Summary-Gregor the Overlander
Gregor is too grown up for a boy his age, but he has no choice. He is the oldest child in a family who's dad has disappeared and only has a mom that works two jobs to pick up the slack. He cares for his sisters and grandma as best as he can while his mother works. One day, Gregor and his baby sister Boots, are doing laundry to help his mother while she is at work. When Boots falls through the grating behind the drier in the laundry room, Gregor leaps after her, only knowing that he has to save his sister since his mom really couldn't handle losing more family. What they encounter is more than anyone could imagine. They are immediately greeted by gnawers and then by crawlers...and that's only the beginning. The creatures and friends Gregor and Boots meet are outstanding and their role in fulfilling the Prophecy of Gray keeps the reader turning pages and wanting more.
Impressions
After reading this book, I couldn't wait to read the rest of the series. I even did one of my class book trailers on this book because I enjoyed it so much. You can watch it here. The characters are very well developed-so well in fact that I felt bad the other day when I accidentally stepped on a tree roach outside my apartment! What if it was Temp? I really feel that even a reluctant reader would enjoy these books because the action is exciting and we all feel as if we just want to go home, like Gregor does.
Reviews
From Kirkus
Gregor’s luminous, supremely absorbing quest takes place in a strange underground land of giant cockroaches, rideable bats, and violet-eyed humans. When his two-year-old sister Boots tumbles into an air duct in his building’s laundry room, Gregor leaps after her and they fall, à la Alice, into another world. Gregor wants desperately to get home—until he hears that his father, who left Gregor heavy-hearted by disappearing two years ago, may be in Underland himself, kept prisoner by enormous, war-hungry rats. A coalition of creatures and royal humans is formed to rescue him, modeled after an ancient prophetic poem that has foretold Gregor’s arrival and calls him the Overland Warrior. The abiding ache of Gregor’s sadness is matched by his tender care for Boots. Creature depictions are soulful and the plot is riveting; Underland’s dark, cavernous atmosphere is palpable. Explanation and subtlety balance perfectly. Wonderful. (Fiction. 8-12)
In Class
I would use this with 4-8th grade students in either a read aloud setting for student enjoyment. Since it is pretty fantastic, it would be pretty hard to tie it to academic subjects, unless it was being used with a narrative writing lesson. Students learning to write narratives would really benefit from this book because Suzanne Collins is an excellent story teller. She uses vivid description and has great character building abilities that students could learn from.
Citations
Collins, S. (2003). Gregor the Overlander. New York: Scholastic.
Unknown. 2003, August 1). Gregor the Overlander Review. Retrieved April 20, 2011, from Kirkus Reviews: http://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/childrens-books/suzanne-collins/gregor-the-overlander/?spdy=2003
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Monday, April 11, 2011
Module 7-Traveling Pants and 19 Schuyler Place
Summary-The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
This book was an interesting view of the lives 4 teen girls. The story covers one summer in the lives of 4 best friends and we get to experience their thoughts and emotions. One girl has to deal with finding out her dad is getting re-married and will have stepchildren. Another has to deal with the death of a new friend. A third has to learn who she is and how to do the right thing, while the first girl deals with extreme depression after falling for an older boy. These things are realistic. Teens make mistakes, they die, they deal with divorce. They have theses epiphanies that help them mature and personally, I think it is probably better to learn from the mistakes of others.
Impression
I think part of the beauty behind realistic fiction is the author's ability to create a life we can step into and out of whenever we want. They are helping young readers become empathetic. While some subjects can be very sensitive, that does not make them less realistic. It would probably fall into the category of young 'chick-lit' and I don't know a boy that would sit down and read a book about these 15 year old girls and their dramatic lives.
Review
From Kirkus Review
Master novelist Konigsburg hones her sense of irony to a razor edge in this exploration of the backstory behind one of Silent to the Bone’s secondary characters: Connor’s older half-sister Margaret. Margaret, 12, has just been rescued from her authoritarian summer camp by her eccentric great-uncles. She is delighted to leave the tender offices of her vicious bunk-mates and the camp director’s insistence on lockstep enjoyment of all camp activities; she is monumentally alarmed to discover that her beloved uncles’ backyard Tower Garden, a fantasy of steel and glass, is slated for demolition, a victim of historical zoning. Determined to save the towers, Margaret begins a campaign informed by civil disobedience (in which camp has made her proficient: “I prefer not to,” says she) and civic involvement. This story condescends not one whit to its audience, passionately confronting readers with the critical importance of history, art, beauty, community, love, and, above all, the necessity to invest oneself in meaningful action. This it does with every word in place, occasionally indulging in dizzying linguistic riffs, always conscious of the ironies inherent in the acts of living and growing up. (Fiction. 10+)
In Class
This book would be really good to use in a small group setting with junior high aged girls. In the small group setting, the girls could be led in discussion of the events the characters are going through and how they parallel the lives of the members of the group. Since the book is so girl-oriented, I don't think it would be well received by male students.
Summary-Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place
Margaret Rose, not Margaret or Maggie or Rose, Margaret Rose is sent to summer camp for the summer and it does not go well. When asked if she will participate in anything, she simply says, "I prefer not to." The matriarch of the camp is at her wits end and calls her Uncle to come discuss her behavior. She doesn't anticipate that he has come to take Margaret Rose home, however. Margaret Rose and her Uncle and his little dog, Tartufo, leave the camp and slowly begin Margaret Rose's summer of civil disobedience. When Margaret Rose finds out that her Uncles have not just been avoiding the installation of their new art tower, Margaret Rose takes a stand.
Impressions
I enjoy Margaret Rose's personality and the characters that have been created. However, I found the book quite slow and had trouble getting into the book. I think there is a place for it in the library and that some students will enjoy it, I just don't think it is the book for me. Margaret Rose is a smart, only child and I think there will be student that relate to her personality and her struggle to see that sometimes things don't go as we want them to.
Review
Master novelist Konigsburg hones her sense of irony to a razor edge in this exploration of the backstory behind one of Silent to the Bone’s secondary characters: Connor’s older half-sister Margaret. Margaret, 12, has just been rescued from her authoritarian summer camp by her eccentric great-uncles. She is delighted to leave the tender offices of her vicious bunk-mates and the camp director’s insistence on lockstep enjoyment of all camp activities; she is monumentally alarmed to discover that her beloved uncles’ backyard Tower Garden, a fantasy of steel and glass, is slated for demolition, a victim of historical zoning. Determined to save the towers, Margaret begins a campaign informed by civil disobedience (in which camp has made her proficient: “I prefer not to,” says she) and civic involvement. This story condescends not one whit to its audience, passionately confronting readers with the critical importance of history, art, beauty, community, love, and, above all, the necessity to invest oneself in meaningful action. This it does with every word in place, occasionally indulging in dizzying linguistic riffs, always conscious of the ironies inherent in the acts of living and growing up. (Fiction. 10+)
In Class
This would be excellent for use with middle school students that are learning about community involvement and civic responsibilities and rights. They can learn from Margaret Rose's trips to the City Hall records department and about requisitions and permits. The students could then use what they learn to plan a community art project.
Citations
Konigsburg, E. L. (2004). The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place. New York: Atheneum.
Brashares, A. (2001). Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. New York: Delacorte.
Unknown. (2001, August 1). Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants Review. Retrieved May 8, 2011, from Kirkus Reviews: http://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/childrens-books/ann-brashares/the-sisterhood-of-the-traveling-pants/?spdy=2001
Unknown. (2003, December 15). The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place Review. Retrieved May 8, 2011, from Kirkus Reviews: http://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/childrens-books/el-konigsburg/the-outcasts-of-19-schuyler-place/?spdy=2004
This book was an interesting view of the lives 4 teen girls. The story covers one summer in the lives of 4 best friends and we get to experience their thoughts and emotions. One girl has to deal with finding out her dad is getting re-married and will have stepchildren. Another has to deal with the death of a new friend. A third has to learn who she is and how to do the right thing, while the first girl deals with extreme depression after falling for an older boy. These things are realistic. Teens make mistakes, they die, they deal with divorce. They have theses epiphanies that help them mature and personally, I think it is probably better to learn from the mistakes of others.
