SU Kiddie Lit Review

Roberto Clemente: Pride of the Pittsburgh Pirates, reviewed by Maria

2009-07-07T15:33:00.003-04:00

Roberto Clemente. Pride of the Pittsburgh Pirates
By Jonah Winter
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Illustrated by: Raul Colon
This edition: Hardcover, 40 pages
Our Price: $17.99

This fictionalized biography tells the story of Roberto Clemente a famous Puerto Rican baseball player who faced many challenges throughout his career. Being Puerto Rican, and one the best players in baseball during the time the Civil Rights Movement was taking place, made it very difficult for Clemente to be treated as equally as the non-Hispanic players in the major leagues. Through dramatic episodes and wonderful illustrations, the reader has the privilege of following Clemente on his baseball journey. The readers of this book witness Clemente transition from a child who played baseball with sticks and cans, to a one of the greatest players in the history of baseball.

Not only does this book follow Clemente through his rising career, it also depicts the challenges Clemente had to face as a Latino in the US during the earlier years of his baseball career. For example, in 1960 while helping the Pirates win its first World Series victory in 33 years, Clemente, the star with an almost flawless season, finished only 8th in the National League MVP balloting. This further proves that Latinos were not given the same attention from the media or American fans as White players. Winter teaches young readers the importance of perseverance, as well as the importance of recognizing historical heroes.

Roberto Clemente: Pride of the Pittsburgh Pirates is a fictionalized biographical picture book that can be used with readers of all ages, especially baseball lovers. Winter bases his story on the research of Clemente’s journey of becoming a rising star in the Major Leagues. He uses dramatic episodes to illustrate many of the challenges Clemente faced playing professional baseball. Winter also teaches young readers a very important lesson on perseverance through the cause and effect; he shares many of the challenges Clemente faced, followed by his continued persistency in the game, resulting in Clemente being on of the most successful baseball players in History.

The illustrations and storyline help to portray the message, that anything is possible. The sequence of events in the book allows the reader to follow Clemente on his journey from playing baseball with sticks, to Clemente’s first game, and his very last game in the major leagues. Throughout the book he is compared to “other” baseball players, and Winter makes it very clear that Clemente did not get the respect he deserved from the American people, despite the fact that he was one of the few that hit 3,000 homeruns.

This is a wonderful book to teach about the benefits of perseverance and learn a bit about the pride of Puerto Rico. The Pride of Pittsburgh is a great story for fans of all ages, especially baseball lovers. This book can be read with younger children for entertainment purposes, but it can also be used for a lesson on the topic of racism and/or perseverance. All students will enjoy reading about Clemente’s baseball journey. Roberto Clemente is considered to be one of the most important people in the history of baseball in Puerto Rico; what better way to introduce the Puerto Rican culture in the classroom!

~Written by Maria

My Muslim Life, reviewed by Gayvelle

2009-07-07T15:29:00.003-04:00

My Muslim Life, By Riadh El- Droubie. Hodder Wayland, 2006. 32 pages. £6.99

My Muslim Life written by Riadh El Droubie is a beautifully photographed children’s book which shows readers the main practices of Muslims. The book serves to introduce young children who can decipher the meaning in pictures, those who can be read to and independent readers to the Muslim way of life. It is one of a series of books published by Hodder Wayland.

My Muslim Life is an informational picture book. It deals with the science and social science tenets of the Muslim way of life. My Muslim life is an example of international literature as it was written in English but published in Great Britain (Tomlinson, 2002). At first the book seems to be of the global literature ilk, but because there are Muslim people in the United States and it doesn’t meet all the criteria of portraying “peoples, cultures and geographic regions of the world that exist outside the readers own country” (Pratt & Beaty, 1999). The book uses vivid photographs and small blocks of text on each page to describe an important aspect of a Muslim’s way of life. Tenets such as worshipping at the Mosque, visiting Makkah, Hajj and festivals such as Id-ul-Fitr are described.

The book begins with a collage of pictures showing children of varying races and skin colors in Muslim wear. The caption on this page tells the reader that the Muslim way of life is not confined to a single country, but can be found all over the world. One of these images depicts a large group of girls with happy smiles. Placed at the beginning it sets the tone of the book and attempts to dampen any negative images associated with girls and women who follow the Muslim way of life as being oppressed. Other images in the book also show persons smiling or in concentration. At the beginning of the book, a father indoctrinates a newborn baby into the faith when he softly whispers the “call to prayer”. This strategy is used to show a progression from birth, and as the reader turns the pages, growth is experienced because a new practice is being learnt or performed by the subjects of the photographs. Negative issues associated with the Muslim way of life such as “Holy War or Jihad” is not discussed.

Throughout My Muslim Life there is only one a mention of Islam which is unrealistic as a Muslim person’s way of life is intrinsically tied up with their religion, Islam. This has been purposely done to lessen the negative sentiments associated with Islam since the September 11, 2001 New York bombings by mainly persons of the Muslim faith. Nicely however, the author integrates words familiar to Muslims such as Allah, Ramadan, Ka’bah and Makkah.

The author uses quite simple and short sentences to inform readers of the particular action taking place. The writing style is not very engaging, but it does what the author intended – to inform. For example: "Muslims pray five times a day to show their thanks to Allah." This pray is called ‘Salat’.One of the intended audiences for My Muslim Life are teachers, as there is a section titled “Notes for Teachers” which provides further explanations of the topics mentioned within the book. Favorably, the book also contains a glossary, a further information section and an index. These factors place the book in a great position to be used in the classroom. For example, the book can be used to provide students with a sense of what it is like to walk in a Muslim person’s shoes. The book can also be used in lessons on the September 11th 2001 bombings.

~Written by Gayvelle

If You Lived at the time of the American Revolution, reviewed by Claire

2009-07-07T15:26:00.002-04:00

Moore, Kay. If You Lived at the time of the American Revolution. New York: Scholastic, 1997. 80 pages. $ 6.99. ISBN-13: 9780590674447

Using a lively question-and answer-format, Kay Moore explains the American Revolution not only as a war for freedom which the American colonies fought against the British, but also as a "civil" war between the Patriots and those colonists who remained loyal to King George III. Special attention is paid to the role of children in the war and to the issues affecting them: What was life like before the Revolution? How did your life change after the Declaration of Independence? Would you have seen a battle? ...Gone to school? Colorful accounts of famous figures, and words and expressions (such as "cowboy" and "John Hancock") that were coined during the Revolution enliven the text and enable readers to feel some connection with the people of the period. The illustration and the text are closely tied to one another. For example, the expression on the faces exemplifies the emotions and feelings of each party (Loyalists and Patriots) through the ups and downs of the war.

This book will serve as a great reference for research on the American Revolution. I especially like the emphasis on the role children played during the time and the author's ability to connect to children. Textbooks only discuss the important roles of the men in uniform and young students cannot connect to these situations. By Moore presenting the importance and impact that many young children had in fighting the war is an eye opening experience. I truly loved how the author wrote from both the Loyalist and Patriot perspective, taking a more objectionable stance. I would highly recommend every reader taking the time and reading the author’s note. Kay Moore does a great job explaining how difficult it is finding information about the life of the Loyalists during the revolutionary War because Loyalists supported what Americans view as the losing side, their stories were not considered as important and weren’t kept as carefully.

I recommend this book to children ages 8-12 due to its engaging text and illustrations. In addition, I feel this is an excellent supplemental text that should be utilized to expand the learning and perspective on such a critical war. This book is great for a whole class read aloud or for guided reading groups to supplement the textbook in any fourth grade classroom. I feel that this book could be used to launch the unit on Revolutionary War or use it as a supplemental text throughout the unit on the war. This is a nonfiction book because it falls under the informational book category. As stated by Lynch-Brown & Tomlinson, “These books are written to inform or explain. The realm of this literature is the real world and facts about it.” Moore does an exemplary job providing facts from different perspectives that leaves the reader wonder how life could be very different if the war had ended differently.

~Written by Claire

Cold Light: Creatures, Discoveries, and Inventions that Glow, reviewed by Ajajielle

2009-07-07T15:22:00.003-04:00

Sitarski, Anita. Cold Light: Creatures, Discoveries, and Inventions that Glow. 2007. 48 pages. $16.95 ISBN-13: 9781590784686. Age Range 9 – 12.

Fascinating and educational! These may be the primary adjectives that will form in reader’s minds as they delve into Anita Sitarski’s Cold Light. This engaging informative nonfiction text takes readers into the biological world of bioluminescence (cold light produced by living creatures); a world where fireflies light up the night sky; where fire beetles and mushrooms glow; and where sea creatures such as squids, dragon-fishes, and angler-fishes light the ocean floor like a beautiful ballroom for all the other oceans creatures to play, dance, and bond within the ocean’s depths. How did human beings find out about this alternate world of light? In Cold Light, Sitarski take readers back to the beginning when this area of research was just the intellectual and scientific musings of four great men. Next, Sitarski depicts how bioluminescence evolved into an academic discipline and research field. Finally, Sitarski discusses the modern-day practical applications and benefits of bioluminescence research.

Robert Boyle, a chemist, was the first scientist to think seriously about bioluminescence. Specifically, he wanted to understand why glowing green spots developed on chicken that was beginning to spoil. He conducted a series of experiments and discovered that the glowing spots were “good bacteria” and was a precursory warning that food was beginning to spoil. This type of bacteria was not harmful, but it signaled that “harmful bacteria may also be present or are coming soon” (p.13). The next step in bioluminescence study came with Raphael Dubois, a French scientist who was able to determine the chemical make-up of the biological glow. Dubois performed various experiments on fire beetles and glowing mushrooms. Dubois found that a chemical reaction (luciferin + luciferase + oxygen) occurred within the above organisms which caused them to light-up and glow (p. 19). Third, the separate but cumulative works of Edmund Newton Harvey and William Beebe advanced the field tremendously. Harvey cataloged all the bioluminescent organisms of the upper sea, while Beebe researched deep-sea luminescent organisms. The dedicated work of these two men helped to establish this field of study into an academic discipline. Finally, Sitarski informs readers that it was the research work performed on fireflies by Dr. William McElroy which led to practical application of bioluminescent research. In particular, he found the following:

· “Firefly chemicals could be used to detect the presence of bacteria in drinking water, milk, or in food-processing plants.
· In the medical field, firefly chemicals can detect unwanted bacteria in blood and urine.
· They can also be used to see if certain medicines are killing enough bacteria” (p. 29).

Overall, Cold Light is an excellent nonfiction informational book. The information in this book is presented in a “nonfiction chapter book” format (Lynch-Brown and Tomlinson, 2008, p. 194). Specifically, there are nine chapters with each one chronologically outlining the growth, development, and key researchers of this academic field of study. The writing style is very “clear, direct, [and] understandable” (Lynch-Brown and Tomlinson, 2008, p. 192). Young readers and students will not have any difficulty understanding the growth and development of this academic field of study and research. In the book, all of the captions and labels [are] clearly written and informative (Lynch-Brown and Tomlinson, 2008, p. 192). Furthermore, the text is full of photography shots of creatures that live in the deep blue sea that will enchant many young readers.

I recommend this book for children of all ages due to the interesting subject matter, the accompanying photographs, and the excellent organizational format of the book. These three qualities are in alignment and promote reader engagement. Furthermore, I advocate a broader age range, in contrast to the 9-12 age range suggested by the publisher because I agree with the insightful advice provided by Kathleen T. Horning who states, “In all professional journals and in many popular publications, reviewers are expected to indicate an age range for the book’s targeted audience, either in the bibliographic data or in the body of the review. This judgment should be based on your own knowledge of children’s responses to literature and your assessment of the book itself, not the ages suggested by the publisher on the jacket flap. If your assessment differs markedly from the publisher’s recommendation, it may be worth mentioning in the review [emphasis mine] (Horning, 1997, p. 186). Finally, parents will find this book appealing because it offers an opportunity for mutual exploration of this topic with their child. Moreover, parents will be pleased to know that all the facts presented in the book are accurate and current (Lynch-Brown and Tomlinson, 2008, p. 192). The author provides a list of additional resources at the end of the book where parents can turn to for verification of all the given information and data.

References
Horning, K. T. (1997). From cover-to-cover: Evaluating and reviewing children’s book. New
York: HarperCollins Children’s Books division.

Lynch-Brown, C & Tomlinson, C.M. (2008) Essentials of children’s literature (6th ed). Boston,
MA: Allyn & Bacon.

~Written by Ajajielle

Owen & Mzee: The True Story of a Remarkable Friendship, reviewed by Denise

2009-07-07T15:08:00.002-04:00

Hatkoff, Isabella, et. al (2006). Owen & Mzee: The True Story of a Remarkable Friendship. Scholastic Press: New York. Tr. $16.99. 46 pages. ISBN 0-439-82973-9.

“Our most important friends are sometimes those we least expected.” (pg 22)

Sure, you may have seen a hippotomaus or even a tortoise at your local zoo before, but have you ever seen the two together, nuzzling each other and never leaving the side of the other? If you have ever been to Haller Park animal sanctuary outside of Mombasa, Kenya then you may have actually seen such a spectacle. Owen, a young hippopotomaus, and Mzee, an aged giant tortoise, live together in the sanctuary and remain close friends to this day.
Through the use of real photographs and vivid narrative text, the story of Owen and Mzee come alive in this nonfiction publication. The book is most similar to the genre of photo essays, featuring a balance of high impact photographs and text. This informational text is written in chronological order, following Owen’s dilemma of being stranded after a 2004 tsunami, all the way to the relationship that Mzee and Owen have today.

The father and daughter authors, Craig and Isabella Hatkoff, partner with Dr. Paula Kahumbu of the Haller Park sanctuary to tell the touching tale of these two animals and their friendship. The story begins with Owen being separated from the rest of the hippo pod and stranded in the salty seas of the Indian Ocean. The villagers, knowing that the baby hippo could not survive the salty waters, rescued him in a valiant day-long effort. After he was safely back on land, the villagers contacted the Haller Park sanctuary to see what they should do with the baby hippo. Dr. Kahumbu spoke with them and told them that despite being a wild animal, the hippo could never be re-released back into the wild since he would be considered a threat by other hippos of his kind. She offered to bring the lonely animal back to the sanctuary with her that day.
After returning, Dr. Kahumbu found the perfect place for the hippo that they now called “Owen”; she would place him in the same area as the monkeys, bushbucks, and giant Aldabra tortoise, named Mzee. “Mzee” means “wise old man” in Swahili, and this particular tortoise certainly looks to be a wise, old man. Immediately after being released into his new “home”, Owen located Mzee and began to follow him around. Unfortunately for Owen, Mzee didn’t like company much and constantly tried to shake Owen from his trail. Owen would not quit, and soon enough Mzee was found relaxing with Owen in their new home. The two strengthened their bond over the first months there and soon enough, they were inseperable. They began eating, swimming, drinking, and sleeping together.

Even though both animals pose a threat to the other, both of them are extremely gentle and cautious when close to one another. This bond between a mammal, like Owen, and a reptile, like Mzee, was never heard of before this pair. The pairing still has scientists baffled as to how and why the two get along so well.

The theme of this book becomes increasingly apparent as the text continues on, that friendship may arise out of the most peculiar situations. Owen and Mzee exemplify how two inherently different creatures can get along and build a strong bond. If only humans could take such a cue from these animals, we may be able to establish peace within the world.

Elementary and middle school students both would enjoy this social science story, especially as a read-aloud. Students will immediately become invested in the “characters” of Owen and Mzee. Teachers could introduce a study of the theme of friendship by using this book as a read aloud to the class. Another possibility is pairing this book with other nonfiction or fiction books of similar length and style to develop literature circles around.

The authors’ style is also indicative of what type of read this book is going to be. Traditionally, information books have quick facts that are stated and the reader may skim briefly. This information book is quite different because it adheres to the narrative structure of a story. The characters of Mzee and Owen are developed with relation to their movements, reactions, and habits. The conflict of Owen finding a place to belong after being stranded is apparent in the starting pages of the book. Finally, the ending is a happy one with a resolution of Owen and Mzee accepting and enjoying each other.

Readers do need to be aware that some of the information gathered within the text is anectdotal and cannot be scientifically proven. For example, after seeing Mzee eat the leaves provided for him, Owen finally succumbed to his appetite and began eating. The text states that this may be because Mzee was modeling the act of eating for Owen or that Mzee’s mere presence calmed him enough to be able to eat. Whatever the explanation, it’s hard to prove the reasons behind observational data. On the positive side, the authors do provide an extensive author’s note in the back of the book, which lists further information and sources about various topics, such as Haller Park, Kenya, and Malindi (where Owen was stranded).

This book is sure to entertain and amaze young readers from ages five to ten. Readers will become invested in this unconventional story of friendship and loss.

~Written by Denise

From Slave Ship to Freedom Road, reviewed by Bethany

2009-07-07T15:04:00.002-04:00

Lester, Julius. From Slave Ship to Freedom Road. Illustrated by Rod Brown. New York: Dial Books, 1998. 40 pages. $17.99 ISBN 0-8037-1893-4

Boston Globe/Horn Book Award and Coretta Scott King Award finalist Julius Lester explores slavery from an African American viewpoint, focusing particularly on the emotions of African American slaves as people. Another well-known book by Julius Lester is John Henry.

The nonfiction informational book spans history, from the time the first Africans arrived aboard slave ships, to the first tales of escape. Despite the atrocities faced, the African American peoples in this book remain spirited and strong, deeply anchored in their religion and song, forever hopeful of freedom. Truthful, poignant, and sometimes graphic paragraphs accompany Rod Brown’s vibrantly painted illustrations.

The information on African American slavery in this nonfiction picture book represents an important multicultural dimension that must be explored in a typical history unit on slavery. It examines true events and feelings involved in African American slavery from an African American perspective.

Clear and direct writing make this book accessible to 4th grade and up. Facts presented are accurate and based in research, as well as the author’s ancestry. In some places this book may be too direct/graphic for younger students. For instance, some of the paintings are quite graphic: slave ship with people chained together lying on coffin-like shelves, man being dragged behind a horse, bloody back of whipped man, and a shadow of a man hanging from a noose. The teacher would have to carefully decide which pages to read, or decide how to present the more graphic pages. The page on the Civil War is especially effective, showing a different perspective than what is often represented in history books. All the African Americans who fought in the Civil war are recognized for their own efforts in gaining their freedom. It was not only Abraham Lincoln signing papers that gave them freedom. African Americans themselves sought social justice and knowingly made sacrifices for the freedom of their people.

Beautifully painted realistic illustrations provide an accurate portrayal of the era and the African American people and their experiences and emotions. Many of the illustrations started out as paintings presented as a series entitled “From Slavery to Freedom” in several museums and shows which further demonstrates the quality of the illustrations.

Students will be interested in the reflective nature of this book, and the “Imagination Exercises” presented throughout the book. Again, the teacher will need to read each page carefully to decide which texts are appropriate for different aged students. The theme of empowerment and inner strength despite terrible situations will also engage student

~Written by Bethany

Mahalia Jackson: Gospel Singer and Civil Rights Champion, reviewed by Karen

2009-07-07T14:56:00.003-04:00

Dunham, Montrew. Mahalia Jackson: Gospel Singer and Civil Rights Champion. Indianapolis: Patria Press, Inc, 2003. Print. ISBN-10: 1882859391; Number of Pages: 120; Price of New Book: $9.95

The seventh volume of the fictionalized biography series Young Patriots features Mahalia Jackson, a world-famous gospel singer and civil rights activist. This strong and courageous African American woman overcame childhood poverty, the unfortunate death of her mother and racial discrimination in the entertainment business to become, as some would call her, the Queen of Gospel. But before she became the woman that would perform in front of royalty, she was just an ordinary girl growing up in Louisiana.

Mahalia was born in 1911 in New Orleans to John Jackson and Charity Clark. Unfortunately, at the age of 25, Mahalia’s mother died. Even though Mahalia is devoted to her father, she is sent to live with her Aunt Duke where she begins to sing in the church choir and develop her voice. Her aunt was a very religious woman, and disapproved of any kind of secular music. With the help of her cousin, who would sneak contemporary records into the house, Mahalia began to fashion her voice into a mix of old soul gospel and the newer styles of Bessie Smith and Ma Rainey, famous bluesy singers. This rising star was given many opportunities to sing for traveling shows, but not to sing gospel. Mahalia refused these offers. Even as a young girl, she was devoted to her craft and stayed true to her gospel songs. Mahalia knew, however, that she was destined for something great. She decided that she must go to Chicago, Illinois in the north and live her dream as a gospel singer, regardless of the obstacles that would stand in her way.

As a young child, Mahalia was forced to deal with many difficult experiences. Her mother’s death, which lead to her relocation to her aunt’s house, made Mahalia miss her family terribly. As an older child, she endured the discrimination in the entertainment business, which tried to keep her down because of the color of her skin. Mahalia provides a role model for students of any race or ethnicity. It is through these trials in her life that gave her the courage to do great things in her life. This is an extremely important message that students must learn, and this book showcases this lesson in a way that students can comprehend. Using the format of a fictionalized biography, the author injects emotion and life into the characters, making them seem more real than if students were reading about her life in a textbook manner. Students will find themselves connecting to Mahalia in many ways. As a young woman, she went to school, listened to the latest music with her cousin and does what she loves most: singing.

Teachers should note that using this book as a piece of Civil Rights literature may be rather difficult. The only mention of Mahalia Jackson’s contribution to the Civil Rights movement is in a portion of the text that comes after the narrative, and does not provide a plethora of detail. This story mostly describes her rise in fame as a gospel singer. This book does not have any internal illustrations, but the cover provides an excellent insight into the book: young Mahalia sits next to a phonograph, singing along as it plays her gospel music. The sunny hue of yellow for Mahalia’s dress reflects her bright and positive attitude. As aforementioned, it is the seventh volume in the Young Patriot series, which features famous people like Amelia Earhart and Alexander Hamilton. This book is recommended for students ages 9-12 and would be an excellent prompt or resource for a project on famous Americans.

~Written by Karen

The Gardener, reviewed by Maria

2009-07-07T14:18:00.004-04:00

Stewart, Sara. (2007). The Gardner. Publisher: Square Fish, ISBN-13: 9780312367497; Age Range: 4 to 8

During the summer of 1935, Lydia Grace’s parents lost their job and she was forced to live with her Uncle Jim, the baker, until her parents got back on their feet. Lydia Grace was a bit nervous about the transition because she new nothing about baking, her expertise was in flowers. It is through a series of well-written letters by Lydia, that we watch her transform the look of sorrow on people’s faces to smiles. Lydia is able to brighten family members and even store customer’s days, with her beautiful gardening. However, nothing seemed to make Uncle Jim smile, so for him, she worked on a secret masterpiece.

This historical fiction picture book brings the era of the Great Depression back to life, by using Lydia’s letters and David Small's illustration to portray the hardships people during this period of time were faced with. Stewart shares the facts form The Great Depression with us through Lydia’s letters and Small's illustrations. These facts are presented through the eyes of a child, and the historical fiction is enlivened (T&LB), making this important historical time period relevant to children. There are of course many fictitious accounts of things that happened during this time period; for example, Lydia Grace being able to create magnificent floral pieces during this time of great need, but the fiction compliments the historical facts, making The Gardener a wonderful read. This book does an excellent job of getting readers to see that they too, were affected by The Great Depression. In fact, in today’s economic climate, this book may be reality and not history for some children.

The characters in this story are very well developed. We meet the characters through the illustrations, the letters, and their reaction to Lydia’s gardening. David Small does a wonderful job of representing the time period through the characters clothing, as well as the illustrations of the “Mom and Pop” type of shops that were popular in during World Wars in the twentieth Century. Davis Small’s use of waters colors with pen and ink compliment the text in portraying the true emotions of many people living during The Great Depression.
This is a great historical fiction book that shares the importance of family closeness in time of adversity. It is very well written and phenomenally illustrated. I recommend this book to readers of all ages, especially teachers of history.

~Written by Maria

George Washington’s Socks, reviewed by Claire

2009-07-07T14:14:00.002-04:00

Woodruff, Elvira. George Washington’s Socks. New York: Scholastic, 1991. 166pp., $5.99 ISBN 0-590-44036-5

George Washington's Socks is a mixture of everything good that a children's book should have - some humor, some suspense, some drama and true friendships. As you read it, you learn a great historical lesson about the Revolutionary War and all of its hardships and tragedy. But it is also a story of five kids sticking together, helping each other and others and learning the value of friendship. This book makes history come alive to the reader and makes the reader feel as though they are actually there during the Revolutionary War time period!

While camping out in Tony's back yard, ten-year old Matthew, his friends, and his younger sister, Katie, decide to take a walk along Lake Levart. (They were told not to camp on the lake, but no one said anything about walking there.)

Soon, under the light of the three-quarter-moon, the children discover an ancient wooden rowboat floating on the silvery ripples of the lake's surface, beckoning them to come aboard. In a trance like state, they step in. Before they know it, they are lost at sea - lost in time - surrounded by a thick, velvety darkness. In the swollen, choppy water, large chunks of ice crash dangerously into the boat. And suddenly Katie is missing.
After a long frantic search for Katie, another boat appears. In it stands a tall, majestic-looking man who is holding Katie, wet and asleep, in his arms. He speaks oddly and looks as though he's from another century. Could he possibly be George Washington? After all the kids entered the boat they realized that sitting next to them are rebel soldiers that are wearing uniforms, well what is left of them, with no overcoats or hats. Later on a rebel soldier sits starring at Matt’s sneakers like it was the first time he has ever seen them.

As Matthew, Quentin, Hooter, Tony, and Katie experience the American Revolution firsthand and learn the sobering realities of war; Elvira Woodruff spins a compelling historic fantasy that won't soon be forgotten.

Elvira Woodruff has written many books that have popped up during a social studies lesson in many classrooms. She also wrote The Memory Coat, The Orphan of Ellis Island and Dear Austin: Letter from the Underground Railroad. Since George Washington Sock’s has time travel in it, it should be of interest to a lot of readers. I would recommend it to any child and his/her parent who is 9-12 years old.

