Module 15 : Draw Me A Star

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SUMMARY

This books is a simple book, with simple illustrations. The narrator asks to have an object drawn, and then used adjectives to describe it. Towards the end of the book, there are step-by-step instructions on how to draw a star, and then the star asks the artist to hold on to it, and they take flight across the nighttime sky.

APA REFERENCE

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

IMPRESSIONS

Eric Carle wrote this book for his father, and although they are simply written words, they are sweet and tender. The illustrations are done in true Eric Carle fashion, and I imagine it's on a controversial book list because of the nude illustrations that resemble Adam and Eve by a tree.

PROFESSIONAL REVIEW

[Review of the book Draw Me a Star by Eric Carle]. Kirkus review retrieved on 12/02/14 from https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/eric-carle/draw-me-a-star/.

A remarkable, quintessentially simple book encompassing Creation, creativity, and the cycle of life within the eternal. Introduced on the title page as a toddler drawing the first of five lines to make a star, an artist ages until, at the end, he's an old man who takes hold of a star to travel the night sky. Meanwhile, the first star says, "Draw me the sun"; the sun says, "Draw me a tree," and so on: woman and man; house, dog, cat, bird, butterfly, flowers, cloud; a rainbow arching over the middle-aged artist's whole creation; and back to the night and the stars. Carle's trademark style--vibrant tissue collage on dramatic white--is wonderfully effective in expressing the joy of creation, while the economy with which he conveys these universal ideas gives them extraordinary power. Yet the story is disarmingly childlike, concluding with an ingenuous letter from the author with instructions for drawing an eight-point star. Thanks be to the book for asking Carle to "draw" it! (Picture book. 3+)

LIBRARY USES

This would be a great collaborative lesson with an art teacher. The story could be read during library time, and then reinforced in art class. The students could also incorporate writing, and the two could be paired and hung on a library display.

Module 14 : Llama, Llama Red Pajama

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SUMMARY
Llama, Llama in his red pajamas is getting ready for bedtime. Throughout all the rhyming words, the llama and mamma go through a typical evening events that most parents of young children experience. He is waiting for his momma to put him to bed, but momma got busy and llama started to fuss. Eventually his momma comes back to tuck him in and reassures his that she will always be there.


APA REFERENCE
Dewdney, A. (2005). Llama Llama red pajama. New York: Viking.


IMPRESSIONS

I enjoyed this book, and found it very humorous. It reminded me of when I would have to put my kids to bed when they were younger.

PROFESSIONAL REVIEW

[Review of the book Llama, Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney]. Kirkus Review retrieved on November 30, 2014 from https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/anna-dewdney/llama-llama-red-pajama/.

Dewdney’s authorial debut is an uproariously funny tale detailing the true events that occur between lights out and when a wee one actually falls asleep. Feeling bereft after his mother leaves the room, little Llama soon calls down for a drink of water. What happens between that moment and his mom’s arrival is a treat for seasoned parents and a eureka moment for young readers. With unerring accuracy, Dewdney perfectly captures the existential, pint-sized angst little ones experience after they are tucked in for the night. With dead-on comic timing, Dewdney’s snappy verses convey the juxtaposition of little Llama’s escalating anxiety and Mama’s last minute efforts to get something done before heading back up to the room. The full-color, full-bleed illustrations are an intrinsic part of why this tale works so well. The combination of little Llama’s expressions with the ever-darkening hues expertly capture his growing concerns. When Llama’s worries reach their climactic peak, Mama’s sensible but sensitive response soothes both her ruffled baby and young readers alike. Dewdney’s tale is bound to become a comical classic oft-requested at bedtime. (Picture book. 3-7)

LIBRARY USES
This is a great read aloud for young children. This could also be used to teach rhyming words.

Module 13 : Bone Book - Quest for the Spark:Book 2

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SUMMARY

In this book an evil dragon named Nacht threatens to destroy the world. Tom is the young boy who has been chosen to go against Nacht to stop him from his madness. They go around trying to find the Spark's missing pieces all while coming into contact with annoyances and dangerous animals.

APA REFERENCE

Sniegoski, T., & Smith, J. (2011). Bone : Quest for the spark. New York: Graphix.

IMPRESSIONS

Graphic novels are my least favorite genre, so this book was very hard for me to get through. I struggled to finish, and the pictures are too "all over the place" and busy for me. 

PROFESSIONAL REVIEW

[Review of the book Bone: Quest for the Spark by Tom Sniegoski]. Kirkus Review retrieved on November 23, 2014 from https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/tom-sniegoski/bone-quest-spark/.