Impression
I think part of the beauty behind realistic fiction is the author's ability to create a life we can step into and out of whenever we want. They are helping young readers become empathetic. While some subjects can be very sensitive, that does not make them less realistic. It would probably fall into the category of young 'chick-lit' and I don't know a boy that would sit down and read a book about these 15 year old girls and their dramatic lives.
Review
From Kirkus Review
Master novelist Konigsburg hones her sense of irony to a razor edge in this exploration of the backstory behind one of Silent to the Bone’s secondary characters: Connor’s older half-sister Margaret. Margaret, 12, has just been rescued from her authoritarian summer camp by her eccentric great-uncles. She is delighted to leave the tender offices of her vicious bunk-mates and the camp director’s insistence on lockstep enjoyment of all camp activities; she is monumentally alarmed to discover that her beloved uncles’ backyard Tower Garden, a fantasy of steel and glass, is slated for demolition, a victim of historical zoning. Determined to save the towers, Margaret begins a campaign informed by civil disobedience (in which camp has made her proficient: “I prefer not to,” says she) and civic involvement. This story condescends not one whit to its audience, passionately confronting readers with the critical importance of history, art, beauty, community, love, and, above all, the necessity to invest oneself in meaningful action. This it does with every word in place, occasionally indulging in dizzying linguistic riffs, always conscious of the ironies inherent in the acts of living and growing up. (Fiction. 10+)
In Class
This book would be really good to use in a small group setting with junior high aged girls. In the small group setting, the girls could be led in discussion of the events the characters are going through and how they parallel the lives of the members of the group. Since the book is so girl-oriented, I don't think it would be well received by male students.
Summary-Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place
Margaret Rose, not Margaret or Maggie or Rose, Margaret Rose is sent to summer camp for the summer and it does not go well. When asked if she will participate in anything, she simply says, "I prefer not to." The matriarch of the camp is at her wits end and calls her Uncle to come discuss her behavior. She doesn't anticipate that he has come to take Margaret Rose home, however. Margaret Rose and her Uncle and his little dog, Tartufo, leave the camp and slowly begin Margaret Rose's summer of civil disobedience. When Margaret Rose finds out that her Uncles have not just been avoiding the installation of their new art tower, Margaret Rose takes a stand.
Impressions
I enjoy Margaret Rose's personality and the characters that have been created. However, I found the book quite slow and had trouble getting into the book. I think there is a place for it in the library and that some students will enjoy it, I just don't think it is the book for me. Margaret Rose is a smart, only child and I think there will be student that relate to her personality and her struggle to see that sometimes things don't go as we want them to.
Review
Master novelist Konigsburg hones her sense of irony to a razor edge in this exploration of the backstory behind one of Silent to the Bone’s secondary characters: Connor’s older half-sister Margaret. Margaret, 12, has just been rescued from her authoritarian summer camp by her eccentric great-uncles. She is delighted to leave the tender offices of her vicious bunk-mates and the camp director’s insistence on lockstep enjoyment of all camp activities; she is monumentally alarmed to discover that her beloved uncles’ backyard Tower Garden, a fantasy of steel and glass, is slated for demolition, a victim of historical zoning. Determined to save the towers, Margaret begins a campaign informed by civil disobedience (in which camp has made her proficient: “I prefer not to,” says she) and civic involvement. This story condescends not one whit to its audience, passionately confronting readers with the critical importance of history, art, beauty, community, love, and, above all, the necessity to invest oneself in meaningful action. This it does with every word in place, occasionally indulging in dizzying linguistic riffs, always conscious of the ironies inherent in the acts of living and growing up. (Fiction. 10+)
In Class
This would be excellent for use with middle school students that are learning about community involvement and civic responsibilities and rights. They can learn from Margaret Rose's trips to the City Hall records department and about requisitions and permits. The students could then use what they learn to plan a community art project.
Citations
Konigsburg, E. L. (2004). The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place. New York: Atheneum.
Brashares, A. (2001). Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. New York: Delacorte.
Unknown. (2001, August 1). Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants Review. Retrieved May 8, 2011, from Kirkus Reviews: http://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/childrens-books/ann-brashares/the-sisterhood-of-the-traveling-pants/?spdy=2001
Unknown. (2003, December 15). The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place Review. Retrieved May 8, 2011, from Kirkus Reviews: http://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/childrens-books/el-konigsburg/the-outcasts-of-19-schuyler-place/?spdy=2004
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Module 6-Duck for President
Summary
Duck, tired of his chores and duties on the Farm, decides to campaign against Farmer Brown so that Duck can be in charge for a change. Duck wins the election, but realizes that running a farm is much harder than he thought, so instead he runs for Governor. The same thing happens until he runs for President of the US and WINS! Duck soon realizes that being president is pretty difficult and returns to the quiet farm life he once knew so that he may write his memoirs.
Impressions
I absolutely loved Duck for President, and so did the students I shared this book with. I had the opportunity to substitute in an elementary school library and since I was there, I read a few books with the kindergarten classes and they really loved this one as much as I did. The story in this book is funny and easy to understand and follow, which is great for young readers. They really enjoyed Duck's journey to the presidency! The story line is also enjoyable for the adults that may be sharing the story with young readers since it has Duck playing Saxophone on a late night tv show and various other spoofs of political happenings. The illustrations capture the audience and the story keeps them entertained. I highly recommend this book!
Review
Just in time for an election year, the feathered troublemaker of Click, Clack, Moo (2000) and Giggle, Giggle, Quack (2002) enters the political arena, with sidesplitting results. Weary of chores, Duck organizes a farmyard election and ousts Farmer Brown—only to discover that running a farm is harder than it looks. So Duck moves on, campaigning first for Governor, than President, and winning each time by, well, a nose. Lewin follows Cronin’s lead in losing no opportunity to lampoon recognizable political figures. Seeing Duck flash a two-fisted “V For Victory” sign, edge out a decidedly Hillary-esque gubernatorial incumbent, play saxophone on late-night TV, and lean wearily on the presidential desk may amuse grownups more than children—but the comedy flows freely on more levels than one, and there’s sufficient hilarity for all. Seeing the error of his ways, Duck finally returns to the farm, and is last seen working not on chores, but, graduating from typewriter to computer, his memoirs. All things considered, he has plenty to write about. (Picture book. 6-8)
In Class
Using Duck For President would be an awesome way to introduce the presidency to young students. They could get just a bit of the information without it being over their heads. By using Duck's campaign, you could show some parallels between it and a real presidency campaign so that students can understand where it applies in a real life situation.
Citation
Cronin, D. (2004). Duck for President. New York: Simon and Schuster.
Unknown. (2004). Duck for President Review. Retrieved April 21, 2011, from Kirkus Reviews: http://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/childrens-books/doreen-cronin/duck-for-president/?spdy=2004
Duck, tired of his chores and duties on the Farm, decides to campaign against Farmer Brown so that Duck can be in charge for a change. Duck wins the election, but realizes that running a farm is much harder than he thought, so instead he runs for Governor. The same thing happens until he runs for President of the US and WINS! Duck soon realizes that being president is pretty difficult and returns to the quiet farm life he once knew so that he may write his memoirs.
