BIBLIOGRAPHY
Avi. 2002. CRISPIN. New York: Hyperion Books for Children. ISBN 0786826479.
PLOT SUMMARY
To his knowledge, he was born “Asta’s son”—no proper name or identity. He and his mother were trapped in a life of poverty and servitude. When his mother dies, Crispin’s life is torn apart. He is declared a “wolf’s head” by the village steward for crimes he did not commit. A wolf’s head is a person who is no longer considered human and can be killed on sight. All he has ever known is questioned. The priest who promises an explanation is killed, Crispin stands accused, and the chase is on.
Following this turn of events, Crispin escapes into the arms of an unlikely hero named Bear. Bear forces Crispin to be his servant but trains him, and the two form a special relationship. As the two enter the village of Great Wexly there is a foreboding feeling. While Bear meets and plans a peasant revolution, Crispin learns about the city and about his true heritage and identity. Crispin is the son of the Lord of the villages. His would be captors have located him in the city and capture Bear in an effort to lure Crispin out of hiding so that one of the rightful heirs of Lord Furnival’s estate could be disposed of. Crispin cleverly barters with the Steward for the life of Bear and for their safe escape into anonymity. The Steward encourages the townspeople to kill Crispin. When they do not, his attempt to take matters into his own hands leads to his own death. Crispin and Bear walk out of the village and into the countryside of England.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
CRISPIN is a coming of age, adventure story. Crispin is a thirteen year old boy who has not had a true identity his entire life. He has been referred to as “Asta’s Son”. His mother’s death thrusts him into new realms and he learns about his own strength and abilities. This makes it easy for the reader to relate to Crispin. Although all young people have a name they are identified by, how many truly feel like they have no name just “_____’s son/daughter.” A profound change may not happen in all young people’s lives to force them to become more independent; small changes can be just as great an impact. The life Crispin lead with his mother and the life he sees many of the people he encounters is true to the details known about the 14th century. The poverty and chasm between the haves and the have not’s are historical aspects of that time period. One learns about the future planning of a peasant revolt. But this planning does not overshadow the main action in the book.
The language used is historical but not true Old English. The vocabulary is not contemporary but this book does not read in English from a Shakespearian play. Avi wanted the book to have credibility and authenticity by using certain vocabulary words for example “lad” when referring to a boy. However, he did not want his young readers to be turned off or unable to understand the story due to use of Old English.
The plot of the story is filled with adventure. The reader is not laden with details about feelings and descriptions. One must use the events and actions of the characters to infer traits and other information about the characters. This keeps the text fast-paced. The only twist in the plot is that Crispin is a son of Lord Furnival. However, there is a great deal of foreshadowing for this discovery throughout the book.
The story is set in 14th century England. The villages’ names sound authentic. Stromford and Great Wexly do not sound like town names from recent American communities. The class system that is established at the start of the book is very true to the time period. The clothing described is also an important aspect of historical accuracy.
In conclusion, this book creates a simple picture of life in the 14th century while following the adventure and mystery of a young boy’s birthright and identity. The only suggestion this reviewer has is that “historical maps” of the travels of Crispin and Bear could have been helpful in following the action and understanding why it took so many days to travel to certain locations on foot.
REVIEW EXCERPTS
Winner of John Newberry Medal 2002
From PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY “Avi's plot is engineered for maximum thrills, with twists, turns and treachery aplenty, but it's the compellingly drawn relationship between Crispin and Bear that provides the heart of this story. A page turner to delight Avi's fans, it will leave readers hoping for a sequel.”
From SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “Avi has done an excellent job of integrating background and historical information, of pacing the plot so that the book is a page-turner from beginning to end, and of creating characters for whom readers will have great empathy. The result is a meticulously crafted story, full of adventure, mystery, and action.”
CONNECTIONS
Avi website
Avi
Information about the 14th Century
14th century: Information from Answers.com
14th century - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Crispin – Information and Teaching Resources
Newbery Medal winner - Crispin: the Cross of Lead by Avi, Integrated Curriculum from Kids' Wings
Peasants’ Revolt of 1381
Britannia: Sources of British History
Black Death –information
The Black Death: Bubonic Plague
Black Death - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Showing posts with label This review was completed for TWU 5603-20.. Show all posts
Showing posts with label This review was completed for TWU 5603-20.. Show all posts
Sunday, April 1, 2007
Module 5: LEONARDO DA VINCI
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Stanley, Diane. 1996. LEONARDO DA VINCI. New York: Morrow Junior Books. ISBN 068810438
PLOT SUMMARY
In 1452 the world welcomed Leonardo da Vinci. He was born to a peasant woman and an educated and influential man. His illegitimacy kept him from pursuing a life similar to his father’s so he apprenticed at an artist’s workshop. He spent much of his life searching for a patron whom he could work for and who would support his endeavors. As Leonardo grew into a man and into old age, his experimentation with artistic forms and invention was enlightening and frustrating. He often lost support from the patrons, the church, and other sources due to his nonconformity to tradition.
Not only was Leonardo an artist but he was an observer of the natural world also. He filled journals with drawings of the human body and of his other natural observations for example flight of birds. Many of these observations led to inventions. Although he ventured into many arenas, he always returned to art. After a monetary struggle with his half brothers and sisters following his father’s death, Leonardo found a wonderful patron who revered and respected him. Leonardo spent the last years of his life doing what he loved and bearing the respect and admiration he had sought. He died in 1519 surrounded by admirers.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Quality biographies are supposed to present a person’s life in an accurate and objective manner. Accomplishments as well as failures and faults should be presented so that the subject is seen as a real person and not an idealized icon. Leonardo da Vinci was a revolutionary genius. He changed the face of art and science. He created countless inventions such as underwater breathing apparatus, a posthole digger, a submarine, and pliers. He experimented with new artistic techniques such as chiaroscuro, which is the use of light and dark shadows. However, he was not a perfect man. He did not complete a large proportion of the works he started. Leonardo was stubborn and inflexible. He and Michelangelo had a bitter feud going between them. All of this information is woven together to create an accurate but not sugar coated tapestry of Leonardo da Vinci’s life.
The author, Diane Stanley, is well respected in the field of biography authorship. She is a recipient of the Washington Post / Children’s Book Guild Nonfiction award. The text she writes can be trusted. She uses basic but not oversimplified vocabulary. She does not attempt to impress readers with fancy words but she does not simplify information for young readers. Ms. Stanley does not assume that the reader needs to be talked down to. Definitions and context clues are provided for clarification for all readers. This respect for the reader encourages further investigation and curiosity. What would one need to read more about if all of the terminology was simple and already understood?
The book follows Leonardo’s life chronologically. There is a clear sequence of events. The illustrations used have a classical appeal. They look as though they were painted by a Renaissance painter. The illustration on page 13 is an excellent example. This illustration includes the characters from Leonardo’s life as well as a painting by Leonardo. One can see definite similarities in the facial features and style. Vibrant colors and precise detail make the illustrations and the text come alive. Above each passage of text is a small illustration that appears to be a replication of a drawing from one of da Vinci’s notebooks. The yellowed paper and pencil outlines were an excellent selection.
Overall this is an excellent biography. The author is well respected, so one can rely on the information presented. The illustrations complement the text magnificently. Readers learn about all of Leonardo’s great many deeds and some of his less exemplary moments. All people have them. It is refreshing to see that a genius like Leonardo and this reviewer have something in common: faults.
REVIEW EXCERPTS
Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children
BOSTON GLOBE-Horn Book: Award Honor Book for Nonfiction
ALA Notable Book
BOOKLIST’s Editor’s Choice
BOSTON GLOBE’S Best Books
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL’s Best Books
Starred Reviews in SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL, BOOKLIST; KIRKUS & PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY
CONNECTIONS
Diane Stanley website
Diane Stanley - Books for Children
Biographical information about Leonardo Da Vinci
Web Gallery of Art, image collection, virtual museum, searchable database of European fine arts (1100-1850)
Leonardo da Vinci: Biography and Much More from Answers.com
Students will read another biography of Leonardo Da Vinci. They will compare and contrast the information presented in both texts.
