A PIZZA THE SIZE OF THE SUN by Jack Prelutsky

This blog was created for a TWU course.



Bibliography


Prelutsky, Jack. 1994. A Pizza the Size of the Sun. Ill by James Stevenson. New York: Greenwillow Books.

ISBN# 0-688-13235-9


Summary

This book is a collection of poems by Jack Prelutsky. The book contains so many fun and catching poems. Some poems are written backwards and the words reversed. Children will love the wacky poems and some of the crazy characters.

Analysis

This is a great book. The title automatically draws kids in. They are interested by a pizza the size of the sun. The variety of the poems are great! I'm All Mixed Up is one of my favorites. The type switches between capital and lower case letters at random and I think it is something that kids can relate to. A Dizzy Little Duzzle is fun because the poem seems to make you dizzy while reading it. The different variations of the text help to bring kids in and realize that poetry can be fun. The fact that some of the poems rhyme while some do not is great for kids(and adults) to see the variety.

Review Excerpts

Horn Book Magazine review - Poems in varied typeface and placement in an open format combine with the economical line of well-placed sketches to create a fast-paced and accessible collection that's loads of fun."



Connections

This book would be a great way to help the students have some fun with poetry. I love the way that some of the poems in the book are written backward or in different arrangements. I think my students would have fun trying to figure out a fun configuration to put their poem in. I would have them write a fun, silly poem first and the put it in a different type of style that suits the poem. It is a way to have fun with poetry.

WITNESS by Karen Hesse

This blog was created for a TWU course.

Bibliography

Hesse, Karen. 2001. Witness. New York: Scholastic Press.

ISBN# 0-439-27199-1



Summary
Witness tells the story about what happens in a small town in Vermont when the Ku Klux Klan moves in. The story is told from the personal view point of eleven different characters. The book is a a verse novel. Each entry is a poem from one of the characters points of view.


Analysis

The title of the book helps to draw you in right away. You start to wonder what you are going to witness. The subject matter of the book has a historical standing and is something that is interesting to most people even today. The free verse forms works well with story. The free verse tends to flow well with the thoughts of the characters. The separation of the stanzas help to break up the thoughts of the characters even more. This is great for students that are intimidated by lots of words.


Review Excerpts

School Library Journal review - "Hesse uses free verse to bring each voice to life, setting it with carefully chosen period details that crystallize the chilling story."



Kirkus Reviews - "stunning piece of little-known American history…the iconography of Americana, carefully researched, beautifully written, and profoundly honest."



Connections:

This book could be used to integrate lessons. Poetry and social studies can be combined with this book. If used towards more of a history aspect it is great because some of the characters are kids themselves. This can help to draw students in. Kids like read things that are from kids their own age. It also helps to break down the book so that it does not seem so long. I would use this book in a social studies setting by splitting the class up into groups and have them do a "reader's theatre" with the book.


For more of a poetry aspect the book can be used to help show the variety and range of poetry. I would use this book in a poetry unit to show the diversity of poetry.

IT'S RAINING LAUGHTER by Nikki Grimes

This blog was created for a TWU course.


Bibliography

Grimes, Nikki. 1997. It's Raining Laughter. Ill by Myles C. Pinkney. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers.

ISBN# 0-8037-2003-3


Summary
This book has different poems that are from kids perspectives. They are about being kids and growing up. They are some about getting teased at school, one about being nervous, laughing, and a few about where they got their names.

Analysis

The title of the book helps to give an idea of the the poems inside will hold. It lets you know that the poems will be about laughter. Although some of he poems talk about being picked on the majority of them are about good, fun things about growing up. The book contains poetry in different forms. For example, It's Raining Laughter, Where'd You Get Them Names, At the Library, Sideways Beauty and The Laughing Bug are all rhyming poems. There are a few poems in free verse. This helps to appeal to a variety of readers. The pictures are an excellent addition to the book. The pictures of the smiling children help to bring the messages of the poems to the front.



Review Excerpts

School Library Journal review - "A harmonious blend of words and pictures."


Connections
I would use this book to encourage my students to write their own poem about growing up. I would have different students read the different poems out of the story. Then I would have them think about how the poems related to themselves and growing up. Then I would ask them to write their own poem that has something to do with growing up. Whether it is about laughing, getting picked on, whatever they choose.

