Crown: An Ode to a Fresh Cut
Written by Derrick Barnes
Illustrated by Gordon James
(CHECK OUT ALL THOSE AWARDS ON THE COVER!)
Barnes, D. (2017). Crown: an ode to a fresh cut. New York, NY: Denene Miller Books.
D. Barnes' Website: https://derrickdbarnes.com
Includes a list of his books, visit sessions, his schedule, how to contact him, and a special tab on Raising the Mighty. Barnes has an Instagram (AuthorDerrickBarnes) and Twitter (@AuthorDDB) to follow.
Summary
When you walk into the barbershop you are just "a lump of clay", ready to be molded from the "blank canvas" to a new person. When the barber is done with your haircut, you will look so good that they will want to showcase you in a museum. With your new haircut, you could be on the Honor Roll or ace your test. Your star on the Hollywood walk of fame will be ready to go after your haircut. People will have to wear "shades" just to look at you because they need to "catch your shine".
Barnes tells the step by step process of a young, black boy who walks into the barbershop for a haircut. Barnes makes the boy understand that a haircut is natural, something that needs to be done, but shouldn't make him feel different. A haircut can make you a whole new you that all of your friends and, of course, the girls will want to check out. Barnes uses words that may not be familiar to everyone, for example a "tight-fade", "high", "low", and "faux-hawk". But, with the detailed illustrations, it is easy to figure out what he means. Barnes shows that hair can be a statement of individuality, a focal point to friends and enemies alike.
It is alluded that he receives a 97 on his English test, is told he is beautiful, and feels a new sense of acceptance after his haircut. Because of the exceptional service and positive comments of the barber, the young boy tips the man at the end. "Magnificent" and "flawless like royalty", he leaves the barbershop ready to take on the world.
Strengths
Told in a rhythmic, poetic form, students are introduced to poetry in a real world situation that they can relate to. A step by step process of a young, black boy getting his hair cut at the barbershop. The terms used in the book ("swagger" instead of style, "fade" instead of just haircut, rows and rows of "waves" on your head instead of hair) are new age and will resonate with any young child. A book to pump up a child who may be nervous to get a new hair cut because of what others may say about him.
The illustrations are breathtaking! Each page is in a watercolor-esque style and detailed from corner to corner. Not a single thing is left out in this book's pages. The focus is on a barbershop, a stereotypical set up of a black barbershop, with illustrations that match the setting perfectly. James, the illustrator, mentioned how he wanted the illustrations to be authentic and to model a typical setting. Vivid colors, beautiful brushstrokes, and attention to detail make this a one of a kind illustrated poetry book.
Focusing on African-American culture, a young, black boy is the protagonist of the story. One of a kind, this book introduces real world situations, with characters of color, in a way that will make anyone want to read it.
“One of the best reads for young black boys in years, it should be in every library, media center, and, yes, barbershop.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review
“With language so hot you expect the words to ignite the page,
Derrick Barnes endows the boy at this book’s center with flash, strut,
pizzazz and the pure unregulated pride of knowing you look like a
million bucks. Accompanied by layered paintings that bounce back the
beat of the words like the sweetest of jazz riffs, here’s an ode to
looking good and feeling great.” —Betsy Bird, NPR Book Concierge: Best Books of 2017
Background Information
Barnes chose to write this poem after receiving inspiration from an illustration created from one of his friends. The illustrator, Don Tate, drew a picture of his teen son after he went to the barber and it sparked an idea with Barnes.
This is D. Barnes' first picture book written for children.Watch the online, read-aloud version here.
Similar Themed Books/Connections to Life
This will bring any child and/or parent back to their first haircut/child's first haircut, an important first for most and who always seem to want to document.
My Hair is a Garden by Cozbi Cabrera, I Love My Hair! by Natasha Tarpley, and Princess Hair by Sharee Miller all focus on the beauty in African-American hair, written and illustrated by African-American authors. Check out a list here of twelve books that are featured in a Black is Beautiful article by A Medium Corporation.
Other Novels by D. Barnes
Chapter Books
We Could Be Brothers
The Ruby and the Booker Boys Series (contains three books in the series)
The Making of Dr. Truelove
Early Readers
The Low Down Bad Day Blues
Stop, Drop, and Chill
(Interview with Derrick D. Barnes by @ugtkonation)
Awards
- Newberry Honor
- Caldecott Honor
- Coretta Scott King Author Honor
- Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor
- FOUR ALA AWARDS!
- Ezra Jack Keats New Writer Award
- Ezra Jack Keats New Illustrator Award
- Society of Illustrators Gold Medal
- Publisher's Weekly Starred Review
- Kirkus Starred Review
- Best Books of 2017-Publisher's Weekly
- ...and many more! Barnes has received over 25 mentions in awards, honors, and reviews. See the full list here.
Teaching Ideas
Have students write a poem on one of their most memorable "firsts". Introduce rhyme scheme and stanzas and try to have students mimic Barnes' method.
Additional Information (per Goodreads)
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 32
ISBN 13: 9781572842243
Best for Ages three to eight.
How They Croaked: The Awful Ends of the Awfully Famous
Written by Georgia Bragg
Illustrated by Kevin O'Malley
Bragg, G. (2011). How they croaked: the awful ends of the awfully famous. New York, NY: Walker Childrens.
G. Bragg's Website: http://georgiabragg.com/
Includes a list of her books, previews, information about her, and how to contact her. Her website really interested me with additional videos, fun articles (look for the one with Abe Lincoln and his ability to Tweet the Gettysburg Address!), and a few interviews and information in the news.
Spoiler Video: Check out this quick introduction to How They Croaked: who the who is, why they passed, and a few pictures here. Featured on Bragg's website, towards the bottom, this is a great introduction video for students to watch before they start the book. Like I said, her website is full of resources!
(Student made commercial; 6th grader at Lufkin Road MS)
Check out what others had to say about Bragg's book: Reviews
Summary
Life always ends up the same way, in death, so why not learn about it with a bit of humor and wit? Bragg focuses on influential individuals who, despite their hierarchy in life, ended up the same way as everyone else. Bragg makes sure to mention that not all death is as clean as others, touching base on the gory details of how death occurred before modern medicine was available.
Bragg takes the time and detail needed to let children see that death is a natural part of life, often something left out in many children's books.While many characters in books are offed, the details behind it never seem to surface. Bragg lists the kind of gross, gory, detailed things that kids want to learn about. Many of the points mentioned in the book are able to showcase how different cultures and parts of the world deal with death.
While entertaining, readers receive valuable information on what "medicine" really was in the old days before true advancement, how countries were ruled and power was exchanged, pops scientific information, adventure and exploration, all in one book. Because of some of the deeper details, this book is best for students in grades six through eight.
Strengths
I personally think this is a great way to get kids to learn about the past, especially when it pertains to important people that they are going to learn about over the years. Each individual in the book changed the world in one way or another: Edgar Allen Poe in poetry, Henry VIII in history class, George Washington in history class, Beethoven in music classes, and so many more influential people. We always talk about what they did while they were alive and how that influenced the world after, but we never seem to talk about that small bit in between, death.
With that being said, death can be a hard topic to touch base on, and this book does it in a way that is interesting, educational, and with a bit of humor.
Funny. Educational. Informative. Historic. One-hundred and ninety four pages of jam packed information, this book will be a hit with the history buffs and kids who love to learn fun facts.
Similar Themed Books/Connections to Life
Her second book, How They Choked: Failures, Flips, and Flaws of the Awfully Famous, has a very similar mood to it. This book focuses on individuals such as Susan B. Anthony and George Armstrong Custer, who were influential but somewhat of a "pain in the butt". An informative narrative with wit, charm, and humor.
“Written in a chatty style, full of wit and laugh-out-loud moments, this charmingly irreverent delivery of history is not only entertaining but packed full of lessons to be learned.”- School Library Journal
“An insightful, informative narrative explaining how these individuals earned a place in history, including both their accomplishments and embarrassing and sometimes-tragic failures.” - Kirkus Reviews
Other Novels by G. Bragg
How They Choked: Failures, Flips, and Flaws of the Awfully Famous
Also illustrated by Kevin O'Malley
Matisse on the Loose
Awards
- 2012 International Reading Association Best Non-fiction Award
- 2012 ALSC ALA Notable Children’s Books List
- 2012 Top Ten Audio Books
- 2012 YALSA ALA Quick Picks List for Nonfiction
- 2014 Garden State Teen Book Award
- Texas Lone Star Master List
- 2012 – 2013 South Dakota State Library Reading List
- 2012 Best Children’s Books of the Year, Bank Street
- 2012 California Collections list (Elementary and Middle School)
- 2012 Capitol Choices Noteworthy Titles For Children and Teens
- 2012 Nominee for Kentucky Bluegrass Award (Grades 6-8 division)
- 2011 Los Angeles Public Library: LAPL Reads List
- 2011 Cybils Awards Finalist (nonfiction)
Teaching Ideas
Have students choose a famous or influential person to do research on. Students need to focus on both life and death, listing their greatest accomplishments, both good and bad. As Bragg includes in her books, sometimes the most influential people have the most embarrassing back stories. Choose a number, between three and five, to have students research information on. After they focus on the life of the individual, have the student focus on the death. What happened that was odd or unique to that individual? Was the death directly related to the time frame in which they lived (example: Bubonic Plague, Black Death/Black Plague, polio, or measles)? Have students mimic Bragg's writing style by adding a hint of humor to their research paper.
After all of the students have submitted their assignment, have each student make a one to two slide PowerPoint of the most important or interesting fact they found out about their individual. Next, have them add in the reason they passed. Once students submit their slides, put them all together, and make a spoiler video like Bragg did for her website.
Additional Information (per Scholastic)
Genre: Non-fiction
ISBN 13: 9780545486330
Lexile Measure: 950L
DRA Level: 60
Pages: 194
Dear Mr. Henshaw
Written by Beverly Cleary
Illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky
Cleary, B. (1983). Dear mr. henshaw. New York, NY: Morrow.
B. Cleary's Website: http://www.beverlycleary.com/
Beverly Cleary, born in 1916, has been around for well over fifty years in the book world, with her first book published in 1950! Her website includes a list of all of her books, about her, fun/games, a place to meet all of her characters (a total of 13 including the ever famous Ramona Quimby, Henry Huggins, and Beezus), and extra resources for students, teachers, and parents.
A free, full version text of the book can be found here. A quick and easy read that took only an hour and a half to get through.
Summary
Bonnie, Leigh's mother, grew up in a small town and, after graduating high school, fell in love with a long distance truck driver, Bill Botts. Soon, the two were married, despite being completely incompatible. Bill seemed to be more in love with the truck than with Bonnie. Bill takes Bandit, his dog, on the road, while Bonnie takes Leigh to a new town with the hopes of creating a more stable life for the two.
With the separation, Leigh is uprooted to a new town, Pacific Grove, with his mother, Bonnie, to start the fourth grade. As he struggles to fit in and make friends, he focuses his anger on his absent father.Bonnie begins working at a catering service company while attending classes at a local community college. With Bonnie always working, Bill absent, and no friends to speak of, Leigh is in a new place in his life that he never expected to reach.
When a class assignment is given to write to your favorite author, Leigh immerses himself in the assignment. Written in letter format, Leigh Botts,a young boy with recently separated parents begins to write to Mr. Henshaw, an author that Leigh began writing in second grade. Leigh choose Boyd Henshaw to write to because he thought his book was funny. Soon, Mr. Henshaw writes back and a friendship is formed between the two.
Mr. Henshaw suggests that Leigh write down his thoughts in a diary, offers him tips on how to be a good writer, and gives him tips on how to cope with his parents' divorce. Leigh's attitude soon changes and Leigh thinks of Henshaw as a father figure in letter form.
Mr. Fridley, the school custodian, is also brought into the picture and the pair become a duo in human form. Leigh begins helping Mr. Fridley with some of his day to day tasks, sharing stories with him along the way. Sometimes Leigh feels unneeded, his feelings hurt that, yet again, another man has disappointed him.
Angela Badger, another well-known author, is introduced and Leigh gets to eat lunch with her due to an error in a poetry contest. Leigh had not read any of her books but was still excited to meet her. During lunch, Badger recognizes Leigh's story and fills him with positive affirmations, despite not being the first place winner. Leigh finally asks Badger if she had ever met Boyd Henshaw, to which she explained what kind of person he was, after meeting him at an author signature event.
On March 31st, Leigh writes one last letter to Mr. Henshaw about how he received an honorable mention in the school's yearbook for his true story. Leigh hopes to win first or second place next year, eventually leading to the writing of an imaginary story. Leigh thanks Mr. Henshaw for all of his help and advice, and Leigh signs his last letter with the words "the author".
The novel ends with Leigh's father arriving to his house. Barry, Leigh's friend, leaves the two alone to catch up. Starting off with small banter, the two talk about how Bill managed to find the missing Bandit with a series of radio calls. Bonnie comes out and the two have an awkward exchange hinting at money and previous issues. After a short time, Bill says how much he misses Bonnie and the two seem to rekindle their initial love, all with Leigh sitting awkwardly in the background. While Bill doesn't stay, he mentions that he will "see [Leigh] around" and to keep Bandit with him.
From May 12th, the first letter, to December 3rd, the second and start of the book, all the way to March 31st, the reader is engrossed with this real world situation that many kids struggle through today. This novel puts divorce into perspective, showing the child's point of view and what they have to deal with. Many children do not think about using writing as an outlet, but this novel helps show students of all ages how writing could be the exact thing they need to deal with the stress of growing up.
Similar Themed Books/Connections to Life
Divorce/separation of parents, growing up, loneliness, school life, and understanding others are all key themes touched on in this book.
The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordian, Waiting for Normal by Leslie Connor, Holes by Louis Sachar, and Number the Stars by Lois Lowry all touch base on family issues and how it affects the child's life as well as the change that occurs when a child chooses to make a decision, good or bad.
Other Novels by B. Cleary
Clearly has written over fifty books! She has picture books, chapter books, books on young love, and memoirs to choose from.
Awards
- Newbery Medal
- Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children’s Book Award (Vermont)
- Garden State Children's Book Award (New Jersey)
- Nene Award (Hawaii)
- Sequoyah Children's Book Award (Oklahoma)
- Massachusetts Children's Book Award
- ALA Notable Children’s Book
- Horn Book Fanfare
- Christopher Award
Teaching Ideas
A wonderful pre-made resource I found on Scholastic with questions to pose in the beginning, middle, and ending of the book. These questions can be used for a KWL chart or for basic discussion groups.
Have students write their own letter to their favorite author or teacher, past or present, using some of the chapters as ideas to have a good starting point.
Additional Information (per Scholastic)
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 160
Grades: 3-8
ISBN 13: 9780380709588
The Graveyard Book
Written by Neil Gaiman
Illustrated by Dave McKean
Gaiman, N. (2008). The graveyard book. New York, NY: Harper Collins Publishers.
N. Gaiman's Website: http://www.neilgaiman.com/ for the older readers
http://www.mousecircus.com/ for the younger readers
Gaiman's website includes a multitude of resources and information on
his works. In the tab labeled "Neil's Works" you can find sub-tabs of
audio, books, comics, films, television, and theater items of which he
has been involved in.
Gaiman has a section labeled "Journal" where he keeps an
ongoing, up to date, diary-like blog on his day to day life. With a
mixing of fonts, pictures, and honorable mentions (Laurie Anderson), you
are never going to fall short on things to read with Gaiman.
Check out the full, free, PDF version of the book online. Easy to find, easy to read.
Background Information: Gaiman had the idea for the story in 1985, after seeing his
then-two-year-old son Mike "pedaling his BMX around a graveyard” near
their home in East Grinstead, West Sussex. Recalling how comfortable his son looked
there, Gaiman thought he "could write something a lot like The Jungle
Book and set it in a graveyard. “When he sat down to write, however, Gaiman
decided he was "not yet a good enough writer" and came to the same
conclusion as he revisited it every few years. He eventually published it in
2008 (Gaiman
Interview).
Summary (long books call for long summaries, including one as detailed as this book!)
As the only living inhabitant of a graveyard, our protagonist,,
Nobody Owens, known as Bod, is a slightly unusual boy. Ever since he
was an infant, Bod was raised by ghosts, werewolves, and other members
of the graveyard. Bod's guardian is a ghost who does not belong to
neither the living or the dead world. Bod's parents were brutally
murdered by a man named Jack, and Bod is unable to leave the graveyard
because he will risk his death by Jack as well. We later find out that
they family name is Dorian. When the parents were murdered, Jack was
unaware of the fact that a toddler lay resting in a crib upstairs. Bod
soon climbs out and makes his way up a hill to explore a graveyard.
After wandering in, the ghosts begin to quarrel on whether to keep the
toddler or not, when finally the Lady of the Grey (a symbol for the
Angel of Death), makes the finally decision to keep him, stating that
"the dead should have charity". The first ones to find Bod were Mr. and
Mrs. Owens and they becoming his foster parents. Bod is granted the
Freedom of the Graveyard, allowing him to pass through any object within
the graveyard, only when he is in the graveyard, including the gates.
Silas, the caretaker of the graveyard, is implied to be an ancient
being who was formerly an evil vampire, now reformed. Silas accepts the
duty to provide for Bod, bringing him food, clothing, and basic human
necessities to survive since the ghosts cannot do so.Silas lies to Jack
that the toddler climbed down the hill and was never to be seen again,
leaving Jack to lose Bod's trail.
A majority of the short stories within the novel are Bod's adventures
as a human boy growing up in a graveyard and being raised by ghosts,
ghouls, and others. Scarlett Perkins, a friend he meets as a boy,
convinces her mother that he in an imaginary friend. Because Scarlett is
gone for extended periods of time playing with her "imaginary friend",
her parents worry that she has gone missing, and they uproot her to
Scotland. Bod befriends another ghost, Elizabeth Hempstock, who was
executed unjustly for being a witch.
Bod does try to assimilate into the human world by attending school,
but soon denies continuing due to excessive bullying and the inability
to maintain a low profile, like his family suggested. Instead, he is
taught by his ghost teacher, Mr. Pennyworth and Silas.