Impressions
I absolutely loved Duck for President, and so did the students I shared this book with. I had the opportunity to substitute in an elementary school library and since I was there, I read a few books with the kindergarten classes and they really loved this one as much as I did. The story in this book is funny and easy to understand and follow, which is great for young readers. They really enjoyed Duck's journey to the presidency! The story line is also enjoyable for the adults that may be sharing the story with young readers since it has Duck playing Saxophone on a late night tv show and various other spoofs of political happenings. The illustrations capture the audience and the story keeps them entertained. I highly recommend this book!
Review
Just in time for an election year, the feathered troublemaker of Click, Clack, Moo (2000) and Giggle, Giggle, Quack (2002) enters the political arena, with sidesplitting results. Weary of chores, Duck organizes a farmyard election and ousts Farmer Brown—only to discover that running a farm is harder than it looks. So Duck moves on, campaigning first for Governor, than President, and winning each time by, well, a nose. Lewin follows Cronin’s lead in losing no opportunity to lampoon recognizable political figures. Seeing Duck flash a two-fisted “V For Victory” sign, edge out a decidedly Hillary-esque gubernatorial incumbent, play saxophone on late-night TV, and lean wearily on the presidential desk may amuse grownups more than children—but the comedy flows freely on more levels than one, and there’s sufficient hilarity for all. Seeing the error of his ways, Duck finally returns to the farm, and is last seen working not on chores, but, graduating from typewriter to computer, his memoirs. All things considered, he has plenty to write about. (Picture book. 6-8)
In Class
Using Duck For President would be an awesome way to introduce the presidency to young students. They could get just a bit of the information without it being over their heads. By using Duck's campaign, you could show some parallels between it and a real presidency campaign so that students can understand where it applies in a real life situation.
Citation
Cronin, D. (2004). Duck for President. New York: Simon and Schuster.
Unknown. (2004). Duck for President Review. Retrieved April 21, 2011, from Kirkus Reviews: http://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/childrens-books/doreen-cronin/duck-for-president/?spdy=2004
Friday, April 8, 2011
Module 5-Going Bovine and Bud, Not Buddy
Summary-Going Bovine
Being a fan of gnomes, I was intrigued by Going Bovine when I saw the cover art. We meet Cameron who is your typical angst-y teen who hates....everyone. But, when Cameron gets sick and ends up in the hospital sharing a room with his dwarf classmate he realizes he needs to escape! He has to hit the road and make it to the super spring break bash in Florida. They acquire a yard gnome that is actually a Norse God that now must serve Cameron since Cameron rescued him. The group has a crazy trip to Florida, which includes bending time and meeting Schroedinger's Cat. Are their shenanigans part of Cameron's reality or are they just the hallucinations brought on by his Mad Cow Disease addled brain?
Impressions
Going Bovine was fun, interesting and exciting. The length may be a little daunting for some readers, but at the rate the pages turn, they won't even notice. The story's timeline can be confusing at times because Cameron himself is confused about the time quite often. Part of his mad cow disease hospital experience is that he often floats in and out of reality. Most of the story, is (I think, assuming I didn't get confused myself!) part of his hallucination and hospital dream. Overall, it is a pretty good book and I think it would be a good read for male and female students, which says a lot since so many teen books these days are written to favor one gender or the other.
Review
This decidedly fantastical premise mixes with armchair physics and time-travel theory as they make their way from Texas to Florida. Or possibly Cameron is just hallucinating his way through his last days in a hospital bed. Whichever view of this at times too-sprawling tale readers take, along the way there is plenty of delightfully funny dialogue (“Okay, Balder? Could you and your Norse goodness do me a solid and take a hike? I need a minute here”) and enough real character development, in spite of all the purposefully zany details, to cause genuine concern for their respective fates. Fans of the author’s previous works will not be disappointed, and it may appeal to science-fiction and fantasy fans with a taste for dry humor as well. (Fantasy. 14 & up)
In Class
This would be a fun book to share excerpts from with a high school biology or physics class. Since the characters have a run in with physicists playing with the space/time continuum it would be great for use in a physics class. In biology, since nearly the entire book is a hallucination, it would be great for use when discussing the effects of bacteria and disease on the body. Also, in a high school English class, I would recommend sharing the author interview on goingbovine.com and discussing the author's personality and how it comes out in the book. She seems like a creative and quirky person and to me, her personality shines in the book.
Summary-Bud, Not Buddy
When we meet Bud, we find him living in an orphanage, dreading the day that they come to tell him he's going to live with a new family. When that day comes, Bud acts mature and polite to his family, but the oldest child in the family is mean! He beats him up and blames Bud for their fight. Since the family doesn't trust Bud, they make him sleep in their scary, dark tool shed until they can send him back to the orphanage. Bud decides he is not going to go back to the orphanage to get in trouble, so he runs away. He has made up his mind to live in Hooverville, but when he learns what Hooverville really is and the Hooverville he finds is broken up, he has to move on. And move on he does! He hitches a ride to Flint to find the man he thinks is his Daddy! Bud doesn't really know what to expect when he gets to Flint, but I bet he didn't imagine he'd do so well!
Impression
Bud, Not Buddy is a fantastic book for 4-8th grade students. I liked it so much, that I did a book trailer on it! Feel free to watch the trailer! I was really impressed by the way the author painted the situation of the great depression. I had never heard of Hoovervilles, but the soup kitchen, the people looking out for each other and the whole situation of the Hooverville was very enlightening. I also found it interesting that Buddy's "dad" has a band that changes its name almost as often as they changed their socks. The only thing that never changed was that he was still in the band. It is a pretty typical situation for musicians to change bands often, but I like that it is subtly shown here.
Review
Carol Hurst, reviewer, summarizes Bud very well when she says, "Bud's irrepressible good nature, his innocence and his survival skills make him memorable. His literal interpretation of language, his belief system which includes vampires, tokens and ritual behavior all serve to allow us to see the world through the eyes of a ten year old."
In Class
I would recommend using this book in conjunction with a history lesson about life during the Great Depression. Students could see what life was like for people then and understand how down life had gotten for people.
Citations
Bray, L. (2009). Going Bovine. New York: Delacourt.
Curtis, C. P. (1999). Bud, Not Buddy. New York: Delacourt.
Hurst, C. (2001, April 16). Bud, Not Buddy. Retrieved March 19, 2011, from Carol Hurst: http://www.carolhurst.com/titles/budnotbuddy.html
Unknown. (2009, August 15). Going Bovine. Retrieved April 18, 2011, from Kirkus Reviews: http://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/childrens-books/libba-bray/going-bovine/?spdy=2009
Being a fan of gnomes, I was intrigued by Going Bovine when I saw the cover art. We meet Cameron who is your typical angst-y teen who hates....everyone. But, when Cameron gets sick and ends up in the hospital sharing a room with his dwarf classmate he realizes he needs to escape! He has to hit the road and make it to the super spring break bash in Florida. They acquire a yard gnome that is actually a Norse God that now must serve Cameron since Cameron rescued him. The group has a crazy trip to Florida, which includes bending time and meeting Schroedinger's Cat. Are their shenanigans part of Cameron's reality or are they just the hallucinations brought on by his Mad Cow Disease addled brain?
Impressions
Going Bovine was fun, interesting and exciting. The length may be a little daunting for some readers, but at the rate the pages turn, they won't even notice. The story's timeline can be confusing at times because Cameron himself is confused about the time quite often. Part of his mad cow disease hospital experience is that he often floats in and out of reality. Most of the story, is (I think, assuming I didn't get confused myself!) part of his hallucination and hospital dream. Overall, it is a pretty good book and I think it would be a good read for male and female students, which says a lot since so many teen books these days are written to favor one gender or the other.