PORCH LIES:TALES OF SLICKSTERS, TRICKSTERS, AND OTHER WILY CHARACTERS by Patricia C. McKissak

This blog was done for a course at TWU.
Bibliography:
McKissack, Patricia C. 2006. Porch Lies: Tales of Slicksters, tricksters, and other Wily Characters. Ill by Andre Carrilho. New York: Schwartz and Wade Books.
ISBN 0-375-93619-x

Summary:
This book is a compilation of stories that are retold by the author. They are stories that have been passed down through the generations. The author states that she remembers sitting on the porch and family members telling tall tales. That is how they name porch lies came to be. The book contains eleven of these so called "porch lies."

Analysis:
It took me awhile to get interested in this book. It was not one of my favorites while reading it but since finishing I find myself thinking back to some of the stories. That is the sign of a good book, one where the characters never leave you. The characters in this story are all bigger than life. They do things that don't seem possible yet you find yourself wondering if they are possible. Each plot of the stories is different but the author does an excellent job of transitioning and setting up the new setting in your mind. The language of the book makes you feel like you are on a front porch listening to someone tell you a story. Based on the illustrations you know that the porch lies all revolve around African American characters. There are not many illustrations but they really help to bring the characters alive and fit in very well with the stories.

Review Excerpts:
Horn Book Magazine review: It’s a clever idea: McKissack presents ten original trickster stories tailored for children with a child narrator in each one, for immediate and lasting identification."

School Library Journal review: "Carrilho's eerie black-and-white illustrations, dramatically off-balance, lit by moonlight, and elongated like nightmares, are well-matched with the stories."



Connections:
I would love to use this book in my classroom in two ways. For one I would like to use it to help show the importance, and fun, in talking with family members, especially older ones. I love sitting around and listening to stories, whether they are true or "porch lies." I feel that in today's time children have lost that connection to oral stories. They would rather play video games or watch TV. I would want my students to know that it is a great way learn about your family history as well as have some fun!

I would also like to use it for a creative writing activity. I love giving kids the chance to write and come up with something on their own. After reading the book I would like my students to com up with their own 'porch lie." Whether it is completely fabricated or has a few shreds of truth in it I would love to see what they can come up with.

JAMIE O'ROURKE AND THE BIG POTATO by Tomie DePaola

This blog was created for a course at TWU.


Bibliography
DePaola, Tomie. 1992. Jamie O'ROurke and the Big Potato. New York: G.P. Putnam Sons.
ISBN-0-399-22257-x

Summary
This book is about a man named Jamie O'Rourke who is the laziest man in Ireland. He has his wife do all the work farming the potatoes(praties). One day she hurts he back and Jamie thinks he will starve because his wife can't pick praties for the winter. He happens across a leprechaun one day and tries to get the leprechaun to give him his gold. The leprechaun talks Jamie O'Rourke into letting him give a pratie seed that will grow a pratie bug enough to last all winter. The pratie grows so big that Jamie can't get it out of the ground. The villagers come see the enormous pratie. They tell him that they will help him dig it up if he will tell them how he did it. Jamie O'Rourke tells them the story of the leprechaun. While getting the pratie out it rolls down the hill and gets stuck in the middle of the road. In order to get it out he tells the villagers to all take some. They had so much pratie that they did not want to see anymore by the end of winter. When Jamie O'Rourke announces that he is going to plant an eye from the huge potato for next winter the villagers tell him that they will make sure he and his wife will always have enough food if he doesn't plant it.

Analysis

This is a fun and interesting Irish folktale. DePaola did a great job at portraying Jamie O'Rourke as a lazy man and his wife as the hard worker of the family. This was done very quickly in the story but it was well remembered throughout the story. The language and the illustrations of the clothing that was worn really helped to show where the story was set. Without knowing anything about the Irish culture you learned by reading this story that potatoes are very important. It seems to be the food that they rely on most during the winter. You also learn from the story that you have to put forth a little effort to enjoy the "praties" during the winter. My only concern about the book is how Jamie O'Rourke didn't necessarily put forth a lot of effort, everyone around him did, yet he still got to enjoy the rewards of the hard work.

Review Excerpts:

School Library Journal review: "The text has traditional folklore conventions: exaggerated, yet flat characters; a tricky plot; and of course a happy ending."

Connections:
This book would be great to use in March around St. Patrick's Day. It would be a great way to learn a few things about the Irish culture. I would like to do a KWL chart on the Irish culture and use Jamie O'Rourke and the Big Potato as an introduction, or attention grabber, for the unit.

THE KOREAN CINDERELLA by Shirley Climo

This post was done for an assignment at TWU


Bibliography
Climo, Shirley. 1993. The Korean Cinderella. Ill by Ruth Heller. Mexico: Harper Collins Publishers.



