At the end of each stanza the reader hears Grandma’s real reaction, which includes screaming, crying, and fainting. This poem is appealing and funny because it is true. The child is performing amazing feats while the adults around are panicking and praying for the child’s safety.
Lastly, the poem I’M PRACTICALLY COVERED WITH NEEDLES AND PINS provides a fantastic chuckle. The writer describes how his/her entire body is covered with various metal objects. The reader, or at least this reviewer, was anticipating that the main character is a robot. The last line clears up all mystery “I doubt that I’ll swallow a magnet again”. Classic!
REVIEW EXCERPTS:
*PUBLISHERS WEEKLY Starred Review
*PUBLISHERS WEEKLY Best Book of the Year 1996
*From BOOKLIST “Prelutsky is up to his old tricks, using verbal sleight of hand to create another magical anthology of light verse… A delightful addition to poetry collections that will not stay on the shelf for long. ” Carolyn Phelan
*From SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL : “If you can only afford one poetry collection this year, make it this one” Carrie Schadle
CONNECTIONS:
Jack Prelutsky biography
Poets.org - Poetry, Poems, Bios & More - Jack Prelutsky
Jack Prelutsky homepage—contains bright illustrations and sample poems; a large variety of teacher resources, lesson plans and other classroom activities.
Jack Prelutsky
Activities using a poem from the text:
1) I’M PRACTICALLY COVERED WITH NEEDLES AND PINS: After reading the poem, draw a picture of what the person in this poem could look like with all of these items attached to himself/herself.
2) BACKWARDS FORWARDS SILLY RHYME: After seeing the style the poet used to write, write own sentences in this style. Using a mirror decipher a classmates sentence and progress into a mathematics lesson about reflections, also known as flips.
3) GLOPPE’S SOUP SHOPPE: Using the list of soups provided in the poem, students should write recipes for these various types of soup.
Additional activity:
1) Many of these poems contain vocabulary that the young students have not seen. First, have a vocabulary scavenger hunt. Students must search the book and find at least 7 words that they do not know the meaning for. Next, using context clues students assign meaning. The teacher will incorporate some of the vocabulary into a “Word of the Week” activity—encouraging students to use these words.
Prelutsky, Jack. 1996. A PIZZA THE SIZE OF THE SUN. New York: Greenwillow Press. ISBN 0688132367
PLOT SUMMARY:
A PIZZA THE SIZE OF THE SUN is a collection of humorous poems by Jack Prelutsky. There are poems about animals, MANTEE and AN UNOBSERVANT PORCUPINE, and about interesting people, DAN, THE INVISIBLE MAN and LESTER. Some of the poems are about everyday items, I PUT THE CAT OUT and HURRY GRANDMA HURRY while others are about new invented and fantastical items, AN EXTRATERRESTRIAL ALIEN and THE JELLYBEAN BRIGADE. Various poetry styles and techniques are used throughout the text. Mr. Prelutsky plays with grammar and punctuation conventions. He includes concrete poems. Irony and word play are seen in many of the poems in this collection.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS:
This collection of poems was published 11 years ago. However, Jack Prelutsky has written poems that are timeless in their appeal to people of all ages. There are no cultural references or other topic choices that interfere with a reader’s ability to pick up the book and understand the poems. A reader in 50 years could read these poems and experience the same joy as a reader who read them the day they were first published. They also transcend racial boundaries. The topics of the poems are not racially or ethnically specific. Many of them successfully bridge a gap that has existed for many years.
Jack Prelutsky is the only poet included in this book. He is a very famous and prolific poet. He wrote every poem, and many of the poems have illustrations by James Stevenson. Mr. Stevenson’s illustrations are simple gray cartoon sketches. They accompany many of the poems. They add further meaning and fun to the poems. They are not overwhelming and are not limiting. Not one of the illustrations changed the mental image this reviewer had created regarding a poem. They do not overpower; they blend in and complement each poem.
There is a balanced variety of poems included in this collection. If a reader is interested in animals, there are many poems about animals; if a reader is interested in crafty word plays, there are many poems that include this element. The text is organized in a seemingly haphazard way. The poems are not grouped by type, style, or topic. Rather the seemingly random nature of the organization keeps the reader guessing as to what the next poem is going to be about. If all of the poems that introduced the reader to an interesting imaginary person were lumped together into a chapter, this would be tedious and could lead to students boring of that type of poem. However, they are sprinkled throughout the book so they seem new with each turn of the page.
The rhythmic flow of the poems is amazing. Some of the poems have a rhyme scheme, and others have a free flow type of rhyme scheme—meaning that some of the lines rhyme but it may change within the poem to accommodate the words chosen. It makes them have a “sing-song” quality that appeals to the young. Whether all lines rhyme or not, all of the poems have a cadence or a type of musical flow in them. I’M PROUD OF MY PREPOSTERPUS is a good example of a mix of rhyme style. The second and the fourth lines and the sixth and eighth lines in each stanza rhyme. This means that there are several rhyme structures in each stanza and some lines that do not rhyme at all. However, even without a rhyme at the end of each line, when reading the poem, a musical beat emerges as it is read.
Many of the poems include interesting language games. Mr. Prelutsky uses real words and invented words to suit the purpose of the poem. Language and grammar conventions also fall victim to Mr. Prelutsky. He seems to enjoy visual oddities. He writes entire poems as mirror images, EGAME RORRIM RUOY MA I, with every word written backwards, BACKWARDS FORWARDS SILLY RHYME; with capital letters throughout, I’M ALL MIXED UP. He also includes concrete poems such as A DIZZY LITTLE DUZZLE. These types of visual antics appeal to children’s sense of the absurd. Many of them have just mastered the traditional convention of language and grammar. To see it misused and abused is comical to most children. Word play seems to be a prevalent aspect of many of the poems. PLEASE REMOVE THE SEAL is a wonderful example. A person is instructed to remove the seal before using a product. He doesn’t have a seal so he tosses out a walrus. The pure silliness of this will appeal to younger children, and the word play will appeal to older students. The definition of the word SEAL is misused which leads to a comical outcome.
This reviewer had many favorite poems in this collection. However three poems stand out in this reviewer’s mind. The first is I DO NOT WISH TO GO TO SCHOOL. This poem appeals to this reviewer as a parent. The child tells the mom that she is not going to school and threatens to eat a worm if she is forced to go. The mother calls the child’s bluff by presenting worms ready to be eaten. The child quickly changes her mind and is off to school. This poem could be a mantra for parents everywhere.
