In a picture book, the text and illustrations should work together to enhance and unify the plot, characters and mood. Many readers do not critically analyze the interplay between literacy and visual literacy or fully understand WHY they like a certain book, they just do. However, there are components of illustrations and text that explain why a picture book is successful and memorable and why others are not. Jacobs and Tunnell list seven functions of illustrations in picture books: "establish setting, define and develop characters, reinforce text, provide a different viewpoint, provide interesting asides, extend or develop the plot and establish mood" (2004, p. 37-39). In addition, it is necessary to pay attention to the visual elements within the illustrations: "lines, shape, color, texture and composition" (p. 41-42). Lastly, the following aspects should also be considered: quality, action, detail, foreshadowing, the process of the bookmaking and the decorations on the cover, title page, end papers and font.
Skippyjon Jones by Judy Schachner is an example of a successful children's book. The cover shows Skippyjon Jones, a Siamese cat with enormous ears and mischievious smile, chewing on the leaf of a plant. Again he's getting into trouble on the title page, talking to a bird and dipping his paw into a bird bath. This continues with his mother scolding him for sleeping in a nest of birds in a big oak tree. In the beginning, the chalk/pastel drawings are bright and soft, setting the stage for the playful mood of the book. This is enhanced by the silly, stylized text. His mother calls him funny nicknames (Mr. Fuzzy Pants, Mr. Kitten Britches) and gives him a rhyming time-out speech because Skippyjon spends all of this time pretending he's something other than a Siamese cat. There are also other little visual jokes in the book--the mother is making sandwiches with "Miracle Nip", the titles of the books and decorations in the house are all cat-centric, the motley group of dogs includes a orange and pink spotted one and a green one with pink flowers. The vibrancy of the blues and greens in particular catch the eye, as does the detail in his room, his fantasy world and in the other cats and dogs. When Mama Junebug Jones says "And stay out of your closet," which has numerous sets of glowing eyes and a glimpse of the Bandito, it foreshadows that Skippyjon is NOT going to listen to his mother. The font gets larger and larger as Skippyjon grows more hyper and excited, until he's convinced that he's a chihuahua (shown by a realistic picture of a dog in the mirror). He starts speaking in mangled Spanglish, integrating stereotypical accents, songs and foods into his imagined identity. As Skippyjon races around his room, or runs around with the group of chihuahuas in Mexico, the lines get looser, bolder and brighter, amplifying the chaos and action of Skippyjon's fantasy. The other dogs are just as spastic as he is, dancing in a fountain, spinning loops in the air or running from the villanious Bandito, a giant bumble bee-like creature that stole the dogs' beans. When Skippyjon slays Bandito, sending down a shower of beans and stuff, Mama Junebug and the other kittens find Skippyjon, buried in what's left of his birthday pinata and candy. Overall, the text and illustrations join together to capture the silly, charming characters and the whimsical storyline.
Cinderella Skeleton by Robert D. San Souci and illustrated by David Catrow is the second example of a successful picture book, this time for older children. Using the fairy tale of Cinderella as a base, this version uses a hollow-eyed skeleton as the main character. The rhyming text contains many scary, evocative words: "ghastliest", "foulest", "packed with spite and spleen". (My favorite quotes are "Cinderella Skeleton watched the others leave in a hearse--skreech in mournful bombazine; Her girls in mildew green sateen" and "Your gleaming skull and burnished bones, your teeth like polished kidney stones, your dampish silks and dankish hair, there's nothing like you anywhere!") The ink and watercolor drawings heighten this gothic and spooky vibe. Not only are the main characters skeletons, but there are plenty of creatures and critters lurking in the background of nearly every page, adding detail to the action of the plot. There's a layer of light, painted leaves, vines and architectural elements beneath the more refined and brightly colored images in the foreground, also creating depth and atmosphere. Compositionally, it can be a bit overwhelming with the quantity of images and colors, but it gives the sense that a constant wind is blowing across the page. Flowing lines and curves help lead the eye. The characterizations are also good. The stepmother and sisters are satisfyingly frightening, with missing teeth, sinister snarls and dangling red finger nails. The strongest part of this story is its play on the original story, both in text and illustrations. Instead of a fairy godmother, Cinderella Skeleton gets a visit from an ogre-like witch, who uses a jack-o-lantern, rats and black cat for her horseman and carriage. Instead of dropping her shoe at midnight, Cinderella's foot snaps off. The colors are a mixture of dark and gloomy blues and grays with bright pinks and yellows at the ball. The other guests are an assortment of monsters and gremlins, and Prince Charnel has bugs and snakes coiling around his arm. All in all, it includes many of the components listed by Jacobs and Tunnell for being a good picture book.
Thirdly is Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin, Jr. and John Archambault, illustrated by Lois Ehlert. This brightly colored book about learning the alphabet is not only fun, but engaging. The main characters are huge, vibrant letters, racing up and down a coconut tree. Illustrations are simple and limited to the tree, the letters and an orange and pink polka-dotted border on each page. The text uses melodic, rhythmic language, and children can easily spot each letter as it appears and join in the rhyme. As more of them climb the tree, they bend the tree trunk. The images grow larger and larger as the text builds momentum, until finally the entire alphabet tumbles to the ground in a mess. As the letters reorganize, the tree once again returns to its upright position, only to be climbed again under a full moon.
Fourth is Clack, Clack, Moo, Cows that Type by Doreen Cronin and illustrated by Betsy Lewin. The use of watercolor lends itself to a looser, more flowing quality, made more dynamic with a thick, black watercolored line around each image. Very little white space exists throughout the book--instead the backgrounds or the characters fill the page with soft, eye-catching color (which is more muted and gray when seen from inside the unlit barn than the bright outdoors.) Lewin has traditional depictions of a farm, the farmer and the animals. However, this allows the text and illustrations to show a different viewpoint. The cows and chickens (and ducks) are not behaving as expected. Instead they are typing messages in the barn, demanding electric blankets in exchange for their milk and eggs. The humor is increased when the Farmer types a note back to the cows and allows the duck to act as mediator. Lewin also makes good use of shadow--the reader sees only the black outline of the farmer as he rages after seeing the letter from the cows: "Sorry. We're closed. No milk today". The text utilizes rhythmic language, repeating "Click, clack, MOO. Click, clack, MOO. Clickety, clack, MOO." It's a fun, enjoyable book with text and illustrations uniting to enhance the story.
Last is No, David! by David Shannon. It is based on a book Shannon wrote when he was just a kid, depicting a naughtier version of himself getting into all sorts of trouble, with the only words he knew how to spell at the time: "No" and "David". He remade this story as an award winning picture book. From the start, it uses a powerful combination of text and illustrations. The cover shows David, fang-toothed and Charlie-Brown-headed, teetering on a pile of books and about to knock over a fishbowl of terrified goldfish. The title is written in huge black letters, and immediately the reader can hear this repeated phrase coming out of his frustrated mother's mouth. The next page shows his mother, hands on her hips, with an enormous outline of "NO, DAVID!" around her. It's easy to understand that David hears this phrase constantly--the entire back cover of the book is nothing but "NO" written over and over again. David's antics continue on the first page with David scribbling with his crayons on the wall. In fact, the text appears as David's handwriting. The book sets up a predictable plot--naughty David--but because of the vibrant colors, playful illustrations and outrageous behavior, the reader is compelled to turn the page to see what happens next. Shannon draws and paints with primary colors, uses simple shapes (the hands don't even have fingers; they're just circular blobs) and a sketchy style as if the story were drawn by a child rather than an adult. The busy line quality and irregularly colored images ramp up the mess and destruction caused by David and the anxiety and anger coming from his mother. Children easily understand the consequences of David's actions and can shout "No, David!" as the story unfolds. This book is highly entertaining and very effective with its use of both text and illustrations.