Students will create an illustrated timeline of the major events of Da Vinci’s life.
Students will create a work of art using a method used or attempted by Da Vinci.
Students will have an Inventors’ fair. Students will solicite other students in the school to invent items to be judged on potential contribution. Student hosts will recreate several of Da Vinci’s inventions for a display at the Inventors’ Fair.
Stanley, Diane. 1996. LEONARDO DA VINCI. New York: Morrow Junior Books. ISBN 068810438
PLOT SUMMARY
In 1452 the world welcomed Leonardo da Vinci. He was born to a peasant woman and an educated and influential man. His illegitimacy kept him from pursuing a life similar to his father’s so he apprenticed at an artist’s workshop. He spent much of his life searching for a patron whom he could work for and who would support his endeavors. As Leonardo grew into a man and into old age, his experimentation with artistic forms and invention was enlightening and frustrating. He often lost support from the patrons, the church, and other sources due to his nonconformity to tradition.
Not only was Leonardo an artist but he was an observer of the natural world also. He filled journals with drawings of the human body and of his other natural observations for example flight of birds. Many of these observations led to inventions. Although he ventured into many arenas, he always returned to art. After a monetary struggle with his half brothers and sisters following his father’s death, Leonardo found a wonderful patron who revered and respected him. Leonardo spent the last years of his life doing what he loved and bearing the respect and admiration he had sought. He died in 1519 surrounded by admirers.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Quality biographies are supposed to present a person’s life in an accurate and objective manner. Accomplishments as well as failures and faults should be presented so that the subject is seen as a real person and not an idealized icon. Leonardo da Vinci was a revolutionary genius. He changed the face of art and science. He created countless inventions such as underwater breathing apparatus, a posthole digger, a submarine, and pliers. He experimented with new artistic techniques such as chiaroscuro, which is the use of light and dark shadows. However, he was not a perfect man. He did not complete a large proportion of the works he started. Leonardo was stubborn and inflexible. He and Michelangelo had a bitter feud going between them. All of this information is woven together to create an accurate but not sugar coated tapestry of Leonardo da Vinci’s life.
The author, Diane Stanley, is well respected in the field of biography authorship. She is a recipient of the Washington Post / Children’s Book Guild Nonfiction award. The text she writes can be trusted. She uses basic but not oversimplified vocabulary. She does not attempt to impress readers with fancy words but she does not simplify information for young readers. Ms. Stanley does not assume that the reader needs to be talked down to. Definitions and context clues are provided for clarification for all readers. This respect for the reader encourages further investigation and curiosity. What would one need to read more about if all of the terminology was simple and already understood?
The book follows Leonardo’s life chronologically. There is a clear sequence of events. The illustrations used have a classical appeal. They look as though they were painted by a Renaissance painter. The illustration on page 13 is an excellent example. This illustration includes the characters from Leonardo’s life as well as a painting by Leonardo. One can see definite similarities in the facial features and style. Vibrant colors and precise detail make the illustrations and the text come alive. Above each passage of text is a small illustration that appears to be a replication of a drawing from one of da Vinci’s notebooks. The yellowed paper and pencil outlines were an excellent selection.
Overall this is an excellent biography. The author is well respected, so one can rely on the information presented. The illustrations complement the text magnificently. Readers learn about all of Leonardo’s great many deeds and some of his less exemplary moments. All people have them. It is refreshing to see that a genius like Leonardo and this reviewer have something in common: faults.
REVIEW EXCERPTS
Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children
BOSTON GLOBE-Horn Book: Award Honor Book for Nonfiction
ALA Notable Book
BOOKLIST’s Editor’s Choice
BOSTON GLOBE’S Best Books
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL’s Best Books
Starred Reviews in SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL, BOOKLIST; KIRKUS & PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY
CONNECTIONS
Diane Stanley website
Diane Stanley - Books for Children
Biographical information about Leonardo Da Vinci
Web Gallery of Art, image collection, virtual museum, searchable database of European fine arts (1100-1850)
Leonardo da Vinci: Biography and Much More from Answers.com
Students will read another biography of Leonardo Da Vinci. They will compare and contrast the information presented in both texts.
Students will create an illustrated timeline of the major events of Da Vinci’s life.
Students will create a work of art using a method used or attempted by Da Vinci.
Students will have an Inventors’ fair. Students will solicite other students in the school to invent items to be judged on potential contribution. Student hosts will recreate several of Da Vinci’s inventions for a display at the Inventors’ Fair.
Module 5 :BUD NOT BUDDY
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Curtis, Christopher Paul. 1999. BUD, NOT BUDDY. New York: Scholastic. ISBN 0439221889.
PLOT SUMMARY
Bud Caldwell is a young orphan trapped in the foster care system of the 1930s. He is placed with a family with a mean spirited son who is the apple of his momma’s eye. Bud runs away when he is subjected to multiple beatings, pencils up the nose, and other humiliations. He strikes out at first with plans of heading to Chicago with a new found friend.
However, fate has another idea. He misses the train so he changes course and pursues the path to his father. Bud follows the only clue his mother left for him about the identity of his father—an old flyer for Herman E. Calloway and the Dusky Devastators of the Depression. He meets a string of helpful strangers who become a network of family helping Bud reach his final destination: the doorstep of Herman E. Calloway. When he finds Herman, he is surprised at the gruff old man he sees. The rest of the members of his new band, The Nubian Knights, welcome Bud and begin to teach him to play an instrument for the band. Bud had found the family he wanted but still has not connected with the man he believes is his father.
In a heartwarming climax, the truth about why Bud had come and the truth about how he and Mr. Calloway are related are revealed. Bud is his grandson! Bud becomes a permanent member of the household and of the band.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
BUD, NOT BUDDY is an excellent historical fiction novel. Christopher Paul Curtis depicts a realistic view of life for African American people in the 1930s without delving too deeply into the institutionalized racism so prevalent at the time. Mr. Curtis uses appropriate time period language. No one says the words “dis” or refers to friends as “homeboys” but he also steers clear of rampant use of the “nig***” that was common in vernacular at the time. Race relations were not the theme of the story so that was not included to muddle the tale of a boy finding the family he craved.
Bud Caldwell is a character easy to identify with. He is likeable and happy. He wants to find a family where he can share and where he belongs. The reader does feel sympathy for the young orphan abused in foster homes and no connection to anything or anyone. However, Bud does not rely on sympathy or pity. He is resourceful and clever. As Bud comes upon individuals and events, he shares insights from his self written memoir “Bud Caldwell’s Rules and Things to make a funner life and make a better liar out of yourself.” Many of the rules are easy for readers to relate with. For example Rules and Things number 3 states “If you go to tell a lie, make sure it is simple and easy to remember.” Anyone who has been caught in a lie will know the lecture that says that lies are get bigger and bigger, spin out of control and become difficult to remember. Bud must have had that some lecture and is attempting to share his wisdom. It is a true statement.
Readers are not overburdened with a complex array of characters or plot twists. This story is of Bud’s travels. Along the way, he meets many interesting and generous people but they do not become so instrumental in the story that the reader gets confused.
The most integral part of the historical fiction book is the setting. This book is set in the 1930s in the northern United States, Michigan. The reader learns about the labor unions that were being developed and about the popularity of jazz. This is all of the historical data readers gather. This does not become a list of facts. Cars are a transportation mode but trains are just as popular in this time period. Bud attempts to use a train to begin his adventure, but ends up using car transportation. Bud does not mention flying in a rocket or riding on horseback. Both would not fit into this setting.
I listened to BUD NOT BUDDY on an unabridged audiocassette format. Because it was unabridged and followed the text verbatim, this adaptation was true to all of the aspects one looks for in historical fiction. There were no omissions.