ISBN 0=06-020432-x

Summary

The Korean Cinderella starts off with a couple that had wanted a child for a long time. Eventually they had a daughter. They called her Pear Blossom. The woman died and the man went to a matchmaker to find someone that could look after Pear Blossom. The matchmaker found a woman who had a daughter Pear Blossom's age that was named Peony. The woman gave Pear blossom seemingly impossible tasks to complete. She told her to fill a pot that had a hole in it, to polish a huge sack of rice and to weed the rice paddies. On all three tasks a "magical" animal helped her complete the tasks. A frog filled the hole in the pot, birds polished the rice and a bull ate all the weeds in the rice paddies. If Pear Blossom completed the last task she could go to the village festival. On the way to the festival she stopped to get a pebble out of her shoe. as she did the magistrate cam be. Pear Blossom got scared and ran away leaving her shoe. The magistrate was struck by her beauty and ordered one of his men to pick up her sandal and take him back to the village. At the festival Pear Blossom's step mom was accusing her of stealing fruit (the ox had given it to her). When the magistrate came up her step mother thought he was going to arrest her for stealing but instead said she would become his bride.

Analysis
This book did a good job sticking to the plot of the original Cinderella story. Even if the title did not have Cinderella in it I would have been able to relate the two. With the characters, you felt a little sorry and protective of Pear Blossom while feeling disdain for Omani and even Peony, the step-sister. I do not know a lot about the Korean culture but I know feel that I know a little more by reading this book. The illustrations helped to reinforce that the story was set in Korea. The style of dress, the houses and even the bright and vivid colors gave the impression that the story took place in Korea. The author did a great job of portraying the culture of the Korean Cinderella. While it is a Cinderella story the chores and tasks that Pear Blossom had to do wear centered around the Korean culture.


Review Excerpts


School Library Journal review: "Heller's lush, full-color illustrations capture the vibrancy of traditional Korean culture with great accuracy."


School Library Journal review: "Climo combines three Korean variants on this folktale to create a retelling close to the French version."


Connections:
I like to do a compare and contrast with Cinderella stories. I would do a Cinderella unit for about a week, reading 4 different versions, one on each day. On Friday I would have my class fill out a chart (designed like the Frayer model) that has the differences or aspects that were unique to that book on one part and the similarities in the center of the paper. I would then have the students tell which one was their favorite and why. It depends on the age of the class on how I would do this. If they are older I would have them write about it, if they are younger I would have a few students tell the class. I think it is good for them to see the differences and similarities between different cultures and places. It is a good way to introduce or reinforce this idea with a familiar story.

THE INVENTION OF HUGO CABRET by Brian Selznick

This blog was created for a class at TWU.

Bibliography

Selznick, Brian. 2007. The Invention of Hugo Cabret. New York: Scholastic Press.

ISBN 978-0-439-81378-5


Summary

The Invention of Hugo Cabret is a story about a boy named Hugo who ends up having to take care of himself. Hugo's dad passes away and he is sent to live with his uncle. His uncle lives in a train station and takes care of the clocks at the station. When Hugo's uncle doesn't come back one night Hugo begins to secretly take care of the clocks so that he will have a place to live. When Hugo's father was still alive he found a robot of sorts that was broken and in need of repair. After his father passed Hugo took the robot and worked on fixing it himself. Little did he know that the robot would end up helping him find a "family." Through meeting a young girl and an old man at the train station the story of the robot begins to come to life and eventually lead to Hugo finding a place to be.

Analysis

This was a great book! The story is told not only in words but also in pictures. The parts of the story that are told with pictures only are just as clear as when the author uses words. The illustrations are done in black and white sketches but are fascinating to look at. The details in each picture are amazing. One of my favorite parts was when the security officer was chasing Hugo through the train station. The chase took place over several pages. Even though there were no words you can't help but turn the page to find out what happens next. The pictures are so gripping though that you don't want to turn them too fast because you don't want to miss anything. It was a great mix between words and pictures that helped tell the complete story.

Review Excerpts

Kirkus Reviews: "Selznick's words and art are interwoven to tell a captivating story based on historical elements."

Kirkus Reviews: "The text is a relatively small portion of the book: the rest is beautifully detailed charcoal drawings that create the feel of an old silent film."

Horn Book Review: "There is a bounty of mystery and incident here, along with several excellent chase scenes expertly rendered in the atmospheric,dramatically crosshatched black-and-white (naturally)pencil drawings that make up at least a third of the book."

