Bibliography
Kinney, Jeff. 2007. Diary of a Wimpy Kid. New York, NY. Amulet Books. ISBN 9780810982925.
Plot Summary
Greg Heffley chronicles his sixth-grade year as he and his best friend Rowley seek middle school immortality. Greg is determined to raise his popularity and improve his image in the new school year, but seems to stumble at every turn. Following failed attempts at joining the wrestling team, performing in the school play, and drawing cartoons for the school paper, a case of mistaken identity drives a rift into the boys’ friendship. Greg continues his quest alone and eventually an encounter with a moldy piece of cheese re-kindles Greg and Rowley’s friendship.
Critical Analysis
Kinney portrays Greg as a self-centered sixth-grader determined to make his mark on middle school. Greg blames all of his problems on others and believes everything is fine, as long as he isn’t the one in trouble. Essentially, he is an average 11-year-old boy. Accurately and hilariously written as Greg’s journal, complete with hand-printed style font and simple black and white drawings, the overall effect is a true glimpse into a year in the life of Greg Heffley. His adventures reflect the classic middle school experience and Greg is “every student.”
Kinney delights his audience with tales of Greg’s failed attempts at running for student government office and trying to “bulk up” for the wrestling team, all the while illustrating Greg’s egocentricity and lack of social skill. Greg may never achieve immortality, but he does lose a friend, earning the friendship back only when he finally accepts the blame for something he didn’t do – along with the dreaded “cheese touch.” In the end, though, Greg never does seem to realize his past mistakes. Hopefully, clever readers will recognize the error of Greg’s ways and note how not to make friends.
Review Excerpts
Starred Review from Publisher’s Weekly: Greg's mother forces him to keep a diary ("I know what it says on the cover, but when Mom went out to buy this thing I specifically told her to get one that didn't say 'diary' on it"), and in it he loosely recounts each day's events, interspersed with his comic illustrations. Kinney has a gift for believable preteen dialogue and narration (e.g., "Don't expect me to be all 'Dear Diary' this and 'Dear Diary' that"), and the illustrations serve as a hilarious counterpoint to Greg's often deadpan voice.
From School Library Journal: His attempts to prove his worthiness in the popularity race (he estimates he's currently ranked 52nd or 53rd) are constantly foiled by well-meaning parents, a younger and older brother, and nerdy friends. While Greg is not the most principled protagonist, it is his very obliviousness to his faults that makes him such an appealing hero.
Connections
Keep a journal for a week.
Choose one of Greg’s mis-adventures and share what you would have done differently.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
A Review of RULES by Cynthia Lord
Bibliography
Lord, Cynthia. 2006. Rules. New York, NY. Scholastic Press. ISBN 0439443822.
Plot Summary
Twelve-year-old Catherine is standing at the edge of a summer ripe with possibilities: a new neighbor moving in next door, and a new friend in an unexpected place. While joining her mother and her brother David for his visits to an occupational therapist, Catherine meets Jason. Jason is confined to a wheelchair and only able to communicate by pointing at words and pictures in a book. Still, a friendship blooms during their brief visits in the clinic waiting room.
Then Catherine meets Kristi, her sure-to-be-popular new neighbor and her summer is off. But within everything, is David. Eight year-old David is autistic and Catherine just wants a normal life. In an attempt to reach normal, Catherine keeps a list of rules for David in the back of her sketchbook: “You can yell on a playground, but not during dinner. A boy can take off his shirt to swim, but not his shorts.” She struggles to help David learn the rules and balance her new friendships. When Kristi suggests that Catherine invite Jason to a dance, Catherine is torn, afraid her new, and old, friends will make fun of Jason. In the end, Catherine breaks her own rule and learns that sometimes you simply have to accept life as it is.
Critical Analysis
Cynthia Lord takes us on a journey through the world of disabilities, as seen through the eyes of a family member. She reaches into the heart of the middle school quest for normalcy and fear of difference and reminds us that, “Sometimes, you’ve gotta work with what you’ve got.” As Catherine attempts to help her brother David learn the rules of life, she struggles with her own rules. She clearly loves and cares for David, but also worries deeply about how others see him, and as a result, her family. It is this concern for appearances and desire to fit in that will resonate with young readers.
When Catherine meets Jason in the therapy clinic waiting room, she must explore her concerns from a new perspective. She didn’t get to choose her brother, but what will her friends think if she invites Jason, in his wheelchair, to the dance? Lord honestly portrays Catherine’s turmoil through-out the story, as well as her new-found strength when she finally reaches her decision.
While exploring Catherine’s ambivalence, Lord never leaves the reader questioning Catherine’s love for David. Through-out the book, they share lines from Arnold Lobel’s Frog and Toad stories in their own language and following their rules: “If you don’t have the words you need, borrow someone else’s.” and “If you need to borrow words, Arnold Lobel has some good ones.” In the end Catherine realizes that she may never find a “normal” life, but what she has can be enough.
Awards and Reviews
Newbery Honor Book
From School Library Journal: Rules of behavior are less important than acceptance of others. Catherine is an endearing narrator who tells her story with both humor and heartbreak.
From Booklist: The details of autistic behavior are handled well, as are depictions of relationships: Catherine experiences some of the same unease with Jason that others do in the presence of her brother.
Connections
Read another book about someone with a disability and compare the experiences and events included.
Lord, Cynthia. 2006. Rules. New York, NY. Scholastic Press. ISBN 0439443822.
Plot Summary
Twelve-year-old Catherine is standing at the edge of a summer ripe with possibilities: a new neighbor moving in next door, and a new friend in an unexpected place. While joining her mother and her brother David for his visits to an occupational therapist, Catherine meets Jason. Jason is confined to a wheelchair and only able to communicate by pointing at words and pictures in a book. Still, a friendship blooms during their brief visits in the clinic waiting room.
Then Catherine meets Kristi, her sure-to-be-popular new neighbor and her summer is off. But within everything, is David. Eight year-old David is autistic and Catherine just wants a normal life. In an attempt to reach normal, Catherine keeps a list of rules for David in the back of her sketchbook: “You can yell on a playground, but not during dinner. A boy can take off his shirt to swim, but not his shorts.” She struggles to help David learn the rules and balance her new friendships. When Kristi suggests that Catherine invite Jason to a dance, Catherine is torn, afraid her new, and old, friends will make fun of Jason. In the end, Catherine breaks her own rule and learns that sometimes you simply have to accept life as it is.
Critical Analysis
Cynthia Lord takes us on a journey through the world of disabilities, as seen through the eyes of a family member. She reaches into the heart of the middle school quest for normalcy and fear of difference and reminds us that, “Sometimes, you’ve gotta work with what you’ve got.” As Catherine attempts to help her brother David learn the rules of life, she struggles with her own rules. She clearly loves and cares for David, but also worries deeply about how others see him, and as a result, her family. It is this concern for appearances and desire to fit in that will resonate with young readers.
When Catherine meets Jason in the therapy clinic waiting room, she must explore her concerns from a new perspective. She didn’t get to choose her brother, but what will her friends think if she invites Jason, in his wheelchair, to the dance? Lord honestly portrays Catherine’s turmoil through-out the story, as well as her new-found strength when she finally reaches her decision.
While exploring Catherine’s ambivalence, Lord never leaves the reader questioning Catherine’s love for David. Through-out the book, they share lines from Arnold Lobel’s Frog and Toad stories in their own language and following their rules: “If you don’t have the words you need, borrow someone else’s.” and “If you need to borrow words, Arnold Lobel has some good ones.” In the end Catherine realizes that she may never find a “normal” life, but what she has can be enough.
Awards and Reviews
Newbery Honor Book
From School Library Journal: Rules of behavior are less important than acceptance of others. Catherine is an endearing narrator who tells her story with both humor and heartbreak.
From Booklist: The details of autistic behavior are handled well, as are depictions of relationships: Catherine experiences some of the same unease with Jason that others do in the presence of her brother.
Connections
Read another book about someone with a disability and compare the experiences and events included.
A Review of HOW I LIVE NOW by Meg Rosoff
Bibliography
Rosoff, Meg. 2004. How I Live Now. New York, NY. Wendy Lamb Books. ISBN 038590908X.
Plot Summary
As war looms around the world, 15-year-old New Yorker Daisy is sent to spend the summer with family she has never met in the English countryside. Sent away for a variety of reasons, Daisy quickly falls into the pattern of farm life amongst her dead mother’s family. When her aunt travels to Norway to help with the “Peace Process,” the cousins expect to enjoy a short time with only 16-year-old Osbert in charge. Life changes quickly and permanently though, when “The Enemy” attacks London, severing it from the outside world. Soon “The Enemy” has occupied England, but Daisy and her cousins “didn’t really care.” They continue to live a quiet life on the farm, enjoying their freedom. When the British Army sequesters the family home for quarters, the children are separated and sent to other families. As events escalate, Daisy and nine-year-old Piper work to return home, hoping to find Osbert, Isaac, and Daisy’s love Edmond on the way. What they do find are the horrors of war and an empty farm. Suddenly, Daisy finds herself back in New York longing for her life on the farm.
Critical Analysis
Rosoff voices Daisy in a way only a teenaged girl can speak – quickly and with infrequent punctuation. While the voice rings true, the lack of properly punctuated dialogue quickly becomes annoying, and occasionally confusing. Still, the story is engaging and the action moves at a quick pace. Daisy wastes no time in becoming romantically involved with her cousin Edmond. While the romance, and Edmond’s apparent mind-reading abilities, does provide an interesting twist, the incestuous nature of the relationship is troubling. Also troubling is Daisy’s struggle with anorexia, made even more so by Daisy’s admission that she starves herself not just to be thin, but to manipulate those around her. While the plot does keep the reader involved and Rosoff’s descriptions of the atrocities of war are frighteningly accurate, the incestuous relationship does not outweigh the writing skill.
Awards and Reviews
Guardian Children's Fiction Prize 2004
Michael L. Printz Award 2004
From Publisher’s Weekly: Teens may feel that they have experienced a war themselves as they vicariously witness Daisy's worst nightmares. Like the heroine, readers will emerge from the rubble much shaken, a little wiser and with perhaps a greater sense of humanity.