There were 3 tapes that lasted a total of 3 hours and 38 minutes. The cassettes arrived to me from my school district’s Instructional Resource Center is a blue tattered box. The box’s cover looks very similar to the cover of the actual book. I could tell that this audiobook had been well circulated. Its tattered cover and bent plastic showed how much it has been loved.
The story is read by actor James Avery. He is noted for many roles. Most recently he portrayed the father on the “Fresh Prince of Bel Air”, which airs nightly on Nickelodeon. He is the only reader. His voice is very crisp and clear. Word quality and pronunciation is fantastic. Despite the age and use the tapes have seen, there was no background noise or static to be heard. He read the entire book cover to cover and read the epilogue at the end of the story as well. Despite the fact that Mr. Avery is a grown adult man, he does an excellent job making his voice sound younger, to match the character of Bud. He does not change his voice dramatically when different characters are speaking. He uses pauses and rate of speech to reveal that new characters are talking. For example, he does not talk in a squeaky voice to show when a female is speaking. Musical effects are included in the reading. The book is set in the era of Jazz, and Bud becomes a member of a jazz band at the end of the book. Jazz music is infused into the middle of a few chapters and at the end of most chapters at the end of the book. The music becomes a large part of the audiocassette and reading as it becomes a larger part of Bud’s life.
I would highly recommend listening to BUD NOT BUDDY. The book is funny and entertaining. But hearing a voice that seems to match Bud and “hearing” his story is very absorbing. I read along with the audiocassette. This was helpful but not required. In an experiment, there were chapters that I did not follow along with. There was no loss of comprehension or connection to the story. I listened to this book along with my class of 28 7th graders. They found it equally as entertaining. They’d dance in their chairs to the jazz music. They’d ask every day if we were going to hear more of the book. They were disappointed because some other classroom activities were interfering with our completion of the book. They were hooked! I thoroughly enjoyed BUD NOT BUDDY. Listening to the book enhanced the experience of this literary classic.
REVIEW EXCERPTS
Winner of John Newberry Medal 2000
Coretta Scott King Award 2000
ALA Notable Children’s Books
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL Best Book of the Year
ALA Best Book for Young Adults
PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY Best Book of the Year
CONNECTIONS
Christopher Paul Curtis –Author biography
Christopher Paul Curtis: Information from Answers.com
Great Depression information
The Main Causes of the Great Depression
The Great Depression and The New Deal
ART ACTIVITY: By the end of the novel, Bud is being groomed to become a band member. Design a flyer for Bud's opening night with Calloway's Band. Give the band a new name in honor of Bud.
History: Students will read books and online resources about The Great Depression, Jazz musicians in the 1910’s, or Labor Unions. Students will share the information with classmates by creating a 10 slide powerpoint presentation.
Curtis, Christopher Paul. 1999. BUD, NOT BUDDY. New York: Scholastic. ISBN 0439221889.
PLOT SUMMARY
Bud Caldwell is a young orphan trapped in the foster care system of the 1930s. He is placed with a family with a mean spirited son who is the apple of his momma’s eye. Bud runs away when he is subjected to multiple beatings, pencils up the nose, and other humiliations. He strikes out at first with plans of heading to Chicago with a new found friend.
However, fate has another idea. He misses the train so he changes course and pursues the path to his father. Bud follows the only clue his mother left for him about the identity of his father—an old flyer for Herman E. Calloway and the Dusky Devastators of the Depression. He meets a string of helpful strangers who become a network of family helping Bud reach his final destination: the doorstep of Herman E. Calloway. When he finds Herman, he is surprised at the gruff old man he sees. The rest of the members of his new band, The Nubian Knights, welcome Bud and begin to teach him to play an instrument for the band. Bud had found the family he wanted but still has not connected with the man he believes is his father.
In a heartwarming climax, the truth about why Bud had come and the truth about how he and Mr. Calloway are related are revealed. Bud is his grandson! Bud becomes a permanent member of the household and of the band.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
BUD, NOT BUDDY is an excellent historical fiction novel. Christopher Paul Curtis depicts a realistic view of life for African American people in the 1930s without delving too deeply into the institutionalized racism so prevalent at the time. Mr. Curtis uses appropriate time period language. No one says the words “dis” or refers to friends as “homeboys” but he also steers clear of rampant use of the “nig***” that was common in vernacular at the time. Race relations were not the theme of the story so that was not included to muddle the tale of a boy finding the family he craved.
Bud Caldwell is a character easy to identify with. He is likeable and happy. He wants to find a family where he can share and where he belongs. The reader does feel sympathy for the young orphan abused in foster homes and no connection to anything or anyone. However, Bud does not rely on sympathy or pity. He is resourceful and clever. As Bud comes upon individuals and events, he shares insights from his self written memoir “Bud Caldwell’s Rules and Things to make a funner life and make a better liar out of yourself.” Many of the rules are easy for readers to relate with. For example Rules and Things number 3 states “If you go to tell a lie, make sure it is simple and easy to remember.” Anyone who has been caught in a lie will know the lecture that says that lies are get bigger and bigger, spin out of control and become difficult to remember. Bud must have had that some lecture and is attempting to share his wisdom. It is a true statement.
Readers are not overburdened with a complex array of characters or plot twists. This story is of Bud’s travels. Along the way, he meets many interesting and generous people but they do not become so instrumental in the story that the reader gets confused.
The most integral part of the historical fiction book is the setting. This book is set in the 1930s in the northern United States, Michigan. The reader learns about the labor unions that were being developed and about the popularity of jazz. This is all of the historical data readers gather. This does not become a list of facts. Cars are a transportation mode but trains are just as popular in this time period. Bud attempts to use a train to begin his adventure, but ends up using car transportation. Bud does not mention flying in a rocket or riding on horseback. Both would not fit into this setting.
I listened to BUD NOT BUDDY on an unabridged audiocassette format. Because it was unabridged and followed the text verbatim, this adaptation was true to all of the aspects one looks for in historical fiction. There were no omissions.
There were 3 tapes that lasted a total of 3 hours and 38 minutes. The cassettes arrived to me from my school district’s Instructional Resource Center is a blue tattered box. The box’s cover looks very similar to the cover of the actual book. I could tell that this audiobook had been well circulated. Its tattered cover and bent plastic showed how much it has been loved.
The story is read by actor James Avery. He is noted for many roles. Most recently he portrayed the father on the “Fresh Prince of Bel Air”, which airs nightly on Nickelodeon. He is the only reader. His voice is very crisp and clear. Word quality and pronunciation is fantastic. Despite the age and use the tapes have seen, there was no background noise or static to be heard. He read the entire book cover to cover and read the epilogue at the end of the story as well. Despite the fact that Mr. Avery is a grown adult man, he does an excellent job making his voice sound younger, to match the character of Bud. He does not change his voice dramatically when different characters are speaking. He uses pauses and rate of speech to reveal that new characters are talking. For example, he does not talk in a squeaky voice to show when a female is speaking. Musical effects are included in the reading. The book is set in the era of Jazz, and Bud becomes a member of a jazz band at the end of the book. Jazz music is infused into the middle of a few chapters and at the end of most chapters at the end of the book. The music becomes a large part of the audiocassette and reading as it becomes a larger part of Bud’s life.
I would highly recommend listening to BUD NOT BUDDY. The book is funny and entertaining. But hearing a voice that seems to match Bud and “hearing” his story is very absorbing. I read along with the audiocassette. This was helpful but not required. In an experiment, there were chapters that I did not follow along with. There was no loss of comprehension or connection to the story. I listened to this book along with my class of 28 7th graders. They found it equally as entertaining. They’d dance in their chairs to the jazz music. They’d ask every day if we were going to hear more of the book. They were disappointed because some other classroom activities were interfering with our completion of the book. They were hooked! I thoroughly enjoyed BUD NOT BUDDY. Listening to the book enhanced the experience of this literary classic.