The Bone universe proves that it can still expand without spreading thin.
As introduced in the previous volume (2011), The Valley, still under a nightmare sleep, awaits rescue from a motley crew of Bones, beasts, a boy and a brawny priest. Jumping right in where the action left off, readers discover that the Nacht’s evil power is strengthening. Tom and his crew are still seeking to reunite pieces of the Spark, and in this adventure, they face some of the most dire peril the group has yet encountered: giant bears and bees, a horrible airship accident and the trek to distant Lorimar, a forest spirit with magical powers. As they battle and overcome these obstacles hurled at them by the Nacht, it seems that they’re getting closer to waking the Valley—but does the Nacht have a plan that may sabotage the group from within? Sniegoski’s writing is strong and swift, and it properly propels the action needed to fuel such a broad crusade. However, those new to the series will want to read this series sequentially: The burst into action offers little back story, and many of the running jokes will be missed without it. An expected cliffhanger will leave readers clamoring for the final installment.
A nimble, expertly paced middle-grade adventure yarn. (Fantasy/adventure. 9 & up)

LIBRARY USES

I can see recommending this to boys and reluctant readers. They seem to be attracted to this type of book.

Module 12 : Rosa

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SUMMARY

This is a story about Rosa Parks, an African American woman who refused to give her seat up on a bus in the 1950s. The book gives a personal history on Parks, and then seamlessly goes into her experiences of racism, and how she helped to peacefully prove her point that she was equal to the other passengers. Rosa and several of African American women protested riding the buses in order show her anger for how she was treated.

APA REFERENCE

Giovanni, N., & Collier, B. (2005). Rosa. New York: Henry Holt.

IMPRESSIONS

The illustrations in this book perfectly emote how she felt at that time. The faces are softly painted, while at the same time, look like they are a collage on the pages. This story is a breath of fresh air to read how peaceful demonstrations are far more effective than riots and fighting.

PROFESSIONAL REVIEW
[Review of the book Rosa by Nikki Giovanni]. Kirkus Review retrieved on 11/17/14 from https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/nikki-giovanni/rosa-3/.

Rosa Parks sat. “She had not sought this moment, but she was ready for it.” When she refused to move out of the neutral section of her bus to make way for white passengers, she sparked the Montgomery bus boycott. She was tired of putting white people first. Giovanni’s lyrical text and Collier’s watercolor-and-collage illustrations combine for a powerful portrayal of a pivotal moment in the civil-rights movement. The art complements and extends the text, with visual references to Emmett Till, the Edmund Pettus Bridge and Martin Luther King, Jr. The yellowish hue of the illustrations represents the Alabama heat, the light emanating from Rosa Parks’s face a shining beacon to all who would stand up for what’s right. A dramatic foldout mural will make this important work even more memorable. An essential volume for classrooms and libraries. (Picture book. 5+)

LIBRARY USES

With the recent news stories about rioting and violence about racism that still surrounds our country, this book would be a great story on peaceful protests and demonstrations. This book also has a bit of Martin Luther King, Jr. in it as well. This can be a great read to compare against the current events our country is now dealing with. It can also be read during February, which is Black History Month. 

Module 11 : 14 Cows for America

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SUMMARY

This story is about Wilson Kimeli Naiyomah,from Africa, who goes to the United States to attend medical school. While he is in America, he experiences one of the most devastating events in United States history: September 11, 2001. He recounts his emotions and and mass chaos to his village back home. To his village, cows are sacred, and Kimeli then asks if their tribe can show support to America by blessing and dedicating cows.

APA REFERENCE

Deedy, C., & Naiyomah, W. (2009). 14 cows for America. Atlanta, Ga.: Peachtree.

IMPRESSIONS

This short story is written eloquently, and with a lot of emotion. At times, the reader can feel the pain he feels for the Americans. The illustrations are swift, light, and beautiful, as they exude the grandness of the sunrises and sunsets of the African sky.

PROFESSIONAL REVIEW
[Review of the book 14 Cows for America by Carmen Agra Deedy]. Kirkus Review retrieved 11/10/14 from https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/carmen-agra-deedy/14-cows-for-america/
 

Wilson Kimeli Naiyomah is about to return home, to a small village in Kenya. He has been studying to become a doctor in the United States. Amid a joyous homecoming, the children in the village ask if he has brought any stories. He has only one; one that has “burned a hole in his heart.” Naiyomah was in New York City on September 11. In gentle yet piercing present-tense prose, storyteller Deedy introduces readers to a young Maasai scholar who wants nothing more than to help a nation heal. In Maasai tradition, cows are sacred, and Naiyomah asks the elders to bless his cow so he can offer it to grieving Americans. In an incredible show of compassion and strength, other villagers join him. Fourteen cows in all, from one tiny Kenyan village, prove that hope and friendship can cross all boundaries. Gonzalez’s saturated paintings, glowing with oranges, reds and browns, radiate a warmth that is matched only by the Maasai’s generosity. A stirring, heartwarming tale that made headlines when it happened—and is now, thankfully, preserved on the page for children. (afterword) (Informational picture book. 4-8)

LIBRARY USES
This book would be a great library short read, and to show how other countries support America. This can be read on September 11, to show a sense of hope and how far we have come. 

Module 10 : The Hallelujah Flight

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SUMMARY

Hallelujah Flight is a beautiful example of following your dreams through hard work and determination. James Banning had a dream, and that dream was to be the first African American to pilot a plane across the United States. He and Mr. Allen had all sorts of obstacles and deterrents that could have made some people quit. However, with a deep dream and lots of will-power they accomplished their goals, and dubbed their flight the Hallelujah Flight.

APA
Bildner, P., & Holyfield, J. (2010). The Hallelujah Flight. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons.