The second is HURRY GRANDMA HURRY. In this poem, a child is performing amazing tricks and stunts for his/her grandmother. The child seems so proud of his/her actions and seems to believe the grandmother will be also. At the end of each stanza the reader hears Grandma’s real reaction, which includes screaming, crying, and fainting. This poem is appealing and funny because it is true. The child is performing amazing feats while the adults around are panicking and praying for the child’s safety.
Lastly, the poem I’M PRACTICALLY COVERED WITH NEEDLES AND PINS provides a fantastic chuckle. The writer describes how his/her entire body is covered with various metal objects. The reader, or at least this reviewer, was anticipating that the main character is a robot. The last line clears up all mystery “I doubt that I’ll swallow a magnet again”. Classic!
REVIEW EXCERPTS:
*PUBLISHERS WEEKLY Starred Review
*PUBLISHERS WEEKLY Best Book of the Year 1996
*From BOOKLIST “Prelutsky is up to his old tricks, using verbal sleight of hand to create another magical anthology of light verse… A delightful addition to poetry collections that will not stay on the shelf for long. ” Carolyn Phelan
*From SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL : “If you can only afford one poetry collection this year, make it this one” Carrie Schadle
CONNECTIONS:
Jack Prelutsky biography
Poets.org - Poetry, Poems, Bios & More - Jack Prelutsky
Jack Prelutsky homepage—contains bright illustrations and sample poems; a large variety of teacher resources, lesson plans and other classroom activities.
Jack Prelutsky
Activities using a poem from the text:
1) I’M PRACTICALLY COVERED WITH NEEDLES AND PINS: After reading the poem, draw a picture of what the person in this poem could look like with all of these items attached to himself/herself.
2) BACKWARDS FORWARDS SILLY RHYME: After seeing the style the poet used to write, write own sentences in this style. Using a mirror decipher a classmates sentence and progress into a mathematics lesson about reflections, also known as flips.
3) GLOPPE’S SOUP SHOPPE: Using the list of soups provided in the poem, students should write recipes for these various types of soup.
Additional activity:
1) Many of these poems contain vocabulary that the young students have not seen. First, have a vocabulary scavenger hunt. Students must search the book and find at least 7 words that they do not know the meaning for. Next, using context clues students assign meaning. The teacher will incorporate some of the vocabulary into a “Word of the Week” activity—encouraging students to use these words.
MODULE 3: WHAT MY MOTHER DOESN'T KNOW
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Sones, Sonya. 2003. WHAT MY MOTHER DOESN’T KNOW. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0689855532.
PLOT SUMMARY:
Sophie is a freshman in high school. WHAT MY MOTHER DOESN’T KNOW follows her life and loves over the course of several months. Her parents are distant from her and from each other. Her father travels a great deal and her mother is more engrossed in the lives of television characters than her daughter. Sophie has two best friends who provide support and companionship. Sophie develops several love interests through the course of the tale-Dylan, Cyber-man, and finally Murphy. Dylan is her first boyfriend of this book. They drift apart as she becomes enamored with a boy she only chats with online. Finally, she develops a crush on a masked dancer at a school dance. She develops a platonic relationship with a boy from school who is considered a social outcast. As her feelings change, she discovers that the boy who has now become a big part of her life is none other than her masked stranger. She must decide whether to stay in this relationship and risk her social status or end this blossoming affair. In the end, she chooses the relationship over status.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS:
To begin the analysis, it should be mentioned that this reviewer found this book to be fantastic. It is a must read for every woman. It will remind mothers of the trials of being a adolescent girl, and it will remind all women of one of the most painful and confusing times in her life.
The book is a free verse novel. Each page or pair of pages contains a poem regarding a different event. The poems are organized chronologically. One could create a timeline based on the events highlighted in the poetry.
The poems do not have a rhyme scheme or flow within the poems. There are a few poems that include a repeating refrain within them IF ONLY pg 81 and I HATE HER pg 149. The phrase “if only” is wishful and longing. It contains a sadness and desperation. This is evident in the poem on page 81. The poem from page 149 uses another sentiment. Hate is such a strong emotion. The phrase “hate her” appears 15 times in this poem. In each case, the refrain leads a certain emphasis on feelings. Including the phrase multiple times seals meaning in the readers mind. Reading the word “hate” one time is not as powerful as reading it fifteen times.
Some may believe that this style would lead to gaps and disconnected storylines. It would seem that details would be omitted or that characters could seem flat. This is not the case with this novel. The characters are fully developed. With an appropriate amount of detail and exact word choice, one feels invested in Sophie’s life.
The poems seem authentic. One could believe that these were written by a teenage girl in the midst of trying to discover and understand love. Timeless is another word this reviewer would use to describe the poems. While they are specific to the events of Sophie’s life, any girl or woman could identify with Sophie’s feelings about Dylan and then about Murphy. There are certain universal elements of growing up, and Ms. Sones has captured them effectively. As Sophie admits her true feelings about Murphy and deals with the potential consequence of dating someone who is deemed a social reject at school, most women can recall some event in her past that may be similar, or it may just spark a memory of youthful relationships.
Sophie and her mother’s relationship is also examined. Sophie’s mother is disconnected from her daughter’s life and the outside world. Sophie’s mother seems to be imagining the worst about her daughter’s behavior. One could wonder if this imagined behavior was influenced by the amount to television the mother consumed.
This interesting dynamic is investigated as the events surrounding a school dance unfold. Sophie and her mother purchase a dress that Sophie does not like. She works and saves money to purchase a dress she does like. She changes clothes at a friend’s house before the dance but forgets to change before her mother picks her up. Her mother is very upset and chooses to use guilt to punish Sophie. She withdraws from the entire family, weeping in the basement, for an undisclosed amount of time. Sophie’s notes and begging for forgiveness brings her mother out of the basement but not into Sophie’s daily life.
This reviewer’s favorite poem can be found on page 174. It is titled BON VOYAGE. At this point in the book, Sophie has decided to take herself on a vacation in her own city. She is getting ready to leave. Her mother asks where she is going and tells Sophie that this is a clever idea. Sophie fears that her mother will want to come along but then wishes that she would invite herself along. The double sided emotion and complexity of growing up and away from one’s parents. Sophie wants her mother and hopes for freedom all in one stanza. This serves as a great reminder for any individual who works with or has a teenage child.