REVIEW EXCERPTS
Winner of John Newberry Medal 2000
Coretta Scott King Award 2000
ALA Notable Children’s Books
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL Best Book of the Year
ALA Best Book for Young Adults
PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY Best Book of the Year
CONNECTIONS
Christopher Paul Curtis –Author biography
Christopher Paul Curtis: Information from Answers.com
Great Depression information
The Main Causes of the Great Depression
The Great Depression and The New Deal
ART ACTIVITY: By the end of the novel, Bud is being groomed to become a band member. Design a flyer for Bud's opening night with Calloway's Band. Give the band a new name in honor of Bud.
History: Students will read books and online resources about The Great Depression, Jazz musicians in the 1910’s, or Labor Unions. Students will share the information with classmates by creating a 10 slide powerpoint presentation.
Sunday, March 11, 2007
MODULE 4: CHILDREN OF THE DUST BOWL: THE TRUE STORY OF THE SCHOOL OF WEEDPATCH CAMP
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Stanley, Jerry. 1992. CHILDREN OF THE DUST BOWL: THE TRUE STORY OF THE SCHOOL AT WEEDPATCH CAMP. New York: Crown Publishers. ISBN 517587823
PLOT SUMMARY:
The Unites States had just been hit by the Stock Market crash of 1929. In 1931 a drought in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri began. As the drought persisted and as the winds began to howl, the Dust Bowl was born. People tried to remain on their land but it became impossible. These people, commonly referred to as Okies, made their way to California looking for a better life. What they found was poverty, degradation, and hostility. These people lived in squatters camps and eventually were moved to government managed settlements. When the children were not working to help the family survive, they went to school. However they were not welcome in the native Californians’ schools. The Weedpatch Camp School was born out of school superintendent Leo Hart’s desire and determination to educate all children. The school was built and managed by the Okie children. It was self sufficient. It offered a variety of courses and trade trainings. In its four years of operation, the school became a coveted source of education and was eventually absorbed into the existing school district in Vineland, California. Mr. Hart continued serving as the school district superintendent for 4 more years, creating other schools for the undereducated.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS:
CHILDREN OF THE DUST BOWL: THE TRUE STORY OF SCHOOL OF WEEDPATCH CAMP is an inspirational and informational text. It tells the story of one man and a group of neglected, undereducated children who wanted something better than what currently existed.
The book is attractive and appealing at a first glance and perusal. The cover uses a colorized photograph of a child of the Dust Bowl. The book is published in a very easy to read font size and style. The author uses actual photographs to illustrate certain points and to further exemplify the plight triumph of the Okies.
The subject matter is equally compelling. The Dust Bowl is a widely studied aspect of American History. However many times the discussion of the Dust Bowl ends with the drought and the mass exodus of people from the area. This book includes much needed historical background for the events of the mid to late 1930s. But this text adds a human face to the Dust Bowl. Readers follow the Okies out to California. They endure the discrimination and humiliation the Okies endured. They triumph as the Weedpatch School becomes successful. This book humanizes an often dehumanized historical event.
The author has a unique style that causes the words on the page to come to life. The author includes quotes and life events from actual child members of the Weedpatch camp. In addition to the words, photographs of the children who are retelling events are included. Readers have a real human face to go with the frustration felt by so many Okies. The photographs add validity to the text for the reader. These Okie children were real and here they are.
The author successfully avoids immortalizing the poor “long-suffering Okies” who were helpless against the hateful native Californians. Facts are presented while generalizations about those facts tend to be avoided. While the story is one sided, the reader does not feel like s/he has just read a 75 page propaganda pamphlet.
The book is organized very well. The material is divided into chapters. These chapters are not by topic but rather chronologically. This book is a timeline of events. Interspersed in the chapters along with the story is necessary background information and explanation. There is a map of the Dust Bowl area in the beginning of the text. Readers will all have a common framework for where the Dust Bowl took place. Concise words and description often do not give as much geographic detail as a map. There is a table of contents and index. The index includes text references and photograph references. Photograph information is in bold face type for readers to know if they are finding a picture of Leo Hart or a quote by him. Photographs are captioned in most all cases. When extra information is needed about a photo, the extra information is included in the Bibliographic Note and Picture Credit section of the book. After the final chapter there is an afterword to the story. It answered the question “What happened to Leo Hart next?”.
The information presented in this book seems to be adequately referenced and accurate. The bibliographic information provided is thorough. The book highlights significant facts and avoiding stereotypes and victimization. In writing this book, the author went to the source, consulting and interviewing Leo Hart, the superintendent behind Weedpatch School, Pete Bancroft, the principal and other teachers. He did not rely on other’s interviews and characterizations. The book has won many awards and has many favorable reviews. It is an accurate rendition of events.
CHILDREN OF THE DUST BOWL: THE STORY OF THE SCHOOL AT WEEDPATCH CAMP is inspirational and uplifting. These Okie children lived in horrific dust storms, left their homes, and lived in cars for weeks with little food or water; only to arrive in California and find more poverty and worse sanitation and discrimination. Hardships did not prevent these Okie children from dreaming and of desiring a better life and education for themselves. Thankfully they regained their dignity and self respect while earning a top notch education.
REVIEW EXCERPTS:
*1993 Orbis Pictus Winner
*Jefferson Cup Award 1993
*Spur Award 1993
*FOCAL Award 1993
*From BOOKLIST : “The story is inspiring, and Stanley has recorded the details with passion and dignity. An excellent curriculum item”
*Starred review from BOOKLIST
*From SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “Stanley has crafted a well-researched, highly readable portrait of the ``Okies'' driven to California by the Dust Bowl days of the 1930s and the formidable hardships they faced…An informative and inspirational bit of American history.”
CONNECTIONS
*These photos from the Dust Bowl would be an excellent way to introduce the book.
New Page 1
*Additional books and resources
Dust Bowl References
*Webquest activities for students
Dustbowl WebQuest
* Students will map the events discussed in the story. This includes the area most affected by the Dust Bowl, the route of the migration to California, the camps and locations in California.
* Compare and contrast the treatment of the Okies in California to other mistreated groups in history: Japanese Americans and Jews during World War II, African Americans in early America.
Stanley, Jerry. 1992. CHILDREN OF THE DUST BOWL: THE TRUE STORY OF THE SCHOOL AT WEEDPATCH CAMP. New York: Crown Publishers. ISBN 517587823
PLOT SUMMARY:
The Unites States had just been hit by the Stock Market crash of 1929. In 1931 a drought in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri began. As the drought persisted and as the winds began to howl, the Dust Bowl was born. People tried to remain on their land but it became impossible. These people, commonly referred to as Okies, made their way to California looking for a better life. What they found was poverty, degradation, and hostility. These people lived in squatters camps and eventually were moved to government managed settlements. When the children were not working to help the family survive, they went to school. However they were not welcome in the native Californians’ schools. The Weedpatch Camp School was born out of school superintendent Leo Hart’s desire and determination to educate all children. The school was built and managed by the Okie children. It was self sufficient. It offered a variety of courses and trade trainings. In its four years of operation, the school became a coveted source of education and was eventually absorbed into the existing school district in Vineland, California. Mr. Hart continued serving as the school district superintendent for 4 more years, creating other schools for the undereducated.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS:
CHILDREN OF THE DUST BOWL: THE TRUE STORY OF SCHOOL OF WEEDPATCH CAMP is an inspirational and informational text. It tells the story of one man and a group of neglected, undereducated children who wanted something better than what currently existed.
The book is attractive and appealing at a first glance and perusal. The cover uses a colorized photograph of a child of the Dust Bowl. The book is published in a very easy to read font size and style. The author uses actual photographs to illustrate certain points and to further exemplify the plight triumph of the Okies.