Connections
I think a great connection to this book in the classroom is to have the students create their own story using pictures. I feel that kids get so caught up and bombarded by technology today that they can loose some of their creativity. As teachers it is our job to make sure they still use their own creativity and don't just rely on technology to help create things. After reading this story I think students will be intrigued and want to create their own story using pictures.
Students can have the option to use both words and pictures or just pictures to tell their story. For starters it can just be a simple story. I want to leave the project pretty open to see what they can come up with.

AUNT MINNIE AND THE TWISTER by Mary Skilling Prigger

This blog was created for class at TWU.


Bibliography


Prigger, Mary Skillings. 2002. Aunt Minnie and the Twister. Ill by Betsy Lewin. New York: Clarion Books.


ISBN 0-618-11136-0


Summary
This is a story about a lady named Minnie who has nine nieces and nephews that live with her. Sometimes the kids complain about being cramped and Aunt Minnie says that they "don't have much room but we have each other." Aunt Minnie rings a school bell when she wants to get the kids attention for something. When a storm comes she rings the bell and gets all of the kids in the storm cellar. When they come out of the cellar after the storm they find that things are all messed up. The strangest thing is that the house is fine but it is turned around backward. The front door now faces the outhouse. To fix the problem they build a new room where the old front door was and built a new front door on the other side of the house.


Analysis

This book was not one of my favorites. I felt it was pretty boring and it did not grab my attention. However, it did teach a good lesson. It talked about being happy and thankful for what you have. The book also showed how to make lemons out of lemonade in a sense. When the house got flipped around instead of getting upset Aunt Minnie came up with a solution that would also give the family more room.



The book did have large illustrations. The illustrations were colorful but not overly bright, they fit well with the story. The characters faces were simply drawn but you could still read the emotions that they were feeling. I feel that my students would be able to relate to the book due to the fact that we live in "tornado alley." The book showed that there was some danger in tornadoes but it did not seem too scary or frightening.

Review Excerpts

Horn Book Magazine review: "The homespun text and unpretentious cartoon artwork present a 1920s family that is resolutely upbeat, except when the kids complain about their cramped living space."

School Library Journal review: "The creativity and strength of the family against the backdrop of disaster makes for a satisfying read."

Connections

A connection that comes to my mind is using this book as a way to introduce tornado safety. I think it shows tornadoes in a real but not to scary way. I would show my students how Aunt Minnie and the children went into the cellar for safety. You do not see a lot of cellars anymore so that will probably need to be explained. I would then ask them to come up with what they would do if they were at home in a tornado.

A CALEDCOTT CELEBRATION by Leonard S. Marcus

This blog was constructed for a course at TWU.

Bibliography

Marcus, Leonard S. 1998. A Caledcott Celebration. New York: Walker and Company.

ISBN# 0-8027-8656-1

Summary

A Caldecott Celebration talked about six winners, over six decades, of the Caldecott Medal. These winning authors included Robert McCloskey for Make Way for Ducklings published in 1942, Marcia Brown for Cinderella published in 1955, Maurice Sendak for Where the Wild Things Are published in 1964, William Steig for Sylvester and the Magic Pebble published in 1970, Chris Van Allsburg for Jumanji published in 1982 and David Wiesner for Tuesday published in 1992. The book started off with a history of the Caledcott Medal. From there the author introduced each author, gave a background of the author and the story of how the winning book came to be.

Analysis

The introduction and history of the Caldecott medal was a great way to start off this book. The author not only gave a history of the medal but also the process used to choose the winners. For each book the author gave a history of the illustrator as well as a bit of information on how the book came about. This book did a very good job describing the six artists and their winning books. Marcus did an excellent job of drawing you into each authors process of the illustrations. I do wonder what criteria was used to pick these six winning authors. The pictures used in this book are the pictures from the winning book. I like how the author also included early sketches as well as the finished illustrations. I learned a lot about the Caldecott Medal process as well as some of the things it takes to get an award winning book.

Review Excerpts

Horn Book Magazine review: "A fresh, inviting examination of an established process and ritual."

Book Report review: "The artist's own words add a sense of humanity and help readers gain respect for their humility, hard work, and the inventive vision in telling significant stories succinctly and with profound and esthetic power."

Connections

I think the main connection I would use this book for would be to introduce and use the books that are featured in the book. If you are not sure about books to share use in your class this gives you a good start.

There is a connection mentioned in the book that I felt was really good. The idea actually came from David Wiesner the author of Tuesday. Tuesday is a wordless book about frogs on flying on lily pads. His suggestion was to let kids put their own words to the story. I thought this was an excellent idea! Kids would h ave such a good time adding words to a story about flying frogs.