There are no illustrations included in most of the text. However in the last 30 pages of the book a small colorless sketch is included. It is of a man and a woman. It is a flip picture. If one flips the pages quickly the two people move closer together, kiss, drift apart, but end up in each other’s arms. These sketches appear as Sophie and Murphy’s relationship begins to blossom. The sketch at the bottom corner of the page reflects the status of their relationship. This is a very interesting tool. It added animation and validated the relationship. It provided visual clues for Sophie and Murphy’s promising love.
This verse is extremely likable but should be restricted for readers age 12 and up. While the content is relatively mild by most standards, there is some innuendo that would not be appropriate for or understood by younger readers. There is no profanity or inappropriate sexual activity. However, there are references to kissing and interest in going to “second base”(or maybe farther) with a boy. One poem is devoted to the recent development of our heroine’s breasts.
In the end, this reviewer believes that this book teaches an invaluable lesson about following one’s heart instead of the pressures of one’s social circle. Sophie stays in a relationship with a boy who is viewed as outside the realm of “acceptable dating material”. However, she sees past this and continues the relationship. The last poem caused this reader to yell “YES” when it was revealed that she was choosing love over potential social disaster.
When the book came to a close, this reader was left with a desire for more. This reader could follow more life and times of Sophie if given an opportunity.
.
REVIEW EXCERPTS:
*ALA 2002 Top Ten Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers
* BOOKLIST Editors’ Choice
*ALA 2002 Best Book for Young Adults
*PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY Starred Review
* From PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY : “Honest...destined to captivate”
* KIRKUS WEEKLY Starred Review
* From SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL : “Sones is a bright, perceptive writer who digs deeply into her protagonist's soul.”
CONNECTIONS:
Sonya Sones interview
http://www.teenreads.com/authors/au-sones-sonya.asp
Sonya Sones website
Sonya Sones official website home page
List of works from Wikipedia
Novels in verse
Stop Pretending: What Happened When My Big Sister Went Crazy (HarperCollins 1999)
What My Mother Doesn't Know (Simon and Schuster 2001)
One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies (Simon and Schuster 2004)
What My Girlfriend Doesn't Know (Simon and Schuster 2007) COMING IN MAY 2007!
Short stories in verse
Short stories in verse are included in the following anthologies:
Love and Sex (2001) - a story called Secret Shelf
Necessary Noise (2003) - a story called Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde
Sixteen: Stories About that Sweet and Bitter Birthday (2004) - a story called Cat Got Your Tongue
Sones, Sonya. 2003. WHAT MY MOTHER DOESN’T KNOW. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0689855532.
PLOT SUMMARY:
Sophie is a freshman in high school. WHAT MY MOTHER DOESN’T KNOW follows her life and loves over the course of several months. Her parents are distant from her and from each other. Her father travels a great deal and her mother is more engrossed in the lives of television characters than her daughter. Sophie has two best friends who provide support and companionship. Sophie develops several love interests through the course of the tale-Dylan, Cyber-man, and finally Murphy. Dylan is her first boyfriend of this book. They drift apart as she becomes enamored with a boy she only chats with online. Finally, she develops a crush on a masked dancer at a school dance. She develops a platonic relationship with a boy from school who is considered a social outcast. As her feelings change, she discovers that the boy who has now become a big part of her life is none other than her masked stranger. She must decide whether to stay in this relationship and risk her social status or end this blossoming affair. In the end, she chooses the relationship over status.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS:
To begin the analysis, it should be mentioned that this reviewer found this book to be fantastic. It is a must read for every woman. It will remind mothers of the trials of being a adolescent girl, and it will remind all women of one of the most painful and confusing times in her life.
The book is a free verse novel. Each page or pair of pages contains a poem regarding a different event. The poems are organized chronologically. One could create a timeline based on the events highlighted in the poetry.
The poems do not have a rhyme scheme or flow within the poems. There are a few poems that include a repeating refrain within them IF ONLY pg 81 and I HATE HER pg 149. The phrase “if only” is wishful and longing. It contains a sadness and desperation. This is evident in the poem on page 81. The poem from page 149 uses another sentiment. Hate is such a strong emotion. The phrase “hate her” appears 15 times in this poem. In each case, the refrain leads a certain emphasis on feelings. Including the phrase multiple times seals meaning in the readers mind. Reading the word “hate” one time is not as powerful as reading it fifteen times.
Some may believe that this style would lead to gaps and disconnected storylines. It would seem that details would be omitted or that characters could seem flat. This is not the case with this novel. The characters are fully developed. With an appropriate amount of detail and exact word choice, one feels invested in Sophie’s life.
The poems seem authentic. One could believe that these were written by a teenage girl in the midst of trying to discover and understand love. Timeless is another word this reviewer would use to describe the poems. While they are specific to the events of Sophie’s life, any girl or woman could identify with Sophie’s feelings about Dylan and then about Murphy. There are certain universal elements of growing up, and Ms. Sones has captured them effectively. As Sophie admits her true feelings about Murphy and deals with the potential consequence of dating someone who is deemed a social reject at school, most women can recall some event in her past that may be similar, or it may just spark a memory of youthful relationships.
Sophie and her mother’s relationship is also examined. Sophie’s mother is disconnected from her daughter’s life and the outside world. Sophie’s mother seems to be imagining the worst about her daughter’s behavior. One could wonder if this imagined behavior was influenced by the amount to television the mother consumed.
This interesting dynamic is investigated as the events surrounding a school dance unfold. Sophie and her mother purchase a dress that Sophie does not like. She works and saves money to purchase a dress she does like. She changes clothes at a friend’s house before the dance but forgets to change before her mother picks her up. Her mother is very upset and chooses to use guilt to punish Sophie. She withdraws from the entire family, weeping in the basement, for an undisclosed amount of time. Sophie’s notes and begging for forgiveness brings her mother out of the basement but not into Sophie’s daily life.
This reviewer’s favorite poem can be found on page 174. It is titled BON VOYAGE. At this point in the book, Sophie has decided to take herself on a vacation in her own city. She is getting ready to leave. Her mother asks where she is going and tells Sophie that this is a clever idea. Sophie fears that her mother will want to come along but then wishes that she would invite herself along. The double sided emotion and complexity of growing up and away from one’s parents. Sophie wants her mother and hopes for freedom all in one stanza. This serves as a great reminder for any individual who works with or has a teenage child.