Jacobs, J. S. & Tunnell, M. O. (2004). Children's literature, briefly (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle Rover, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Week Five: Picture books for older readers: A Bad Case of Stripes
A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon(cover image from Amazon.com)
Bibliography: Shannon, D. (1998). A bad case of the stripes. New York: The Blue Sky Press. ISBN: 978-0590929974
SUMMARY
Camilla often worried about what other people thought of her. For example, she loved lima beans, but was afraid the kids would tease her. While fretting over what to wear on the first day of school, she caught a case of stripes, covering her body in thick bands of rainbow colors. The next day, she broke out into stars and stripes during The Pledge of Allegiance, checkerboard patterns and various other designs. Her parents called in doctors, specialists, and experts, and none of them helped. Instead she grew tentacles, bacteria tails and fuzzy virus balls. The media landed in her front yard, and no matter what the remedy, Camilla only got worse. Finally, an old woman appeared at her door with the cure: lima beans.
MY IMPRESSIONS
I've always been a big fan of David Shannon. I own most of his books and appreciate his sense of humor. A Bad Case of Stripes is no exception. It's an exaggerated, humorous picture book about self-acceptance. Only when Camilla makes peace with her love of lima beans does her striped/spotted/tentacled affliction go away. The text and illustrations work well together, although the illustrations garner most of the attention when reading this book. A close-up of Camilla is shown on the cover, wrapped in a blanket in bed with a thermometer sticking out of her lips. The lush images are large, bold and realistic, taking up most of the space on every page. They not only show the action of the story but add humorous elements and depth. Camilla sticks a striped tongue out at during the doctor's examination. The letters on the TV station's van read WKKO. Camilla wriggles under the scrutiny of a team of white-coated Specialists, one of whom is tickling her foot with a feather. Especially fun are the facial expressions of the characters. The illustrations can seem a bit terrifying for children, sometimes moving into the grotesque or horrible. But every time I read A Bad Case of Stripes to a kid, they LOVE it. I think in many cases, children find a different meaning for this book, rather than self-acceptance. I suspect it's a better metaphor for dealing with the terror of starting school, of being judged by peers, of feeling powerless as a kid when sickness takes over. Fear, stress and anger show up as physical, outside symptoms--stripes and spots and squiggly lines--so everyone understands how they feel on the inside.
ACTIVITIES
Other than the usual storytime selection, this book would pair well with a non-fiction book on what else? Lima beans! Discuss food groups and vegetables and how they are grown and harvested. Sing "Three Sisters," the song about corn, beans and squash. If possible, include a field trip to a local Farmer's Market or farm. Make artwork with colored paper, dried beans and glue.
During flu season, read this book. Talk about germs and how to protect the body from illnesses. Encourage kids to wash their hands frequently, sneeze into their elbows and keep hands away from their eyes and mouths.
Use this book with middle school and high school students on the same topic. Discuss how communicable diseases spread and government policies to stop such epidemics as H1N1 or the Swine Flu. Bring in non-fiction books about the history of disease outbreaks including the plague, the flu, small pox, cholera, malaria, etc.
2000-2001 Young Hoosier Book Award Nominee
Junior Library Guild Selection
2000 Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award
1999 Montana Treasure State Award Winning Book
2000 Utah Children's Literature Association of Utah Picture Book Award (grades K-3)
2000 Wisconsin WEMA Golden Archer Award
REVIEWS
"This highly original moral tale acquires mythic proportions when Camilla Cream worries too much about what others think of her and tries desperately to please everyone. First stripes, then stars and stripes, and finally anything anyone suggests (including tree limbs, feathers, and a tail) appear vividly all over her body. The solution: lima beans, loved by Camilla, but disdained for fear they'll promote unpopularity with her classmates.
Carolyn Noah, Central Mass. Regional Library System,
"On this disturbing book's striking dust jacket, a miserable Betty-Boop-like girl, completely covered with bright bands of color, lies in bed with a thermometer dangling from her mouth. The rainbow-hued victim is Camilla Cream, sent home from school after some startling transformations: 'when her class said the Pledge of Allegiance, she turned red, white, and blue, and she broke out in stars!' Scientists and healers cannot help her, for after visits from 'an old medicine man, a guru, and even a veterinarian... she sprouted roots and berries and crystals and feathers and a long furry tail.' The paintings are technically superb but viscerally troubling. The doe-eyed girl changes her stripes at anyone's command, and only nonconformity can save her. When she finally admits her unspeakable secret--she loves lima beans--she is cured. Shannon juggles dark humor and an anti-peer-pressure message. However, the grotesque images of an ill Camilla may continue to haunt children long after the cover is closed."
Publisher's Weekly,
"Camilla, who loves lima beans but won't eat them because it's not cool, finds that deferring to others isn't all it's cracked up to be. In fact, her desire to please and be popular causes her some spectacular problems: she suddenly breaks out in stripes, then stars, then turns 'purple polka-dotty' at the behest of a delighted classmate. Her weird mutations, which stymie doctors and send the media into a frenzy, become more and more extreme until she finally blends into the walls of her room--her lips the red-blanketed mattress on her bed, her eyes the paintings on the wall. Will she never be herself again?
Booklist.com
Week Four: Newbery winners 1976-2009: The Giver
The Giver by Lois Lowry(cover image from Amazon.com)
Bibliography: Lowry, Lois. (2002). The giver. New York: Laurel Leaf. ISBN: 978-0440237686
SUMMARY
Before his 12th birthday, Jonas didn't think much about his life, other than that he enjoyed it. He and his community are happy, safe and comfortable. Every aspect of life is controlled and observed by the strict guidelines and scrutiny of the elders. When Jonas is selected as the community's new Receiver of Memory, he is both fearful and curious about the honor of his position. As the former Receiver, now the Giver, starts showing him memories of things that existed before the community's move to Sameness--color, sound, temperatures, animals, war, pain, love, loss, hope, rage--he has to confront his own feelings of conformity, happiness, injustice and personal choice. Jonas also learns that Release, something he'd been taught was a necessary treatment for the old, the feeble or the unruly, is actually euthanasia. With the help of the Giver, he plans to escape, thus letting loose all of the memories he'd absorbed over the last year and causing upheaval in his community and causing him to say goodbye to everything he's ever known. However, Jonas makes one small change to their plans: he steals Gabriel, a baby scheduled for Release the following morning. Jonas and Gabriel flee their world, facing capture, starvation, hypothermia, and death. The book ends without resolution--it is not clear whether the two boys discover salvation in a new community or if they die.