Elvira Woodruff’s, George Washington Socks details the historic event of the Revolutionary Way in a 166 page chapter book. This book fits in the historical fiction genre because it presents historical facts with imaginary characters and plot. Woodruff does a fantastic job fully and authentically developing the historical setting, both time and place. Woodruff thanks Jack Stillwaggon of the Revolutionary War Reinactment Group, Mott’s Artillery of Randolph, New Jersey, for his historical fact-checking of the manuscript. She had the idea for this book while tubing down the Delaware River and she began thinking about what it might have been like on Christmas Eve of 1776. Mrs. Woodruff currently visits schools and gives presentations on the Revolutionary War and on writing historical fiction.

~Written by Claire

Don't Forget, reviewed by Candace

2009-07-07T14:11:00.003-04:00

Lakin, Patricia. Don't Forget. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1994. Illustrated by Ted Rand. 26 pages. Tr $14.00 ISBN 0-688-12075-X

As a young girl growing up in a Jewish neighborhood in Roxbury, Massachusetts, Patricia Lakin would often visit and speak with local shopkeepers who were survivors of the Holocaust. It was from these experiences that Lakin got the inspiration to write the historical fiction book Don’t Forget as a tribute to Holocaust survivors. The reminiscent theme of the story is remembering the atrocities that Holocaust victims suffered.

The story takes place in a postwar Jewish neighborhood and is about a fictionalized character named Sarah wants to bake a surprise birthday cake for her mother. In order to gather all of the special ingredients for the Orange Sponge Cake, she has to stop at many of the local stores in her Jewish neighborhood. At each stop, the Jewish storekeepers tell Sarah a secret to make her cake delicious. Sarah hopes that she will find all of the ingredients she needs without traveling to “Singer’s Grocery Store” because although they were nice, their secret was not.

However, Sarah is unable to collect the ingredients she needs without facing the Singers. While she was in their store, the Singers noticed Sarah staring at the numbers the Nazis tattooed on their arms during the Holocaust. The Singers assured Sarah that “the numbers should never be a secret” because "if no one know about bad things, they can happen all over again.” Throughout the story, Sarah changes her outlook on the Singer’s tattoos from unspeakable to unforgettable.
This book is age appropriate for primary grade students studying the Holocaust due to the non-threatening nature of the text and illustrations. Ted Rand’s soft, detailed watercolors expose students to realistic depictions of the Jewish neighborhood as filled Yiddish print, traditional Hasidic dress, and numbers tattooed on Holocaust survivors’ arms. These elements can initiate classroom discussion about the dangerous repercussions of prejudice and hate. Perhaps Lakin’s most important message does not lie within the story, but rather her dedication page which states: For my two sons, Aaron and Benjamin, with hopes that their world will cease to condemn others based on religion, sexual preference, nationality, or color of skin. Many schools enforce “Character Education” curriculum, and this book would be a great resource for teachers to explore the importance of acceptance and tolerance in light of diversity. However, teachers must be aware that studying the Holocaust may spark controversy among children of white supremacists who believe the event was a hoax.

~Written by Candace

Night Boat to Freedom, reviewed by Ajajielle

2009-07-07T13:44:00.002-04:00

Raven, Margot Theis. Night Boat to Freedom. Illustrated E. B. Lewis, 2006. 40 pages. $ 6.99 ISBN-13: 9780312550189.

The prolific and multi-award winning author, Margot Theis Raven and illustrator E.B. Lewis collaborated to bring readers Night Boat to Freedom, a poignant and moving historical fiction depicting the challenges faced by two Kentucky slaves, Christmas John, 12, and his Granny Judith. From the first opening pages of this powerful story, the love and commitment that these two characters share for one another is profoundly evident to readers. Through moments of remembrance and lyrical storytelling, the two characters reveal their thoughts and emotions in an engaging and captivating fashion which keeps readers enthralled to the text.

It is through the eyes of Christmas John that we meet Granny Judith. We learn that it was she who gave him the name of Christmas since he was born the morning of that day. Granny Judith has had John with her since he was a baby, and as he grew, she shared her innate talent for cloth weaving, fabric dyeing and quilt-making with him. Vibrant rich colors were always in abundance, both inside and outside of their simple log cabin home due to Granny Judith’s magnificent creations. John shares with us this memory: “I can see her hanging thread out to dry, then taking a hank of it to weave up in the loom house. Weave it into a color of the rainbow coming from her old pot. Indigo dying pretty blue. Bay leaves, sun yellow. Pine straw making purple. And bamboo turning turkey red, the color that stole Granny Judith from Africa and put her in slavery” (p. 3). It is with this commanding last sentence of John’s, which links the theme of color to slavery that readers then meet Granny Judith and hear her story.

We learn that it was through trickery and her love for color that was Granny Judith’s ultimate down fall. Specifically, as a child, slavers came to her African village bringing small pieces of enchanting flannel cloth. Each day the cloth pieces would get bigger and Granny Judith would slowly follow them until she was trapped on their ship. To John, Granny Judith declared, “Lord, child…when that ship sailed away, I wept to go home, but the ship sailed on - across the ocean - and the pretty color of red turned the sad color of slavery for me (p. 4). As a person born free and now living in slavery, Granny Judith never forgot what it felt like to be free and it is with the desire to give others what she lost, that she turns to Christmas John and asks him to make the biggest decision of his young life: Would he be willing to ferry runaway slaves across the river to the free state of Ohio? It is with this question that life changes for Christmas John because to him freedom was always a far-away ideal and a long wished for dream. If he could deliver the dream to others and make it a reality, what a wonderful thing that would be; thus, readers see the birth of….the night boat to freedom.

What makes a good picture book? For Kathleen T. Horning (1997), the three essential qualities that a successful picture-book should possess are patterned language, predictability, and pacing (pp. 90-99). In Night Boat to Freedom, all of the above elements are present. For example, under patterned language, the rhythm of the text is very important. Specifically, it is the “choice of words” that that author uses to “hold the listeners attention” (p. 93). In Night Boat to Freedom the textual rhythm is very lyrical with the leitmotif of color running throughout the text. Next, readers see predictability linked to the color theme as well. Colors are associated with both emotions and actions; thus, we see the color red, being symbolically associated with the long and painful enslavement of Granny Judith. Finally, the pacing of the text is smooth and engaging to readers. Readers see the deep love that exists between John and Granny Judith, juxtaposed to the horror of slavery. Both issues are linked and drive the plot of the story.

The illustrations and text complement one another (Lynch-Brown and Tomlinson, 2008, p. 93). As Christmas John talks about the beautiful creations of Granny Judith, the watercolor drawings of E.B. Lewis aligns with the dialogue. Christmas John narrates and readers see pastel cloths of varying hues with Granny Judith standing over a cloth-rack holding her artistry in quiet contemplation. The overall composition effect of this illustration is one of symmetrical harmony and unity (Horning, 1997, p. 105). Later as we hear Granny Judith speak of her capture by slavers, reader see a close up picture of her as a little girl sitting with her head bowed in shocking sadness. She is wearing a dark brown dress which contrasts sharply with the bright red cloth clenched tightly in her fist and in the background is the huge grey and white ship readying to take her away from her friends, family and life of freedom. Lewis’ rendition of the youthful Granny Judith during this life changing moment is so powerful that it draws tears to one’s eyes.

The controversial aspect of this work of historical fiction centers on the adult decision which a young child has to make regarding helping his neighbors. Slavery as an institution in America was a very profitable enterprise; however, there was a dark side to it. The dehumanization and brutality of slavery caused some slaves to decide that they would rather risk running away than continue to be subjected to emotional and physical abuse. In Night Boat to Freedom, young Christmas John must decide if he is willing to help the runaway slaves. If he does decided to help, he realizes that his life could be forfeit for engaging in the act of helping runaway slaves escape to freedom. On the positive side, this book is a work of multicultural literature because it “adds the perspective of [African – Americans] to the study of history, thereby giving students a more complete understanding of past events” (Lynch-Brown & Tomlinson, 2008, p. 216). Teachers and parents can use this novel as a supplementary aid to discussing various topics affiliated with slavery and the slave trade. For instance, the diverse jobs that some of the slaves performed might interest young readers and students. Some slaves were artists like Granny Judith, who could weave beautiful clothes that were turn into fashionable outfits. There were others that were amazing musicians who could play the fiddle (i.e., and old fashion violin), harmonica, and steel drum sets. These are great facts that could spark the imagination and academic interest of some young people.

I recommend this book for children of all ages due to its engaging text and illustrations. Although the discussion of slavery may seem hard to some teachers and parent, it was an institution that was part of the American historical landscape for over two hundred years. A frank and honest discussion about the subject could offer some young readers and students an alternative perspective of the past which differs from mainstream teachings. The historical fiction Night Boat to Freedom could be one of the educational resources used while holding the above discussion.

~Written by Ajajielle

When Marian Sang: The True Recital of Marian Anderson, the Voice of a Century, reviewed by Denise

2009-07-07T13:40:00.004-04:00

Ryan, Pam Munoz. Illustrated by Brian Selznick. When Marian Sang: The True Recital of Marian Anderson, the Voice of a Century. Scholastic: 2002. 37 pages. Tr. $17.99. ISBN 0-439-57781-0.

The whole world listened when Marian Anderson sang. There was something about her voice that was unlike any other; maybe it was the range of notes she could hit, the obvious emotion conveyed through her performances, or the sweet melodic sound of her voice. But not everyone saw Anderson for her singing talent, some never saw past the color of her skin.

Pam Munoz Ryan’s 37 page picture book explores the life and singing career of Marian Anderson, the first African-American to perform onstage at the Metropolitan Opera. While this picture book does not use the traditional rhyme or repetition patters usually found in picture books, Ryan’s text with Brian Selznick’s award winning illustrations, create a beautiful retelling of this amazing woman’s career. This book could also be classified as a partial biography, since it explores the career of Marian Anderson; and it could also be considered a multicultural text, since it describes the struggle for equality of African-Americans in the United States in the 1930’s. Despite the many genres that this book may fit into, the most prominent is historical fiction, since the author pairs true historic events with fictionalized dialogue and minor scenes to recreate a time in history for the reader.

The book begins with a brief glimpse into Marian’s childhood and her strong relationship with her family, especially her mother. It becomes apparent, both to Anderson’s family and her community, that she is a naturally gifted singer and she is asked to perform at various church events when she is ten. Marian begins believing in herself and her singing abilities, thanks to the praise and support of her community, and starts to dream of studying music formally in a music school. Unfortunately, the school she applies to blatantly denied her application stating, “We don’t take colored.” Devastated, Anderson seeks out alternate methods of studying music, including taking private lessons and seeking out well-known teachers. She continues in her studies, demonstrating the perseverance and strong-will of her character, and eventually travels to Europe to perform for audiences abroad. She is an immediate success in many European countries and Anderson returns home, waiting to be welcomed back by her home country.

The United States did not openly welcome Marian though, especially in concert halls and venues. After hearing about her success in Europe, many fans wanted to hear the gorgeous voice of Anderson for themselves. The one problem? Very few concert halls or even high schools would host an African-American performer. Even if she was allowed to sing, there were strict rules enforced about segregation of the audience. Ultimately, Anderson was offered the opportunity to sing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial to an integrated audience, which was unfathomable at this time in history. Anderson’s voice blanketed the Washington Mall, which was filled with 75,000 people who had come to enjoy the concert on Easter Sunday.

Through this exciting and eye-opening tale of prejudice and discrimination, Ryan opens the usually overlooked world of the 1930’s and how the struggle for equality began long before Martin Luther King Jr. came on the Civil Rights scene. Marian Anderson started to pave the road for African-American singers and performers throughout her career.

Ryan weaves in lyrics to well-known gospel tunes that Anderson later made popular within the story itself. These brief four to five lines of lyrics contribute to the meaning of the story and provide an opportunity for an extension activity or further research for the reader.
Selznick’s illustrations create a harmonious atmosphere with Ryan’s words throughout the book. His sepia-toned pen and ink drawings, Selznick creates a historical look to the illustrations. By using a range of brown hues, the illustrations take on an older look and look as if they are historic photographs rather than drawings. Selznick also incorporates the use of perspective and uses a range that includes Anderson’s view from stage to the furthest seat back at the Lincoln Memorial concert, where Marian is nothing but a dot on the page. By showing various perspectives, Selznick shows that this is not just Marian’s story of success and perseverance, but one for any one who has endured prejudice and discrimination.

The reader cannot help but be moved by this uplifting tale of success. This text could be used in any grade level classroom as a read aloud or independent study book. As a read aloud, it offers many opportunities for the reader to pause and ask think aloud questions. This practice models what a “good” reader should be doing as he/she reads independently as well. The text is also a powerful read aloud since it naturally promotes discussion about Anderson’s struggles to perform here in the United States despite being widely accepted as a performer in Europe. Unjust rules and laws combine to be one the main sociological issues that this book presents to readers and one that should be openly discussed after all students have experienced the story. One notable feature of this publication is a lengthy and detailed author’s note at the end of the book. Both Ryan and Selznick offer their stories of how they created this text and some important historical background that goes into more detail than the book itself. Clearly, there is much more to this story than what they have recounted in their book, but what this pair has done is make a poignant historical event accessible to all audiences. For further reading about Anderson’s career, explore Russell Freedman’s The Voice That Challenged a Nation: Marian Anderson and the Struggle for Equal Rights (2004). If you enjoy Ryan’s historical fiction writing and Selznick’s illustrations, pick up Amelia and Eleanor Go for a Ride (1999), which explains the joy ride that Amelia Earhart and Eleanor Roosevelt took in an airplane after ditching a White House dinner party in 1933.

Goin' Someplace Special, reviewed by Susan

2009-07-07T13:25:00.003-04:00

McKissack, Patricia, C. Goin' Someplace Special. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster, 2001. Illustrated by Jerry Pickney. ISBN-10: 0689818858 Price: $14.03

Patricia C. McKissack tells a touching and hopeful story about growing up in the segregated South. ‘Tricia Ann is a vivacious and optimistic, African American girl who lives in south in the 1950’s. One day, ‘Tricia Ann embarks on her first solo adventure to her favorite spot. The narrator shares that the Jim Crow Laws are in place in her town which means when ‘Tricia Ann rides the bus; she has to sit in the back in the colored section. On her big day out, she can’t enjoy the things she was hoping to because of her skin color. She is not allowed to sit on the park bench in front of the fountain that her grandfather helped build as he was a stonemason. Her emotions begin to surge as she is realizing the limitations of her skin. She also discovers that she can’t eat in a restaurant or enter a hotel. After much heartache and disappointment, ‘Tricia Ann arrives at the one place where “All Are Welcome”: the library. She is encouraged to know that her “someplace special” is accepting of all people, regardless of their skin color. This personal account testifies how perseverance and hope can carry one a long way.

This historical book shows an accurate description of the time. During the Jim Crow Era, African Americans attended separate schools, rode in the back of buses, had to drink from separate water fountains and had to use separate entrances to enter specific buildings. The author shares a detailed synopsis and historical account in the author’s note, in the back of the book. The author grew up in Nashville, TN. She wrote this story to share about true events that happened in her life. The town is fictionalized but everything else is true. The author shares how these various forms of rejections were humiliating and disheartening but that she came from a strong family who taught her how to deal with this difficult circumstances.

This story is a historical fiction because is tells an engaging story, that has rounded, complex characters with whom children can identify with. ‘Tricia Ann appears to be a joyful, young girl through her eager smile. When she is nervous or scared, her facial expressions and body language change. She tries to remain optimistic throughout the story so that she can achieve her goal of getting to the special place: the library. At the end of the book, she glances up at the library with hopeful eyes, knowing that skin color will not keep her out; all are welcome at the public library. The facts in this story are actual historical facts that are blended with imaginary characters and plot. The setting must be described in sufficient detail to provide an authentic sense of the time (L-B & T, 169). It is also a multicultural story because the main character is an African American girl who lives in the South during the Jim Crow Era.

Many different themes are present throughout this book and could be used for a number of teaching purposes. One of the main themes taught is perseverance. ‘Tricia Ann is determined to visit her special place on her outing despite all of the difficulties she faces by being African American. Another theme is the value and importance of education. ‘Tricia Ann is willing to face many difficult experiences all so that she can make it to her favorite special place: the library. The climatic ending is encouraging and reminds all readers about the importance of learning. Finally another important theme to note is this family’s closeness during a time of adversity. All of the themes are important for young readers to know and great lessons for teachers to teach.
The illustrations offer a sense of hope throughout the story. The warm watercolor paintings add interest to each page. The young girl is wearing a turquoise dress with a straw hat. She is properly dressed for an outing during this time period. The bright and cheerful colors inform the reader that the story takes place in the summertime. Some of the background images are painted in duller colors, using grey undertones. The main character or scene is more vivid than the rest, helping it to stand out as the main point.

The illustrator, Jerry Pinkney is a talented artist whose work adds a tremendous amount to this heartfelt story. Additionally, he has won the Coretta Scott King Award four times. He is a fascinating person who has a heart for storytelling and gift for artistry. All of his work can be discovered on his website: http://www.jerrypinkneystudio.com/.

The author, Patricia C. McKissack is an exceptional writer. Prior to writing, she was a teacher. Based off of her experiences, she believes she knows what young readers want to know about and has learned meaningful ways to teach them. She has also won the Coretta Scott King Award for many of her works. In 2000, she won the Coretta Scott King Honor Book for Black Hands, White Sails: The Story of African-American Whalers. In 2003, she won the Coretta Scott King Honor Book for Days of Jubilee. Both McKissack and Pinkney are extremely gifted and are guaranteed to be excellent pieces of work.

~Written by Susan

Lyddie, reviewed by Karen

2009-07-07T13:02:00.003-04:00

Paterson, Katherine. Lyddie. New York: Puffin Books, 1992. Print. ISBN-10: 0140349812; Number of pages: 192; Price of New: $6.99

The United States in the 1840’s was on the verge of the Industrial Revolution that was sweeping the Western World. People were leaving their farms to work in the big cities and tried to find a better life for themselves and their families. The story of Lyddie by Katherine Paterson takes place during this time in history, although our young heroine’s reasoning to leave her family behind is quite different. In this historical fiction piece, we follow a brave ten year old girl out of servitude to Lowell Massachusetts, where she is determined to not only fulfill her duty to her family, but also her dream of a better life.

Lyddie lives in Vermont with her family on a farm in 1843. Her father has left, putting a lot of strain on Lyddie’s mother and their finances. As a result, Lyddie and her brother Charlie must carry this financial burden by going to work at a very young age. Lyddie is sent to work at a tavern, Charlie to a miller, and while Lyddie’s mother and sisters stay with relatives, they must work to pay off the debts of the farm. Lyddie is treated like a slave at the tavern, and envies her brother since he is allowed schooling when he is not working. Lyddie is dismissed by the tavern’s angry owner for giving away money that did not belong to her and decides that she will travel to Lowell Massachusetts to work in a textile mill.

After securing herself a room at a boarding house and a job at the mill, Lyddie became acquainted with Diana, another worker at the mill who was trying to get better working conditions for the women who worked there. Diana showed her the ropes, and soon Lyddie became one of the best workers on the floor. Things seemed to be looking up for Lyddie, but the tragic news that her mother had been put in an asylum and their farm sold away to Quakers puts a damper on Lyddie’s bright outlook. With no family to reunite and no farm to pay off, she must turn her sights to something different, keep moving forward and hopefully gain a better life for herself.

Paterson’s style of writing helps the reader travel back into the 1840’s, a time that most cannot imagine. She chose to use a limited omniscient point of view so that the reader could take in parts of the story that Lyddie herself may not have witnesses, giving us even more information about the story and the time period itself. (Horning, 166) Her detailed description of Lyddie’s surroundings brings the reader into the times, such as the depiction of the cottage on Lyddie’s farm where the black bear breaks in. She also uses language in both narrative writing and the dialogue between the characters that reflects the time and the setting. This change in diction from convention English to a more unrefined slang helps the reader get a better picture of where Lyddie has grown up and what kind of education she has had. (Horning, 172) As the book moves on and Lyddie’s English improves, so does Paterson’s.

This story provides more than just a history lesson to the readers of Lyddie. As a character, Lyddie is a strong and determined girl trying to help her family and herself see better days. She is a role model for all students, sending the message that while something in your life may falter, if you are determined to get through it, you will. This book also sets the stage for a discussion on human rights in the classroom. Even today, people are fighting for fairer wages, better working conditioning and the abolition of child labor. All of these issues are raised in Lyddie and provide a first step to instilling change in the hearts of our young people.

Katherine Paterson has written many classics such as The Great Gilly Hopkins and Bridge to Terabithia. She has also written other historical fiction stories taking readers to places like Vietnam and China. Paterson’s Lyddie is recommended for students ages 10 to 14. Something that teachers may find challenging is that portions of the story move quite slowly, and students may lose interest in the book during these times. Also, while historical accuracy must be kept, there are few males present in this book which may make it difficult for young male readers to get into. Overall, Lyddie presents the past in an interesting and moving way, and showcases a time when young people needed to grow up quickly in order to save what they dearly love and work towards a better future. This book conveys the eternal message of self-determination, a message that students today need to hear. Through Peterson’s tale, students will not only learn their history, but enjoy it as they read!

References
Horning, Kathleen. From Cover to Cover: Evaluating and Reviewing Children's Books. New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 1997. Print.

~Written by Karen

Stargirl, reviewed by Karen

2009-07-07T12:46:00.003-04:00

Spinelli, Jerry. Stargirl. New York: Knopf, 2002. Print. ISBN-10: 0439444438, Pgs: 208, New price: $8.95

Jerry Spinelli has done it again. He has written many beloved children’s novels like Maniac Magee (1990) and Loser (2002), yet none can quite compare to Stargirl, the tale of young love, heartbreak and the kind tragedy that can only be created by high school popularity. As an amazing piece of realistic fiction, Stargirl takes on the real issue of social scrutiny and how the same people who can make you popular can turn everyone against you in the blink of an eye. In this story, non-conformity is preached by an unusual teenage girl who changes the lives of everyone at her high school, especially that of Leo Borlock.

Leo is a regular teenage boy at Mica High School, and like most teenagers, he understands the social system that exists there. As a rule of thumb, he tries not to stick out or act differently in order to maintain his position among his peers. Enter Susan Caraway, a spirited tenth grader who has been homeschooled for the last fifteen years of her life. Susan, better known as Stargirl does not share in Leo’s idea of blending in, and shocks the school with her ‘costumesque’ clothing and her strange behaviors. Among these, carrying around her pet rat, placing a table cloth with a daisy on her desk and strumming a ukulele while singing Happy Birthday to people she doesn’t know. Her behavior throws the school into a social frenzy, with students making comments like “She is not real.” The students at Mica High cannot understand why she would act so unpopular, so not-normal, yet Stargirl remains oblivious to the snooty remarks of her peers. The only one among them who finds the guts to befriend her is Leo, who develops a secret crush on her.

Soon enough, everyone settles in to Stargirl’s antics and she begins to become popular, especially after agreeing to join the cheerleading team. Even if Mica’s team loses, Stargirl provides an entertaining experience for all with her crazy cheers and cartwheels. Her table at lunch is always full and she even has other members of the school following in her footsteps with random acts of kindness and self-expressive outfits. This however, does not last for long. When Stargirl starts to root for both teams during the basketball semi-finals, members of the school turn on her and call her a traitor. They shun her once again, but Leo is too interested in her to follow suit. He decides to follow her home one night, and after spending some quality time together, they become a couple, regardless of the school’s disapproval. Leo then begs her to become ‘normal’ so they can be accepted by their peers. At first, the idea of social acceptance is strange for Stargirl, but for Leo’s sake, she decides to change. Forfeiting the name Stargirl, Susan becomes obsessed with popularity and regaining acceptance, but truth be told, it may not be as easy as she thinks.

This book is the perfect piece of literature to present to middle school and high school students. It is incredibly relevant to today’s teenage world, and allows that little piece in each of us that represents Stargirl to come out and be heard. All teenagers struggle to fit in, even those who are deemed popular. Spinelli presents the conflict of social systems in schools in a way that can be dissected and discussed in a classroom. This book also teaches one of the most important lessons that we can relay to our children: be yourself, and no one else. Even though Susan and Stargirl are technically the same person, they represent two sides of the same the girl. She chose to stick with the side of herself that she felt comfortable with.

Peer acceptance and bullying in schools have always been touchy subjects that most people assume cannot be fixed because they are ingrained in our society. Teachers and parents should know that appropriate discussion should accompany the reading of this book in order for students to clearly understand the message. Without this discussion, students may skew the text to mean that regardless of who you are, you will never be accepted unless you strive to be ‘popular’ from the start. This is certainly not the message teachers and parents strive to teach their children. It is also important to note that Stargirl focuses only on dress and behavior as a way of acceptance. This book does not take on racial or ethnic reasons for being shunned by members of the school, which also occurs and needs to be addressed just as often.

Even though Stargirl is not considered a piece of international, global, or multicultural literature, it carries that universal message of pride in yourself, no matter who you are or where you came from, which is important when working towards a culturally responsive classroom. There are no illustrations in this book, but it is important to point out the cover. Most books present the title in words, but Spinelli chose to use pictograms. There is a raised picture of a yellow star, and below it, a raised picture of a girl. Keeping with the theme of non-conformity, this unconventional display of the title adds to the charm of this book, and gives the reader a small taste of what they are in for when reading Stargirl. This book is for ages 12 and up and can be used in almost any classroom setting. If students fall in love with Stargirl’s charm, the sequel Love, Stargirl is sure to please.

~Written by Karen

The Hello, Goodbye Window, reviewed by Susan

2009-07-07T12:40:00.002-04:00

Juster, Norton & Raschka, Chris. The Hello, Goodbye Window. New York: Michael Di Capua Books, 2005. ISBN 0-7868-0914-0 $10.85

There are many people who can touch a child’s life. A child’s parents influence them greatly. Siblings can be live-in best friends. But grandparents can love in extraordinary ways; knowing just what to say and do make a child laugh, give the perfect hugs and kisses and make any time together wonderful.