IMPRESSIONS

It is hard to not fall in love with this book storyline, illustrations, and characters. The two men have determination, yet the reader sees a little humor in the dialog too. It is refreshing to see such a strong story have such a light hearted approach.

PROFESSIONAL REVIEW
[Review of the book Hallelujah Flight written by Phil Bildner]. Kirkus Review retrieved on 11/05/14 from https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/phil-bildner/the-hallelujah-flight/.

Pioneering aviator James Banning dreamed of becoming the first African-American to fly across the country, though his biplane was old and worn. Co-pilot Thomas Allen relates how that dream came true in 1932 thanks to the help of people across the country, who contributed encouragement and practical support and wrote their names on the airplane’s wings to be part of the adventure. Based on both fictional and nonfiction sources, the story is briskly told in Allen’s voice, with plenty of imagined dialogue. Holyfield’s gorgeous oil paintings are done on textured backgrounds in a palette of blues and browns. Occasional double-page spreads emphasize the breadth of Banning’s vision, while the majority of scenes show events along the way: their tiny biplane above the Grand Canyon; angry white townspeople refusing to serve them food; a ferocious storm in Pennsylvania. Naysayers called them the “Flying Hoboes” but they called it “The Hallelujah Flight.” Hallelujah, indeed, to Bildner for finding and telling this story. Pair with Amelia and Eleanor Go for a Ride, by Pam Muñoz Ryan and illustrated by Brian Selznick (1999), to illustrate the excitement of early flight. (Picture book. 5-8)

LIBRARY USES

This book would be good to be used during Black History Month and to also promote student's goals and dreams. These two men were determined and no matter what others thought, they always stayed true to their dreams and ambitions.

Module 9 : Cam Jansen and the Mystery of the Circus Clown

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SUMMARY

Aunt Molly's wallet was stolen at the circus. Cam begins to think that there is a clown that is up to something, and she's going to get to the bottom of it.

APA REFERENCE

Adler, D. (1998). Cam Jansen and the Mystery of the Circus Clown. New York: Penguin Group.

IMPRESSIONS

This was a cute book with some twists and turns for a young reader to enjoy. Cam Jansen are easy reads and a great way to get young readers into chapter books.

PROFESSIONAL REVIEW

[Review of the book Cam Jansen and the Mystery of the Circus Clown by David Adler]. Kirkus Review retrieved on October 27, 2014 from https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/david-a-adler-25/cam-jansen-and-the-mystery-of-the-circus-clown/

The latest Cam Jansen mystery, alas, is an open-and-shut case that makes only minimal use of her trademark photographic memory. (With a moment's thought, Cam's sidekick Eric could have solved it--and even the inattentive reader can hardly miss.) Cam, Eric, and Cam's scatty, loquacious, globe-girdling Aunt Molly (who supplies a smidgin of comic interest) are at the circus. Aunt Molly's wallet disappears. Other people's wallets disappear. A clown has bumped those people. Clown's themselves tan disappear, notes Cam, by shedding their disguises. At this point another clown misdirects her away from the Bumping Clown-who, it turns out, is his (female) accomplice. Nothing quite clicks (Cam even has to verify her own hunches here); but fans of the series will probably forgive it an occasional lapse.

LIBRARY USES
This book could be suggested to a small group for book club or a young reader starting chapter books. 

Module 8 : The Maze Runner

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SUMMARY

Book one in a trilogy, The Maze Runner is very popular amongst young readers today. The main character Thomas mysteriously arrives at a place called the "Glade" and inside the Glade are robotic creatures called Grievers, and he has no memory recollection other than his name. Around the outside of the Glade there is a maze with walls so tall no one can see out of it. Although Thomas befriends some of the others in the Glade, he still feels as though he has been there before. His connections run so deep that his friend Teresa is able to speak to him telepathically. The same night she speaks telepathically to him, and they find out that the Maze's doors would stay open and the Grievers will take only one person that night. It is their job to figure out how to get through the Maze by solving a code word.

APA REFERENCE
Dashner, J. (2009). The maze runner. New York: Delacorte Press.


IMPRESSIONS

I am not a fan of post-apocalyptic or dystopian novels. These sort of dark and violent books are very hard for me to read, however I do feel The Maze Runner was well-written, and very descriptive. I found myself wanted to get out of the Glade as quickly as I entered it. I do not think I will continue reading the trilogy.

PROFESSIONAL REVIEW
[Review of the book The Maze Runner by James Dashner]. Kirkus review retrieved on October 19, 2014 from https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/james-dashner/the-maze-runner/.

Boys come to the Glade via an empty freight elevator with no memory of how they got there or of their prior lives. This disorientation is made more frightening when they realize that to survive they must lock themselves in every night to avoid the horrors of the Grievers, beings that are part machine, part animal—and altogether deadly. The boys in the Glade send out Runners each day to find a way out through the Maze that surrounds their one patch of safety, with no success. Life goes on until one day the elevator delivers a girl. She brings a message: She is the last child to be sent, and there will be no more deliveries of food or supplies. Now the Glade is cut off, and as the Grievers gather for an all-out attack it’s clear that it’s now or never—the Maze must be solved. Dashner knows how to spin a tale and make the unbelievable realistic. Hard to put down, this is clearly just a first installment, and it will leave readers dying to find out what comes next. (Science fiction. 12 & up)

LIBRARY USES

There could be a group discussion on comparing and contrasting The Maze Runner and Hunger Games. There could also be a discussion on the slang and language used in the The Maze Runner and how it would feel to be thrown in a new community where you spoke the language, but there were certain words that everyone knew the definition except you.