MY IMPRESSIONS
Lois Lowry's 1994 Newbery winner is yet another immensely popular book that I'd never read. I'd heard about it continually during my tenure at the public library, both due to its permanent position on the neighborhood schools' required reading lists and on the banned book lists through the ALA every year. According to the ALA's website, The Giver is challenged because it contains sexually explicit content, "occult themes" and violence. The first two are baffling to me. The Giver doesn't contain any sex at all. The only time the book is remotely sexual is when Jonas admits to having a dream about his friend Fiona, where he unsuccessfully urges her to take a bath with him. Otherwise, The Giver is an incredibly chaste book--only family members touch each other, and even then it's brief and casual. In fact, the consequence of the bathing dream is that Jonas must take a pill to eliminate any further urges and fantasies. I can only interpret "occult themes" as the mildly science fiction quality to the book and the lack of organized religion in the community. Violence is present, but it's not gratuitous or gory. Death comes as a quiet, bloodless injection, which brings up the real reason The Giver is challenged so much: euthanasia and suicide. (The formerly selected Receiver chooses to "release" herself rather than having someone else do it--her one and only action based in personal choice.) Challengers miss the point of this action in The Giver. Lowry isn't condoning suicide or death. She's merely showing the importance of free will and choice, amplified by a culture without either one.
I LOVED The Giver and am thrilled that a book containing such intense, adult themes won the Newbery Award. (In fact, it sometimes reminded me of this episode of The Twilight Zone.) Lowry writes compelling characters and a believable world. She slowly reveals the magnitude of Sameness in small details--that people can't see color or hear music, that animals don't exist in the community, that no one has memories of any time other than right now. Instead everything is controlled--activities, clothing, occupations, spouses, children. Lowry creates a sense of foreboding from the beginning of the book, and she ramps up the tension and claustrophobic anxiety as Jonas learns more about what his life lacks--for better or worse. Lowry's themes are great metaphors for conformity in middle school children. She pushes the feelings of fitting in, loneliness, nervousness, coming of age, and helplessness to extremes and writes in a way that young adults will understand.
The other thing I really loved about The Giver was that Lowry allows the reader plenty of leeway in deciding how she/he feels about Jonas and his world. The Elders aren't painted as villains, but as leaders attempting to protect their communities from pain, fear, death, chaos. However, in this quest for Sameness, Lowry shows what else is lost--choice, freedom, joy, love, diversity, passion, change. The ambiguous ending echoes the themes in the book--and readers themselves have to decide the outcome of Jonas, Gabriel and the community left behind.
Though I agree that this book is appropriate for school and library discussions, it should be limited to children in middle school or older. The Giver is a mature, complicated, emotionally difficult book to read, even for adults. While Lowry is sensitive in how she treats these themes, it's still a lot for younger kids to understand and articulate. This book could be a potential mine field of issues for librarians leading a book discussion--not just the euthanasia/suicide theme but also personal choice vs. some religious views on fate and God, racism and eugenics, conformity and self esteem.
Winner 1994 Newbery Medal
1996 William Allen White Award
Best Books for Young Adults (ALA)
Notable Children's Book (ALA)
100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990-2000 (ALA)
Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Book
Regina Medal
Booklist Editor's Choice
Best Book of the Year (School Library Journal)
ACTIVITIES
Depending on the age range, sophistication level of reading skills and parental support, The Giver could easily be paired with other utopian/distopian novels in a book discussion. There are numerous young adult books with similar themes: Collins's The Hunger Games, Pfeffer's Life As We Knew It, Sedgwick's My Swordhand is Singing (a great vampire novel) and his Floodland, Haddix and Nielsen's The Shadow Children series (starting with Among the Hidden), Dunkle's The Sky Inside, Farmer's House of the Scorpion, and many other science fiction titles. Other adult books could also be included (again, depending on the age and skill level of the readers) like Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451, Orwell's 1984 or Huxley's Brave New World.
Pair the The Giver with other young adult Holocaust novels like Yolen's The Devil's Arithmetic, The Diary of Anne Frank or many of the books on this bibliography. Nonfiction titles about WWII could be highlighted as well.
Host a creative writing activity to discuss alternate endings to the book. Participants could write the next chapter of The Giver as they imagine it--what happens to the community? Do they give up Sameness? What happens to the Giver? Do Jonas and Gabriel die? If they survive, what is the other community like? Will their lives be better or worse after their escape?
Include The Giver in a display during Banned Books Week. Have a book discussion for patrons on why the book is challenged and its merit as a young adult novel.
REVIEWS
"In the 'ideal' world into which Jonas was born, everybody has sensibly agreed that well-matched married couples will raise exactly two offspring, one boy and one girl. These children's adolescent sexual impulses will be stifled with specially prescribed drugs; at age 12 they will receive an appropriate career assignment, sensibly chosen by the community's Elders. This is a world in which the old live in group homes and are 'released'--to great celebration--at the proper time; the few infants who do not develop according to schedule are also 'released,' but with no fanfare. Lowry's development of this civilization is so deft that her readers, like the community's citizens, will be easily seduced by the chimera of this ordered, pain-free society. Until the time that Jonah begins training for his job assignment--the rigorous and prestigious position of Receiver of Memory--he, too, is a complacent model citizen. But as his near-mystical training progresses, and he is weighed down and enriched with society's collective memories of a world as stimulating as it was flawed, Jonas grows increasingly aware of the hypocrisy that rules his world. With a storyline that hints at Christian allegory and an eerie futuristic setting, this intriguing novel calls to mind John Christopher's Tripods trilogy and Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Match Girl. Lowry is once again in top form--raising many questions while answering few, and unwinding a tale fit for the most adventurous readers."
Publishers Weekly, 1993.
"Jonas lives in a world that many of us have longed for. There is no war, poverty, or family turmoil, and so no fear, no hardship, no everyday discontent, no long-term terror. Jonas is named to the most prestigious and unusual job in the community--the Receiver of Memory. There is only one Receiver, and when he grows old, he trains his successor. Jonas is both puzzled and frightened by his job, which requires him to receive all the memories of their world and the land that lies beyond their community, Elsewhere. Readers lulled by the warmth and safety of the community will find themselves quite surprised as the darkness unfolds them. What the former Receiver, now the Giver, has to tell Jonas rocks the boy's sense of self and turns inside out the life has known. At first, the Giver offers benign memories--of snow, sunshine, and color, things that existed before the community went to Sameness--and the boy grieves for what has been lost. But soon Jonas receives memories of pain and death, and then he is torn. Perhaps his community's decision to shelter the citizens from the world's sorrow has been correct. Yet by going to Sameness, the community has also eliminated all possibilities for choice, and finally, for happiness.
The simplicity and directness of Lowry's writing forces readers to grapple with their own thoughts about this dichotomy; though it is clear what the right answer is, the allure of a life without pain will give even the least philosophical of readers something to ponder. Lowry's ending is the most unsatisfying element of the book. With the book's tension level raised so high, readers want closure, not ambiguity. Anti-Utopian novels have an enduring appeal. This one makes an especially good introduction to the genre because it doesn't load the dice by presenting the idea of a community structured around safety as totally negative. There's a distinctly appealing comfort in sameness that kids--especially junior high kids--will recognize. Yet the choice is clear. Sameness versus freedom, happiness at the risk of pain. Something to talk about."