The little girl in this book loves to visit her Nanna and Poppy. She goes to their house while her parents are at work. The window in her grandparents’ kitchen is known as the hello and goodbye window. When she arrives, she loves to peek through their kitchen window, tap on the glass, wave to her grandparents and make silly faces through it. At her grandparents’ house, she helps out, she colors, and she listens to her Poppy play the harmonica.

The window can sometimes appear as a mirror. She and her Poppy play silly games to pretend the other one is outside of the window. She knows that she is always safe at their house. At night they peek out the window to say good night to the stars. They can look in from the outside or look out to see what’s happening outside. When her parents pick her up after work, she is sad to leave them but happy to see her parents. As she walks away from their home, she looks back to see her grandparents waving through the window. This little girl loves her grandparents and the memories that have been shared through, next to or by the window. She hopes that one-day, she too, will have a hello and goodbye window with her future husband.

This book is a realistic fiction book because it is a story that could take place in real life and is believable (L-B & T, 151). Today, many grandparents play a significant role in their grandchild’s live. Many grandparents are the main caregivers while the child’s parents work. The story is about an extended family, which is a type of a realistic fiction. The young girl’s grandparents are two of the main characters (L-B & T, 152). She experiences joy, sadness, laughter, and learns many valuable lessons from them (L-B & T, 152). Young readers may make many connections to this book as they think about their own grandparents. The character of the little girl develops throughout the book as she shares more adventures and reasons why she loves staying at her grandparents’. She shares all of the reasons why the kitchen window holds so much meaning in her life (L-B & T, 152).

This book is also a multicultural text because it subtlety addresses the issue of race (L-B &T, 215-216). The little girl’s grandparents and parents have different color skin. Her Nanna and mother have dark brown skin and the Poppy and father have light skin. The little girl had medium brown skin. These are all positive images of minority characters (L-B &T, 215-216). Additionally, this book is a picture book because the words and pictures add to the story’s meaning. They also appear in equal amounts (L-B & T, 91). The illustrations are vivid and colorful. The illustrator outlines many of the main pictures with a fine tip black marker. The pictures are filled in with an oil-based paint. The images are fairly messy, creating an appearance of kid drawn pictures. The illustrator was noted for his beautiful artwork and was awarded the Caldecott Medal for this book.

This book is appropriate for young children, ages three to eight. This book could be used in the classroom when discussing families, influential people in children’s lives and community members.

The Hello, Goodbye Window is a love song between a child and her grandparents and should be heard by many young listeners.

~Written by Susan

Still My Grandma, reviewed by Maria

2009-07-07T12:36:00.002-04:00

2006 Véronique Van Den Abeele; Still my Grandma. Illustrations 2006 Claude K. Dubois. Published 2007 By Eerdamns Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Wm. B. Eermans Publishing Co. Grand Rapids, MI.

Every child who is fortunate enough to have a grandmother in their life enjoys spending time with her, especially granddaughters like Camille. Camille loves baking cookies, feeding the ducks and taking walks with her grandmother; but something suddenly changes, Grandma cannot remember Camille’s name. Camille later learns that her grandmother has Alzheimer disease.

This realistic fiction picture book explores the difficulties of a child adjusting to an older relative with Alzheimer disease. The story is told from a young child’s point of view, and shows us how Camille discovers that her grandmother is changing, and is very ill. Van Den Abeele’s writing style really brings Still My Grandmother to life (Horning pg 36). Van Den Abeele has a passion for the subject and uses simple events to teach about a very complex disease. The book ends with “But she is still my grandma, and I love her;” this was a very strong ending because after discovering what happens when a person has Alzheimer disease, they are immediately taken back to the present situation and reminded that despite being ill, one of the best ways to help a sick family member is to continue loving them as you had in the past. Her style is very unique; she has fun with a very serious topic.

The plot in this story is wonderful. The book begins with Camille sharing her fondest memories of how she and grandma used to spend their time together, to later using the same events with a twist (forgetfulness) to introduce Alzheimer disease and the difficulties families face when experiencing this. Van Den Abeele uses these events to help children understand what happens when an adult is faced with this illness. Camille and grandma go from baking cupcakes together, to grandma putting her shoes in the refrigerator; when she is suppose to be preparing the ingredients for the cupcakes. Van Den Abeel uses humor to keep the reader in tune with the fiction part of the text, as well as the realistic portion of the text. Her humor allows Alzheimer disease to be a “normal” part of a child’s experience with his/her grandparents.

The events in this story are very easy for children to follow because they happen in chronological order. The reader starts off by following Camille and her grandmother on their fun adventures, to seeing grandmother slowly forget important things like her granddaughter’s name and where to put her shoes.

This is a wonderful book for all ages. It truly teaches children to understand the difficulties adults with Alzheimer disease face, while kindly reminding them the importance of loving their family members for who they are. At a quick glance, one would assume this book is solely about a grandmother’s bond with her grandchild; but once the inner sleeve is read, it is apparent that Still my Grandma is a heart-warming story that many of us can relate to. This book makes the story of Camille’s grandma real, and it will be extremely easy for children of relatives with Alzheimer to identify themselves with the text.

~Written by Maria

Amazing Grace, reviewed by Bethany

2009-07-07T12:31:00.002-04:00

Hoffman, Mary. Amazing Grace. Illustrated by Caroline Binch. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers, 1991. 32 pages. $16.99 ISBN 0803710402

Mary Hoffman, highly regarded author of books My Grandma Has Black Hair, and Boundless Grace (a sequel to Amazing Grace), writes a seemingly simple picture book about school play auditions. In fact, the book is about a young African American girl breaking her classmate’s stereotypes for the casting of Peter Pan.

Grace is a delightful young girl who loves stories and loves to act them out. She dresses up in costume and becomes a variety of characters from Anansi the Spider to Joan of Arc. She sometimes even invites her mother and grandmother into the story acting. When the teacher announces that the class will be doing the play Peter Pan, Grace raises her hand to volunteer for the part of Peter Pan. Her classmates immediately discourage her saying: “You can’t be Peter—that’s a boy’s name. You can’t be Peter Pan. He isn’t black”. Grace comes home to her mother distraught. Her mother is upset by what Grace’s classmates say. Nana takes Grace to a showing of Romeo and Juliet in which Juliet is played by an African American star. In the end, Grace tries out for Peter Pan and receives the role, while her classmates watched impressed.

As a peer-based multicultural realistic fiction piece, this story represents the eventual acceptance Grace receives from her classmates in the role of Peter Pan. She must first struggle past her classmates’ stereotypical view of the Peter Pan character, but she quickly changes her classmates’ views. For a ‘simple’ picture book it is surprisingly symbolic and deeper meanings could be explored. Older elementary students could deconstruct the gender and racial bias represented by the classmates’ views. Even today, the discussion Grace’s peers have about her ability to be Peter Pan based on race and ethnicity could easily have happened in schools. Reading this book would be an especially powerful way to examine these social stereotypes. Grace is an empowered African American girl ready to tear down any social barriers that get in the way of her reaching her dreams.

Caroline Binch’s expert watercolor illustrations are life-like, accurately representing many ethnicities, genders, and personalities present in a classroom. Her ability to depict Grace’s facial expressions and wide range of human emotions makes the reader especially love delightful Grace and hope for a happy story ending.

Students from grades two through five will enjoy this book because of strong, determined Grace and the story’s empowering message to keep striving towards personal goals no matter what obstacles may get in the way. Young students may need some pre-teaching on stereotyping and what it means to stereotype, providing a better understanding for the text. Older elementary students will be able to understand the deeper symbolism and historical implications of this poignant, yet simply expressed picture book story. It might be a good book to use during study of slavery, segregation or even women’s rights.

For More Information:
http://www.maryhoffman.co.uk/grace.htm
http://www.maryhoffman.co.uk/bio.htm

~Written by Bethany

Homeless Bird, reviewed by Gayvelle

2009-07-07T12:28:00.002-04:00

Whelan, Gloria. Homeless Bird. New York: HarperCollins Children’s Books, 2000.212 pages. $15.95 US.ISBN 0-06-028454-4

Homeless Bird is a realistic fiction story written by Gloria Whelan. It is an awakening account of a young girl’s thrust into married life. The book brings the essence of Indian culture to the story and allows the reader a look, rather than a glimpse inside the lives of the main character Koly. With this in mind Whelan allows the themes of hope and perseverance to reign over a culture that seems to oppress young ladies and break their spirit.

Homeless Bird portrays life in India and is rife with Indian culture, customs and people. These factors place the book in the domain of global literature as defined by Pratt & Beaty (1999). Written from the first person perspective Homeless Bird deals with the issue of families. The story tells the trials of thirteen year old Koly who is soon to be married according to the arranged marriage custom in India. The book brings forth the concept of women as subservient, uneducated chattel from the Indian society’s view. Koly is soon married to a sickly teenager who dies and leaves her with her in-laws. While there she learns to read and write. Lucky for her this skill helps her when she is abandoned in a city for widows. There she learns fast and works hard to survive. She is rewarded when she meets Raji. They share secrets and make plans for a life together. Koly stitches a beautiful quilt to offer Raji as her dowry and Raji builds her a room for her to do her embroidering.

The author was able to weave a believable story of Koly’s life in India through her extensive research of the culture, custom and people of India. The story is interspersed with examples of her research through her effective integration of Hindi words such as baap/father and chapatti/unleavened bread. She does this in a manner that doesn’t make it seem overdone. The author keeps her writing simple without much use of jarring similes and metaphors. This is purposely done so that the contemporary language with the Hindi words will not distract and confuse the reader. The author relies on the use of words which stimulate the senses. Her words let you picture in your mind the scene just as it was described.

When I looked into the temples, I could see the holy sadhus sitting in long rows, bare chested, their heads shaven, holding sacred lamps an accompanying their chanting with bells. (pg. 47)
Whelan’s plot follows a linear fashion which is un-confusing for readers. In spite of the simple narrative order for Homeless Bird readers will be left excitedly trying to guess what other mishap would occur to further drench Koly’s spirit. Wisely, the author has given Koly a strong character that in spite of the male centric bent of traditional Indian society learns to read and is able to fend for herself when she is left destitute in Vrindavan – the city of widows.

The story is strong in terms of conflict which keeps the pages of the book turning. Koly’s character experiences growth by having to deal with the many conflicts in the story. This makes her character well-rounded and thus interesting.

With the increasing diversity of classrooms, not only in the United States but in many parts of the world there is a need to inculcate different students’ cultures into the learning experience. Homeless Bird is a great way to welcome a student’s home language into the classroom.
Homeless Bird is a great read for anyone who wants to walk in another person’s shoes – at least for a time.

~Written by Gayvelle

Frindle, reviewed by Claire

2009-07-07T12:25:00.002-04:00

Clements, Andrew. Frindle. New York: Aladdin Publishers, 1996. 102pages. $4.99 ISBN 0-689-81876-9

Andrew Clement’s book, Frindle has sold more than 2 million copies. And, that's just in the United States. It has been reprinted all around the world in many languages.

Nick Allen has just entered grade five and normally he can get teachers to forget about giving homework to the students, but not so with Mrs. Granger. She sees straight through his tactics and gives them homework anyway. Not to be deterred he comes up with stronger tricks, using her advice against her. Mrs. Granger is a big fan of words and makes her class study words and the meaning of words. By creating a new word he creates a new fad in the class, much to Mrs. Granger's dismay. The battle of the word has begun. Is a pen a pen, or a Frindle? Pretty soon his word isn't his anymore and it spreads across the country, is this really what Nick wanted?

Frindle is a cute novel that had me laughing all the way through. Clement created witty commentaries and humorous plot. Nick Allen is a great character, and the author does not go out of character in the least, seeming to know exactly how a boy that age would speak and act. Mrs. Granger is the villain, sort of; you feel that you are supposed to think of her in that way.

Clements’ has developed the plot almost as well as he has his main character and the villain of sorts, bringing about scenes that you just can't help but laugh at. Like when Nick was in third grade and decided to turn his classroom into a tropical island. The whole class made palm trees out of construction paper, the girls wore paper flowers in their hair, and the boys wore sunglasses and beach hats. Then Nick turned the thermostat up to 90 degrees and spread sand all over the classroom. The boys and girls took their shoes off and had a blast but the custodian who had to clean up all the sand that was tracked through the school didn’t think it was so fun nor did the principal. That is just Nick’s creative idea for third grade!

Andrew Clements does an outstanding job keeping the reader hooked by including conflict between characters. “Conflict is a major element of plot that keeps the story moving and stirs the interest of the reader, who wants to find out what happens next and how the conflict will be resolved (Horning, 154).” The conflict that was involved in this book is the kind of conflict that a teacher wants in every classroom. When students question ideas and topics they delve deeper in learning. By Nick questioning his teacher’s assignments he is given an extra assignment that in the long run teaches him a lesson that he may never have learned on his own.

Andrew Clement’s, Frindle details the idea of being creative and acting upon new ideas at school in a 105 page chapter book This book fits in the realistic fiction genre because it is a story that could happen to people and it is in the realm of possibility that such events could occur. Andrew Clements has written many books that have popped up in many classrooms. If you like Frindle, you may also want to try The Report Card, Lunch Money, and No Talking all excellent books by Andrew Clements! Third through sixth grade teachers should consider reading this book about the invention of a new word, "frindle," to their classes. Both teachers and students will enjoy it. But watch out! Once students have read this they may want to take a stand and create their own word which could bring a lot of publicity to your classroom. I can see teachers using this book as a starter to have students make up their own word for a creative writing piece.

~Written by Claire

The Jade Dragon, reviewed by Candace

2009-07-07T12:19:00.002-04:00

Loh, Virginia Shin-Mui, and Carolyn Marsden. The Jade Dragon. Cambridge: Candlewick, 2008. 169 pages. Tr $15.99 ISBN 0-7636-3012-8

The Jade Dragon is a multicultural work of realistic fiction loosely based on co-author’s Dr. Virginia S. Loh’s childhood. Loh and Marsden sensitively address the topic of Chinese and American cultural collision in the United States with inspiration from Loh’s personal upbringing. As a Chinese-American girl living in Fairfax, Virginia in the 1980’s, Loh was marginalized by her white classmates. Loh co-wrote The Jade Dragon because she believes “It is very important to have stories that reflect contemporary realities of Asian-Americans. Our experiences need to be a part of mainstream American culture, and our voices need to be heard.” In an effort to educate children to be sensitive and accepting of diversity, Marsden and Loh transcend Loh’s childhood experience into the story’s protagonist, Ginny.

The Jade Dragon is set in 1983 in Virginia and is told from the point of view of a second grade, Chinese-American girl named Ginny Liao. Although Ginny’s English had improved since starting school, the White girls in her class never wanted to play with her. The children on the playground make fun of her slanted eyes and yell out “ching chong” as she passes by. Ginny wished for nothing more than a best friend- a Chinese-American girl who looked like her. Ginny’s prayers were answered when a Stephanie Bronelle arrived as a new second grade student.

Although Stephanie looked like Ginny, Ginny soon found that they had very little in common. Stephanie was born in China and raised by white parents. She did not speak a word of Chinese, hated Chinese food, and wished she was white. Regardless of these differences, the girls quickly became best friends. At a holiday party, the girls traded an item of value to symbolize their friendship. Ginny secretively gave Stephanie a jade dragon, a priceless family heirloom in exchange for a cubic zirconium ring. When Ginny’s mother discovers the dragon is missing, she demands the item be returned.

However, Stephanie’s reluctance to return the jade dragon proved she valued her Chinese heritage more than she disclosed. It is at this moment each girl realizes their opposing struggles as Chinese girls living in America. Ginny was born in America but it outcast for practicing her Chinese culture while Stephanie was born in China but knows nothing about where she came from. All children will be able to relate to the characters in this story regardless of their backgrounds because at some point, any child can feel like an outsider among peers for a variety of reasons. Ginny and Stephanie are dynamic representations of children’s universal yearning for acceptance.

The language in the book is appropriate for students in grades 2-5. Although many students prefer works of realistic fiction that are funny, humorous undertones are absent from the dialogue and narration of this story due to its serious theme. This work is culturally responsive to diversity as seen through the sensitive eyes of a child who is marginalized for being a minority. With the demographic of the United States classroom dramatically changing with the influx of new immigrants, The Jade Dragon would be a great read for elementary students as it is sure to ignite insightful discussions about adoption, identity, and culture.

~Written by Candace

The Secret Olivia Told Me, reviewed by Ajajielle

2009-07-07T12:15:00.002-04:00

Joy, N. The Secret Olivia Told Me. Illustrated Nancy Devard, 2007.
32 pages. $16.95 ISBN-13: 9781933491080. Age Range: 3 to 8.

Author N. Joy and the Coretta Scott King award recipient for illustration, Nancy Devard joined together to bring readers, The Secret Olivia Told Me. This realistic fiction picture storybook addresses the themes of gossip, responsibility and friendship between two young girls via poetry.

The opening scene is the school play-yard with different children engaged in various forms of play: To the far left there are four girls playing, Double Dutch with an onlooker; center stage, one sees a little girl with pigtails bouncing a soccer ball on her knee; to the right, there are three boys playing basket ball, with one holding the ball away from the others and wearing a Dennis Rodman#10 jersey; and to the far right against an orange brick wall, we see Olivia and her unnamed friend in seeming conversation. Olivia is holding a red balloon and her friend with white barrettes in her hair is holding her left hand across her heart and her right arm is raised in a swearing position. The text opens: Olivia told me a SECRET / I promised I would not tell. / It was such a great, big secret, / I thought my head might swell (p. 3). By the time the final comment is made the red balloon has moved from Olivia possession to her friend and the drama of the secret begins. As readers proceed, they immediately see that maybe Olivia was not wise in sharing her secret with her friend because she is unable to keep her promise and tells the secret to another person. Readers see the red balloon growing and twisting as each new recipient of the secret embellishes on. Important questions arise from the release of the secret such as what does it mean to be a true friend? If a friend engages in gossip about another, can it ruin a friendship beyond repair? Should a person take personal responsibility in contributing to the start of a rumor? And what are the ramifications for engaging in gossip politics?
The illustration and the text are intimately tied to one another and movement cannot occur without the other. For example, all of the children are drawn in black silhouettes with strategically placed white marking (earrings, necklaces, barrettes, ribbons, and shirt decorations). As the poem articulates the spreading of the secret, the body and head poses of the children all reflect a state of gossiping and in the background the red balloon continues to grow. Thus, in word and picture there is complementary symmetry.

This book is great for a read aloud due to the rhythmic nature of the poetic text. In addition, children will all enjoy the pictures because it show cases other children in a captivating and appealing manner which they all can identify with on a personal level.

This is a realistic fiction book because it falls under the Peer category and deals with notions of friendship. In addition, this book is an example of multicultural literature because it meets the following criteria:

§ Authentic depiction of the cultural experience from the perspective of that group
§ Accuracy of cultural details in text and illustration: Children presented in everyday activities: playing in playground, home life, studying, and just hanging out.
§ Balance between historic and contemporary views of group: The children are not present as stereotypical “pick-a-ninnies.” (Lynch-Brown & Tomlinson, 2008, p.216)

I recommend this book for all children of all ages due to its engaging text and illustrations. Furthermore, parent can use it a communication device to address sensitive issues such as sexual abuse and / or physical abuse.

~Written by Ajajielle

Peggony-Po: A Whale of a Tale, reviewed by Bethany

2009-07-06T15:48:00.004-04:00

Pinkney, Andrea Davis. Peggony-Po: A Whale of a Tale. Illustrated by Brian Pinkney. New York: Jump at the Sun, 2006. 32 pages. $16.99 ISBN 078681958-8

Caldecott Award winning artist Brian Pinkney and Caldecott and Coretta Scott King Award winning author and Syracuse University graduate Andrea Pinkney tell a tall tale of the high seas in this picture book. Some of Andrea Pinkney’s other famous books include biographies about important African Americans, including Alvin Ailey (a story about a famous dancer/ choreographer), and Duke Ellington: The Piano Prince and His Orchestra (a story about jazz legend Duke Ellington).

In this tall tale, whaler Galleon loses his leg to a vicious, elusive whale, Cetus. In his misery, he wishes he had a son who could carry on the whaling tradition. By the power of the northern lights, Galleon carves himself a son, Peggony-Po, out of driftwood that comes to life (very much like Pinocchio). This is what makes this a personified object modern folktale, when Peggony-Po comes to life. Peggony-Po is a confident, intelligent, and small, yet feisty and quick young boy. The dynamics between father and son make this fantastical story believable and create an internal logic. He takes the sailors up on their bet that he can’t catch Cetus the whale in the “Great Whale Bet of 1847”. In this quest story, Peggony-Po finds Cetus and through trial and error and sheer intelligence, Peggony-Po catches the whale, making a harness for himself to ride around the world on Cetus. Eventually Cetus becomes hungry, and happily eats many things whales should not eat (including an oxcart), becoming more and more confused, until he crashes on land splitting his belly open and dying “a happy whale”. Peggony-Po plays a sailor’s song out of respect for the whale’s departure from life, and then does the backstroke, dragging the whale back to his father’s ship. Many celebrations ensue and a sea shanty is written in Peggony-Po’s honor.

The author and illustrator carefully researched the whaling industry in the early 1700s through 1840s, making this an excellent book to share with students. They specifically focused on African American whalers, and found that at sea, anyone who could survive the hard work required of a whaler was allowed to join the crew. Many African Americans and white Americans worked side by side in this industry despite the prejudice and ‘rules’ of the rest of society at this time. A “Glossary” provides definitions for sailor language and there is a book by Patricia McKissack suggested for further reading on African American Whalers.

It is with brains, rather than brawn, that Peggony-Po outwits the whale, representing a positive African American presentation of character. There are no females present in this story, which may be a reason to include this book among other modern folk tales that do share stories of female empowerment and action.

Illustrations are beautifully rendered on scratch board. The impressionistic nature of these colorful scratchboard drawings, as well as the sense of motion through curved, moving lines, tell the story as well as the actual text. This sense of motion further excites and propels the fast-paced whale chase forward. Detailed facial expressions allow the reader to see the emotions experienced by all characters, including the whale. This book is an outstanding interaction between text and illustrations.

All age (but particularly first through third grade) students will be interested in the sailor language (reminiscent of pirate language), and will also be interested in the fast-paced action of this modern fantasy, as well as how the character uses cleverness instead of brawn to capture the whale.

~ Written by Bethany

Why the Stomach Growls, reviewed by Gayvelle

2009-07-06T15:44:00.003-04:00

Duncan, Pamela Duncan. Why the stomach growls. Illustrated by Bridget Starr Taylor. Chelsea, MI: Sleeping Bear Press, 2006. [32 pages] $15.95 ISBN 1-58536-298-0.

The book Why the stomach growls was written by Pamela Duncan Edwards and illustrated by Bridget Starr Taylor in 2006. Why the stomach growls is a type of modern fantasy dealing with personified toys and objects.

It uses a creation myth to answer the question of why the stomach growls and in the process teaches about sharing, cooperation and kindness. The story is written in the stance of children performing a play. The story begins by drawing on the creation story from the bible, where there is a ‘Garden of Eden’. However, instead of creating whole human beings like Adam and Eve, different elements such as ear, nose, mouth, eyes, brain and stomach are created. All of these know their function except for the stomach. Without a job, the stomach makes mischief and causes disunity amongst the parts. This ultimately causes the Creator to come and place the parts together to form the human body.

The author descriptively moves the reader through the book with the mischievous tricks of the stomach. The actions words and phrases make the book a good candidate for dramatization. It also allows children to become familiar with the words used to describe the actions of the body parts. The “eyes glared”, the “ears wiggled”, and the “mouth stuck out its tongue”. The action of the mouth sticking out its tongue may not be well received by some persons as they may feel that its depiction encourages children to make fun of other children. Despite the plentitude of descriptive language there is little patterned language in Why the stomach growls making it a less appealing book for non-readers.

Despite the story using a creation myth of the human race the illustrations do not depict an inclusive picture of persons from different races. The persons depicted in the story are white and since the story is not based on the creation myth of any particular culture the illustrations should have included persons of other groups such as Indian, Chinese, African and Hispanic. The surrealistic illustrations really tell the story, as without them the book’s storyline would have been extremely difficult for children 3-5 years to follow. The illustrations portray disjointed body parts, therefore it matches the disunity of characters in the story. Also, the illustrations on some pages have a busy look because of the number of characters and pieces in one scene. However, the author balances these fantastical images and story with reality by setting the entire story in the form of a stage play with children in costume as the various parts of the body.
In spite of these negatives Why the stomach growls can be used to introduce and explore various creation myths. For example, in a classroom setting, after reading this book a teacher can solicit different stories of creation from diverse students and guide a discussion so that students can highlight similarities and differences in various creation stories. Also, because the story uses the body parts to illustrate what happens when there is no cooperation; the book can be used to teach the parts of the body and the importance of cooperation. The descriptive phrases used in the story can teach children how to add this type of detail to their essays. After exposure to some of the phrases mentioned above, a teacher may find that children inculcate these into their writing.

Positively though the story dispels stereotypes of the Creator being a male by illustrating the creator as a female. That’s why Why the Stomach Growls has a lot to offer readers, listeners and viewers.

~ Written by Gayvelle

Edward and the Pirates, reviewed by Susan

2009-07-06T15:39:00.002-04:00

McPhail, David. Edward and the Pirates. New York: Little, Brown Young Readers, 1997.

David McPhail knows just how to captivate a young reader. In the book, Edward and the Pirates, the narrator skillfully exposes how young Edward loves to read. He will read anything that he can get his hands on. Whenever he reads, he becomes a part of the books and travels to far-off, magical places. One day he goes to the library and discovers a book about pirates. He sits down and reads, “Some pirate treasures has never been found…” In the background, the reader can view pirates are hiding among the bookshelves. Edward checks out the book and brings it home. While he is reading that night, pirates appear in Edward’s bedroom. The pirates believe that the library book is the treasure that has never been found. They try to take the book from him but Edward refuses. They attempt to threaten and bribe him but Edward will not give in. Edward is brave and stands up to the pirates. Edward discovers that the pirates can’t read and so he reads to them. Together, they discover how exciting and adventurous reading can be. Edward is able to share his love for reading with the pirates.