The subject matter is equally compelling. The Dust Bowl is a widely studied aspect of American History. However many times the discussion of the Dust Bowl ends with the drought and the mass exodus of people from the area. This book includes much needed historical background for the events of the mid to late 1930s. But this text adds a human face to the Dust Bowl. Readers follow the Okies out to California. They endure the discrimination and humiliation the Okies endured. They triumph as the Weedpatch School becomes successful. This book humanizes an often dehumanized historical event.
The author has a unique style that causes the words on the page to come to life. The author includes quotes and life events from actual child members of the Weedpatch camp. In addition to the words, photographs of the children who are retelling events are included. Readers have a real human face to go with the frustration felt by so many Okies. The photographs add validity to the text for the reader. These Okie children were real and here they are.
The author successfully avoids immortalizing the poor “long-suffering Okies” who were helpless against the hateful native Californians. Facts are presented while generalizations about those facts tend to be avoided. While the story is one sided, the reader does not feel like s/he has just read a 75 page propaganda pamphlet.
The book is organized very well. The material is divided into chapters. These chapters are not by topic but rather chronologically. This book is a timeline of events. Interspersed in the chapters along with the story is necessary background information and explanation. There is a map of the Dust Bowl area in the beginning of the text. Readers will all have a common framework for where the Dust Bowl took place. Concise words and description often do not give as much geographic detail as a map. There is a table of contents and index. The index includes text references and photograph references. Photograph information is in bold face type for readers to know if they are finding a picture of Leo Hart or a quote by him. Photographs are captioned in most all cases. When extra information is needed about a photo, the extra information is included in the Bibliographic Note and Picture Credit section of the book. After the final chapter there is an afterword to the story. It answered the question “What happened to Leo Hart next?”.
The information presented in this book seems to be adequately referenced and accurate. The bibliographic information provided is thorough. The book highlights significant facts and avoiding stereotypes and victimization. In writing this book, the author went to the source, consulting and interviewing Leo Hart, the superintendent behind Weedpatch School, Pete Bancroft, the principal and other teachers. He did not rely on other’s interviews and characterizations. The book has won many awards and has many favorable reviews. It is an accurate rendition of events.
CHILDREN OF THE DUST BOWL: THE STORY OF THE SCHOOL AT WEEDPATCH CAMP is inspirational and uplifting. These Okie children lived in horrific dust storms, left their homes, and lived in cars for weeks with little food or water; only to arrive in California and find more poverty and worse sanitation and discrimination. Hardships did not prevent these Okie children from dreaming and of desiring a better life and education for themselves. Thankfully they regained their dignity and self respect while earning a top notch education.
REVIEW EXCERPTS:
*1993 Orbis Pictus Winner
*Jefferson Cup Award 1993
*Spur Award 1993
*FOCAL Award 1993
*From BOOKLIST : “The story is inspiring, and Stanley has recorded the details with passion and dignity. An excellent curriculum item”
*Starred review from BOOKLIST
*From SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “Stanley has crafted a well-researched, highly readable portrait of the ``Okies'' driven to California by the Dust Bowl days of the 1930s and the formidable hardships they faced…An informative and inspirational bit of American history.”
CONNECTIONS
*These photos from the Dust Bowl would be an excellent way to introduce the book.
New Page 1
*Additional books and resources
Dust Bowl References
*Webquest activities for students
Dustbowl WebQuest
* Students will map the events discussed in the story. This includes the area most affected by the Dust Bowl, the route of the migration to California, the camps and locations in California.
* Compare and contrast the treatment of the Okies in California to other mistreated groups in history: Japanese Americans and Jews during World War II, African Americans in early America.
MODULE 4: THE TOP OF THE WORLD CLIMBING MOUNT EVEREST
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Jenkins, Steve. 1999. THE TOP OF THE WORLD: CLIMBING MOUNT EVEREST. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. ISBN 0395942187
PLOT SUMMARY:
This information book begins with general physical description and facts about Mount Everest. A brief biography of some of the first conquerors of the peak follows. Next, one is shown all of the necessary equipment needed to successfully prepare for an expedition. Then the expedition begins. The reader follows the rest of the text through a voyage onto Mount Everest. All of the dangers and potential disasters, including avalanches, oxygen deprivation, and frostbite, are included in the discussion about the journey. This is not a glamorous presentation. The peril involved in this journey is not glazed over. The last page relays the final feeling one would have as s/he stood at the top of Mount Everest.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS:
Being the tallest and most formidable mountain in the world, Mount Everest fills adults and children with awe and curiosity. Few individuals have an opportunity to attempt climb to the base camp let alone the top of the peak itself. This book provides a close look at facts surrounding the mysterious mountain and a glimpse inside an expedition from start to finish. This book is a trip up to the peak. It is not a list of interesting tidbits about Mount Everest and all of her mysteries. Those facts are included but not in a list format. They are entrenched into the tale of the expedition and in caption that accompany smaller illustrations.
The book is attractive and eye catching. One would see it on the shelf and be interested. The front cover is a torn paper collage of a climber standing on the top of Mount Everest. The clouds surrounding him are enchanting, and the snow on the peak is crisp. Each illustration in the book is a torn paper collage; each is compelling and interesting. The torn paper method does not lead to incredible detail. This is an effective technique for this book. These illustrations fill every square inch of the page. The reader is drawn to the pictures, but these collages do not distract the reader from the meaning and information possessed in the text. The illustrations on pages 10-11 and 24-25 are excellent examples. Both pairs of pages contain climbers. The climbers’ features are non-descript. In fact the bodies have a generic squared quality. These individuals seem to be swallowed into the mountain scene which has text overlaid with the pictures. On pages 24-25, the clouds of Everest seem to direct one’s eyes toward the text.
Teachers, parents, and others can feel confident with the information presented in this book. First, it is an Orbis Pictus Honor book. It has received many positive reviews from various sources. A bibliography of resources is included. The information has support and structure. This accuracy allows for the book to be shared with young readers without general fear of misinformation.
Mount Everest is an informational book that will appeal to readers at all levels and ages. Mr. Jenkins chooses vocabulary that is content specific but is not overly complex. At times when he does use terms that are unknown and Everest-specific, he includes pictures and added explanation. Examples of this can be seen when he describes what a Sherpa is and on the pages where he outlines all of the special gear one must pack for the trip. Many of the items are common items. But Mr. Jenkins included a picture to narrow the type of sleeping bag or tent one would need. He uses the proper terms for unknown items as well, such as the crampons and the jumar. Both are highly specified items. A picture and a definition are included. Mr. Jenkins does not call the crampons “pointy boot covers”; he uses the proper terminology.
This book is not divided into chapters or sections. However there is a logical organizational pattern for the book. First, one is introduced to the mountain. This includes background information and maps explanations. Next the journey up the mountain begins. One begins in Nepal and reads through the rest of the book as though s/he is actually climbing. There is a major section of text that describes a section of the journey. There are also smaller pictures and captions that give further insight or cite unusual facts about this particular segment of one’s Everest journey. This journey is not painted as fun and simple. The danger and precaution that must be taken are not glazed over. Frostbite and oxygen debt are discussed thoroughly. No reader closes the book believing that this adventure was anything but a sacrifice. The last page of the book contains Everest climbing records, a bibliography, and a diagram of the world’s tallest peaks and how they compare to Everest.
Even if one has never considered climbing Mount Everest, or any other mountain, one is filled with awe at the power and formidableness of this particular mountain. After reading all the climbers have to endure, this reviewer finds it amazing that anyone has ever made it to the top of the peak. Reading many of the climbing records and feats that individuals have conquered while on this mountain fills the reader with a renewed sense of the power of the human spirit and determination. It makes one think “If that climber could endure that, surely I can endure whatever challenge I am facing”. It is inspirational.
After reading this book, one may consider trying to put an expedition together. Or be relieved that reading this book gave them the feeling without having to endure the hardships of such a journey.
REVIEW EXCERPTS:
*2002 Orbis Pictus Honor Book
*From LIBRARY JOURNAL: “A windfall of facts about Everest and the daring mountaineers who have attempted to reach its summit. Breathtaking cut-paper collages capture the dramatic vistas and the frightening realities of high-altitude climbs.”