In "school", Bod learns to fade, allowing him to turn invisible if no
one is paying attention to him, to haunt, allowing him to make people
feel uneasy or even to the point of terrifying them, and to dream walk,
allowing him to go into other's dreams and control it without causing
physical harm to the dreamer.
As the years pass, we find out that Jack never gave up on
looking for the toddler boy he lost the trail to. Without the death of
Bod by Jack, he is unable to complete his assignment, an ancient, secret
society called the Jack of All Trades. With Bod still alive, Jack can
be destroyed, mentioning that Jack killed the Dorian family simply
because of a prophecy.
When Bod turns fourteen years old, Silas and Miss Lupescu, his
tutor, leave for business. At the same time, Scarlett is back in town
due to the divorce of her parents, reuniting the two once again.
Scarlett begins to do research and finds out that her historian friend,
Mr. Jay Frost, lives in the house that once belonged to the Dorian
family. When the two visit the home, in an effort to have Bod remember
his family and previous life, Mr. Frost unveils himself as Jack the
family's murderer, also known as Jack Frost.
Scarlett and Bod run from Jack, driving him to the graveyard where
every version of Jack, except Jack Frost, is defeated by Bod. Jack Frost
captures Scarlett and takes her to the chamber of Sleer. Bod tricks
Jack and says he is the Sleer's master, ending with the Sleer defeating
Jack by a hug and disappearance into the wall for protection.
Scarlett is traumatized by the night's events and Silas decides
that her memories need to be erased. Bod disagrees with the memory
loss, but Silas goes through with the process anyways. Scarlett is
convinced, by Silas, to return to Glasgow with her mother.
At the age of fifteen, Bod begins losing his Freedom of the
Graveyard ability. Silas, as he said he would, continues to protect Bod
by giving him money, a passport, and a loving goodbye.
“The Graveyard Book, by turns exciting and witty, sinister and tender, shows Gaiman at the top of his form. In this novel of wonder, Neil Gaiman follows in the footsteps of long-ago storytellers, weaving a tale of unforgettable enchantment.” -New York Times Book Review
“Like a bite of dark Halloween chocolate, this novel proves rich, bittersweet and very satisfying.” -Washington Post
“Wistful, witty, wise—and creepy. This needs to be read by anyone who is or has ever been a child.”- Kirkus Starred Reviews
“It takes a graveyard to raise a child. My favorite thing about this book was watching Bod grow up in his fine crumbly graveyard with his dead and living friends. The Graveyard Book is another surprising and terrific book from Neil Gaiman.”- Audrey Niffennegger (my favorite author)
The truest meaning of family doesn't have to be blood. Bod is
taken care of by the undead and a graveyard caretaker as if he is their
own child. This is a great book to show children that family can be
anyone and everyone who protects and cares for you.
Coming of age, magical realism, alternative families, and
accepting who one is are reoccurring themes within the book. This book
puts a new meaning to the phrase "it takes a village to raise a child",
but here, "it takes a graveyard to raise a child". The Graveyard Book #2 also by Neil Gaiman, The Shadow Hero by Gene Yang, and Where She Went and If I Stay by Gayle Forman all had similar themes to them, including a supernatural twist. If I Stay was
the most similar book because a young girl almost dies in a car wreck
that the rest of her family dies in, leaving her to navigate the world
alone. Forman's novel also has a follow up called Where She Went
Other Novels Written by N. Gaiman
Gaiman has written forty four other books including picture books,
chapter books for young adults as well as adults, and comics. With
twenty two books available on audio books/eBooks, forty one books
labeled as comics, five books have been turned into films, six books
have been turned into television productions, and two books have been
used in theater, Gaiman has nothing short of reads to look through.
Gaiman also has a few notable short stories available to read on his
website, including A Study in Emerald and four others, all of which are available to read online for free.
Teaching Ideas
Harper Collins Publishers' website had a plethora of resources to use, including a reading group guide, information on the author, a selected bibliography of some of his other work, a word search for lower levels, and a teaching guide for teachers and librarians.
I really enjoyed going through the Gaiman Visual Bibliography on his website. Gaiman, to me, has a very "typical author vibe" to him and I was interested in learning more.
Awards for the Graveyard Book Series
Bestseller Lists Nominations:
- #1 New York Times Bestseller (61 weeks in the top 10)
- National Indie Bestseller
- BookScan Bestseller
Awards:
- Newbery Medal
- ALA Notable Children's Book
- ALA Best Book for Young Adults
- American Bookseller Association's "Best Indie Young Adult Buzz Book"
- Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award (Vermont)
- Chicago Tribune Young Adult Literary Prize (for body of work)
- Audio Publishers Association Audie Award
- Audio book of the Year
- "Thriller/Suspense" and "Children's Titles for Ages 8-12" categories
- IndieBound Award
- Horn Book Honor
- Burr Worzolla Award
- Midwest Booksellers Choice Award
- Locus Award (Young Adult)
- Hugo Award - "Best Novel"
- Booktrust Teenage Prize
2008/2009 Best Lists:
- Horn Book Fanfare: Best Books of 2008
- ALA Booklist Editors' Choice: Books for Youth, 2008
- Kirkus Reviews Best Children's Books of 2008
- Cooperative Children's Book Center Choice 2009
- Fall 2008 Indie Next List, "Inspired Recommendations for Kids from Indie Booksellers" - #1
- New York Public Library's 2008 "One Hundred Titles for Reading and Sharing"
- New York Public Library Stuff for the Teen Age
- Amazon.com Best Books of 2008 - Editors' Top 10 for Teens, #9
- Time Magazine Top Ten of 2008 Fiction List - #9
- Bank Street College of Education Best Children's Books of 2009
- 2009 Capitol Choices (District of Columbia); in "age 10-14" and audio book categories
- LA Times Book Prize for Young Adult Literature Finalist
- World Fantasy Award
- Finalist for Amelia Elizabeth Warden Award
- Shortlisted for British Fantasy Award for best novel
Additional Information (per Goodreads and Harper Collins)
Genre: Fiction
Horror, Fantasy, Paranormal
Age: 12 and up (labeled as Young Adults/Juvenile Fiction)
Pages: 368
ISBN 13: 9780060530921
Also available in eBook and audio book.
Each of the eight chapters are short stories within a larger story, all
set two years apart from one another. As the protagonist, Bod, grows
up, the chapters progress, some with analogues from Rudyard Kipling's
1894 work.
The book was also adapted into a two-volume graphic novel by P. Craig Russell.
The Legend of the Bluebonnet
An Old Tale of Texas
Written & Illustrated by Tomie dePaola
dePaola, T. (1983). The legend of the bluebonnet. New York, NY: Purham.
T. dePaola's Website: https://www.tomie.com/
Summary
The state flower of Texas, the bluebonnet, is a well known flower that blooms in the Texas hills in springtime each year. Based on the Comanche Indians, the legend of the bluebonnets begins with the story of how they came to be.
A drought occurs and the people of the land are starving. With the lack of rain and food, they look to the Great Spirit to give them an answer of what to do.
A little girl, named She-Who-Is-Alone, named because of the loss of her family, leaving her only with her prized possession, her little doll. The Shaman comes down from the mountains to enlighten the people on how the drought can be stopped. The people must make a sacrifice to be burned. This sacrifice must be something important and prized.
Instead of keeping the doll for herself, She-Who-Is-Alone sacrifices it to the spirits in hopes of rain to come. The spirits bless the land and allow the people who live on it to have plenty to eat. Because of the sacrifice of a young girl, the drought and famine has come to an end. This land later becomes Texas.
Strengths
The bold colors used in dePaola's illustrations mimic exactly what a field of bluebonnets look like. With cultural appropriate illustrations of the Comanche Indians and their home, the illustrations perfectly match the story. Minimalist in drawings, the backgrounds of sunsets and sunrises is what really captures the reader's attention.
Information on Native Americans is given with introduction to the words teepee, pow-wow, and shaman. The dress, movement, and lifestyle of the Comanches is shown beautifully within each page.
Similar Themed Books/Connections to Life
The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush and The Legend of the Poinsettia, both also dePaola's books, show the legends of how the two flowers came about.
This is multicultural literature because it is about Native Americans, the Comanche. The Legend of the Bluebonnet is presented in a sensitive way, and it is an empowering story about sacrifice to save the ones you love.
This story has been passed down through generations (my first reading of this when I was a young child in the first grade), and I know for myself whenever I saw the bluebonnets bloom I thought of this story and the sacrifice that She-Who-Is-Alone made for the ones she loved.
Other Novels by T. dePaola
dePaola has written two-hundred and sixty nine other books, many of which are folktales or fables. One-hundred forty three books have been written by him, two-hundred sixty six books have been illustrated by him, and he started his writing career in 1965. Writing a minimum of a book a year, dePaola has not let up from adding his collections to the libraries of the world.
Teaching Ideas
This is a legend told about great sacrifices and how the bluebonnets came to Texas. The plot has a brief introduction, a quick introduction to the conflict, and a quick touching resolution. There is a moral in the story about making great sacrifices in order to save others. She-Who-Is-Alone made the greatest sacrifice of anybody, giving the last item from her parents and those she loved, in order to save her people. She thought of others first, and herself second. Have students write about a time that they or someone they know have sacrificed something important for a greater good. How did it make them feel? How did everything turn out?
Additional Information (per Scholastic)
Genre: Fiction
Folktale
Grades: 1-5
Ages: 4-8
Pages: 32
Lexile Measure: 680L
DRA Level: 34
ISBN 13: 9780590426039
Martina the Beautiful Cockroach
Written by Carmen Agra Deedy
Illustrated by Michael Austin
Deedy, C. (2007). Martina the beautiful cockroach. Atlanta, GA: Peachtree Publishers.
C. Deedy's Website: https://carmenagradeedy.com/
Beautiful Martina's Website: http://www.beautifulmartina.com/
Includes illustrations, folktale origins, the Cuban cockroach,
Cafe Cubano, words in Spanish, interviews, and information about C.
Deedy.
Visit Peachtree Publishers for a free, PDF version of the book, in complete color.
Visit Peachtree Publishers for a free, PDF version of the book, in complete color.
Summary
At age twenty-one days, Martina the cockroach has reached the time in
her life to find a mate. Martina listens carefully as the lady
cockroaches shower her with gifts and advice for finding the perfect
cockroach mate. Abuela, Martina's grandmother, uses an old method of
spilling coffee on one's shoes to find a potential mate.
There are three suitors for Martina, in the beginning, none of which being a cockroach. Don Gallo, a cocky rooster, Don Cerdo, a pig, and Don Larato, a creepy lizard. All three of the suitors fail the coffee test. Martina is devastated, relying on the advice of her lady friends and the trick from her Abuela, she is hurt knowing she still has not found a mate.
Soon, Martina runs into a mouse gardener that takes her breath away. Perez, the little brown mouse, is so well liked by Martina that she does not want him to go through the coffee test, no matter how much Abuela insists. Abuela suggests that true character is always shown with the coffee test and one must always go through with it, no matter how unorthodox Martina thinks it is.
As Martina goes to splash the coffee, Perez is as quick as a mouse, and splashes his coffee onto Martina's shoes! Perez admits that he too has a Cuban grandmother and knows of the coffee trick, giggling all the while.
There are three suitors for Martina, in the beginning, none of which being a cockroach. Don Gallo, a cocky rooster, Don Cerdo, a pig, and Don Larato, a creepy lizard. All three of the suitors fail the coffee test. Martina is devastated, relying on the advice of her lady friends and the trick from her Abuela, she is hurt knowing she still has not found a mate.
Soon, Martina runs into a mouse gardener that takes her breath away. Perez, the little brown mouse, is so well liked by Martina that she does not want him to go through the coffee test, no matter how much Abuela insists. Abuela suggests that true character is always shown with the coffee test and one must always go through with it, no matter how unorthodox Martina thinks it is.
As Martina goes to splash the coffee, Perez is as quick as a mouse, and splashes his coffee onto Martina's shoes! Perez admits that he too has a Cuban grandmother and knows of the coffee trick, giggling all the while.
Strengths
The folktale is introduced and with a twist! While one is not drawn to
the title per say, the story itself houses more to it than just a
cockroach looking for love. Intercultural and interracial relationships
are presented and promoted, occurring between the characters, both
cockroaches and animals alike. A character is never considered an
unsuitable mate because of their outsides, rather they are unsuitable
because of what lies on the inside: greed, pride, anger, sloth, etc.
Also available in Spanish and as an audio file. The Spanish words add to the authenticity of the book. The words are easy to understand with the context clues and illustrations. The story itself has a true efficacy of Cuban family members.
Also available in Spanish and as an audio file. The Spanish words add to the authenticity of the book. The words are easy to understand with the context clues and illustrations. The story itself has a true efficacy of Cuban family members.
“Deedy’s text sparkles with sly humor… The stunning acrylic illustrations are full of color, light, and humor… This wonderful book will delight children.” ―School Library Journal
“Austin’s cockroach dwelling is a desirable piece of real estate, with its stairs made of gum wrappers, its wrought-plastic comb railing, and its exclusive mid-Havana address (it’s a lamppost). A friendly sprinkling of Spanish words, warmly drawn relationships and a lot of puns all widen the audience for this spirited story.” ―Publishers Weekly
“Lively and funny… Fun to compare with other versions, this telling has magic all its own.” ―Kirkus Reviews
Similar Themed Books/Connections to Life
Ghosts by
Raina Telgemeier is very similar with the Hispanic heritage and family
portions weaved together. The idea of being yourself and not trying to
impress others reminded me of Cinderella and Pancho Rabbit and the Coyote by Duncan Tonatiuh.
Other Novels by C. Deedy
The Cheshire Cheese Cat: A Dickens of a Tale
14 Cows for America
The Yellow Star: The Legend of King CHristian X of Denmark
The Library Dragon
The Secret of Old Zeb
Agatha's Feather Bed: Not Just Another Wild Goose Story
The Last Dance
Growing Up Cuban in Decatur, Georgia
Awards
- Amelia Bloomer Project (nominee) / ALA Booklist, Feminist Task Force / 2008
- Americas Award for Children’s and Young Adult Literature (commended title) / National Consortium of Latin American Studies Programs (CLASP) / 2008
- Anne Izard Storytellers’ Choice Award / Westchester Library System / 2008
- Best Children’s Books of the Year / Bank Street College of Education / 2008
- Black-Eyed Susan Book Award (nominee, picture book) / Maryland Educational Media Organization / 2008-2009
- California Young Reader Medal (primary) / CRA, CLA, CATE, CSLA / 2010-2011
- Charlotte Award (nominee, primary) / New York State Reading Association / 2010
- Children’s Book Award / Florida Reading Association / 2008-2009
- E. B. White Award (nominee) / Association of Booksellers for Children / 2008
- Georgia Children’s Picture Storybook Award (nominee) / University of Georgia / 2010-2011
- Golden Sower Award (nominee, primary) / Nebraska Library Association / 2010-2011
- International Latino Book Awards (Best Children’s Picture Book, English) / Latino Book & Family Festival, Latino Literacy Now / 2008
- Irma Simonton and James H. Black Award for the Best Picture Book of the Year (honor book) / Bank Street College of Education / 2008
- Kansas State Reading Circle Recommended Reading List (starred, primary) / Kansas National Education Association / 2008
- Louisiana Young Readers’ Choice Award (nominee, grades 3-5) / State Library of Louisiana and Louisiana Center for the Book / 2010
- Mockingbird Award (nominee) / Abilene Independent School District / 2008-2009
- Monarch Award (Master List) / Illinois School Library Media Association / 2011
- North Carolina Children’s Book Award (nominee, junior book category) / North Carolina Reading Association / 2009
- Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People / NCSS/CBC / 2008
- Pennsylvania Young Reader’s Choice Awards (nominee, grades K-3) / Pennsylvania School Librarians Association / 2009-2010
- Pura Belpre Medal (honor book) / ALA/ALSC, REFORMA, National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos / 2008
- Read On Wisconsin! (primary age group) / Read On Wisconsin! / September 2009
- Society of School Librarians International Book Awards (honor book, Language Arts picture books) / Society of School Librarians International / 2008
- South Carolina Picture Book Award (nominee) / South Carolina Associatoin of School Librarians / 2009-2010
- Storytelling World Resource Awards (winner, Stories for Young Listeners) / Storytelling World magazine / 2009
- Texas Bluebonnet Award (Master List) / Texas Library Association / 2009-2010
- Treasure State Award (nominee) / Montana State Reading Council / 2010
- Virginia Readers’ Choice (Master List) / Virginia State Reading Association / 2010-2011
- Volunteer State Book Awards (master list, K-3) / Tennessee Association of School Librarians / 2009-2010
- Young Hoosier Book Award (nominee, picture book) / Association for Indiana Media Educators / 2009-2010
Teaching Ideas
Have students write down a tradition that goes on in their household. This may not be something that children can come up with off the top of their heads, rather they may need to go home and do some research into their family's history. When students have something prepared, have them share with the class, comparing and contrasting similarities and differences between cultures.
Have students write down a tradition that goes on in their household. This may not be something that children can come up with off the top of their heads, rather they may need to go home and do some research into their family's history. When students have something prepared, have them share with the class, comparing and contrasting similarities and differences between cultures.
Additional Information (per Scholastic)
Genre: Fiction
Cuban Folktale
Grades: 1-5
Ages: 4-8
Lexile Measure: 610L
DRA Level: 38
Pages: 32
ISBN 13: 9780545858274
Rosa
Written by Nikki Giovanni
Illustrated by Bryan Collier
Giovanni, N. (2005). Rosa. New York, NY: Holt.