This book is a modern fantasy because the settings and the characters are outside the realm of possibility (Lynch-Brown and Tomlinson, 134). For example, pirates come to life and approach Edward in his bedroom. Edward is also able to travel to various places when he reads a book. This book also falls into the modern fantasy category because it is written by a well-known author (Lynch-Brown and Tomlinson, 134). A transition is made in the book where the characters move from the realistic world to the fantasy world. Every time Edward reads about a new book or passage, he immediately relocates to that place. On each page, the author creates new detailed pictures of a place Edward is visiting. The reader is eager to turn the page and discover where Edward is going to go next. The use of illustrations in this book keep the reader engaged and adds an element of suspense.

David McPhail helps young readers explore their imaginative side. His work is original, creative and magical. The illustrations create a suspenseful mood throughout the story. Edward’s facial expressions allude to how he is feeling. He either has his mouth open with wide eyes, expressing his he shocked or in awe or he is smiling, showing joy and excitement. All of his illustrations in this book are large, dark paintings. Every time Edward imagines a place in his mind, the author paints these dark images to remind the reader that these are all fantasy. For the majority of the book, Edward is reading about pirates at night in his bed. The dark paintings set the stage for the reader by creating a suspenseful mood. The reader might feel nervous or apprehensive about what the pirates will do to Edward.

This book is appropriate for children age three through eight. This book is perfect for a read aloud at home or in school. McPhail has a way of encouraging children to activate their own imagination through reading books.

~ Written by Susan

A Series of Unfortuante Events: The Bad Beginning or, Orphans! reviewed by Claire

2009-07-06T15:35:00.005-04:00

Snicket, Lemony. The Bad Beginning. New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 1999. 162pp., $10.99 ISBN-0-06-440-766-7

Ages 9-12

Violet, Klaus and their baby sister, Sunny Baudelaire are three very unlucky, very sad children. Their beloved parents have recently perished in a fire at their home. Not only have they lost their mother and father, but they have also lost all their possessions. The only things left to them are the clothes on their ‘backs’. Mr Poe, the asthmatic executor of their parents' Will tracks down a relative with whom they must live. Count Olaf is not a nice man. Tall, thin, gaunt and distinctly suspicious, he does not treat the Baudelaire orphans well. All three children share a room with one bed, their clothes are dumped in a cardboard box and they must spend half the day doing chore after chore after chore. It is clear to the children that Count Olaf has taken them in for only one reason: he hopes to get his hands on their fortune. With the aid of the kindly Justice Strauss, Violet with a talent for inventing gadgets and Klaus the clever bookworm must find and foil the Count's evil plan.

The Bad Beginning is the first in a series of fantasy adventure books. Lemony Snicket begins the book in a familiar and ordinary setting with typical human being characters and then transitions the book from this realistic world to a fantasy world. This series is for children written by a shadowy figure known as Lemony Snicket. Lemony Snicket is the alter ego of Daniel Handler, San Francisco novelist. Handler writes beautifully and with a very precise use of language. There are side notes in which he treats his young readers to an amusing definition of a word or a phrase and these demonstrate the wonderful possibilities of language in a very entertaining way. Handler uses vocabulary to challenge but also to amuse and educate. The use of dark humor opens the door for many "ooh" and "eek" moments. Brett Helquist's illustrations are just perfect with small, crosshatched pencil sketches which make it very creepy and shivery. These illustrations are at the beginning of all thirteen chapters.

Because of the dry style and the challenging but precise use of language, The Bad Beginning would be suitable for reading aloud. Also, children ages 9-13 could read it alone. With conflict being a major element of the plot it keeps the story moving and grabs the interest of the reader because they will want to find out what happens next. Lemony Snicket does a great job leaving the reader wonting to know more! Some students may be deterred from this series because of the dry style of humor.

~ Written by Claire

Bridge to Terabithia, reviewed by Candace

2009-07-06T15:31:00.002-04:00

Paterson, Katherine. Bridge to Terabithia. New York: HarperCollins, 1977. 127 pages.
Tr. $15.99 ISBN-10: 0-690-01359-0

Katherine Paterson’s Bridge to Terabithia is an imaginative and heartfelt modern fantasy story about the special friendship between Jess Aarons and his new neighbor, Leslie Burke. When the two meet in school, friendship seems unlikely as Leslie challenges Jess to a footrace and steals his title as the “fastest kid in the fifth grade”. Although he is embarrassed that he lost a race to the “new girl”, Jess is intrigued by Leslie’s tomboy antics and eccentric upbringing. In order to avoid his four younger sisters and hectic household, Jess befriends Leslie and they become inseparable.

One day while playing, the pair were desperately trying to escape Jess’s younger sister May Belle, who always followed them. At that moment, Leslie introduced Jess to a secret imaginative world which laid just beyond their backyards, called Terabithia, based on her readings of The Chronicles of Narnia. Together, the friends fantasize Terabithia as a magical kingdom where they reigned as king and queen in their own spectacular castle made from a scrap heap. In Terabithia Jess and Leslie were able to face their problems of the real world as they dealt through their insecurities and plotted vengeance against school bullies.
Jess and Leslie crossed the creek on the rope swing everyday to Terabithia to play after school. One day when Jess travels to Washington with his teacher Miss Edmunds to visit art galleries, Leslie attempts to travel to Terabithia by herself and tragedy strikes. In order for Jess to deal with the repercussions of an unfortunate event, he must embrace Leslie’s resilient and courageous demeanor as he becomes the dynamic protagonist of the story.

Paterson wrote this book for her son whose childhood friend tragically died when she was hit by lightning. Although the story is about a special friendship and a magical land, it also introduces young readers to ideas about death and grievance. Through reading fantasy, children are introduced to the sad realities of life and learn the importance of cherishing their loved ones. This may be appropriate to use in a classroom in which children have experienced the loss of a classmate as a responsive effort to the community. However, the book also portrays Christian stereotypes which may lead to controversy if used in the classroom. For instance, May Belle tells Leslie that she has to believe in the Bible or “God’ll damn you to hell when you die”. Some also criticize the book for celebrating witchcraft because the children cast a spell to rid evil sprits from Terabithia. Since this book often appears on controversial and banned book lists, it is in a teacher’s best interest to deeply explore these concerns before using Bridge to Terabithia in the classroom.

~ Written by Candice

The Hunterman and the Crocodile: A West African Folktale, reviewed by Ajajielle

2009-07-06T15:22:00.004-04:00

Diakité, Baba Wagué (Author and Illustrator). The Hunterman and the Crocodile, 1997. 32 pages. $16.95 ISBN-13: 9780590890287

In 1997, the award-winning and internationally known author and artist, Baba Wagué Diakité brought to readers, The Hunterman and the Crocodile: A West African folktale. Diakité was inspired to create this modern literary folktale to honor the memory of his Malian grandmother who shared many of her favorite traditional stories and fables with him as a child (Rovine, summer 2001). This engaging book broke new ground in both textual themes and artistic illustration resulting in it receiving the 1998 Coretta Scott King Book award. Although it has been over a decade since the original publication of the book, Diakite’s revolutionary work still remains as fresh and innovative in 2009 as it did in the late nineties.

“Modern folktales are an important counterbalance to traditional tales” in that they take commonly accepted ideas and behaviors and flip them on their head; so, instead of passively weak female characters, readers will find “more assertive female characters who are clearly in charge of their own destinies” (Lynch-Brown & Tomlinson, 2008, pp.138). For Diaikté, the modern flip centered on moral themes: What is right and wrong? When should one forgive? Are the actions and behavior of human beings not questionable? As readers enter the Hunterman and Crocodile story, they meet, Bamba, the patriarch of the Crocodile family returning from a trip to Mecca with his family. Unfortunately, due to the original trip’s distance and insufficient food supply, the family finds themselves dangerously starving to death. It is at this point that Donso, the Hunterman enters the story. Bamba asks his assistance in getting him and his family back home to their river. In response, Donso is hesitant because crocodiles have a notorious reputation of eating all who entered into their river. Due to this fact and in seeing Donso’s reluctance to help him and his family, Bamba then “swore in the name of all creatures that he would not harm the Hunterman” (p.8). After receiving this oath, Donso relents and takes the Crocodile family home by carrying them in a stack on his head. Once home, Donso keeps his end of the bargain and takes the family deep into the river; however, it is at this time that Bamba seeks to renege on his oath. Diakité writes, “You know, I haven’t had anything to eat in a long time,” he said. “Wouldn’t I be foolish to let you go? / The Hunterman reminded Bamba of his promise, and they then argued at great length about right and wrong” (p.12).

The idea of “right and wrong” is at the heart of Diakité’s new theorizing. In an old traditional folktale, Bamba would be viewed as the stock evil character taking advantage of the good and kind Hunterman character. However, in the new modern world, good and evil as well as right and wrong are not absolutes or clear cut. In this world, survival of the fittest can be the rule of law and liturgical oaths and promises hold no sway. In fact, the idea of the innocent Hunterman does not hold true in this context because actions speak louder than words. This fact is emphasized when Donso seeks assistance in getting away from Bamba. Specifically, Donso turns to four different figures, the cow, the horse, the chicken, and the mango tree, for help without success. Each one tells a personal tale of woe, hurt, and betrayal at the hands of man. All of them proclaim that they will definitely not help Donso. Diakité powerfully writes that they all just, “walked away…with no guilt” (14-20). In this statement, readers symbolically see, Nature as having its say against Man. For the cow, horse, chicken and mango tree the moral pronouncement is Man is guilty and in the wrong, so vengeance and retribution should be the defining judgment. However, for Diakité this response does not seem to be the final answer.
The trickster Rabbit is the final figure that Donso turns to for assistance. The Rabbit’s insightful advice allows Donso to trick the Crocodile family into not only releasing him, but capturing them in return. Donso now has the ability to destroy the Crocodile family. However, in a closing twist, it comes to Donso’s attention that his wife is ill and it is only with the help of the Crocodile family can she be cure. In the end, Donso get the cure and the Crocodile family is freed.

Transcendence and possibility seems to be the message that Diakité want to leave with readers. Donso is changed by his contact with the Crocodile family. The drive for power and the hegemonic will to domination are no longer valid actions in to his eyes. Instead he urges all to live and work in harmony with nature. Diakité closes with the sentiments: “Donso never forgot the lessons he learned from the cow, the horse, the chicken, the mango tree, and the rabbit. From that time forward he has reminded people of the importance of in harmony with nature and the necessity of placing Man among – now above all living things” (p.30). These lyrical words along with the book’s astounding illustration allow it to continue to stand the test of time.

The illustrations in the book are absolutely a work of art. Specifically, the words of the story are on the left pages and all the illustrations are on the right laid on ceramic tile. The texture of the tile is rich to attract one’s fingers and the vibrant stygian hue of Donso and the animals draws the reader’s eye. Surrounding both the animals and Donso are a sky and background made of a yellowish-burnt-orange which contrasts strikingly with the characters. Diakité does not articulate a specific geographical setting for the story, yet the open space and the green and yellow fauna which the animals tread upon evokes the idea of an African savanna. Also, Diakité references a baobab tree, which is a tree native to West African savannas. Overall, the physical layout of the words and the illustrations create a sense of symmetry and attraction which still has a strong pull and appeal over a decade later.

I highly recommend this book for children of all ages. The colors and texture of the book will appeal to the tactile and visual senses of the children. If the book is read aloud, then all three senses of the child will be engaged in the book. This is definitely a book that teachers could read with panache due to the intense morality struggle between Bamba and Donso. Finally, I will close with an important technical point to know about literary folktales. Kathleen Horning states that modern literary folktales are “often difficult to distinguish from true folktales” (1997, p.68). If unsure, she suggests that readers go to the copyright page and look for the Library of Congress assignment codes for literary folktales: [FIC] or [E]. Horning cautions that this technique “is not always infallible,” but just a useful starting point for determining a literary folktale (1997, p.68). For those individuals who might be wondering, the Diakité text had the [E] classification code.

References
Horning, K.T. (1997)). From cover to cover: Evaluating and reviewing children’s books.
New York: HarperCollins.
Lynch-Brown., & Tomlinson, C.M. (2008). The essentials of children’s literature (6th ed).
Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.
Rovine, V., (summer, 2001). Baba Wague Diakite:respect yourself as well as your tradition.”
– portfolio artist. Retrieved June 6, 2009, from African Artshttp://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0438/is_2_34/ai_81102657/?tag=content;col1

~ Written by Ajajielle

The Dead and the Gone, reviewed by Denise

2009-07-06T15:15:00.005-04:00

Pfeffer, Susan Beth. The Dead and the Gone. Harcourt Books: 2008. 336 pages. Tr. $17.00. ISBN 0-1520-6311-0.

Alex Morales is a seventeen-year-old Puerto Rican resident of New York City. In the beginning of Pfeffer’s newly released book, Alex’s life seems comparable to any normal seventeen-year-old with his concerns over college, grades, and the upcoming student council election. However, after a meteor strikes the moon and thrusts it closer to the earth, his life takes an unusual turn. At first, the movement of the moon is merely creepy, making it a prominent figure in the sky any minute of any day. Over time, Alex learns that the moon’s location affects more than just his view of the sky though. Soon, he hears tales of tsunamis hitting coastlines, dormant volcanoes becoming active again, and new ones sprouting up in odd locations. He also experiences the loss of electricity and telephone connections throughout the world due to the change in the distance between the earth and the moon.

In the face of all of these natural disasters, Alex must pull himself together to care for his two younger sisters, Bri and Julie, who rely on him to get food, shelter, and protection. Alex assumes the role of head of household after his mother and father never return home. Throughout the book, Alex must learn to live with and eventually appreciate the fact that his two sisters are still with him and are able to help him through these extreme circumstances. He desperately seeks out opportunities that will allow the three of them to stay alive in the midst of chaos and panic. One of these opportunities is the gruesome act of “body shopping”, where he and his classmate Kevin, seek out dead bodies on the NYC streets. Kevin and Alex then rob the corpses of anything they can sell in exchange for food. While this bothers Alex at first, he quickly realizes that this is one of the only ways of getting the amount of food his family needs.

The apocalyptic novel is surrounded by death and destruction and the “body shopping” scenes are just the beginning. Another haunting scene is when Alex visits what used to be Yankee Stadium, but is now an outdoor morgue. He goes here in hopes of identifying his mother’s body and bringing closure to her disappearance. Through Alex’s first-person narration, the reader is able to experience the horrifying sights, sounds, and smells that this scene entails. This and some of the other more graphic scenes in this novel may disturb young readers, but are necessary for the mood and tone of the novel to be authentic to a true apocalyptic world.
This book vividly showcases many of the qualities of modern fantasy, with special regard to the science fiction subgenre. In order for the reader to become invested in Alex’s story, he/she must believe that these events are feasible based on the scientific evidence that is apparent in today’s real world. Pfeffer aptly weaves the science behind this storyline in such a way that the reader does not give the plausibility of these events a second thought. Of course a meteor could hit the moon at any point. Anyone knows that if this happened, this would have serious ramifications on the gravitational pull on Earth as well as create natural disasters as it does in this book. The reader becomes much more interested and engaged by the personalities of the characters in the novel than the scientific fact behind it. This is yet another positive attribute to Pfeffer’s talented storytelling. If Pfeffer’s style intrigues you, but the genre of science fiction does not, explore some of her other publications, including Twice Taken and Nobody’s Daughter.

If Alex’s story intrigues you, there are two other companion books that go along with The Dead and the Gone. Pfeffer has also written about the same meteor hitting the earth’s moon in another book, Life As We Knew It, released in 2006. In this companion book, Pfeffer tells the story of Miranda, a fifteen-year-old who experiences the same apocalyptic experiences with her family in rural Pennsylvania. Upon its release, this first book quickly climbed the bestseller chart, prompting Pfeffer to begin working on The Dead and the Gone. Both books share a similar theme of understanding that family is truly the most important thing in life. In addition to these two versions of the moon/meteor encounter, Pfeffer is also working on a third and more “current” addition to these books, which will involve Miranda meeting Alex. This third book is titled This World We Live In and is due out in September 2010.

The main difference in The Dead and the Gone is that the main character/narrator is a male Puerto Rican student, which greatly alters the way the story is told. Alex subtly reminds the reader of his ethnic heritage throughout the book by using Spanish words and referring to himself as a Latino. These changes qualify this book as a piece of multicultural literature since it focuses on the Latino culture, a minority group in the U.S. This offers readers a different point of view, not only based on gender, but also ethnic background, and may allow more readers of various backgrounds the opportunity to connect with the narrator. While Alex provides an additional perspective, some may argue that he portrays a stereotypical Latino with a working father and mother and a large family. His family lives in the basement apartment of the building in which his father works and Alex strives to know how upper-class families live. Readers must force themselves to look beyond this generalization and determine that this character, regardless of ethnicity, class, or gender, is one they can immediately relate to and understand.
Because of the topics addressed in the book, this is by no means a “light” summer read for young adults. However, if you are looking for a memorable story, then Alex’s is one that you will not soon forget. One thing is for sure, after reading Pfeffer’s book, you’ll never look at the moon the same way again.

~ Written by Denise

Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse, reviewed by Susan

2009-06-12T16:22:00.002-04:00

Henkes, Kevin. Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse. New York, NY: Greenwillow, 1996.

Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse is a great read aloud for children ages four through eight. Little Lilly loves everything about school. She loves learning, being with her friends and especially her teacher, Mr. Slinger. One day, she brings her new purple purse to school and fancy black glasses to school. She is so excited to show her new purse to her classmates but Mr. Slinger keeps telling her to wait. Lilly grows impatient and ignores Mr. Slinger’s warning and interrupts the class. Mr. Slinger is upset with her and takes away her purse and glasses. She is angry with Mr. Slinger and decides to draw a mean picture of him and puts it in his bag. At the end of the day, Lilly discovers a note from Mr. Slinger that states, “Tomorrow will be a better day.” Lilly feels awful about her note and regrets giving it to him. She works hard to fix her mistake. An important lesson can be taught and learned through this story. Teachers and parents would benefit from reading this story to their students or child.

Lilly is a fun, loving mouse that many children would enjoy reading about. She is a kindergartner who loves school and is highly energetic. She is full of emotions and reacts strongly to situations. Lilly has a younger brother Julius, who she is often jealous of. Young children would be able to relate to Lilly in many ways. Henkes writes in a child-friendly way that makes his storylines easy to understand. He appeals to a wide-audience of readers because each of his characters have unique qualities and specific issues they deal with. Many children will be able to relate to at least one of his characters in his books. His illustrations are colorful, interesting and detailed. Henkes is able to portray Lilly’s emotions through the use of facial expressions throughout the book. For example, Lilly’s eyes are often a small curved line. When Lilly is mad he draws a downward slant over her eyes to show she is upset. When she is happy, she has a wide smile, her ears are pointed up and she has a bounce in her step. All of Henkes’ characters are cartoons. Cartoons are popular and well received by many children. “Many artists select this style…it features rounded figures, exaggerated action, and simplified backgrounds (Lynch-Brown and Tomlinson, 96).” Many of Lilly’s actions are exaggerated. Many of the pages entail three small pictures of an action. The message of this book is perfect for a read aloud, however, due to many small illustrations this book would be also be good if read in a small group.

The story is a picture book because it uses both words and illustrations to tell the story (Lynch-Brown and Tomlinson, 91). The text and illustrations occur in an equal amount (Lynch-Brown and Tomlinson, 91). All of the characters are mice yet they behave very similar to humans. Many of the illustrations are detailed but can be seen from a distance if it were used for a read aloud. This story is a great example of a picture because it meets many of the qualifications for picture books. I also selected this book because of its well-known author.

Henkes is well known for many of his books including Chrysanthemum, Owen, Sheila Rae, the Brave, Julius, the baby of the World, Kitten’s First Full Moon and many more. All of these books teach meaningful life lessons that are relevant to young children’s lives. Lynch-Brown and Tomlinson also note Kevin Henkes as a Notable Author and Illustrator of Pictures Books in the Essentials of Children’s Literature. Henkes engages his readers in each of his books. Henkes is a talented author and illustrator.

~ Written by Susan

God Bless the Child, reviewed by Bethany

2009-06-12T16:19:00.002-04:00

Holiday, Billie and Arthur Herzog Jr. God Bless the Child. New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 2004. 32 pages. $16.99 ISBN 0060287977

Three-time Caldecott Honor Award winning illustrator Jerry Pinkney tells a picture story presented in blues queen Billie Holiday’s famous song God Bless the Child. Some of his most famous books include illustrations for John Henry, The Talking Eggs, and Mirandy and Brother Wind. Please visit this website for more information about Jerry Pinkney and his books: http://www.jerrypinkneystudio.com/frameset.html.

Through Pinkney’s illustrations, and by listening to the CD of Billie Holiday’s soulful singing, travel back to the 1900s, when Southern African American sharecroppers decided to move north to big industrialized cities like Chicago and New York in hopes of a more prosperous life. Life in the big city was not always everything the people had dreamed for. Poverty followed many African Americans, however their strong musical tradition and hope followed them as well. The book ends positively, in a classroom filled with young students, showing free public education as the way out of poverty for strong African American children willing to push for culturally responsive education. The push continues today, making this a relevant book for today’s students.

This recent (2004) piece of African-American multicultural literature explores an African American viewpoint regarding the Great Migration from 1900-1950s. Jerry Pinkney is an African American illustrator who illustrates many books showing African American empowerment throughout history, and social commentary. In his “Artist’s Note” he explains the many hours of research he did before even beginning to illustrate the book. He collected many vintage photographs of people of African descent, and continues to work on documenting the African American experience over the last one hundred fifty years. His research lends authenticity to his illustrations. This African American viewpoint and history is represented powerfully in this picture book format as it makes the subject accessible to younger readers.

The use of watercolor in the illustrations provides the ability to create shadows and numerous facial expressions to further explain the text of the song. Clothing in the book accurately represents the era, and diversity in socio-economic status as well as careers, and country versus city life among African Americans is also accurate. These illustrations are equally vital as the actual text itself in creating meaning for the story, and go beyond the meaning represented by the text alone. Because the illustrations are critical to the book’s meaning and do not merely decorate the text, it is classified as a picture book.

Men and women are shown working equally hard although there is accurate representation of the gender stereotyping (in terms of jobs--I.e. sewing for women, heavy lifting for men) that occurred during this era. This would be something worth pointing out to students--the difference between today’s gender roles and 1900 gender roles. Students (and adults) will be interested in this book because of the historical relevance and truth represented in the illustrations as well as in Billie Holiday’s soul singing. It would be a great book to read/sing aloud to third through sixth grade, and it could be read independently by fourth grade and up. Teachers would need to lead students in analyzing, and probing deeper into the meaning of the lyrics. The way The Great Migration is presented through a standard African American generated blues piece and Pinkney’s illustrations provides an effective message of African American empowerment.

~Written by Bethany

Freedom Child of the Sea, reviewed by Gayvelle

2009-06-12T16:14:00.002-04:00

Keens-Douglas, Richardo. Freedom Child of the Sea. Illustrated by Julia Gukova. New York: Annick Press, 1995. [24 pages]. $24.93 ISBN 1-55037-373-0

Freedom Child of the Sea is a picture storybook written by Richardo Keens-Douglas and illustrated by Julia Gukova. Richardo Keens-Douglas is an actor, writer and storyteller. He has authored several books such as the Nutmeg Princess and Mama God, Papa God: A Caribbean tale. He is a native of Grenada so most of his works have Caribbean leanings. Freedom Child of the Seas deals with the heavy theme of human trafficking or slavery by which thousands of people where ‘cargoed’ to the ‘new world’. It does this by using the traditional storytelling line “Once upon a time, a very long time ago” to open a conversation between an old man a young boy on a beach that launches the story of the slave trade.

Freedom Child of the Sea is suitable for older readers such as those 5- 10 years. The book is unique in that it introduces the history of the slave trade in a simple yet effective way by describing the historical setting without the details of names and places. This makes it a great way to introduce the topic to the desired age group.

The book is written from the first person perspective. In the book the boy is saved from drowning by the “Freedom Child of the Sea" a mythical creature. After reaching back to the shore safely, the boy tells an old man of his incident. The old man retorts that it was the Freedom Child who saved him. He then begins to recount the ancestral story of about how humans in Africa were captured, sold and transported across the seas in packed ships to come to the ‘new world’. One of the cargos on board these ships was the Freedom Child’s pregnant mother. The arduous journey weakened her and as she became weaker she was thrown overboard. On hitting the water she gave birth to the Freedom Child and they both sank to the bottom of the sea. The Freedom Child lived on as a scarred ‘welted’ remembrance of the cruelty and oppression of humans against humans.

This book is a nicely woven story which skillfully combines a sea tale of a mythical sea creature, reminiscent of a mermaid tale with the historical recounting of the slave trade. It is a type of historical fiction where the entire setting for the story is not placed within the historical context. Instead a historical occurrence is used to explain the reason for a present day phenomenon.
The plot is interesting, but not complex and this will keep the listener alert and allow them to be able to follow the story. There are just three characters which make the story easy to remember and to follow. Through the conversation between the old man and the narrator the mystery of the Freedom Child of the Seas as a reminder of the cruelty of humans to each other is made known. Yet the Freedom Child also represents hope because at the end of the story he will no longer be forced to live in the sea.

The story is enhanced through the use of descriptive and figurative language which helps elucidate the story. For example, teeth as white as sea shells “The wind that first day blew with a roar that had never been heard before in the beautiful land. It carried the sounds of fear, pain, tears and broken hearts out to sea.

This clearly and beautifully told story is depicted using dark colors which fit the sadness so inherent in slavery. The artwork on many of the pages is primitive and has several layers which may only become apparent on a second look. In one page a face of a woman peers outs subtly from the blue sea. The illustrator cleverly lightens the colors at the end of the story to signify hope.