Connections
Research the experiences of people living in occupied countries and experiencing sequestration of their homes.
Rosoff, Meg. 2004. How I Live Now. New York, NY. Wendy Lamb Books. ISBN 038590908X.
Plot Summary
As war looms around the world, 15-year-old New Yorker Daisy is sent to spend the summer with family she has never met in the English countryside. Sent away for a variety of reasons, Daisy quickly falls into the pattern of farm life amongst her dead mother’s family. When her aunt travels to Norway to help with the “Peace Process,” the cousins expect to enjoy a short time with only 16-year-old Osbert in charge. Life changes quickly and permanently though, when “The Enemy” attacks London, severing it from the outside world. Soon “The Enemy” has occupied England, but Daisy and her cousins “didn’t really care.” They continue to live a quiet life on the farm, enjoying their freedom. When the British Army sequesters the family home for quarters, the children are separated and sent to other families. As events escalate, Daisy and nine-year-old Piper work to return home, hoping to find Osbert, Isaac, and Daisy’s love Edmond on the way. What they do find are the horrors of war and an empty farm. Suddenly, Daisy finds herself back in New York longing for her life on the farm.
Critical Analysis
Rosoff voices Daisy in a way only a teenaged girl can speak – quickly and with infrequent punctuation. While the voice rings true, the lack of properly punctuated dialogue quickly becomes annoying, and occasionally confusing. Still, the story is engaging and the action moves at a quick pace. Daisy wastes no time in becoming romantically involved with her cousin Edmond. While the romance, and Edmond’s apparent mind-reading abilities, does provide an interesting twist, the incestuous nature of the relationship is troubling. Also troubling is Daisy’s struggle with anorexia, made even more so by Daisy’s admission that she starves herself not just to be thin, but to manipulate those around her. While the plot does keep the reader involved and Rosoff’s descriptions of the atrocities of war are frighteningly accurate, the incestuous relationship does not outweigh the writing skill.
Awards and Reviews
Guardian Children's Fiction Prize 2004
Michael L. Printz Award 2004
From Publisher’s Weekly: Teens may feel that they have experienced a war themselves as they vicariously witness Daisy's worst nightmares. Like the heroine, readers will emerge from the rubble much shaken, a little wiser and with perhaps a greater sense of humanity.
Connections
Research the experiences of people living in occupied countries and experiencing sequestration of their homes.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
A Review of THE SEER OF SHADOWS
Bibliography
Avi. 2008. The Seer of Shadows. New York. HarperCollins. ISBN 9780060000165.
Plot Summary
Scientific and rational Horace Carpetine lives in New York in 1872 and serves as apprentice to Enoch Middleditch, society photographer. When Middleditch sees dollar signs in the eyes of a mother who has lost her child, Horace begins to question his role as apprentice and the photographer’s morals. After Middleditch photographs the distraught mother in her home, Horace finds ghostly images of the departed daughter appearing in the pictures. In his quest to uncover the cause of the images, Horace is befriended by the family’s serving girl, Pegg. Soon, he is caught up in a supernatural mystery causing him to question all of the rational teachings of his father. Fighting everything he has been raised to believe, Horace faces the spirit of the lost daughter and unearths the cause of her unrest.
Critical Analysis
Written in the formal, educated manner one would expect from an adult of the latter nineteenth century, fourteen year-old Horace’s tale unfolds quickly and draws the reader into the mystery of Eleanora Von Macht’s death. The story reads as one which the author has long-awaited telling and his relief at doing so is palpable. Avi, writing as Horace in memoir, fills the story with characters that all children know exist, even if only in stories: the earnest and eager young apprentice, the greedy tradesman, the “grieving” mother, and the distraught friend seeking justice; then wraps them in a veil of ghostly mystery.
Set in New York in 1872, Avi describes the city in such a way that it materializes around Horace and Pegg as they navigate the streets. Moving quickly into the mystery surrounding Eleanora’s death, Pegg slowly reveals details as she grows to trust Horace. Horace soon realizes his talent for seeing the departed, along with Eleanora’s desire for vengeance. As the young team races to assuage Eleanora’s spirit and help her find rest, Horace, and the reader find that not everything can be explained rationally and sometimes one must just believe what is seen.
Always returning to the photography that unleashes the vengeful Eleanora, Avi does not shy from allowing Horace to explain the processes and continue to practice his trade. Fans of photography will enjoy the attention to detail within these descriptive passages.
Awards and Reviews
Starred Review from Publisher’s Weekly - An intriguing ghost story. Details about photographic processes add authenticity, while the book’s somber ending will leave spines tingling.
From Kirkus Review - This tale proves that the time-honored ghost story, capably researched, well-paced and fusing the Gothic elements of mystery, madness and romance, can still thrill in the hands of a skilled craftsman.
Connections
Share your favorite ghost story with a friend.
Research Nineteenth Century apprenticeships and what kinds of trades were learned.
Avi. 2008. The Seer of Shadows. New York. HarperCollins. ISBN 9780060000165.
Plot Summary
Scientific and rational Horace Carpetine lives in New York in 1872 and serves as apprentice to Enoch Middleditch, society photographer. When Middleditch sees dollar signs in the eyes of a mother who has lost her child, Horace begins to question his role as apprentice and the photographer’s morals. After Middleditch photographs the distraught mother in her home, Horace finds ghostly images of the departed daughter appearing in the pictures. In his quest to uncover the cause of the images, Horace is befriended by the family’s serving girl, Pegg. Soon, he is caught up in a supernatural mystery causing him to question all of the rational teachings of his father. Fighting everything he has been raised to believe, Horace faces the spirit of the lost daughter and unearths the cause of her unrest.
Critical Analysis
Written in the formal, educated manner one would expect from an adult of the latter nineteenth century, fourteen year-old Horace’s tale unfolds quickly and draws the reader into the mystery of Eleanora Von Macht’s death. The story reads as one which the author has long-awaited telling and his relief at doing so is palpable. Avi, writing as Horace in memoir, fills the story with characters that all children know exist, even if only in stories: the earnest and eager young apprentice, the greedy tradesman, the “grieving” mother, and the distraught friend seeking justice; then wraps them in a veil of ghostly mystery.
Set in New York in 1872, Avi describes the city in such a way that it materializes around Horace and Pegg as they navigate the streets. Moving quickly into the mystery surrounding Eleanora’s death, Pegg slowly reveals details as she grows to trust Horace. Horace soon realizes his talent for seeing the departed, along with Eleanora’s desire for vengeance. As the young team races to assuage Eleanora’s spirit and help her find rest, Horace, and the reader find that not everything can be explained rationally and sometimes one must just believe what is seen.
Always returning to the photography that unleashes the vengeful Eleanora, Avi does not shy from allowing Horace to explain the processes and continue to practice his trade. Fans of photography will enjoy the attention to detail within these descriptive passages.
Awards and Reviews
Starred Review from Publisher’s Weekly - An intriguing ghost story. Details about photographic processes add authenticity, while the book’s somber ending will leave spines tingling.
From Kirkus Review - This tale proves that the time-honored ghost story, capably researched, well-paced and fusing the Gothic elements of mystery, madness and romance, can still thrill in the hands of a skilled craftsman.
Connections
Share your favorite ghost story with a friend.
Research Nineteenth Century apprenticeships and what kinds of trades were learned.
A Review of NUMBER THE STARS
Bibliography
Lowry, Lois. 1989. Number the Stars. New York. Houghton Mifflin. ISBN 0395510600.
Plot Summary
Best friends Annemarie and Ellen live in Copenhagen during the German Occupation. Passing German troops on their way home from school is a daily occurrence. As the Danish Resistance learns of plans to “relocate” Denmark’s Jewish population, Annemarie’s family shelters Ellen as one of their own. Escaping the midnight raids, Annemarie and Ellen, along with Annemarie’s mother and sister Kirsti, head for the fishing village of Mama’s youth. Not sure why they are there or how long they might stay, the girls suddenly find themselves in the midst of the Danish Resistance operation to smuggle most of the Jewish population of Denmark into Sweden. Annemarie discovers her own role in the operation and faces her fears to see her task to completion.
Critical Analysis
Annemarie Johansen is ten years old. She tells her five-year-old sister stories of kings and queens in their palaces, but overhears her parent’s talk of the Danish Resistance. Caught between wanting to make-believe and knowing their lives will never be the same, Annemarie is forced to grow up quickly. As she tells the story of two families caught in the German occupation of Denmark, Lowry captures the bravery and heroism even the youngest can possess.
Looking through Annemarie’s eyes, we see Nazi soldiers everywhere: on every street corner, in the train station, even on the train as they help her Jewish best friend, Ellen Rosen, escape. Through her eyes we also see the beauty of Copenhagen and her memories of better times. But, in true childhood fashion, she takes all of the changes in stride and adjusts as necessary. As her family helps the Rosen family in their escape, Annemarie realizes the gravity of the situation but never shies away from what must be done – even thinking to help remove Ellen’s Star of David pendant when Nazi soldiers come knocking on the door.
Lowry keeps the plot progressing quickly, never allowing time for the reader to grow bored. Shortly after the family’s arrival in Gilleleje, the true nature of the family’s involvement in the Rosens’ escape becomes apparent, and Annemarie’s bravery is tested. Throughout the story, Lowry portrays Annemarie as exactly what she is: a resilient ten-year-old in an unimaginable situation, but one who handles events in spite of her fear.
Lowry’s characters are completely fictional, but the events around them are true occurrences. In her afterword, she reminds us of that fact. She also reminds us that the story of Denmark must call us to dream of a future of full of human decency.
Awards and Reviews
Newbery Medal Winner
From School Library Journal - The gripping story of a ten-year-old Danish girl and her family's courageous efforts to smuggle Jews out of their Nazi-occupied homeland to safety in Sweden. Readers are taken to the very heart of Annemarie's experience, and, through her eyes, come to understand the true meaning of bravery.
Connections
Research the Danes who fled the German raids and those who assisted them.
Lowry, Lois. 1989. Number the Stars. New York. Houghton Mifflin. ISBN 0395510600.