*From KIRKUS REVIEWS: “Visually arresting and inspiring.”
*From HORN BOOK: “From start to finish, Jenkins has created a breathtaking tour-de-force.”
CONNECTIONS:
Introductory pictures of Mount Everest
Pictures of Mt. Everest
Additional information
Mount Everest - Peakware World Mountain Encyclcopedia
Facts about Mount Everest (8848 meters) Nepal Vista
Using the information in the text and information gathered from other sources, students will plan an imaginary trip to Mount Everest. They will estimate initial costs of the expedition as well as attempt to anticipate other costs that could arise after the trip for example, hospital care. They could map possible routes. The topic of whether or not the team should practice climbing different mountains first would be discussed—there would be additional costs involved.
Using the names of the other explorers who have attempted-successfully or not—climbed Mount Everest, students would complete a powerpoint presentation about one of the explorers and/or one of his/her journeys to Everest.
Students would write a creative short story about an adventure s/he had had.
Jenkins, Steve. 1999. THE TOP OF THE WORLD: CLIMBING MOUNT EVEREST. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. ISBN 0395942187
PLOT SUMMARY:
This information book begins with general physical description and facts about Mount Everest. A brief biography of some of the first conquerors of the peak follows. Next, one is shown all of the necessary equipment needed to successfully prepare for an expedition. Then the expedition begins. The reader follows the rest of the text through a voyage onto Mount Everest. All of the dangers and potential disasters, including avalanches, oxygen deprivation, and frostbite, are included in the discussion about the journey. This is not a glamorous presentation. The peril involved in this journey is not glazed over. The last page relays the final feeling one would have as s/he stood at the top of Mount Everest.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS:
Being the tallest and most formidable mountain in the world, Mount Everest fills adults and children with awe and curiosity. Few individuals have an opportunity to attempt climb to the base camp let alone the top of the peak itself. This book provides a close look at facts surrounding the mysterious mountain and a glimpse inside an expedition from start to finish. This book is a trip up to the peak. It is not a list of interesting tidbits about Mount Everest and all of her mysteries. Those facts are included but not in a list format. They are entrenched into the tale of the expedition and in caption that accompany smaller illustrations.
The book is attractive and eye catching. One would see it on the shelf and be interested. The front cover is a torn paper collage of a climber standing on the top of Mount Everest. The clouds surrounding him are enchanting, and the snow on the peak is crisp. Each illustration in the book is a torn paper collage; each is compelling and interesting. The torn paper method does not lead to incredible detail. This is an effective technique for this book. These illustrations fill every square inch of the page. The reader is drawn to the pictures, but these collages do not distract the reader from the meaning and information possessed in the text. The illustrations on pages 10-11 and 24-25 are excellent examples. Both pairs of pages contain climbers. The climbers’ features are non-descript. In fact the bodies have a generic squared quality. These individuals seem to be swallowed into the mountain scene which has text overlaid with the pictures. On pages 24-25, the clouds of Everest seem to direct one’s eyes toward the text.
Teachers, parents, and others can feel confident with the information presented in this book. First, it is an Orbis Pictus Honor book. It has received many positive reviews from various sources. A bibliography of resources is included. The information has support and structure. This accuracy allows for the book to be shared with young readers without general fear of misinformation.
Mount Everest is an informational book that will appeal to readers at all levels and ages. Mr. Jenkins chooses vocabulary that is content specific but is not overly complex. At times when he does use terms that are unknown and Everest-specific, he includes pictures and added explanation. Examples of this can be seen when he describes what a Sherpa is and on the pages where he outlines all of the special gear one must pack for the trip. Many of the items are common items. But Mr. Jenkins included a picture to narrow the type of sleeping bag or tent one would need. He uses the proper terms for unknown items as well, such as the crampons and the jumar. Both are highly specified items. A picture and a definition are included. Mr. Jenkins does not call the crampons “pointy boot covers”; he uses the proper terminology.
This book is not divided into chapters or sections. However there is a logical organizational pattern for the book. First, one is introduced to the mountain. This includes background information and maps explanations. Next the journey up the mountain begins. One begins in Nepal and reads through the rest of the book as though s/he is actually climbing. There is a major section of text that describes a section of the journey. There are also smaller pictures and captions that give further insight or cite unusual facts about this particular segment of one’s Everest journey. This journey is not painted as fun and simple. The danger and precaution that must be taken are not glazed over. Frostbite and oxygen debt are discussed thoroughly. No reader closes the book believing that this adventure was anything but a sacrifice. The last page of the book contains Everest climbing records, a bibliography, and a diagram of the world’s tallest peaks and how they compare to Everest.
Even if one has never considered climbing Mount Everest, or any other mountain, one is filled with awe at the power and formidableness of this particular mountain. After reading all the climbers have to endure, this reviewer finds it amazing that anyone has ever made it to the top of the peak. Reading many of the climbing records and feats that individuals have conquered while on this mountain fills the reader with a renewed sense of the power of the human spirit and determination. It makes one think “If that climber could endure that, surely I can endure whatever challenge I am facing”. It is inspirational.
After reading this book, one may consider trying to put an expedition together. Or be relieved that reading this book gave them the feeling without having to endure the hardships of such a journey.
REVIEW EXCERPTS:
*2002 Orbis Pictus Honor Book
*From LIBRARY JOURNAL: “A windfall of facts about Everest and the daring mountaineers who have attempted to reach its summit. Breathtaking cut-paper collages capture the dramatic vistas and the frightening realities of high-altitude climbs.”
*From KIRKUS REVIEWS: “Visually arresting and inspiring.”
*From HORN BOOK: “From start to finish, Jenkins has created a breathtaking tour-de-force.”
CONNECTIONS:
Introductory pictures of Mount Everest
Pictures of Mt. Everest
Additional information
Mount Everest - Peakware World Mountain Encyclcopedia
Facts about Mount Everest (8848 meters) Nepal Vista
Using the information in the text and information gathered from other sources, students will plan an imaginary trip to Mount Everest. They will estimate initial costs of the expedition as well as attempt to anticipate other costs that could arise after the trip for example, hospital care. They could map possible routes. The topic of whether or not the team should practice climbing different mountains first would be discussed—there would be additional costs involved.
Using the names of the other explorers who have attempted-successfully or not—climbed Mount Everest, students would complete a powerpoint presentation about one of the explorers and/or one of his/her journeys to Everest.
Students would write a creative short story about an adventure s/he had had.
MODULE 4: SNAKES
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Simon, Seymour. 1992. SNAKES. London: Harper Collins. ISBN 0060225300
PLOT SUMMARY:
This informational book slithers its way through one of the most feared yet fascinating reptile groups, the snake. Snake habitat and physiology are introduced first. Next, snake locomotion, growth patterns, food choices, senses, and skin are addressed. Mating is the next topic included. The basic snake mating process is discussed which leads into a brief overview of snake maturation from egg to young snake as well as snake parenting and snake enemies. Lastly, the topic of snake behavior and defense is investigated. Snakes use some harmless and some harmful defensive behaviors to save themselves from perceived threats. Poisonous snake families and subfamilies are a large portion of this section of text. Information about the characteristics of poisonous snakes are outlined and explored. The last paragraph encourages acceptance and appreciation for the snake family.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS:
When one first spots a book in the library, the first thing that is seen is the cover. The cover of SNAKES has a “WOW factor”. It is a full color photograph of a young green tree python. The snake covers the entire front cover and appears to be staring at the reader. This is a dare to enter the world of snakes.
This informational book is not just a book of lists and facts about snakes. While the book is not divided into chapters, one can sense a flow in the information as the book is read. There is a fantastic flow from topic to topic throughout the book. The reader moves seamlessly through a discussion of many physical attributes of snakes. It is not a choppy list-like paragraph. The text is very well organized. The only reference aids that are provided for the reader are photographs of snakes. There are no maps or other reference guides.