Rene Cooper from Booklistonline.com
Week Four: Newbery winners 1951-1975: From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg (cover image from Amazon.com)Bibliography: Konigsburg, E.L. (2007). From the mixed-up files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. New York: Aladdin. ISBN: 978-1416949756
SUMMARY
Claudia convinces her younger brother, Jamie, to run away with her to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. They sneak past security and spend almost a week sleeping and exploring the museum. Intrigued by a new sculpture that might have been carved by Michelangelo, Claudia and Jamie set out to solve the mystery of its creator, even traveling to the home of its previous owner, Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, wealthy recluse and narrator of the story.
MY IMPRESSIONS
I really enjoyed this book. I wished I could have read it when I was younger. I'd surely heard about both the print version and the movie, so I'm not sure why I never picked it up. For me, the beginning was difficult to get into--the language feels stilted, overly formal and much too old to be a kid. However, once Claudia and Jamie left the school bus, the action picked up. I also enjoyed the message of a brother-sister team on this adventure and how they learned to cooperate.
The premise of two children hiding out in forbidden place at night--a museum, department store--is old hat now, but forty years ago, it was probably a revolutionary idea for kids. It's still an exciting, compelling concept for an adventure and I understand the lasting appeal of this book. Not only do Claudia and James experience the thrill of living in a normally forbidden place, but they're freed from the limitless rules and schedules of school, homework and youth in general. From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler captures the mood perfectly. Claudia and James decide where to sleep, where to eat, where to explore. They were surprisingly smart in how to spend their time, and in escaping both the security guards and the perceived danger of New York City. Two other things struck me about this book. Parents probably cringe that Claudia and James didn't really miss their family at all. They were totally consumed with their freedom and mystery-solving that they barely stopped to consider how their disappearance would affect their parents. (This might warrant a reminder on safety, the dangers of running away and sneaking off to strange cities.) Secondly, this book couldn't be written today without major revisions. First off, kids would need a LOT more money to maneuver through NYC. Next, with the advent of security cameras, motion detectors, camera phones, Amber Alerts for missing children and the internet, Claudia and Jamie would have been discovered in the museum immediately (as soon as they jumped on that bed!)
Still, the writing is clear and compelling, although kids might be confused with Mrs. Frankweiler's narration, since they don't meet her until the very end of the story. Her letters to her lawyer are intriguing though, and readers will want to figure out her story as much as Claudia and Jamie's. The imagery of the Met and the mystery of the Michelangelo sculpture are interesting to think about and discuss, as is the experience of being in NYC (or any big city). Each character changes by the time the story ends, and each of them have made lasting connections through this unusual experience.
Winner 1967 Newbery Medal
Library of Congress Children's Book of the Year
ALA's Notable Children's Book Award
ACTIVITIES
This book would be appropriate for a book discussion for children in grades 4-7. Potential questions would be:
1. How is the world different now (especially in NYC) that it was when the book was written?
2. If you were Claudia and Jamie and decided to go on an adventure, where would you go? What would you do?
3. Pretend Claudia and Jamie hid out in this library. What are some adventures or mysteries they could discover here?
4. If you could go back in time, where would you go? Who would you meet? Who would you bring with you?
5. How do you think Claudia and Jamie's parents reacted when they got home? How do you think they felt when they were at the museum?
6. Do you think Claudia and Jamie will see Mrs. Frankweiler again? What do you think they'll do with the sketch once they own it?
7. From what we know about Mrs. Frankweiler, how do you think she changed by the end of the story? What about Claudia and James?
Present non-fiction books about different art periods and styles--especially Michelangelo. Discuss differences in style, color, form, content and interpretation of different pieces of art. Art projects--painting, sculpture with clay, drawing--could also be combined with the discussion. The same could be done with major buildings substituting for the Metropolitan Museum of Art--Disneyworld, The Empire State Building, Grand Central Station, or local buildings. Architecture books could be highlighted from the collection, or the librarian could share interesting trivia with the kids.
Combine the book discussion with a field trip to a local art museum or gallery.
Convert scenes from this book into skits or as a play--if the library could dedicate that much time to practice and performances. Present it to library patrons or at a local school.
REVIEWS
"Though it may read like a fantasy today, this perfect, kid-size adventure is pure delight. Author E.L. Konigsburg's attention to detail makes this adventure real and satisfying, and her craft makes the story timeless. She observes the characters as closely as their surroundings. Claudia's need to show off and Jamie's tendency to cheat at cards are as much an endearing part of them as their loyalty, humor, and ingenuity. The quest for the sculptor's identity is bound inextricably with Claudia's own search for self. The mystery is complicated, but the irascible voice of Mrs. Frankweiler allows the author to clarify without ever seeming to lecture. An unusual choice for a children's-book narrator, 82-year-old Mrs. Frankweiler makes a precise and witty storyteller. She even saves one delicious secret for the very end."
Cindy Kane from www.commonsensemedia.org
"When Claudia, eleven, decides to run away from the monotony and injustices of her life, she first selects a comfortable destination, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and then chooses as a companion her nine-year-old brother, Jamie, who can be counted on to keep quiet and, more important, is 'rich.' Through Claudia’s careful planning and Jamie’s miserly management of their finances, together with the quick thinking and ingenuity of both children, the runaways take up residence in the museum, live there undetected for a week, and, before their adventure ends, ferret out evidence to authenticate a museum statue. Narrated by the statue’s donor, Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, the captivating story is fresh and crisply written with uncommonly real and likable characters and genuine dialogue and humor."
From Booklistonline.com
Journal topic 3: My choices for the Caldecott
I chose five picture books published in 2008 that I considered for the Caldecott Award based on the existing requirements and considerations for judges.
1. Just in Case by Yuyi Morales.
A skeleton, Senor Calavera, is bicycling to Grandma Beetle's birthday party. The ghost of Grandpa Zelmiro sidetracks him by pondering possible presents for her. Each option is a Spanish word from A-Z, and they run the gamut from ladders to instruments, food to animals. The illustrations are fun and fantastical, using elements and decorations from the Mexico's Day of the Dead traditions. The artwork has a cohesive style and uses simple, easy to understand words that are appropriate for this age group. Additional Spanish words appear at the end of the book as illustrated playing cards. The paintings lead the eye across the page and enhance the story. Like many Caldecott winners, the actual wording is not perfect. For example, no one seems to notice or care that Grandpa Zelmiro is no longer a ghost at the end of the book when Senor Calavera finally arrives and brings him as the birthday present. Also, some children might find the skeleton scary, especially if they don't have any understanding of the Day of the Dead. Even if the text is slightly confusing, the illustrations are exceptional. I would give Just In Case an Honor Award winner. (Note: It was only after I chose this book that I found it Just In Case had won the Pura Belpre prize for 2009.)
2. Chee-Lin: A Giraffe's Journey by James Rumford.
Loosely based on a painting and historical documents from the 1400's, Iweega the giraffe (pronounced chee-lin in Chinese) was trapped in Kenya and sold as a prize and symbol of wealth. Iweega travels from Africa to Arabia, India and finally China, and he meets friends along the way. The illustrations are absolutely stunning in this book. Rumford captures the beauty and elegance of the traditional dress, landscape and color palate of each of the countries in this time period. He also shows the loneliness and kindness of Iweega in his expressive face and eyes. The painterly quality adds depth and texture to the illustrations and provides a visual experience for readers. Sometimes the book felt a bit advanced for young children in terms of the storyline. Children may not understand all of the elements in the illustrations or understand the historical aspects to the plot. Although the Caldecott does not consider popularity or text as major factors in its requirements, these did affect my appreciation of the story. That is why I awarded Chee-Lin an Honor Award rather than the Caldecott medal.