Plot Summary
Best friends Annemarie and Ellen live in Copenhagen during the German Occupation. Passing German troops on their way home from school is a daily occurrence. As the Danish Resistance learns of plans to “relocate” Denmark’s Jewish population, Annemarie’s family shelters Ellen as one of their own. Escaping the midnight raids, Annemarie and Ellen, along with Annemarie’s mother and sister Kirsti, head for the fishing village of Mama’s youth. Not sure why they are there or how long they might stay, the girls suddenly find themselves in the midst of the Danish Resistance operation to smuggle most of the Jewish population of Denmark into Sweden. Annemarie discovers her own role in the operation and faces her fears to see her task to completion.
Critical Analysis
Annemarie Johansen is ten years old. She tells her five-year-old sister stories of kings and queens in their palaces, but overhears her parent’s talk of the Danish Resistance. Caught between wanting to make-believe and knowing their lives will never be the same, Annemarie is forced to grow up quickly. As she tells the story of two families caught in the German occupation of Denmark, Lowry captures the bravery and heroism even the youngest can possess.
Looking through Annemarie’s eyes, we see Nazi soldiers everywhere: on every street corner, in the train station, even on the train as they help her Jewish best friend, Ellen Rosen, escape. Through her eyes we also see the beauty of Copenhagen and her memories of better times. But, in true childhood fashion, she takes all of the changes in stride and adjusts as necessary. As her family helps the Rosen family in their escape, Annemarie realizes the gravity of the situation but never shies away from what must be done – even thinking to help remove Ellen’s Star of David pendant when Nazi soldiers come knocking on the door.
Lowry keeps the plot progressing quickly, never allowing time for the reader to grow bored. Shortly after the family’s arrival in Gilleleje, the true nature of the family’s involvement in the Rosens’ escape becomes apparent, and Annemarie’s bravery is tested. Throughout the story, Lowry portrays Annemarie as exactly what she is: a resilient ten-year-old in an unimaginable situation, but one who handles events in spite of her fear.
Lowry’s characters are completely fictional, but the events around them are true occurrences. In her afterword, she reminds us of that fact. She also reminds us that the story of Denmark must call us to dream of a future of full of human decency.
Awards and Reviews
Newbery Medal Winner
From School Library Journal - The gripping story of a ten-year-old Danish girl and her family's courageous efforts to smuggle Jews out of their Nazi-occupied homeland to safety in Sweden. Readers are taken to the very heart of Annemarie's experience, and, through her eyes, come to understand the true meaning of bravery.
Connections
Research the Danes who fled the German raids and those who assisted them.
Bibliography
Curtis, Christopher Paul. 2007. Elijah of Buxton. New York. Scholastic Press. ISBN 0439023440.
Plot Summary
Born to escaped slaves, eleven-year-old Elijah Freeman is the first free-born child in the Canadian settlement of Buxton. Curtis shares tales of Elijah’s daily life, including school, chores, friends, and Elijah’s amazingly accurate talent for “chunking” rocks. Eventually, Elijah ventures into the United States in an attempt to recover stolen funds intended to buy a family’s freedom. Elijah overcomes his tendency to being “fra-gile” and rises to the challenge of the occasion.
Critical Analysis
Drawing characters so believable that I can hear their voices echoing in my head, Curtis populates the real-life settlement of Buxton, Canada with fictional former slaves and their freeborn children in an engaging portrait of life outside of slavery in 1860. Told by eleven-year-old Elijah Freeman and written in the vernacular, the language adds to the development of the characters and their lives. At 338 pages, the plot is a bit slow in developing with the first half of the book consisting mainly of vignettes of daily life; however, these vignettes establish for the reader a clear understanding of the hardships faced as escaped slaves make their way to Buxton, as well as the everyday trials of its inhabitants. They also clearly illustrate character traits critical to the climax of the story.
As the story nears its climax, Elijah and his friend Mr. Leroy embark on a mission to find the duplicitous Preacher and the pilfered funds needed to buy Mr. Leroy’s family out of bondage. But, Elijah suddenly finds himself alone and in danger. Already convinced that he is not as “fra-gile” as his parents might believe, Elijah finally has the chance to prove his capabilities. In a move worthy of all children eager to stretch their wings, Elijah faces tough decisions and takes action to right wrongs.
According to the author’s note, while much of the story is fiction, many of the details are based on actual events and former slaves’ stories. Curtis also incorporates contemporary heroes when Elijah, as the first free-born child in Buxton, welcomes Frederick Douglass and John Brown, who actually did visit the settlement, although at separate times. Calling Buxton “an inspiration,” Curtis strongly encourages the reader to visit the Buxton National Historic Site and Museum where visitors can experience for themselves life in the 1860s.
Awards and Reviews
Newbery Honor Book
Coretta Scott King Award Winner
Starred Review from Booklist - After his mother rebukes him for screaming that hoop snakes have invaded Buxton, gullible 11-year-old Elijah confesses to readers that "there ain't nothing in the world she wants more than for me to quit being so doggone fra-gile."
Connections
Research the Underground Railroad and present a description of what one might find at a “stop” on the road to freedom.
Curtis, Christopher Paul. 2007. Elijah of Buxton. New York. Scholastic Press. ISBN 0439023440.
Plot Summary
Born to escaped slaves, eleven-year-old Elijah Freeman is the first free-born child in the Canadian settlement of Buxton. Curtis shares tales of Elijah’s daily life, including school, chores, friends, and Elijah’s amazingly accurate talent for “chunking” rocks. Eventually, Elijah ventures into the United States in an attempt to recover stolen funds intended to buy a family’s freedom. Elijah overcomes his tendency to being “fra-gile” and rises to the challenge of the occasion.
Critical Analysis
Drawing characters so believable that I can hear their voices echoing in my head, Curtis populates the real-life settlement of Buxton, Canada with fictional former slaves and their freeborn children in an engaging portrait of life outside of slavery in 1860. Told by eleven-year-old Elijah Freeman and written in the vernacular, the language adds to the development of the characters and their lives. At 338 pages, the plot is a bit slow in developing with the first half of the book consisting mainly of vignettes of daily life; however, these vignettes establish for the reader a clear understanding of the hardships faced as escaped slaves make their way to Buxton, as well as the everyday trials of its inhabitants. They also clearly illustrate character traits critical to the climax of the story.
As the story nears its climax, Elijah and his friend Mr. Leroy embark on a mission to find the duplicitous Preacher and the pilfered funds needed to buy Mr. Leroy’s family out of bondage. But, Elijah suddenly finds himself alone and in danger. Already convinced that he is not as “fra-gile” as his parents might believe, Elijah finally has the chance to prove his capabilities. In a move worthy of all children eager to stretch their wings, Elijah faces tough decisions and takes action to right wrongs.
According to the author’s note, while much of the story is fiction, many of the details are based on actual events and former slaves’ stories. Curtis also incorporates contemporary heroes when Elijah, as the first free-born child in Buxton, welcomes Frederick Douglass and John Brown, who actually did visit the settlement, although at separate times. Calling Buxton “an inspiration,” Curtis strongly encourages the reader to visit the Buxton National Historic Site and Museum where visitors can experience for themselves life in the 1860s.
Awards and Reviews
Newbery Honor Book
Coretta Scott King Award Winner
Starred Review from Booklist - After his mother rebukes him for screaming that hoop snakes have invaded Buxton, gullible 11-year-old Elijah confesses to readers that "there ain't nothing in the world she wants more than for me to quit being so doggone fra-gile."
Connections
Research the Underground Railroad and present a description of what one might find at a “stop” on the road to freedom.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Review of DOGS by Seymour Simon
Bibliography
Simon, Seymour. 2004. Dogs. Harper Collins. New York. ISBN 0060289430.
Plot Summary
“The domestic dog is the most popular pet in the world,” is the statistic that opens Simon’s volume on dogs. He provides an overview of dog breeds and characteristics, including their highly sensitive sense of smell. Next he moves on to the birth and development of puppies. Simon continues with the traits of sporting and non-sporting dogs, eventually ending with how to go about acquiring and caring for a pet dog.
Critical Analysis
A well-known name in children’s informational books, Seymour Simon provides his usual succinct and well-organized delivery for younger readers. Simon uses full-color photographs of a variety of dogs to complement his easy-to-read text on all things dog. Children of all ages will enjoy flipping through the pictures while browsing the plethora of information. Browsing is simplified through the use of succinct summaries of doggy behavior on each page and easily-understood terms for his younger audience: “Dogs don’t use words the way people do. Dogs use different sounds…to express their feelings.” Typically straight-forward, Simon closes with a reminder to readers that owning a pet requires much responsibility as he outlines the many duties necessary for a dog owner.
Reviews
From Booklist - There are other books about these popular pets, but most are for older children. Here, Simon writes crisply for a young audience, who will eagerly turn the pages to see the next endearing color photograph.
Connections
·Invite students to research further and investigate specific dog breeds that they might like to own.
·Invite students to read another Seymour Simon book on their favorite topic.
Simon, Seymour. 2004. Dogs. Harper Collins. New York. ISBN 0060289430.
Plot Summary
“The domestic dog is the most popular pet in the world,” is the statistic that opens Simon’s volume on dogs. He provides an overview of dog breeds and characteristics, including their highly sensitive sense of smell. Next he moves on to the birth and development of puppies. Simon continues with the traits of sporting and non-sporting dogs, eventually ending with how to go about acquiring and caring for a pet dog.
Critical Analysis
A well-known name in children’s informational books, Seymour Simon provides his usual succinct and well-organized delivery for younger readers. Simon uses full-color photographs of a variety of dogs to complement his easy-to-read text on all things dog. Children of all ages will enjoy flipping through the pictures while browsing the plethora of information. Browsing is simplified through the use of succinct summaries of doggy behavior on each page and easily-understood terms for his younger audience: “Dogs don’t use words the way people do. Dogs use different sounds…to express their feelings.” Typically straight-forward, Simon closes with a reminder to readers that owning a pet requires much responsibility as he outlines the many duties necessary for a dog owner.
Reviews
From Booklist - There are other books about these popular pets, but most are for older children. Here, Simon writes crisply for a young audience, who will eagerly turn the pages to see the next endearing color photograph.