N. Giovanni's Website: http://www.nikki-giovanni.com/
Nikki Giovanni Awards and Honors (per her website)
- Keys to more than two dozen American cities, including New York, Miami, Los Angeles, and New Orleans
- Delta Sigma Theta Sorority (Honorary Member)
- Seven NAACP Image Awards: for Love Poems; Blues: For All the Changes; Quilting the Black-Eyed Pea; Acolytes; Hip Hop Speaks to Children; 100 Best African American Poems; Bicycles
- Life Membership & Scroll, The National Council of Negro Women
- Named one of Oprah Winfrey’s 25 Living Legends
- Phi Beta Kappa
- State Historical markers in Knoxville, Tennessee, and Lincoln Heights, Ohio
- The Tennessee Governor's Award in the Arts
- Tennessee Governor's Award In the Humanities
- Virginia Governor's Award for the Arts
- Woman of the Year, Ebony Magazine
- Woman of the Year, Ladies Home Journal
- Woman of the Year, Mademoiselle Magazine
- The Rosa Parks Women of Courage Award, first recipient
- American Book Award
- Caldecott Honor Book Award
- Carl Sandburg Literary Award
- Moonbeam Children’s Book Award
- Tennessee Writer's Award, The Nashville Banner
- The Appalachian Medallion Award
- The East Tennessee Writers Hall of Fame Award
- The Gwendolyn Brooks Award
- The Gwendolyn Brooks/John O. Killens Award
- The Langston Hughes Award
- ALC Lifetime Achievement Award
- Art Sanctuary’s Lifetime Achievement Award
- Artist-in-Residence. The Philadelphia Clef Club of Jazz and Performing Arts
- Distinguished Visiting Professor, Johnson & Wales University
- Duncanson Artist in Residence, The Taft Museum
- Poet-In-Residence, Walt Whitman Birthplace Association
- The Cecil H. and Ida Green Honors Chair, Texas Christian University
- The Hill Visiting Professor, University of Minnesota
- Sankofa Freedom Award
- The Legacy Award, National Alumni Council United Negro College Fund
- The Ohio Women's Hall of Fame
- 2000 Council of Ideas, The Gihon Foundation
- A species of bat named in her honor (Micronycteris giovanniae)
- Affrilachian Award
- American Library Association's Black Caucus Award for Non-fiction
- Ann Fralin Award
- Child Magazine Best Children's Book of the Year
- Cincinnati Bi-Centennial Honoree
- Excellence in Leadership Award from Dominion Power
- Finalist, Best Spoken Word Grammy
- John Henry "Pop" Lloyd Humanitarian Award
- Legends and Legacies Award
- Named a HistoryMaker
- National Association of Radio and Television Announcers Award for Best Spoken Word Album
- National Book Award Nomination for Gemini
- National Parenting Publications Gold Award
- Outstanding Woman of Tennessee
- Parents' Choice Award for The Sun Is So Quiet
- Presidential Medal of Honor, Dillard University
- The SHero Award for Lifetime Achievement
- United States Senate Certificate of Commendation
- Woman of the Year, Cincinnati YWCA
- Women of Power Legacy Award
Background Information:
Nikki Giovanni is not only an author but is/was a Civil Rights
activist, activist, poet, television personality since 1943, and a major
force in the Black Arts Movement. Giovanni's poetry helped define the
African-American voice in the 1960's and beyond. Born in 1943, Giovanni
has seen some things, allowing her to use her previous knowledge and
personal memories in her literature.
Summary
A picture book recounting the events that made Rosa Parks a
historic legacy. Many students are familiar with the Rosa Parks story of
refusing to remove herself from a white section on public
transportation, but Giovanni gives the readers a little insight in the
before and after. The book starts off with background information on
Rosa Parks, including her marriage, her profession, and the caring of
her elderly mother. Giovanni continues with the story we all know, the
bus seat, and details Parks' woes that lead up to her arrest. The book
ends with the explanation of how Rosa Parks' brave actions to refuse
giving up her seat sparked a movement that led to the desegregation of
whites and blacks.
Bryan Collier's illustrations are magnificent and really compliment the
text. The details are amazing and Parks' essence seems to be truly
captured. With forty pages of color and detail, the two made a dynamic
team when it came to the creation of this book.
"Award-winning poet, writer, and activist Nikki Giovanni's evocative text combines with Bryan Collier's striking cut-paper images to retell the story of this historic event from a wholly unique and original perspective." -Scholastic
A read aloud of Rosa by Nikki Grimes. To be read along with the book.
African-American history, Civil Rights Movement, segregation and
integration, and women's history are all key points mentioned in this
poetic masterpiece. This book is an inspiring account of the events that
helped shape American history.
I believe the most interesting part of this whole book is the
fact that Nikki Giovanni lived through this time period and faced the
many hardships that she touches base on in her poetry. All of her work
have a sense of realism to them because of her ability to use her real
world memories and knowledge. The fact that the Columbine shooter was a
student with her in one of her classes, really goes to show you that she
has truly seen it all.
Teaching ideas are endless here, and the book is easy to use in the
classroom for cross-curricular literature. You can pair this poetry book
with your English and history classes all year, especially during Black
History Month.
I found a toolkit of information,
including, but not limited to, author and illustrator information,
discussion questions for all ages, and resources to use while reading
the book. With the use of this website, and the others listed in this
blog entry, you will not fall short of information to use simultaneously
with the book.
Try pairing the following books with Rosa:
Early Elementary Readers
Boycott Blues: How Rosa Parks Inspired a Nation by Andrea Davis and Brian Pinkney (NF)
Child of the Civil Rights Movement by Paula Young Shelton & Raul Colon (NF)
Rosa Parks by Eloise Greenfield (NF)
Upper Elementary
Scraps of Time 1960: Abby Takes a Stand by Patricia McKissak (F)
Mississippi Bridge by Mildred Taylor (F)
As Fast As Words Could Fly by Pamela Tuck (NF)
Let it Shine: Stories of Black Women Freedom Fighters by Andrea David Pinkney
Middle School
10 True Tales: Young Civil Rights Heroes by Allan Zullo (NF)
The Watsons Go to Birmingham- 1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis (Realistic F)
Freedom's Children by Ellen Levine (NF)
Teachers of the Era/Teacher Resources
Freedom's Teacher: The Life of Septima Clark by Katherine Charron (NF)
Putting the Movement Back Into Civil Rights Teaching: A Resource Guide for Classrooms and Communities edited by Deborah Menkart, Alana Murray, and Jenice View (NF)
I've Got the Light of Freedom: The Organizing Tradition and the Mississippi Freedom Struggle by Charles Payne (NF)
Other Work by N. Giovanni
Giovanni has twenty other "adult" poetry books published between the
years of 1968 and 2013. As for children's poetry, Giovanni has written
twelve other books published between the years of 1971 and 2008. She
also has twelve other books labeled "Essays and Conversations" in a tab
on her website. Ten books have been recorded into audio versions on
tapes or CDs and many of her books have been made into audio books and
eBooks. Giovanni also has two films: Spirit to Spirit: Nikki Giovanni
(DVD) and The History Makers: An Evening with Nikki Giovanni available.
Giovanni was diagnosed with lung cancer in the 90's, preventing her
from keeping up with her work until the publication of Blues: For All The Changes in 1999.
"I wanted to share the woman that I had the privilege of knowing with younger people. Mrs. Parks, of course, is an icon, and when you become iconic, you become bigger than life, and I wanted to show that she was... an ordinary women who did an extraordinary thing. Who would have thought that a seamstress from Montgomery, Alabama, would, in fact, be the first woman in the United States to lay in state, that the entire nation would agree that we are mourning this death? Who would have thought that? I mean, it's so wonderful, and she's the only non-violent person--you know, you look at--there were 30 people who have lain in state since the Civil War; 29 were politicians who were men, military men and policemen. And Mrs. Parks." -Interview between Giovanni and Ed Gordon in 2005; Giovanni's answer to the inspiration behind her book (LINK to typed interview) (I italicized prolific portions that I found to be universal in nature in her interview statement.)
Awards for Rosa
- Coretta Scott King Award for Illustrations 2006
- Caldecott Medal 2006
Additional Information
Genre: Non-fiction
Historic
Pages: 40
Lexile Measure: 800L
DRA Level: 50
Ages: 5 and up
Grades: 3-5 and 6-8
ISBN 13: 9780312376024
Giovanni has a wonderful article on Poetry Foundation where her work is immortalized.
It's So Amazing!: A Book about Eggs, Sperm, Birth, Babies, and Families
Written by Robie Harris
Illustrated by Michael Emberley
Harris, R. (1999). It's so amazing!:a book about eggs, sperm, birth, babies, and families. Boston, MA: Candlewick Press.
R Harris' Website: http://robieharris.com/ and you can find specifics here
Background Information: "This book was created in response to requests from parents, educators, librarians, health professionals and clergy for a book on sexual health for younger children, ages 7 and up (SOURCE)".
Harris has written twenty-eight other children's books and a teacher's guide to help. Harris' previous book, It's Perfectly Normal, received quite a bit of backlash and is frequently banned from libraries. After this book, Harris spoke with more experts in hopes of creating a new version for younger children.
A new edition has been published for the 15th anniversary that is completely updated for today's kids. On Harris' website, she supplies us with an anniversary information sheet, available to download for free.
I think this is a perfect book to use in the health classes, especially during the first puberty/sex talk in elementary school. The pictures are colorful and bold, but they hold just the right amount of detail for a young reader. While this book is not a slimmed down or condensed version of It's Perfectly Normal, it has a different writing style and way of presenting the information to younger audiences.
Harris' other book, for slightly more mature readers, It's Perfectly Normal, holds the same information with more detail. Funny enough, I received this book as a young adult too. The main difference between the two, other than the information within it, is the way the illustrations are presented. For example: the woman's egg and man's sperm have faces drawn on them, while the egg uses the Fallopian tube as a water slide, possibly leading a child to explain the picture instead of what is actually happening in the picture.
It's Not the Stork!: A Book About Girls, Boys, Babies, Bodies, Families, and Friends is another option, also written by R. Harris, to aid in pairing texts and discussing similar themes. This book is for children as young as four years old. With that being said, Harris does a great job of catering the idea of "growing up" to specific age groups.
"To me it wasn't controversial. It's what every child has a right to know."Author Robie Harris
A picture book about growing up, puberty, and birth for ages seven and up. The book contains illustrations of naked humans, the inner workings of a body, and occurrences on the outside of the body during puberty.
This book describes sexuality in an age-appropriate and engaging way. Comprehensive in nature, the book includes more than just the basics of life. Heterosexual sex, families welcoming a child, sperm donors, in vitro fertilization, and transgenders are all touched upon within these pages.
Very briefly does Harris discuss masturbation (she leaves that for It's Perfectly Normal) and the difference between safe and unsafe touches from others. The latter of the two I found to be extremely important, if not the most important portion of the book for this age group.
The illustrations are detailed and scientifically accurate, but the bright color palette and fun faces make them appealing rather than intimidating or scary for the younger readers. The information is heavy, but the way it is presented keeps it light.
Additional Information
Genre: Non-fiction
Growing Up, Parent's Guide, Science
Listed as a banned book in many libraries.
Pages: 88
Ages: 7 and up (Upper elementary/Young Adult)
ISBN 13: 9780763613211
Comics Squad: Recess
Written by Jennifer & Matthew Holm, Jarrett Krosoczka, Dan Santat, and Raina Telgemeier
Holm, J. (2014). Comics squad: recess. New York, NY: Random House for Young Readers.
J. Holm's Website: http://www.jenniferholm.com/
Author and Editor
M. Holm's Website: http://www.matthewholm.net/
Author and Illustrator
J. Krosoczka's Website: http://www.studiojjk.com/
Author and Illustrator
D. Santat's Website: http://www.dantat.com/
Author and Illustrator
R. Telgemeier's Website: https://goraina.com/
Author and Illustrator (Cartoonist)
Summary
Consisting of eight short stories by different authors, this graphic novel is full of laughs! The entire graphic novel is in two colors, black and orange, leaving the real imagination up to the reader.
The following are a list of short, individual stories within the book:
- "The Super-Secret Ninja Club" by Gene Luen Yang
- "Book 'Em, Dog Man!" by Dav Pilkey
- "Betty and the Perilous Pizza Day" by Jarrett J. Krosoczka
- "The Magic Acorn" by Ursula Vernon
- "Babymouse: The Quest for Recess" by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm
- "Jiminy Sprinkles in 'Freeze Tag'" by Eric Wight
- "300 Words" by Dan Santat
- "The Rainy Day Monitor" by Raina Telgemeier and Dave Roman
A few familiar faces are mentioned in the graphic novel including Babymouse and Lunch Lady. Eight comic shorts all revolve the school recess theme, but all of them are unique and wild in their own ways. Wight's short deals with a run in between a cupcake and vegetables, Santat's short introduces young love sprouting from sharing homework, all the way to Babymouse having his whiskers zapped off by the god Zeus. There is even a group of knockoff versions of President Obama, Iron Man, and Princess Peach from Nintendo all competing in a kickball game! Full of laughs and fun, these short stories may be different, with different characters, but they all run together on the playground during recess.
"Wowza! Calling all kidz! Do you like comics? Do you like laughing till milk comes out of your nose?! Look no further--do we have the book for you! All your favorite comic creators are right here in this handy-dandy hilarious book! This all-star tribute to classic Sunday comics includes eight sidesplitting, action-packed stories about every kid's favorite subject--RECESS! With popular characters from Babymouse and Lunch Lady and brand-new soon-to-be favorite characters from superstars including Dav Pilkey! Raina Telgemeier! Gene Yang! and many more! Comics Squad also features Pizza Monsters! Secret ninja clubs! Aliens! Talking desserts! Dinozilla! Death-defying escapes! Bad guys! Good guys! Medium guys! Superheroes! Bullies! Mean girls! Epic battles! True love! Outlandish schemes! Evil plans! Fun! Jokes! Terrible puns! And other surprises that will tickle your funny bone! WARNING: THIS BOOK MAY CAUSE EXCESSIVE LAUGHTER AND POSSIBLE SILLINESS. No assembly required. (Pizzatron 2000 not included.)"- Per Goodreads' Review
Other Comics Squad Books
There are three books in the series, including Recess!, called Lunch! and Detention!. In the book Recess!, it is edited by J. Holm, but is written by one of the other authors mentioned above. In the book Lunch!, it is edited by both J. and M. Holm, again with multiple authors adding in their work. The Comics Squad series focuses on growing up, dealing with and understanding life facts, friendship, social skills, and school life.
I decided to focus on Jennifer and Matthew Holm, the two leading authors/illustrators/editors of the book.
The Collaboration of Husband and Wife
Together, Jennifer and Matthew Holm have created quite a few characters: Babymouse (graphic novels in collaboration with Matthew Holm) with twenty stories and two additional graphic novels fully illustrated by M. Holm, Little Babymouse fully illustrated by M. Holm, the Squish series with nine stories (graphic novels in collab with M. Holm), My First Comics series of four books (fully illustrated by M. Holm) Middle School is Worse than Meatloaf, Eighth Grade is Making Me Sick, and many collaborations with additional authors and illustrators. Both authors have multiple links and resources on their websites for additional help and information.
Babymouse and Squish printable classroom activities including how to draw the characters, fill in comics, and coloring pages are available here.
Teaching graphic novels can be difficult, but M. Holm supplied us with a resource to help us do so. He has quite a few sites listed with valuable information on how to teach them. I understand the frustration of teaching graphic novels because, instead, of calling it by its proper name, my students prefer to call them "picture books".
Even more beneficial, M. Holm personally created two PowerPoints to help teach students about graphic novels. Both are available for download at no cost.
Jennifer Holm
Additionally, J. Holm has written two anthologies, one edited by a favorite author of mine, Gary Paulsen. Shelf Life:Stories By the Book and Friends: Stories About New Friends, Old Friends, and Unexpectedly True Friends have been used in a mission to change lives through literacy in a book benefit called ProLiteracy Worldwide. On J. Holm's website, you can find sub-tabs with information on Babymouse, Squish, novels she has written, the STUFF series, anthologies, book reports, appearances, and more.
Matthew Holm
His website, slightly harder to navigate and definietley less colorful than his wife's, has very much of the same information because of how much they work hand in hand together. The main difference is that M. Holm's website is set up as more of a blog. M. Holm has also written books for adults, a total of seven, five of which being a series for Marty Gray.
“The orange two-color artwork lets the artists’ distinctive styles shine; readers can only hope more such collaborations are on the way.”- Publisher's Weekly Starred Review, 2014
"More fun than the playground at recess!" -Kirkus Starred Review, 2014
"A terrific introduction to the styles of [the] individual creators, inviting [graphic novel] newbies to wander through in search of a series that hits their own comic sweet spot" -The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, 2014
Additional Information
Pages: 144
Book one of the series, with a total of three.
Grade Level: 2-5
Ages: 7-10
Lexile Measure: 440L
ISBN 13: 9780385370035
This Is Not My Hat
Written and Illustrated by Jon Klassen
Klassen, J. (2012). This is not my hat. Boston, MA: Candlewick Press.
J. Klassen's Website: http://jonklassen.tumblr.com/
Klassen's website is set up as a Tumblr instead of the typical website.
Filled with illustrations, ideas, and a diary-like set up, this Tumblr
is like another children's book.
(Read by an adult, the full version of the book with added music)
Summary
A small fish steals a hat from a sleeping big fish. The little
fish assumes that the big fish will not wake up and, if he does wake
up, he will not notice that it is gone.
The small fish goes to an area with large plants because he cannot be seen. A crab sees where he went, but the little fish does not think he will tell where he went.
The little fish feels bad about stealing a hat but rationalizes his theft with the fact that the hat does not fit the big fish. The little fish truly believes that hiding within the plants, that he will be hidden forever, found not by all who search for him.
Apparently, he did not hide well enough because the big fish did find him. The book ends with the big fish wearing his little hat again, safe and sound, asleep once more.
The small fish goes to an area with large plants because he cannot be seen. A crab sees where he went, but the little fish does not think he will tell where he went.
The little fish feels bad about stealing a hat but rationalizes his theft with the fact that the hat does not fit the big fish. The little fish truly believes that hiding within the plants, that he will be hidden forever, found not by all who search for him.
Apparently, he did not hide well enough because the big fish did find him. The book ends with the big fish wearing his little hat again, safe and sound, asleep once more.
