Module 15: Draw me a star

Book Summary: A cute little book about an artist and his creations.  The artist is told to draw a series of things, including a star.  He is then taken away across the dark sky to travel with the star.

APA Reference of Book: Carle, E. (1992). Draw me a star. New York: Philomel Books.

Impressions: This book is a typical Eric Carle book.  I can see how the one image of the “handsome” couple can make this book one that is challenged a lot.  The man and the woman appear to be naked, but again, if one is familiar with Carle’s illustrations, they are not very detailed.  The story is very short and I am not sure what the point of it is.  When you read the end, you discover that this is actually a dream that Eric Carle had.   That’s what I would describe this book as, a dream…  A very strange dream.

Professional Review:  K-Gr 4-- A young boy is told (readers are not sure by whom) to "Draw me a star.'' The star then requests that the boy draw it a sun; the sun asks for a "lovely tree,'' and throughout his life the boy/man/artist continues to create images that fill the world with beauty. The moon bids the now-elderly artist to draw another star, and as the story ends, the artist travels across the night sky'' hand-in-hand with the star. This book will appeal to readers of all ages; its stunning illustrations, spare text, and simple story line make it a good choice for story hour; but older children will also find it uplifting and meaningful. Especially pleasing is a diagram within the story, accompanied by rhyming instructions on how to draw a star: "Down/ over/ left/ and right/ draw/ a star/ oh so/ bright.'' An inspired book in every sense of the word.

Larkin, E. (1992). Draw me a star (Book Review). School Library Journal, (38) 80.

Library Uses: The book can be used as part of story time for younger readers.  Have to be careful about the images, but I think that the young kids are innocent enough where they will not notice the things that adults notice.

Module 14: Fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers : a collection of family poems

Book Summary: This is a book of poems about families.  The short poems are cute and tell stories of what families are like.  There are poems that are told from the point of view of different members of different families.  The only thing that ties these stories together is that they are all about family.  Otherwise, they are not interrelated. 

APA Reference of Book: Hoberman, M. A., & Hafner, M. (1993). Fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers: a collection of family poems. New York, N.Y: Puffin Books.

Impressions: I really like the cute little poems that are descriptive of what family means.  And not just the traditional type of family.  I wish I would have had this book when a student, years ago, asked me if it’s ok that she has two mommies.  These stories are easy to relate to and I think anyone would enjoy reading this quirky little book.  Very quick read and I think I will be adding this to my collection for my son to enjoy as he grows.

Professional Review: K-Gr 3--Twenty-six good-humored poems concerning all sorts of families and home life are surrounded, punctuated, and framed by wonderfully expressive full-color illustrations. The poems celebrate common emotions: the pros and cons of being an only child; the diversity of grandparents; and the mixed blessing of being sick and the center of mother's concern. There is a poem for an adopted baby; a divorced dad; "Half-Whole-Step" makes distinctions among a boy's sisters. The lively, inviting cartoons reflect ethnic diversity and include lots of pets in this slightly over-sized volume that primary graders can read themselves.

McConnell, R. M. (1991). Fathers, Mothers, Sisters, Brothers: A Collection of Family Poems (Book Review). School Library Journal, 37(10), 108.

Library Uses: I would incorporate this book in read aloud when working on units on the family and what a family is or when reading poems.

Module 13: Rapunzel's revenge

Book Summary: Rapunzel was always wondering what is over the huge wall.  One day, she climbs and looks over the wall only to see a desert with smoke and mines.  She gets in trouble and is sent away to be taught a lesson.  Rapunzel perseveres throughout the book and gets her happy ending.

APA Reference of Book: Hale, S., Hale, D., & Hale, N. (2008). Rapunzel's revenge. New York, N.Y.: Bloomsbury.

Impressions: I thought it was an easy book to read, and a quick one at that.  I am not a big fan of these types of books, as I like to read whole sentences and paragraphs, but I can see how maybe struggling readers would enjoy the ease of reading this book.  For me, the illustrations were too much.  They take my attention of the story and I want to examine each picture.  I would have liked this story better if it was not a graphic novel.  Definitely  my least favorite type of book of all the ones covered in this class.