Freedom Child of the Sea can be used to as a supplementary text for lessons on the slave trade. For example, for an art lesson students can view the different pages to point out hidden images and practice how they can duplicate that style. Also, passages from the book can be made into simple skits to allow children to develop a greater understanding of the slave trade.
This book can be used creatively in many instances to build upon a topic or as a starting point for teachings on how African- Americans came to be in the ‘new world’.

~ Written by Gayvelle

The Rough-Face Girl, reviewed by Karen

2009-06-12T16:10:00.002-04:00

Martin, Rafe. The Rough-Face Girl. New York: Putnam Juvenile, 1998. Print
ISBN: 0698116267 Amazon Price New: $6.99 Pages: 32

Many cultures from around the world have told their version of the Cinderella story: A girl who goes from poverty to royalty simply by being herself and overcoming the obstacles in her way. The Rough-Face Girl, a beautifully crafted picture book by Rafe Martin and David Shannon shares that same story through the eyes of the Native American tradition using both extraordinary illustrations and masterful writing. An Algonquin girl, raised in a poor family, triumphs over her two tormenting sisters and finds love where no one else can.

At the edge of the village lives the Invisible Being, and it is said that whoever the woman is that can truly see him, he will take her as his wife. The Rough-face girl, who received her name because she was horribly burned by the fires she was forced to tend, wished very much to go to the Invisible Being. However, her sisters laughed and ridiculed that an ugly girl like her would never be his wife. Both sisters, dressed in the finest clothes their father could buy, attempted to see the Invisible Being, but failed. When the Rough-face girl has her turn, she is able to see him clearly all around her, and so she became his wife.

This story is has many parallels to the more ‘classic’ Cinderella story, and Martin makes these parallels clear for readers to draws. Two awful sisters, a mistreated young damsel and a handsome prince to marry are among the more obvious connections. Some may insist that this multicultural version of Cinderella is too similar, but from the viewpoint of a culturally responsive teacher, it is story that is worth sharing. ALL students in the classroom thrive on seeing themselves in literature, and the white, Eurocentric representation does not do that. This story shows that each culture, whether it is European, South American or Native American, values the true of heart over the vain and haughty. It is a universal message that is passed down from generation to generation, because we want our students and children to recognize that lesson in the story.

Along with the enchanting storyline, David Shannon has accentuated this tale with breath-taking illustrations. The narrative itself is written as if were being spoken, or passed down from an older generation by word of mouth. The illustrations have a similar legend -like quality, almost as if we were looking into someone’s dream from long ago. Martin and Shannon’s styles of writing and art work together to create an amazing mythical experience. As an artist, Shannon creates an authentic rendition of an Algonquin village, using earth tones and other dark hues to give the pictures a natural feel. His lines are not always clean. Sometimes they are frayed to create a calming and mystical sense. However, his depiction of the people in the book is very precise artistically and accurate historically. He captures nature in a way that some can only see through a photograph while still maintaining the dream-like quality of the tale.

From a multicultural perspective, the only addition that would make this book even better would be the use of some Algonquin language. This would create an even more authentic story, and it could be used to further students’ knowledge in the Native American traditions and language.

References
Horning, Kathleen. From Cover to Cover: Evaluating and Reviewing Children's Books. New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 1997. Print.

~Written by Karen

Flotsam, reviewed by Candace

2009-06-12T16:07:00.002-04:00

Wiesner, David. Flotsam (Caldecott Medal Book). New York: Clarion Books, 2006. 40 pages. Tr. $17.00 ISBN-10: 0618194576

Best-selling author and illustrator David Wiesner recently made history as he became the second person to win the prestigious Caldecott Medal three times for his books Tuesday, 1992; The Three Pigs, 2002 and Flotsam, 2007. Among these award winning stories, Flotsam has gained popularity and recognition as a unique, wordless picture book. Wiesner’s meticulously detailed watercolors depict an imaginative journey of one child’s extraordinary day at Long Beach Island. The adventure begins when an inquisitive young boy discoverers an underwater camera washed up onto shore. When the curious boy eagerly develops the camera’s film- he discovers images of zany marine life and a photographic timeline of children around the world from various racial and ethnic backgrounds who discovered the flotsam before him. Once the boy closely examines these photographs, he discovers that the camera has been traveling the seas for several generations because many of the photos are in black and white and the style of dress becomes more modern with each new picture. It seems as if the camera has survived temperatures in various climates as some of the children are wearing wool sweaters while others wear bathing suits. Wanting to continue the camera’s magical legacy, the young boy takes a photo of himself and then sets it off to sea for another whimsical expedition. On the last page of the book, readers discover the flotsam has traveled around the world to a serene tropical land, where a young girl extends her hands to begin the cyclical adventure all over again.

Flotsam is an exquisite and pioneering book because it allows children to narrate a story in conjunction to Wiesner’s illustrations. Children of all ages will conquer Wiesner’s challenge to stretch their imaginations as they flip through the book’s magical pages. Flotsam is guaranteed to open young readers’ minds to new ideas and experiences as they discover “a picture is worth 1,000 words”.

~Written by Candace

The Man Who Walked Between the Towers, reviewed by Denise

2009-06-12T16:04:00.002-04:00

Gerstein, Mordicai. The Man Who Walked Between the Towers. Scholastic, Inc: 2003. 39 pages. Tr. $17.95 ISBN 0-7613-1791-0

The sight of the World Trade Center Towers evokes many images of the September 11th attacks in most Americans, but to others, it translates to an unbelievable feat of talent and fearlessness. Mordicai Gerstein’s The Man Who Walked Between the Towers details this historic event in a thirty-nine page picture book. This book fits the picture book genre because it pairs both illustrations and text to tell a story. This Caldecott award- winning book tells the tale of Philippe Petit, world-renowned tightrope artist, and his successful walk between the World Trade Center Towers in 1974. The 2008 documentary, “Man on Wire”, also chronicles this same historical event and could be used for additional research on the topic. With the release of this new documentary, this book is bound to become more popular amongst children who do not know the tale of Philippe Petit yet.

The book begins in storybook fashion with “Once there were two towers…” and the main character, a street performer named Philippe, inspired by their beauty. Petit is portrayed as a mischievous and carefree man who sets his mind to walk between the two towers before they are fully constructed. The exact reason why Petit wanted to attempt this risky balancing act is not fully explained in the text, but does quote him as saying “when I see three balls, I must juggle, when I see two towers, I must walk”. This daredevil act is explained through each of its stages, including the set-up and transportation of a 440lb reel of cable to the top of the buildings. Gerstein includes the many setbacks the Petit had to overcome in this picture book, and the reader rejoices as Philippe steps out onto the wire above the bustling city of New York.

Gerstein is by no means “new” to the picture book scene. He has written well over thirty picture books and illustrated over fifty. His unique talent for creating a world within his illustrations becomes apparent in this particular book. The illustrations pair with the text exquisitely, creating a rich scene of history right before the reader’s eyes. His pen and ink drawings bring the story of Petit’s walk to life, especially within the two fold-out pages, which offer two different perspectives of the same scene. Using mostly cool hues, Gerstein’s cartoon-type sketches further the lighthearted and mischievous mood that is innate to Petit. Gerstein depicts images of Petit on the ground, bringing the cable up to the top, and on the tightrope. The small details help Gerstein truly breathe life into the illustrations in this book, one such example is the scen when Petit is arrested following his tightrope walk and is shown balancing the police officer’s hat on his nose while the police officer looks quite confused.

Although the book does not go into minute details about Petit’s plan and capture by the New York City police force, the reader is left in awe at what he accomplished and questions what will happen to him after being arrested. The story finishes with a touching tribute to the World Trade Center Towers, mentioning that while they may be gone forever, the memory of the man on the wire between them will always remain. By reading this book, children who only recall the tragic September 11th attacks at the World Trade Center Towers will see that in different times, the WTC Towers were a symbol of greatness and beauty.

~Written by Denise

Abuela, reviewed by Maria

2009-06-12T15:57:00.003-04:00

Abuela,Arthur Dorros and illustrated by Elisa Kleven.
NY: Dutton, 1991
List Price: $7.99

Abuela is a children’s picture book that is told through the imagination of Rosalba, a young imaginative girl growing up in NYC. Rosalba spends lots of time with her abuela, Grandma in Spanish, and begins to wonder what it would be like if the two of them were able to fly. Both the pictures and text in this story take the reader on a journey over the New York City streets.
Throughout the story Dorros takes his experience of living in a South American country and applies it to Rosalba’s and Abuelas journey. For every stop they make on their flight, Dorros discuss some important aspect of Abuelas life, reflecting her Hispanic culture. Dorros does this by introducing the reader to pictures of her cousins and even her sister, whom they stop to have lemonade with.

Abuela is the perfect text to use with younger students. The text on each page, or entire length, for that matter is not too long; Dorros does an excellent job of telling a compelling story in a few sentences. His story is unique because of the combination of English and Spanish words that reflect the illustrations. Dorros builds this pattern of Spanish and English using Spanish vocabulary words, and immediately identifying them with the English meaning throughout each page. The meaning of these Spanish words is also illustrated on the pictures of each page in Abuela.

Dorros uses the pictures and Rosalba to keep young readers intrigued. Rosalba is constantly asking what if questions”, that most young readers will try to answer before turning the page. The illustrations in this book are phenomenal. There are all kinds of shapes, fabrics, and patterns illustrated on each page that reflect the content of the story. This would be a great book to use to embrace the culture of the Hispanics in the classroom. I am sure if this was used as an opening activity for all students, Hispanic or not, they would be able to share stories of their own journeys with someone special in their life, like Abuela. The colors used in the pictures reflect those of the Hispanic culture as well; they are very bright and bold colors (I believe this was intentional on Dorros part). If using this book in an actual Spanish class, one might discuss the importance of certain colors and how they pertain to individual cultures. The illustrations in this book are so good, one might consider only showing the pictures and having the students create the story themselves, as their own personal journey with someone special in their life; later linking it back to the story of Abuela.

Abuela is loaded with great pictures that could tell the story of Abuela and Rosalbas journey without the text. Abuela is a well written and phenomenally illustrated picture book that has been shared with students and families for over fifteen years! Once you’ve read and fallen in love with Abuela, take the trip to Tonight is Carnaval; another of Dorros well written and illustrated pieces.\

~ Written by Maria

Harlem, reviewed by Ajajielle

2009-06-04T12:42:00.002-04:00

Myers, W.D. (1997). Harlem. Ill by Christopher Meyers. New York: Scholastic Press. ISBN 13: 9780590543408, 32 pages. $16.95.

Multi-award winning author, Walter Dean Myers teams up with his artistic son Christopher to highlight one of New York City’s most distinct neighborhoods, Harlem. In a poetic picture book filled with lyrical words and stunning visuals, the Meyers take readers of all ages through the Harlem landscape using historical, cultural, and social references in an attempt to bring new meaning and insight about the people of Harlem and their everyday life. With echoes to the Great Migration, Myers opens the text with the following words:

They took to the road in Waycross, George
Skipped over the tracks in East St. Louis
Took the bus from Holly Springs
Hitched a ride from Gee’s Bend
Took the long way through Memphis
The third deck down from Trinidad
A wrench of heart from Goree Island
A wrench of heart from Goree Island
To a place called Harlem (p.3)

The themes of journey and movement are present in the above passage. Readers can envision a body of people using various means and paths to get to a new destination which some may have envisioned as a new Promise Land. And it is the idea of a promise land which Meyers later confirms in the text when he writes, “Harlem was a promise/Of a better life, of a place where a man didn’t/Have to know his place/Simply because he was Black” (p.7). These powerful and moving words evoke notions of the blues in their tone and meaning. The Blues dynamic, which is simultaneously melancholy and hopeful, resonate throughout the text.

As readers continue their journey through the text, they encounter the song and dances of Harlem. Illustrator, Christopher Myers shows the people of Harlem in their myriad brown shades and café au lait hues, talking, and sharing with one another in a variety of social interactions. Christopher’s powerful artistry is seen with the rich colors he uses to accentuate the communal vibrancy of Black life. Specifically, there are harmonious church-goers dressed in patterned outfits of yellow, orange, and beige, joined in worship with a celebratory preacher, with his arms lifted in joyful praise, wearing somber suit of black. There are hand-holding lovers riding the A train together. The complementary symmetry of the couple is apparent in both their composition form and color gradation. The closeness of their relationship is symbolically represented by the physical connection of their hands. Christopher continues with showing friends hanging out on the street corner together, while a funeral procession is taking place amid all the various neighborhood happenings.

The overall message of both Myers, Christopher in illustration and Walter Dean through the text is that there is richness and cultural legacy to Harlem which is open to all people and should be explored. I recommend this text for children of all ages. There are a variety of additional resources (music, film, and internet websites) that could be consulted and activities done in the classroom to complement the text. On a multicultural level, this book moves away from the “stereotypical representation” of Harlem as a place of poverty and violence (Lynch-Brown, 2007, p. 217; the Council on Interracial Books for Children, nd). Instead, there is an “accuracy of cultural details in the text and illustrations” (Lynch-Brown & Tomlinson, 2007, p. 216). In closing, readers see the African Americans living in the Harlem community as diverse people living their daily lives with strong ties to one another in New York City.

References
The Council on Interracial Books for Children. (nd). 10 Quick Ways to Analyze Children’s Books
for Racism and Sexism . Retrieved June 4, 2009, from Website:
http://www.birchlane.davis.ca.us/library/10quick.htm

Lynch-Brown, C., & Tomlinson, C.M. (2007). Essentials of children literature’s (6th ed.).
Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

~Written by Ajajielle

Aunt Harriet's Underground Railroad in the Sky, reviewed by Susan

2009-06-04T12:32:00.001-04:00

Ringgold, Faith. Aunt Harriet's Underground Railroad in the Sky. New York, New York: Dragonfly Books, 1995.

Faith Ringgold is an inspiration author. She takes historical events that African American have dealt with and puts it in format that is easy for young readers to understand. She is sensitive to young readers who might be reading about these events for the first time but doesn’t deter from the truth. This book addresses the serious issues of slavery but encourages the reader by noting the success of the Underground Railroad and Harriet Tubman. She has an over-arching theme of hope and dreams. She reminds the young children in the story, Cassie and Louise that their ancestors paved the way for their freedom. She provides an accurate depiction of what African Americans faced before the Civil War.

African American men and women did not have the same rights and freedoms in the United States of America as white men did. African Americans were held and used as slaves throughout the south. Harriet Tubman helped slaves escape by sneaking them out in the middle of the night and assisting them to Canada. Throughout the book, Ringgold adds pieces of historical information about the events that happened throughout this period of time. At the end of the book, Ringgold adds two pages of detailed information about Harriet Tubman’s life. She also suggests additional books for research on the same or similar topics.

This book is a multicultural picture book. It is multicultural because it addresses issues of race, prejudices, and freedom. It gives the perspective from an African American woman who experienced oppression prior to the Civil War, providing an accurate depiction of the cultural experience (Lynch-Brown and Tomlinson, 216). It is a picture book because the words and illustrations contribute to the story’s meaning. The ideas are original and the storyline is easy to follow (Lynch-Brown and Tomlinson, 91). Young readers would enjoy reading this book, as the illustrations are fascinating, the message is important and two of the main characters are children.

The main character, Cassie’s is separated from her little brother Be Be when he decides to get on a train in the sky. Aunt Harriet reassures Cassie that during slavery she carried hundred of men, women and children to freedom and that she never lost a passenger. They travel through history and learn about the lack of freedom and rights her antecessors had. The artwork and words are easy to understand and are perfect for a young audience. Aunt Harriet is depicted as a hero, a caretaker, a friend and simply promises Cassie that she will return her brother to her.
Ringgold’s great, great, grandmother was born into slavery. Ringgold is saddened that she did not experience the same freedom and is appreciative of the sufferings she experience so that she could experience freedom. This book is an attempt to thank her great, great grandmother, to remember events in her life and to share her story with others.

Ringgold’s art is extremely unique. She is a quilter and many of her stories are done in this media. She is well known for her story quilts, which are handmade quilts that she sews, paints and writes on. Many find her artwork inspiring and unlike most picture books. For instance, Aunt Harriet is featured in a red and white pinstripe dress with a red apron and a train conductor’s hat. This helps the reader to realize that she is in charge and directing slaves on the Underground Railroad. Readers will be intrigued by the illustrations and desire to read more of her books.

~ Written by Susan

Kamishibai Man, reviewed by Bethany

2009-06-04T12:27:00.002-04:00

Say, Allen. Kamishibai Man. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2005. 32 pages. $17.00 ISBN 0-618-47954-6

Storytelling is central to many people around the world. Caldecott Honor Award and Boston Globe-Horn Book Award winning author and illustrator Allen Say explores storytelling in late 1920s to 1950s Japan. Some of his more well-known books include: The Boy of the Three-Year Nap, and Grandfather’s Journey.

Jiichan, or Grandpa does not have any children of his own, yet he has the many children he tells stories to. He is the kamishibai man who tells his stories using a “paper theater” (kamishibai), or picture cards that slide from end to end of the portable box stage. Each storytelling ends with a cliffhanger, so that children will come back for more stories and candy. As an older man, Jiichan has long since given up telling stories, but he reminisces and decides to go back out and try telling stories to the town’s children. Only, it isn’t a town anymore--it is a city. He remembers specific children who came to hear his stories, especially one little boy who never has any money. He then remembers how televisions took away kamishibai business, and the appreciation for hand-painted pictures. This book explores the universal themes of older traditions meeting present traditions, as well as today’s fast-paced society driven by consumerism and technology. Perhaps surprisingly, in the end, people still come to listen to stories at the sound of his clappers, only they are adults: his children have grown up.

This recent (2005) piece of Asian-American global literature explores an authentic Japanese tradition. Allen Say writes the book based on his childhood experiences growing up in Japan, and after doing more research in addition to his memories. Because the book is written about another country (other than the U.S.) by an immigrant from this country, this book best fits the definition of global literature.

Allen Say is a renowned illustrator. Illustrations are extremely detailed, realistic as he portrays people and objects as they truly look. Illustrations are also authentic, accurately portraying the many facets of Japanese everyday life—the modern existing alongside the traditional. The illustrator painted the pictures with great attention to detail and line, as well as sizing. For example, on page ten, when the grandfather pulls into an empty lot where an old noodle shop used to be, the grandfather is shown small against the looming dark background of the concrete wall, where construction cones further the image of change and loneliness. He appears small and lonely against this fast-paced, quickly changing world. Scenes show both country and city images, showing the past and present coexisting yet again.

Students (and adults) will be interested in this book because of the universal themes, and some may be interested to know that comic books and anime grew out of the kamishibai tradition. The character versus society conflict existing between an old man’s traditions and today’s society will pique the reader’s interest. It would be a great book to read aloud to kindergarten through third grade, and it could be read independently by fourth grade and up.

~Written by Bethany

Cry-baby Moon, reviewed by Gayvelle

2009-06-04T12:21:00.002-04:00

Mataira, Katerina & Terewai, Kemp. Cry-Baby Moon. Illustrated by Hone Ihi-o-te-rangi Ngata. Mallinson Rendel Publishers & Ahuru Publishers, 1992. 25 pages. ISBN 0 908606 80X

Cry-Baby Moon was authored by Katerina Mataira and Terewai Kemp and illustrated by Hone Ihi-o-te-rangi Ngata.It was published in 1992 by Mallinson Rendel Publishers & Ahuru Publishers.

Cry-Baby Moon is a picture book which depicts a story of the Moon who is noticed crying because she could not see her reflection in the sea. In attempts to see her reflection in the sea, the Moon changes color from white to yellow, then her size and shape and then dazzled with brightness. However, after having made so many changes the Moon still could not see her reflection. She later learnt that the fault was not with her, but with the sea whose waves were too rough. In the end she was able to see her reflection after asking the spirit of the sea to calm the waves. Favorably, the reader also learnt about other weather elements such as clouds, rain, thunder, lightning and rainbow.

This book fits into the domain of international children’s literature. Several factors which put this book in the international arena are that while it is written in English, it was published outside of the United States and it also exposes a folktale of the Maori culture. The authors are qualified to write this type of book as they operate within the culture of the Maori and have studied them, thus bringing a level of authenticity to the to the text. While the story is a folktale from another culture it still has characters in the story that children all over the world can picture and the story is one to which children can relate. However, there is one weakness in that there is some gender stereotyping. In the story, Moon, who is a girl, is continuously depicted as a person crying. This depiction continues to entrench the stereotype that girls are weak and cry easily.
The authors and illustrators use personification to bring the Moon to life for the reader. For example, in the story the Moon cries. For the other weather elements, action words were used to demonstrate how the particular element functions. So for example, the clouds were ‘fluffing’, the rain ‘drizzling’ and the rainbow ‘arched’. The illustrator depicts these elements often with human features.

~Written by Gayvelle

Grandfather’s Journey, reviewed by Claire

2009-06-04T12:13:00.002-04:00

Say, Allen. Grandfather's Journey. Boston: Houghton-Mifflin, 1993. 32p. ISBN: 0758700504 (hc). $16.95.

Grandfather’s Journey, a Caldecott Medal Book by the acclaimed author and illustrator Allen Say, describes the multicultural experiences of a Japanese American family. The story is based on the lives of the author and his grandfather. This book should appeal to a broad age range, including young children, teens and adults. Because the age of the main characters in the book are young adults during most of the book, the story line is realistic, and the pictures are of artistically created paintings.

The narrator begins the story by describing his grandfather’s experiences as a young man traveling to America, the New World. He wore European style clothing for the first time aboard the steamship that he traveled on for 3 weeks when on his way to America. In America, he explored by train, boat, and foot for what was probably a rather lengthy time of his life, all around the country visiting the seacoast, deserts, farmlands, cities, rivers, and mountains. The narrator describes how all that he saw, especially California, impressed his grandfather. The paintings on each page also reflect the awe that he must have felt as he traveled. The people he met during his travels were described as being of all different races. As a young man traveling he did not consider returning to his home in Japan.

Eventually he did return to Japan to marry, but brought his wife back to live in California. He had a daughter and as she grew he thought about his homeland’s mountains and rivers. In an attempt to help him self keep from missing Japan too much, he kept many songbirds as pets, but he still thought about his home. In time he returned to Japan and, after visiting his friends, mountains, and rivers of his childhood home, he settled in a large city because he thought the city would be better for his daughter who had grown up in the American city of San Francisco. She married and later gave birth to a boy, the narrator. As a young boy, his grandfather told him many stories about California.

The boy’s grandfather was unable to forget California’s mountains and rivers. He planned to return to America, but could not because war broke out. His home and city were destroyed by the war so he returned to his home village, but no longer raised any pet songbirds. He continued to plan to return to see California in America again, but never did.

Although the narrator’s grandfather never was able to return to America, the narrator decided to see it for himself. He began to love the land just as his grandfather had and began raising a family in America. The end of the book describes the narrator’s current feelings and experiences; just like his grandfather had, he misses his friends, mountains, and rivers of Japan, but he is able to visit Japan from America. Apparently, because he loves both America and Japan, he finds himself missing one country whenever he is in the other. He understands how his grandfather felt and misses him too.

This story is a wonderful multicultural story about moving from one country to another, but continuing to love both of them. This message could be very helpful to immigrant students who find themselves missing their home countries. It could also be helpful to students who have just moved from one place to another within one country. Although the grandfather loved the country he was in at any one time in the story, he could not forget the other; perhaps a message is that he should not have tried to forget. Additionally, everyone may enjoy and benefit from reading and learning about the experiences of the characters in this story. Besides the multicultural experiences of moving from one country to another, many readers may gain greater appreciation for Japan and America through the descriptions and paintings in the book. Also, the side story of how war affected the characters’ lives may provide some historical as well as cultural insight. The descriptions and paintings of America and Japan at the turn of the century may inspire historical and cultural appreciation. It is also a story about family interaction, the influence that sharing experiences between one generation and another may have. This book is phenomenal and highly recommended.

~ Written by Claire

Madlenka, reviewed by Karen

2009-06-04T11:21:00.003-04:00

Sis, Peter. Madlenka. New York: Frances Foster Books, 2000. Print.

Celebrated author Peter Sis was born in Brno, Czechoslovakia during times of Communist rule, and found it to be a continuous struggle against government censorship to write and publish his work. Despite these hardships, he has written many books including The Tree of Life, Tibet Through the Red Box and The Three Golden Keys, and has won numerous awards for his film work. His tale of Madlenka adds to his already esteemed collection of children’s literature by bringing the magnificent culture of one of the world’s most diverse cities into the hands of his young readers.

The story of Madlenka is about a spirited young girl who lives in New York City. When she find out her tooth is loose, she immediately grabs her raingear and hits the streets to find everyone she knows to tell them about it. Skipping along, she meets many friends who have settled in New York after emigrating from other places in the world. Mr. Gaston from France, Mr. Singh from India, Mr. Ciao from Italy, all must be told of the loose tooth! Once everyone has been told, including her best friend Cleopatra, Madlenka returns home late. When her parents inquire where she has been, she realizes that her day’s journey took her all around the world.

This multicultural book that Peter Sis has created is a dynamic and intriguing book for young readers to explore new cultures. The cut-out shapes and the spiraling text makes for quite an experience from a reader’s viewpoint. As Madlenka visits each person and dreams of their homeland, the readers are flooded with images and words of that culture, sparking interest and discussion. In France, we see the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame and delicious French pastries. In Asia, we see lucky dragons, rice and black tea. Also important to our experience is hearing “Hello” in each language, drawing us in to each culture.