Strengths
Klassen has a three part series (different characters, ideas,
etc. with the same premise) that allows students to have a connection to
a previous idea and something to base their thought process on. The
other two illustrated books are I Found A Hat and Where Is My Hat.
Focused more on illustrations towards the end, the beginning of the book sets the scene for why a big fish has a hat, why the little fish wants the hat, and the revelation of the little fish that stealing is bad. A small lesson taught within the book, but it is never followed up with a consequence or conversation between the two for a full closure, leaving the reader to wonder what happened to the little fish.
A sense of foreshadow is hinted in the little fish's idea that the big fish will not wake up. The second foreshadow piece occurs when little fish states that no one will tell on him.
Towards the end, the dark colors mimic the depths of the deep ocean and the ambiance of something eerie and the thought of something bad about to occur. Did the fish receive the karma he deserved for stealing something that was not his? We will never know.
Focused more on illustrations towards the end, the beginning of the book sets the scene for why a big fish has a hat, why the little fish wants the hat, and the revelation of the little fish that stealing is bad. A small lesson taught within the book, but it is never followed up with a consequence or conversation between the two for a full closure, leaving the reader to wonder what happened to the little fish.
A sense of foreshadow is hinted in the little fish's idea that the big fish will not wake up. The second foreshadow piece occurs when little fish states that no one will tell on him.
Towards the end, the dark colors mimic the depths of the deep ocean and the ambiance of something eerie and the thought of something bad about to occur. Did the fish receive the karma he deserved for stealing something that was not his? We will never know.
"A marvelous book in the true dictionary sense of 'marvel': it is a wonderful and astonishing thing, the kind of book that makes child laugh and adult chuckle, and both smile in appreciation. A charmingly wicked little book."-The New York Times Book Review (in reference to his first book: I Want My Hat Back)
"Jon Klassen’s typical minimalism reaches a new level of refinement [and,] in my opinion[,] the best and most stirring in his hat trilogy... Klassen, who speaks the language of the picture book... has created a masterpiece of honest feelings, emotional tension and poetic restraint.'-The New York Times Book Review (in reference to his third book: We Found A Hat)
Similar Themed Books/Connections to Life
Chloe and the Lion by Mac Barnett- Matches up with the joys and trials of collaboration
Green by Laura Seeger- Matches up with the illustrations of deep, dark colors
Sleep Like a Tiger by Mary Logue- Matches up with the sleeping aspect and what occurs when one is asleep
A Children's Book About Stealing by Joy Berry- Matches up with the reasoning and consequences to theft; an educational guide to help children understand that sharing is actually caring
I Want My Hat Back and I Found A Hat by Jon Klassen
And for a bit of holiday spirit, How the Grinch Stole Christmas! by Dr. Seuss- Matches up with realizing that theft does not always fit the overall need for something
Chloe and the Lion by Mac Barnett- Matches up with the joys and trials of collaboration
Green by Laura Seeger- Matches up with the illustrations of deep, dark colors
Sleep Like a Tiger by Mary Logue- Matches up with the sleeping aspect and what occurs when one is asleep
A Children's Book About Stealing by Joy Berry- Matches up with the reasoning and consequences to theft; an educational guide to help children understand that sharing is actually caring
I Want My Hat Back and I Found A Hat by Jon Klassen
And for a bit of holiday spirit, How the Grinch Stole Christmas! by Dr. Seuss- Matches up with realizing that theft does not always fit the overall need for something
Teaching Ideas
I was very impressed with the number of resources available
online for this children's book! Everywhere I turned, there seemed to be
a new, interactive, age-appropriate resource or activity kit for use.
All of the resources came from legitimate backgrounds: Carnegie Greenway, Candlewick, and so forth, making me more comfortable with borrowing some of their ideas to make my own lessons into.
Candlewick Press supplied us with an activity kit,
nine pages full of fun activities for younger students. The kit has an
easy to do crossword puzzle, a hat creation guide, the ability for
students to draw their own idea of what a forest looks like to them, a
maze, and more. Many of the pages already have pre-drawn items and are
colored for the student.
The activity kit hits the nail on the head for our younger readers. I
would use some of the ideas within the kit to make my own lessons. For
example: instead of the students cutting out pre-made fish and other
underwater creatures to paste onto a sea background, I would have small
groups create portions of the scene so that the class can create one big
underwater scene. Underneath each underwater creature, I would have
them put the name of the creature, using an online database to help with
the labeling and drawing portion. I would also like to have them create
their own "fun" fish, a creation all of their own to showcase on the
scene.
Another Candlewick Press creation, a story-hour kit, provides us with a four book collection of books to pair with This Is Not My Hat. I always love when authors give us a set list of books that they find to be a good paired match.
Other Books by J. Klassen
Written and Illustrated
I Want My Hat Back, This is Not My Hat, and We Found a Hat
Children's Illustrated Books
Cat's Night Out, Extra Yarn, House Held Up By Trees, The Dark, and Sam and Dave Dig a Hole
Other Illustrated Books
The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place (novel series by Maryrose Wood; books I-IV by Klassen and book V by another illustrator), Vanished, The Watch that Ends the Night, The Witch's Boy, The Nest, Pax, Triangle (Shape Triology), and The Wolf, the Duck, and the Mouse
Awards
Klassen is the only children's book illustrator to win both the
Caldecott Medal (2013 for illustrations) and the British Kate Greenway
Medal (illustrations) for the same piece of work.
Additional Information (per multiple websites that were previously linked above)
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 40
Best for preschoolers to first grade.
Ages: 4-8
Lexile Measure: 340L
Best for preschoolers to first grade.
Ages: 4-8
Lexile Measure: 340L
ISBN 13: 978076355990
Additionally, a read aloud by K. Nelson is provided on Scholastic. Nelson reads from the chapter "Third Inning:Life in the Negro Leagues".
ISBN: 9780786808328
Paterson, K. (1972). Bridge to terabithia. New York NY: Crown.
K. Paterson's Website: http://katherinepaterson.com and with specifics on the book here
Summary
Jesse Oliver Aarons Jr.'s biggest worry in life was gaining the title of "fastest runner in the fifth grade". That is until Leslie Burke taught him how to find his inner magic.
Jesse lived in an old barn near Washington D.C., with his four sisters, mom, and dad. He had been practicing his speed all summer in hopes of winning that very title. He would have won it, if it hadn't been for the new kid, Leslie Burke. She beat all the girls. She beat all the girls. Slowly, Jesse befriended Leslie, realizing how smart and imaginative she was. Together they headed out into the woods, found a rope attached to an old tree, swung across the river, and, using boards and other materials, together they built a castle stronghold. "Terabithia" was born with Queen Leslie and King Jesse to rule over.
A few days later, at school, Janice Avery, the school bully, stole May Belle's ( Jesse's six year old sister) Twinkies. Leslie and Jesse wrote a fake love letter to Janice, from her crush, and she told everyone about it. When everyone realized her crush didn't like her, or the write the letter in the first place, she was laughed at. Karma had ensued.
The visits to Terabithia continued with the two and winter encroached upon them. Jesse gave Leslie a puppy for Christmas. He was so proud of his gifts, and soon the puppy became Prince Terrien (P.T.) of Terabithia. Leslie had helped Jesse express passion for drawing, so she got him an art set. After winter break, Jesse and Leslie found Janice crying in the restroom. Leslie went in to comfort her and realized Janice's father is physically abusive. That day, the two of them learned to never judge a person before walking in their shoes.
Rain began and it came down harder and harder each day. The water level in the river in Terabithia began to rise, making it more and more difficult to cross using the rope. A teacher from school invited Jesse to an art museum, but Jesse didn't want to Leslie to go, so he didn't invite her. When he returned, he found his family in distress because they were unaware of the fact that he had gone on a field trip with his teacher. Jesse didn't understand why this was a problem until he was informed that Leslie was found dead. She had swung across the river, as usual, over the rising water, but she slipped and managed to hit her head. Jesse was in denial, and after paying his respects to Leslie, ran off to Terabithia.
With the use of a fallen tree, Jesse climbed across to the queen-less area of Terabithia, realizing its magic has faded. May Belle followed him onto the fallen tree and was too scared to continue across or go back. With Jesse's help, May Belle made it across. With his sister's act, Jesse had an idea. Along the way, Jesse told May Belle about a magical land called Terabithia. He made sure to mention that "there's a rumor going around that a beautiful girl arriving today might be the queen they've been waiting for".
Awards for the Book
Awards for the Movie
Teaching Ideas
A PDF created by K. Paterson that guides readers along. The PDF includes information on the author, about the book, what to do before you read the novel, what do do while reading the novel, what to do after reading the novel, discussion guides, vocabulary words pertinent to the story, writer's workshop, sentence stems, and journal prompts.
One could also read the book with the PDF mentioned above and then have students watch the movie with a compare and contrast assignment. All of the major points would need to be hit on the plot line to determine the sameness and differences.
Additional Information
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 144
Lexile Measure: 810L
DRA Level: 50
Ages: 8-14
Grades: 3-8
ISBN 13: 9780590132008
Jason Reynolds' Website: https://www.jasonwritesbooks.com/
His website includes information about him, his list of books, a "procrastination" section consisting of his blog and tumblr, and a way to contact him. His blog has a subheading of "I do stuff", and I think that really sums him up as a whole.
I have read many of his books and thoroughly enjoy him as an author. In one class for SHSU, I had to follow a few authors and I chose him. He posts some "real" stuff on Twitter. He isn't afraid to speak his mind. He is strong willed and open. He gives praise and credit where deserved. I hope to see more authors like him.
FOLLOW JASON!
Instagram: @jasonreynolds83 with over 26.7 followers and 920 posts
Twitter: @jasonreynolds83
Facebook: search "Jason Reynolds" and look for the verified blue check mark
Summary
A quick read of inspirational poems aimed towards a younger crowd. The idea of the book pushes readers to have courage and take action towards their dreams, no matter what they may be. The words are simple, not groundbreaking in any sense, but are easy to understand and the point is taken as literally, or in depth, as the reader wants to take it. Besides poems, the book has a few sentiments and phrases that could be taken to heart, filled with metaphors and all kinds of references throughout it.
Strengths/Real World Connections
I think Whitney Atkinson, on GoodReads, stated it perfectly, "The only disconnect I had from this is that it's pretty surface-level. I'm sure to teens this book will be empowering, but I've read books and seen TEDTalks that are much more in depth than this. I give this book a lot of credit because I know Reynolds' story and I respect him so much as a person and what he's been through and what his writing stands for, and I know that his fans will find some great inspiration in this book, but it just wasn't groundbreaking to me." As an adult, I found the book to be sweet at most, but it didn't reach me as much as some of the true poets of our times have. I think students will enjoy this because of the very reasons us adults don't seem to connect with it. It is short, sweet, and simple and doesn't take much time to read. On top of that, students can take what they want from it at any age, not just grade specific.
Teaching Ideas
Have every student write their own brief work: poem, short story, or sentence to have put into their own classroom book. Guide students that the idea is based off of "dreamer's ideas" and should have a worldly theme to it. Publish a book at the end of the year and allow for students, parents, and teachers to purchase the book for themselves. It could serve as a fundraiser and great way to remember the year!
Other Work by J. Reynolds
Reynolds has a four part series: Ghost, Patina, Sunny, and Lu. Listed on his website as "mid-grade and young adult", Reynolds has an additional seven books, not including For Every One.
Additional Information (per my library)
Genre: Fiction
Set up in poem form.
Pages:101
Ages: 12 and up
Any adult will enjoy this as much as a student.
Grades: 6th and up
Time to read straight through: 30-45 minutes.
Additional Information (per Candlewick Press)
Genre: Historical Fiction
Written in verse.
Pages: 96
Ages: 10-14
Grades: 5-9
ISBN 13: 9780763615789
Beginning of the book has a map of England in 1255 for reference. The picture is a detailed photo of the setting: a Medieval Manor.
Summary
Starting off like the original, traditional tale, the three pigs are quickly and unexpectedly changed into something completely new. The pigs are able to jump in and out of other fairy tales after one pig gets blown into an alternative universe. The pages of the original story appear on the page in another medium as the pigs escape the big bad wolf into other stories.
Like the original, the three pigs set off to build a house of their own, and, again like the original tale, two pigs are a bit more light hearted than the third. The first pig, the laziest of them all, builds a house out of straw. The second pig, the irresponsible one, builds a house out of sticks because it was the fastest and easiest way to do so. The third pig, the hard-working and responsible one, chose to build his house out of bricks. The other two pigs make fun of the bricked house, but soon the joke is on them.
When the wolf approaches the straw house, he blows the pig literally out of the frame. One by one, the pigs exit the fairy tale border and set off on their own adventure, ready to get rid of the wolf. Along their journey they rescue a dragon, soon to be slain, befriending him because of it. The cat and the fiddle are lured out of their nursery rhyme and miss bed time.
A unique twist on the original tale, students and parents alike will be intrigued with what Wiesner can do to such a traditional, tell one way story. Point proven at the end when the pigs and a dragon chase the big bad wolf away! Unexpected for adults, fun for children, and an all around cute read for all.
Awards for The Three Pigs
Awards & Nominations for Other Works
Per the HarperCollins website (listed at the top of the page), "David Wiesner has been awarded the Caldecott Medal three times, for Flotsam in 2007, The Three Pigs in 2002, and Tuesday in 1992. He has received the Caldecott Honor twice, for Sector 7 in 2000 and Free Fall in 1989. Free Fall is the first title he both authored and illustrated. His cover art now graces The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis. Among many other accolades, David has been nominated for the Hans Christian Andersen Award."
Other Works by D. Wiesner
Wiesner has illustrated more than twenty award-winning books for young readers and illustrated a total of twenty-eight books. Wiesner has also written eleven books, illustrating all of them. On top of all of that, Wiesner has done covers and helped design a CD-ROM adventure game from the '90s.
Similar Themed Books/Lessons
The original The Three Little Pigs story (an adapted story that comes from many different sources, often said to have its primary source from English fairy tales, retold by Flora Annie Steel in 1922) is a must to use as a comparison to Wiesner's version, The True Story of The Big Bad Wolf by Jon Scieska and Lane Smith share a similar idea to the story itself, The Three Little Pigs by Al Dempster, The Three Bears by Rob Hefferan, and The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig by Eugene Trivizas for a fun change in pace.
The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig by Eugene Trivizas can be used as a teaching lesson for comparing and contrasting the differences between the original, know all story and a new version. Think of questions to prompt your readers before, during and after the story.
Additional Information
Genre: Fiction, fairy tale
Pages: 45
Ages/Grades: Pre-K- Grade 2
ISBN: 0618007016
It’s a Book’s Website: http://www.lanesmithbooks.com/LaneSmithBooks/Its_a_Book.html
Rules
Written by Cynthia Lord
Lord, C. (2008). Rules. New York, NY: Scholastic.
C. Lord's Website: http://www.cynthialord.com/
A full list of her books is available, five of which have
multiple resources attached to them. There are multiple ways to contact
Lord, letter format, email, and event requests. She apparently used to
do book blurbs, but it seems as if she no longer has continued with
those.
Send a letter to Cynthia Lord:
Cynthia Lord
P.O. Box 388
Topsham, Maine 04086
P.O. Box 388
Topsham, Maine 04086
Per her website, she says that she is "always happy to hear from you"
and that she will reply if you send a self addressed and stamped letter
within the envelope.
"Catherine is an appealing and believable character, acutely self-conscious and torn between her love for her brother and her resentment of his special needs. Middle-grade readers will recognize her longing for acceptance and be intrigued by this exploration of dealing with differences." -Kirkus Reviews
"The appealing, credible narrator at the heart of Lord's debut novel will draw in readers, as she struggles to find order and balance in her life.... A rewarding story that may well inspire readers to think about others' points of view." -Publishers Weekly
"Catherine is an endearing narrator... her story with both humor and heartbreak. . . this sensitive story is about being different, feeling different, and finding acceptance. A lovely, warm read, and a great discussion starter." -School Library Journal
Summary
Catherine, a "normal" twelve year old girl, lives with her family.
Catherine craves a "normal" life. David, her younger brother with
autism, seems to be the center of attention, having to teach him rules
constantly so that he does not embarrass the family. Catherine's life is
far from "normal". Whether it is teaching him fruits, knocking on the
bathroom door, or keeping his clothes on in public, David can be a
handful at times. It doesn't help that the family has to constantly
write the rules down and deal with Kyle, the neighbor who bullies David
for being different. David doesn't always understand that Kyle is making
fun of him, despite Catherine trying to explain to him that laughter
isn't always a good thing.
As soon as summer comes around, Catherine meets Jason, a paraplegic
boy, and the next door neighbor, Kristi. Jason attends the same
occupational therapist that David does, allowing the two to meet. Jason
is in a wheelchair and uses a book of words to communicate because he
cannot talk. Catherine begins to make new cards of words for Jason,
helping him learn new words to express himself. Catherine begins to grow
closer and closer to Jason, seeing the good in him and not what other
people see or mock. Catherine begins to accept her brother and
understand why he does what he does.
Kristi is the new neighbor, alarmed at meeting David for the first time
because he is screaming. She goes to unpack, telling Catherine she
wants to meet the rest of the family soon. Kristi and Catherine finally
meet, after quite a few mishaps, and become friends. Ryan, another
neighborhood bully, continues to mess with Catherine and David, despite
all this, Kristi still hangs out with Ryan because of a forming crush.
Kristi and Ryan are to attend a dance together and Catherine agrees to
go to Jason's birthday party. At the birthday party, Catherine slips out
information about the dance. Jason asks if Catherine would like to
attend the dance, but she hesitates, leaving Jason to decipher that she
is embarrassed by him and does not want to be seen in public with him.
Catherine finally convinces the angry Jason to attend the dance with
her, but Kristi is extremely rude when she finds out that Jason is
handicapped. While dancing, Catherine realizes that Kristi is not a true
friend, rather Jason is.
Other Novels by C. Lord
Coming in 2019, Borrowing Bunnies, a non-fiction work. Lord has a total of five novels, a three book series of Hot Rod Hamster, a three book series of Shelter Pet Squad, and a three book series, early readers version, of Hot Rod Hamster (level two reader).