3. Bats At the Library by Brian Lies
I was immediately enchanted with Bats At the Library. This is one of those rare books where the text and illustrations mesh perfectly. When someone leaves a window open at the library, a family of bats descend on the building and explore the wonders of reading. The illustrations capture the attention of readers, adding layers of humor and meaning as the book progresses. The text and drawings show the active bats and their excitement as they travel to worlds beyond the covers of the books they read. Lies interweaves references to other classic stories (but with animal characters). The illustrations are age appropriate and are equally appealing for adults. The artwork has a high level of skill and originality. The book feels fresh and fun, and it includes a great message for kids. I almost chose Bats At the Library as the winner of my Caldecott Medal, both because of its exemplary illustrations and because of its overall theme, but chose another. Instead it gets an Honor Award.
4. Peekaboo Bedtime by Rachel Isadora
An adorable African American boy plays peekaboo around his house at night. This book is perfect for preschoolers. It uses simple words and visual clues through the common game of peekaboo as a way to entertain readers and build vocabulary. The illustrations are both realistic and visually stimulating. As the narrator plays peekaboo, a small bordered drawing of a scene or object is shown. The repetitive text encourages the reader to turn the page, where the objects--his family members, the cat, his slippers--are revealed. The chalk/pastel drawings are rich and detailed with great color and texture. While Peekaboo Bedtime is very good book and I thoroughly enjoyed it, I am giving it an Honor Award since it is aimed at such a narrow group of readers.
5. Wabi Sabi by Mark Reibstein, art by Ed Young.
I LOVED this book and was shocked that it didn't win the Caldecott. I just can't say enough complimentary things about it. Wabi Sabi, a cat in Japan, goes on an adventure to find out the meaning of his name. Through his travels and interactions with other animals, the drawings and text demonstrate the cat's personality and the meaning of the term "wabi sabi." The illustrations are made of homemade paper and collage, using recycled paper, pressed flowers, string, hair and other natural materials. By using these items rather than paintings or sculptures, it echoes the state of simplicity, modesty and impermanence that embody "wabi sabi." Each of the characters is created by using simple paper forms (with the exception of the monkey and the dog, who have elaborate shaggy hair and face markings), but express so much personality and emotional depth as the story unfolds. In addition, the book opens up and down rather than side to side, enhancing the reading experience. Wabi Sabi also captures the visual tone of Japan's culture, using color schemes, local animals and plants, and haikus (which are scattered throughout the book in Japanese and translated at the end). Even though other books use paper collage (like Doowop Pop, which won an Honor Award), Wabi Sabi utilizes this medium in an exciting, beautiful, new way that epitomizes the essence of wabi sabi and unifies the text and illustrations. It is age appropriate, contains multicultural themes, is highly original and outstanding in its execution. This book receives my highest praise and wins my top Caldecott prize.
1. Just in Case by Yuyi Morales.
A skeleton, Senor Calavera, is bicycling to Grandma Beetle's birthday party. The ghost of Grandpa Zelmiro sidetracks him by pondering possible presents for her. Each option is a Spanish word from A-Z, and they run the gamut from ladders to instruments, food to animals. The illustrations are fun and fantastical, using elements and decorations from the Mexico's Day of the Dead traditions. The artwork has a cohesive style and uses simple, easy to understand words that are appropriate for this age group. Additional Spanish words appear at the end of the book as illustrated playing cards. The paintings lead the eye across the page and enhance the story. Like many Caldecott winners, the actual wording is not perfect. For example, no one seems to notice or care that Grandpa Zelmiro is no longer a ghost at the end of the book when Senor Calavera finally arrives and brings him as the birthday present. Also, some children might find the skeleton scary, especially if they don't have any understanding of the Day of the Dead. Even if the text is slightly confusing, the illustrations are exceptional. I would give Just In Case an Honor Award winner. (Note: It was only after I chose this book that I found it Just In Case had won the Pura Belpre prize for 2009.)
2. Chee-Lin: A Giraffe's Journey by James Rumford.
Loosely based on a painting and historical documents from the 1400's, Iweega the giraffe (pronounced chee-lin in Chinese) was trapped in Kenya and sold as a prize and symbol of wealth. Iweega travels from Africa to Arabia, India and finally China, and he meets friends along the way. The illustrations are absolutely stunning in this book. Rumford captures the beauty and elegance of the traditional dress, landscape and color palate of each of the countries in this time period. He also shows the loneliness and kindness of Iweega in his expressive face and eyes. The painterly quality adds depth and texture to the illustrations and provides a visual experience for readers. Sometimes the book felt a bit advanced for young children in terms of the storyline. Children may not understand all of the elements in the illustrations or understand the historical aspects to the plot. Although the Caldecott does not consider popularity or text as major factors in its requirements, these did affect my appreciation of the story. That is why I awarded Chee-Lin an Honor Award rather than the Caldecott medal.
3. Bats At the Library by Brian Lies
I was immediately enchanted with Bats At the Library. This is one of those rare books where the text and illustrations mesh perfectly. When someone leaves a window open at the library, a family of bats descend on the building and explore the wonders of reading. The illustrations capture the attention of readers, adding layers of humor and meaning as the book progresses. The text and drawings show the active bats and their excitement as they travel to worlds beyond the covers of the books they read. Lies interweaves references to other classic stories (but with animal characters). The illustrations are age appropriate and are equally appealing for adults. The artwork has a high level of skill and originality. The book feels fresh and fun, and it includes a great message for kids. I almost chose Bats At the Library as the winner of my Caldecott Medal, both because of its exemplary illustrations and because of its overall theme, but chose another. Instead it gets an Honor Award.
4. Peekaboo Bedtime by Rachel Isadora
An adorable African American boy plays peekaboo around his house at night. This book is perfect for preschoolers. It uses simple words and visual clues through the common game of peekaboo as a way to entertain readers and build vocabulary. The illustrations are both realistic and visually stimulating. As the narrator plays peekaboo, a small bordered drawing of a scene or object is shown. The repetitive text encourages the reader to turn the page, where the objects--his family members, the cat, his slippers--are revealed. The chalk/pastel drawings are rich and detailed with great color and texture. While Peekaboo Bedtime is very good book and I thoroughly enjoyed it, I am giving it an Honor Award since it is aimed at such a narrow group of readers.
5. Wabi Sabi by Mark Reibstein, art by Ed Young.
I LOVED this book and was shocked that it didn't win the Caldecott. I just can't say enough complimentary things about it. Wabi Sabi, a cat in Japan, goes on an adventure to find out the meaning of his name. Through his travels and interactions with other animals, the drawings and text demonstrate the cat's personality and the meaning of the term "wabi sabi." The illustrations are made of homemade paper and collage, using recycled paper, pressed flowers, string, hair and other natural materials. By using these items rather than paintings or sculptures, it echoes the state of simplicity, modesty and impermanence that embody "wabi sabi." Each of the characters is created by using simple paper forms (with the exception of the monkey and the dog, who have elaborate shaggy hair and face markings), but express so much personality and emotional depth as the story unfolds. In addition, the book opens up and down rather than side to side, enhancing the reading experience. Wabi Sabi also captures the visual tone of Japan's culture, using color schemes, local animals and plants, and haikus (which are scattered throughout the book in Japanese and translated at the end). Even though other books use paper collage (like Doowop Pop, which won an Honor Award), Wabi Sabi utilizes this medium in an exciting, beautiful, new way that epitomizes the essence of wabi sabi and unifies the text and illustrations. It is age appropriate, contains multicultural themes, is highly original and outstanding in its execution. This book receives my highest praise and wins my top Caldecott prize.