A very interesting and unique aspect of Madlenka is the illustrations. Sis acted as the illustrator as well as the author for this book. Sis uses many different artistic elements to create a multi-faceted piece of literature. The first element to be noted is the changes in value between the “real” world and Madlenka’s imagination. Sis uses much darker and more faded hues of color when illustrating the city streets of New York to not only portray the rainy day, but to help accentuate the liveliness and excitement of Madlenka’s mind. Sis also uses dominance and value contrast to help the reader follow Madlenka through the city and through her daydreams. In the story, each time Madlenka moves to a different place on the block the store is given a bright color to make it stand out from the black and white image around it. Sis also uses this technique on Madlenka herself. As her imagination drifts off to Germany or Asia, we can always find her with her bright pink outfit and her yellow umbrella. As part of Madlenka’s monologue, she often explains different aspects of each culture to the reader using words and pictures. Sis cleverly created these pictures as if a child drew them, adding even more appeal to this unique design concept.

The illustrations themselves could easily be a starting point for a discussion of a particular culture, especially for young children who have little experience with cultures beyond their own. I would however use caution when discussing the characters that Madlenka encounters. Unfortunately, most of the characters tend to fit a stereotypical role. The Asian woman owns an Asian pawn shop, the Indian man works in a general store and Italian man sells Italian ice from an ice cream truck. The only person in the book who is not working is a white European woman from Germany. This could lead to the misinterpretation that these job roles are filled only by people with non-European descent, which is clearly not the case in the real world.

Another small bit to be noted is that Madlenka does leave completely on her own to wander the city and find her friends. This is something that should be brought to light with students. They should be reminded that they should never go anywhere without a grownup or telling a grownup where they will be.

~ Written by Karen

The Moon Lady, reviewed by Candace

2009-06-04T11:16:00.002-04:00

Tan, Amy. The Moon Lady. Aladdin Paperbacks: New York, 1992. Illustrated by Gretchen Schields.

In The Moon Lady, author Amy Tan cleverly adapts her best-selling adult novel The Joy Luck Club into a work of realistic-fiction based on Chinese legend of The Lady in The Moon. Similar to the novel, the book portrays an Asian-American woman who wants to instill traditional Chinese culture and values to the younger generations of her family. As an Asian-American woman who was born and raised in the United States by her Chinese immigrant parents, Tan appreciates the significance of fostering Chinese traditions in Asian-American homes.

This book is appropriate for readers in the upper elementary grades who are interested in learning about Chinese culture as The Moon Lady specifically details the customs and traditions which occur each year on the night of the Moon Festival in China. According to the Chinese legend The Lady in the Moon, on the night of the Moon Festival, the Moon Lady grants the secret wishes of those who ask. However, when a wish is spoken to anyone other than the Moon Lady, it is considered selfish. It would be interesting to discuss such principles with young children in American classrooms to discover how beliefs differ between countries, and even households.

The Moon Lady is set on a rainy afternoon in which sisters Maggie, Lily, and June declare three selfish wishes to their Nai-Nai, or grandmother, Ying-Ying. In hopes to teach her granddaughters a valuable lesson, Ying-Ying tells them a tale about the selfish and secret wishes she made as a young girl in China on the night of the Moon Festival. Ying-Ying explains how selfish wishes caused her to embark on a whimsical adventure which turned into a haunting anecdote when she was separated from her family. In the end, Ying-Ying discovered that the best wishes were “those I could make true myself.” Tan is able to tell the sophisticatedly multifaceted story of The Moon Lady to young children in a comprehensible manner through Ying-Ying’s focused lens . Although the moral of the story is one that encourages children to take more responsibility for their actions, there is also a strong underlying theme about the importance of multigenerational storytelling which may encourage young readers to ask their parents and grandparents about their family’s unique history and culture.

Children will be in awe over Gretchen Schields’s meticulously crafted, phantasmagoric, and authentic illustrations of Chinese baroque in the early 20th century. Each illustration’s stimulating oblique lines and precise balance of warm and cool hues make this dramatic story come alive with each flip of the page. Due to the graphic nature of illustrations of nightmarish scenes such as when the character Ying-Ying smears eel blood all over her hands, face, and clothing- this book is not appropriate for children in the primary grades. The climactic sequence of the story includes a series of illustrations that may disturb young readers; the book should not be read to children under the age of 8 without caution.

~ Written by Candace

Carly, reviewed by Denise

2009-06-04T10:42:00.007-04:00

Fuchshuber, Annegert. (1997). Carly. The Feminist Press: New York. Illustrated by Annegert Fuchshuber.

With its poignant message and impressive illustrations, Carly by Annegert Fuchshuber is a must-have in any teacher’s picture book library. This international text, meaning that it was not originally published in the United States, is one that students can use as a shared reading experience with children from other parts of the world. Originally written in German and translated in English for this publication, this text conveys a social message of acceptance that students can apply, regardless of their grade or age.

The book begins with Carly running away from a flame-engulfed home, feeling hungry and tired. She wanders through many different groups of people, including Stone-eaters, smokey crows, and greedy-managers, all of which refuse to give her a place to rest or food to eat. Most of the animals refuse to include Carly in their groups because she does not look or act like them. For example, the smokey crows invite her into an empty nest with a fresh dead mouse to eat, but Carly cannot fly to reach the nest and would rather go without eating a mouse for dinner. With this complication to the plot, Fuchshuber brings up the issues of looking and acting like a group of peers in order to fit in and feel included. Carly repeats the phrase, “They don’t like me because I’m strange and different from them” numerous times throughout the text, showing readers that she feels like an outcast due to her appearance and characteristics. Not fitting in is certainly a message many school age children could relate to and sympathize with Carly about.
Accompanying this beautifully crafted story is a vivid array of surrealistic illustrations by Fuchshuber as well. She uses unconventional angles and bright hues, mainly primary colors, to complement the plot of the story where appropriate. The most impressive illustrated pages are the two wordless two-page spreads of frightening scenes that Carly finds herself in. One appears to be similar to a haunted forest and the other is a close representation of the streets of New York City. Without words, these pages clearly show Carly struggling to find her place in the world and evoke emotions of the readers.

In the end, Carly stumbles upon a strange looking man and his even stranger looking house in a tree. He offers her a place to rest and sleep and Carly is intrigued by this generous man and decides being strange may be a great thing to aspire to if it means helping others in need.
Fuchshuber is not new to the children’s book genre and has published many highly acclaimed picture books in both German and English. One of her other well-known books is Giant Story/Mouse Tale: A Half Picture Book, where the story is literally flipped upside down in order to tell the tale of a shy giant and a fearless mouse who ultimately befriend each other. Another well-known Fuchshuber book is Cuckoo Clock Cuckoo, about a cuckoo clock bird that escapes the clock, only to find he cannot easily return to his cuckoo clock home. Perhaps due to the international publication process, these books are not easily found on local bookstore shelves, however, any experience with a book by Fuchshuber is worth the journey to seek it out.

~ Written by Denise

The boy on Fairfield Street: How Ted Geisel grew up to become Dr. Seuss, reviewed by Mary

2009-05-08T19:37:00.002-04:00

Krull, K. (2004). The boy on Fairfield Street: How Ted Geisel grew up to become Dr. Seuss. Ill by Steven Johnson and Lou Francher. New York::Random House. ISBN 0375822984

In this book, Kathleen Krill informs us of the first 22 years of Ted Geisel in Springfield, Massachusetts. This is a picture book biography of Dr. Seuss. This is written for young children that want to know about his life. This biography includes his accomplishments as well as his mishaps. He had a lifelong love of animals, he was very shy and he always wanted justice and fair play. As a kid he preferred drawing crazy animals to studying. His drawings were cartoons and were whatever popped into his head. He loved to doodle and was admired for his talent for silliness. He was considered different because of his unusual drawings and ideas. He expressed his ideas through his art. He enjoyed reading and drawing. No one understood him because he was often a daydreaming boy who had many quirks. This story is magical because it is about validation of childhood foolishness and the importance of knowing when to break the rules.
The author Kathleen Krill does a good job of bringing Ted's childhood to life. The text is lively and makes you want to read more. Krill makes this story relatable and universal.

The illustrations are paintings, which help you, understand the story as well as the emotions Ted feels. The illustrations are similar to warm vintage snapshots. Each illustration is accompanied by one of Dr. Seuss's illustrations, which connects Geisels life to his art.

Geisel was a gifted artist for his time. This is a book that will relate to people who enjoy Dr. Seuss's books. A child who feels out of step with the rest of the class will relate the best to this story because they see the world differently. This book can be used to celebrate Dr. Seuss's birthday. This is a great way to teach about determination and how hard work perseveres.

~Written by Mary

Martin's big words the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., reviewed by Lori

2009-05-08T19:31:00.002-04:00

Rappaport, Doreen. Martin's big words the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. New York: Hyperion Books for Children, 2001.

The civil rights movement was a very important time period in the United States history. This book looks at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., an important man during that time through the words of his many speeches. The author combines her explanation of history, with Martin Luther King's inspirational words of love and acceptance. I believe the title Martin’s Big Words expands from the historical importance that his speeches had on our country. His words about accepting people for who they are, are amazingly eloquent and relevant still in today’s society. This story differs from others about his life, because it uses his actual words as part of the text.

When first looking at this book one would think it is only a biography of the person, but it expands beyond that to look at the time period that he lived in and had a large affect on. The illustrations in the book are created with watercolor paint and cut paper collage, giving them a beautiful look of originality. The story is an authentic biography, meaning the author explained the person's life exactly as it happened with no fiction added. Being an authentic biography makes this story one that could easily be incorporated into any classroom without fear of children getting false information. It could also be considered a picture book, with illustrations adding to each quote included in the story. This helps the reader to “go back in time” and live this history. It is a Caldecott Honor Book as well as a Coretta Scott King Award Honor book. I would recommend this story for children in any grade level, as the teacher could use this text as an introduction for early childhood age or a read aloud for middle high school level age as an additive text.The story does discuss Martin Luther King Jr. and the civil rights movement, but it does not introduce any new information the reader may be interested in. It is a good introduction to his life, but it would be interesting to know more. It would be easy for a student to look at this book, and say “I am inspired; I want to learn something more.”

~ Written by Lori

Do People Grow on Family Trees?, reviewed by Justine

2009-05-08T19:26:00.005-04:00

Wolfman, Ira. Do People Grow on Family Trees? New York: Workman Publishing, 1991. 179 pages. $9.95

As a country discovered relatively late relative to world history as a whole, we have earned the reputation of being a “melting pot” because of the numerous ethnic backgrounds of our citizens. For students who are interested in learning more about their family’s history, the book “Do People Grow on Family Trees?” is a good resource.

Written as the official handbook for Ellis Island, this book is a guide to researching your family’s genealogy. It provides children with the tools they need to trace the roots of their family tree as far back as they desire. While the book is recommended for children ages 4-8, younger children might not be as interested in this as much as older children will be due to the length of the text in comparison to other literature intended for this age group. The terminology and the diction of the text makes it possible for it to be understood by children as early as fourth or fifth grade, and it is clear, direct and understandable so as to make it as easy as possible for children to efficiently use this book to help their search.

While this book is a great resource for children, there are some detrimental issues within the book that need to be addressed. For instance, the book does not bring up the fact that so many families are fractured in today’s age, and that families with non-separated, non-divorced parents are no longer the norm. The assumption that the “standard” family unit is still the average is prevalent throughout this book, and it might make children outside of that classification feel stigmatized. As for adopted children, there is only one page of information relating to how adoptees can find information on their biological family tree. Teachers could introduce this book along with others such as The Family Book by Todd Parr to show the class that there are all different kinds of families and that they all deserve to be recognized.

Having said that, this book does provide a great deal of information to help students find what they want to know about their family history. It outlined resources that students might be able to get from their families that will help in their search, including birth certificates, scrapbooks, yearbooks, etc., genealogical societies that might be of assistance (the Church of the Latter-Day Saints and the Federation of Genealogical Societies are among the many included), and where they have to write to get a copy of local records from any state.

For elementary teachers, who are teaching students about the history of the United States, this book is a good resource. It would easily help them meet the social studies curriculum standards which require them to have students look into the ethnic groups in the US and view history through their eyes. It can also help any teacher who wants to teach lessons on diversity in America to their class. However, due to the lack of support for family structures outside of the traditional mold, it would not be a strong support for teachers hoping to transform the typical “Family Tree” unit.

~ Written by Justine

A Song For Cambodia, reviewed by Lindsay

2009-05-08T14:21:00.002-04:00

A Song For Cambodia. By Michelle Lord. Illustrated by Shino Arihara. New York, 2008. 32 pages. $12.71

Author Michelle Lord has created a compelling and serious global biography of a young man named Arn-Chorn Pond, who lived in Cambodia. When he was a young boy, him and his eleven brothers and sisters would dance, sing and laugh. He recalled his family taking food and donating it to the Buddhist monks. In 1975, a group of soldiers called the Khmer Rouge tore through the land destroying everything in their path. Arn and his family were used to the sounds of war, but one day they heard sounds that they weren’t familiar with. The Khmer Rouge came storming through Arn’s village capturing families and separating them into different work camps. Arn was sent to work in a rice paddy field with other children. One day, the soldiers asked for volunteers to learn to play the khim, a wooden string instrument. Only the best two players were chosen to play, and Arn was one of them. He lived in the camp for four years when South Vietnam invaded Cambodia, and instead of the soldiers fighting they sent the children to fight. Arn was very frightened so he fled into the jungle and for months he lived among nature until he fell ill with a fever and collapsed. Two girls rescued him and brought him to a refugee camp and here he stayed until a flood took over the camp. Too weak to try and survive the flood, he succumbed to the water but a volunteer from America named Revered Peter Pond fished him out of the water. Later, Arn returned to America with the Revered and he adopted him. If it wasn’t for the khim he volunteered to play, he probably never would have survived the tragedy that surrounded him.

Michelle Lord has provided the reader with a foreword and an afterword to offer some background information before reading the story and some information about how Arn became a humanitarian as an adult. The author provides an extensive list of the references she used to research the story. This book would be excellent to use across the curriculum in a social studies unit. It could be used when talking about wars and the effects of war. However, I do feel that this book is aimed for older readers, probably fourth grade and up because of the complex issues and difficult vocabulary it presents. This book would be beneficial for any group who can relate to the effects of war and the hardships it creates or to anyone who may be interested in the topic.

~ Written by Lindsay

Zathura, reviewed by Lindsay

2009-05-08T14:15:00.003-04:00

Van Allsburg, C. (2002). Zathura. New York: Houghton Mifflin

ISBN 978-0618253968, 32 pages. $18.00

Caldecott Award winning author Chris Van Allsburg has done it again. He is the author of many well-known stories including Jumanji, The Polar Express, Just A Dream, and most recently Zathura. Danny and Walter are your typical young brothers; they constantly argue and the youngest is always annoying the oldest. One night when their parents leave for the evening, the boys find themselves out in the park across the street when young Danny notices a box casually resting on a tree trunk. JUMANJI, A JUNGLE ADVENTURE, the box read. Danny was very intrigued by this game but his older brother was not impressed. That is until a meteor shower interrupted his television show. The next thing the boys know, they are living in outer space with reversed gravity belts, planets right outside the front door, defective robots, photon attacks and much more. Danny and Walter are saved by one lucky card that said they must go back in time, which threw them back in the park as if nothing had ever happened. The book ends with Danny and Walter planning to play catch in the park, the game they were originally planning to play.

The black-and-white prints that Chris Van Allsburg has created for his book set the tone for the story: creepy, dark, and ominous. The story in itself would make an excellent supplemental text in a science classroom because it discusses the topic of “outer space.” Quite a bit of vocabulary was introduced, including “polarity,” “meteor showers,” “gravity belt” and much more. I would suggest that this book be aimed for higher-level readers, probably fourth grade and up. It may be used as an interesting read-aloud in a science classroom or in a general setting, but the vocabulary must be discussed before hand. It is a piece of modern fantasy literature because the story exists outside the realm of possibility, which I think will attract the reader to this kind of story. The idea of outer space being right outside my window would attract me as a reader, and I am twenty-three, therefore, the book is ageless. However, Chris Van Allsburg does a superb job of making the story believable because the beginning is so common: two brothers arguing until they discover something magnificent to play with.

~ Written by Lindsay

The Velveteen Rabbit, reviewed by Joy

2009-05-08T14:09:00.004-04:00

Williams, M. (1975). The Velveteen Rabbit. New York: Avon Camelot Books. $3.99 ISBN 0-380-00255-8

Margery Williams 1975 classic, The Velveteen Rabbit contains an imaginative view in which a velveteen rabbit believes that he is real through an animal fantasy story. These are stories in which animals behave as human beings in that they experience emotions, talk, and have the ability to reason. Usually, the animals will retain many of their animal characteristics. Due to the animal fantasy genre of this story and the imaginative content, I would recommend the book for
ages 8-12.

A young boy receives a velveteen rabbit for Christmas, who is snubbed by the other more expensive toys because his appearance does not deem him as quality in their eyes. This component of the story could be the basis for a class discussion on what criteria should be used to select friends. Eventually the rabbit takes the place of the boy's favorite toy and despite the rabbit's aging and used appearance, the boy still loves him.

One day the rabbit sets off into the woods as he has spotted “real” rabbits scattering about in the woods. As he approaches the real rabbits they explain to him that he is fake, a mere stuffed animal for a child's amusement. They point out that he cannot hop, jump or shed fur as real rabbits do. The velveteen rabbit was devastated at this realization.

After being laden with scarlet fever the young boy's companionship with the rabbit begins to cease as he is forced to disinfect his nursery room and all of his possessions by burning them. In the meantime, the young boy is given a new plush rabbit and begins to forget about the velveteen rabbit.

While awaiting the bonfire, the rabbit cries a real tear and recognizes that he is a real rabbit. He develops this awareness through the help of the Nursery Magic Fairy that alters his state of mind and existence as a whole. As he joins the other real rabbits in the woods he is able to hop, jump and even shed his fur. The following spring he sees the young boy who is now older, more mature. The boy does not recognize the rabbit, but the rabbit knows that he used to be a
stuffed animal and that he still loved the young boy.

The concept of leaving our childhood behind along with our toys and stuffed animals is a realistic concept that students need to examine. This is often difficult, yet necessary in our development as more mature human beings. Williams examined a similar concept through The Wooden Doll. Despite many years in the attic, her animal friends transform a doll that fears that a child will never again love her. The genre of animal fantasy is again prevalent in yet another classic tale. As students within our classrooms begin to transition into adolescence and leave their childhood toys and fantasy imaginations behind, we can use this text as a catalyst in the transition.

~ Written by Joy

The Emperor of Absurdia, reviewed by Elizabeth

2009-05-08T14:04:00.003-04:00

Riddell, C. (2006). The Emperor of Absurdia. Macmillan: New York.

The Emperor of Absurdia by Chris Riddell is a fun-loving story for readers of all ages. It is a good example of multiple types of modern fiction. Its wild characters and funny situations make it a fine example of both imaginary worlds and unusual characters and preposterous situations. The Emperor is a child who is able to do whatever he wants and does. He eats whenever he wants, and whatever he wants. He also has wonderful adventures with a dragon and a colorful journey to find his lost scarf. Children of all ages will be able to relate to this story because everyone has wanted this kind of control and freedom at some point in their life.
Chris Riddell is an award winning author and illustrator who has been delighting his readers with many books for many reading levels and interests. Through his work, it is easy to see that he enjoys the genre of modern fantasy. Through this book, he is able to show readers an exciting world while staying close to their dreams and realistic lives. His fantasy sense runs deep as his website also provides dealer with a blog full of mythical creatures and events. Through this book, Riddell is able to a child’s dreamland to life through beautiful pictures and words.

Readers of all ages will enjoy this book, but it seems mainly geared toward upper elementary readers due to its reading levels. Even so, younger children will probably enjoy being read aloud to due to the rich colors and fantasy aspects. However, although the Emperor lives in a mythical world, his physical features are very traditional. It would be nice to see a mythical world full of multicultural awareness, but this book is devoid of anything other than the traditional view of fantasy. Not all readers will be able to relate to this experience and therefore may be alienated from this text.

Written by Elizabeth

The True Story of the Three Little Pigs!, reviewed by Melicia

2009-05-08T14:01:00.002-04:00

Scieszka, J (1989). The True Story of the Three Little Pigs! New York, NY: Scholastic Inc.

Jon Scieszka skillfully uses point of view to give an ironic spin to this personified toy story of The True Story of the Three Little Pigs. It qualifies as a personified toy story because the animal characters engage in human like activates. The protagonist is dressed in a pinstriped suit, walks upright and cooks just as a human could. Interestingly, the wolf also maintains his animal nature as he consumes the pigs in the story.

More broadly, The True Story of the Three Little Pigs qualifies as a modern fantasy because it is a traditional story retold from an alternate perspective. The story of the three little pigs is retold through the eyes of Alexander T. Wolf, the so called “big, bad wolf”. According to this first person narrative, he was only looking for sugar, and the alleged events were all a big misunderstanding. The events in the story are believable and consistent with the original tale of the three little pigs as the huffing and puffing occurs, but is explained by the wolf as an act of nature.

The True Story of the Three Little Pigs also qualifies as a picture book. The tone provided by Scieszka and illustrations by Lane Smith help to validate the wolf’s tale. Alexander T. Wolf speaks in an explanatory tone as he defends his side of the story. After reading the text, the illustrations help to tell the story, giving visual affirmation to what Alexander Wolf claims to be true. For example, he explains that he went to the house of his neighbors in search of sugar. The illustrations depict the Wolf knocking on doors holding a measuring cup.

Combined with the original tale, The True Story of the Three Little Pigs can be used with any elementary classroom to demonstrate point of view. Children can work on comparing and contrasting the major story events as they are told from the alternate perspectives. Together, these texts will illustrate that there are two sides to every story. Used as a read aloud or independent reading, this text would best be used with children age 4-8.

~ Written by Melicia

The Little Prince, reviewed by Justine

2009-05-08T13:57:00.002-04:00

De Saint-Exupery, Antoine. The Little Prince. Trans. by Richard Howard. New York: Harcourt, Inc, 2000. 83 pages. $18.00

As we grow older, we sometimes lose our natural desire to question everything around us. We become so wrapped up in becoming adults that we lose the ability to understand and judge what things are truly worth. In “The Little Prince”, a pilot becomes stranded in a desert and comes across a young prince who, through his tales of other worlds, helps the pilot see that there is so much more in the world than he is allowing himself to see.

This book represents the genre of modern fantasy under the category of unusual characters in strange situations, but could also be considered traditional literature for its “fairy tale” style storyline. One of the strongest points of this book is its use of the literary devices of fiction to create a story that, though fictional and outside of the realm of possibility, conveys meaning that can help the reader understand the real world. Through the character development of the pilot, we are able to see that while he lives in the world of adults, where everything’s worth is determined by number value, he understands and appreciates that there is more than one way of determining the worth of something. Furthermore, though the little prince has described the setting of his planet as so small that it is no bigger than a house, this escape from reality is overshadowed by the character vs. character conflict that arises when the pilot claims that roses have thorns for no good reason.

On a multicultural level, this book only has one flaw: the underrepresentation / misrepresentation of minorities. The characters in the story are all portrayed as Caucasian, except for the Turkish astronomer, who, in trying to explain the existence of a new asteroid, is not taken seriously simply because of his traditional Turkish clothing. It is only when he changes into “western” clothing (a suit) that he is understood and valued. However, I believe that this representation was important to the story because it offers a critique of the way our society tends to prejudge people on the basis of how they are dressed. It will help students to see what we are missing when we “judge a book by its cover”, so to speak.

The minute illustrations created by the author serve as a very important supplement to the story. The pilot’s description of his drawing of a snake eating an elephant would have been extremely hard to appreciate had we not been able to see it for ourselves, and likewise the pilot’s interpretation of the little prince’s planet helps us understand the impossibility of its existence, and therefore adds to the fantasy of the story.

This book is a great read for not only children, but adults as well. However, due to the complexity of some of the ideas in this story, it would be best for children in the fifth grade or above. So much of this story is theoretical that it would be hard for children any younger to fully comprehend the subtle yet important parts of the pilot’s tale. Teachers and parents could use this book to teach children the importance of appreciating what we cannot see, or, in other words, looking for meaning below the surface level. Teachers could also use this book in an English lesson to inspire imaginative thought for a creative writing activity.

~ Written by Justine

Are you there God, it's me, Margaret, reviewed by Joy

2009-05-08T13:21:00.002-04:00

Blume, J. (1970). Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. New York: Bantam.
$6.50 ISBN 0-440-40419-3

Judy Blume's 1970, Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret, is a “coming of Age” text that presents the realities experienced by one 11-year-old Margaret Simon. Although this text was printed in 1970, it is a classic example of an effective coming-of-age novel that accurately examines the experience of some adolescents. Blume gives a detailed account as Margaret tries to develop her “religious heritage” and begins a journey in faith, prayer, and confusion she is constantly hitting brick walls as she finds herself questioning both her faith and herself during the process. Margaret begins an inquiry project on other people's beliefs as a school assignment and this experience reveals thoughts and realizations about Margaret as a person amidst her religious struggle between her religious classification and that of her grandparents'. She has two different sets of grandparents and they both practice different religions. One set is Christian and the other is Jewish. Her trek results in an obvious dichotomy as she identifies as grandma's little Jewish girl, or a mainstreamed Christian. Her revelation in the conclusion will both surprise and shock you as a reader.

Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret is considered a “coming of age” text as it addresses how most children's lives revolve around family, friends, and classmates, but during the preteen and teen years a shift toward self-discovery and independence occurs. It also acknowledges how rapid growth and change are seen in the physical, emotional, moral, and intellectual domains of life. These changes are reflected in books for adolescents and are referred to as coming-of-age stories. With these ideas in place, I recommend this book for ages 9-13.