Review
This decidedly fantastical premise mixes with armchair physics and time-travel theory as they make their way from Texas to Florida. Or possibly Cameron is just hallucinating his way through his last days in a hospital bed. Whichever view of this at times too-sprawling tale readers take, along the way there is plenty of delightfully funny dialogue (“Okay, Balder? Could you and your Norse goodness do me a solid and take a hike? I need a minute here”) and enough real character development, in spite of all the purposefully zany details, to cause genuine concern for their respective fates. Fans of the author’s previous works will not be disappointed, and it may appeal to science-fiction and fantasy fans with a taste for dry humor as well. (Fantasy. 14 & up)
In Class
This would be a fun book to share excerpts from with a high school biology or physics class. Since the characters have a run in with physicists playing with the space/time continuum it would be great for use in a physics class. In biology, since nearly the entire book is a hallucination, it would be great for use when discussing the effects of bacteria and disease on the body. Also, in a high school English class, I would recommend sharing the author interview on goingbovine.com and discussing the author's personality and how it comes out in the book. She seems like a creative and quirky person and to me, her personality shines in the book.
Summary-Bud, Not Buddy
When we meet Bud, we find him living in an orphanage, dreading the day that they come to tell him he's going to live with a new family. When that day comes, Bud acts mature and polite to his family, but the oldest child in the family is mean! He beats him up and blames Bud for their fight. Since the family doesn't trust Bud, they make him sleep in their scary, dark tool shed until they can send him back to the orphanage. Bud decides he is not going to go back to the orphanage to get in trouble, so he runs away. He has made up his mind to live in Hooverville, but when he learns what Hooverville really is and the Hooverville he finds is broken up, he has to move on. And move on he does! He hitches a ride to Flint to find the man he thinks is his Daddy! Bud doesn't really know what to expect when he gets to Flint, but I bet he didn't imagine he'd do so well!
Impression
Bud, Not Buddy is a fantastic book for 4-8th grade students. I liked it so much, that I did a book trailer on it! Feel free to watch the trailer! I was really impressed by the way the author painted the situation of the great depression. I had never heard of Hoovervilles, but the soup kitchen, the people looking out for each other and the whole situation of the Hooverville was very enlightening. I also found it interesting that Buddy's "dad" has a band that changes its name almost as often as they changed their socks. The only thing that never changed was that he was still in the band. It is a pretty typical situation for musicians to change bands often, but I like that it is subtly shown here.
Review
Carol Hurst, reviewer, summarizes Bud very well when she says, "Bud's irrepressible good nature, his innocence and his survival skills make him memorable. His literal interpretation of language, his belief system which includes vampires, tokens and ritual behavior all serve to allow us to see the world through the eyes of a ten year old."
In Class
I would recommend using this book in conjunction with a history lesson about life during the Great Depression. Students could see what life was like for people then and understand how down life had gotten for people.
Citations
Bray, L. (2009). Going Bovine. New York: Delacourt.
Curtis, C. P. (1999). Bud, Not Buddy. New York: Delacourt.
Hurst, C. (2001, April 16). Bud, Not Buddy. Retrieved March 19, 2011, from Carol Hurst: http://www.carolhurst.com/titles/budnotbuddy.html
Unknown. (2009, August 15). Going Bovine. Retrieved April 18, 2011, from Kirkus Reviews: http://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/childrens-books/libba-bray/going-bovine/?spdy=2009
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Module 4-The Twenty One Balloons and The Giver
Summary-The Twenty-One Balloons
In the book by William Pene du Bois, a retirement age teacher has no bigger wish than to travel the world in his hot air balloon all alone, and away from the rotten children he has taught for years. He makes plans and prepares to travel around the world for one year. He sets off and everything is going splendidly until a bird comes into his balloon and changes everything. The bird drives his balloon to the earth and he washes up on the shores of Krakatoa. His experiences will keep the pages turning and you'll wish, like I do, that they would adapt this for a movie!
*Edit* I actually also found this link to someone who has bought the rights to make it into a movie. I hope they get it going!
Impressions
The Twenty One Balloons struck me as such an outstanding book that I not only recommend it to people-adults and kids- but I also did a book trailer on this. You can watch it here. The creativity of the story and the fact that it is easily accessible/readable for students still makes it really appealing.
Review
Reading to Know review
I first heard about The Twenty-One Balloons, by William Pene du Bois from Amy at Hope is in the Word who mentioned that her girls were eager to listen to this audio book but then were scared by the volcano in the story. She mentioned that it was the winner of a Newberry Medal in 1948 and I figured it sounded like a fun adventure story to tuck away and read with our boys when they are older.
Almost immediately after she talked about it, I came across a copy and picked it up. Flipping through the illustrations, Bookworm1 noticed that there was a shark in the story and expressed an interest in reading it together. I obliged and we started reading The Twenty-One Balloons together. However, I ended up finishing it alone. The vocabulary was just too far above his head at this time and I could tell he was having a difficult time connecting to the story. I didn't want to ruin his impression of the story and so suggested we move on to something else at this time. As planned, I'll set it aside to read with our boys later because it is a fun (and intriguing) adventure story!
The idea is this:
Professor William Waterman Sherman decides to leave San Francisco in a hot-air balloon, travel across the Pacific Ocean and basically be alone for several years. He has grown weary of his teaching career and just wants to escape life and view the earth from above. He builds an elaborate hot-air balloon and loads it with plenty of supplies for his extravagant journey. What he forgot to factor in though was menacing seagulls who might, just perhaps, pop his balloon. Professor Sherman ends up finding himself on a rather remarkable island that the rest of the world believes is uninhabitable due to a volcano which resides on the island and can potentially wreck quite a bit of havoc. Sherman is shocked to discover that there is a colony on this island, comprised of many families. They are housing a great secret among them and live a rather intriguing lifestyle.
This book is actually open to being spoiled so I'm going to exercise a bit of caution and end my description of the book right there.
Suffice it to say, I found this book to be a really fun adventure story for boys in particular. (Not saying that girls would be unable to enjoy this book, just saying it's a great one for the guys!) The Islanders have a rather unique worldview that can come across as rather legalistic and cult-like in certain respects, making this an interesting adult read as well.
Apparently du Bois' publisher noted a resemblance between this story and a a story by F. Scott Fitzgerald entitled "A Diamond as Big as the Ritz." Our author of The Twenty-One Balloons had to acknowledge a similarity between the two tales, but stated that it certainly was not intentional. Given the fact that Fitzgerald's book was intended to be more of a parable for adults and du Bois story was for children, some differences can be drawn between the two. I found that interesting, given the thought-process that The Twenty-One Balloons causes an adult reader to go through. I've not read Fitzgerald's story but now I'm definitely curious about it.
Apart from the worldview which begs for discussion, to a younger reader this book would be all about imagination and the wonders of science.
Katie Ransohoff
The Twenty-One Balloons, written by William Pene du Bois, won the Newberry Medal in 1947. The story begins when Professor Sherman, who teaches high-school, becomes bored with his life and sets off on a journey in a hot air balloon called The Globe. He hopes the wind will blow him and his balloon all around the world. To his surprise, he instead has a crash landing on the mysterious island of Krakatoa, an island full of diamond mines and enormous wealth.
On the island dwells a society of twenty families who were brought together by a shipwrecked sailor. Each family owns a restaurant of different types of foreign foods and all members of the island eat together at a different house each night. Krakatoa is a volcanic island, and the families are aware of the danger that the volcano could erupt at any moment. Their escape plan consists of a platform made of balloons. Mr. F, one of the island dwellers, finds Professor Sherman on the island and takes him in.
The secret society of Krakatoa is based on values of greediness for wealth and inactivity. They believe their lives are perfect because they never have to worry about money. They live empty and unfulfilling lives and must learn the value of relationships, education and their own lives. They must learn how having extreme excess of money, or anything, is worthless. The book is full of drawings that help make complicated inventions and ideas clearer.