Professional Review: The popular author of Princess Academy teams with her husband and illustrator Hale (no relation) for a muscular retelling of the famously long-haired heroine's story, set in a fairy-tale version of the Wild West. The Hales' Rapunzel, the narrator, lives like royalty with witchy Mother Gothel, but defies orders, scaling villa walls to see what's outside--a shocking wasteland of earth-scarring mines and smoke-billowing towers. She recognizes a mine worker from a recurrent dream: it's her birth mother, from whom she was taken as punishment for her father's theft from Mother G.'s garden. Their brief reunion sets the plot in motion. Mother G. banishes Rapunzel to a forest tree-house, checking annually for repentance, which never comes. Rapunzel uses her brick-red braids first to escape, then like Indiana Jones with his whip, to knock out the villains whom she and her new sidekick, Jack (of Beanstalk fame), encounter as they navigate hostile territory to free Rapunzel's morn from peril. Illustrator Hale's detailed, candy-colored artwork demands close viewing, as it carries the action--Rapunzel's many scrapes are nearly wordless. With its can-do heroine, witty dialogue and romantic ending, this graphic novel has something for nearly everybody. Ages 10-up.

Rapunzel's Revenge. (2008). (Book Review). Publishers Weekly, 255(31), 63.

Library Uses: I would use this book to demonstrate what a graphic novel is and then to have kids create their own.  This is a great example and I think that the kids can either write a short story and then split it up into a whole book of images, or they can go backward and do the illustrations first and then add a story to their drawings. 

Module 12: Odd boy out: Young Albert Einstein

Book Summary: A short, entertaining and informative book on the life of Albert Einstein.  A quick read about his life from birth to end, with more details given to his youth, with a page at the end that summarizes a little more of the details of his adult life.

APA Reference of Book: Brown, D. (2004). Odd boy out: young Albert Einstein. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Co.

Impressions: I thought the book was easy to read and I actually learned a lot about Albert Einstein.  I think it’s a cute book about a boy that doesn't fit in, and how he refuses to conform to what others believe is the right way.  I especially liked the last page, where the author tells the reader more about some of the myths that have surrounded Einstein’s life. 

Professional Review: Brown maintains a delicate tension between his accessible presentation (a straightforward text and uncluttered illustrations) and his extraordinary subject (the legendary twentieth-century physicist whose complex ideas revolutionized science and daily life). For someone whose name is synonymous with genius, Albert Einstein's early years were far from auspicious. Brown carefully and effectively summarizes events, choosing telling details to paint a portrait of an introspective child who struggles in school and whose frustrated teachers wonder if Albert is "dull-witted." In the somber watercolor and ink illustrations, young Albert's physical separation from other figures emphasizes his psychological disconnection from the goings on around him (as do his almost-always-closed eyes). Brown introduces Einstein's famous theories with a light touch, keeping the focus on the boy/young man. The book's message about different ways of and approaches to learning is clear and will surely be appreciated by the intended audience. An author's note debunks a few myths surrounding the man and his work, and a short bibliography rounds out this inspired picture-book biography.

Flynn, K. (2004). Odd Boy Out: Young Albert Einstein (Book Review). Horn Book Magazine, 80(5), 604-605.

Library Uses: I would use this as a read aloud when talking about self esteem and how people can be different and it’s OK to be that way.

Module 11: Now and Ben: The Modern inventions of Benjamin Franklin

Book Summary: A book about some of the inventions of Benjamin Franklin.

APA Reference of Book: Barretta, G. (2006). Now & Ben: the modern inventions of Benjamin Franklin. New York, NY: Henry Holt and Co.

Impressions: Very colorful and informative book.  There are some things in here that I did not know, and once I read, I wanted to read more about.  The pages are very colorful and the book is very easy to read.  I think that it’s well written and easy for kids to understand.  I am not a fan of history or facts, but if all my history books were written like this one, I would have probably done much better in school.  I really enjoyed learning from this book.

Professional Review: Gr 2-5-- A clever, concise introduction to the contributions of this colorful colonial figure. The first spread depicts Franklin standing proudly by his family home with his wife and children smiling from within. His various occupations-writer, printer, diplomat, musician, humorist, postmaster, scientist, inventor, humanitarian-are written on the cobblestones beneath him. Next is a spread of a busy city street today, which challenges readers to guess which modern conveniences are owed to the subject's creativity. Subsequent spreads take a closer look at each invention from political cartoons, bifocals, electricity, lightning rod, and Franklin stove to daylight saving time and more. Each spread features a "Now…", description of a modern concept or convenience facing an early "Ben…", idea. "Now every automobile has an odometer to measure the distance it travels. Ben… invented the odometer when he was postmaster general so he could measure his postal routes." The fanciful final spread depicts a futuristic scene with flying-saucer vehicles and robot servers, which encourages youngsters to imagine how today's inventions will evolve in time. Engaging and humorous watercolor cartoons depict just how Franklin's inventions were conceived and developed. The yellow mottled endpapers are filled with sketches of the inventions featured within. Both Aliki's The Many Lives of Benjamin Franklin (S & S, 1988) and Rosalyn Schanzer's HowBen Franklin Stole the Lightning (HarperCollins, 2003) offer more background and biographical information, though this lively offering is sure to inspire readers to learn more about its fascinating subject.

