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.

Module 8: Son

Book Summary: This book is a continuation of The Giver.  A young woman who was used to produce a child, and was then supposed to forget all about him, does not follow the conventional ways of the society that she came from.  She goes against everything that she knows and was taught to be right, in order to find her son.

APA Reference of Book: Lowry, L. (2012). Son. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin.

Impressions: I love the way that the author of these books has a way with words.   The Giver, a book that preceded this one in the series, is one of my all time favorites and I have wanted to read this one for a long time.  Glad I finally did.  This book is written very similar to The Giver.   The author provoked deep though as to why we are here and what is it that we do with our time here.  How do we live our lives?  What if society told us to live our lives differently?  What if we never knew things existed, like color?  This was a great ending to the series of the books.  Now, I just need to read the two in between.

Professional Review: Fans of The Giver (1993) and their legion will find themselves immediately pulled back into the sterile, ordered world where conformity is the only virtue. The focus here is on 14-year-old Claire, and when readers first see her, she is strapped onto a table, masked, about to give birth. As a Birthmother, Claire's job is finished once her baby is born, until the next pregnancy. But unusual circumstances, including a cesarean, get Claire moved from the birthing center to the fish hatchery, and someone forgets to give Claire the pills everyone in the community takes the ones that suppress feelings and individuality. Without that wall, Claire begins to long for her son and finds opportunities to see him. Slowly, readers of the previous titles in the quartet will come to understand that Claire's baby is not unfamiliar to them. When the boy disappears, Claire decides, against all odds, that she must find him. That brings her to a seaside community where she strengthens body, mind, and spirit to continue her search. One of The Giver's strengths was the unvarnished writing style that reflected the book's ordered community. Lowry captures that same feeling again and turns it inside out as Claire moves through two more distinct settings, both haunting in their own right. Though her time at the seaside village may seem long to some readers (and it is more than 10 years), the vividness of the descriptions from the hardness of the rock to the roiling of the water makes up for the length. Lowry is one of those rare writers who can craft stories as meaningful as they are enticing. Once again she provides plenty of weighty matters for readers to think about: What is important in life? What are you willing to trade for your desires? And the conflict that has been going on since stories began: Who is able to conquer evil? Don't miss our feature, Another Look at Lois Lowry's The Giver Quartet.

Cooper, I. (2012). Son. (Book Review). Booklist, 108(19/20), 78.

Library Uses: I would ask my students to make a list of the things that are most important to them in life.  I would have them hold on to that list and refer to it throughout the year, and try to remember that when things get tough for them, they need to remember what's most important to them.

Module 7: Hatchet

Book Summary: It’s a book about one boy’s survival after his plane crashes and the pilot dies.  He spends months on his own, surviving on berries and using the only thing he has – a hatchet, to survive.

APA Reference of Book: Paulsen, G. (1987). Hatchet. New York, NY: Bradbury Press.

Impressions: I thought this book was engaging and interesting.  This is something that I think 5^th graders and up would enjoy reading.  The book is easy to read, uses simple words and is easy to understand for the young readers.  I think this is a great book for kids to get into chapter books.  The chapters leave you wanting more and not wanting to take a break from the reading.

Professional Review: Gr 8-12 Brian Robeson, 13, is the only passenger on a small plane flying him to visit his father in the Canadian wilderness when the pilot has a heart attack and dies. The plane drifts off course and finally crashes into a small lake. Miraculously Brian is able to swim free of the plane, arriving on a sandy tree-lined shore with only his clothing, a tattered windbreaker, and the hatchet his mother had given him as a present. The novel chronicles in gritty detail Brian's mistakes, setbacks, and small triumphs as, with the help of the hatchet, he manages to survive the 54 days alone in the wilderness. Paulsen effectively shows readers how Brian learns patience to watch, listen, and think before he acts as he attempts to build a fire, to fish and hunt, and to make his home under a rock overhang safe and comfortable. An epilogue discussing the lasting effects of Brian's stay in the wilderness and his dim chance of survival had winter come upon him before rescue adds credibility to the story. Paulsen tells a fine adventure story, but the sub-plot concerning Brian's preoccupation with his parents' divorce seems a bit forced and detracts from the book. As he did in Dog song (Bradbury, 1985), Paulsen emphasizes character growth through a careful balancing of specific details of survival with the protagonist's thoughts and emotions.

Chatton, B. (1987). Hatchet (Book Review). School Library Journal, (34), 103.

Library Uses: I would use this book as a discussion for the students.  I would ask them if they think that they could have survived if they were in Brian's place.  Why or why not?  What would they have done differently if they had been in his place?   So they know any survival skills?  Is it important for them to know some survival skills and where can they find materials to learn more about this?  I would help them find books in the library that relate to survival.

Module 7: Because of Winn Dixie

Book Summary: The story is one of a little girl that lives with her father the preacher and they move to a new town.  There she meets a stray dog that she adopts and they become friends.  She then realizes that not everything is as it seems.

APA Reference of Book: DiCamillo, K. (2000). Because of Winn-Dixie. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press.