Connections
·Invite students to research further and investigate specific dog breeds that they might like to own.
·Invite students to read another Seymour Simon book on their favorite topic.
Bibliography
Murphy, Jim. 2003. An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793. Clarion Books. New York. ISBN 0395776082.
Plot Summary
Using letters, newspaper accounts and first-hand accounts from citizens and the medical community, Murphy recounts the spread of yellow fever through Philadelphia in 1793. Beginning with the events and conditions often credited with inciting and spreading the disease, he tells of the mass exodus of citizens from the city and the horrific conditions in which victims were found and treated. From August to December of that year, over 5000 people fell victim to the dreaded disease, for which there is still no cure.
Critical Analysis
True to his title, Murphy indeed terrifies with his history of an American plague. Writing in a matter-of-fact manner and sparing no detail, he opens with a graphic description of the conditions in Philadelphia at the onset of the epidemic. Including the state of the Delaware River wharves and the lack of public sanitation of any kind, Murphy makes quite clear how the city was ripe for the spread of disease. His factual recounting is based on the journals of Philadelphia citizens, published first-hand accounts, letters from prominent citizens, including the physicians attempting to conquer the disease, and President George Washington. His version is not for the squeamish, but will appeal to those who crave the complete story.
Sparsely illustrated with engravings and watercolors representing other epidemics and Philadelphia in better days, Murphy includes a note addressing the lack of illustrations from the place and period explored. In spite of the lack of graphic representations of the calamity, he dramatically illustrates the severity of the situation with full-page reproductions of various sections of The Federal Gazette, including public health information from physicians and Mayor Matthew Clarkson and attorneys’ notices to settle the estates of the deceased.
Murphy follows the story through to the inevitable finger-pointing following such a public disaster, then closes with brief summaries of further outbreaks in later years and the subsequent research finally linking the spread of the disease to the mosquito. Murphy closes as he opened – with terrifying details. He reminds us that the cure for yellow fever remains a mystery and that we are still surrounded by mosquitos today.
To help with further research, sources are sub-divided by subject, including Philadelphia, yellow fever, medical treatment, first-hand accounts – personal and medical, other plagues and mosquitos. The book is also indexed, including illustrations.
Awards and Reviews
Newbery Honor Book
National Book Award Finalist
The Robert F. Sibert Medal
Orbis Pictus Award
From School Library Journal - Murphy chronicles this frightening time with solid research and a flair for weaving facts into fascinating stories, beginning with the fever's emergence on August 3, when a young French sailor died in Richard Denny's boardinghouse on North Water Street.
From Booklist - History, science, politics, and public health come together in this dramatic account of the disastrous yellow fever epidemic that hit the nation's capital more than 200 years ago.
Connections
Use this text to springboard research on any of the issues included: yellow fever, Philadelphia, medical advances, 18th century public sanitation/health, government response to disaster, insect-borne disease.
Murphy, Jim. 2003. An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793. Clarion Books. New York. ISBN 0395776082.
Plot Summary
Using letters, newspaper accounts and first-hand accounts from citizens and the medical community, Murphy recounts the spread of yellow fever through Philadelphia in 1793. Beginning with the events and conditions often credited with inciting and spreading the disease, he tells of the mass exodus of citizens from the city and the horrific conditions in which victims were found and treated. From August to December of that year, over 5000 people fell victim to the dreaded disease, for which there is still no cure.
Critical Analysis
True to his title, Murphy indeed terrifies with his history of an American plague. Writing in a matter-of-fact manner and sparing no detail, he opens with a graphic description of the conditions in Philadelphia at the onset of the epidemic. Including the state of the Delaware River wharves and the lack of public sanitation of any kind, Murphy makes quite clear how the city was ripe for the spread of disease. His factual recounting is based on the journals of Philadelphia citizens, published first-hand accounts, letters from prominent citizens, including the physicians attempting to conquer the disease, and President George Washington. His version is not for the squeamish, but will appeal to those who crave the complete story.
Sparsely illustrated with engravings and watercolors representing other epidemics and Philadelphia in better days, Murphy includes a note addressing the lack of illustrations from the place and period explored. In spite of the lack of graphic representations of the calamity, he dramatically illustrates the severity of the situation with full-page reproductions of various sections of The Federal Gazette, including public health information from physicians and Mayor Matthew Clarkson and attorneys’ notices to settle the estates of the deceased.
Murphy follows the story through to the inevitable finger-pointing following such a public disaster, then closes with brief summaries of further outbreaks in later years and the subsequent research finally linking the spread of the disease to the mosquito. Murphy closes as he opened – with terrifying details. He reminds us that the cure for yellow fever remains a mystery and that we are still surrounded by mosquitos today.
To help with further research, sources are sub-divided by subject, including Philadelphia, yellow fever, medical treatment, first-hand accounts – personal and medical, other plagues and mosquitos. The book is also indexed, including illustrations.
Awards and Reviews
Newbery Honor Book
National Book Award Finalist
The Robert F. Sibert Medal
Orbis Pictus Award
From School Library Journal - Murphy chronicles this frightening time with solid research and a flair for weaving facts into fascinating stories, beginning with the fever's emergence on August 3, when a young French sailor died in Richard Denny's boardinghouse on North Water Street.
From Booklist - History, science, politics, and public health come together in this dramatic account of the disastrous yellow fever epidemic that hit the nation's capital more than 200 years ago.
Connections
Use this text to springboard research on any of the issues included: yellow fever, Philadelphia, medical advances, 18th century public sanitation/health, government response to disaster, insect-borne disease.
Review of THE EXTRAORDINARY MARK TWAIN (ACCORDING TO SUSY)
Bibliography
Kerley, Barbara. 2010. The Extraordinary Mark Twain (According To Susy). Ill. by Edward Fotheringham Scholastic Press. New York. ISBN 9780545125086.
Plot Summary
Kerley uses the biographical journal of Susy Clemens, Mark Twain’s 13-year-old daughter, to provide a more accurate picture of the iconic writer’s life. Beginning with Susy’s motivation to write about her famous father, Kerley then covers the highlights of Twain’s life from his childhood in Missouri to his family life in Connecticut.
Critical Analysis
Kerley was considering writing a biography of Mark Twain when she discovered that his daughter Susy had done so at the age of 13. Trusting the insights of a teenage daughter, she combines excerpts from Susy’s biographical journal and her own commentary. Working from microfilm of Susy’s original manuscript, Kerley connects the journal entries and provides for the young reader the better-known facts of Twain’s life that Susy intended to clarify. The text and journal blend seamlessly, each picking up where the other leaves off, surrounded by Fotheringham’s double-page, subtly-toned illustrations. In a clever interpretation of Twain’s love of his own voice, Fotheringham identifies spoken and written words with swirling lines emanating from mouths, books, and even pens. When the words are perhaps a bit more colorful, the swirls shift to angles, appropriately punctuated with exclamation points.
Well-organized, the book clearly delineates Kerley’s and Susy’s words by including small “journal” pages tipped into the binding and filled with type that appears hand-written. Kerley provides background information and the reader is soon compelled to open the journal and read Susy’s side of the story. Susy proved to be an accurate biographer, as Twain included his favorite passages from her journal in his own autobiography. True to her own accuracy, Kerley appends notes on “Papa” and Susy, a brief timeline of Twain’s life, source notes, and a guide to “Writing an Extraordinary Biography.”
Awards and Reviews
A Junior Library Guild Selection
Starred Review From School Library Journal - In pursuit of truth, Susy Clemens, age 13, vows to set the record straight about her beloved (and misunderstood) father and becomes his secret biographer.
Starred Review from Kirkus - A heartwarming tribute to both the writing life in general and the well-loved humorist-oops, sorry Susy… "Pholosopher!"
Connections
Using Kerley, and Susy’s, instructions, guide students in writing a biography of a person that they know well.
Kerley, Barbara. 2010. The Extraordinary Mark Twain (According To Susy). Ill. by Edward Fotheringham Scholastic Press. New York. ISBN 9780545125086.
Plot Summary
Kerley uses the biographical journal of Susy Clemens, Mark Twain’s 13-year-old daughter, to provide a more accurate picture of the iconic writer’s life. Beginning with Susy’s motivation to write about her famous father, Kerley then covers the highlights of Twain’s life from his childhood in Missouri to his family life in Connecticut.
Critical Analysis
Kerley was considering writing a biography of Mark Twain when she discovered that his daughter Susy had done so at the age of 13. Trusting the insights of a teenage daughter, she combines excerpts from Susy’s biographical journal and her own commentary. Working from microfilm of Susy’s original manuscript, Kerley connects the journal entries and provides for the young reader the better-known facts of Twain’s life that Susy intended to clarify. The text and journal blend seamlessly, each picking up where the other leaves off, surrounded by Fotheringham’s double-page, subtly-toned illustrations. In a clever interpretation of Twain’s love of his own voice, Fotheringham identifies spoken and written words with swirling lines emanating from mouths, books, and even pens. When the words are perhaps a bit more colorful, the swirls shift to angles, appropriately punctuated with exclamation points.
Well-organized, the book clearly delineates Kerley’s and Susy’s words by including small “journal” pages tipped into the binding and filled with type that appears hand-written. Kerley provides background information and the reader is soon compelled to open the journal and read Susy’s side of the story. Susy proved to be an accurate biographer, as Twain included his favorite passages from her journal in his own autobiography. True to her own accuracy, Kerley appends notes on “Papa” and Susy, a brief timeline of Twain’s life, source notes, and a guide to “Writing an Extraordinary Biography.”
Awards and Reviews
A Junior Library Guild Selection
Starred Review From School Library Journal - In pursuit of truth, Susy Clemens, age 13, vows to set the record straight about her beloved (and misunderstood) father and becomes his secret biographer.
Starred Review from Kirkus - A heartwarming tribute to both the writing life in general and the well-loved humorist-oops, sorry Susy… "Pholosopher!"
Connections
Using Kerley, and Susy’s, instructions, guide students in writing a biography of a person that they know well.