There are no illustrations included in most of the text. However in the last 30 pages of the book a small colorless sketch is included. It is of a man and a woman. It is a flip picture. If one flips the pages quickly the two people move closer together, kiss, drift apart, but end up in each other’s arms. These sketches appear as Sophie and Murphy’s relationship begins to blossom. The sketch at the bottom corner of the page reflects the status of their relationship. This is a very interesting tool. It added animation and validated the relationship. It provided visual clues for Sophie and Murphy’s promising love.
This verse is extremely likable but should be restricted for readers age 12 and up. While the content is relatively mild by most standards, there is some innuendo that would not be appropriate for or understood by younger readers. There is no profanity or inappropriate sexual activity. However, there are references to kissing and interest in going to “second base”(or maybe farther) with a boy. One poem is devoted to the recent development of our heroine’s breasts.
In the end, this reviewer believes that this book teaches an invaluable lesson about following one’s heart instead of the pressures of one’s social circle. Sophie stays in a relationship with a boy who is viewed as outside the realm of “acceptable dating material”. However, she sees past this and continues the relationship. The last poem caused this reader to yell “YES” when it was revealed that she was choosing love over potential social disaster.
When the book came to a close, this reader was left with a desire for more. This reader could follow more life and times of Sophie if given an opportunity.
.
REVIEW EXCERPTS:
*ALA 2002 Top Ten Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers
* BOOKLIST Editors’ Choice
*ALA 2002 Best Book for Young Adults
*PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY Starred Review
* From PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY : “Honest...destined to captivate”
* KIRKUS WEEKLY Starred Review
* From SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL : “Sones is a bright, perceptive writer who digs deeply into her protagonist's soul.”
CONNECTIONS:
Sonya Sones interview
http://www.teenreads.com/authors/au-sones-sonya.asp
Sonya Sones website
Sonya Sones official website home page
List of works from Wikipedia
Novels in verse
Stop Pretending: What Happened When My Big Sister Went Crazy (HarperCollins 1999)
What My Mother Doesn't Know (Simon and Schuster 2001)
One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies (Simon and Schuster 2004)
What My Girlfriend Doesn't Know (Simon and Schuster 2007) COMING IN MAY 2007!
Short stories in verse
Short stories in verse are included in the following anthologies:
Love and Sex (2001) - a story called Secret Shelf
Necessary Noise (2003) - a story called Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde
Sixteen: Stories About that Sweet and Bitter Birthday (2004) - a story called Cat Got Your Tongue
Sunday, February 11, 2007
MODULE 2: SCARY STORIES TO TELL IN THE DARK
1. Bibliography
Schwartz, Alvin. 1981. SCARY STORIES TO TELL IN THE DARK. Ill. by Stephen Gammell. New York, NY: Scholastic. ISBN 0590431978
2. Plot Summary
This is a collection of folktales retold by Alvin Schwartz. The book is divided into five topical chapters. The first contains stories designed for the storyteller to scare the listeners with an action or voice inflection. Several of the stories end with the storyteller loosing a scream. The second chapter’s tales contain ghosts and other haunted beings. There is a haunted house, a ghostly wolf, and a love story that ends tragically. The third chapter is a conglomeration of tales about odd occurrences and strange happenings. One of the tales is about a family in which the father and the two sons are transformed into alligators each evening. Chapter four is folklore from recent times. For example, it contains the tale of the Hook. A pair of lovers on the way home from a date hear a story about an escaped murdered with a hook for a hand. They hear a strange noise on the door of the car but dismiss it. When they arrive home, they find a hook hanging from the door handle. The final chapter contains stories that start in a creepy fashion but end with a comic twist. A woman receives an eerie phone call about a viper coming. The viper that is coming is a “viper who has come to vash the vindows”.
3. Critical Analysis
This book begins with an explanation from Alvin Schwartz. He relays the origin and need for the scary and strange tale. He claims that people like to be scared since they aren’t in any real danger. This seems to be proven true by the box office success of SAW III, a 34.3 million dollar opening weekend and SAW II, a 31.7 million dollar opening weekend. (Information from: http://www.hollywood.com/news/Box_Office_Analysis_Oct_30_Saw_III_Cuts_Wide_Swath/3575102)
The collection is divided into chapters. The first page of each chapter provides a one or two sentence explanation of the tales to follow and why they are linked. This is helpful for the reader. S/he knows what to expect from the tales. Also, without this information it could be difficult to figure out why some of the tales are grouped together.
The format of the folktales follows the standard pattern with slight exception. The plots of the tales are quickly stated, and the action is fast paced. The resolution for each tale is reached quickly. The endings are fantastic and mystical in nature. They are not necessarily realistic, but they are believable. They follow the natural progression of the story.
The exception seen is in the setting and the character personality. For the most part the stories have a nondescript setting—in a house or on a dirt road. It is not in the distant past or in an interesting location. The characters are not necessarily evil or good. They are simply part of the story. For example, in ALLIGATORS the father and sons turn into alligators each evening. When the mother discovers this, no one believes her. She is sent to the state hospital, and the rest of the family is never seen again. None of these characters are evil or good; they just exist and have a story to tell.
These stories would make excellent read alouds. Each is short and concise. The reader’s attention is quickly grabbed by the quick action and excellent word choice. There is little description and set up. The first chapter is devoted to tales that should be read aloud. At the end of each tale, the reader is given suggestions about how to end the story in the most effective and scary manner. For example, at the end of the first tale, the reader is told to grab the person next to them and scream “You got it!”. This could make even the novice storyteller a master of the scare.
These tales would appeal to children. However, it is the opinion of this reviewer that they would appeal to children as entertainment but not as scary stories. In this day and time, children are exposed to all types of supernatural acts and imagination—for example, Star Wars series and Harry Potter series. While these stories may have been scary to children many years ago, they are tame by today’s scare factor standards. This reviewer read several of the scary tales to a six year old girl who laughed and enjoyed them but was not scared.
All of the tales are very enjoyable and entertaining, but this reviewer’s favorite was the fourth chapter. It is called OTHER DANGERS. This reviewer had heard every one of the four tales as a child. When I first heard them, they were presented as factual tales; perhaps something that happened a few towns away. It was fun to read and relive those memories of childhood. Most adults who have heard these tales as a child would enjoy this chapter. It brings validation to the fact that one should have never really believed the stories completely.