Her novels include touchblue, half a chance, a handful of stars, and because of the rabbit to debut
in 2019. All of her books have lowercase titles and bright colors on
the cover. Three of her five novels have an animal of some kind on the
cover: dog, fish, rabbit, rubber duck.
Similar Themed Books/Connections to Life
Friendship, honesty, acceptance, and diversity are the key themes
within this book. Having a special needs sibling can be difficult and
many kids do not have an idea of what home life can be like. Check out
the following links on children with disabilities, all of which can be
used and shared with students to help them better understand the book: Autism Society of America and Parent Link for information for parents on disable children.
As mentioned in Lord's discussion guides, she gives a list of fiction
and non-fiction books to compare and contrast to Rules. The list of
fiction books are as follows: Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko, A Corner of the Universe by Ann Martin, True Confessions by Janet Tashijian, Me and Rupert Goody by Barbara O'Connor, and The Summer of the Swans by Betsy Byars.
The one non-fiction book listed is definitely one to check out: Views From Our Shoes: Growing Up With A Brother or Sister with Special Needs by Donald Meyer. I was intrigued with the title and took a gander at a few free, PDF files online.
Personally, I would choose to pair Rules with Wonder
by R.J. Palacio. Both are easy reads, about the same length, and follow
a family with a child who has a disability and a "normal" child. Both
"normal" siblings learn to understand their sibling with a disability
and learn from others what love and family really means.
"[A]n honest and frequently funny portrayal of what it's like to have a sibling with autism at an age when being accepted is so important." -Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Teaching Ideas
C. Lord provides us with resource and discussion guides
for five of her books, including this one. Within the full list, Rules
has a discussion guide, reproducible worksheets, an audio program (very
brief), excerpts from the book performed by Jessica Almasy, the Maine
Humanities Council website, and writing rules and tips for middle school
authors.
What I loved most about the discussion guide
was the idea of being able to use a KWL chart for the entire book. The
discussion guide touches base on everything from examining the cover to
breaking down the book in parts to discuss the key points.
Use the above links, under connections to life, to help guide
students on furthering their knowledge on special needs, what it can
mean, how and f it affects an individual, and more. Have students create
a safe environment where they can discuss these questions without
feeling judged.
Awards
- Newbery Honor Medal
- Schneider Family Book Award
- Mitten Award- Michigan Library Association
- Great Lakes Great Books Award- Michigan
- Maine Student Book Award
- Dorothy Canfield Fisher Award- Vermont
- Kentucky Bluegrass Award
- Great Stone Face Award- New Hampshire
- Buckeye Children's Book Award- Ohio
Nominated for state Kid's Choice Awards in the following states: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia,
Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland,
Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire,
New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pacific
Northwest (voting together: Alaska, Alberta CA, British Columbia CA,
Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington), Pennsylvania, Rhode Island,
South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia and
Wyoming.
Additional Information
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 224
Ages: 9-12
Grades: 4-7
Lexile Measure: 670L
Available on Amazon, in eBook formats, Google Play, audio books, and Audible.
We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball
Written and Illustrated by Kadir Nelson
Nelson, K. (2008). We are the ship:the story of negro league baseball. New York, NY: Hyperion.
K. Nelson's Website: http://www.kadirnelson.com/
We Are the Ship Book Website: http://www.wearetheship.com/about-the-book.html
We Are the Ship Book Website: http://www.wearetheship.com/about-the-book.html
Background Information (per Amazon)
Kadir Nelson is a two-time Caldecott Honor Award recipient. He has
received an NAACP Image Award, a CASEY Award, the 2009 and 2014 Coretta
Scott King Author Award, and the 2009 Robert F. Sibert Informational
Book Award. Among Mr. Nelson's other awards are gold and silver medals
from the Society of Illustrators. His work has appeared in The New York
Times, Sports Illustrated, and The New Yorker.
Summary & Strengths
K. Nelson describes what it was like to be an African-American playing
baseball in a predominantly white sport. There was a time where most
players were white, thus leading to the formation of the Negro League.
Through the battles of racism and segregation, Nelson tells the story of
how baseball came to be what it is today.
The book is written in "innings" and each one holds valuable information on specific people, dates, and information on how baseball went from a white man's sport to everybody's sport. In the first portion, we are introduced to Andrew "Rube" Foster, a player and manager, who got all the owners together of the local teams to create a larger team with official rules. This soon became known as the Negro League.
Other important players and people who made baseball everyone's sport included in the novel are Oscar Charleston, Josh Gibson, Cool Papa Bell, and Satchel Paige. The stories of these historic players is told from their perspective with bold words, real life situations, and deeply researched memories of others.
From the 1920's, through the Great Depression, and after Jackie Robinson dominated the majors in 1947, K. Nelson gives us full and double page oil paintings with breathtaking pictures to match his heartfelt words, full of emotion, perspectives, and feelings that the reader can imagine.
The book is written in "innings" and each one holds valuable information on specific people, dates, and information on how baseball went from a white man's sport to everybody's sport. In the first portion, we are introduced to Andrew "Rube" Foster, a player and manager, who got all the owners together of the local teams to create a larger team with official rules. This soon became known as the Negro League.
Other important players and people who made baseball everyone's sport included in the novel are Oscar Charleston, Josh Gibson, Cool Papa Bell, and Satchel Paige. The stories of these historic players is told from their perspective with bold words, real life situations, and deeply researched memories of others.
From the 1920's, through the Great Depression, and after Jackie Robinson dominated the majors in 1947, K. Nelson gives us full and double page oil paintings with breathtaking pictures to match his heartfelt words, full of emotion, perspectives, and feelings that the reader can imagine.
Similar Themed Books/Connections to Life
Jackie Robinson by Josh Gregory, Stealing Home:The Story of Jackie Robinson by Barry Denenberg, and Coming Home
by Cornelius Van Wright all have similar themes of baseball,
African-American history and culture, prejudice, discrimination,
segregation and integration, and important figures in sports. All three
of the listed books are on similar, if not the same, reading levels.
Additionally, a read aloud by K. Nelson is provided on Scholastic. Nelson reads from the chapter "Third Inning:Life in the Negro Leagues".
Teaching Ideas
Very similar to Nikki Grimes', Rosa,
teachable moments and informational resources are endless here. The
non-fiction text is easy to use
in the classroom for cross-curricular literature. You can pair this book
with your English and history classes all year, especially
during Black History Month.
African-American history, Civil Rights Movement, segregation and integration, and historical men in baseball are all key points mentioned in this masterpiece. This book is an inspiring account of the events that helped shape American history in sports and more.
African-American history, Civil Rights Movement, segregation and integration, and historical men in baseball are all key points mentioned in this masterpiece. This book is an inspiring account of the events that helped shape American history in sports and more.
Other Works by K. Nelson
Predominantly an artist, K. Nelson has one other book where he has written and illustrated the entirety: Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans. Nelson's artwork is for sale online, a link is offered on his website, that range from $350.00 and upwards to $800.00.
Awards
- Coretta Scott King Author Award (2009 Winner)
- Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor
- Sibert Medal (2009 Winner)
Additional Information
Genre: Non-fiction
Pages: 88
Grades: 3-5
Lexile: 900ISBN: 9780786808328
Bridge to Terabithia
Written by Katherine Paterson
Paterson, K. (1972). Bridge to terabithia. New York NY: Crown.
K. Paterson's Website: http://katherinepaterson.com and with specifics on the book here
Summary
Jesse Oliver Aarons Jr.'s biggest worry in life was gaining the title of "fastest runner in the fifth grade". That is until Leslie Burke taught him how to find his inner magic.
Jesse lived in an old barn near Washington D.C., with his four sisters, mom, and dad. He had been practicing his speed all summer in hopes of winning that very title. He would have won it, if it hadn't been for the new kid, Leslie Burke. She beat all the girls. She beat all the girls. Slowly, Jesse befriended Leslie, realizing how smart and imaginative she was. Together they headed out into the woods, found a rope attached to an old tree, swung across the river, and, using boards and other materials, together they built a castle stronghold. "Terabithia" was born with Queen Leslie and King Jesse to rule over.
A few days later, at school, Janice Avery, the school bully, stole May Belle's ( Jesse's six year old sister) Twinkies. Leslie and Jesse wrote a fake love letter to Janice, from her crush, and she told everyone about it. When everyone realized her crush didn't like her, or the write the letter in the first place, she was laughed at. Karma had ensued.
The visits to Terabithia continued with the two and winter encroached upon them. Jesse gave Leslie a puppy for Christmas. He was so proud of his gifts, and soon the puppy became Prince Terrien (P.T.) of Terabithia. Leslie had helped Jesse express passion for drawing, so she got him an art set. After winter break, Jesse and Leslie found Janice crying in the restroom. Leslie went in to comfort her and realized Janice's father is physically abusive. That day, the two of them learned to never judge a person before walking in their shoes.
Rain began and it came down harder and harder each day. The water level in the river in Terabithia began to rise, making it more and more difficult to cross using the rope. A teacher from school invited Jesse to an art museum, but Jesse didn't want to Leslie to go, so he didn't invite her. When he returned, he found his family in distress because they were unaware of the fact that he had gone on a field trip with his teacher. Jesse didn't understand why this was a problem until he was informed that Leslie was found dead. She had swung across the river, as usual, over the rising water, but she slipped and managed to hit her head. Jesse was in denial, and after paying his respects to Leslie, ran off to Terabithia.
With the use of a fallen tree, Jesse climbed across to the queen-less area of Terabithia, realizing its magic has faded. May Belle followed him onto the fallen tree and was too scared to continue across or go back. With Jesse's help, May Belle made it across. With his sister's act, Jesse had an idea. Along the way, Jesse told May Belle about a magical land called Terabithia. He made sure to mention that "there's a rumor going around that a beautiful girl arriving today might be the queen they've been waiting for".
Awards for the Book
- Janusz Korczak Medal (Poland) 1981
- Silver Pencil Award (Netherlands) 1981
- Newbery Medal 1978
- ALA Notable Children’s Books 1977
- School Library Journal Best Book of 1977
- Lewis Carroll Shelf Award, 1978
- Le Grand Prix des Jeunes Lecturs (France), 1986
- 1986 Colorado Blue Spruce Young Adult Book Award
Awards for the Movie
- Young Artist for Best Performance in a Feature Film- 2008
- Young Actress Age 10 or Younger-- Bailey Madison
Teaching Ideas
A PDF created by K. Paterson that guides readers along. The PDF includes information on the author, about the book, what to do before you read the novel, what do do while reading the novel, what to do after reading the novel, discussion guides, vocabulary words pertinent to the story, writer's workshop, sentence stems, and journal prompts.
One could also read the book with the PDF mentioned above and then have students watch the movie with a compare and contrast assignment. All of the major points would need to be hit on the plot line to determine the sameness and differences.
Additional Information
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 144
Lexile Measure: 810L
DRA Level: 50
Ages: 8-14
Grades: 3-8
ISBN 13: 9780590132008
For Every One
Written by Jason Reynolds
Reynolds, J. (2018). For every one. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster.
Jason Reynolds' Website: https://www.jasonwritesbooks.com/
His website includes information about him, his list of books, a "procrastination" section consisting of his blog and tumblr, and a way to contact him. His blog has a subheading of "I do stuff", and I think that really sums him up as a whole.
I have read many of his books and thoroughly enjoy him as an author. In one class for SHSU, I had to follow a few authors and I chose him. He posts some "real" stuff on Twitter. He isn't afraid to speak his mind. He is strong willed and open. He gives praise and credit where deserved. I hope to see more authors like him.
FOLLOW JASON!
Instagram: @jasonreynolds83 with over 26.7 followers and 920 posts
Twitter: @jasonreynolds83
Facebook: search "Jason Reynolds" and look for the verified blue check mark
Summary
A quick read of inspirational poems aimed towards a younger crowd. The idea of the book pushes readers to have courage and take action towards their dreams, no matter what they may be. The words are simple, not groundbreaking in any sense, but are easy to understand and the point is taken as literally, or in depth, as the reader wants to take it. Besides poems, the book has a few sentiments and phrases that could be taken to heart, filled with metaphors and all kinds of references throughout it.
Strengths/Real World Connections
I think Whitney Atkinson, on GoodReads, stated it perfectly, "The only disconnect I had from this is that it's pretty surface-level. I'm sure to teens this book will be empowering, but I've read books and seen TEDTalks that are much more in depth than this. I give this book a lot of credit because I know Reynolds' story and I respect him so much as a person and what he's been through and what his writing stands for, and I know that his fans will find some great inspiration in this book, but it just wasn't groundbreaking to me." As an adult, I found the book to be sweet at most, but it didn't reach me as much as some of the true poets of our times have. I think students will enjoy this because of the very reasons us adults don't seem to connect with it. It is short, sweet, and simple and doesn't take much time to read. On top of that, students can take what they want from it at any age, not just grade specific.
Teaching Ideas
Have every student write their own brief work: poem, short story, or sentence to have put into their own classroom book. Guide students that the idea is based off of "dreamer's ideas" and should have a worldly theme to it. Publish a book at the end of the year and allow for students, parents, and teachers to purchase the book for themselves. It could serve as a fundraiser and great way to remember the year!
Other Work by J. Reynolds
Reynolds has a four part series: Ghost, Patina, Sunny, and Lu. Listed on his website as "mid-grade and young adult", Reynolds has an additional seven books, not including For Every One.
"Originally performed at the Kennedy Center for the unveiling of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, and later as a tribute to Walter Dean Myers, this stirring and inspirational poem is New York Times bestselling author and National Book Award finalist Jason Reynolds’s rallying cry to the dreamers of the world." -Simon and Schuster
Additional Information (per my library)
Genre: Fiction
Set up in poem form.
Pages:101
Ages: 12 and up
Any adult will enjoy this as much as a student.
Grades: 6th and up
Time to read straight through: 30-45 minutes.
Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!
Voices From a Medieval Village
Written by Laura Amy Schlitz
Illustrated by Robert Byrd
Schlitz, L.A. (2007). Good masters! sweet ladies!. Boston, MA: Candlewick Press.
L.A. Schlitz's Website: http://inkwellmanagement.com/client/laura-amy-schlitz
This was the closest, besides Wikipedia, of a website I could find for
her. Listed as a literacy agency, InkWell Management, houses a few
authors and their biographies.
Summary & Strengths
This book is a collection of voices from a medieval village that
presents information on their daily lives. Written in verse, in a series
of monologues, we meet a few characters from an English village in
1255. As is a typical village in that time, we are introduced to
maidens, monks, millers, shepherds, and food sellers of the hunted
animals.
Hugo
is the lord's nephew. Nelly supports her family by selling live eels.
Mogg is the peasant's daughter. Alice is the shepherdess. Jack and
Barbary are playful. While all the characters have different levels of
class within society, each one has a special place in society.
The book shows the diverse classes of society, different angles of society, and still leave room for interpretation as to what daily life is like in the Middle Ages. Normally a dull subject for children, the book allowed for well researched ideas that were presented in an engaging manner.
The book shows the diverse classes of society, different angles of society, and still leave room for interpretation as to what daily life is like in the Middle Ages. Normally a dull subject for children, the book allowed for well researched ideas that were presented in an engaging manner.
Teaching Ideas
The book could be used as a play, in monologue form, in an
elementary or middle school theatre class. It would also be a great way
to introduce what a monologue is, along with its counterparts, before
teachers start lessons on plays and other works of fiction that
incorporate them into their works.
Other Novels by Schlitz and Awards
She has written seven other books. Many of her books are
historical fiction. She won the Newberry Medal in 2008 for Good
Masters! Sweet Ladies! and has won multiple other awards including the
Newbery Honor, Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction, the National
Jewish Book Award, Cyblis Award, and the Sydney Taylor Book Award.
"Lauded as a “master of children’s literature” by The New York Times Book Review..." -Candlewick Press
Additional Information (per Candlewick Press)
Genre: Historical Fiction
Written in verse.
Pages: 96
Ages: 10-14
Grades: 5-9
ISBN 13: 9780763615789
Beginning of the book has a map of England in 1255 for reference. The picture is a detailed photo of the setting: a Medieval Manor.
The Invention of Hugo Cabret
Written by Brian Selznick
Selznick, B. (2007) The invention of Hugo Cabret. NY: Scholastic.
B. Selznick's Website: Visit here.
Book's Website: Visit here.
Summary
Twelve year old Hugo lives within the walls of a busy Paris
train station. Hugo is an orphan, leading him to a life of crime through
petty theft and remedial tasks such as clock keeping. His survival only
continues because of his secrets, anonymity, and theft. Hugo is the
only one who keeps the clocks in the walls of the station turning. He
chooses to continue to tend to the clocks despite the fact that his
uncle has gone missing and he has no place to live.
Hugo has few prized possessions, one of them being his deceased
father's broken automaton. The automaton was rescued from the ruins of
an old museum and the notebook with it that contains the directions of
how to fix it. Hugo has it set in his mind that once the automaton is
fixed, it will relay a message from his father. Because the automaton
needs to be fixed, and Hugo is all alone, he begins to steal the small
parts he needs to complete his project.
Georges Lexies owns a toy booth and catches Hugo during one of
his sticky fingers attempts to steal a part. When Hugo meets this
mysterious toy seller, his world is suddenly interlocked with the toy
seller's goddaughter, Isabelle. Both of them try to help Hugo out,
despite the fact that Georges is quite upset with Hugo's actions, making
him initially take the notebook. After a deal is made, Hugo agrees to
work for Georges in lieu of getting in trouble, and then receiving
his notebook back.
Time passes and friendships bloom. Isabelle, as we soon find
out, is rather curious and tends to get into trouble at times because of
it. As they were hugging goodbye one day, Hugo eyes a key around
Isabelle's neck which looked similar to the keyhole in the back of the
automaton. Surprisingly it fits and a little mechanical man wakes up and
begins drawing a picture of one of Hugo's dad's favorite movie scenes.
After some major snooping, Hugo finds out that the world thinks
Georges, a once very important filmmaker, is dead. After a projector
incident, Georges agrees to tell Hugo all about his movie making past.