Auerbach, B. (2006). Now & Ben: The Modern Inventions of Benjamin 

Franklin.  (Book Review). School Library Journal, 52(3), 206.

Library Uses: I would have the students write their own biography so far in life, and have them try to invent one new thing that they think the world should have to make it a better or an easier place to live.  They could then develop it further to tell us how the world would change based on their invention.

Module 10: The Greatest skating race

Book Summary: Piet is a young boy who lives in the Netherlands during World War II.  He loves to ice skate wants to someday compete in a race. When a friend’s father is arrested, Piet and his friends plan to escape to Belgium.  They skate there to escape the Germans.

APA Reference of Book: Borden, L., & Daly, N. (2004). The greatest skating race: a World War II Story from the Netherlands. New York, NY: Margaret K. McElderry Books.

Impressions: The book is historical fiction.  Again, not one of my favorite types of books, and this one is no different.  There’s nothing that appealed to me about this book, besides the fact that it was very informative.  The book has many side notes and explanations, and to me just has more of reference book feel than an entertainment one.  Not something that I would read for fun.

Professional Review: To be Dutch, Piet's mother says, is "to love skating on our canals [and] to be brave in our hearts." Piet proves both his courage and his speed on ice in the emergency following the arrest of a neighbor caught radioing messages in early 1942. The man's two children will be safer with an aunt in Belgium; Piet, only ten but "a strong skater" with "a quick mind," will guide them,, on skates. The sixteen-kilometer journey is tense: Little Joop tires; they hide from German soldiers; caught, they're saved only by Piet's quick wits; uncertain, they don't dare ask directions. Throughout, Piet is sustained by thoughts of Holland's "Elfstedentocht," a 200--kilometer race that's held in years when the canal ice is especially strong, and of doughty Pim Mulier, who first skated its route in 1890. Piet's taut narrative is set verse-style on broad, snowy pages. Daly's colored pencil and watercolor illustrations evoke the story's drama with eloquent body language, its seriousness with winter grays and browns enhanced with deep reds, and the somber, flat landscape in a few deft strokes. Borden adds an epilogue plus notes on skating and the Elfstedentocht. Handsome, carefully researched, this picture book makes a fine introduction to the period.

Long, J. (2004). The Greatest Skating Race: A World War II Story from the 
Netherlands. (Book Review). Horn Book Magazine, 80(5), 564-565.

Library Uses: Just as Piet is inspired by his country's skating champion, I would ask my students to find a book on their champion and share it with us.  After they have read their book, I would ask them to share with us why this person is their "Hero" or their inspiration in life.

Module 9: Where's the big bad wolf

Book Summary: A cute interpretation of the classic tale of the Three Little Pigs, with a twist. 

APA Reference of Book: Christelow, E. (2002). Where's the big bad wolf?. New York, NY: Clarion Books.

Impressions: I liked the book and the illustrations.  It’s a may be a little long for the young readers in the classrooms, but it would be a great book for story-time.  The text is easy to read and is written big enough where the beginning readers can see it well.  There’s also a lot of repetition in the story, which also makes it an ideal book for kids to learn to read from.

Professional Review: Three little pigs get some real bad advice from a wolf in a real goofy sheep disguise in this comical whodunit. The three little pigs are having their homes blown dowry--and escaping by the hair of their chinny-chin-chins--and Detective Doggedly believes it might be the work of the shiftless, no-account neighborhood wolf, the infamous BBW. But the only character found at the crime scenes is a newcomer to town: Esmeralda the sheep. Sure, kids will note, Esmeralda their foot, for her disguise is pretty transparent. She has also been giving the pigs construction ideas: straw is good, twigs are good, and cardboard's not bad. Two cows suggest a brick house, which foils the wolf and ends in his unveiling and incarceration. Short-term incarceration, that is, as he's soon back, this time tricked out as a horse, with more self-serving recommendations: "Pick peas after midnight, when everybody is asleep. They'll taste sweeter." So what if there are a few inexplicables here--How did the wolf con his way into that hospital bed?--this is good clownish fun, and the rough-and-tumble art keeps the farce bubbling. (Picture book. 4-7)

Where’s the Big Bad Wolf? (2002). (Book Review). Kirkus Reviews, 70(14), 1028.

Library Uses: Have the kids split up into groups of two.  The students should come up with a mystery of their own, and when everyone's finished, the students will read their short story aloud and allow the rest of the kids to try and solve or figure out what's happening.