Friday, July 9, 2010
A Review of ONE OF THOSE HIDEOUS BOOKS WHERE THE MOTHER DIES by Sonya Sones
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Sones, Sonya. 2004. one of those hideous books where the mother dies. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0689858205.
PLOT SUMMARY
Forced to relocate from Boston to Los Angeles following her mother’s death, 15-year-old Ruby Milliken faces her famous father for the first time. Adjusting to life in “Lalaland” proves difficult, especially when paired with the loss of a parent. Now Ruby must do so without the support of her best friend, first real boyfriend, or her beloved aunt. She strikes up a friendship with her father’s assistant, Max, and eventually finds her way around her new world.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Based on the title alone, this is one of those books my mother would have hated to see me read as a teen. “How can you read something so depressing?” I can hear her complain. But I can see my young self smiling, then diving right back in, thinking, “If you only knew what you were missing.” Ruby’s mom, a librarian, probably would have asked to borrow it when Ruby finished. Ruby’s mother is deceased when the book opens, so we have to rely on Ruby’s image of her mother to make that assumption, but Sones has given Ruby a strong voice to describe her mother and her life, so it seems like a safe one.
Sones alternates between Ruby’s poems, and e-mails to her best friend, boyfriend and dead mother, using these venues to share Ruby’s search for love and friendship in her new hometown. Ruby resists, but eventually realizes that she needs her newly-found father. Sones strikes just the right balance of laughter and pathos to keep the reader engaged in Ruby’s plight. While the opening poems certainly illustrate Ruby’s depressing outlook toward her current state, it only takes a few pages for her dry wit to shine through. As she jets across the country to her new home she sarcastically re-writes the flight attendants’ “fasten your seat belts” speech in “Turbulence,” “Ladies and gentlemen/the captain has turned on/the seat belt sign. Please return to your seats/and fish your barf bags out/of the seat pockets in front of you/while we prepare/to slam through some/real nasty storm clouds.”
By the end of Ruby’s story, even rays of hope are visible, when “At Sunset” Ruby says:
Its funny.
I can remember hating palm trees.
I can remember hating Coolifornia.
I just can’t remember
why.
AWARDS & REVIEW EXCERPTS
From School Library Journal - In one- to two-page breezy poetic prose-style entries, 15-year-old Ruby Milliken describes her flight from Boston to California and her gradual adjustment to life with her estranged movie-star father following her mother's death.
Starred Review From Booklist - Sones' novel is an unusual combination of over-the-top Hollywood fairy tale and sharp, honest story about overcoming grief.
CONNECTIONS
Sones references several novels and authors through-out the book. Read one and think about why Ruby would have liked it.
Truman, Terry. 2000. Stuck in Neutral. New York. HarperCollins. ISBN 0064472132.
“…every word Richard Peck ever wrote.”
Sones, Sonya. 2004. one of those hideous books where the mother dies. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0689858205.
PLOT SUMMARY
Forced to relocate from Boston to Los Angeles following her mother’s death, 15-year-old Ruby Milliken faces her famous father for the first time. Adjusting to life in “Lalaland” proves difficult, especially when paired with the loss of a parent. Now Ruby must do so without the support of her best friend, first real boyfriend, or her beloved aunt. She strikes up a friendship with her father’s assistant, Max, and eventually finds her way around her new world.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Based on the title alone, this is one of those books my mother would have hated to see me read as a teen. “How can you read something so depressing?” I can hear her complain. But I can see my young self smiling, then diving right back in, thinking, “If you only knew what you were missing.” Ruby’s mom, a librarian, probably would have asked to borrow it when Ruby finished. Ruby’s mother is deceased when the book opens, so we have to rely on Ruby’s image of her mother to make that assumption, but Sones has given Ruby a strong voice to describe her mother and her life, so it seems like a safe one.
Sones alternates between Ruby’s poems, and e-mails to her best friend, boyfriend and dead mother, using these venues to share Ruby’s search for love and friendship in her new hometown. Ruby resists, but eventually realizes that she needs her newly-found father. Sones strikes just the right balance of laughter and pathos to keep the reader engaged in Ruby’s plight. While the opening poems certainly illustrate Ruby’s depressing outlook toward her current state, it only takes a few pages for her dry wit to shine through. As she jets across the country to her new home she sarcastically re-writes the flight attendants’ “fasten your seat belts” speech in “Turbulence,” “Ladies and gentlemen/the captain has turned on/the seat belt sign. Please return to your seats/and fish your barf bags out/of the seat pockets in front of you/while we prepare/to slam through some/real nasty storm clouds.”
By the end of Ruby’s story, even rays of hope are visible, when “At Sunset” Ruby says:
Its funny.
I can remember hating palm trees.
I can remember hating Coolifornia.
I just can’t remember
why.
AWARDS & REVIEW EXCERPTS
From School Library Journal - In one- to two-page breezy poetic prose-style entries, 15-year-old Ruby Milliken describes her flight from Boston to California and her gradual adjustment to life with her estranged movie-star father following her mother's death.
Starred Review From Booklist - Sones' novel is an unusual combination of over-the-top Hollywood fairy tale and sharp, honest story about overcoming grief.
CONNECTIONS
Sones references several novels and authors through-out the book. Read one and think about why Ruby would have liked it.
Truman, Terry. 2000. Stuck in Neutral. New York. HarperCollins. ISBN 0064472132.
“…every word Richard Peck ever wrote.”
Thursday, July 8, 2010
A Review of TOASTING MARSHMALLOWS: CAMPING POEMS
BIBLIOGRAPHY
George, Kristine O’Connell. 2001. Toasting Marshmallows: Camping Poems. Ill. by Kate Kiesler. New York: Clarion Books. ISBN 061804597X.
PLOT SUMMARY
From staking the tent to treasuring the memories, Kristine O’Connell George, presents the many facets of a family camping trip in this collection of poems.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Speaking with the voice of the big sister, George omits not one detail of this adventure and accurately portrays the multitude of joys one might find while camping in the wild. The poems are written mostly in free verse with vivid images shining brightly in the language. Even without Kiesler’s colorful, realistic paintings, the concrete poem “Tent” is easily pictured, “Blooming, bright orange.” Still, her work beautifully complements George’s words and each picture projects a clear moment as if reflecting the narrator’s favorite memories in a treasured snapshot.
Like the magic that so often accompanies a camping trip, the family’s first animal encounter quickly follows the tent-raising as a doe enters the clearing. In “A Doe,” one can easily picture the family admiring their handiwork, then holding their breath and admiring their visitor briefly before she darts back into the forest. George captures every exploration of the campers, following them from meadow to lake and bait shop to cave; even illuminating the necessity of a flashlight in four simple, but strong, haikus - each bathed in its own circle of light.
No haphazard collection, these poems are clearly arranged to tell a story. “Two Voices in a Tent at Night” finds the young siblings facing mysterious noises and saying “Something is scratching/on our tent./Is not./Is too/Is not.” The moon and stars fill the sky of the double-page spread, only the moon forms a poem itself, “Eavesdropping,” as the children debate. The story flows, beginning to end, from the “smooth dirt” beneath the tent until the memories are tucked away, wrapped in a favorite flannel camping shirt, wearing the lingering scents of campfire and pine. Start packing now – these verses will leave you yearning for toasted marshmallows and a night or two in the great outdoors.
AWARDS & REVIEW EXCERPTS
Awards:
A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
NCTE Notable Children's Book in Language Arts
Book Links: A Lasting Connection
Myra Cohn Livingston Poetry Award CLCSC
Capitol Choices: Noteworthy Books for Children
Children's Literature Choice 2002
Nominated for the Texas Bluebonnet Master List, the Kentucky Blue Grass award, and Indiana's Young Hoosier's award.
Reviews:
From School Library Journal - All of the selections convey a child-focused sense of wonder as the campers explore the lakefront and surrounding terrain, enjoy the marvels of the natural world, relish meals round the campfire, and toast marshmallows ("This is art-/a time of serious reflection/as my pillowed confection/slowly reaches golden perfection").
From Boston Globe - “Poems convey a wonderful sense of place as a family enjoys the vastness and immediacy of nature while camping." by Stephanie Loer,
CONNECTIONS
Introduce cinquain or haiku forms of poetry using “Sleeping Outside” and “Flashlight.” Encourage students to practice writing a poem using one of these forms.
Host a camping-themed read-in. Set up a tent, build a “campfire” and invite children to share their favorite outdoor stories. Read Toasting Marshmallows aloud to set the mood!
From: http://www.kristinegeorge.com/teachers_guide_toasting_marshmallows.html
A Review of DANITRA BROWN LEAVES TOWN
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Grimes, Nikki. 2002. Danitra Brown Leaves Town. Ill. by Floyd Cooper. New York: Harper Collins. ISBN 0688131557.
PLOT SUMMARY
When Danitra heads off on vacation with her family, her best friend Zuri misses her dearly. As summer progresses, the girls share stories of their adventures through letters and reunite joyfully in the end.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Flowing with rhythmic verses and clear voices, Grimes’ collection of poems shares the excitement of an anticipated vacation and the loneliness of losing a best friend, even if only temporarily. “The Bad Good-bye,” with its short couplets, accurately portrays the clipped words of an injured friend and is followed shortly thereafter with the ache of regret in the lilting rhymes of “The Letter.” A personal favorite, “Danitra’s Family Reunion,” captures in free verse the fun and food abundant at such gatherings and closes with the essence of reunions: “By the time/the day was done,/I was full of fun/and food/and warm feelings,/knowing that I am more/than just me./I am part of a family.
Through-out the book, Cooper’s paintings highlight the critical moments of each poem. His muted backgrounds allow the reader to focus on the central details, like Danitra perched in a tree, high above her cousins as they taunt her to jump in “The Dare.” He clearly conveys the mood of each piece through the expressions his subjects’ faces. When Zuri finds a new friend to help her through Danitra’s absence in “Noticing Nina,” the joy of shared love of handball is readily apparent. Together, illustration and verse combine to bring Danitra and Zuri’s worlds to life.
AWARDS & REVIEW EXCERPTS
Texas Bluebonnet State Reading List
North Carolina Young Readers Award Nominee
From BCCB - Thirteen accessible and skillfully paced poems—many representing letters from vacationing Danitra or from Zuri left behind—depict the highlights of that summer.