Impressions: The book is very easy to read and it sucks you in from the first moment that you pick it up.  The voices in the book are friendly and the book is one of those that teaches a lesson to the kiddos that not every book should be judged by its cover.  This book will teach the kids how to see beyond what’s on the outside, or beyond other’s perceptions.  This book has a thing or two that kids and adults alike can learn about giving people a chance.  I also enjoyed that the dog that was such a terror at the beginning, becomes someone that the little girl relies on.     

Professional Review: Like Kimberly Willis Holt's When Zachary Beaver Came to Town (1999), this novel joins the long tradition of fiction exploring a small southern town's eccentric characters. It's summer, and 10-year-old India Opal Buloni moves with her preacher father to tiny Naomi, Florida. She's lonely at first, but Winn-Dixie, the stray dog of the title, helps her befriend a group of lovable, quirky locals, eventually bringing her closer to her father and the truth about her mother, who left the family when India was 3. Told in India's sensitive, believable voice, the story is most successful in detailing the appealing cast of characters, including Otis, an ex-convict, musician, and pet store manager; Miss Franny, a Willie Wonkaesque librarian whose "Litmus Lozenges" candies taste like sorrow; and nearly blind Gloria Dump, whose tree hung with empty liquor bottles reminds her of "the ghosts of all the things I done wrong." While some of the dialogue and the book's "life lessons" can feel heavy-handed, readers will connect with India's love for her pet and her open-minded, free-spirited efforts to make friends and build a community.

Engberg, G. (2000). Because of Winn-Dixie.  (Book Review). Booklist, 96(17), 1665.

Library Uses: I would ask the students to tell me what they have learned about friendship from this book.  I would also ask all the kids to make a list of 10 things that we may not know about them, or 10 things that they think are amazing about them and then we would share these lists, so that we can learn more about each other.

Module 6: The Little Pea

Book Summary: This is a little book about how a Little Pea and his short story.  The Little Pea has to eat candy before he can have his desert, which is spinach.  He gets very upset that he is forced to eat 5 pieces of candy, but is super excited when he gets his desert surprise. 

APA Reference of Book: Rosenthal, A. K., & Corace, J. (2005). Little Pea. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books.

Impressions: I really like how the book is short and sweet.  "This is the story of Little Pea, Mama Pea, and Papa Pea".  There are very simple illustrations and simple text that is easy to read and understand.  The pages are plain white and are not distracting to the kids.  This book almost seems to be using reverse psychology to get the kids to like eating spinach.  "Spinach! squealed the Little Pea.  My Favorite!" Very cute book for young readers and I love the silliness of it.

Professional Review: Peas, the oft-reviled legumes that can make dinnertime a battle, take center plate in Rosenthal's (Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life, for adults) silly picture book about food choices--and picky eaters--turned topsy-turvy. Little Pea enjoys an ordinary life with his parents and pea pals playing, reading stories and getting lovingly tucked into bed. But the one thing Little Pea has trouble with is candy, the icky entrée that his parents insist he eat for dinner each night. As Mama and Papa Pea say, "If you want to grow up to be a big strong pea" or have dessert, candy must be eaten. Once Little Pea whines through his required five-piece serving of sweets, he's happy to top off his torture with a special treat-spinach! Young readers will take glee in Little Pea's absurd yet familiar predicament, while parents will surely identify with Mama and Papa Pea's universal struggle. Newcomer Corace's warmhearted ink-and-watercolor paintings plays up the most of ample white space, which plays up the vibrant greenness of the Pea family. Images of tiny, bouncing peas playing hopscotch, and Papa Pea flipping his boy off the end of a spoon are especially memorable. Kids are likely to view their veggies with new eyes when mealtime rolls around. Ages 3-up. 

Little Pea. (2005). (Book Review). Publishers Weekly, 252(19), 69.

Library Uses: I would use this book to talk about an alternate reality.  We could talk about what would happen if everyone had to eat candy in order to get to their vegetables and be excited about it.  I would talk to them about being creative and what else they do that's backwards and funny.

Module 5: Esperanza rising

Book Summary: This is a book about Esperanza.  She and her wealthy family are forced to migrate from Mexico to the United States.  Her family goes from having everything to working in the fields.  This book describes the struggles of migrant workers and the sacrifices their families had to make to adjust to their new lives.

APA Reference of Book: Ryan, P. M. (2000). Esperanza rising. New York, NY: Scholastic Press.

Impressions: This book opened my eyes to what happens in other countries and how people coming over to the United States are treated.  I know this is not a true story, but to me it felt very true.  I read this book with my students and many of them could relate to the character, as some of them also had to leave Mexico because of the violence and come here to search for asylum.  Esperanza is humbled throughout her experiences and I think that it shows that she becomes a better person because she has to work hard for the things that were given to her freely before.