Module 7 : Out of My Mind

 

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SUMMARY
This is a story about a strong and intelligent young lady who has cerebral palsy, yet no one knows just how bright she is until she receives a machine that allows her to communicate like she has never done before. She excels in life to the best of her abilities, she makes friends, and eventually gets to be on a scholastic team. She has the opportunities to travel with her teammates, until an unfortunate event happens.


APA REFERENCE
Draper, S. (2010). Out of my mind. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

IMPRESSIONS
Out of My Mind is well written, and full of emotions. The reader is placed in the mind of a young girl with cerebral palsy, and is taken on an emotional journey through her daily struggles at home, and at school. The reader is allowed to feel the pains and joys of her life, and Melody becomes a part of the reader by the end of the story.


PROFESSIONAL REVIEW
[Review of the book Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper]. Kirkus review retrieved on October 14, 2014 from https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/sharon-m-draper/out-of-my-mind/.

Melody, diagnosed with cerebral palsy, cannot walk or talk. Despite her parents’ best efforts, the outside world has defined her by her condition. Melody’s life changes when inclusion classrooms are introduced in her school, and she interacts with children other than those in her special-needs unit. To these children, Melody is “other,” and they are mostly uncomfortable with her sounds and jerky movements. Normal problems of school friendships are magnified. Preparation for a trivia competition and acquisition of a computer that lets her communicate her thoughts reveal Melody’s intelligence to the world. Melody is an entirely complete character, who gives a compelling view from inside her mind. Draper never shies away from the difficulties Melody and her family face. Descriptions of both Melody’s challenges—“Going to the bathroom at school just plain sucks”—and the insensitivities of some are unflinching and realistic. Realistically, Melody’s resilient spirit cannot keep her from experiencing heartbreak and disappointment even after she has demonstrated her intellect. This book is rich in detail of both the essential normalcy and the difficulties of a young person with cerebral palsy.

LIBRARY USES
Since this book is too long for a read aloud in the library, a good use would be to ask the ELA teachers to read this book in class and then upon completion come to the library have a class discussion about tolerance and understanding their fellow students that may deal with the same difficulties day in and day out.

Module 6 : The Day the Crayons Quit

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SUMMARY

In The Day the Crayons Quit a box of crayons each write letters to Dalton about why they are overused, overworked, and under-appreciated. This is a fun-loving story about how kids always use the same colors to color things. For example, fire trucks are always red, the ocean and sky are always blue, etc. At the end of the story, Dalton colors a picture using colors that are not "the norm" and he gets an "A" for creativity.

APA REFERENCE
Daywalt, D., & Jeffers, O. (n.d.). The day the crayons quit.

IMPRESSIONS

This is a quick and easy read, with a thrifty perspective from the crayons point-of-view. This book has the opportunity for many lessons to be derived and taught after reading it. The illustrations appear to be done by a small child, very amateur-like, however the details are so lovely the reader has so much to look at while reading about each individual color.

PROFESSIONAL REVIEW

Duncan wants to draw, but instead of crayons, he finds a stack of letters listing the crayons’ demands in this humorous tale.

Red is overworked, laboring even on holidays. Gray is exhausted from coloring expansive spaces (elephants, rhinos and whales). Black wants to be considered a color-in color, and Peach? He’s naked without his wrapper! This anthropomorphized lot amicably requests workplace changes in hand-lettered writing, explaining their work stoppage to a surprised Duncan. Some are tired, others underutilized, while a few want official titles. With a little creativity and a lot of color, Duncan saves the day. Jeffers delivers energetic and playful illustrations, done in pencil, paint and crayon. The drawings are loose and lively, and with few lines, he makes his characters effectively emote. Clever spreads, such as Duncan’s “white cat in the snow” perfectly capture the crayons’ conundrum, and photographic representations of both the letters and coloring pages offer another layer of texture, lending to the tale’s overall believability.

LIBRARY USES

A good library use would be a read-aloud, and then have the children work in groups, choose color without looking, and then write a letter from Dalton, back to the crayons. Once the students have completed their letter, then can illustrate their paper. The completed letters can be hung in the library for everyone to see.

Module 5 : The Blacker the Berry

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SUMMARY

This is a poetry book about African Americans and how their skin color makes them beautiful no matter what. The illustrations are happy and melodic with the verses of the poems. This books is about embracing individuality, and that we are people, and we are more than just our skin color. The children's skin is compared to different foods and drinks and beautifully described and enveloped in many senses.

APA REFERENCE
Thomas, J., & Cooper, F. (2008). The blacker the berry: Poems. New York: HarperCollins.