From Kirkus Book Review - Grimes's poems read and flow well, and Cooper's paintings simply burst with energy and expressiveness.
CONNECTIONS
Have students write a letter to a friend in verse. Suggest a rhyme scheme or subject to help them get started.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Review of THE GOOSE GIRL: A STORY FROM THE BROTHERS GRIMM
Bibliography
Kimmel, Eric. 1995. The Goose Girl: A Story from the Brothers Grimm. Ill. by Robert Sauber. New York, NY: Holiday House. ISBN 0823410749.
Plot Summary
An innocent princess sets out from her homeland to meet her betrothed prince. Accompanied on the journey by her serving maid Margaret, the princess quickly discovers the cruelties of the world when Margaret usurps the princess’s position and presents herself to the prince as his bride. With nowhere to turn, the princess is forced to work herding geese for the king. When the king discovers the true princess in the meadow with the geese, Margaret is compelled to face her misdeeds. She seals her own fate when she is asked how to punish an abusive serving maid and she condemns the maid to a violent death.
Critical Analysis
From “Once upon a time…” until “…happily ever after,” this beautifully illustrated retelling of the Brothers’ Grimm fairy tale is filled with the symbolic characters of traditional lore. Sent to her betrothed by her doting mother, the mild-mannered and kind princess is pushed down by the greedy and self-serving maid, who goes on to deceive all who meet her. But, the caring and paternal king acts quickly to restore justice when the maid’s deception is brought to light. The story is told simply and quickly, but is still filled with details to capture the reader’s imagination. The princess rides Falada, a talking horse who retains his power of speech even after he is put down and his head hung upon a gate. Until it is lost, the princess is protected by a linen handkerchief stained with three drops of her mother’s blood. Finally, throughout the story, Falada echoes his refrain, “If your mother were to see/Her heart would burst with grief for thee.”
These details and many others are richly portrayed in Sauber’s carefully crafted paintings. Each page, a framed work in itself, reflects the events of the story, varying from close-up looks at the characters to wide shots of the action. The regal setting is apparent in the lavishly painted garments and bejeweled royalty and Sauber skillfully captures the expressions appropriate to the archetypal characters. Young readers hearing this story aloud will have no trouble identifying the persecuted princess or the mischievous maid.
Review Excerpts
From Publisher’s Weekly – “…Kimmel revels in the magical, wistful aspects of this fanciful genre.”
From School Library Journal – “The story is propelled by Kimmel's perfect pacing and phrasing and by the vitality of the oil paintings, achieved through a sense of rapid dashes of color, with some scenes having an almost unfinished quality.”
Kimmel, Eric. 1995. The Goose Girl: A Story from the Brothers Grimm. Ill. by Robert Sauber. New York, NY: Holiday House. ISBN 0823410749.
Plot Summary
An innocent princess sets out from her homeland to meet her betrothed prince. Accompanied on the journey by her serving maid Margaret, the princess quickly discovers the cruelties of the world when Margaret usurps the princess’s position and presents herself to the prince as his bride. With nowhere to turn, the princess is forced to work herding geese for the king. When the king discovers the true princess in the meadow with the geese, Margaret is compelled to face her misdeeds. She seals her own fate when she is asked how to punish an abusive serving maid and she condemns the maid to a violent death.
Critical Analysis
From “Once upon a time…” until “…happily ever after,” this beautifully illustrated retelling of the Brothers’ Grimm fairy tale is filled with the symbolic characters of traditional lore. Sent to her betrothed by her doting mother, the mild-mannered and kind princess is pushed down by the greedy and self-serving maid, who goes on to deceive all who meet her. But, the caring and paternal king acts quickly to restore justice when the maid’s deception is brought to light. The story is told simply and quickly, but is still filled with details to capture the reader’s imagination. The princess rides Falada, a talking horse who retains his power of speech even after he is put down and his head hung upon a gate. Until it is lost, the princess is protected by a linen handkerchief stained with three drops of her mother’s blood. Finally, throughout the story, Falada echoes his refrain, “If your mother were to see/Her heart would burst with grief for thee.”
These details and many others are richly portrayed in Sauber’s carefully crafted paintings. Each page, a framed work in itself, reflects the events of the story, varying from close-up looks at the characters to wide shots of the action. The regal setting is apparent in the lavishly painted garments and bejeweled royalty and Sauber skillfully captures the expressions appropriate to the archetypal characters. Young readers hearing this story aloud will have no trouble identifying the persecuted princess or the mischievous maid.
Review Excerpts
From Publisher’s Weekly – “…Kimmel revels in the magical, wistful aspects of this fanciful genre.”
From School Library Journal – “The story is propelled by Kimmel's perfect pacing and phrasing and by the vitality of the oil paintings, achieved through a sense of rapid dashes of color, with some scenes having an almost unfinished quality.”
Review of PORCH LIES: TALES OF SLICKSTERS, TRICKSTERS AND OTHER WILY CHARACTERS
Bibliography
McKissack, Patricia M. 2006. Porch Lies: Tales of Slicksters, Tricksters, and other Wily Characters. Ill. by Andre Carrilho. New York, NY: Random House. ISBN 037593619X.
Plot Summary
McKissack has crafted a collection of tales distilled from the stories heard on her grandparent’s front porch. Filled with original characters, McKissack gives voice to the storytellers of her youth through her fictional tales. Each of the nine stories is dedicated to a friend or family member and credited to a particular “porch liar” from her youth. According to the Author’s Note opening the volume of tales, the intention of these stories is to teach a value, encourage critical thinking, or offer pure entertainment. Beginning with a “confidencer” named Pete Bruce using flattery to con a baker-woman out of a coconut cream pie, and including a elderly aunt using the infamous James' brothers to save her land, these Porch Lies fulfill the desired intent.
Critical Analysis
McKissack opens her anthology with a disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. Yet, the tall tales ring with authenticity. As she introduces each storyteller, they appear in the porch swing and their voices spill from the pages. The reader is immediately drawn into the story as the words paint pictures in the mind. Sparsely illustrated by Andre Carrilho, the black and white caricatures of each main character seem almost superfluous to McKissack’s clever writing. However, as each drawing showcases the trickster at a turning point of the story the illustrations accentuate the truths inherent within the tales. With or without the illustrations, these tales beg to shared, read aloud, and enjoyed. So, as McKissack invites in her note, “...find a comfortable spot; and pour yourself a class of lemonade.” And if you listen closely, you can hear the crickets chirping in the night.
Review Excerpts
From Booklist, Starred Review – “…the nine original tales in this uproarious collection draw on African American oral tradition and blend history and legend with sly humor, creepy horror, villainous characters, and wild farce.”
From School Library Journal – “They contain the essence of truth but are fiction from beginning to end, an amalgam of old stories, characters, jokes, setups, and motifs.”
McKissack, Patricia M. 2006. Porch Lies: Tales of Slicksters, Tricksters, and other Wily Characters. Ill. by Andre Carrilho. New York, NY: Random House. ISBN 037593619X.
Plot Summary
McKissack has crafted a collection of tales distilled from the stories heard on her grandparent’s front porch. Filled with original characters, McKissack gives voice to the storytellers of her youth through her fictional tales. Each of the nine stories is dedicated to a friend or family member and credited to a particular “porch liar” from her youth. According to the Author’s Note opening the volume of tales, the intention of these stories is to teach a value, encourage critical thinking, or offer pure entertainment. Beginning with a “confidencer” named Pete Bruce using flattery to con a baker-woman out of a coconut cream pie, and including a elderly aunt using the infamous James' brothers to save her land, these Porch Lies fulfill the desired intent.
Critical Analysis
McKissack opens her anthology with a disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. Yet, the tall tales ring with authenticity. As she introduces each storyteller, they appear in the porch swing and their voices spill from the pages. The reader is immediately drawn into the story as the words paint pictures in the mind. Sparsely illustrated by Andre Carrilho, the black and white caricatures of each main character seem almost superfluous to McKissack’s clever writing. However, as each drawing showcases the trickster at a turning point of the story the illustrations accentuate the truths inherent within the tales. With or without the illustrations, these tales beg to shared, read aloud, and enjoyed. So, as McKissack invites in her note, “...find a comfortable spot; and pour yourself a class of lemonade.” And if you listen closely, you can hear the crickets chirping in the night.
Review Excerpts
From Booklist, Starred Review – “…the nine original tales in this uproarious collection draw on African American oral tradition and blend history and legend with sly humor, creepy horror, villainous characters, and wild farce.”
From School Library Journal – “They contain the essence of truth but are fiction from beginning to end, an amalgam of old stories, characters, jokes, setups, and motifs.”
Review of CINDY ELLEN: A WILD WESTERN CINDERELLA
Bibliography
Lowell, Susan. 2000. Cindy Ellen: A Wild Western Cinderella. Ill. By Jane Manning. New York, NY: HarperCollins. ISBN 0060274468.
Plot Summary
Sweet Cindy Ellen suddenly has the “orneriest woman west of the Mississippi” as her new step-mother, complete with two nasty step-sisters. She soon finds herself spending less time on her horse and more time tending to the many chores around the ranch while her mean step-sisters do nothing. When the “biggest cattle king for miles around” announces a rodeo and square dance for all the neighbors, the step-sisters gussy up for the celebration, leaving Cindy in the dust. But Cindy’s fairy godmother, with her golden six-gun shooting sparks of fairy dust, quickly comes to Cindy’s aid and outfits Cindy and her horse properly for the big rodeo – right down to diamond-studded spurs.
Cindy rides off to the rodeo and quickly captures the attention of the cattle king’s son, Joe Prince, but races away before he learns her name. She returns the next evening for the square dance, again equipped by her fairy godmother, this time capturing Joe Prince’s heart. When the clock begins to strike midnight, though, Cindy “hightail[s] it out of there” leaving only a sparkling spur on the trail. Of course, Joe finds the spur and tracks Cindy Ellen to her father’s ranch. When the spur fits, they get hitched and ride off into the sunset where they live happily ever after.