This book can be categorized as Religious Cultures Literature and can be considered potentially controversial because the United States is traditionally a Christian nation and the nonmainstream religion of Judaism presented in this text or the informal approach to religion used by Margaret categorize the book as such. The difficulty of identifying or categorizing herself within a specific religious group due to her beliefs and family background is a relevant and realistic event for human beings throughout their development. This text would serve as a catalyst in discussing religious freedom, student choice and family heritage or tradition for students within the classroom setting. Although discussing religion could be a controversial issue, teachers can outline the context of the discussion so that no one religioin is being put on a pedestal. Blume presents the realistic difficulty of puberty for a young, pre-pubertal girl as Margaret's friends are experiencing their periods, she begins to doubt herself and even question if something is wrong with her. This is a common occurrence for children in this age range and would be a relevant discussion point to address with all of the students in a classroom. As both boys and girls will have the pleasure of experiencing the trials and tribulations associated with puberty, this text can be used as a reference point or discussion opener when addressing this transitional period for adolescents. Blume is able to capture the realistic experiences of Margaret in a manner that is easily comprehended by adolescents ages 9-13.

~ Written by Joy

Because of Winn Dixie, reviewed by Mary

2009-05-08T13:18:00.002-04:00

DiCamillo, K. (2000). Because of Winn Dixie. Candlewick Press, Cambridge, Mass.

Because of Winn Dixie is a story about a girl and her dog. It is a search for what really matters in life. Opal is new in a small town in Florida. She meets a less fortunate dog in the local grocery store(Winn Dixie). She decides to take the dog home and name him after the store. Because of the loveable Winn Dixie, Opal meets a series of other lonely characters This book is an example of an Animal Realistic Fiction story. Winn Dixie behaves like a dog and is not personified. He is lovable and likeable.

Winn Dixie is able to wrap his love around all of the characters in this story. He is able to bring them all together with Opal's help. Opal is able to learn valuable lessons about life and love. It is with both heartbreak and painful confrontation. Opal needs to hold on to the memory of her mom who abandoned her. She also needs to calm her own fears. Opal is very lonely throughout the story. Winn Dixie is someone who belongs to her.

The author shares a commonality among characters. They each have lost something or someone and survived. She is not alone in her pain, she will survive the loss and she will realize what is most important.

The theme of loneliness exists on several levels of the characters in the story. This theme is tied into another theme with the characters. Opal is lonely because she has moved to a new town and has no friends. She also misses her mother. This causes her to feel loneliness because she is different from the other kids. Her father the Preacher is lonely because he lost the companionship of his wife. He then throws himself into his work. Otis, the ex con runs the pet shop and is a recluse. He is lonely and plays his music. The older women in the story are believed to be a witch. She is half blind and sees with her heart. The characters are authentic and readers are able to make a connection.

This story addresses several socially sensitive and pertinent issues that young people encounter. There are references to alcoholism, prejudice, death, the elderly, single parent families and the importance of community.

The author provides mentorship, friendship, companionship and self-esteem through the characters for Opal. There is a sense of hope. Opal is able to feel a sense of courage and a feeling of belonging.

This story is recommended for age's 9-12 year olds. This story can be used as a Read Aloud for children of all ages. The themes of friendship, love and community will be enjoyed by all ages.

~ Written by Mary

Walk Two Moons, reviewed by Justine

2009-05-08T13:12:00.002-04:00

Creech, Sharon. Walk Two Moons. Harper Collins, 1994. 280 pages. $15.89

Salamanca Tree Hill, or “Sal”, as she preferred to be called, was a thirteen-year-old girl who embarked on a road trip with her two grandparents to retrace the path of her mother, who unexpectedly abandoned her and her father. Throughout their journey, Sal tells her grandparents the story of her life in Ohio, specifically her friendship with a girl named Phoebe, who was also searching for answers in her own mother’s disappearance. As the story progresses, the readers will find themselves caught up in a series of overlapping mysteries, with their resolutions bringing us closer and closer to a deeper understanding of Sal’s struggles.

Creech’s book is a strong example of realistic fiction. To start with, the title comes from the Native American saying “don’t judge a man until you’ve walked two moons in his moccasins”, which immediately relates to the common saying about walking in another’s shoes, allowing the audience to connect with a major theme of the story from the beginning. The blend of factual, situational, and emotional realism provides a solid framework on which Sal’s story is constructed. Sal’s struggles with not only the loss of her mother, but having to move to a new place and find comfort within a new peer group provide opportunities for all types of students to relate to the story. The mysteries of Mrs.Cadaver and the “lunatic” Phoebe encounters compel readers to make interconnections between storylines and characters, and are captivating enough to hold the reader’s attention all the way through the story. Furthermore, while the more controversial plotlines, such as Sal’s mother’s miscarriage and the reason for Phoebe’s mother abruptly leaving her family, might give parents and teachers reason to be skeptical of introducing this story to children, the interjection of the grandparents into Sal’s storytelling make it possible for the reader to find a cause for optimism. At the same time, these storylines might make some readers uncomfortable, and therefore unlikely to connect to the literature.

As far as the quality of writing is concerned, Creech’s use of literary devices plays a large part in the success of the storyline. The parallel storylines, one being Sal’s road trip with her grandparents and the other being her flashbacks to her life in Ohio, break open more of the multicultural aspect of the story. As Sal recounts stories of her parents, we learn a little bit about Sal’s Native American background, and the stops she and her grandparents make at Native American outposts and landmarks (such as the Black Hills) along the way serve as further incorporation of her culture into the story. The parallel storylines also serve as a way of preventing the monotony that sometimes occurs in stories written in the first person by switching between the past and the present.

As a whole, this story would be appropriate and useful for students between the ages of 10 and 14. This age group would most benefit from the themes of relating to your peers and of appreciating differences between families. Furthermore, teachers could use this as a means of helping students address the struggles they face in their own lives and putting them into perspective. However, even outside the realm of the classroom, children can learn a lot from this story simply because of the ability to relate to the characters in the story.

~ Written by Justine

Smoky Night, reviewed by Lindsay

2009-05-08T13:08:00.003-04:00

Smoky Night. By Eve Bunting. Illustrated by David Diaz. Florida, 1994. 36 pages. $17.00

Eve Bunting, author of Dreaming of America: An Ellis Island Story and Dandelions, has made an impression on readers of all ages with Caldecott Medal winning book Smoky Night. She is known for writing about topics such as immigration, loss of loved ones, the famous ship Titanic, and in this compelling story: racism, community, and coming together despite difficult times. Smoky Night is considered realistic fiction because the events that occur in the story could actually happen in real life, namely, the Los Angeles riots. . It could be a part of the “family” category in realistic fiction because the main character’s family consists of himself and his mother. It could also be a part of the “communities” category because it addresses his neighbors and coming together as a community.

Daniel, a young boy who lives with his mother in a high apartment looking over the streets, must understand why people are destroying stores, breaking windows, stealing products, and setting buildings on fire. Him and his mother are watching and living through riots that are destroying the world around them. After a rioter sets his own apartment building on fire, Daniel and his mother are forced to evacuate leaving his cat, Jasmine, behind in the building. He later finds out that his neighbor, Mrs. Kim, is also missing her “fat” and “mean” cat. Luckily, a fireman brings both cats to their owners and the neighbors decide that it is time to put aside their differences and become friends.

There are several different ways that readers may relate to this story. The topic of the story is very specific, so children or adults who have gone through such hardships may find this story refreshing. Others may be able to relate to the story because of the non-nuclear family situation. Daniel’s family consists of himself and his mother as well as Daniel’s cat.

Illustrator David Diaz adds to the story with his detailed and unique artistic representations of the tone of the story. He uses a one-of-a-kind combination of acrylic painting, watercolor paper, and photography. On one page he uses a photograph of what looks like Trix and on top of that is a piece of scrapbook paper that is slightly ripped where the text is located. On the opposite page are the acrylic paintings of the characters in action. Although these illustrations are a bit busy, they seem to juxtapose the confusion that the main character feels throughout the story. David Diaz does a wonderful job representing the riots and Daniel through these thoughtful and striking illustrations.

~ Written by Lindsay

Junie B. Jones and her Big Fat Mouth, reviewed by Melicia

2009-05-08T13:03:00.002-04:00

Park, B. (1993). Junie B. Jones and her Big Fat Mouth. New York, Random House.

Junie B. Jones and her Big Fat Mouth shares the story of a day in the life of a kindergarten student and older sibling. This first person narrative sheds light on realistic peer and familial relationships in a fun an engaging way—through the eyes of a young child.

The egocentric Junie B. provides insight on possible and probable classroom and family occurrences. From the time when her parents are too busy with the baby to Mrs. not choosing her to respond to a question, a child’s perspective remains constant. The stresses and joys that young students encounter at school as shared throughout this text. For example, Junie B. describes how she and her classmates behave when Mrs.—their teacher—leaves the room. She states that “she walked Officer Mike and Dr. Smiley out into the hall. That when Room Nine stated buzzing. Buzzing is what you do when your teacher leaves the room.” She then goes on by describe some of the conversation that occurs as the students are buzzing. Young children often eat things that they aren’t supposed to. During a trip to the playground, Junie B. “…saw something very wonderful in the grass! And its name was two cherry Life Savers!” She “blowed off the germs”, and put it into her mouth.

Barbara Parks uses child-like diction and grammar to authenticate the story. For example, in describing how her mother felt when the pacifier was found, Junie B. states that “her face got relief on it. Mother wiped off the pacifier off. Then she blowed on it very hard.” Another example of a childlike tone could be illustrated as follows “then all of a sudden my eyes got big and wide. Cause a very great idea popped right inside my head!” The reader can imagine a child narrating from the language that is used.

Parks writes the story in an easy chapter book. Young reader, ages 8 and up will enjoy reading this text independently. This text would also be beneficial if used as a read aloud. Young children will take pleasure in hearing a story that is comical, concise, and provides multiple opportunities for text-to-self connections. Children can relate to story events as they recollect on being scolded by their teachers, wanting to be the best, and having younger siblings who may take up time with their parents/caregivers. However, children who do not have younger siblings may not relate as well to this text. They may not be able to imagine the range of emotions that Junie experiences as she waits to have time with mom and dad.

In this realistic fiction book, Junie B.’s class is having career day, and she doesn’t know what she will be. After a day of planning, and stealing ideas from her peers she comes up with the perfect career. She decides to be a janitor. She encounters a host of problem as her parents and classmates disapprove of and poke fun at her career choice. Students who have parents in the janitorial industry may be uncomfortable with this story.

Junie B. has the stereotypical “all American” family, two kids, a stay at home mom, a working father, and a dog. Children who do not have this ideal life are excluded from the text. Unfortunately, children who are not of European decent are also excluded from the text. Although they may be able to relate to the story events, very few of the black and white sketches depict a diverse population.Despite the multicultural and social status that are absent from this text, young children will enjoy it for it good intentioned humor and engaging point of view.

Written by Melicia

A Band of Angels: A Story Inspired by the Jubilee Singers, reviewed by Elizabeth

2009-05-08T12:34:00.003-04:00

Hopkinson, D. and illus. by Colón, R. (1999) A Band of Angels: A Story Inspired by the Jubilee Singers. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

A Band of Angels: A Story Inspired by the Jubilee Singers, written by Deborah Hopkinson and illustrated by Raul Colon, is a fictional account of the famous Jubilee Singers from Fisk School. Hopkinson does a fantastic job of creating a fictional story while keeping true to both the original Jubilee Singers as well as the current group. The Jubilee Singers were a post civil war group in which many of the members were either freed slaves themselves, or children of freed slaves. This story shows readers the hardships of the post Civil War era for African Americans and how the Jubilee Singers were able to stay true to their heritage while also surviving in a tumultuous time.

Deborah Hopkinson is an award-winning children’s literature author with many of her awards being for her historical fiction. Her research is thorough and expansive and she sees great importance in sharing her knowledge of the history with her readers by providing them with information at the end of most of her novels. Because of the intense research that went into this fictional story, Hopkinson has created a solid example of historical fiction. She is a strong advocate for philanthropy as a philanthropist herself, so this particular story delves deep into her own interests due to the Jubilee Singers ’ involvement in raising money for such an important cause. Her inclusion of the famous songs of slavery help readers to bring any background knowledge they may have about the songs, and connect them to the stories of people that had a lot to do with making the songs famous. However, after she explains the history behind her story, she never cites where she received the information which makes it hard to check to see how closely her statements and ideas parallel the truth without doing all new research of one’s one.

Raul Colon’s own life parallels the amazing illustrations that he did for A Band of Angels. After being told that he was too young to go to art school, he worked even harder to show everyone what he could do, much like the Jubilee Singers. His illustrations bring a new life to their important message of hope and heart. The colors and realistic drawings, along with Hopkinson’s text, of the characters help the readers to understand more about the time, culture and the players themselves. Raul Colon also did his research to make sure that his version of the original Jubilee Singers was very similar to how they actually looked. This is evident as soon as the reader researches into the Jubilee Singers and the great role they had in African American education and culture.

Students from diverse cultural backgrounds will be able to relate to this story and learn from this story because it shows a real time in which a group of individuals was looked down upon because of the color of their skin, which is most likely an event that they themselves have faced. While written for upper elementary students, both young and old readers will be able to enjoy this heartwarming tale of the Jubilee Singers. However, it will be important for educators, as well as parents, to remind their children of the differences between fiction and non-fiction as they read this fictional account of the Jubilee Singers.

Written by Elizabeth

The Memory Coat, reviewed by Lori

2009-05-08T12:31:00.001-04:00

Elvira Woodruff, and Michael Dooling. The Memory Coat. New York, NY: Scholastic Inc., 1999.

Ellis Island is a place that many families have a historical connection with. The story of The Memory Coat follows a family on their journey from Russia to the United States through Ellis Island. Ellis Island is now a museum, but prior to that it was a location immigrants entered though before entering the United States. Families from all over the world came through the Island, in search of many different goals. This story discusses the reason this family left Russia, and the treacherous time they had in Ellis Island. The author and illustrator had the book checked for historical facts; to be sure they were publishing correct information.

The story is in the historical time period of World Wars in the Twentieth Century, and focuses on Grisha, Rachel, and the Hebrew families in a Russian shetel or township. The family in this story encounted an issue entering America when Grisha scratched his eye while playing in Ellis Island. When the family went to go through the check point, Grisha was denied entrance due to the scratch. The family then had a communication issue, because the father spoke Yiddish and the guard spoke English. The issues of immigration and language are things that are still prevalent to many families today. There are many English Language Learners who enter school with a language barrier, and this book would be a good way to correlate the past and present struggles that many families encounter during immigration to this country.

The illustrations nicely coincide with the story, without overpowering the story. The illustrations are created with watercolor paint, and represent the issue being discussed on each page. The story is written well, with the reader feeling closely connected with the family by the end. One issue I had with the story is the fact that it is a little long, which could cause disinterest in students with attention problems.

At the end of the story the author included a brief history of Ellis Island, making it easy for students to learn if using this story for self selected reading. I feel this story would be a great addition to any classroom.

~ Written by Lori

The Giver, reviewed by Joy

2009-05-08T12:27:00.003-04:00

Lowry, Lois. The Giver.
Bantam Book. 1993
$6.99 ISBN 0-553-57133-8

Lois Lowry, renowned author, presents yet another invigorating and refreshing approach in her science fantasy text, The Giver. This Newbery Award winner details daily life in “the community”. Jonas and Lily experience life at home with their two parents and Gabriel through mundane and organized rules. Some of their daily rules are to discuss their dreams over breakfast and to avoid all rude or intruding questions when communicating with other members of the community.

Lowry presents an entire community that is centered on precision of language, diligent obedience and sameness for all age groups. At the Ceremony of the Twelve's, number nineteen Jonas is skipped over by the Chief of Elders during the job title description and the audience falls to a deafening hush. Jonas is labeled as number nineteen because he was the nineteenth person to be born and assigned during his birth year. Finally, Jonas receives his job title of The Receiver dead last. He does not understand the character traits attached to the job description such as wisdom and the ability to see beyond. He is nervous that he will not perform successfully and will let down his family and community.

As he endures the process of receiving memories from The Giver over a year's time, he realizes that there is a main component of existence that needs to be altered within the community. Jonas' next decision is one that will alter the existences and memories of the community as a whole. The titles of The Giver and The Receiver have been concluded as potentially homosexual in the eyes of some literary leaders and the book has been banned in certain school districts. As with many titles that have been banned, students will typically gravitate to these books for curiosity and general appeal.

The idea of a parallel community surrounded by sameness and uniformity may be appealing to and is recommended for students from ages 9-12. However, it is my belief that this book presents an ephemeral exposure to an alternative community that would be an enjoyable, quick read for ages 12 and up. The concept of a uniform society in which each individual has a role could be an appealing component for students. This type of a novel could be effective during the incorporation of a transformative unit as students would be able to compare and contrast their current roles in society with that of Jonas’. Lois Lowry is also the popular author of The Anastasia series and The Gooney Bird books, which are highly appealing to adolescents’ ages 9-12.

Written by Joy

Star of Fear, Star of Hope, reviewed by Melicia

2009-05-08T12:19:00.002-04:00

Hoestlandt, J (1995). Star of Fear, Star of Hope. New York, NY: Walker Publishing

Star of Fear, Star of Hope is a historical fiction and international piece of children's literature written by Jo Hoestlandt. The setting of the text provides a historical context of this period. Actual clothing, vernacular speech, and daily occurrences are included. Many accounts of the Holocaust discuss only the German experience. Interestingly, Star of Fear, Star of Hope portrays the story of the round up of French Jews living during the time of German occupation. Originally printed in France, the story of this international piece of children’s literature is authenticated.

Hoestlandt also uses time to authenticate Helen's story as it begins with an elderly woman, but the dialog and illustrations portray the 1940's. Helen, who was 9 years old at the time, recounts these events associated with the Holocaust. Many years later, the events that took place on this particular day are still affecting her—as they could in true life. Through the narration the reader is shown that there were up-standers, bystanders and perpetrators during the time of the Holocaust.

This picture book provides young readers with engaging visual insight into the time of the Holocaust. The illustrations help to tell the story of Helen’s experience. Hoestlandt uses the element of dismal yellow tones to convey the unhappiness of the events. The illustrations also provide youngsters with facial expressions that may be easier to read than the text.

Written from a first person point of view, the events appear realistic. 9 year old Helen’s fear and sadness are easily understood as her story is told in narrative form. This narration is also beneficial because it shows that children were also affected by the Holocaust. Not only is it a historical fiction tale, a story of friendship is also told. Children of all ages can make text-to-self connections as they imagine losing their best friend.

As previously mentioned, this book does provide insight in a significant event of the Holocaust. This text can be used to show that Jews other than those who resided in Germany were affected by Hitler's rule. However, due to a lack of contextual information of Hitler's rule, or the desire to exterminate Jewish people, in the classroom this text should be used with other historical accounts of the events. Picture books such as: The Picture Book of Anne Frank by David Adler, The Butterfly by Patricia Polacco, Terrible Things: An Allegory of the Holocaust by Eve Bunting and Remember Not to Forget by Norman G. Finkelstein are great examples of picture books that will provide a strong historical background of the Holocaust.

Written by Melicia

The Mary Celeste, reviewed by Mary

2009-05-08T12:10:00.004-04:00

The Mary Celeste, Written by Jane Yolen and Heidi E.Y.Stemple
Illustrated by Roger Roth, Simon and Schuster 1999ISBN 0689810792

The Mary Celeste is a look at one of history’s unsolved mysteries. The Mary Celeste is a story about a ship that was built in 1860 and originally called Amazon. The captain Robert McLellan became ill and died on the very first voyage. In 1867,the ship ran ashore and had to be repaired. In 1868 the ship was sold to an American and given a new name, Mary Celeste. The Mary Celeste set sail on Tuesday November 5,1872 from New York City. On board the ship were Benjamin Spriggs, his wife and their two-year-old daughter as well as seven crewmembers. The weather was bad and the ship was anchored about a mile away from the Pier in New York City. On November 7, 1782 she set sail again. When the ship was next seen it was December4, 1782. The ship was 600 miles west of Portugal. The ship was discovered abandoned by the Dei Gratia, which was a cargo ship. A search followed to to try to figure out what happened to the Captain, his family and crew. There were no signs of violence, accidents or disaster.

This story is written about the time period known as the Development of Industrial Society. The United States grew in transportation and communication resulting in improvement in the quality of life. It is recommended for ages 5-8, although young sleuths of all ages will enjoy it.

The illustrations in this book enhance the drama of the story. The pages are large, warm and full of watercolors highlighted with pencil drawings. This is a picture historical fiction storybook. The images portray historically accurate information. The book includes Maritime terms and supplemental information on panels that resemble sticky notes on each page.

Children will enjoy learning about the Mary Celeste. The reader has the facts in the story with lots of details and information to understand what is going on at the time the ship was found. The narrator who is a girl about age 10, challenges readers to review six theories of what happened. Whatever the reason was for the disappearance, this story is thought provoking. Readers will need to explore the historical connection of the time period as well as the outside elements that lead to the disappearance of the crew.

This book can be used to teach the history of the Mary Celeste, increase vocabulary, help children gain experience in problem solving and learn background information relating to the time period. This book can be used in a classroom as a read aloud. Parents can use this book to teach about history and ships.

A Mother/Daughter team writes this book. The daughter is a former private detective. The story ends with the narrator suggesting that the reader come up with their own theories about the Mary Celeste.

~ Written by Mary

Just the Two of Us, reviewed by Elizabeth

2009-04-08T18:23:00.004-04:00

Smith, W. and ill. By Nelson, K. (2001) Just the Two of Us. New York: Scholastic Press.

Just the Two of Us by Will Smith with pictures by Kadir Nelson is a great example of a book that transcends genres. Being that the text is from Will Smith’s rap of the same name, it is an example of a single illustrated poem. However, due to its rich illustrations, it is also an example of a picture storybook. The lyrics tell the story of a father who is writing to his son to give him insights about childhood and adolescence. He begins with the mother’s labor and ends with high school all the while explaining his love and alluding to hard issues like single parenting and relationships.

Will Smith chose to rap the lyrics written by Ralph MacDonald, William Salter, and Bill Withers for his own personal reasons. His son, Trey, is the child from his first marriage, and stars in the music video for Just the Two of Us. After Smith’s first marriage ended, he became a single parent for Trey and the lyrics resonate deeply for him. Kadir Nelson also has strong familial roots and truly believes in the power of humanity. His vibrant paintings help to bring life to the lyrics and show the importance of family in love in this inspirational text.

Since Kadir Nelson is African American, his paintings are authentic and realistic for many African Americans. Nelson’s dynamic visuals help to extend the family experience by showing the relationship between an African American father and son. The illustrations are genuine and not stereotypical. They help to bring life to Smith’s strong words of love and hope by helping the reader to visualize them in the manner that Smith and Nelson were looking for. However, the story can be experienced by any family across cultures and neither Smith nor Nelson pretends to know anything about African American society as a whole. They are not acting as though this is the only format of an African American family, just one of them, like many other cultures.
The lyrics transcend cultures and race and are simply about family and life. They bring a new look to the mainstream idea of family as consisting of two parents (a mother and a father) and two children. In this story of a father and son, important issues arise that speak to more children who may be experiencing these events in their own life. The lyrics also explain that the parents do not love the child any less because they didn’t work out which is an important note to make in the lives of children who have experienced the divorce of their parents. The lyrics are beautiful and the illustrations help to further the important messages of love that transcends all struggles between a father and a son.

Some aspects of this book may not resonate with all readers. One of them is the emphasis on the father/son relationship which is a relationship usually found in culture from Leave it to Beaver to father/son camping trips. If the reader has recently lost their father or may not have a strong relationship with them, it may create barriers in their learning and response. Another issue that may come up if this book is taught in the classroom, is the mention of God and heaven. Some readers who may not have the same religious beliefs may take offense to the allusions. However, this issues can also be discussed in the classroom in order to create culturally relevant understanding between different people and their beliefs. This book is ideal for any age group. It can be read aloud to small children as they look at the strong visuals that tell the story, or can be read silently by an older student whose parents just got divorced. This book can be used in both the ELA classroom as well as for family counseling.

~Written by Elizabeth

Knuffle Bunny: A case of mistaken identity, reviewed by Melicia

2009-04-08T18:17:00.003-04:00

Willems, M (2007). Knuffle Bunny: A case of mistaken identity. New York, NY: Hyperion Books.

Knuffle Bunny Too is a continuation of Trixie and Dad’s adventure with the beloved Knuffle Bunny. Similar to most, if not all young children, Trixie is attached to an inanimate object—Knuffle Bunny. Trixie takes Knuffle Bunny everywhere she goes. In this particular story, she takes Knuffle Bunny to preschool only to find that she is not the only one who shares this special relationship. Sonja, another classmate conveys a love for a very similar—but distinctly different bunny. After an unfortunate mix up, the bunnies are switched, and it is up to Dad to fix it.

The illustrations, a key element to picture books, are significant to this text. Mo Willems combines ink sketches and sepia toned photographs to create this picture storybook. Within this specific genre, the story is told through both pictures and text. A realistic impression is given as the characters are juxtaposed onto actual images. Actual sizes presented in the images also helps to authenticate Trixie’s story. The pictures are especially significant because they communicate events that are not presented in the text. These images, as well as text share the tale of Knuffle Bunny in a manner that is sure to engage young readers (4 to age 8), as well as interest readers of all ages.

The superimposed and true to size images go far beyond static illustrations. The unique images and dialog presents a story that can also be categorized as realistic fiction. Trixie’s experiences on her first day of school are events that are both possible and probable. The relationship that she forms with Knuffle Bunny and Sonja are reminiscent to that of real children. Used as a read aloud, students can be encouraged to make text-to-self connections as they compare Knuffle Bunny to their beloved objects.

Knuffle Bunny Too is also unique from an analytical perspective. Forgoing the original style of picture books, some of the text is written using speech and thought bubbles. In some instances, the characters interact with the text which also helps to create a sense of realism. For example, in one image, Dad is being squished by the text as Trixie is rambling on during their walk to school. Regrettably, these extraordinary images show very few characters that are not of European decent.

Despite the unfortunate mix up and lack of diversity in the illustrations, Trixie learns a very important lesson, and acquires something more significant than Knuffle Bunny—a new best friend.

~Written by Melicia

Thank You, World, reviewed by Lori

2009-04-08T18:10:00.003-04:00

McGinty, Alice. Anderson Halperin, W. Thank You, World. New York: Dial, 2007.