Professional Review:  Gr 6-9 --Ryan uses the experiences of her own Mexican grandmother as the basis for this compelling story of immigration and assimilation, not only to a new country but also into a different social class. Esperanza's expectation that her 13th birthday will be celebrated with all the material pleasures and folk elements of her previous years is shattered when her father is murdered by bandits. His powerful stepbrothers then hold her mother as a social and economic hostage, wanting to force her remarriage to one of them, and go so far as to burn down the family home. Esperanza's mother then decides to join the cook and gardener and their son as they move to the United States and work in California's agricultural industry. They embark on a new way of life, away from the uncles, and Esperanza unwillingly enters a world where she is no longer a princess but a worker. Set against the multiethnic, labor-organizing era of the Depression, the story of Esperanza remaking herself is satisfyingly complete, including dire illness and a difficult romance. Except for the evil uncles, all of the characters are rounded, their motives genuine, with class issues honestly portrayed. Easy to booktalk, useful in classroom discussions, and accessible as pleasure reading, this well-written novel belongs in all collections.

Goldsmith, F. (2000). Esperanza Rising (Book Review). School Library Journal, 46(10), 171.

Library Uses: The kids would discuss the challenges in their lives that they themselves may have faced and talk about how these challenges have changed them and if there are things that they would have done differently knowing what they know how these things have affected them.

Module 5: The first part last

Book Summary: A
book about teenagers having babies.  Not
your typical book though.  The father of
the baby is the one taking care of the baby from the day she is born, yet he is
madly in love with the mother of the baby, Nia. 
Nia is just as crazy about him. 
Yet there’s something that keeps them apart, and it’s not their parents.



APA Reference of Book: Johnson, A. (2003). The
first part last. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.



Impressions: At
first, I wasn’t too excited about the book. 
It seemed choppy and I really didn’t like the way it was written.  Had it not been an assignment, I probably
would have put it back on the shelf. 
Once I got about ten pages in, I was slowly sucked in this gut wrenching
story.  I read the book in a couple of
hours because I just had to know what was going on.  I think the writing is different from
anything else I have ever read, but in the end, I liked it.  The story had a major twist that I did not
see coming at all.  My only regret is
that I wish the book was longer and that it would go on to tell me what happens
after.  Really easy to read and the typical
teenager may get intrigued from the word go.



Professional
Review: Brief, poetic, and absolutely riveting, this gem of a novel
tells the story of a young father struggling to raise an infant. Bobby, 16, is
a sensitive and intelligent narrator. His parents are supportive but refuse to
take over the child-care duties, so he struggles to balance parenting, school,
and friends who don't comprehend his new role. Alternate chapters go back to
the story of Bobby's relationship with his girlfriend Nia and how parents and
friends reacted to the news of her pregnancy. Bobby's parents are
well-developed characters, Nia's upper-class family somewhat less so.
Flashbacks lead to the revelation in the final chapters that Nia is in an
irreversible coma caused by eclampsia. This twist, which explains why Bobby is
raising Feather on his own against the advice of both families, seems
melodramatic. So does a chapter in which Bobby snaps from the pressure and
spends an entire day spray painting a picture on a brick wall, only to be
arrested for vandalism. However, any flaws in the plot are overshadowed by the
beautiful writing. Scenes in which Bobby expresses his love for his daughter
are breathtaking. Teens who enjoyed Margaret Bechard's Hanging on to Max
(Millbrook, 2002) will love this book, too, despite very different conclusions.
The attractive cover photo of a young black man cradling an infant will attract
readers.



Doyle, M., Jones, T. E., Toth, L., Charnizon, M.,
Grabarek, D., & Larkins, J. (2003). The First Part Last (Book Review). School
Library Journal,49(6), 144.

  
Library Uses: I
would have the students predict what happens to this young family in the
future.  They would write a story about it and then share with the class
the ending that they think the next book should have.

Module 4: Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!: Voices from a Medieval Village

Book Summary: This book is set up more like a play.  There are numerous characters and every page or two gives a glimpse of what each one is like.   At the beginning of each short story or monologue, there’s a name for the character as well as their classification.  This book is set back in England, in 1255.  Not only are there stories, but there’s also songs with music that is helpful if you play an instrument. 

APA Reference of Book: Schlitz, L. A., & Byrd, R. (2007). Good masters! Sweet Ladies!: voices from a medieval village. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press.

Impressions: Not a book that I would have chosen to read on my own.  It a bit choppy for me, since all the stories are so separate from each other.  I can see how this is fun for students, since they could easily do a play and each would have many lines t o read.  To me, maybe it was the illustrations that were off putting.  It just does not look like a book that says pick me up and read.  It’s more of a “you have to” read me for a history assignment.  There were some cute stories, but overall, not my favorite.  Some of the words were confusing and I am not a fan of the footnotes.  I don’t enjoy books that make me feel dumb…

Professional Review: 

Gr 4-8-Monologues capture the spirit of young people in a vividly imagined, picturesque 13th-century English village, where childhood is fleeting and survival is a daily concern. Pastel panels frame the pages and anchor the minutely detailed, earthy, ink-and-watercolor rural scenes. Notes and sidebars offering fascinating asides make this a perfect mix of fiction and nonfiction.  Winner of the 2008 Newbery Medal.

Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!: Voices from a Medieval Village. (2008). (Book Review). School Library Journal, 5440-42.

Library Uses: I would have the students read the book as it was written, in monologues.  They would be the star of the show.