Critical Analysis
In this Cinderella tale with western swing, Lowell provides a unique twist to the oft-told story. Cindy Ellen’s fairy godmother throws in a little something extra when she helps Cindy prepare for the rodeo: the gift of “gumption.” This simple addition takes our heroine from beautiful mystery woman to an energetic competitor not content to sit on the sidelines. With her new found “gumption,” Cindy jumps spurs-first into the rodeo crying, “My turn!”
By including the rodeo in addition to the “night at the ball” square dance, Lowell allows this Cinderella to wrangle her Prince with her horsemanship, not just her beauty, and deftly defuses sexist arguments against the familiar fairy tale. However, this twist will go largely unnoticed by Lowell’s intended audience; they will simply enjoy the hilarious take on a favorite princess. The bold illustrations clearly place Cindy Ellen and friends in the dry western desert region of the USA and the bright colors draw the eye to the southwestern attire. Drawn from a variety of perspectives and portraying the characters’ true personalities, the illustrations combined with the western vernacular are sure to draw forth smiles.
When read aloud, all ages will appreciate this story – ages 3 to 12 gathered ‘round as I opened this book. You might want to test your “Yee-haw” before reading, though!
Awards and Review Excerpts
With older students, have small groups write their own version of Cinderella.
Lowell, Susan. 2000. Cindy Ellen: A Wild Western Cinderella. Ill. By Jane Manning. New York, NY: HarperCollins. ISBN 0060274468.
Plot Summary
Sweet Cindy Ellen suddenly has the “orneriest woman west of the Mississippi” as her new step-mother, complete with two nasty step-sisters. She soon finds herself spending less time on her horse and more time tending to the many chores around the ranch while her mean step-sisters do nothing. When the “biggest cattle king for miles around” announces a rodeo and square dance for all the neighbors, the step-sisters gussy up for the celebration, leaving Cindy in the dust. But Cindy’s fairy godmother, with her golden six-gun shooting sparks of fairy dust, quickly comes to Cindy’s aid and outfits Cindy and her horse properly for the big rodeo – right down to diamond-studded spurs.
Cindy rides off to the rodeo and quickly captures the attention of the cattle king’s son, Joe Prince, but races away before he learns her name. She returns the next evening for the square dance, again equipped by her fairy godmother, this time capturing Joe Prince’s heart. When the clock begins to strike midnight, though, Cindy “hightail[s] it out of there” leaving only a sparkling spur on the trail. Of course, Joe finds the spur and tracks Cindy Ellen to her father’s ranch. When the spur fits, they get hitched and ride off into the sunset where they live happily ever after.
Critical Analysis
In this Cinderella tale with western swing, Lowell provides a unique twist to the oft-told story. Cindy Ellen’s fairy godmother throws in a little something extra when she helps Cindy prepare for the rodeo: the gift of “gumption.” This simple addition takes our heroine from beautiful mystery woman to an energetic competitor not content to sit on the sidelines. With her new found “gumption,” Cindy jumps spurs-first into the rodeo crying, “My turn!”
By including the rodeo in addition to the “night at the ball” square dance, Lowell allows this Cinderella to wrangle her Prince with her horsemanship, not just her beauty, and deftly defuses sexist arguments against the familiar fairy tale. However, this twist will go largely unnoticed by Lowell’s intended audience; they will simply enjoy the hilarious take on a favorite princess. The bold illustrations clearly place Cindy Ellen and friends in the dry western desert region of the USA and the bright colors draw the eye to the southwestern attire. Drawn from a variety of perspectives and portraying the characters’ true personalities, the illustrations combined with the western vernacular are sure to draw forth smiles.
When read aloud, all ages will appreciate this story – ages 3 to 12 gathered ‘round as I opened this book. You might want to test your “Yee-haw” before reading, though!
Awards and Review Excerpts
Western Writers of America Spur Award
Kirkus Review – “Bright, stylish…. Manning tricks out her characters in dazzling modern cowboy dress.”
Horn Book Review - “Expressive regional turns of phrase and exuberant full-color comic illustrations in skewed perspectives place the action squarely in the dry desert of the West.”
Connections
Thursday, June 17, 2010
A Review of A CALDECOTT CELEBRATION: SIX ARTISTS AND THEIR PATHS TO THE CALDECOTT MEDAL by Leonard S. Marcus
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Marcus, Leonard S. 1998. A Caldecott Celebration: Six Artists and Their Paths to the Caldecott Medal. New York: Walker and Company. ISBN 0802786588.
2. PLOT SUMMARY
In honor of the 60th anniversary of the Caldecott Medal, Marcus interviews six winning illustrators from each decade. The opening introduction includes background on Randolph Caldecott, the award’s namesake, and the history of the award. Interviews include details on the artists’ entry into their careers, original sketches from the award-winning books, and their reactions to winning the renowned prize. Included are Robert McCloskey, 1942 winner for Make Way for Ducklings; Marcia Brown, 1955 winner for Cinderella; or The Little Glass Slipper; Maurice Sendak, 1964 winner for Where the Wild Things Are; William Steig, 1970 winner for Sylvester and the Magic Pebble; Chris Van Allsburg, 1982 winner for Jumanji; and David Wiesner, 1992 winner for Tuesday.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Enjoyable for young and old alike, Marcus throws open the doors of award-winning illustrators’ studios for all to see. Moving beyond the usual biographical information and tricks of artistry, Marcus shares unique details about each author/illustrator and their Caldecott experience. Beginning with one of the earliest Caldecott recipients, Marcus reveals that Robert McCloskey had never heard of the Caldecott Medal before winning it in 1942. Marcia Brown divulges the secret to choosing her publisher: she was headed for Viking Press, on the seventh floor of their building, but an elevator strike stopped her at Scribner’s on the fourth floor. Marcus also traces the journey of each book from the moment of inception to the author’s award-winning moment. Any fan of storybook art will appreciate the early sketches, editorial communications, and final products.
The stories of artists’ beginnings, such as Maurice Sendak’s “discovery” while working as a window decorator for F. A. O. Schwarz in New York, will inspire any young artist hoping to make a career of their craft. These young artists will have to glean their own tricks of the trade from the interviews, though. Marcus stops short of asking the artists to offer advice to young future illustrators. The book includes a table of contents for quick access to a favorite title, a complete listing of winners, a glossary of terms, and an index of proper nouns.
This book was a surprisingly fun read and I found myself sharing tidbits of information with my family as I learned new details about the authors. I particularly enjoyed seeing the development of Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are and noting the amount of change from his original idea to the finished product.
4. REVIEW EXCERPTS:
Starred Review in Booklist: “A lively, informative introduction to each book and its maker. A beautifully made book, this will serve as a fine resource for children interested in illustration and for teachers researching author/ illustrator studies.”
Starred Review in Publisher’s Weekly: “Filled with witty anecdotes and pithy observations, Marcus's approach to examining the works of six Caldecott Medalists will be of as much interest to adults as to picture book readers.”
5. CONNECTIONS:
McCloskey, Robert. Make Way for Ducklings. ISBN 0670451495.
- Brown, Marcia. Cinderella; or The Little Glass Slipper. ISBN 0689814747.
- Sendak, Maurice. Where the Wild Things Are. ISBN 0060254920.
- Steig, William. Sylvester and the Magic Pebble. ISBN 1416902066.
- Van Allsburg, Chris. Jumanji. ISBN 0395304482.
- Wiesner, David. Tuesday. ISBN 0395870828.
- Try illustrating a scene from a favorite story in the style of one of the featured artists.
- Discuss how the artist’s style affected the story. How would the story change if the artist illustrated differently?
A Review of THE INVENTION OF HUGO CABRET by Brian Selznick
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Selznick, Brian. 2007. The Invention of Hugo Cabret. Ill. by author. New York: Scholastic. ISBN 0439813786.
2. PLOT SUMMARY
Orphaned after his father’s death, Hugo is taken in by his drunken uncle and together they live in tiny room inside the walls of the Paris train station. When his uncle disappears, Hugo fears life in an orphanage. He assumes his uncle’s duties as clock-keeper of the station, maintaining his secret residence within the walls, where his story begins in 1931. Adept at the family business of clock-making and dreaming of becoming a magician, Hugo begins stealing small toys from a shop in the station. He uses the toys’ parts and a notebook from his father to reconstruct an automaton – father and son’s final connection. When the shopkeeper, Georges, catches Hugo in the act of stealing a mechanical mouse, Hugo believes his secret life is over, but when the man recognizes the drawings in Hugo’s notebook, the mystery begins. The shopkeeper’s God-daughter, Isabelle, befriends Hugo and the two embark on a search for the connection between Georges and Hugo’s automaton and the secret message the machine is poised to write. Their search takes them through the annals of French cinema and ultimately determines the future of Hugo’s dreams.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
At 533 pages, this story hardly seems to be a picture book; yet with 284 pages of original drawings crucial to the plot, it isn’t quite a novel either. It is a combination of picture book, graphic novel and even film, according to the publisher, and it cries out to be read from the moment one skims its pages. The stark black-framed pages of text interspersed with richly textured pencil drawings imply a dark secret and invite one to discover the mystery. The story opens with a brief invitation to follow Hugo Cabret as he rushes through the crowded train station, then gives way to pages of illustrations through which the reader chases Hugo to his hiding place behind a clock face. Readers in a hurry may be tempted to speed through the pictures, but will soon realize that Selznick is showing rather than telling the story. As the story alternates between text and illustration, the reader is drawn in to Hugo’s world and gains sympathy for the young boy’s plight.
While some may question the plausibility of a 12-year-old boy living alone in a train station, Selznick’s matter-of-fact writing style lend credibility to the tale. Hugo is clearly a boy determined to make his own way in the world and achieve his goals. When his father’s notebook, his most valuable possession, is taken from him, he refuses to accept the loss and continues working to retrieve it. Without seeming to do so, the story illustrates the value of determination and working toward one’s goals, regardless of the circumstances.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and read it cover to cover in one sitting. It is one of those books that you just don’t want to end. The characters come alive and call out to be watched as they move through the story, leaving the reader wanting to hear the rest of their story. To quote one 12-year-old reader, “That book is just cool!”