The two head to the train station and Hugo finds out his uncle is
deceased. Hugo ends up on the train's tracks, almost hit by an oncoming
train, but is saved by Georges.
With a fairy tale ending, Hugo finds his happiness, is now
amongst family, and there was no unnecessary romance or extra put into
it.
Strengths/Weaknesses
The biggest strength is the way it is written: not quite a
novel, not quite a picture book, but, also, not quite a graphic novel.
Rather, this book is a combination of all the great things a book can
be. Within this 526 page book, close to 300 of those pages have pictures
on them. Some pictures take up an entire double spread! The story
unfolds through both the words and pictures, turning each page to find
out the next moment.
I found it interesting that this book included stills from
various films too. While we all are introduced to Hugo's father's
favorite films (say that five times fast), it was still a nice change of
pace to see a different type of media within the book.
Similar Themed Books/Connections to Life
The Arrival by Shaun Tan, Jumanji by Chris Van Allsburg, and A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle.
Other Novels by B. Selznick
Other than The Invention of Hugo Cabret, Selznick has written twenty-five other childrens' books, including one of my all time favorites: Frindle.
Selznick is not at a loss of awards. Per his website, this is a list of the awards he won for The Invention of Hugo Cabret and a few others.
THE INVENTION OF HUGO CABRET
- 2008 Caldecott Medal
- National Book Award Finalist
- A New York Times Best Illustrated Book of 2007
- A Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2007
- 2007 Quill Award Winner
- 2007 Borders Original Voices Finalist
- 2007 #1 Best Book for Kids from Barnes and Noble
- Parenting Magazine "Mom–Tested Book of the Year"
- Miami Herald Best Kids Book of 2007>
- Rocky Mountain News Best Book of 2007
- San Francisco Chronicle Best Book of 2007
- Kansas City Star Top 100 Books of 2007
- Columbus Dispatch Best Book of 2007
- Los Angeles Times Favorite Children's Book of 2007
- Kidsreads.com Best Book of 2007
WONDERSTRUCK
- #1 New York Times Bestseller
- USA Today Bestseller
- A New York Times Notable Book
- A Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2011
- A Booklist Editors’ Choice of 2011
- A Kirkus Reviews Best Children’s Book of 2011
- A School Library Journal Best Book of 2011
- An American Library Association Notable Children’s Book
THE DINOSAURS OF WATERHOUSE HAWKINS
- A 2002 Caldecott Honor Book
- A 2002 Orbis Pictus Award Honor Book for outstanding non-fiction.
AMELIA AND ELEANOR GO FOR A RIDE
- An ALA Notable Children’s Book
- A Book Sense Book of the Year Finalist
- One of New York Public Library 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing
- A CCBC Choices 2000
- An IRA Teachers’ Choice
- A CBC/NCSS Notable Social Studies Trade Book
- A Parenting Magazine "Reading Magic" Award winner
- An ABA Pick of the Lists
THE HOUDINI BOX
- The Texas Bluebonnet Award 1993
- The Rhode Island Children’s Book Award 1993
FRINDLE has won many awards, including
- The1997 Christopher Award
- Rhode Island Children’s Book Award 1998
- Judy Lopez Memorial Honor Book Award 97 (CA)
- Great Stone Face Book Award 1997-1998 (NH)
- Rebecca Caudill Young Readers Award 1999 (IL)
- Massachusetts Children’s Book Award 1998-1999 (MA)
- William Allen White Children’s Book Award 1998 1999 (KS)
THE LANDRY NEWS
- Parents’ Choice Award Silver Medal
- SLJ Best Book of the Year
- ABA Pick of the Lists
WHEN MARIAN SANG
- The Orbis Pictus Award for outstanding non-fiction 2003
- The Norman Sugarman Award 2004 for outstanding picture book biography.
- The Flora Stieglitz Strauss Award 2002 Given by Bank Street College
- Robert F. Sibert Honor 2003 for most distinguished informational book for children.
WALT WHITMAN: WORDS FOR AMERICA
- A 2004 New York Times Ten Best Illustrated book
- Robert F. Sibert Honor 2004 for most distinguished informational book for children.
- An ALA Notable Children’s Book.
FRINDLE and RIDING FREEDOM were two of three books nominated for the 2000 California Young Readers Medal, with RIDING FREEDOM winning the award. RIDING FREEDOM was also named one of 1998’s best books by Parenting magazine.
The three books Brian published in 2000, THE BOY OF A THOUSAND FACES, THE DOLL PEOPLE, and THE LANDRY NEWS were all nominated for the 2001 Texas Bluebonnet.
Additional Information (per Goodreads and Scholastic)
Genre: Fiction
Hardcover book
Grades: 3-8
Ages: 9 and up; All ages will enjoy based on content, thematic messages, and illustrations.
Lexile Measure: 820L
DRA Level: 60
Pages: 526
ISBN: 0439813786
Where the Wild Things Are
Written and Illustrated by Maurice Sendak
Sendack, M. (1963). Where the wild things are. New York, NY: HarperCollins.
Above: Maurice Sendak at his Ridgefield, Conneticut home with his dog, Herman, in 2006. (Credit)
Website is not available. In 2012, at the age of 83, Maurice Sendak passed away. This gripping NY Times article shows how loved he really was and continues to be.
Maurice Sendak Background Information
Per the Biblio website, "Sendak was born June 10th, 1928 to Polish Jewish immigrant parents in
Brooklyn, New York. Many of his extended family members were killed
during the Holocaust and his childhood was deeply affected by this.
After watching Fantasia at the age of 12 Sendak decided to become an
illustrator, and the movie sparked a love for Mickey Mouse and a
lifetime of collecting Disneyana, or Disney paraphernalia. His first
illustrations were published in a textbook Atomics for the Millions in
1947, and he spent much of the 1950s illustrating children's books
written by other authors before he began penning his own. In 1963 his
book Where the Wild Things Are
brought him international acclaim, and it remains a top picture book
today. It won the Caldecott Award in 1964. The next book he wrote and
illustrated, The Night Kitchen, was heavily censored because of its
depiction of nudity. Sendak lived with his partner, the psychoanalyst
Eugene Glynn, for 50 years, but never came out to his family. He died
May 8, 2012, at the age of 83."
Above: A read aloud of Where the Wild Things Are by StoryTimeBookClub.
Summary
Per the Biblio website, "Where the Wild Things Are is a 1963 children's
picture book by American writer and illustrator Maurice Sendak,
originally published by Harper & Row. The book has been adapted
into other media several times, including an animated short, a 1980
opera, and, in 2009, a live-action feature film adaptation. According to
HarperCollins, the book has sold over 19 million copies worldwide as of
2008."
Max, known to his mother as "Wild Thing", dresses up in his
wolf suit every chance he gets. One particular night, when Max stirs up
more trouble than usual, his mother sends him to bed without his supper.
After chasing his dog with a fork, plays with a hammer, and threatens
to eat his mother, his poor attitude gets him room bound, but his room
becomes a new and "alive" place.
A forest begins to grow in his room and an ocean rushes by with a boat
to take Max wherever he wants to go. Max begins to sail off to where the
other Wild Things are. Upon meeting the others, he promptly crowns
himself as king of the land and its inhabitants. Max does this in a way
that shows children how not to treat others, taking command of what is
not his from the start, even after being punished by his mother for
doing some very similar things.
The Wild Things and Max begin to howl, hop through trees, and act like
the animals they truly are. But, like any other day, it is time for bed,
and Max sends his new friends to sleep. When everyone is asleep, Max
realizes how lonely he is and realizes it is time for him too to sail
home and go to sleep himself. Home, a place where his mother loves him,
left him food on the table to come out to, and is always there to
welcome him no matter how much of a "Wild Thing" he is.
A piece I found on a comment from Goodreads (one of my favorite sites
to compare books and see what other readers and librarians have to say)
that particularly summed up the whole idea of this book. Poster
Manybooks said, "And
I also with all my heart appreciate the message the author promotes
here, a message of unconditional love, a message that even if one
misbehaves, there will be supper waiting on the table (Max does get sent
to his room, but no matter how much he has misbehaved, his mother will
always love him and cherish him). Of course, that particular message is
only one of many. As essential as the concept of universal love is the
philosophy, is the attitude that children's emotions and tantrums are to
be taken seriously and not ever simply dismissed. Max might be seen and
chastised as a "wild thing" by his mother, but his emotions, his
actions are described as an integral part of his being, maybe not quite
appropriate, but also not completely inappropriate, rather as a living,
breathing part of Max's being. And it is these emotions, these feelings
that are the impetus to Max's adventures in the realm of the Wild
Things. However, once Max's emotions have been allowed and have
flourished to the maximum, he retreats from the realm of the Wild Things
and is happy to return home to his room, his waiting supper and his
mother's love." The way she used her words here was brilliant and really explained the purpose of the book: love.
Awards for Where the Wild Things Are
- 1964 Caldecott Medal Winner (Credit)
- Sendak
was also one of the Caldecott runners-up seven times from 1954 to 1982
Other Awards & Nominations for M. Sendak's Work
- Three biennial Hans Christian Andersen Awards
for Illustration in 1970
-
Two inaugural Astrid Lindgren Memorial Awards
in 2003
-
The Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal from the
professional children's librarians in 1983
-
National
Book Award in category Picture Books for Outside Over There in 1982
-
National Medal of Arts in 1996
-
Honorary
doctorate from the University of Connecticut in 1990
-
Honorary
doctorate from Goucher College in 2004
- Inducted
into the New York Writers Hall of Fame in 2013
Other Works by M. Sendak: Author, Illustrator, and Collections
Author
- Kenny's Window
- Very Far Away
- The Sign on Rosie's Door
- The Nutshell Library
- Alligators All Around
- Chicken Soup with Rice
- One Was Johnny
- Pierre
- Where the Wild Things Are
(1963)
- Let's Be Enemies
(shared: written by Janice May Udry)
- Higglety Pigglety Pop! or There Must
Be More to Life
- In the Night Kitchen
- Fantasy Sketches
- Ten Little Rabbits: A Counting Book
with Mino the Magician
- Some Swell Pup or Are You Sure You
Want a Dog? (shared: written by Maurice Sendak and
Matthew Margolis, and illustrated by Maurice Sendak)
- Seven Little Monsters
- Outside Over There
- Caldecott and Co: Notes on Books and
Pictures
- The Big Book for Peace
- We Are All in the Dumps with Jack and
Guy
- Maurice Sendak's Christmas Mystery
- Bumble-Ardy
- My Brother's Book
Illustrator
- Atomics for the Millions
(by Maxwell Leigh Eidinoff)
- The Wonderful Farm
(by Marcel Aymé)
- Good Shabbos Everybody
(by Robert Garvey)
- A Hole is to Dig
(by Ruth Krauss)
- Maggie Rose: Her Birthday Christmas
(by Ruth Sawyer)
- A Very Special House
(by Ruth Krauss)
- Hurry Home,
Candy (by Meindert
DeJong)
- The Giant Story
(by Beatrice Schenk de Regniers)
- Shadrach (by Meindert
Dejong)
- I'll Be You and You Be Me
(by Ruth Krauss)
- The Tin Fiddle
(by Edward Tripp)
- The Wheel on the School
(by Meindert DeJong)
- Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle's Farm
(by Betty MacDonald)
- Charlotte and the White Horse
(by Ruth Krauss)
- Happy Hanukah Everybody
(by Hyman Chanover and Alice Chanover)
- Little Cow & the Turtle
(by Meindert DeJong)
- Singing Family of the Cumberlands
(by Jean Ritchie)
- What Can You Do with a Shoe?
(by Beatrice Schenk de Regniers)
- Seven Little Stories on Big Subjects
(by Gladys Baker Bond)
- I Want to Paint My Bathroom Blue
(by Ruth Krauss)
- The House of Sixty Fathers
(by Meindert De Jong)
- The Birthday Party
(by Ruth Krauss)
- You Can't Get There From Here
(by Ogden Nash)
- Little Bear and Little Bear series (by Else Holmelund Minarik)
- Somebody Else's Nut Tree
(series: by Else Holmelund Minarik)
- Father Bear Comes Home
(series: by Else Holmelund Minarik)
- Little Bear's Friend
(series: by Else Holmelund Minarik)
- Little Bear's Visit
(series: by Else Holmelund Minarik)
- A Kiss for Little Bear
(series: by Else Holmelund Minarik)
- Circus Girl
(by Jack Sendak)
- Along Came a
Dog (by Meindert
DeJong)
- No Fighting, No Biting!
(by Else Holmelund Minarik)
- What Do You Say, Dear?
(by Sesyle Joslin)
- Seven Tales by H. C. Andersen
(translated by Eva Le Gallienne)
- The Moon Jumpers
(by Janice May Udry)
- Open House for Butterflies
(by Ruth Krauss)
- Best in Children's Books: Volume 31
(various authors and illustrators)
- Dwarf Long-Nose
(by Wilhelm Hauff,
translated by Doris Orgel)
- Best in Children's Books: Volume 41
(various authors and illustrators)
- Let's Be Enemies
(by Janice May Udry)
- What Do You Do, Dear?
(by Sesyle Joslin)
- The Big Green Book
(by Robert Graves)
- Mr. Rabbit and the Lovely Present
(by Charlotte Zolotow)
- The Singing
Hill (by Meindert
DeJong)
- The Griffin and the Minor Canon
(by Frank R. Stockton)
- How Little Lori Visited Times Square
(by Amos Vogel)
- She Loves Me ... She Loves Me Not ... (by
Robert
Keeshan)
- Nikolenka's Childhood: An Edition for
Young Readers (by Leo Tolstoy)
- McCall's: August 1964, VOL. XCI, No.
11 (Andrejs Upits)
- The Bee-Man of Orn
(by Frank R. Stockton)
- The Animal
Family (by Randall
Jarrell)
- Hector Protector and As I Went Over
the Water: Two Nursery Rhymes
- Lullabyes and Night Songs
(by Alec Wilder)
- Zlateh the Goat and Other Stories
(by Isaac Bashevis Singer)
- The Golden
Key (by George
MacDonald)
- The Bat-Poet
(by Randall Jarrell)
- The Saturday Evening Post:
May 4, 1968, 241st year, Issue no. 9 (by Isaac Bashevis Singer)
- The Light Princess
(by George MacDonald)
- The Juniper Tree and Other Tales from
Grimm: Volumes 1 & 2
- King
Grisly-Beard (by the Brothers
Grimm)
- Pleasant Fieldmouse
(by Jan Wahl)
- Fly by Night
(by Randall Jarrell)
- The Big Green Book
(by Robert Graves)
- Nutcracker
(by E.T.A. Hoffmann)
- The Love for Three Oranges
(by Frank Corsaro)
- In Grandpa's House
(by Philip Sendak)
- The Cunning Little Vixen
(by Rudolf Tesnohlidek)
- The Mother Goose Collection
(by Charles Perrault with various illustrators)
- Dear Mili
(written by Wilhelm Grimm)
- Sing a Song of Popcorn: Every Child's
Book of Poems (by Beatrice Schenk de Regniers with various
illustrators including Maurice Sendak)
- The Big Book for Peace
(various authors and illustrators, cover also by Maurice Sendak)
- I Saw Esau
- The Golden
Key (by George
MacDonald)
- We Are All in the Dumps with Jack and
Guy: Two Nursery Rhymes with Pictures
- Pierre, or The Ambiguities: The Kraken
Edition (by Herman
Melville)
- The Miami Giant
(by Arthur Yorinks)
- Frank and Joey Eat Lunch
(by Arthur Yorinks)
- Frank and Joey Go to Work
(by Arthur Yorinks)
- Penthesilea
(by Heinrich von Kleist)
- Dear Genius: The Letters of Ursula
Nordstrom (by Ursula
Nordstrom)
- Swine Lake
(by James Marshall)
- Brundibár
(by Tony Kushner)
- Sarah's Room
(by Doris Orgel)
- The Happy Rain
(by Jack Sendak)
- Bears!
(by Ruth Krauss)
Others
- Pincus and the Pig: A Klezmer Tale
(Narrated by Maurice Sendak)
- Mommy?
(by Arthur Yorinks, Maurice Sendak's only pop-up book)
- Bumble Ardy
(illustrated and written by Maurice Sendak)
- My Brother's Book
(illustrated and written by Maurice Sendak)
- Presto and Zesto in Limboland
(by Arthur Yorinks and Maurice Sendak)
Collections
- Somebody Else's Nut Tree and Other
Tales from Children (by Ruth Krauss)
- The Art of Maurice Sendak
(by Selma G. Lanes)
- The Art of Maurice Sendak: From 1980
to the Present (by Tony Kushner)
- Making Mischief: A Maurice Sendak
Appreciation (by Gregory
Maguire)
Teaching Ideas
Create bookmarks, similar to the picture below, but have students draw
their own monster and/or write or draw about their favorite scene from
the book. Have them explain why it was their favorite. Since this book
is for younger students, the listening, speaking, and recalling actions
are best for them.
Additional Information
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 37-48 depending on hardback or paperback version
Lexile Measure: 740L
Ages: All ages will enjoy this book but the focus is between 3-5 based off of the lessons
ISBN 13: 9780064431781
Available in both hardback and paperback
Mirror, Mirror
Written By Marilyn Singer
Illustrated by Josee Masse
Singer, M. (2010). Mirror, mirror. New York, NY:Dutton.
Singer’s Website:http://marilynsinger.net
Masse’s Website:www.joseemasse.com/bio_en.htm
Summary
Kirkus Reviews states, “A collection of masterful fairy-tale–inspired reversos—a
poetic form invented by the author, in which each poem is presented
forward and backward. Although the words are identical in each
presentation, changes in punctuation, line breaks and capitalization
create two pieces that tell completely different stories.”
There
are fourteen pairs of poems that can be read in two ways, both up and
down. Based on popular, well-known fairy tales, the clever text is
matched perfectly with the illustrations. The poems tell the character’s
side of the story and then use the same words in reverse to tell the
other side of the story.