IMPRESSIONS

I am generally not drawn to poems, but this books was well-written and beautifully illustrated. I enjoyed reading this book and will use it in library lessons in the future. I appreciated the comparison of skin tone to different foods. The author beautifully described the tones, and it was a very enjoyable book.

PROFESSIONAL REVIEW
[Review of the book The Blacker the Berry by Joyce Carol Thomas]. Kirkus review retrieved on 09/30/14 from https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/joyce-carol-thomas/the-blacker-the-berry/.

“What shade is human?” Thomas’s evocative, colorful poetry seeks to answer that question with this celebration of the diversity of African-American children across the spectrum. From “Raspberry Black” to “Golden Goodness,” Cooper’s soft and realistic illustrations almost leap from the page, incorporating natural images from the text in their depiction of a gallery of beautiful, self-confident children. Difficult intraracial social issues related to skin color are handled with truth and respect. For instance, in the poem “Snowberries,” a fair-skinned child speaks back to those who would question her identity: “The words cut deep down / Beyond the bone / Beneath my snowy skin / Deep down where no one can see / I bleed the ‘one drop of blood’ / That makes Black me.” On the page opposite, an auburn-haired girl smiles at the reader, eyes twinkling. An essential picture book that helps young children understand and appreciate differences in skin color. As the epigraph states so truthfully, “Colors, without black, / couldn’t sparkle quite so bright.” (Picture book/poetry. 5-10)

LIBRARY USES

This book would be a great read during Black History Month or at any time throughout the school year to teach about acceptance, and that we are all the same and beautiful even though our skin tones my be different. 

Module 5 : Chatto's Kitchen

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SUMMARY

Chato's Kitchen is about two cats who decide to have mice over for dinner, and the mice willingly accept their invite not knowing they are the dinner feast. When their dog friend Chorizo comes over, the tides change and all the likely enemies enjoyed a Mexican dinner together.

APA REFERENCE
Soto, G., & Guevara, S. (1995). Chato's kitchen. New York: Putnam's.


IMPRESSIONS

This book was entertaining, but the illustrations were far better than the storyline. If this book is being read aloud, the pictures must be shown in order to get the full idea on what the author was trying to convey. All in all, it was a fun and entertaining read.

PROFESSIONAL REVIEW
[Review of the book Chato's Kitchen by Gary Soto]. Kirkus Review retrieved on 10/01/14 from https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/gary-soto/chatos-kitchen/.

Chato and Novio Boy, low-riding East Los Angeles homeboys of the feline variety, have dinner guests. The invitees, a family of five fat mice who just moved in next door, haven't an inkling that they are the intended main course. But when the mice bring along their friend Chorizo (a worldly mutt in a slouch beret) to share the grub, he thwarts the cats' connivings. This unlikely three- species chow-down is a sweet salute to Spanish cooking, with fajitas, frijoles, and quesadillas sharing center stage. Soto delivers a spare, clever text; the words skip like stones across water--``His tail began to swing to the rhythm. He felt the twinge of mambo in his hips.'' Guevara's swarming, luxuriant illustrations give the atmosphere palpability, with brushstrokes so fresh readers will want to stick their fingers in the paint to feel its texture. Menace hangs in the air; the artist mixes the sinisterness of R. Crumb with moments of Edvard Munch terror, yet it seems likely from the outset that the mice are more than capable of looking after themselves. Incidental touches--little devils and angels darting about, a bird wedding glimpsed through a window--are there for the sharp-eyed. Smart, with a nice edge. Soto's inspired finger-snapping prose has found an equally imaginative comrade in Guevara's colorful urban paintings. (Picture book. 4-8)

LIBRARY USES

Chato's Kitchen can be used to help aid in the understanding of dialect. It can also be paired with any Skippy Jon Jones too. Dialect and inflection is difficult for some students to understand, and reading this book aloud will be a humorous way for students to hear dialect.

Module 4 : The Twenty-One Balloons

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SUMMARY

This Newbery Award winning book begins as a retired school teacher, Professor Sherman builds a hot air balloon house which fails, and he lands on a fantasy island. Once he spends a year alone in his travels, the people of his country want to know what he saw during that time.

Once his hot air balloon house fails, he lands on an island is full of diamonds, wealth, and the people on the island are quite the inventors. They live in a mostly worry free world, other than a big volcano that may erupt at any given time. However, they are fully prepared to make a mass exit in the even that happens. 

The volcano of the Krakatoa Island erupts, and Professor Sherman along with the other islanders climb aboard their invention which is a platform that is held afloat by twenty one balloons. This invention gets him back home safely, to which he is able to finally describe his adventures. 

APA REFERENCE
Bois, W. (1947). The twenty-one balloons,. New York: Viking Press.

IMPRESSIONS

This books was a fun and imaginative read, full of inventions, diamonds, and beaches. To a small extent, it resembles the Disney movie "Up". Some of the chapters were lengthy, and had some irrelevant information, but being the book was published in 1947, author William Pene Du Bois was ahead of his time.

PROFESSIONAL REVIEW
[Review of the book The Twenty One Balloons by William Pene Du Bois]. Kirkus Review retrieved on November 1, 2014 from https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/william-pene-dubois-4/the-twenty-one-balloons-2/.