At the end of the book, Alvin Schwartz provides an extensive notes, sources, bibliography, and articles about the featured materials. This section of the book could be invaluable if one as designing a folklore unit. This would be a great starting point.
4. Review Excerpts
From New York Public Library: "A fine collection of short tales to chill the bones of young and old with interesting notes for folktale buffs."
Winner of Arizona Young Reader’s Award 1987
Library of Congress Children’s Books
Buckeye Children’s Book Award
5. Connections
Biography of Alvin Schwartz
Alvin Schwartz: Information from Answers.com
American Folklore site:
http://www.americanfolklore.net/favicon.ico
This book could be a beginning for an intermediate student grades 6-8 unit on Urban Legends. Students could use www.snopes.com in order to research past and present urban legends.
Students could map each urban legend instance on a large map of the world. Is there a pattern? Can one draw any conclusions about geography and urban legend?
Other stories by Alvin Schwartz
MORE SCARY STORIES TO TELL IN THE DARK
SCARY STORIES 3: MORE TALES TO CHILL YOUR BONES
IN A DARK, DARK ROOM AND OTHER SCARY STORIES
CROSS YOUR FINGERS, SPIT IN YOUR HAT
CHIN MUSIC
FLAPDOODLE
A TWISTER OF TWISTS, A TANGLER OF TONGUES TOMFOOLERY
Schwartz, Alvin. 1981. SCARY STORIES TO TELL IN THE DARK. Ill. by Stephen Gammell. New York, NY: Scholastic. ISBN 0590431978
2. Plot Summary
This is a collection of folktales retold by Alvin Schwartz. The book is divided into five topical chapters. The first contains stories designed for the storyteller to scare the listeners with an action or voice inflection. Several of the stories end with the storyteller loosing a scream. The second chapter’s tales contain ghosts and other haunted beings. There is a haunted house, a ghostly wolf, and a love story that ends tragically. The third chapter is a conglomeration of tales about odd occurrences and strange happenings. One of the tales is about a family in which the father and the two sons are transformed into alligators each evening. Chapter four is folklore from recent times. For example, it contains the tale of the Hook. A pair of lovers on the way home from a date hear a story about an escaped murdered with a hook for a hand. They hear a strange noise on the door of the car but dismiss it. When they arrive home, they find a hook hanging from the door handle. The final chapter contains stories that start in a creepy fashion but end with a comic twist. A woman receives an eerie phone call about a viper coming. The viper that is coming is a “viper who has come to vash the vindows”.
3. Critical Analysis
This book begins with an explanation from Alvin Schwartz. He relays the origin and need for the scary and strange tale. He claims that people like to be scared since they aren’t in any real danger. This seems to be proven true by the box office success of SAW III, a 34.3 million dollar opening weekend and SAW II, a 31.7 million dollar opening weekend. (Information from: http://www.hollywood.com/news/Box_Office_Analysis_Oct_30_Saw_III_Cuts_Wide_Swath/3575102)
The collection is divided into chapters. The first page of each chapter provides a one or two sentence explanation of the tales to follow and why they are linked. This is helpful for the reader. S/he knows what to expect from the tales. Also, without this information it could be difficult to figure out why some of the tales are grouped together.
The format of the folktales follows the standard pattern with slight exception. The plots of the tales are quickly stated, and the action is fast paced. The resolution for each tale is reached quickly. The endings are fantastic and mystical in nature. They are not necessarily realistic, but they are believable. They follow the natural progression of the story.
The exception seen is in the setting and the character personality. For the most part the stories have a nondescript setting—in a house or on a dirt road. It is not in the distant past or in an interesting location. The characters are not necessarily evil or good. They are simply part of the story. For example, in ALLIGATORS the father and sons turn into alligators each evening. When the mother discovers this, no one believes her. She is sent to the state hospital, and the rest of the family is never seen again. None of these characters are evil or good; they just exist and have a story to tell.
These stories would make excellent read alouds. Each is short and concise. The reader’s attention is quickly grabbed by the quick action and excellent word choice. There is little description and set up. The first chapter is devoted to tales that should be read aloud. At the end of each tale, the reader is given suggestions about how to end the story in the most effective and scary manner. For example, at the end of the first tale, the reader is told to grab the person next to them and scream “You got it!”. This could make even the novice storyteller a master of the scare.
These tales would appeal to children. However, it is the opinion of this reviewer that they would appeal to children as entertainment but not as scary stories. In this day and time, children are exposed to all types of supernatural acts and imagination—for example, Star Wars series and Harry Potter series. While these stories may have been scary to children many years ago, they are tame by today’s scare factor standards. This reviewer read several of the scary tales to a six year old girl who laughed and enjoyed them but was not scared.
All of the tales are very enjoyable and entertaining, but this reviewer’s favorite was the fourth chapter. It is called OTHER DANGERS. This reviewer had heard every one of the four tales as a child. When I first heard them, they were presented as factual tales; perhaps something that happened a few towns away. It was fun to read and relive those memories of childhood. Most adults who have heard these tales as a child would enjoy this chapter. It brings validation to the fact that one should have never really believed the stories completely.
At the end of the book, Alvin Schwartz provides an extensive notes, sources, bibliography, and articles about the featured materials. This section of the book could be invaluable if one as designing a folklore unit. This would be a great starting point.
4. Review Excerpts
From New York Public Library: "A fine collection of short tales to chill the bones of young and old with interesting notes for folktale buffs."
Winner of Arizona Young Reader’s Award 1987
Library of Congress Children’s Books
Buckeye Children’s Book Award
5. Connections
Biography of Alvin Schwartz
Alvin Schwartz: Information from Answers.com
American Folklore site:
http://www.americanfolklore.net/favicon.ico
This book could be a beginning for an intermediate student grades 6-8 unit on Urban Legends. Students could use www.snopes.com in order to research past and present urban legends.
Students could map each urban legend instance on a large map of the world. Is there a pattern? Can one draw any conclusions about geography and urban legend?