In Class
The Twenty-One Balloons would be really fun to use as a read aloud book with 2-4th grade students. It would be a great book for talking about geography. A discussion about the location of Krakatoa and how islands are formed by volcanoes would be a good tie in to the lesson as well. It would be really easy to align several lessons to this book.
Summary-The Giver
The Giver was an outstanding book, as well. We meet Jonas who is about to turn 12 and participate in the Ceremony of Twelve where he learns what his profession and role will be in his society. His society, to most, appears as very Utopian when in reality, it is Dystopian. There are people that deal with the negative aspects of life to keep everyone calm and participating in the idea of Utopia. When Jonas learn his job, he learns how his community really is and unfortunately has to decide whether to rock their foundation or assimilate and bear his burden of knowing.
Impressions
I have really wanted to read this book for quite some time, but never got around to it. It was not by any means disappointing! Jonas and the Giver are well developed characters that make you want them to fight for the freedom and the memories of their society. The regimented system of life and death they have is almost heartbreaking. To put a newborn child down because it was a twin is just wrong, in my opinion, and I think that's what really makes the reader think about how they would react if they were Jonas.
Review
In a radical departure from her realistic fiction and comic chronicles of Anastasia, Lowry creates a chilling, tightly controlled future society where all controversy, pain, and choice have been expunged, each childhood year has its privileges and responsibilities, and family members are selected for compatibility. As Jonas approaches the ``Ceremony of Twelve,'' he wonders what his adult ``Assignment'' will be. Father, a ``Nurturer,'' cares for ``newchildren''; Mother works in the ``Department of Justice''; but Jonas's admitted talents suggest no particular calling. In the event, he is named ``Receiver,'' to replace an Elder with a unique function: holding the community's memories--painful, troubling, or prone to lead (like love) to disorder; the Elder (``The Giver'') now begins to transfer these memories to Jonas. The process is deeply disturbing; for the first time, Jonas learns about ordinary things like color, the sun, snow, and mountains, as well as love, war, and death: the ceremony known as ``release'' is revealed to be murder. Horrified, Jonas plots escape to ``Elsewhere,'' a step he believes will return the memories to all the people, but his timing is upset by a decision to release a newchild he has come to love. Ill-equipped, Jonas sets out with the baby on a desperate journey whose enigmatic conclusion resonates with allegory: Jonas may be a Christ figure, but the contrasts here with Christian symbols are also intriguing. Wrought with admirable skill--the emptiness and menace underlying this Utopia emerge step by inexorable step: a richly provocative novel. (Fiction. 12+)
In Class
I would recommend using this book with junior high students and discussing societal roles. Comparing our society to the society in the book initially and then discussing how the Utopian society would work. I would then discuss why this is not an example of a Utopian society. It could be used for discussion in either English classes or in history classes since class systems have long been the cause of revolution and dissent.
If you haven't read either of these books, I highly recommend reading them! They are outstanding!
Citations
Bois, W. P. (1947). The Twenty-One Balloons. New York: Puffin Books.
Lowry, L. (1993). The Giver. New York: Houghton Mifflin.
Ransohoff, K. (2011). The Twenty-One Balloons Review. Palo Alto: PAMF.
Unknown. (1993). The Giver Review. New York: Kirkus Reviews.
Carrie. (2011, April 29). The Twenty-One Balloons. Retrieved March 16, 2011, from Reading to Know: http://www.readingtoknow.com/2011/04/twenty-one-balloons-by-william-pene-du.html
In the book by William Pene du Bois, a retirement age teacher has no bigger wish than to travel the world in his hot air balloon all alone, and away from the rotten children he has taught for years. He makes plans and prepares to travel around the world for one year. He sets off and everything is going splendidly until a bird comes into his balloon and changes everything. The bird drives his balloon to the earth and he washes up on the shores of Krakatoa. His experiences will keep the pages turning and you'll wish, like I do, that they would adapt this for a movie!
*Edit* I actually also found this link to someone who has bought the rights to make it into a movie. I hope they get it going!
Impressions
The Twenty One Balloons struck me as such an outstanding book that I not only recommend it to people-adults and kids- but I also did a book trailer on this. You can watch it here. The creativity of the story and the fact that it is easily accessible/readable for students still makes it really appealing.
Review
Reading to Know review
I first heard about The Twenty-One Balloons, by William Pene du Bois from Amy at Hope is in the Word who mentioned that her girls were eager to listen to this audio book but then were scared by the volcano in the story. She mentioned that it was the winner of a Newberry Medal in 1948 and I figured it sounded like a fun adventure story to tuck away and read with our boys when they are older.
Almost immediately after she talked about it, I came across a copy and picked it up. Flipping through the illustrations, Bookworm1 noticed that there was a shark in the story and expressed an interest in reading it together. I obliged and we started reading The Twenty-One Balloons together. However, I ended up finishing it alone. The vocabulary was just too far above his head at this time and I could tell he was having a difficult time connecting to the story. I didn't want to ruin his impression of the story and so suggested we move on to something else at this time. As planned, I'll set it aside to read with our boys later because it is a fun (and intriguing) adventure story!
The idea is this:
Professor William Waterman Sherman decides to leave San Francisco in a hot-air balloon, travel across the Pacific Ocean and basically be alone for several years. He has grown weary of his teaching career and just wants to escape life and view the earth from above. He builds an elaborate hot-air balloon and loads it with plenty of supplies for his extravagant journey. What he forgot to factor in though was menacing seagulls who might, just perhaps, pop his balloon. Professor Sherman ends up finding himself on a rather remarkable island that the rest of the world believes is uninhabitable due to a volcano which resides on the island and can potentially wreck quite a bit of havoc. Sherman is shocked to discover that there is a colony on this island, comprised of many families. They are housing a great secret among them and live a rather intriguing lifestyle.
This book is actually open to being spoiled so I'm going to exercise a bit of caution and end my description of the book right there.
Suffice it to say, I found this book to be a really fun adventure story for boys in particular. (Not saying that girls would be unable to enjoy this book, just saying it's a great one for the guys!) The Islanders have a rather unique worldview that can come across as rather legalistic and cult-like in certain respects, making this an interesting adult read as well.
Apparently du Bois' publisher noted a resemblance between this story and a a story by F. Scott Fitzgerald entitled "A Diamond as Big as the Ritz." Our author of The Twenty-One Balloons had to acknowledge a similarity between the two tales, but stated that it certainly was not intentional. Given the fact that Fitzgerald's book was intended to be more of a parable for adults and du Bois story was for children, some differences can be drawn between the two. I found that interesting, given the thought-process that The Twenty-One Balloons causes an adult reader to go through. I've not read Fitzgerald's story but now I'm definitely curious about it.
Apart from the worldview which begs for discussion, to a younger reader this book would be all about imagination and the wonders of science.
Katie Ransohoff
The Twenty-One Balloons, written by William Pene du Bois, won the Newberry Medal in 1947. The story begins when Professor Sherman, who teaches high-school, becomes bored with his life and sets off on a journey in a hot air balloon called The Globe. He hopes the wind will blow him and his balloon all around the world. To his surprise, he instead has a crash landing on the mysterious island of Krakatoa, an island full of diamond mines and enormous wealth.
On the island dwells a society of twenty families who were brought together by a shipwrecked sailor. Each family owns a restaurant of different types of foreign foods and all members of the island eat together at a different house each night. Krakatoa is a volcanic island, and the families are aware of the danger that the volcano could erupt at any moment. Their escape plan consists of a platform made of balloons. Mr. F, one of the island dwellers, finds Professor Sherman on the island and takes him in.