Mr. Simon chose to use real photos for the illustration of this book. The photographs selected are color 8.5” x 11” size. The snakes in the photographs are detailed and close up. They have a life-like quality surrounding them. They are not add-ins on a page. They are a full page, treated as an equal with the text. The photograph is described on the accompanying page. The photographs and the text complement each other tremendously.
As one sits down and reads SNAKES, one can sense the awe and respect the author has for them. The information presented is done so in a way that would interest young readers as well as intermediate ones. The vocabulary in the book is simplistic yet subject-appropriate. Concepts and facts are not overly simplified in an effort to reach younger readers. Readers learn the difference between oviparous and ovoviviparous snakes without being insulted with silly pictures or low level vocabulary introduction. One can use context to verify the meaning of these two words. The snakes do not come to life in a series of pictures and talk to the readers. There is no anthropomorphism. The snakes, although interesting, are not given human qualities. No snake is seen wearing clothing or sitting in a chair. They maintain their animal status.
Mr. Simon avoids something very important in the world of Snake politics-demonization. Generally, snakes are not a well loved animal. They are not cute or cuddly in most cases. However, Mr. Simon chooses to focus on snakes attributes in a positive way. Snake and human vertebrae counts are compared thus realizing that snakes and people have something in common. Snakes’ skin is not described as slimy but smooth and thick. Non venomous snakes are discussed prior to presenting the information on poisonous snakes. The information about poisonous snakes is not scary or disturbing. It is factual but not over dramatized. Hopefully when the reader has finished the text, s/he would realize that poisonous snakes are not bountiful and that they are not the aggressor toward humans. Perhaps some fears can be relieved.
The information in the book seems to be accurate. The book is full of readable and interesting facts about snakes. The text does encourage wonder and respect for these legless creatures. Despite the appearance of factual information, there is no evidence in the book to this end. There is no bibliography presented; no index of resources or terms is included. Perhaps this book is deemed as accurate because of the high esteem in which the author is held. Mr. Simon could rely on his reputation and credibility regarding the authenticity of the information offered.
Overall, this book was an enjoyable read. Readers will walk away with a new respect and interest in snakes. They are truly amazing animals. Most Hollywood movies don’t present this concept; I am glad the book SNAKES does.
REVIEW EXCERPTS:
From SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “An attractive, well-written easy reader…Make a place for SNAKES in primary-level nonfiction collections.”
CONNECTIONS:
Additional information about North American snake species
Snakes of North America
Texas Junior Naturalist Website—Native Texas snakes poster order form
Texas Junior Naturalists Snake Poster
Information regarding the snakes native to Texas
Snakes of Texas
Seymour Simon Website
Seymour Simon: Award-Winning Children's Science Author
Students will create an accordion book about various types of snakes. One side will contain information obtained from this book and other sources. The opposite side would include an illustration.
Students will complete an author study on Seymour Simon and his nonfiction texts. Older students can select a book and create an activity to teach to younger students.
Students would research the myths about snakes-poisonous and nonpoisonous—and write a humorous play presenting the information to other students and/or parents.
Simon, Seymour. 1992. SNAKES. London: Harper Collins. ISBN 0060225300
PLOT SUMMARY:
This informational book slithers its way through one of the most feared yet fascinating reptile groups, the snake. Snake habitat and physiology are introduced first. Next, snake locomotion, growth patterns, food choices, senses, and skin are addressed. Mating is the next topic included. The basic snake mating process is discussed which leads into a brief overview of snake maturation from egg to young snake as well as snake parenting and snake enemies. Lastly, the topic of snake behavior and defense is investigated. Snakes use some harmless and some harmful defensive behaviors to save themselves from perceived threats. Poisonous snake families and subfamilies are a large portion of this section of text. Information about the characteristics of poisonous snakes are outlined and explored. The last paragraph encourages acceptance and appreciation for the snake family.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS:
When one first spots a book in the library, the first thing that is seen is the cover. The cover of SNAKES has a “WOW factor”. It is a full color photograph of a young green tree python. The snake covers the entire front cover and appears to be staring at the reader. This is a dare to enter the world of snakes.
This informational book is not just a book of lists and facts about snakes. While the book is not divided into chapters, one can sense a flow in the information as the book is read. There is a fantastic flow from topic to topic throughout the book. The reader moves seamlessly through a discussion of many physical attributes of snakes. It is not a choppy list-like paragraph. The text is very well organized. The only reference aids that are provided for the reader are photographs of snakes. There are no maps or other reference guides.
Mr. Simon chose to use real photos for the illustration of this book. The photographs selected are color 8.5” x 11” size. The snakes in the photographs are detailed and close up. They have a life-like quality surrounding them. They are not add-ins on a page. They are a full page, treated as an equal with the text. The photograph is described on the accompanying page. The photographs and the text complement each other tremendously.
As one sits down and reads SNAKES, one can sense the awe and respect the author has for them. The information presented is done so in a way that would interest young readers as well as intermediate ones. The vocabulary in the book is simplistic yet subject-appropriate. Concepts and facts are not overly simplified in an effort to reach younger readers. Readers learn the difference between oviparous and ovoviviparous snakes without being insulted with silly pictures or low level vocabulary introduction. One can use context to verify the meaning of these two words. The snakes do not come to life in a series of pictures and talk to the readers. There is no anthropomorphism. The snakes, although interesting, are not given human qualities. No snake is seen wearing clothing or sitting in a chair. They maintain their animal status.
Mr. Simon avoids something very important in the world of Snake politics-demonization. Generally, snakes are not a well loved animal. They are not cute or cuddly in most cases. However, Mr. Simon chooses to focus on snakes attributes in a positive way. Snake and human vertebrae counts are compared thus realizing that snakes and people have something in common. Snakes’ skin is not described as slimy but smooth and thick. Non venomous snakes are discussed prior to presenting the information on poisonous snakes. The information about poisonous snakes is not scary or disturbing. It is factual but not over dramatized. Hopefully when the reader has finished the text, s/he would realize that poisonous snakes are not bountiful and that they are not the aggressor toward humans. Perhaps some fears can be relieved.
The information in the book seems to be accurate. The book is full of readable and interesting facts about snakes. The text does encourage wonder and respect for these legless creatures. Despite the appearance of factual information, there is no evidence in the book to this end. There is no bibliography presented; no index of resources or terms is included. Perhaps this book is deemed as accurate because of the high esteem in which the author is held. Mr. Simon could rely on his reputation and credibility regarding the authenticity of the information offered.
Overall, this book was an enjoyable read. Readers will walk away with a new respect and interest in snakes. They are truly amazing animals. Most Hollywood movies don’t present this concept; I am glad the book SNAKES does.
REVIEW EXCERPTS:
From SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “An attractive, well-written easy reader…Make a place for SNAKES in primary-level nonfiction collections.”
CONNECTIONS:
Additional information about North American snake species
Snakes of North America
Texas Junior Naturalist Website—Native Texas snakes poster order form
Texas Junior Naturalists Snake Poster
Information regarding the snakes native to Texas
Snakes of Texas
Seymour Simon Website
Seymour Simon: Award-Winning Children's Science Author
Students will create an accordion book about various types of snakes. One side will contain information obtained from this book and other sources. The opposite side would include an illustration.
Students will complete an author study on Seymour Simon and his nonfiction texts. Older students can select a book and create an activity to teach to younger students.
Students would research the myths about snakes-poisonous and nonpoisonous—and write a humorous play presenting the information to other students and/or parents.
Sunday, February 25, 2007
MODULE 3: A WORLD OF WONDERS
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.
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.