Read Along with a side to side visual:
Awards
- The Cybil Award for Poetry 2011
- An ALA and CLA/NCTE Notable Book 2011
Strengths/Weaknesses with Similar Themed Books
The
younger children will enjoy the pictures, poems, and the familiarity of
the story to poem form. The older children will enjoy the cleverness of
the poems and how they can be read both ways, coming off as a double
book. The
Bear Ate Your Sandwich by Julia Sarcone-Roach, Ladder to the Moon by
Maya Soetoro-Ng, and Tia Isa Wants a Car by Meg Medina.
Other Novels by M. Singer
Singer has written more than 90 children’s books in a wide variety of genres. Singer
has written poetry, picture books, non-fiction, fiction for young
adults, novels for children, and is still creating books today. Here lists the full version of all of her books and the breakdown into each category.
Teaching Ideas/Helpful Resources
Have
a discussion with students and relay some of the questions to them
beforehand, so that they can have an idea of what will go on in the
Socratic seminar. Have students write down short answers to the
questions and bring them to the circle.
1. Which
of the poems in the book are your favorites? What is it about these
poems that appeal to you? Which one is your least favorite? Why?
2. Singer
created these poems from her imagination. Can you think of another
unique way to write a poem? How would you go about choosing the ideas to
start with making poems? What questions would you ask Mrs. Singer about
her poems if you could talk with her?
3. Do you think that the poems do a good job of helping to recreate the fairy tales? Why or why not?
4. What
methods did the illustrator use to create the art for the book? Why do
you think she chose to illustrate the book like this? If you had an
opportunity to speak with the illustrator, what would you ask her?
Introduce
the idea of different types of poetry and have students create their
own. Think of haikus (based on the age group), shape poems, and other
visual aspect poems.
Additional Information
Genre: Fiction- fantasy and fairy tale
Pages: 32
DRA Level: 38
Ages: 6-9
Grades: Kindergarten and above
ISBN: 9780525479017
Selznick, B. (2007) The invention of Hugo Cabret. NY: Scholastic.
B. Selznick's Website: Visit here.
Book's Website: Visit here.
Summary
Twelve year old Hugo lives within the walls of a busy Paris
train station. Hugo is an orphan, leading him to a life of crime through
petty theft and remedial tasks such as clock keeping. His survival only
continues because of his secrets, anonymity, and theft. Hugo is the
only one who keeps the clocks in the walls of the station turning. He
chooses to continue to tend to the clocks despite the fact that his
uncle has gone missing and he has no place to live.
Hugo has few prized possessions, one of them being his deceased
father's broken automaton. The automaton was rescued from the ruins of
an old museum and the notebook with it that contains the directions of
how to fix it. Hugo has it set in his mind that once the automaton is
fixed, it will relay a message from his father. Because the automaton
needs to be fixed, and Hugo is all alone, he begins to steal the small
parts he needs to complete his project.
Georges Lexies owns a toy booth and catches Hugo during one of
his sticky fingers attempts to steal a part. When Hugo meets this
mysterious toy seller, his world is suddenly interlocked with the toy
seller's goddaughter, Isabelle. Both of them try to help Hugo out,
despite the fact that Georges is quite upset with Hugo's actions, making
him initially take the notebook. After a deal is made, Hugo agrees to
work for Georges in lieu of getting in trouble, and then receiving
his notebook back.
Time passes and friendships bloom. Isabelle, as we soon find
out, is rather curious and tends to get into trouble at times because of
it. As they were hugging goodbye one day, Hugo eyes a key around
Isabelle's neck which looked similar to the keyhole in the back of the
automaton. Surprisingly it fits and a little mechanical man wakes up and
begins drawing a picture of one of Hugo's dad's favorite movie scenes.
After some major snooping, Hugo finds out that the world thinks
Georges, a once very important filmmaker, is dead. After a projector
incident, Georges agrees to tell Hugo all about his movie making past.
The two head to the train station and Hugo finds out his uncle is
deceased. Hugo ends up on the train's tracks, almost hit by an oncoming
train, but is saved by Georges.
With a fairy tale ending, Hugo finds his happiness, is now
amongst family, and there was no unnecessary romance or extra put into
it.
Strengths/Weaknesses
The biggest strength is the way it is written: not quite a
novel, not quite a picture book, but, also, not quite a graphic novel.
Rather, this book is a combination of all the great things a book can
be. Within this 526 page book, close to 300 of those pages have pictures
on them. Some pictures take up an entire double spread! The story
unfolds through both the words and pictures, turning each page to find
out the next moment.
I found it interesting that this book included stills from
various films too. While we all are introduced to Hugo's father's
favorite films (say that five times fast), it was still a nice change of
pace to see a different type of media within the book.
Similar Themed Books/Connections to Life
The Arrival by Shaun Tan, Jumanji by Chris Van Allsburg, and A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle.
Other Novels by B. Selznick
Other than The Invention of Hugo Cabret, Selznick has written twenty-five other childrens' books, including one of my all time favorites: Frindle.
Selznick is not at a loss of awards. Per his website, this is a list of the awards he won for The Invention of Hugo Cabret and a few others.
THE INVENTION OF HUGO CABRET
- 2008 Caldecott Medal
- National Book Award Finalist
- A New York Times Best Illustrated Book of 2007
- A Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2007
- 2007 Quill Award Winner
- 2007 Borders Original Voices Finalist
- 2007 #1 Best Book for Kids from Barnes and Noble
- Parenting Magazine "Mom–Tested Book of the Year"
- Miami Herald Best Kids Book of 2007>
- Rocky Mountain News Best Book of 2007
- San Francisco Chronicle Best Book of 2007
- Kansas City Star Top 100 Books of 2007
- Columbus Dispatch Best Book of 2007
- Los Angeles Times Favorite Children's Book of 2007
- Kidsreads.com Best Book of 2007
WONDERSTRUCK
- #1 New York Times Bestseller
- USA Today Bestseller
- A New York Times Notable Book
- A Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2011
- A Booklist Editors’ Choice of 2011
- A Kirkus Reviews Best Children’s Book of 2011
- A School Library Journal Best Book of 2011
- An American Library Association Notable Children’s Book
THE DINOSAURS OF WATERHOUSE HAWKINS
- A 2002 Caldecott Honor Book
- A 2002 Orbis Pictus Award Honor Book for outstanding non-fiction.
AMELIA AND ELEANOR GO FOR A RIDE
- An ALA Notable Children’s Book
- A Book Sense Book of the Year Finalist
- One of New York Public Library 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing
- A CCBC Choices 2000
- An IRA Teachers’ Choice
- A CBC/NCSS Notable Social Studies Trade Book
- A Parenting Magazine "Reading Magic" Award winner
- An ABA Pick of the Lists
THE HOUDINI BOX
- The Texas Bluebonnet Award 1993
- The Rhode Island Children’s Book Award 1993
FRINDLE has won many awards, including
- The1997 Christopher Award
- Rhode Island Children’s Book Award 1998
- Judy Lopez Memorial Honor Book Award 97 (CA)
- Great Stone Face Book Award 1997-1998 (NH)
- Rebecca Caudill Young Readers Award 1999 (IL)
- Massachusetts Children’s Book Award 1998-1999 (MA)
- William Allen White Children’s Book Award 1998 1999 (KS)
THE LANDRY NEWS
- Parents’ Choice Award Silver Medal
- SLJ Best Book of the Year
- ABA Pick of the Lists
WHEN MARIAN SANG
- The Orbis Pictus Award for outstanding non-fiction 2003
- The Norman Sugarman Award 2004 for outstanding picture book biography.
- The Flora Stieglitz Strauss Award 2002 Given by Bank Street College
- Robert F. Sibert Honor 2003 for most distinguished informational book for children.
WALT WHITMAN: WORDS FOR AMERICA
- A 2004 New York Times Ten Best Illustrated book
- Robert F. Sibert Honor 2004 for most distinguished informational book for children.
- An ALA Notable Children’s Book.
FRINDLE and RIDING FREEDOM were two of three books nominated for the 2000 California Young Readers Medal, with RIDING FREEDOM winning the award. RIDING FREEDOM was also named one of 1998’s best books by Parenting magazine.
The three books Brian published in 2000, THE BOY OF A THOUSAND FACES, THE DOLL PEOPLE, and THE LANDRY NEWS were all nominated for the 2001 Texas Bluebonnet.
Additional Information (per Goodreads and Scholastic)
Genre: Fiction
Hardcover book
Grades: 3-8
Ages: 9 and up; All ages will enjoy based on content, thematic messages, and illustrations.
Lexile Measure: 820L
DRA Level: 60
Pages: 526
ISBN: 0439813786
Sendack, M. (1963). Where the wild things are. New York, NY: HarperCollins.
Website is not available. In 2012, at the age of 83, Maurice Sendak passed away. This gripping NY Times article shows how loved he really was and continues to be.
Maurice Sendak Background Information
Per the Biblio website, "Sendak was born June 10th, 1928 to Polish Jewish immigrant parents in Brooklyn, New York. Many of his extended family members were killed during the Holocaust and his childhood was deeply affected by this.
After watching Fantasia at the age of 12 Sendak decided to become an illustrator, and the movie sparked a love for Mickey Mouse and a lifetime of collecting Disneyana, or Disney paraphernalia. His first illustrations were published in a textbook Atomics for the Millions in 1947, and he spent much of the 1950s illustrating children's books written by other authors before he began penning his own. In 1963 his book Where the Wild Things Are brought him international acclaim, and it remains a top picture book today. It won the Caldecott Award in 1964. The next book he wrote and illustrated, The Night Kitchen, was heavily censored because of its depiction of nudity. Sendak lived with his partner, the psychoanalyst Eugene Glynn, for 50 years, but never came out to his family. He died May 8, 2012, at the age of 83."
Summary
Per the Biblio website, "Where the Wild Things Are is a 1963 children's picture book by American writer and illustrator Maurice Sendak, originally published by Harper & Row. The book has been adapted into other media several times, including an animated short, a 1980 opera, and, in 2009, a live-action feature film adaptation. According to HarperCollins, the book has sold over 19 million copies worldwide as of 2008."
Max, known to his mother as "Wild Thing", dresses up in his wolf suit every chance he gets. One particular night, when Max stirs up more trouble than usual, his mother sends him to bed without his supper. After chasing his dog with a fork, plays with a hammer, and threatens to eat his mother, his poor attitude gets him room bound, but his room becomes a new and "alive" place.
A forest begins to grow in his room and an ocean rushes by with a boat to take Max wherever he wants to go. Max begins to sail off to where the other Wild Things are. Upon meeting the others, he promptly crowns himself as king of the land and its inhabitants. Max does this in a way that shows children how not to treat others, taking command of what is not his from the start, even after being punished by his mother for doing some very similar things.
The Wild Things and Max begin to howl, hop through trees, and act like the animals they truly are. But, like any other day, it is time for bed, and Max sends his new friends to sleep. When everyone is asleep, Max realizes how lonely he is and realizes it is time for him too to sail home and go to sleep himself. Home, a place where his mother loves him, left him food on the table to come out to, and is always there to welcome him no matter how much of a "Wild Thing" he is.
Awards for Where the Wild Things Are
Other Awards & Nominations for M. Sendak's Work
Other Works by M. Sendak: Author, Illustrator, and Collections
Teaching Ideas
Create bookmarks, similar to the picture below, but have students draw their own monster and/or write or draw about their favorite scene from the book. Have them explain why it was their favorite. Since this book is for younger students, the listening, speaking, and recalling actions are best for them.
Additional Information
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 37-48 depending on hardback or paperback version
Lexile Measure: 740L
Ages: All ages will enjoy this book but the focus is between 3-5 based off of the lessons
ISBN 13: 9780064431781
Available in both hardback and paperback
Where the Wild Things Are
Written and Illustrated by Maurice Sendak
Sendack, M. (1963). Where the wild things are. New York, NY: HarperCollins.
Above: Maurice Sendak at his Ridgefield, Conneticut home with his dog, Herman, in 2006. (Credit)
Maurice Sendak Background Information
Per the Biblio website, "Sendak was born June 10th, 1928 to Polish Jewish immigrant parents in Brooklyn, New York. Many of his extended family members were killed during the Holocaust and his childhood was deeply affected by this.
After watching Fantasia at the age of 12 Sendak decided to become an illustrator, and the movie sparked a love for Mickey Mouse and a lifetime of collecting Disneyana, or Disney paraphernalia. His first illustrations were published in a textbook Atomics for the Millions in 1947, and he spent much of the 1950s illustrating children's books written by other authors before he began penning his own. In 1963 his book Where the Wild Things Are brought him international acclaim, and it remains a top picture book today. It won the Caldecott Award in 1964. The next book he wrote and illustrated, The Night Kitchen, was heavily censored because of its depiction of nudity. Sendak lived with his partner, the psychoanalyst Eugene Glynn, for 50 years, but never came out to his family. He died May 8, 2012, at the age of 83."
Above: A read aloud of Where the Wild Things Are by StoryTimeBookClub.
Summary
Per the Biblio website, "Where the Wild Things Are is a 1963 children's picture book by American writer and illustrator Maurice Sendak, originally published by Harper & Row. The book has been adapted into other media several times, including an animated short, a 1980 opera, and, in 2009, a live-action feature film adaptation. According to HarperCollins, the book has sold over 19 million copies worldwide as of 2008."
Max, known to his mother as "Wild Thing", dresses up in his wolf suit every chance he gets. One particular night, when Max stirs up more trouble than usual, his mother sends him to bed without his supper. After chasing his dog with a fork, plays with a hammer, and threatens to eat his mother, his poor attitude gets him room bound, but his room becomes a new and "alive" place.
A forest begins to grow in his room and an ocean rushes by with a boat to take Max wherever he wants to go. Max begins to sail off to where the other Wild Things are. Upon meeting the others, he promptly crowns himself as king of the land and its inhabitants. Max does this in a way that shows children how not to treat others, taking command of what is not his from the start, even after being punished by his mother for doing some very similar things.
The Wild Things and Max begin to howl, hop through trees, and act like the animals they truly are. But, like any other day, it is time for bed, and Max sends his new friends to sleep. When everyone is asleep, Max realizes how lonely he is and realizes it is time for him too to sail home and go to sleep himself. Home, a place where his mother loves him, left him food on the table to come out to, and is always there to welcome him no matter how much of a "Wild Thing" he is.
A piece I found on a comment from Goodreads (one of my favorite sites to compare books and see what other readers and librarians have to say) that particularly summed up the whole idea of this book. Poster Manybooks said, "And I also with all my heart appreciate the message the author promotes here, a message of unconditional love, a message that even if one misbehaves, there will be supper waiting on the table (Max does get sent to his room, but no matter how much he has misbehaved, his mother will always love him and cherish him). Of course, that particular message is only one of many. As essential as the concept of universal love is the philosophy, is the attitude that children's emotions and tantrums are to be taken seriously and not ever simply dismissed. Max might be seen and chastised as a "wild thing" by his mother, but his emotions, his actions are described as an integral part of his being, maybe not quite appropriate, but also not completely inappropriate, rather as a living, breathing part of Max's being. And it is these emotions, these feelings that are the impetus to Max's adventures in the realm of the Wild Things. However, once Max's emotions have been allowed and have flourished to the maximum, he retreats from the realm of the Wild Things and is happy to return home to his room, his waiting supper and his mother's love." The way she used her words here was brilliant and really explained the purpose of the book: love.