Other stories by Alvin Schwartz
MORE SCARY STORIES TO TELL IN THE DARK
SCARY STORIES 3: MORE TALES TO CHILL YOUR BONES
IN A DARK, DARK ROOM AND OTHER SCARY STORIES
CROSS YOUR FINGERS, SPIT IN YOUR HAT
CHIN MUSIC
FLAPDOODLE
A TWISTER OF TWISTS, A TANGLER OF TONGUES TOMFOOLERY
MODULE 2: BUFFALO WOMAN
1. Bibliography
Goble, Paul. 1984. BUFFALO WOMAN. Ill. by Paul Goble. New York, NY: Bradbury Press. ISBN 0027377202
2. Plot Summary
One morning, a young hunter who is gifted in his hunting skills and who is respected by the Buffalo Nation comes to a stream to drink. As he sits, he meets a beautiful woman who is a gift from the Buffalo Nation. They marry and have a son. His family is not kind to the woman because she has no visible family heritage. One day when the young man is hunting, his family’s cruelty drives the young woman and her son away. The young hunter loves his wife and son and is committed to get them back. He follows their trail. He is reunited with them twice only to be disappointed in the morning when he discovers his wife has left once again. As he follows the trail the footprints turn to hoofprints, and he realizes his wife and son have returned to the Buffalo Nation. The young man finds the Buffalo herd and learns he will be tested to prove his love for his family. He must choose which cow and calf are his wife and son out of the entire herd. His son provides him crucial hints that assist the young man in passing the test and in proving his love to the Buffalo nation chief. The young man is transformed into a buffalo bull and is reunited with his family.
3. Critical Analysis
The title page of the book begins with background for the story of Buffalo Woman. This information explains the role of the buffalo in tribal life and the reason such a tale is necessary. This background knowledge makes it easier for the reader to step into the tale and feel knowledgeable already. Paul Goble could focus on telling the tale rather than explaining before the tale.
The illustrations for this book provide details and further explain the folktale. They are colorful and interesting. One interesting feature of the illustrations is the amount of detail that certain aspects are given or that is omitted. For example, the faces of the human characters lack detail. There is one small black line for an eye. All human faces are shown as a profile so one can see the nose and mouth indentations, but there are no markings on the faces for these features. In contrast the animals and natural aspects of the book show remarkable detail. Mr. Goble’s drawings for the Algonquin apparel, for the tipi, and for the field and meadow are incredibly intricate. The wings of the butterflies are individually designed. The buffalo in the Buffalo Nation have human eyes. This accentuates the beauty and amazing features found in the natural world and the dull, sameness seen in the human world.
This tale is a wonderful example of a folktale. First, it has obvious magical elements. The young hunter’s wife is a buffalo cow who has been transformed as a gift to this hunter from the Buffalo Nation. It is not directly stated that the woman is a buffalo but the illustrations and text lead the reader to that conclusion. By the end of the tale, that is the only reasonable explanation.
The characters are one-dimensional. The hunter, Buffalo Woman, and Calf Boy are good characters. Their actions stem from love and a family bond. The hunter’s family is cruel. Their harsh words sent Buffalo Woman and Calf Boy back to the Buffalo Nation. The family is not shown apologizing or feeling remorse. Their actions occurred and produced an action. The family lost the young hunter to the Buffalo Nation.
The plot of the books is simplistic. The motivations of the characters are straightforward. There is no “behind-the-scenes” type of actions that would need to be explained to a younger reader. There is no irony or mystery. During the test by the Buffalo Nation chief, there is no plot twist that is commonplace in current stories. Buffalo Woman and Calf Boy are marked just as predicted, and the young hunter is saved from a certain death.
The setting is established within the first three pages of the book. Paul Goble uses the illustrations, not text, for this purpose. The second page contains no text simply an illustration. This reveals the setting as well as the mindset of the young hunter. He is showing his respect for nature.
The resolution is one of contentment. The hunter is changed into a buffalo bull and is reunited with his family. However, it is not a realistic ending. No one has been transformed into a buffalo while wearing a buffalo skin and being nearly trampled by a herd of buffalo. The young hunter did not have any magical tendencies before this. The power from the Buffalo Nation reconfigured his form. One has to believe in the power of love and nature to accept this conclusion.
The last paragraph of text provides an explanation about the importance of this story. This is not just a love story but rather an explanation regarding the bond between man and the buffalo. It is interesting that the particular tribe the young hunter is a member of is not discussed. This tale shows a relationship for all mankind and buffalo, not just one particular tribe. The sacrifice of the young hunter’s life for Buffalo Woman is paralleled to the sacrifice of the buffalo’s life for mankind. The last words explain it all Mitakuye oyasin—we are all related.
4. Review Excerpts
A starred review from SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “In text and illustrations, Goble’s story exhibits a quiet simplicity, respect for nature and the power of love.”
ALA Notable Children's Book
School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
Booklist Editors' Choice
The Horn Book Fanfare List
5. Connections
Informational site about the American Buffalo; it contains information and teacher’s guides; it also has a comprehensive resource list to further research.
NATURE: American Buffalo - Resources
Other books by Paul Goble:
THE GIFT OF THE SACRED DOG
THE GIRL WHO LOVED WILD HORSES
STAR BOY
THE LEGEND OF THE WHITE BUFFALO WOMAN
THE FRIENDLY WOLF
Goble, Paul. 1984. BUFFALO WOMAN. Ill. by Paul Goble. New York, NY: Bradbury Press. ISBN 0027377202
2. Plot Summary
One morning, a young hunter who is gifted in his hunting skills and who is respected by the Buffalo Nation comes to a stream to drink. As he sits, he meets a beautiful woman who is a gift from the Buffalo Nation. They marry and have a son. His family is not kind to the woman because she has no visible family heritage. One day when the young man is hunting, his family’s cruelty drives the young woman and her son away. The young hunter loves his wife and son and is committed to get them back. He follows their trail. He is reunited with them twice only to be disappointed in the morning when he discovers his wife has left once again. As he follows the trail the footprints turn to hoofprints, and he realizes his wife and son have returned to the Buffalo Nation. The young man finds the Buffalo herd and learns he will be tested to prove his love for his family. He must choose which cow and calf are his wife and son out of the entire herd. His son provides him crucial hints that assist the young man in passing the test and in proving his love to the Buffalo nation chief. The young man is transformed into a buffalo bull and is reunited with his family.
3. Critical Analysis
The title page of the book begins with background for the story of Buffalo Woman. This information explains the role of the buffalo in tribal life and the reason such a tale is necessary. This background knowledge makes it easier for the reader to step into the tale and feel knowledgeable already. Paul Goble could focus on telling the tale rather than explaining before the tale.