The secret society of Krakatoa is based on values of greediness for wealth and inactivity. They believe their lives are perfect because they never have to worry about money. They live empty and unfulfilling lives and must learn the value of relationships, education and their own lives. They must learn how having extreme excess of money, or anything, is worthless. The book is full of drawings that help make complicated inventions and ideas clearer.
In Class
The Twenty-One Balloons would be really fun to use as a read aloud book with 2-4th grade students. It would be a great book for talking about geography. A discussion about the location of Krakatoa and how islands are formed by volcanoes would be a good tie in to the lesson as well. It would be really easy to align several lessons to this book.
Summary-The Giver
The Giver was an outstanding book, as well. We meet Jonas who is about to turn 12 and participate in the Ceremony of Twelve where he learns what his profession and role will be in his society. His society, to most, appears as very Utopian when in reality, it is Dystopian. There are people that deal with the negative aspects of life to keep everyone calm and participating in the idea of Utopia. When Jonas learn his job, he learns how his community really is and unfortunately has to decide whether to rock their foundation or assimilate and bear his burden of knowing.
Impressions
I have really wanted to read this book for quite some time, but never got around to it. It was not by any means disappointing! Jonas and the Giver are well developed characters that make you want them to fight for the freedom and the memories of their society. The regimented system of life and death they have is almost heartbreaking. To put a newborn child down because it was a twin is just wrong, in my opinion, and I think that's what really makes the reader think about how they would react if they were Jonas.
Review
In a radical departure from her realistic fiction and comic chronicles of Anastasia, Lowry creates a chilling, tightly controlled future society where all controversy, pain, and choice have been expunged, each childhood year has its privileges and responsibilities, and family members are selected for compatibility. As Jonas approaches the ``Ceremony of Twelve,'' he wonders what his adult ``Assignment'' will be. Father, a ``Nurturer,'' cares for ``newchildren''; Mother works in the ``Department of Justice''; but Jonas's admitted talents suggest no particular calling. In the event, he is named ``Receiver,'' to replace an Elder with a unique function: holding the community's memories--painful, troubling, or prone to lead (like love) to disorder; the Elder (``The Giver'') now begins to transfer these memories to Jonas. The process is deeply disturbing; for the first time, Jonas learns about ordinary things like color, the sun, snow, and mountains, as well as love, war, and death: the ceremony known as ``release'' is revealed to be murder. Horrified, Jonas plots escape to ``Elsewhere,'' a step he believes will return the memories to all the people, but his timing is upset by a decision to release a newchild he has come to love. Ill-equipped, Jonas sets out with the baby on a desperate journey whose enigmatic conclusion resonates with allegory: Jonas may be a Christ figure, but the contrasts here with Christian symbols are also intriguing. Wrought with admirable skill--the emptiness and menace underlying this Utopia emerge step by inexorable step: a richly provocative novel. (Fiction. 12+)
In Class
I would recommend using this book with junior high students and discussing societal roles. Comparing our society to the society in the book initially and then discussing how the Utopian society would work. I would then discuss why this is not an example of a Utopian society. It could be used for discussion in either English classes or in history classes since class systems have long been the cause of revolution and dissent.
If you haven't read either of these books, I highly recommend reading them! They are outstanding!
Citations
Bois, W. P. (1947). The Twenty-One Balloons. New York: Puffin Books.
Lowry, L. (1993). The Giver. New York: Houghton Mifflin.
Ransohoff, K. (2011). The Twenty-One Balloons Review. Palo Alto: PAMF.
Unknown. (1993). The Giver Review. New York: Kirkus Reviews.
Carrie. (2011, April 29). The Twenty-One Balloons. Retrieved March 16, 2011, from Reading to Know: http://www.readingtoknow.com/2011/04/twenty-one-balloons-by-william-pene-du.html
Friday, April 1, 2011
Module 3-Tuesday and Jumanji
Tuesday
Summary
Tuesday is a fabulous children's book with very vivid images that really emphasize the plot. It starts with "Tuesday evening, around 8." Such an innocuous statement, but in this case, it leads us into a story that has flying frogs running amok in a town that doesn't know how to begin dealing with them! Lily pads are dropped everywhere and frogs chase the dog that chased it, teaching the dog (HOPEFULLY!) not to chase frogs!
Impressions
This story really made me laugh and I think that it will appeal to kids of all ages. Frogs fly through the air and wreak havoc on an unsuspecting town. The illustration are hilarious and creative.
In Class
The illustrations in this story just amazing. They capture the excitement and the surprise of flying frogs. I would love to use this story with a class that is beginning a unit about fiction or narrative writing. Getting kids to think 'outside of the box' can be difficult, but using this as an example could help them understand that it is ok to think outside of the parameters of daily life.
Reviews
On the publisher's website, several reviews are listed and the book was even a started book for the School Library Journal. The best reviews are as follows:
*“Kids will love its lighthearted, meticulously imagined, fun-without-a-moral fantasy. Tuesday is bound to take off.” — School Library Journal, starred review
“A surreal, almost wordless picture book shows the mysterious levitation of lily pads and frogs from a pond one Tuesday at dusk. The frogs soar around town until they fall to the ground at sunrise. Large, detailed watercolors use dramatic points of view and lighting effects and often show a humorous range of expressions. There is a forecast of further surprises to come on following Tuesdays.” — Horn Book
Jumanji
Impressions
Jumanji was such an outstanding book, that it was adapted for a movie. The illustrations that van Allsburg created are life-like and creative. He uses the illustrations to show the action in ways that are not necessarily 'head on' like you might typically see in a regular children's book. We see more of what is happening from the characters point of view, instead. The thought and planning that went into the story are really evident in that the story's excitement is not lost even though the images are only black and white pencil drawings.
Review
Jumanji landed at number 50 on the School Library Journal's "Top 100 Picture Books" list. Travis Jonker reviews the book and really emphasizes that the illustrations keep this book from going silly. I do have to disagree with Mr. Jonker, though, on his opinion about the movie adaptation. I think the movie was outstanding and really did a great job of adapting the story for a movie without leaving the viewer wanting.
In Class
I would love to see Jumanji used with younger students that are learning about jungle animals and ecosystems. It would be really fun to have the kids talk about where the animals come from and where they should be in real life, outside of the house!
Citations
Jonker, T. (2009, April 13). Top 100 Picture Books. Retrieved April 1, 2011, from School Library Journal: http://blog.schoollibraryjournal.com/afuse8production/2009/04/13/top-100-picture-books-poll-results-50-46/
Publishers, H. (2011). Tuesday. Retrieved April 1, 2011, from Houghton Mifflin Publishers: http://www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/authors/wiesner/books/books_tues.shtml
Van Allsburg, C. (1981). Jumanji. Chicago: Houghton Mifflin.
Weisner, D. (1991). Tuesday. New York: Clarion.
Summary
Tuesday is a fabulous children's book with very vivid images that really emphasize the plot. It starts with "Tuesday evening, around 8." Such an innocuous statement, but in this case, it leads us into a story that has flying frogs running amok in a town that doesn't know how to begin dealing with them! Lily pads are dropped everywhere and frogs chase the dog that chased it, teaching the dog (HOPEFULLY!) not to chase frogs!
Impressions
This story really made me laugh and I think that it will appeal to kids of all ages. Frogs fly through the air and wreak havoc on an unsuspecting town. The illustration are hilarious and creative.
In Class
The illustrations in this story just amazing. They capture the excitement and the surprise of flying frogs. I would love to use this story with a class that is beginning a unit about fiction or narrative writing. Getting kids to think 'outside of the box' can be difficult, but using this as an example could help them understand that it is ok to think outside of the parameters of daily life.