Week Three: Caldecott winners 1990-2009: Joseph Had A Little Overcoat
Joseph Had A Little Overcoat by Simms Taback(cover image from Amazon.com)
Bibliography: Taback, S. (1999). Joseph had a little overcoat. New York: Viking. ISBN: 9780670878550
SUMMARY
Joseph had an overcoat. When the coat became too tattered and old, he made a jacket out of it. Then a vest, a scarf, a necktie, a handkerchief, and finally a button. When Joseph lost the button, he wrote a story about the overcoat, reminding readers that one can always create something out of nothing.
MY IMPRESSIONS
I thoroughly enjoyed Joseph Had a Little Overcoat. It contained a whimsical yet meaningful tale about resourcefulness and creativity. The repetitious and rhythmical text means that young readers can easily follow the progression of the story and make guesses as to which article of clothing comes next for Joseph. The moral appeals to parents and teachers.
I understand why this book won the Caldecott Honor medal. The illustrations were the best part--colorful, funny and sometimes overwhelming in the level of detail. Taback uses watercolor, gouache, pencil, ink and collage to depict Joseph, who looks a lot like Taback. Joseph is shown in scenes from his life--in the field with chickens, dancing at a wedding, gathered with friends and family--and each incarnation of the coat appears as a diecut hole in the subsequent page. Strips of fabric and rows of buttons cover the lining pages and the back cover, again stressing the crafty mood to the story. It's predictable that Joseph will make a new piece of clothing when his old one wears out, and readers can have fun guessing what the next one will be. My favorite part was the combination of drawn images and found ones. Crowds of people wear clothes made from cut pieces of paper of fabric designs, the rugs are combinations of knits and weaves of clothes from magazine pages, images of fruits and vegetables populate the field outside Taback's house, and real photographs show up in photo frames and newspapers. There is so much color and texture in the illustrations that I spent a long time studying the pages. Still, even with the plethora of shapes, hues, lines and colors, there's an odd balance to the book. Somehow, it all fits in with the quirky character of Joseph. Taback also includes his Jewish culture by including menorahs, traditional fashions, Hebrew characters and "mozel tov" cross-stitches hanging from the wall. Each reading of the book means discovering new objects hidden in the page or conversations about the bric-a-brac found in Joseph's world.
ACTIVITIES
This book would be a fun story time for kids aged three to eight--especially if they were encouraged to guess the next item of clothing. If the librarian were crafty themselves, they could dress up (or take off) each garment as it was named (although it might be too hot to wear an overcoat, jacket, vest, tie, scarf, etc. in the summertime.)
Teach children the Yiddish folksong at the end. Talk about Jewish traditions and holidays.
Combine craft activities with Joseph Had a Little Overcoat. Give each participant an overcoat cut out of construction paper. Have them decorate it with string, buttons, paper, etc., or turn the overcoat into something else with scissors. These same construction paper cut-outs could also have small holes punched along the side so children could weave in string (instead of using real needles and thread). Ask children to make collages with magazines or newspapers.
Teach a lesson in recycling. Discuss commonly recycled materials and the process of reusing them. Hold up images of objects and ask what they could be recycled into (a tree into a book, a book into a postcard, etc.)
REVIEWS
"Vibrant rich colors, playful details, and skillfully-placed die cuts contribute to the book's raucous merriment that takes this Yiddish folk song far beyond the simple words. The patchwork layout of the pages, the two-dimensional paintings and the exaggerated perspectives, reminiscent of the folk art tradition, are the very fabric that turn this overcoat into a story."
Barbara Z. Kiefer, chair of the Caldecott Award Selection Committee
"In today's throwaway world, Joseph's old-fashioned frugality is a welcome change. Based on a Yiddish song from Simms Taback's youth, the book is filled with rhythms and arresting colors that will delight every reader. As more and more holes appear in Joseph's coat, die-cut holes appear on the pages, hinting at each next manifestation. Every inch of space is crammed with fanciful, funny details, such as the headline on a discarded newspaper: "Fiddler on Roof Falls off Roof." Taback ...has produced a picture book that is as well turned out as its dapper hero."
Emilie Coulter, Amazon.com
"This diverting, sequential story unravels as swiftly as the threads of Joseph's well-loved, patch-covered plaid coat. A flip of the page allows children to peek through to subsequent spreads as Joseph's tailoring produces items of decreasing size. The author puts a droll spin on his narrative when Joseph loses the last remnant of the coat--a button--and decides to make a book about it. Still, it's the bustling mixed-media artwork, highlighted by the strategically placed die-cuts, that steals the show. Taback works into his folk art a menagerie of wide-eyed animals witnessing the overcoat's transformation, miniature photographs superimposed on paintings and some clever asides reproduced in small print (a wall hanging declares, "Better to have an ugly patch than a beautiful hole"). With its effective repetition and an abundance of visual humor, this is tailor-made for reading aloud."
Publisher's Weekly
Week Three: Caldecott winners 1938-1989: Owl Moon
Owl Moon by Jane Yolen, illustrated by John Schoenherr(cover image from Amazon.com)
Bibliography: Yolen, J. (1987). Owl moon. New York: Philomel. ISBN: 978-0399214578
SUMMARY
One winter night, a girl and her father walk in search of owls. They enjoy companionable silence, the father's lessons on owling, and an appreciation for the creatures and natural world around them. A sweet, gentle story of quiet, parent/child bonding.
MY IMPRESSIONS
I would have loved this story if I'd read it as a kid. I was a tomboy, endlessly searching for ways to spend time with my father. Owl Moon captures the sweet, awkward, loving connections between a father and a daughter during an owling expedition in the snowy outdoors. Schoenherr's gorgeous watercolors provide wonderful visual imagery for the simple text and the two interweave perfectly. The icy blues, dark grays and stark browns set the mood for the silent, chilly air of a winter's night. The illustrations are both deceptively simple and rich in detail. Schoenherr expertly uses the white space of the page as the background of snow, with minimal shadows in blue gray. Another fun component is the number of animals tucked into tree trunks or between snow banks that children can find when reading the story.
Yolen's text heightens the sensation of the winter and quiet. The sound of a train whistle and dog's howl, low like an owl's hoot, echoes in the darkness. The crunch of their boots replaces the monologue in the girl's head as she remembers her father's instructions when owling--be quiet, brave and hopeful. I enjoyed Yolen's evocative descriptions: the chill in the air was like "someone's icy hand was palm-down on my back" or how the snow was "whiter than the milk in a cereal bowl." My favorite moment in the book was when the father called back to the owl. Both the girl and her dad were poised in a frozen moment of action--craning their necks to locate the owl, their hands tensed by their faces, alert and expectant. Then the next page showed the incredible moment of staring down an owl and losing track of time, before it flies away. The closing illustration of the girl in the arms of her father as they returned home was also heart-warming. Owl Moon is a fabulous picture book and a well-deserved winner of the Caldecott Medal.