Fanciful adventures of Professor Sherman, who wanted to retire for a year's vacation in a balloon. He broke the 8-Days Around the World record; he landed in a volcanic heaving island of the Pacific; he saw solid diamond mines, the incredible islanders and their incredible way of life, and with the help of a volcanic eruption, he managed the rest of the trip and came home to San Francisco's Explorers' Club to recount his adventures. His Odyssey is a blend of Gulliver and the Oz books -- straight adventure fantasy, flimsy fun. Mr. duBois has done his own beguiling pictures.

LIBRARY USES
This books has had a cover upgrade, and a library lesson could be to compare the original cover with the new cover and explain how publishers are making covers more detailed to entice readers and to shed some insight on what the book is about. The new cover is easier for the reader to infer what the book is about. 

Module 4 : The Giver

 

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SUMMARY

Newbery Award winning author Lois Lowry writes a futuristic novel about a world where there are no feelings, everyone is equal, and lives day to day with no worries. That is until Jonas turns 12 and receives the job as "The Giver" with all the other children in his community that turn 12 and receive their new duties as well. The responsibilities of being "The Giver" bears too much weight for Jonas to carry, and he takes it upon himself to get out of the community and saves Gabriel, a young child that is staying with his family unit that is due to be released the next day.

APA REFERENCE
Lowry, L. (1993). The giver. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.


IMPRESSIONS

This book does a great job creating the sense of numbness within the characters. It isn't until about half way through the book that Jonas starts to question The Giver and his realities. Like Jonas, the reader then gains a sense of frustration and begins to fight for the others in the community to be allowed to feel, see color, and all the other things that being human allows us to do. The ending was a bit confusing and frustrating. It leaves the reader unsure if there is a sequel, and unclear as to what happens to Jonas and Gabriel at the end.

PROFESSIONAL REVIEW
[Review of the book The Giver by Lois Lowry]. Kirkus Reveiw retrieved on November 14, 2014 from https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/lois-lowry/the-giver/.

In a radical departure from her realistic fiction and comic chronicles of Anastasia, Lowry creates a chilling, tightly controlled future society where all controversy, pain, and choice have been expunged, each childhood year has its privileges and responsibilities, and family members are selected for compatibility. As Jonas approaches the "Ceremony of Twelve," he wonders what his adult "Assignment" will be. Father, a "Nurturer," cares for "newchildren"; Mother works in the "Department of Justice"; but Jonas's admitted talents suggest no particular calling. In the event, he is named "Receiver," to replace an Elder with a unique function: holding the community's memories--painful, troubling, or prone to lead (like love) to disorder; the Elder ("The Giver") now begins to transfer these memories to Jonas. The process is deeply disturbing; for the first time, Jonas learns about ordinary things like color, the sun, snow, and mountains, as well as love, war, and death: the ceremony known as "release" is revealed to be murder. Horrified, Jonas plots escape to "Elsewhere," a step he believes will return the memories to all the people, but his timing is upset by a decision to release a newchild he has come to love. Ill-equipped, Jonas sets out with the baby on a desperate journey whose enigmatic conclusion resonates with allegory: Jonas may be a Christ figure, but the contrasts here with Christian symbols are also intriguing. Wrought with admirable skill--the emptiness and menace underlying this Utopia emerge step by inexorable step: a richly provocative novel. (Fiction. 12-16)

LIBRARY USES
This book could be used as a book talk in how a story can seen as utopian and dystopian at the same time. There could be lengthy discussions on how perception and reality fit into our lives, an "outside looking in approach".

Module 3 : Ox Cart Man

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SUMMARY
Ox Cart Man is a poetic storybook about early America written by Donald Hall and illustrated by Barbara Cooney. The pictures are very golden with thin outlines. The story takes the reader on a year long journey in New England through the seasons.

APA REFERENCE
Hall, D., Cooney, B., & Viking Press. (1979). Ox-cart man. New York: Viking Press.

IMPRESSIONS
The pictures are almost like a painted collage, and that makes this particular style of illustrations work with the setting being in New England. The reader is really taken on a journey, and is able to travel with the characters in the book.


PROFESSIONAL REVIEW

[Review of Ox Cart Man, by Donald Hall]. Horn Book. Retrieved 10/15/14 from     http://www.hbook.com/2013/10/news/awards/horn-book-reviews-caldecott-medal-winners-1980-1989/#.

Like a pastoral symphony translated into picture book format, the stunning combination of text and illustrations re-creates the mood of nineteenth-century rural New England. Economical and straightforward, the narrative achieves a poetic tone through the use of alliteration and  repetition, as in the description of the ox-cart man’s preparations for his journey to Portsmouth. “He packed a bag of wool / he sheared from the sheep in April. / He packed a shawl his wife wove on a loom/ from yarn spun at the spinning wheel / from sheep sheared in April.” As an appropriate contrast, the full-color illustrations, suggesting early American paintings on wood, depict the countryside through which he travels, the jostle of the marketplace, and the homely warmth of family life. The various phenomena of the New England landscape —  the vibrant foliage of autumn, the lurid sunsets of winter, the delicate abundance of an orchard in spring — evoke the pattern of a lifestyle geared to the rhythm of the seasonal cycle. Quiet but not static, the book celebrates the peacefulness of a time now past but one which is still, nevertheless, an irrefutable part of the American consciousness.

reviewed in the February 1980 issue of The Horn Book Magazine

1981

LIBRARY USES

This would be a great story to read aloud, and have an open discussion to talk about all the different jobs that each family member had. A discussion can also be about how families work together to make things happen for the better. This story shows how a family working together is a lot like teamwork. Another discussion could be how we do things differently in modern times versus how they were done in the story. 