4. REVIEW EXCERPTS:
Caldecott Medal, 2008
from Cooperative Children’s Book Center: “Readers will be captivated by the fictional Hugo, whose quest encompasses the real-life French filmmaker Georges Méliès, as well as a sweetly satisfying search for friendship and family.”
Starred Review in Publisher’s Weekly: “Here is a true masterpiece—an artful blending of narrative, illustration and cinematic technique, for a story as tantalizing as it is touching.”
5. CONNECTIONS:
Ezra, Elizabeth. Georges Melies. ISBN 071905396X.
Peppe, Rodney. Automata and Mechanical Toys. ISBN 1861265107.
Selznick, Brian. The Houdini Box. ISBN 1416968784.
Selznick, Brian. 2007. The Invention of Hugo Cabret. Ill. by author. New York: Scholastic. ISBN 0439813786.
2. PLOT SUMMARY
Orphaned after his father’s death, Hugo is taken in by his drunken uncle and together they live in tiny room inside the walls of the Paris train station. When his uncle disappears, Hugo fears life in an orphanage. He assumes his uncle’s duties as clock-keeper of the station, maintaining his secret residence within the walls, where his story begins in 1931. Adept at the family business of clock-making and dreaming of becoming a magician, Hugo begins stealing small toys from a shop in the station. He uses the toys’ parts and a notebook from his father to reconstruct an automaton – father and son’s final connection. When the shopkeeper, Georges, catches Hugo in the act of stealing a mechanical mouse, Hugo believes his secret life is over, but when the man recognizes the drawings in Hugo’s notebook, the mystery begins. The shopkeeper’s God-daughter, Isabelle, befriends Hugo and the two embark on a search for the connection between Georges and Hugo’s automaton and the secret message the machine is poised to write. Their search takes them through the annals of French cinema and ultimately determines the future of Hugo’s dreams.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
At 533 pages, this story hardly seems to be a picture book; yet with 284 pages of original drawings crucial to the plot, it isn’t quite a novel either. It is a combination of picture book, graphic novel and even film, according to the publisher, and it cries out to be read from the moment one skims its pages. The stark black-framed pages of text interspersed with richly textured pencil drawings imply a dark secret and invite one to discover the mystery. The story opens with a brief invitation to follow Hugo Cabret as he rushes through the crowded train station, then gives way to pages of illustrations through which the reader chases Hugo to his hiding place behind a clock face. Readers in a hurry may be tempted to speed through the pictures, but will soon realize that Selznick is showing rather than telling the story. As the story alternates between text and illustration, the reader is drawn in to Hugo’s world and gains sympathy for the young boy’s plight.
While some may question the plausibility of a 12-year-old boy living alone in a train station, Selznick’s matter-of-fact writing style lend credibility to the tale. Hugo is clearly a boy determined to make his own way in the world and achieve his goals. When his father’s notebook, his most valuable possession, is taken from him, he refuses to accept the loss and continues working to retrieve it. Without seeming to do so, the story illustrates the value of determination and working toward one’s goals, regardless of the circumstances.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and read it cover to cover in one sitting. It is one of those books that you just don’t want to end. The characters come alive and call out to be watched as they move through the story, leaving the reader wanting to hear the rest of their story. To quote one 12-year-old reader, “That book is just cool!”
4. REVIEW EXCERPTS:
Caldecott Medal, 2008
from Cooperative Children’s Book Center: “Readers will be captivated by the fictional Hugo, whose quest encompasses the real-life French filmmaker Georges Méliès, as well as a sweetly satisfying search for friendship and family.”
Starred Review in Publisher’s Weekly: “Here is a true masterpiece—an artful blending of narrative, illustration and cinematic technique, for a story as tantalizing as it is touching.”
5. CONNECTIONS:
Ezra, Elizabeth. Georges Melies. ISBN 071905396X.
Peppe, Rodney. Automata and Mechanical Toys. ISBN 1861265107.
Selznick, Brian. The Houdini Box. ISBN 1416968784.
A Review of KNUFFLE BUNNY: A CAUTIONARY TALE by Mo Willems
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Willems, Mo. 2004. Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale. New York: Hyperion. ISBN 07868170-0.
2. PLOT SUMMARY
In the inaugural book of the Knuffle Bunny trilogy (Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity, 2007, and Knuffle Bunny Free: an Unexpected Diversion to be published Fall 2010) toddler Trixie and her daddy set out for the Laundromat on an everyday adventure. The journey begins easily enough as the pair walks through the city to the Laundromat, Trixie helps load the laundry into the washer and they return home. Soon after leaving, though, Trixie realizes that something is amiss - her beloved Knuffle Bunny has been left at the Laundromat. Unfortunately, Trixie cannot talk yet, so her daddy cannot understand the problem, even after Trixie “bawl[s]” and goes “boneless.” Daddy wrestles the screaming Trixie home, where Trixie’s mommy quickly recognizes the problem. The whole family races back to the Laundromat where Daddy finally rescues the sodden Knuffle Bunny from the washer and Trixie utters her first words: “Knuffle Bunny!”
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Using a combination of cartoon drawings against sepia-toned photographs and straight-forward writing, Willems deftly captures the trauma of a child’s lost “lovey” and every parent’s nightmare of the ensuing tantrum. This true story, “except for the parts I made up,” according to Willems, begins before the title page, with “framed” family photos of the wedding, Trixie’s birth, and the family in front of their home. Everyone is smiling happily, as they are when Trixie and Daddy set out on their errand. As the story progresses, the cartoon character’s expressions clearly convey the emotions of the tale: ranging from Trixie’s delight at a day with her Daddy, then her wide-eyed shock at the discovery of Knuffle Bunny’s disappearance to Daddy’s nonchalant whistling on the walk home, then his complete frustration with the inexplicable tantrum.
Willems’s understated prose allows the illustrations to tell the story and captivate the reader. At one point, Daddy even seems to make eye-contact with the reader as Willems writes, “By the time they got home, her daddy was unhappy, too.” As the family races to rescue Knuffle Bunny, their expressions vary from worried to frantic, then determined and concerned as the search goes on, finally breaking into smiles of relief and excitement as Knuffle Bunny is recovered. Through-out the story, the juxtaposition of the cartoon characters and photographed setting reflects the comedy inherent in many real-life situations.
4. REVIEW EXCERPTS:
Caldecott Honor Award
Starred Review in Publisher’s Weekly: “In an innovative style that employs dappled black-and-white photographs of Brooklyn as backdrop to wickedly funny color cartoons, Willems (Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! ) creates an entertaining story for parents and children alike.”
Cooperative Children’s Book Center: “Willems’s lighthearted look at parent-toddler dynamics never makes light of a child’s effort to communicate.”
5. CONNECTIONS:
Focus on Trixie’s many expressions. Ask children to describe the emotions displayed, avoiding the usual choices happy, sad, mad, etc. http://www.hyperionbooksforchildren.com/data/books/tgpdf/07868187001407.pdf
Read Knuffle Bunny Too: a Case of Mistaken Identity ISBN: 1423102991and discuss similarities and differences.
Ask students to write about a favorite toy, stuffed animal, or comfort item.
Willems, Mo. 2004. Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale. New York: Hyperion. ISBN 07868170-0.
2. PLOT SUMMARY
In the inaugural book of the Knuffle Bunny trilogy (Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity, 2007, and Knuffle Bunny Free: an Unexpected Diversion to be published Fall 2010) toddler Trixie and her daddy set out for the Laundromat on an everyday adventure. The journey begins easily enough as the pair walks through the city to the Laundromat, Trixie helps load the laundry into the washer and they return home. Soon after leaving, though, Trixie realizes that something is amiss - her beloved Knuffle Bunny has been left at the Laundromat. Unfortunately, Trixie cannot talk yet, so her daddy cannot understand the problem, even after Trixie “bawl[s]” and goes “boneless.” Daddy wrestles the screaming Trixie home, where Trixie’s mommy quickly recognizes the problem. The whole family races back to the Laundromat where Daddy finally rescues the sodden Knuffle Bunny from the washer and Trixie utters her first words: “Knuffle Bunny!”
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Using a combination of cartoon drawings against sepia-toned photographs and straight-forward writing, Willems deftly captures the trauma of a child’s lost “lovey” and every parent’s nightmare of the ensuing tantrum. This true story, “except for the parts I made up,” according to Willems, begins before the title page, with “framed” family photos of the wedding, Trixie’s birth, and the family in front of their home. Everyone is smiling happily, as they are when Trixie and Daddy set out on their errand. As the story progresses, the cartoon character’s expressions clearly convey the emotions of the tale: ranging from Trixie’s delight at a day with her Daddy, then her wide-eyed shock at the discovery of Knuffle Bunny’s disappearance to Daddy’s nonchalant whistling on the walk home, then his complete frustration with the inexplicable tantrum.
Willems’s understated prose allows the illustrations to tell the story and captivate the reader. At one point, Daddy even seems to make eye-contact with the reader as Willems writes, “By the time they got home, her daddy was unhappy, too.” As the family races to rescue Knuffle Bunny, their expressions vary from worried to frantic, then determined and concerned as the search goes on, finally breaking into smiles of relief and excitement as Knuffle Bunny is recovered. Through-out the story, the juxtaposition of the cartoon characters and photographed setting reflects the comedy inherent in many real-life situations.
4. REVIEW EXCERPTS:
Caldecott Honor Award
Starred Review in Publisher’s Weekly: “In an innovative style that employs dappled black-and-white photographs of Brooklyn as backdrop to wickedly funny color cartoons, Willems (Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! ) creates an entertaining story for parents and children alike.”
Cooperative Children’s Book Center: “Willems’s lighthearted look at parent-toddler dynamics never makes light of a child’s effort to communicate.”
5. CONNECTIONS:
Focus on Trixie’s many expressions. Ask children to describe the emotions displayed, avoiding the usual choices happy, sad, mad, etc. http://www.hyperionbooksforchildren.com/data/books/tgpdf/07868187001407.pdf
Read Knuffle Bunny Too: a Case of Mistaken Identity ISBN: 1423102991and discuss similarities and differences.
Ask students to write about a favorite toy, stuffed animal, or comfort item.
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