ACTIVITIES
Like all of the picture books I've mentioned so far, Owl Moon is a great story time selection for kids aged four to eight.
Tie in the book with other nonfiction selections on any number of related topics--drawing/identifying different kinds of owls and animals, learning about species of trees and how they change throughout the seasons, or favorite winter activities. Play sounds of different birds and animals and have the children identify them. Build language skills by asking for adjectives to describe the smells, sounds and sensory experience of walking in the woods in the winter.
Owl Moon would be especially good if it could be combined with a winter field trip to a nature preserve or with a guest lecturer from a state park.
REVIEWS
"In this extraordinary title, Jane Yolen captures the magical moment when two people come face to face with a wild creature, a beautiful owl in its natural habitat. She also explores, in simple words packed with imagery, the bond that connects the little girl and her father as they take a special journey under an Owl Moon. The illustrations in this special book beautifully compliment the text; rich with shadow and moonlight the illustrator shows the characters from many points of view and gives us cameo glimpses of other woodland creatures."
Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Review
"Among the greatest charms of children is their ability to view a simple activity as a magical adventure, such as a walk in the woods late at night. Jane Yolen captures this wonderment in a book whose charm rises from its simplicity. "It was late one winter night, long past my bedtime, when Pa and I went owling." The two walked through the woods with nothing but hope and each other in a journey that will fascinate many a child. John Schoenherr's illustrations help bring richness to the countryside adventure."
Goodreads.com
"Her reverence for the experience is tangible. Owl Moon is told in the girl's own voice, a strikingly mature inner dialogue documenting every aspect of this daddy-daughter outing as it happens. She wants to do this right. Sometimes she has to run to keep up with her dad. The experience is very solitary, despite his company, because there's no talking and no contact. Just the struggle to keep up and the thoughts inside. And then there's that knowledge that sometimes an owling expedition comes to nothing. You hear nothing. You see nothing. As a reader, your heart goes out to her. You imagine her fear that a failed outing will somehow reflect on her. On her age. On her gender. John Schoenherr's illlustrations complement Yolen's text perfectly. It's incredibly touching. I don't know that I've ever come across a better father daughter book. Yolen and Schoenherr team up in this classic to capture perfectly a momentous little expedition and everything it means to a young child. This is a great book for any kid, but if you have a youngest daughter, Owl Moon
is nothing less than essential. Mom? Make sure you let Dad read this book to your daughter. And Dad? Go take your daughter on a similarly meaningful outing."Steve from www.best-childrens-books.com
Week Two: Classic chapter books: Are You There, God, It's Me Margaret
Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. (AYTG?IMM) by Judy Blume(cover image scanned from personal copy.)
Bibliography: Blume, J. (1970). Are you there, God? It's me, Margaret. New York: Dell Publishing.
SUMMARY
Margaret, an almost-twelve year old, and her family move from New York to the New Jersey suburbs. She not only has to make new friends at a new school, but she's also anxious about the changes in her body and the growing pressure to think about boys romantically. Though raised without her parent's Jewish and Christian traditions, Margaret talks to God in her head, hoping for some guidance as she navigates the insecure road from childhood to adulthood. A great coming of age book that touches on spirituality, menstruation and puberty, friendship, peer pressure and the uncomfortable transitions young adults face as they figure out themselves, their bodies and the world.
MY IMPRESSIONS
I remember reading AYTG?IMM when I was nearing the end of grade school. I loved Judy Blume's other books (especially the scandalous Forever) and purchased AYTG?IMM with my allowance. At the time, it had a tremendous effect on me because it touched on all of the issues that I was facing in my life. Although I didn't have to move to a new school, I was uncomfortable in my body, raging against my lack of breasts, wanting to wear makeup and kiss boys, feeling foreign from my family and wishing desperately for my period so I could finally stop being a kid. Blume writes with such an accurate point of view that I could easily project myself onto Margaret's character. She uses language and tone that feels age appropriate and not like an adult is talking down to readers. It's also amazing that the book covers such a broad spectrum of huge topics--religion, conformity, sexuality, self-esteem, puberty and the lack of communication between kids and their parents during this period of their lives. Even with all of those big issues, Blume is never preachy. Margaret is believable and sensitive and resolves her issues in a satisfying way. I find it remarkable that with the exception of the sanitary napkin belts, AYTG?IMM is as applicable now as it was in 1970.
The new house in the suburbs is a fitting metaphor for Margaret as she grows into her awkward body and feels lonely because no one understands what she's going through. Margaret's pleading conversations with God are also spot on and capture her frustration. Re-reading it for this class, I'd completely forgotten the religious subplot of AYTG?IMM. I vaguely remember being intrigued by Margaret's Jewish relatives since I didn't know anyone in my town who wasn't either Lutheran, Catholic or Methodist. Margaret handles this complex situation with skill and honesty. I believe that this book is still a classic for adolescents, especially for girls.
ACTIVITIES
This book is obviously aimed at the older reader--grades 3-6. AYTG?IMM would be appropriate for a book discussion on a number of topics.
Tie in the book with health/ sex ed information offered by the school as the students near puberty. Students may feel more comfortable asking questions about their bodies after reading a book like this.
Discuss different religious traditions and holidays. Bring up some of the issues involved in a multi-faith family.
Pair the book with others that address issues of peer pressure and friendship. Ask if anyone has ever moved to a new school and to describe what the experience was like.
Great Stone Face Award winner
1975 Hawaii Nene Award
New York Times Best Books for Children List, 1970
Young Hoosier Book Award, 1976
North Dakota Children's Choice Award, 1979
REVIEWS
"Margaret Simon has a lot of things to think about--making friends in a new school, boys and dances and parties, growing physically "normal" and choosing a religion. With sensitivity and humor, Judy Blume has captured the joys, fears, and uncertainties that surround a girl approaching adolescence."
Publishers Weekly
"It will be easy for girls to imagine themselves in Margaret's world because it is a realistic one. She experiences a wide range of emotions, all of which will strike a chord with readers." Children's Literature
"Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret has been frequently challenged for some controversial content: it talks frankly about menstruation and other puberty-related changes, and it shows a young girl from a non-religious Jewish-Christian family trying to choose a religion for herself. I didn’t find either of these to particularly threatening; it is a well-written story about the things that twelve-year-olds are already thinking and talking about.
For me, reading Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret was like being that age again. My friends and I talked about the same things: do you need a bra yet? do you have hair growing anywhere? do I need to use deoderant yet? does anyone have her period? do I need to shave my legs yet? And Margaret and her friends make some dumb mistakes, and are catty, and find out eventually that the attractive boy is sometimes also a big jerkface. It feels real; Judy Blume is clearly a lady who remembers what it’s like to be twelve."
by Christine from She Reads Books blog
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Week Two: Classic picture books: Where The Wild Things Are
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak(Book cover image from amazon.com)
Bibliography: Sendak. M. (1988) Where the wild things are. New York: Harper Collins Publishers. ISBN: 978-0060254926
SUMMARY
A naughty boy, cloaked in his favorite wolf costume, escapes with his imagination to a fantastical land where wild things are celebrated rather than punished. Hailed as king, Max and the monsters howl, leap and swing from the trees. When the lure of a missed supper calls to his belly, Max returns to the safety and love of his home.