All around the world children are experiencing many things for which they are thankful for. The story in Thank You, World discusses many things children from eight different countries share. The eight areas of the globe discussed are the United States, Mexico, Bolivia, France, China, India, Saudi Arabia, and Mali. The illustrations depict the children in a native environment for their country.

The illustrations in the book are created with Crayola® crayons, and are culturally depictive of the countries shown. Wendy Anderson Halperin took the story and made sure to include things such as local birds for each country when the text discusses birds, native home styles when discussing windows, and native dress for countries when discussing parents. Many of the outfits drawn in the story are traditional garb, which many families only wear for special events or religious purposes. If using this book in the classroom teachers need to be culturally aware, and be sure they discuss with their students that just as people in the United States are all different the same can be said for other countries. Teachers need to be culturally aware to support the variety of backgrounds students in a classroom will encounter throughout their life.

A child reading this story can learn an important lesson, that they should be grateful for the wonderful things that surround them, such as nature, friends, and family. They can use the book to reinforce what is occurring in their area of the world, and see how children from other countries experience the same event.

~Written by Lori

The Patchwork Quilt, reviewed by Justine

2009-04-08T18:06:00.003-04:00

The Patchwork Quilt. By Valerie Flournoy. Illustrated by Jerry Pinkney. Dial Books for Young Readers, 1985. 32 pages. $16.99

As children, we often take for granted our time with our elders and the limitless opportunities we have to learn from them more about who we are. In The Patchwork Quilt, a young girl named Tanya, curious as to why her grandmother has so many scraps of mismatched material, learns that she is using pieces of the family’s old clothing and fabrics to make a quilt. As her grandmother tells her the memory behind each piece of fabric, Tanya learns the importance of preserving the past so that in the future, they can look back and remember all the good times they have had together. When Tanya’s grandmother falls ill, she decides to take on the task of finishing the quilt, and in the process takes up the continuation of her family’s tradition.

As a piece of multicultural children’s literature, The Patchwork Quilt in large part holds its own. The dialogue of the grandmother character, a Southern influenced slang, might be taken as an insult to the African-American image, specifically by those who are African American yet cannot relate to the culture of the family in the story, and yet it could be considered an authentic representation of an elderly Southern woman by those who have been exposed to similar people in their own lives. Despite this questionable aspect of the story, the book as a whole acts as a responsible multicultural work that children of all cultures could understand and relate to, and its popularity most likely would remain largely unhindered. Additionally, while the book is about an African American family, any cultural group with a cultural or religious connection to their past could relate to the ideas of tradition and family value. The illustrations, created by renowned African-American illustrator Jerry Pinkney, play a large role in this, offering an authentic depiction of the culture and the image of the typical African-American family unit that will provide a responsible visual representation for students to build their own interpretations of the story upon without depending on stereotypical or over-generalized images.

In the role of a picture book, Flournoy’s work is not as efficient. While the artwork was a great addition to the story, the text completely overpowered the illustrations. The language was easy to understand, yet the length of the text on each page might lose the interest of the listener before the page is even done being read, which could have been avoided if the illustrations played a more integral part in telling the story.

Regardless of its few flaws, however, this story is an endearing one that can take hold in anyone’s heart. This book would be best for children ages 6-10 because of the level of the language, and would be a good tool for teachers to use with this age group because of the tendency of children to lose their understanding about the importance of family as they grow older. This book could also be used within the classroom to show one way of preserving history for future generations and could be a starting point for students to come up with their own ideas as to how they would preserve their own history for people to look back on in the future.

~written by Justine

Come to the Great World, reviewed by Lindsay

2009-03-29T10:29:00.002-04:00

Come to the Great World

Come to the Great World. Selected by Wendy Cooling. Holiday House, 2004.
45 pages. $16.95

International literature can be difficult to come by on this side of the world, but Wendy Cooling makes a phenomenal effort to select poetry from all parts of the globe that are sure to reach out to children of all cultures in Come to the Great World. It is difficult to come by because these books are originally written and published in other countries besides the United States and then after published in the United States. In this case, Come to the Great World was originally written and published in England. In this diverse collection of poetry, the words on the page capture the hopes and dreams of a future to come for children everywhere. You can learn about the different fruits of Jamaica and feel the chill of the cold winters in Hungary. The illustrator, Sheila Moxley, catches the reader’s eye with her vivid paintings. She has a way of connecting the brightly colored, curvy pictures to the words in a way so that both complement one another. The book contains several different forms of poetry, which allows children to see the poetry the way it should be: unsecure and free or formal. Among the forms are limerick, cinquain, couplet, and free verse.

This anthology offers the reader several different authors including Robert Louis Stevenson's "The Swing,” Rabindranath Tagore's "Paper Boats," and Grace Nichols's "Granny Granny Please Comb My Hair."Teachers can use this anthology in several different ways. They may it to teach voice because there are several different voices from all over the world, and they can use it as a daily read-aloud, choosing one poem a day to offer encouragement, happiness, and courage. This anthology would also make a great introductory to a unit in poetry so students may see first hand that poetry can be in any style that the author chooses and that poetry is a great way to express yourself.

The beginning of the book has a lovely introduction where the selector opens the door and invites the reader right in. She declares, “These poems are about seeing ourselves not just as members of a street, village or city community, but as citizens of the world.” The back of the book contains an “About the Poet” section where Cooling shows us a glimpse of the global authors whereabouts and a smidgen of detail about his or her life.

Cooling selected poems from several different countries, including USA, Jamaica, England, Australia, China, Canada, Scotland, India, New Zealand, Hungary, Cuba and Chile but it seems more space is given to the several poems from the United States and England. It would probably be more beneficial to use more poems from countries other than the United States because the purpose of the book is to share poetry from around the globe, not just from the United States.

Reviewed by Lindsay

The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere, reviewed by Elizabeth

2009-03-29T10:21:00.002-04:00

The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere

Longfellow, H. W. and ill. by Bing, C. (2001). The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere. New York: Handprint Books.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s poem, The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere, about Paul Revere’s famous ride is a famous piece of American poetry. Christopher Bing’s artwork does a great job of bringing the words to life, so that both young and old readers can enjoy the poem. For children who are unable to decode the actual poem, Bing’s artwork creates its own visuals so that the story is able to be told. This book is a good example of a single illustrated poem because both the poem and the pictures tell their own stories as well as a combined account of the famous night. The poem is also a rhyming poem in the ABAB style of rhyming, meaning that every other line rhymes. The fact that the poem rhymes will also make it more accessible to younger readers as they can practice their decoding skills while they read or are being read to.

This book can also be defined as a picture book because of its vivid illustrations and the fact that the pictures assist in telling the story. This particular picture book is best classified as a picture book for older students because it illustrates an event often discussed in the upper elementary and middle school classrooms. This picture book could easily be used in the social studies classroom as a cross-curricular resource. This text contains a good viewpoint of information that is found in all Social Studies textbooks for American History and would be a good way to compare and contrast views of history.

This book is especially good for upper elementary students who are first learning about Paul Revere, but can be used with younger children or high school students who may be struggling with deciphering Longfellow’s poem. Although the book contains historically accurate pictures and objects, it does not include an actual historical account of what happened. However, I would still describe this text as a biography because it discusses an important event in Paul Revere’s life. Unfortunately, the book states that Longfellow’s poem is a moral boosting piece of propaganda and includes others’ accounts of the Paul Revere’s ride, but never includes the facts themselves. I think that including an actual account of what happened would boost the appeal of this rendition of Longfellow’s poem. Even so, this book acts as a good introduction to colonial life and Paul Revere.

Reviewed by Elizabeth

Bein' With You This Way, reviewed by Lori

2009-03-29T10:12:00.004-04:00

Bein’ With You This Way

Nikola-Lisa, W., and Michael Bryant. Bein' with You This Way. New York: Lee & Low Books, Incorporated, 1994

The differences that we each have is what makes the world a wonderful place, and these differences are celebrated in this poetry book. It can easily be incorporated into any early education classroom curriculum, as a reminder that every person has similarities and differences and those ideals need to be supported.

The illustrations flow with the story, as they follow a young girl around a typical day in her neighborhood. As the reader follows her from page to page, you are taken on a journey. Both the words and the paintings highlight the diversity the young girl encounters each day in her travels. The words are written in a verse poetry style, that is, the words in the story rhyme to a distinct beat.

The book is depicted in such a way that it can happen in any downtown neighborhood making it a realistic fiction book, as well as a poetry book. It is also a picture book because of the beautiful illustrations. The pictures are painted in such a way to recreate what it would look like in an actual city.

The illustrations focus on a child in a city setting, which could be difficult for a child in a country setting to relate to. The theme of the story, diversity, is displayed throughout. The author’s wonderful depiction of an important topic has won many awards including Child magazine for Best Book, Parenting magazine for the Reading Magic Award, and Honoree for the Jane Addam’s Children’s Book Award.

The House on Mango Street, reviewed by Joy

2009-03-29T10:01:00.003-04:00

The House on Mango Street

Cisneros, Sandra. The House on Mango Street.
New York: Vintage Books. 1991.
144 pages. $9.95. ISBN 0-679-73477-5

The House on Mango Street was written in the 1980’s in the United States and can be classified as a mature collection of vignettes or “lazy poems” as Cisneros describes the controversial transition from childhood to adulthood for one Chicano girl. Cisneros describes the main character, Esperanza Cordero’s escape from the barrio through these forty-four brief evocative episodes to convey the experience of existing within an oppressive environment in a predominantly Hispanic sect of Chicago. Cisneros herself was born and raised in a predominately Puerto Rican neighborhood of Chicago in 1954 and may have used this time period to reflect the development of these poems.

The title depicts an idea of Esperanza’s home as an isolated entity from her current discourse community. As she is developing within her neighborhood the reader is able to see a clear identification of the following two symbols, shoes and trees. Cisneros is able to incorporate a sense of identity between sexual development and maturation with the symbol of shoes. Another pertinent symbol is that of trees as Esperanza is able to evoke a sense of identity within them. As they are unique and unrelated to her neighborhood; so is she. Her admiration and respect for trees revolves around this identification that she maintains with them.
Her poetry integrates spare prose in a descriptive manner, which incorporates objective statements about Esperanza and the plot of her story. As she is developing into an adult she becomes fearful of the dangers apparent in the real world. This long story so-to-speak is cognizant of her ability to aesthetically present the harsh realities of her word with intricate language and internal rhymes.

The collection includes such topics as mistreatment of women and child abuse, which are topics that need to be addressed within the classroom setting. Due to the content and sophistication necessary for reading this book, grades 6th-12th are ideal. Within the classroom I would suggest using the vignettes as discussion starters or supplementary information for the above-mentioned topics. Esperanza’s struggles and obstacles are realistic and applicable to a plethora of racial groups which is evident in Cisneros’ distilled phrasing. Readers are able to capture her stylistic refined phrasing through character development in this collection as well as in her 1992 book, My Wicked Wicked Ways.

Reviewed by Joy

Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears, reviewing by Mary

2009-03-03T10:14:00.004-05:00

Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears
By Verna Aardema, Illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon
Dial books, New York 1975, $7.99

Caldecott Winner 1976

If you want to hear a funny story about how one little thing sets off many other things, then read this book. This story is about a mosquito that tells a lie to the iguana and then starts a chaotic Chicken Little type of events that result in the sun no longer rising.

Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears is an African pourquoi tale that is based on a West African story. A pourquoi tale or “why tale” explains something in nature and is found in most world cultures. Long before there were scientific explanations of natural phenomena, people relied on stories to help them understand the world around them.

When the animals realize the mosquito is to blame for the confusion, they hold a council and find the mosquito guilty. The mosquito is always wondering why everyone is mad at her. She goes around whining in people’s ears asking, “Are you mad at me?” She gets her answer with a KPAO.

This book is a great read aloud. It is an intriguing tale that engages you right away. Its repetitive style and use of onomatopoeia make this tale come alive and children can relate to it. This story is good for teaching cause and effect and sequencing. The sounds of the animals add to this story’s value. Everyone will want to listen and become involved.

The illustrations are colorful. The pictures are done with watercolor applied with an airbrush. The pictures have a stained glass effect. Each page is filled with brightly colored pictures that capture the interest of a child. The illustrator makes you feel as if you are in the jungle of Africa. There is a distinction between day and night. During the day the background is a white. As night approaches the illustrations pop out of a black setting. The illustrations make the story more enjoyable.

This book is suggested for ages 4 and up. I feel it can be use with all ages. It has a tragic ending to the owl baby, but the moral in the end is about telling the truth. Everyone who reads this book can learn a lesson. It may be scary for some young children.

The author used animals as characters in this book to create the plot of conflict and gossiping. This is a story that could have used human characters to tell the same story. The animals work together to work out the problem when they go before council. This is what we want to teach children.

I strongly recommend this book because it teaches a lesson about consequences, gossiping, and working things out. It teaches conflict resolution and getting along. After reading this book, it will be easy for children to remember why mosquitoes buzz in people’s ears.

~Written by Mary

Dancing to Freedom, reviewed by Elizabeth (Liz)

2009-02-26T10:24:00.003-05:00

Dancing to Freedom: The True Story of Mao’s Last Dancer

Cunxin, L. and ill. by Spudvilas, A. (2007) . Dancing to Freedom: The True Story of Mao’s Last Dancer. Australia: Penguin Group.

Dancing to Freedom: The True Story of Mao’s Last Dancer, written by Li Cunxin and illustrated by Anne Spudvilas, is a strong example of global literature, but also of an autobiography. The autobiographical book was first published in Australia and is Cunxin’s account of his early ballet life in China. Cunxin grew up during Mao Zedong’s leadership and was forced into ballet by Zedong’s officials. Living in Zedong’s China was hard and his citizens had very little freedom or control over their lives. Cunxin’s story illustrates the hardships and poverty that his family, along with many others of the time, had to live through under the rule of Zedong.

The autobiography begins with a Chinese folktale of a frog, who was unable to leave a well. After being told this story by his father, Li vows to one day leave his small Chinese village and make a better life for his poor family. During school one day, Li is told by Mao’s officials that he will begin learning ballet. He practices very hard and becomes very good. He joins a ballet company at age 11 and is able to finally leave his village and travel to the United States for a recital. By leaving his small village, he is able to experience freedom, but struggles with Zedong again when he refuses to return to China. He transformed from being part of Zedong’s cultural revolution to becoming an advocate for a better life. After the time frame in the book, Cunxin went on to become a world class ballet dancer who has written other books about his life as well.

This picture book does a good job of telling the story in a way that shows children how life was during Mao’s reign without being too graphic or mature in nature. The illustrations are well done and really help Li to tell his story as the pictures describe his words perfectly. This book is a great addition to global literature and will help to tell both Li’s story as well as a general overview of how life during 1960s China. Li’s life in China exemplifies the strong family values of the culture and his determination to make life for his family better is heartwarming. However, because Li lived in a small, poor village, he somewhat generalizes life in China by saying that the highways and buildings that exist in New York City and in the United States are not found in China. By doing this, it shows how poor Cunxin and the village he lived in were and how unlike the United States, China was at the time.

In order to do the illustrations better, Anne Spudvilas traveled with Cunxin to his home to learn more about him and where he was from. She then created beautiful Chinese brush paintings that add to his autobiography by bringing the reader closer to Chinese cultural and what Cunxin saw growing up. This book is best for upper middle school children who may be reading independently because of the reading level, but can be read aloud to younger children.

Overall, the book does do a great job of telling Li's story. For those who are interested in finding out more, they can go to Li Cunxin’s website or read his other memoirs. Li Cunxin's offical website: http://www.licunxin.com/ The website provides biographical information about Li Cunxin, information about the film that chronicles his life, as well as information about his public speaking engagements.

~Written by Elizabeth (Liz)

The Silver Charm, reviewed by Melicia

2009-02-26T09:26:00.004-05:00

The Silver Charm

San Souci, R (2002). The Silver Charm: A Folktale from Japan. New York, NY: Doubleday Book.

The Silver Charm is a piece of traditional and global children’s literature that captures an Ainu tale in picture book format.

The Ainu, a name that means "human," lived in the forests of Hokkaido and surrounding islands for centuries, fishing for salmon and hunting deer and worshipping the spirits of the sun, thunder, water and fire as well as plants and animals. As described by the New World Encyclopedia, the Ainu once lived on all four major Japanese islands, but over the centuries were pushed northwards by the Japanese people. Eventually the Japanese took control of their traditional lands, and during the Meiji period Japanese policies became increasingly aimed at assimilating the Ainu, outlawing their language and restricting them to farming as part of a program to "unify" the Japanese national character. It has been estimated that less than 1000 people are currently speaking the Ainu language.

The Ainu do not have a written language; as a result, this folktale has its origins in traditional literature. To avoid losing the Ainu oral tradition, the stories, myths, songs and knowledge are being written down. With this printed version of The Silver Charm, Robert San Souci is helping to preserve this culture. Robert San Souci and illustrator, Yoriko Ito includes well made source notes at the beginning of the text to give insight into their research and preparation for creating this text.

In this folktale, Satsu’s parents give him wise words to live by. He is told “do not go near the woods, and do not lose your silver good luck charm.” As the saying goes, “boys will be boys.” Satsu inadvertently disregards the words of wisdom, and the story begins. After unintentionally breaking one rule, the Satsu has no choice but to surrender his silver charm. His faithful companions promise to return his good luck. Similar to many folktales, good is rewarded and evil is punished.

Keeping with traditional oral Ainu folktales, elements of a fairy tale are apparent as magical powers are used to transform animals into humans and vice versa. The Ainu passion for animals can be understood as many of the main characters are not human beings, and these characters save the day. Thanks to Satsu’s pet fox and puppy, the immoral character is duped and Satsu learns to listen more closely to what he is told.

The well researched illustrations and beautiful images qualify this text as a picture book. The pictures alone portray the everyday life of the Ainu people. The reader learns of the folktale as well as the culture of the Ainu. The fair skinned, “hairy” appearance of the Ainu, traditional clothing, and lifestyle is gained through each illustration.

The Silver Charm can be used for sociological purposes within the classroom. The origins of the Ainu as well as the near disappearance and resurgence of this culture can be explored within a history course. This text can be used as a peek into the beliefs, and everyday life of the Ainu. More contemporary social studies lessons can be developed as on discrimination as the Ainu were forced to hide their identities and embrace the Japanese culture.

~written by Melicia

The Talking Eggs, reviewed by Justine

2009-02-25T21:45:00.003-05:00

The Talking Eggs

The Talking Eggs. By Robert D. San Souci. Illustrated by Jerry Pinkney. Dial Books for Young Readers, 1989. 32 Pages. $16.99
Ages 5-8

In the retelling of a Creole folktale bearing the same name, author Robert D. San Souci and illustrator Jerry Pinkney bring to life the magic and mystery of The Talking Eggs. Blanche, a young girl living in the bayou in Louisiana, spends her days tending to her spoiled sister, Rose, and her widowed mother, until one day the kindness she shows to an old woman brings her unexpected rewards. The old woman, who is not who she seemed to be, gives her magic eggs, which, when thrown over her shoulder, transform into treasures beyond her wildest dreams. Originally published by Alcée Fortier in her collection of folktales, this tale of a strong, good-hearted young girl captures audiences with its rhythmic narrative and its lessons about the positive outcomes associated with virtues like honesty and kindness.

To add to the brilliantly woven storyline, the illustrations by Caldecott Medalist Jerry Pinkney craft a visually stunning representation of Blanche’s world using a realistic frame of reference. Though the artwork is similar in style to Pinkney’s other works, including fellow Caldecott Honor Books The Ugly Duckling and John Henry, they offer the same striking compliment to the text for which Pinkney has become so well known. Pinkney’s sense of the culture and atmosphere of the backwoods in the bayou offer a palpable authenticity that brings the story to life.

As a social text, this book offers a representation of a common theme (a girl living life under an oppressive mother and evil sibling or siblings) through a multicultural lens, giving readers the opportunity to see the differences between what they have been presented with in the past and what this story has to offer. The fact that this author refuses to use stereotypical representations of the culture and instead takes a risk by choosing to present the true face of life on the bayou gives the work a great deal of merit. The imbedded moral values expressed throughout further strengthen the respectability of this book. In the end, we are left with an exquisite story that has the potential to leave readers from all walks of life with the desire to do more good in their own lives.

~written by Justine

The Best Eid Ever, reviewed by Lindsay

2009-02-25T21:34:00.003-05:00

The Best Eid Ever

The Best Eid Ever. By Asma Mobin-Uddin. Illustrated by Laura Jacobsen. Boyds Mills Press, Inc., 2007. 32 pages. $12.71

With her first Paterson Prize for Books for Young People, My Name is Bilal, Asma Mobin-Uddin again captivates her readers with a book about the most significant holiday in the Muslim religion with her second book, The Best Eid Ever. Eid is the culminating holiday at the end of Ramadan, which is the month of fasting. For Muslims, it is a time for celebration and festivities with friends and relatives. Aneesa, a young girl who is missing her parents while they are away at the Hajj Pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, receives a shalwar kameez, a long shirt and baggy pants, and a ghararah, a long skirt that resembles baggy pants, from her Nonni to celebrate Eid. While she is thrilled that she gets to wear her new clothes at the prayer hall, she notices two young girls who are wearing torn dresses and she can’t help but wonder why they aren’t wearing special clothes like she is. With the help of her Nonni, she is able to truly reflect on what Eid is like for her family and the girls’ family and together they figure out how to make this holiday the best one ever. After Aneesa and Nonni help the family of refugees by giving them their celebration food, treats and clothing, they return to their home and Nonni orders a pizza.

Asma Mobin-Uddin creates a gripping literary atmosphere with a topic not too often found in children’s literature – she draws your attention right from the first page. She makes it very easy to find ways for every child to relate to the issues presented. The book is filled with language associated with the Muslim religion and the author includes a glossary in the back of the book to make reading it manageable and rewarding. For example, she uses the words shalwar kameez which is a long shirt with baggy pants, and ghararah which is a long skirt that resembles baggy pants because it has separate pieces of cloth for each leg. For someone who has never been associated with this religion, it really helps to broaden a child’s cultural vocabulary and understanding. It also really makes the reader become familiar with this culture and take something significant from the story and apply it in real-life situations.

I believe that this book would be a great supplemental text in the classroom, but not for the sole reason of talking about Eid. It would be interesting for a classroom teacher to use this book when talking about the character trait of giving. It would complement other books such as The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein and many others. While children are learning about this important character trait, they could also learn about the culture that surrounds this book by reviewing the heavily illustrated text and exploring the culturally-rich vocabulary. You can get an idea of what people wear, what they eat, and traditions that occur during this special holiday.

While ordering a pizza is a quick-fix after making a selfless gesture, like donating food, treats, and clothing to another family, the holiday is one that only occurs twice a year so when the family ordered pizza it took away from the true culture that is woven throughout the storyline. It turned a culturally-rich family, who is celebrating a holiday that is significant to their beliefs, into a typical American family. Although the American family has evolved from what it once was, now including hundreds of different cultures, it is quite common for families in this country to order a pizza instead of making a healthier, home-cooked meal. Although the book is authentic in that it was written by a person from the Muslim culture, it is easy to see that she was raised in the United States because of the tendency to stray away from celebrating her own culture in the ending of the book -- ordering the pizza.

~ written by Lindsay

The Prince and the Golden Ax: A Minoan Tale, reviewed by Joy

2009-02-25T21:13:00.005-05:00

The Prince and the Golden Ax: A Minoan Tale

Lattimore, Deborah N. The Prince and the Golden Ax: A Minoan Tale.
Toronto, Canada: Harpers & Row, 1988.
40 pages. $12.95. ISBN 0-06-023715-5

The Prince and the Golden Ax presents a constructed myth about how the Minoan people and their culture came to an explosive demise. This story incorporates realistic depictions of the Minoan’s honor and pride in their religion as well as nearly identical illustrations of their culture and Fresco style art. Lattimore is able to invoke a Folk art style of illustrations that draw in the reader with the aesthetic values of the Minoan culture. The striking use of color and stylized patterns compliments the written texts and classifies the book as an effective picture book. However, the text is presented in an overly elaborate manner, which would be difficult for younger readers to comprehend. The book is intended for grades 5-8, but I believe the historical background is appropriate for 7th and 8th graders, as they would already possess the relevant background knowledge to comprehend the story. The text is effective in presenting relevant Minoan theology and this theme is also apparent in her book, The Winged Cat, which presents an Egyptian theological perspective.

~ written by Joy

And Tango Makes Three, reviewed by Lori

2009-02-25T20:45:00.002-05:00

And Tango Makes Three

Justin Richardson, Peter Parnell, Illustrated by Henry Cole. And Tango Makes Three. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2005.

A lovely tale of a family structure not often discussed And Tango Makes Three is a great read for all children. It can lead into great discussions about how all families are different, or it can be a nice easy read about penguins; it is up to the reader to decide where to take the discussion.

Roy and Silo are male penguins in the Central Park Zoo who become a couple. The story discusses how all other couples are mating, and the two males cannot figure out what they may be doing wrong because they are not making an egg. The zoo keeper gives them an egg to adopt, they then hatch the egg and become a family.

The story has become controversial because of the topic of homosexuality, and has even been banned in many schools and libraries. Many supporters of banning the book believe the subject of homosexuality is one that is too controversial to be discussed with young children. The authors make no points supporting or discouraging homosexuality in human lives, they merely tell the tale of the two penguins. Being that there will be children in schools who come from same sex families, not including books about the subject will give the impression that their family is wrong. It is unfair to these children to not include these books in their schools. If the subject is introduced at a young age children will most likely become accepting of family backgrounds that are different from their own.

The text is written is such a way that the teacher can focus on the penguin focus in the story, and use the family story as a side story. There is a lot of information given about the way penguins live, how they mate, and their habitat. The illustrations tend to give the penguins human characteristics, but compliment with the words nicely.

The final sentence in the author’s note gives children the feeling that every person is unique in their life story, “But there is only one Tango.”

~ written by Lori