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
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Module 1: A KICK IN THE HEAD
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Janeczko, Paul B. 2005. A KICK IN THE HEAD. Ill. by Chris Raschka. Cambridge MA: Candlewick. ISBN 0763606626
2. PLOT SUMMARY
A KICK IN THE HEAD is a poetry anthology. Paul Janeczko includes one poem from 29 different poetic styles. The styles include: couplet, tercet, quatrain, haiku, senryu, tanka, cinquain, clerihew, limerick, roundel, double dactyl, troilet, sonnet, villanelle, opposites, riddle poem, ode, acrostic, concrete, epitaph, elegy, found poem, persona poem, poem of address, ballad, blues poem, list poem, aubade, and pantoum.
Poems from a variety of authors were used, from the well known Shakespeare and Ogden Nash to lesser known Avis Harley and Anonymous. Along with an example poem, Janeczko includes the rules for writing using each poetic style. Illustrations accompany each poem. An introduction previewing the format of the book is included. The index provides a detailed explanation of each of the poetic styles highlighted in the book.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Poetry writing and analysis is one of the most intimidating elements of Language Arts education. A poem’s apparent lack of structure encourages readers to open their minds and to think analytically and creatively. This picture book would be an excellent tool to introduce poetry to a writer of any age.
The poems selected are fantastic examples of the style of poem while being about age appropriate material. There are no poems about love, which most children could not relate to. There are many poems about animals or items that children are familiar with. Despite the simplicity of the content of the poems, this book would be useful for older students and adults who are being introduced to poetry.
While some of the poems included are widely known, such as the acrostic, many could be considered obscure to the general American public such as the clerihew. The author’s introduction provides a preview into the structure of the book as well as information about reading poem definitions included on pages. This is excellent for a novice poet. A more experienced poet would not be bored with this text. S/he could embark on the challenge of mastering a more obscure poetic form. Readers have 29 from which to choose.
Each page or pair of pages presents a new poem. At the top corner of the page is the poetry style. The poem and the accompanying illustration dominate the majority of the page. Poetry definition and writing style explanations are written unobtrusively at the bottom of the page in a small typeset. It is designed to be there to guide the reader but not to overtake the page. The poetry and illustration are the dominating focus.
This picture book is an excellent blend of two artistic interpretations.
At the end of the book, the author provides more detailed information about each poetic style. Readers could use this information to advance his/her new found knowledge about a certain poetic style. This index could also provide clarification for a reader who is still struggling to understand the precise rules that accompany a certain poetic style.
The illustrations in this picture book complement the text and provide additional clues as to the meaning of a poem. Readers often lament poetry analysis because they claim that they do not know what the poem is referencing. The illustrations in this text change this. They provide the necessary clues for novice poetry enthusiasts and enriching detail for the more advanced interpreter.
Chris Raschka, the illustrator, uses a mixed media artistic medium. Each illustration is a combination of vibrant watercolor imagery and torn paper. Generally, watercolor is used when representing faces, animals, other living things; torn paper is used to represent clothing, furniture, and other inanimate objects. These illustrations effectively bring the words of the poems to life while subtly concealing the poetry definition on the page.
4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
From PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY: “Janeczko's disciplined but accessible examples, plus Raschka's spirited Asian-inspired images, add oomph to this joyful poetry lesson, sure to be welcomed by teachers and aspiring poets everywhere.”
From BOOK LINKS: “Perfect for classroom use, this terrific picture book will help students appreciate poetry and become better poets themselves.”
From SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “…will capture imaginations and inspire young wordsmiths.”
5. CONNECTIONS
*Students read example poems and compose own poems and create anthology.
*Students will compose and illustrate poems using the same technique as Chris Raschka.
*Using a different poetry anthology, students will identify a given poem’s structure using information from this book.
Website for interview with Chris Raschka:
BookPage Interview September 1998: Chris Raschka
*Other books of interest:
Prelutsky, Jack. READ A RHYME, WRITE A RHYME. ISBN 0375822860.
Fletcher, Ralph J. POETRY MATTERS. ISBN 0380797038
*Other book by author:
Janeczko, Paul. A POKE IN THE I. ISBN 0763606618
Janeczko, Paul B. 2005. A KICK IN THE HEAD. Ill. by Chris Raschka. Cambridge MA: Candlewick. ISBN 0763606626
2. PLOT SUMMARY
A KICK IN THE HEAD is a poetry anthology. Paul Janeczko includes one poem from 29 different poetic styles. The styles include: couplet, tercet, quatrain, haiku, senryu, tanka, cinquain, clerihew, limerick, roundel, double dactyl, troilet, sonnet, villanelle, opposites, riddle poem, ode, acrostic, concrete, epitaph, elegy, found poem, persona poem, poem of address, ballad, blues poem, list poem, aubade, and pantoum.
Poems from a variety of authors were used, from the well known Shakespeare and Ogden Nash to lesser known Avis Harley and Anonymous. Along with an example poem, Janeczko includes the rules for writing using each poetic style. Illustrations accompany each poem. An introduction previewing the format of the book is included. The index provides a detailed explanation of each of the poetic styles highlighted in the book.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Poetry writing and analysis is one of the most intimidating elements of Language Arts education. A poem’s apparent lack of structure encourages readers to open their minds and to think analytically and creatively. This picture book would be an excellent tool to introduce poetry to a writer of any age.
The poems selected are fantastic examples of the style of poem while being about age appropriate material. There are no poems about love, which most children could not relate to. There are many poems about animals or items that children are familiar with. Despite the simplicity of the content of the poems, this book would be useful for older students and adults who are being introduced to poetry.
While some of the poems included are widely known, such as the acrostic, many could be considered obscure to the general American public such as the clerihew. The author’s introduction provides a preview into the structure of the book as well as information about reading poem definitions included on pages. This is excellent for a novice poet. A more experienced poet would not be bored with this text. S/he could embark on the challenge of mastering a more obscure poetic form. Readers have 29 from which to choose.
Each page or pair of pages presents a new poem. At the top corner of the page is the poetry style. The poem and the accompanying illustration dominate the majority of the page. Poetry definition and writing style explanations are written unobtrusively at the bottom of the page in a small typeset. It is designed to be there to guide the reader but not to overtake the page. The poetry and illustration are the dominating focus.
This picture book is an excellent blend of two artistic interpretations.
At the end of the book, the author provides more detailed information about each poetic style. Readers could use this information to advance his/her new found knowledge about a certain poetic style. This index could also provide clarification for a reader who is still struggling to understand the precise rules that accompany a certain poetic style.
The illustrations in this picture book complement the text and provide additional clues as to the meaning of a poem. Readers often lament poetry analysis because they claim that they do not know what the poem is referencing. The illustrations in this text change this. They provide the necessary clues for novice poetry enthusiasts and enriching detail for the more advanced interpreter.
Chris Raschka, the illustrator, uses a mixed media artistic medium. Each illustration is a combination of vibrant watercolor imagery and torn paper. Generally, watercolor is used when representing faces, animals, other living things; torn paper is used to represent clothing, furniture, and other inanimate objects. These illustrations effectively bring the words of the poems to life while subtly concealing the poetry definition on the page.
4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
From PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY: “Janeczko's disciplined but accessible examples, plus Raschka's spirited Asian-inspired images, add oomph to this joyful poetry lesson, sure to be welcomed by teachers and aspiring poets everywhere.”
From BOOK LINKS: “Perfect for classroom use, this terrific picture book will help students appreciate poetry and become better poets themselves.”
From SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “…will capture imaginations and inspire young wordsmiths.”
5. CONNECTIONS
*Students read example poems and compose own poems and create anthology.
*Students will compose and illustrate poems using the same technique as Chris Raschka.
*Using a different poetry anthology, students will identify a given poem’s structure using information from this book.
Website for interview with Chris Raschka:
BookPage Interview September 1998: Chris Raschka
*Other books of interest:
Prelutsky, Jack. READ A RHYME, WRITE A RHYME. ISBN 0375822860.
Fletcher, Ralph J. POETRY MATTERS. ISBN 0380797038
*Other book by author:
Janeczko, Paul. A POKE IN THE I. ISBN 0763606618
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