Module 3 : Flotsam

 

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SUMMARY

The definition of flotsam is debris or items that have been washed up on shore. This book is a wordless book, yet the storyline is crystal clear. This story is about a boy who finds flotsam, and one of the more intriguing items he finds is an underwater camera. This camera is such a treasure because it holds images from deep down under the sea.

APA REFERENCE
Weisner, D. (2006). Flotsam. New York: Clarion Books

IMPRESSIONS
Beautifully and vividly illustrated, this book works even better without words. The reader can swim through the pages and photos from the underwater camera as though they were there themselves. It also gives the reader a bit of hope and surprise to find an item like that too!

PROFESSIONAL REVIEW
[Review of the book Flotsam by David Weisner]. Kirkus Review retrieved on October 21, 2014 from https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/david-wiesner/flotsam/.

From arguably the most inventive and cerebral visual storyteller in children’s literature, comes a wordless invitation to drift with the tide, with the story, with your eyes, with your imagination. A boy at the beach picks up a barnacle-encrusted underwater camera. He develops the film, which produces, first, pictures of a surreal undersea world filled with extraordinary details (i.e., giant starfish bestride the sea carrying mountainous islands on their backs), and then a portrait of a girl holding a picture of a boy holding a picture of another boy . . . and so on . . . and on. Finally, the boy needs a microscope to reveal portraits of children going back in time to a sepia portrait of a turn-of-the-century lad in knickers. The boy adds his own self-portrait to the others, casts the camera back into the waves, and it is carried by a sea creature back to its fantastic depths to be returned as flotsam for another child to find. In Wiesner’s much-honored style, the paintings are cinematic, coolly restrained and deliberate, beguiling in their sibylline images and limned with symbolic allusions. An invitation not to be resisted. (Picture book. 6-11)

LIBRARY USES

This book would be fun to display on the projector for the entire class to view. There could be 2 activities that could take place. A quiet story time would be as the librarian flips the pages, the students would write words to the story, and then share their own words to the illustrations of Flotsam. Another activity would be more interactive, and the students could tell the story out loud as the librarian flips the pages.

Module 2 : Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs

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SUMMARY

This fantastic book is a quirky story written by Judi Barrett and illustrated by Ron Barrett. The story takes place in a town called Chewandswallow. In this little town, when it rains, it rains food! The townspeople have no reason to go grocery shopping or to go out to eat for dinner because every day, food falls from the sky. Eventually the "storms" get so bad, the food is so gigantic that it now is creating catastrophes for the citizens. By the end of the book, the people of Chewandswallow must now get their food the normal way, and grocery shop and cook as usual.

APA REFERENCE

Barrett, J., & Barrett, R. (1988). Cloudy with a chance of meatballs. New York: Atheneum.

IMPRESSIONS

With dated illustrations, and dull colors, this book depicts the 1970's era. Simple lines and cross-hatch shading make the drawings a tad rough, yet allow the reader to embrace the story. Every human loves to eat, and what better way to obtain food than have it fall freely from the sky. Although most would think this would be a great way to avoid the grocery store and cooking, the gluttony and laziness of the townspeople starts to wreak havoc on the community. This is a fun book for young children to fantasize about such a fictitious event.

PROFESSIONAL REVIEW
[Review of the book Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, by Judy Barrett]. Kirkus Review retrieved on 10/30/14 from https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/judi-barrett-8/cloudy-with-a-chance-of-meatballs/.

A flying pancake at breakfast triggers Grandpa's bedtime story set in the far-off land of Chewanswallow, where the food comes out of the sky and ""whatever the weather served, that was what they ate."" Most of the book consists of nothing more than elaborations on this conceit, with running menu information decked out in weather report terminology, but Judi Barrett's examples are nutty enough so that kids won't tire of the gag--even though Ron Barrett's flippy pop cartoons are too literal to enlarge it. The plot thickens with the maple syrup, and at last the portions grow so large that the people are being bombarded and buried by food--and so they all sail off on peanut-butter sandwiches to a land where food is purchased at the supermarket. A dubious improvement perhaps, but Grandpa's imaginings are very close to a little kid's funny bone--which everyone knows is located somewhere along the intestinal tract.

LIBRARY USES
This would be fun to create a class book. Each student could write a short essay and begin the title with "Cloudy with a Chance of ________". Once the books is complete, it could be bound for a library read aloud, and also for student checkouts. 