The illustrations for this book provide details and further explain the folktale. They are colorful and interesting. One interesting feature of the illustrations is the amount of detail that certain aspects are given or that is omitted. For example, the faces of the human characters lack detail. There is one small black line for an eye. All human faces are shown as a profile so one can see the nose and mouth indentations, but there are no markings on the faces for these features. In contrast the animals and natural aspects of the book show remarkable detail. Mr. Goble’s drawings for the Algonquin apparel, for the tipi, and for the field and meadow are incredibly intricate. The wings of the butterflies are individually designed. The buffalo in the Buffalo Nation have human eyes. This accentuates the beauty and amazing features found in the natural world and the dull, sameness seen in the human world.
This tale is a wonderful example of a folktale. First, it has obvious magical elements. The young hunter’s wife is a buffalo cow who has been transformed as a gift to this hunter from the Buffalo Nation. It is not directly stated that the woman is a buffalo but the illustrations and text lead the reader to that conclusion. By the end of the tale, that is the only reasonable explanation.
The characters are one-dimensional. The hunter, Buffalo Woman, and Calf Boy are good characters. Their actions stem from love and a family bond. The hunter’s family is cruel. Their harsh words sent Buffalo Woman and Calf Boy back to the Buffalo Nation. The family is not shown apologizing or feeling remorse. Their actions occurred and produced an action. The family lost the young hunter to the Buffalo Nation.
The plot of the books is simplistic. The motivations of the characters are straightforward. There is no “behind-the-scenes” type of actions that would need to be explained to a younger reader. There is no irony or mystery. During the test by the Buffalo Nation chief, there is no plot twist that is commonplace in current stories. Buffalo Woman and Calf Boy are marked just as predicted, and the young hunter is saved from a certain death.
The setting is established within the first three pages of the book. Paul Goble uses the illustrations, not text, for this purpose. The second page contains no text simply an illustration. This reveals the setting as well as the mindset of the young hunter. He is showing his respect for nature.
The resolution is one of contentment. The hunter is changed into a buffalo bull and is reunited with his family. However, it is not a realistic ending. No one has been transformed into a buffalo while wearing a buffalo skin and being nearly trampled by a herd of buffalo. The young hunter did not have any magical tendencies before this. The power from the Buffalo Nation reconfigured his form. One has to believe in the power of love and nature to accept this conclusion.
The last paragraph of text provides an explanation about the importance of this story. This is not just a love story but rather an explanation regarding the bond between man and the buffalo. It is interesting that the particular tribe the young hunter is a member of is not discussed. This tale shows a relationship for all mankind and buffalo, not just one particular tribe. The sacrifice of the young hunter’s life for Buffalo Woman is paralleled to the sacrifice of the buffalo’s life for mankind. The last words explain it all Mitakuye oyasin—we are all related.
4. Review Excerpts
A starred review from SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “In text and illustrations, Goble’s story exhibits a quiet simplicity, respect for nature and the power of love.”
ALA Notable Children's Book
School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
Booklist Editors' Choice
The Horn Book Fanfare List
5. Connections
Informational site about the American Buffalo; it contains information and teacher’s guides; it also has a comprehensive resource list to further research.
NATURE: American Buffalo - Resources
Other books by Paul Goble:
THE GIFT OF THE SACRED DOG
THE GIRL WHO LOVED WILD HORSES
STAR BOY
THE LEGEND OF THE WHITE BUFFALO WOMAN
THE FRIENDLY WOLF
MODULE 2: THE ROUGH FACE GIRL
1. Bibliography
Martin, Rafe. 1992. THE ROUGH-FACE GIRL. Ill. by David Shannon. New York, NY: G.P. Putnam’s Sons. ISBN 0399218599
2. Plot Summary
On the shores of Lake Ontario, a young girl lives with her father and her two cruel older sisters. The older sisters force their younger sister to sit near and feed the fire. This action has caused her to be burned and scarred. Most of the women who live in this village, including the two older cruel sisters, want to marry the rich, powerful, and handsome Invisible Being. However, the Invisible Being will only marry the one woman who can see him. The two older sisters use all of the family’s meager monies in an attempt for one of them to impress the Invisible Being and become his bride. However, the Invisible Being’s sister proves that they cannot see him, and their attempt is rejected. The Rough-Face Girl goes to the Invisible Being’s wigwam so that she can marry him. She sees his bow is made of the rainbow and his sled runners are made of stars. The sister of the Invisible Being takes the Rough-Face Girl to a lake where her scars are healed. The Rough-Face Girl and the Invisible Being are married and live forever together.
3. Critical Analysis
The Rough-Face Girl is an Algonquin Indian Cinderella variation. The main character is undeserving of the life she must live yet in the end she conquers over her captors. This variation is a classic version of the tale. The younger sister is good and pure while her older sisters are selfish and vile. Their attempts at happiness are thwarted, and the young good sister finds love in the arms of a powerful ruler.
This variation does differ from the more well known versions of the story. In this tale, the Rough-Face Girl does not live with her step-mother and step-sisters. She lives with her father and two biological sisters. The father gives into the older sisters’ demands for clothing and jewelry. He has nothing left when his youngest makes her requests but seems genuinely sorry of this. The father seems to be a captive of the older sisters, in a similar manner as the Rough-Face Girl. Also, the fate of the older sisters is never exposed. The Rough-Face Girl marries, and the story ends. The revenge exacted on the cruel sisters, which is seen in other variations, does not materialize here.
In this tale, the Rough-Face Girl wins the right to be the Invisible Being’s wife before her appearance is magically transformed. In other variations, a fairy godmother or some type of magic transforms Cinderella prior to meeting her prince. Also, the heroine is not separated from her true love after they find happiness. There is no “glass slipper” type search. Once she has proven her worth, she lives happily ever after.
This fairy tale contains all the necessary elements of a classic folktale. Most of the characters are archetypal. The only character that is ambiguous is the father. One is not sure whose side he is on. The plot is simple and direct. There are no twists or convoluted series of events. The action begins quickly. All description of the characters is embedded in their actions and in the illustrations. The story ends happily with the Rough-Face Girl marrying and leaving her life of servitude.
The story of Cinderella, in many forms, will consistently appeal to children. In this current time, “Happily ever after” is a rare ending in real life. Fairy tales are a great escape. This particular variation would appeal more to older elementary age children. This assessment is mainly due to the illustrations. They are not the bright colored, flamboyant pictures associated with preschool through second grade reading material.