Reviews
On the publisher's website, several reviews are listed and the book was even a started book for the School Library Journal. The best reviews are as follows:
*“Kids will love its lighthearted, meticulously imagined, fun-without-a-moral fantasy. Tuesday is bound to take off.” — School Library Journal, starred review
“A surreal, almost wordless picture book shows the mysterious levitation of lily pads and frogs from a pond one Tuesday at dusk. The frogs soar around town until they fall to the ground at sunrise. Large, detailed watercolors use dramatic points of view and lighting effects and often show a humorous range of expressions. There is a forecast of further surprises to come on following Tuesdays.” — Horn Book
Jumanji
Impressions
Jumanji was such an outstanding book, that it was adapted for a movie. The illustrations that van Allsburg created are life-like and creative. He uses the illustrations to show the action in ways that are not necessarily 'head on' like you might typically see in a regular children's book. We see more of what is happening from the characters point of view, instead. The thought and planning that went into the story are really evident in that the story's excitement is not lost even though the images are only black and white pencil drawings.
Review
Jumanji landed at number 50 on the School Library Journal's "Top 100 Picture Books" list. Travis Jonker reviews the book and really emphasizes that the illustrations keep this book from going silly. I do have to disagree with Mr. Jonker, though, on his opinion about the movie adaptation. I think the movie was outstanding and really did a great job of adapting the story for a movie without leaving the viewer wanting.
In Class
I would love to see Jumanji used with younger students that are learning about jungle animals and ecosystems. It would be really fun to have the kids talk about where the animals come from and where they should be in real life, outside of the house!
Citations
Jonker, T. (2009, April 13). Top 100 Picture Books. Retrieved April 1, 2011, from School Library Journal: http://blog.schoollibraryjournal.com/afuse8production/2009/04/13/top-100-picture-books-poll-results-50-46/
Publishers, H. (2011). Tuesday. Retrieved April 1, 2011, from Houghton Mifflin Publishers: http://www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/authors/wiesner/books/books_tues.shtml
Van Allsburg, C. (1981). Jumanji. Chicago: Houghton Mifflin.
Weisner, D. (1991). Tuesday. New York: Clarion.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Module 2-Little Women and The Story of Ferdinand
Little Women
by Louisa May Alcott
Summary
Little Women is set in the late 1800s and tells the story of 4 sisters, Amy, Margaret, Jo and Elizabeth. The girls, ranging in age from 12 to 16, spend the span of the story learning to be good, respectable girls and learning morality and kindness through the example of their mother, Marmee. They experience love, loss and sacrifice as they grow in the book. We see the girls endure their hardship of having a father away at war and having little extravagance in their lives. For example, the girls share gloves to go to a party and one of the sisters, despite their social standing, works as a governess to help with the family funding. The girls help the less fortunate when they can and eventually the traveling to help sick families causes Beth to get sick. The family nurses her back to health, but poor Beth is weakened from the illness.
Impressions
While we are supposed to read a book we aren't familiar with, I could not remember much about Little Women, even though I read it when I was in junior high. Having said that, I'm not sure how I read it when I was in school. I did not enjoy it and had to make myself get through it. It has its place in classic literature and if I knew a patron that was interested in reading classic literature. The language is achievable for students in 6th or 7th grade and up and I think that the material may be more interesting to them since they may be interested in historical life styles and problems that girls in a different century may have experienced. It is interesting to me, speaking of past problems, that the oldest sister, Margaret, faces engagement in her teens when in the present day people are getting married and starting families so much later.
Reviews
School Library Journal
Little Women (unabr.). 14 CDs. 17:30 hrs.Tantor Media. 2008. ISBN 978-1-4001-0860-2. $35.99.
Gr 5 Up-Louisa MayAlcott's 19th century classic is the story of the March sisters—Meg, Jo, Aniy, and Beth—who live with their beloved Marmee, while their father is away serving as a chaplain during the Civil War. They must make many sacrifices during this time, but they learn that happiness is not dependent on riches, and trouble doesn't last forever. Rebecca Burns's homey, perfectly modulated voice easily moves from one character to another, and her narration for the male characters is credible. The CDs include tracking every three minutes. The companion ebook features automatic start-up, keyword searching, PDF printable format, table of contents, and
index. A great choice for classes studying New England family life during the Civil War period.
Jandy's Books
Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy March live in New England with their mother while their father has gone to fight in the American War Between the States. Once their family had been well-to-do but their circumstances had reversed. While the March family doesn't have monetary riches, they have love and family riches. Meg and Jo have jobs, Beth stays home with Marmee, and Amy goes to school.
Jo is the adventurous sister, the one who acted like a boy. She didn't often act like a lady like her sisters would. Jo is the one who befriended the lonely boy next door, Theodore Laurence. Soon Laurie is involved in many of the girls' adventures. As the five grow up, they enjoy many activities that grew from and strengthened their imaginations.
In time Mr. March returns home and the girls grow. They move from girlhood to womanhood, with the romances and businesses involved with that activity. Beth, the favorite of all the family, suffers from a life-threatening disease. Although she recovers, she never regains her full strength. Jo's untempered words get her in trouble more than once. Meg, then later Amy, meet the men who become the loves of their lives. Beth continues to comfort the March family. Laurie falls in love with Jo and is rejected - she knows they are better in a brother/siser relationship rather than husband and wife. Given time, a wise grandfather, and the right woman, Laurie recovers from Jo and discovers a new love. Jo continues to write, trying to make a small amount of money with her stories. She is certain she is to never marry, but even Jo finds someone who changes her mind.
This novel for girls is about 150 years old and is still charming to a young girl's heart. The March girls excite the imagination of the young reader. Miss Alcott brings the girls and her time period to life through a loving haze. Bad things happen in the book - tears are inevitable - yet overall this is a joyful book, full of hope.
In Class
This book could be used with students as an introduction to classic literature. Many students are daunted by the language and heft of classic literature, but with the content and language of Little Women, it would be a great starting point with students. It would be really interesting to read and have students write a modern day version of Little Women that parallels the classic version.
The Story of Ferdinand
Munro Leaf
Summary
In The Story of Ferdinand, we meet a peaceful young bull that has no desire to fight in the arena. Ferdinand only wants to sit in the field and enjoy the flowers and sunshine. A Bull Fighter comes to town and wants to fight the most fearsome bull, Ferdinand. Ferdinand doesn't respond to his advances. The pen and ink drawings are simple and really emphasize the peaceful feeling that goes along with the story.
Impressions
As a child, one of my favorite movies to watch at Grandma's was the video of the old Disney short movies. My absolute favorite movie short was "Ferdinand the Bull", and when I found out it was originally an award winning book, I was very excited! "The Story of Ferdinand" is beautifully illustrated and Leaf and Lawson used the space on the page so well to illustrate the gentle nature of Ferdinand and eventually his exciting adventure in the bull fighting arena.
In Class
This story would be great to use in an Art class with students that are learning to use positive and negative space and learning about focal points. They could use this story of a great example of how to use only black ink to clearly get the point of the images across. Additionally, this would be good to use in a history or geography class with student that are learning about the history of spain or mexico and the tradition of bull fighting.
Reviews
Eye Level Books
Ferdinand is a mild-mannered Spanish bull who (unlike his peers) has no aspirations to be chosen for a big bullfight in Madrid. Instead, “he like[s] to sit just quietly and smell the flowers.” But one day, when five men come to his pasture to choose a bull for the bullfight, Ferdinand sits on a bee, provoking him to act so crazy that the men choose him for the next bullfight. When he arrives in the arena, he has to decide whether he will give in to the pressure to perform.
The story is rendered in charming ink drawings and is exceptionally well written. The author makes gentle fun of the strutting bravado displayed by of the bullfight’s participants, while Ferdinand’s gentle response displays a unique kind of courage. Some parents will see this story as a treatise against the violence and cruelty of bullfights, while others will view it as an example of someone being true to himself. However you interpret it, this is an undeniably hilarious story that has been loved by children since its first publication in 1936.