Module 2: Swimmy

http://www.randomhousekids.com/media/images/books/cover_images/9780394826202.jpg.172x250_q85.jpg

SUMMARY

A tiny little black fish helps a scared school of red fish become brave by overcoming their fears. There were many scary predators deep in the ocean, and it made the little red fish want to hide together without exploring the ocean. Swimmy comes along and teaches the school that with teamwork anything is possible.

APA REFERENCE

Lionni, L., & Lionni, L. (1963). Swimmy. New York: Pantheon.

IMPRESSIONS

This is a great book for young readers to learn about collaboration and teamwork. The images are soft and airy, yet display a strong message. It displays scenes of strife where most "people" would give up or walk away, yet Swimmy is confident, positive, and creative in his solutions.

PROFESSIONAL REVIEW

Linda (April 11, 2014). [Review of Swimmy, by Leo Lionni]. Goodreads. Retrieved 10/10/14 from https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/114308.Swimmy?from_search=true#other_reviews.

As a 50th Anniversary edition, you know it's got to be a classic. Indeed, it is.

Swimmy is a little black fish. He swims the big sea alone much of the time and is lonely. He does find other small fish to be fearful of those big fish, the predator fish. Swimmy comes up with a wonderful teamwork plan to keep them safe and yet able to swim in their ocean rather than staying huddled up inside a cavern or behind a rock. It is their home too, you know.

This is a book filled with great illustrations that takes the reader below the surface of the sea. Through discovery in this big wide ocean, Swimmy finds that a little bit of community and working together to overcome danger and releasing fear turns loneliness into fresh expansive living by being open to what is before you. We can take this lesson and use it whether under water, in the air, or on the earth. You will love this book if it is new to you or if it is time to break it out for the grandchildren.

Award: Caldecott Honor Book - 1964

Reading Level: Age range: 3 - 7 Years

LEO LIONNI wrote and illustrated more than 40 picture books, including four Caldecott Honor books--Inch by Inch, Swimmy, Frederick, and Alexander and the Wind-Up Mouse. He was born in Amsterdam, The Netherlands in 1910. He attended schools in Europe and the United States, eventually earning a PhD. He spoke five languages. In 1939, he immigrated to the United States, and was naturalized as a citizen in 1945. He worked as a design director, artist, author, and sculptor. His work has been shown throughout Europe and America. He died in 1999 at the age of 89.
Random House has devoted a page with links to learn more about Mr. Lionni @ http://www.randomhousekids.com/brand/... It includes activities, videos, and all the books that they have published of Mr. Lionni's.

LIBRARY USES

This book would be great used in an elementary setting to demonstrate anti-bullying. There could also be a short reenactment of the story line to show how it is easier to stand up against the bad if you are in a large group (power in numbers).

Module 1: Interrupting Chicken

SUMMARY
This is a story about a quirky young chicken that loves to get read stories before bedtime. He is so excited when his papa starts to read him a story, he can't help himself not to finish. His papa gets frustrated, and tell the young chicken to read him a bedtime story instead. 

Stein, D. (2010). Interrupting chicken. Somerville, Mass.: Candlewick Press. 


IMPRESSIONS

This is a sweet book that shows the relationship between a father and son during a sweet part of the day, bedtime. Most stories try to evoke emotion between a mother and her children, yet this children's book displays a father doing what seems to be a night routine with his son. I love how this book shows the young chicken eager to read, and the reader can tell there is so much excitement that this little chicken looks forward to this part of the evening. The illustrations have an oil pastel feel about them, and at times display rough sketch marks. The colors are deep and warm to show that even though the book doesn't show windows, it is still night time. The lit up lamp creates a circle glow around the characters to make the reader feel as though they are in a theater to show where the spotlight is on the actors. I also love how the papa chicken reads the young chicken classic stories like Hansel and Gretel and Little Red Riding Hood for bedtime. The illustrations of the classic stories shows little chicken in the book, which also shows the reader how interested and excited he is to hear these stories.

PROFESSIONAL REVIEW
[Review of the book Interrupting Chicken, by D. Stein]. Kirkus Review retrieved on Sept. 9, 2014 from https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/david-ezra-stein/interrupting-chicken/.

Despite repeated vows to stop interrupting, a little red chicken can’t resist jumping in to cut her Papa’s bedtime tales short with plot giveaways—“DON’T GO IN! SHE’S A WITCH!”—and truncated, happy endings. Endowing his poultry with flamboyantly oversized combs and wattles, Stein switches between stylish but cozy bedroom scenes and illustrations from each attempted story (into which little red chicken forcibly inserts herself) done in a scribbly, line-and-color style reminiscent of Paul Galdone’s picture-book fairy tales. Having run out of stories, exasperated Papa suggests to little red chicken that she make one up for him, which she does in laborious block print on lined paper, complete with crayoned stick-figure illustrations. Closing with an intimate snuggle after Papa instantly dozes off, this tender iteration of a familiar nighttime ritual will be equally welcomed by fond parents and those children for whom listening to stories is anything but a passive activity. (Picture book. 4-6)

LIBRARY USES

This would be a great lesson for the beginning of the year for young elementary students. If a librarian does a read aloud, it would be a nice way to show that although the students may have read or heard the story before, they need to listen quietly. It is also a good way to start a lesson on listening and library manners.