Awards for Where the Wild Things Are
- 1964 Caldecott Medal Winner (Credit)
- Sendak was also one of the Caldecott runners-up seven times from 1954 to 1982
Other Awards & Nominations for M. Sendak's Work
- Three biennial Hans Christian Andersen Awards for Illustration in 1970
- Two inaugural Astrid Lindgren Memorial Awards in 2003
- The Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal from the professional children's librarians in 1983
- National Book Award in category Picture Books for Outside Over There in 1982
- National Medal of Arts in 1996
- Honorary doctorate from the University of Connecticut in 1990
- Honorary doctorate from Goucher College in 2004
- Inducted into the New York Writers Hall of Fame in 2013
Other Works by M. Sendak: Author, Illustrator, and Collections
Author
- Kenny's Window
- Very Far Away
- The Sign on Rosie's Door
- The Nutshell Library
- Alligators All Around
- Chicken Soup with Rice
- One Was Johnny
- Pierre
- Where the Wild Things Are (1963)
- Let's Be Enemies (shared: written by Janice May Udry)
- Higglety Pigglety Pop! or There Must Be More to Life
- In the Night Kitchen
- Fantasy Sketches
- Ten Little Rabbits: A Counting Book with Mino the Magician
- Some Swell Pup or Are You Sure You Want a Dog? (shared: written by Maurice Sendak and Matthew Margolis, and illustrated by Maurice Sendak)
- Seven Little Monsters
- Outside Over There
- Caldecott and Co: Notes on Books and Pictures
- The Big Book for Peace
- We Are All in the Dumps with Jack and Guy
- Maurice Sendak's Christmas Mystery
- Bumble-Ardy
- My Brother's Book
Illustrator
- Atomics for the Millions (by Maxwell Leigh Eidinoff)
- The Wonderful Farm (by Marcel Aymé)
- Good Shabbos Everybody (by Robert Garvey)
- A Hole is to Dig (by Ruth Krauss)
- Maggie Rose: Her Birthday Christmas (by Ruth Sawyer)
- A Very Special House (by Ruth Krauss)
- Hurry Home, Candy (by Meindert DeJong)
- The Giant Story (by Beatrice Schenk de Regniers)
- Shadrach (by Meindert Dejong)
- I'll Be You and You Be Me (by Ruth Krauss)
- The Tin Fiddle (by Edward Tripp)
- The Wheel on the School (by Meindert DeJong)
- Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle's Farm (by Betty MacDonald)
- Charlotte and the White Horse (by Ruth Krauss)
- Happy Hanukah Everybody (by Hyman Chanover and Alice Chanover)
- Little Cow & the Turtle (by Meindert DeJong)
- Singing Family of the Cumberlands (by Jean Ritchie)
- What Can You Do with a Shoe? (by Beatrice Schenk de Regniers)
- Seven Little Stories on Big Subjects (by Gladys Baker Bond)
- I Want to Paint My Bathroom Blue (by Ruth Krauss)
- The House of Sixty Fathers (by Meindert De Jong)
- The Birthday Party (by Ruth Krauss)
- You Can't Get There From Here (by Ogden Nash)
- Little Bear and Little Bear series (by Else Holmelund Minarik)
- Somebody Else's Nut Tree (series: by Else Holmelund Minarik)
- Father Bear Comes Home (series: by Else Holmelund Minarik)
- Little Bear's Friend (series: by Else Holmelund Minarik)
- Little Bear's Visit (series: by Else Holmelund Minarik)
- A Kiss for Little Bear (series: by Else Holmelund Minarik)
- Circus Girl (by Jack Sendak)
- Along Came a Dog (by Meindert DeJong)
- No Fighting, No Biting! (by Else Holmelund Minarik)
- What Do You Say, Dear? (by Sesyle Joslin)
- Seven Tales by H. C. Andersen (translated by Eva Le Gallienne)
- The Moon Jumpers (by Janice May Udry)
- Open House for Butterflies (by Ruth Krauss)
- Best in Children's Books: Volume 31 (various authors and illustrators)
- Dwarf Long-Nose (by Wilhelm Hauff, translated by Doris Orgel)
- Best in Children's Books: Volume 41 (various authors and illustrators)
- Let's Be Enemies (by Janice May Udry)
- What Do You Do, Dear? (by Sesyle Joslin)
- The Big Green Book (by Robert Graves)
- Mr. Rabbit and the Lovely Present (by Charlotte Zolotow)
- The Singing Hill (by Meindert DeJong)
- The Griffin and the Minor Canon (by Frank R. Stockton)
- How Little Lori Visited Times Square (by Amos Vogel)
- She Loves Me ... She Loves Me Not ... (by Robert Keeshan)
- Nikolenka's Childhood: An Edition for Young Readers (by Leo Tolstoy)
- McCall's: August 1964, VOL. XCI, No. 11 (Andrejs Upits)
- The Bee-Man of Orn (by Frank R. Stockton)
- The Animal Family (by Randall Jarrell)
- Hector Protector and As I Went Over the Water: Two Nursery Rhymes
- Lullabyes and Night Songs (by Alec Wilder)
- Zlateh the Goat and Other Stories (by Isaac Bashevis Singer)
- The Golden Key (by George MacDonald)
- The Bat-Poet (by Randall Jarrell)
- The Saturday Evening Post: May 4, 1968, 241st year, Issue no. 9 (by Isaac Bashevis Singer)
- The Light Princess (by George MacDonald)
- The Juniper Tree and Other Tales from Grimm: Volumes 1 & 2
- King Grisly-Beard (by the Brothers Grimm)
- Pleasant Fieldmouse (by Jan Wahl)
- Fly by Night (by Randall Jarrell)
- The Big Green Book (by Robert Graves)
- Nutcracker (by E.T.A. Hoffmann)
- The Love for Three Oranges (by Frank Corsaro)
- In Grandpa's House (by Philip Sendak)
- The Cunning Little Vixen (by Rudolf Tesnohlidek)
- The Mother Goose Collection (by Charles Perrault with various illustrators)
- Dear Mili (written by Wilhelm Grimm)
- Sing a Song of Popcorn: Every Child's Book of Poems (by Beatrice Schenk de Regniers with various illustrators including Maurice Sendak)
- The Big Book for Peace (various authors and illustrators, cover also by Maurice Sendak)
- I Saw Esau
- The Golden Key (by George MacDonald)
- We Are All in the Dumps with Jack and Guy: Two Nursery Rhymes with Pictures
- Pierre, or The Ambiguities: The Kraken Edition (by Herman Melville)
- The Miami Giant (by Arthur Yorinks)
- Frank and Joey Eat Lunch (by Arthur Yorinks)
- Frank and Joey Go to Work (by Arthur Yorinks)
- Penthesilea (by Heinrich von Kleist)
- Dear Genius: The Letters of Ursula Nordstrom (by Ursula Nordstrom)
- Swine Lake (by James Marshall)
- Brundibár (by Tony Kushner)
- Sarah's Room (by Doris Orgel)
- The Happy Rain (by Jack Sendak)
- Bears! (by Ruth Krauss)
Others
- Pincus and the Pig: A Klezmer Tale (Narrated by Maurice Sendak)
- Mommy? (by Arthur Yorinks, Maurice Sendak's only pop-up book)
- Bumble Ardy (illustrated and written by Maurice Sendak)
- My Brother's Book (illustrated and written by Maurice Sendak)
- Presto and Zesto in Limboland (by Arthur Yorinks and Maurice Sendak)
Collections
- Somebody Else's Nut Tree and Other Tales from Children (by Ruth Krauss)
- The Art of Maurice Sendak (by Selma G. Lanes)
- The Art of Maurice Sendak: From 1980 to the Present (by Tony Kushner)
- Making Mischief: A Maurice Sendak Appreciation (by Gregory Maguire)
Teaching Ideas
Create bookmarks, similar to the picture below, but have students draw their own monster and/or write or draw about their favorite scene from the book. Have them explain why it was their favorite. Since this book is for younger students, the listening, speaking, and recalling actions are best for them.
Additional Information
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 37-48 depending on hardback or paperback version
Lexile Measure: 740L
Ages: All ages will enjoy this book but the focus is between 3-5 based off of the lessons
ISBN 13: 9780064431781
Available in both hardback and paperback
Mirror, Mirror
Written By Marilyn Singer
Illustrated by Josee Masse
Singer, M. (2010). Mirror, mirror. New York, NY:Dutton.
Singer’s Website:http://marilynsinger.net
Masse’s Website:www.joseemasse.com/bio_en.htm
Summary
Kirkus Reviews states, “A collection of masterful fairy-tale–inspired reversos—a
poetic form invented by the author, in which each poem is presented
forward and backward. Although the words are identical in each
presentation, changes in punctuation, line breaks and capitalization
create two pieces that tell completely different stories.”
There
are fourteen pairs of poems that can be read in two ways, both up and
down. Based on popular, well-known fairy tales, the clever text is
matched perfectly with the illustrations. The poems tell the character’s
side of the story and then use the same words in reverse to tell the
other side of the story.
Read Along with a side to side visual:
Awards
- The Cybil Award for Poetry 2011
- An ALA and CLA/NCTE Notable Book 2011
Strengths/Weaknesses with Similar Themed Books
The
younger children will enjoy the pictures, poems, and the familiarity of
the story to poem form. The older children will enjoy the cleverness of
the poems and how they can be read both ways, coming off as a double
book. The
Bear Ate Your Sandwich by Julia Sarcone-Roach, Ladder to the Moon by
Maya Soetoro-Ng, and Tia Isa Wants a Car by Meg Medina.
Other Novels by M. Singer
Singer has written more than 90 children’s books in a wide variety of genres. Singer
has written poetry, picture books, non-fiction, fiction for young
adults, novels for children, and is still creating books today. Here lists the full version of all of her books and the breakdown into each category.
Teaching Ideas/Helpful Resources
Have
a discussion with students and relay some of the questions to them
beforehand, so that they can have an idea of what will go on in the
Socratic seminar. Have students write down short answers to the
questions and bring them to the circle.
1. Which
of the poems in the book are your favorites? What is it about these
poems that appeal to you? Which one is your least favorite? Why?
2. Singer
created these poems from her imagination. Can you think of another
unique way to write a poem? How would you go about choosing the ideas to
start with making poems? What questions would you ask Mrs. Singer about
her poems if you could talk with her?
3. Do you think that the poems do a good job of helping to recreate the fairy tales? Why or why not?
4. What
methods did the illustrator use to create the art for the book? Why do
you think she chose to illustrate the book like this? If you had an
opportunity to speak with the illustrator, what would you ask her?
Introduce
the idea of different types of poetry and have students create their
own. Think of haikus (based on the age group), shape poems, and other
visual aspect poems.
Additional Information
Genre: Fiction- fantasy and fairy tale
Pages: 32
DRA Level: 38
Ages: 6-9
Grades: Kindergarten and above
ISBN: 9780525479017
The Three Pigs
Written and Illustrated by David Wiesner
Wiesner, D. (2001). The three pigs. New York, NY: Clarion.
Website: http://www.davidwiesner.com/
Includes his personal blog, biography, list of books, and other
writings. His home page scrolls through the many books he has
illustrated, lighting up the screen with this fantasy focused
illustrations.
D. Wiesner's Blog: http://www.davidwiesner.com/work/
Other Interesting Websites of Choice:
Website (Houghton Mifflin Books focus): http://www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/authors/wiesner/bio/bio.shtml
Website (NCCIL focus): https://www.nccil.org/artists/david-wiesner
Website (HarperCollins focus): https://www.harpercollins.com/author/cr-107134/david-wiesner/
Summary
Starting off like the original, traditional tale, the three pigs are quickly and unexpectedly changed into something completely new. The pigs are able to jump in and out of other fairy tales after one pig gets blown into an alternative universe. The pages of the original story appear on the page in another medium as the pigs escape the big bad wolf into other stories.
Like the original, the three pigs set off to build a house of their own, and, again like the original tale, two pigs are a bit more light hearted than the third. The first pig, the laziest of them all, builds a house out of straw. The second pig, the irresponsible one, builds a house out of sticks because it was the fastest and easiest way to do so. The third pig, the hard-working and responsible one, chose to build his house out of bricks. The other two pigs make fun of the bricked house, but soon the joke is on them.
When the wolf approaches the straw house, he blows the pig literally out of the frame. One by one, the pigs exit the fairy tale border and set off on their own adventure, ready to get rid of the wolf. Along their journey they rescue a dragon, soon to be slain, befriending him because of it. The cat and the fiddle are lured out of their nursery rhyme and miss bed time.
A unique twist on the original tale, students and parents alike will be intrigued with what Wiesner can do to such a traditional, tell one way story. Point proven at the end when the pigs and a dragon chase the big bad wolf away! Unexpected for adults, fun for children, and an all around cute read for all.
Wiesner's illustrations are spectacular, whimsical, and very
descriptive, leaving little to question. Students and kids of all ages
can read along or view the illustrations and know exactly what is going
on. While the kids may not get all of the allusions in the book, it
won't take away the original meaning from his idea.
One of my favorite illustrations is when the pigs fly away, on their
own pages, from their story from self created paper airplanes. A double
spread illustrated book, like this one, always allows for more freedom
in visuals and shows how free the pigs are and how they can go wherever
they way to.
"Pigs burst through the pages' boundaries and soar into new dimensions. Transformations occur as the pigs boldly enter new stories, make friends, and ultimately control their own fate. Witty dialogue and physical humor make this a selection that will have youngsters squealing with delight. Through Wiesner's vision and artistic virtuosity, The Three Pigs celebrates possibility,"
said Kate McClelland, chair of the 2002 Caldecott Award Selection Committee.
Awards for The Three Pigs
- Caldecott Medal Winner in 2002
Awards & Nominations for Other Works
Per the HarperCollins website (listed at the top of the page), "David Wiesner has been awarded the Caldecott Medal three times, for Flotsam in 2007, The Three Pigs in 2002, and Tuesday in 1992. He has received the Caldecott Honor twice, for Sector 7 in 2000 and Free Fall in 1989. Free Fall is the first title he both authored and illustrated. His cover art now graces The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis. Among many other accolades, David has been nominated for the Hans Christian Andersen Award."
Other Works by D. Wiesner
Wiesner has illustrated more than twenty award-winning books for young readers and illustrated a total of twenty-eight books. Wiesner has also written eleven books, illustrating all of them. On top of all of that, Wiesner has done covers and helped design a CD-ROM adventure game from the '90s.
Writer and Illustrator
From 1987-1999
- Loathsome Dragon (retold by Wiesner and Kim Kahng)
- Free Fall
- Hurricane
- June 29, 1999
From 2001-2018
- Art & Max
- Mr. Wuffles!
- I Got It!
Illustrator
From 1980-1989
- Honest Andrew by Gloria Skurzynski
- Man from the Sky by Avi
- Ugly Princess by Nancy Luenn
- One Bad Thing about Birthdays by David R. Collins
- Boy who Spoke Chimp by Jane Yolen
- Owly by Mike Thaler
- Neptune Rising: Songs and Tales of the Undersea Folk by Jane Yolen
- Miranty and the Alchemist by Vera Chapman
- Dark Green Tunnel by Allan W. Eckert
- Wand: the Return to Mesmeria by Allan W. Eckert
- E.T., the Storybook of the Green Planet by William Kotzwinkle (based on the film story by Steven Spielberg and Melissa Mathison)
- Kite Flier by Dennis Haseley
- Firebrat by Nancy Willard
- The Rainbow People by Laurence Yep
- The Sorcerer's Apprentice by Marianna Mayer
From 1991-1997
- Tongues of Jade by Laurence Yep
- Night of the Gargoyles by Eve Bunting
Others
- 1989- Cover for The Glass Salamander by Ann Downer
- 1997- Story and Design for CD-ROM adventure game The Day the World Broke
Similar Themed Books/Lessons
The original The Three Little Pigs story (an adapted story that comes from many different sources, often said to have its primary source from English fairy tales, retold by Flora Annie Steel in 1922) is a must to use as a comparison to Wiesner's version, The True Story of The Big Bad Wolf by Jon Scieska and Lane Smith share a similar idea to the story itself, The Three Little Pigs by Al Dempster, The Three Bears by Rob Hefferan, and The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig by Eugene Trivizas for a fun change in pace.
The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig by Eugene Trivizas can be used as a teaching lesson for comparing and contrasting the differences between the original, know all story and a new version. Think of questions to prompt your readers before, during and after the story.
- How are different perspectives told?
- How do the lessons stay the same?
- How do they change?
- Why would E. Trivizas choose to do a classic backwards?
Additional Information
Genre: Fiction, fairy tale
Pages: 45
Ages/Grades: Pre-K- Grade 2
ISBN: 0618007016
It’s a Book
By Lane Smith
Smith, L. (2011). It’s a book.New York, NY: Roaring Books.
It’s a Book’s Website: http://www.lanesmithbooks.com/LaneSmithBooks/Its_a_Book.html
About the Author
Lane Smith is a four-time recipient of the New York Times Best
Illustrated Book award and a two-time Caldecott Honor recipient. In
2012 the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art named him a Carle Artist
for “lifelong innovation in the field of children’s picture books,” and
in 2014 he was awarded the lifetime achievement award from the Society
of Illustrators. He is the illustrator of many books, including The Stinky Cheese Man,and the author/illustrator of It’s a Book, Grandpa Green, and John, Paul, George & Ben, among others. He is married to book designer Molly Leach.
Summary
Smith jump-starts the action on the title page where readers meet the characters–a mouse, a donkey, and a monkey. All
of the animals are drawn with an early-’60s geometric-minded
stylization. The donkey is a screen buff while the monkey is a book
buff. The donkey has no clue what do with it and begins asking question
after question: “Can you blog with it? How do you scroll down? Can you make the characters fight?”
Done with answering question after question, the monkey hands
over the volume. Life, death, and madness, all in a single illustrated
page of Treasure Island, draws the donkey in. He responds with a
knee-jerk reaction (“too many letters”) and hilariously reduces it to
text speak, but his interest is piqued. He covets the book and readers
watch him pore over it for hours.
Repeated images of him transfixed, shifting left to right, up
and down, ears upright, then splayed, and eyes wide open, fill a
wordless spread and offer a priceless visual to how focused he really
is. Mouse delivers the final punch line, which will lead to a fit of
naughty but well-deserved laughter, and shouts of “Encore.”
Awards
Translated into 20 other languages.
· 2010 – A Publishers Weekly Best Children's Book
· 2010 – GoodReads Choice Award Winner, Favorite Picture Book
· 2010 – A New York Times Notable Book
· 2010 – Boston Globe, Ten Best Books of 2010
Strengths/Weaknesses
Readers
know who is speaking by each animal's unique font type and color,
giving each animal a special personality. The visuals and illustrations
can be difficult for younger children who cannot associate which animal
is which.
A must-read for every publisher concerned about the impact of electronic publishing issues and every child who wants to enjoy more of their childhood and Lane Smith’s arch style. A devilish ending may scare a few... if it’s you? Lighten up.
“Staff Pick” by Publishers Weekly publisher George Slowik, Jr.
Similar Themed Books/Connections to Life
"The
moral of Smith’s book is the right one: not that screens are bad and
books are good, but that what books do depends on the totality of what
they are — their turning pages, their sturdy self-sufficiency, above
all the way they invite a child to withdraw from this world into a world
alongside ours in an activity at once mentally strenuous and physically
still," written by Adam Gopnik of the NY Times.
I
completely agree with his statement and couldn't put it into better
words myself. Kids don't seem to realize today that books are just as
good, if not always better, than the screen version they are converted
into.
Dog Loves Books by Louise Yates, Miss Brooks Loves Books! (And I Don't) by Barbara Bottner, and The Book That Eats People by John Perry.
Book Trailer (Visit here)
Other Novels by L. Smith
Smith has written and illustrated 35+ other children's books. Visit his website to see the full list.
Teaching Ideas/Helpful Resources
Place
yourself in the shoes of one of the characters you have just read about
and write a diary entry of a key moment from the story. Try to choose a moment in the story in which the character has plenty of interaction and emotion to share in a diary entry.Your
diary entry should be around a page in length and contain information
you learned from the book when the character was in that specific place
and time.Remember
when you are writing a diary entry you are writing it from first person
perspective. It is usually but not always written in present tense.
Using
an iPad or a digital camera, make faces of the emotions the main
characters would have gone through in your book and take photos of
them. Put them together in a document on your computer or device
and explain the emotion, the image, and when the character would have
felt this way. This is an excellent opportunity to use some creative
direction for this task. Be sure to play around with the images, filters
and graphical styling available to you.
Additional Information
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 32
Lexile Measure: 420L
Ages: 6-10
Grades: 1-2
ISBN 13: 978-1596436060
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