It is fairly accessible to older toddlers and will also be enjoyed by early readers. Since its original printing, a color version has become available, but some of the pictures are missing, and the blotchy quality obscures the detail in the ink drawings, so I prefer the black-and-white version.
Works Cited
Miller, K. (2009). Little Women. School Library Journal, 55(2), 57-58. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
Unknown, J. (2005, October 26). Little Women. Retrieved March 28, 2011, from Jandy's books: http://www.jandysbooks.com/children/lttlwmen.html
Alcot, L. M. (2009). Little Women. USA: Oxford University Press.
Gonzalez, S. (2010, June 13). The Story of Ferdinand. Retrieved March 28, 2011, from Eye Level Books: http://www.eyelevelbooks.com/2010/06/13/book-review-the-story-of-ferdinand/
Leaf, M. (1936). The Story of Ferdinand. New York: Puffin.
by Louisa May Alcott
Summary
Little Women is set in the late 1800s and tells the story of 4 sisters, Amy, Margaret, Jo and Elizabeth. The girls, ranging in age from 12 to 16, spend the span of the story learning to be good, respectable girls and learning morality and kindness through the example of their mother, Marmee. They experience love, loss and sacrifice as they grow in the book. We see the girls endure their hardship of having a father away at war and having little extravagance in their lives. For example, the girls share gloves to go to a party and one of the sisters, despite their social standing, works as a governess to help with the family funding. The girls help the less fortunate when they can and eventually the traveling to help sick families causes Beth to get sick. The family nurses her back to health, but poor Beth is weakened from the illness.
Impressions
While we are supposed to read a book we aren't familiar with, I could not remember much about Little Women, even though I read it when I was in junior high. Having said that, I'm not sure how I read it when I was in school. I did not enjoy it and had to make myself get through it. It has its place in classic literature and if I knew a patron that was interested in reading classic literature. The language is achievable for students in 6th or 7th grade and up and I think that the material may be more interesting to them since they may be interested in historical life styles and problems that girls in a different century may have experienced. It is interesting to me, speaking of past problems, that the oldest sister, Margaret, faces engagement in her teens when in the present day people are getting married and starting families so much later.
Reviews
School Library Journal
Little Women (unabr.). 14 CDs. 17:30 hrs.Tantor Media. 2008. ISBN 978-1-4001-0860-2. $35.99.
Gr 5 Up-Louisa MayAlcott's 19th century classic is the story of the March sisters—Meg, Jo, Aniy, and Beth—who live with their beloved Marmee, while their father is away serving as a chaplain during the Civil War. They must make many sacrifices during this time, but they learn that happiness is not dependent on riches, and trouble doesn't last forever. Rebecca Burns's homey, perfectly modulated voice easily moves from one character to another, and her narration for the male characters is credible. The CDs include tracking every three minutes. The companion ebook features automatic start-up, keyword searching, PDF printable format, table of contents, and
index. A great choice for classes studying New England family life during the Civil War period.
Jandy's Books
Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy March live in New England with their mother while their father has gone to fight in the American War Between the States. Once their family had been well-to-do but their circumstances had reversed. While the March family doesn't have monetary riches, they have love and family riches. Meg and Jo have jobs, Beth stays home with Marmee, and Amy goes to school.
Jo is the adventurous sister, the one who acted like a boy. She didn't often act like a lady like her sisters would. Jo is the one who befriended the lonely boy next door, Theodore Laurence. Soon Laurie is involved in many of the girls' adventures. As the five grow up, they enjoy many activities that grew from and strengthened their imaginations.
In time Mr. March returns home and the girls grow. They move from girlhood to womanhood, with the romances and businesses involved with that activity. Beth, the favorite of all the family, suffers from a life-threatening disease. Although she recovers, she never regains her full strength. Jo's untempered words get her in trouble more than once. Meg, then later Amy, meet the men who become the loves of their lives. Beth continues to comfort the March family. Laurie falls in love with Jo and is rejected - she knows they are better in a brother/siser relationship rather than husband and wife. Given time, a wise grandfather, and the right woman, Laurie recovers from Jo and discovers a new love. Jo continues to write, trying to make a small amount of money with her stories. She is certain she is to never marry, but even Jo finds someone who changes her mind.
This novel for girls is about 150 years old and is still charming to a young girl's heart. The March girls excite the imagination of the young reader. Miss Alcott brings the girls and her time period to life through a loving haze. Bad things happen in the book - tears are inevitable - yet overall this is a joyful book, full of hope.
In Class
This book could be used with students as an introduction to classic literature. Many students are daunted by the language and heft of classic literature, but with the content and language of Little Women, it would be a great starting point with students. It would be really interesting to read and have students write a modern day version of Little Women that parallels the classic version.
The Story of Ferdinand
Munro Leaf
Summary
In The Story of Ferdinand, we meet a peaceful young bull that has no desire to fight in the arena. Ferdinand only wants to sit in the field and enjoy the flowers and sunshine. A Bull Fighter comes to town and wants to fight the most fearsome bull, Ferdinand. Ferdinand doesn't respond to his advances. The pen and ink drawings are simple and really emphasize the peaceful feeling that goes along with the story.
Impressions
As a child, one of my favorite movies to watch at Grandma's was the video of the old Disney short movies. My absolute favorite movie short was "Ferdinand the Bull", and when I found out it was originally an award winning book, I was very excited! "The Story of Ferdinand" is beautifully illustrated and Leaf and Lawson used the space on the page so well to illustrate the gentle nature of Ferdinand and eventually his exciting adventure in the bull fighting arena.
In Class
This story would be great to use in an Art class with students that are learning to use positive and negative space and learning about focal points. They could use this story of a great example of how to use only black ink to clearly get the point of the images across. Additionally, this would be good to use in a history or geography class with student that are learning about the history of spain or mexico and the tradition of bull fighting.
Reviews
Eye Level Books
Ferdinand is a mild-mannered Spanish bull who (unlike his peers) has no aspirations to be chosen for a big bullfight in Madrid. Instead, “he like[s] to sit just quietly and smell the flowers.” But one day, when five men come to his pasture to choose a bull for the bullfight, Ferdinand sits on a bee, provoking him to act so crazy that the men choose him for the next bullfight. When he arrives in the arena, he has to decide whether he will give in to the pressure to perform.
The story is rendered in charming ink drawings and is exceptionally well written. The author makes gentle fun of the strutting bravado displayed by of the bullfight’s participants, while Ferdinand’s gentle response displays a unique kind of courage. Some parents will see this story as a treatise against the violence and cruelty of bullfights, while others will view it as an example of someone being true to himself. However you interpret it, this is an undeniably hilarious story that has been loved by children since its first publication in 1936.
It is fairly accessible to older toddlers and will also be enjoyed by early readers. Since its original printing, a color version has become available, but some of the pictures are missing, and the blotchy quality obscures the detail in the ink drawings, so I prefer the black-and-white version.
Works Cited
Miller, K. (2009). Little Women. School Library Journal, 55(2), 57-58. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
Unknown, J. (2005, October 26). Little Women. Retrieved March 28, 2011, from Jandy's books: http://www.jandysbooks.com/children/lttlwmen.html
Alcot, L. M. (2009). Little Women. USA: Oxford University Press.
Gonzalez, S. (2010, June 13). The Story of Ferdinand. Retrieved March 28, 2011, from Eye Level Books: http://www.eyelevelbooks.com/2010/06/13/book-review-the-story-of-ferdinand/
Leaf, M. (1936). The Story of Ferdinand. New York: Puffin.
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