The illustrations in THE ROUGH FACE GIRL are phenomenonal. All of the illustrations have a hazy appearance. This makes them seem like a dream. The faces of the characters are distinct but not incredibly detailed. David Shannon also chose his color use wisely. Many of the illustrations are dominated by various shades of brown and tan. The color that he splashes in is eye catching. Chairoscuro is used in several of the illustrations also. This creates such an interesting contrast visual effect. The eyes are drawn to the details in the light and lost in the dark.
The illustration of the Rough-Face Girl bathing in the lake is one of the most beautiful. It is one of the most crisp and detailed pictures in the book. The figure is surrounded by light and is cleansed of all of her scars. One could imagine that these include her physical and emotional scars. The happiness and contentment of the heroine is evident. If the reader listens closely, singing may be heard. It is an illustration of a freed person. It is beautiful.
The final illustration of the book moves back into the dream-like state as the new couple lives “together in gladness and were never parted.” This illustration seems to reiterate the dream to the reader. Fulfilling the dream is the conclusion to every fairy tale.
4. Review Excerpts
Winner of Georgia Children’s Picture Storybook Award - 1994Winner of Golden Sower Award - 1994
From PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY: “The drama of these haunting illustrations--and of Martin's …respectful retelling--produce an affecting work”
From SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “This is a splendid read-aloud… Shannon's finely crafted full- and double-page acrylic paintings in the rich hues of the earth embody the full flavor of the story.”
5. Connections
Site about the tribe that this variation derived from:
Facts for Kids: Algonquin Indians (Algonquins)
Students could read at least two other Cinderella variations and could then complete a Venn diagram regarding the tales.
Students could write own Cinderella variation based in present time and in their current location.
David Shannon interview
http://www.readingrockets.org/books/interviews/shannon
Martin, Rafe. 1992. THE ROUGH-FACE GIRL. Ill. by David Shannon. New York, NY: G.P. Putnam’s Sons. ISBN 0399218599
2. Plot Summary
On the shores of Lake Ontario, a young girl lives with her father and her two cruel older sisters. The older sisters force their younger sister to sit near and feed the fire. This action has caused her to be burned and scarred. Most of the women who live in this village, including the two older cruel sisters, want to marry the rich, powerful, and handsome Invisible Being. However, the Invisible Being will only marry the one woman who can see him. The two older sisters use all of the family’s meager monies in an attempt for one of them to impress the Invisible Being and become his bride. However, the Invisible Being’s sister proves that they cannot see him, and their attempt is rejected. The Rough-Face Girl goes to the Invisible Being’s wigwam so that she can marry him. She sees his bow is made of the rainbow and his sled runners are made of stars. The sister of the Invisible Being takes the Rough-Face Girl to a lake where her scars are healed. The Rough-Face Girl and the Invisible Being are married and live forever together.
3. Critical Analysis
The Rough-Face Girl is an Algonquin Indian Cinderella variation. The main character is undeserving of the life she must live yet in the end she conquers over her captors. This variation is a classic version of the tale. The younger sister is good and pure while her older sisters are selfish and vile. Their attempts at happiness are thwarted, and the young good sister finds love in the arms of a powerful ruler.
This variation does differ from the more well known versions of the story. In this tale, the Rough-Face Girl does not live with her step-mother and step-sisters. She lives with her father and two biological sisters. The father gives into the older sisters’ demands for clothing and jewelry. He has nothing left when his youngest makes her requests but seems genuinely sorry of this. The father seems to be a captive of the older sisters, in a similar manner as the Rough-Face Girl. Also, the fate of the older sisters is never exposed. The Rough-Face Girl marries, and the story ends. The revenge exacted on the cruel sisters, which is seen in other variations, does not materialize here.
In this tale, the Rough-Face Girl wins the right to be the Invisible Being’s wife before her appearance is magically transformed. In other variations, a fairy godmother or some type of magic transforms Cinderella prior to meeting her prince. Also, the heroine is not separated from her true love after they find happiness. There is no “glass slipper” type search. Once she has proven her worth, she lives happily ever after.
This fairy tale contains all the necessary elements of a classic folktale. Most of the characters are archetypal. The only character that is ambiguous is the father. One is not sure whose side he is on. The plot is simple and direct. There are no twists or convoluted series of events. The action begins quickly. All description of the characters is embedded in their actions and in the illustrations. The story ends happily with the Rough-Face Girl marrying and leaving her life of servitude.
The story of Cinderella, in many forms, will consistently appeal to children. In this current time, “Happily ever after” is a rare ending in real life. Fairy tales are a great escape. This particular variation would appeal more to older elementary age children. This assessment is mainly due to the illustrations. They are not the bright colored, flamboyant pictures associated with preschool through second grade reading material.
The illustrations in THE ROUGH FACE GIRL are phenomenonal. All of the illustrations have a hazy appearance. This makes them seem like a dream. The faces of the characters are distinct but not incredibly detailed. David Shannon also chose his color use wisely. Many of the illustrations are dominated by various shades of brown and tan. The color that he splashes in is eye catching. Chairoscuro is used in several of the illustrations also. This creates such an interesting contrast visual effect. The eyes are drawn to the details in the light and lost in the dark.
The illustration of the Rough-Face Girl bathing in the lake is one of the most beautiful. It is one of the most crisp and detailed pictures in the book. The figure is surrounded by light and is cleansed of all of her scars. One could imagine that these include her physical and emotional scars. The happiness and contentment of the heroine is evident. If the reader listens closely, singing may be heard. It is an illustration of a freed person. It is beautiful.
The final illustration of the book moves back into the dream-like state as the new couple lives “together in gladness and were never parted.” This illustration seems to reiterate the dream to the reader. Fulfilling the dream is the conclusion to every fairy tale.
4. Review Excerpts
Winner of Georgia Children’s Picture Storybook Award - 1994Winner of Golden Sower Award - 1994
From PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY: “The drama of these haunting illustrations--and of Martin's …respectful retelling--produce an affecting work”
From SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “This is a splendid read-aloud… Shannon's finely crafted full- and double-page acrylic paintings in the rich hues of the earth embody the full flavor of the story.”
5. Connections
Site about the tribe that this variation derived from:
Facts for Kids: Algonquin Indians (Algonquins)
Students could read at least two other Cinderella variations and could then complete a Venn diagram regarding the tales.
Students could write own Cinderella variation based in present time and in their current location.
David Shannon interview
http://www.readingrockets.org/books/interviews/shannon
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