MY IMPRESSIONS
Like The Giving Tree, I loved Where The Wild Things Are but was more affected by the animated version than the book. I never had many time outs as a kid, though I could relate to Max's outbursts. I remember wishing my bedroom would dissolve into a moonlit forest where I didn't have to behave like a good girl. Growing up was difficult and annoying with all of the rules and boring expectations that went along with it (inside voices, sharing, proper behavior). Sendak's drawings capture the vibrant, mischievous energy of children and the seemingly real fantasies conjured by their imaginations. Now and then, I find the monsters both nightmare-inducing and fascinating. The detail and colors are suburb, and the illustrations heighten the danger of Max's strange land of wild things. I particularly love the full page wild rumpus with Max and posse screaming and dancing in the night. Few words are written on each page and the text expresses the frustration and excitement of the boy with the use of capitalization and exclamation points.
As an adult, I realize how well Sendak understood child psychology. Max, after becoming king of the wild things, uses normative behavior when he sends the monsters to bed without supper, just as his tired mother did to him. Even when faced with a herd of terrifying, sharp-toothed creatures, he found a way to control them, much like children navigate the dangers of the world.
Everyone I know either loves or remembers Where The Wild Things Are, mostly due to its powerful imagery and universal topic. I am SO PUMPED for the movie release on October 16. The trailer looks phenomenal.
ACTIVITIES
This book would be a great story time read as well as a way to create music with children. More fitting for a home environment or school rather than a library, I would encourage the kids to be "wild things" for a few minutes, making as much noise as possible with their voices, bodies, pots, pans, instruments or whatever else was handy. They could make costumes or masks with construction paper, or instruments out of beans, cardboard tubes, bells and other materials.
Discuss ways to express angry feelings without resorting to inappropriate behaviors. Brainstorm ways to handle a stressful situation. This could segue into talking about nightmares and ways to cope with them.
Talk about childrens' favorite fantasy places. Where do they go in their imaginations when they want to escape? Who is there? What do they do?
Winner 1964 Caldecott Medal for Most Distinguished Book of the Year
Notable Children's Books of 1940, 1970 (ALA)
1981 Boston Globe Horn Book Award for Illustration
1963, 1982 Fanfare Honor List (The Horn Book)
Best Illustrated Children's books of 1963, 1982 (NYT)
A Reading Rainbow Selection
1964 Lewis Carroll Shelf Award
Children's Books of 1981 (Library of Congress)
1981 Children's Books (NY Public Library)
100 Books for Reading and Sharing 1988 (NY Public Library)
REVIEWS
"Each word has been carefully chosen and the simplicity of the language is quite deceptive." School Library Journal
"In the forty years since Max first cried 'Let the wild rumpus start,' Maurice Sendak's classic picture book has become one of the most highly acclaimed and best-loved children's books of all time."
Powell's Books website
"This simply written but subtle book became a classic not only because it legitimized children's angry feelings--and their ability to use their imaginations to deal with those feelings--but also because it showed punishment and love coexisting in a parent-child relationship. When mischievous Max, wearing his wolf suit, romps around the house and drives his mother to distraction, she calls him 'Wild Thing' and sends him to bed without his supper. But in the quiet of his room, a forest grows, where claw-footed monsters with horns, Wild Things just like Max, lurk and leap. Max joins their 'wild rumpus' and is made 'king of all wild things,' but still he misses home. When he finally returns, he discovers his supper waiting, and it is still hot."
BookList
Journal topic 2 : History of children's books
James S. Jacobs and Michael O. Tunnell (2004) give an interesting description of the history of children's books. Starting in the mid 1400's, hornbooks were small, wooden paddles covered in parchment and translucent sheets of cow horn. A hole was drilled into the handle so that it could be hung with cord from a child's waist. Some sort of primary information, like the alphabet or Biblical verses, was printed on the parchment so that children could easily learn it and carry it with them. I currently work in a law library, and I find it fascinating that "hornbook" also refers to a short treatise that focuses on one particular issue in the law to aid students in understanding it or a shorter version of a longer text. The mental image of law students wearing belts of paddles full of case material makes me laugh.
Chapbooks were inexpensively priced booklets that became popular after the 16th century (although they were frowned upon as proper reading material). Usually crudely printed on a single sheet of paper, folded into pages and accompanied by simple woodblock images, these coverless books were available to the literate, laboring class from street peddlers and hawkers. Because so much of the literature at that time contained religious or scholarly philosophies of the Puritans, chapbooks offered readers a chance to enjoy lighter topics like adventure stories, songs, political opinions, poems or folktales. These chapbooks helped influence key publishers and authors and initiate the development of children's literature.
One of these people was John Newbery. Jacobs and Tunnell (2004) suggest that Newbery was affected by John Locke, a British researcher and philosopher who argued that children should be taught through home schooling, private tutors and fun activities rather than the strict methods of rote memorization and authoritarianism as was common at the time (Buck, 2009). Newbery's publishing house printed titles specifically for children. In 1744, his first book, A Pretty Little Pocket-Book, used rhymes and stories to teach the alphabet (Jacobs & Tunnell, 2004). (I love that the caption under the frontispiece is "Instruction with delight.") His dedication to young readers prompted the creation of the oldest prize for children's books: The John Newbery Medal.
Orbis Pictus, or "The World in Pictures," is cited as the first children's picture book. Johann Amos Comenius, a teacher and bishop from Moravia (which is now part of the Czech Republic), wrote it in 1657. It contained easy text and woodcuts to show wondrous examples of plants, animals, humans and other aspects of the natural and spiritual world.
Charles Perrault collected and published French fairy tales in Histoires ou contes du temps passé, avec des moralités: Contes de ma mère l'Oye, or the Tales of Mother Goose in 1697 (Ashliman, D. L., 2006). It included well-known stories like "Cinderella, or The Little Glass Slipper" and "Little Red Riding Hood". This book has since been published in many languages and other authors have utilized the character of Mother Goose.
Randolph Caldecott was a British illustrator who created amazing colored images for children's books. He is credited with being the first to show action in his illustrations for the 1878 book The Diverting History of John Gilpin (Jacobs and Tunnell, 2004). An American award for children's book illustrations is named for him: The Randolph Caldecott Medal.
Kate Greenaway was a contemporary of Caldecott's and also illustrated many beloved children's books. She is most known for her quaintly drawn Victorian children, detailed flower images and greeting cards. The Kate Greenaway Medal is comparable to the Caldecott and is awarded in the United Kingdom each year.
St. Nicholas Magazine was an American children's publication from 1873 to 1941. Edited by author Mary Mapes Dodge, it attracted the most popular and accomplished authors and illustrators. Many famous novels were printed in the magazine in serialized form like Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book and Louisa May Alcott's Jo's Boys (Jacobs and Tunnell, 2004).
All of these details laid the groundwork for the popularity and reoccurring trends in 20th century children's literature. Up to this point, illustrations were primarily used as decorative elements in stories. This changed in 1902 when Beatrix Potter created The Tale of Peter Rabbit, which incorporated corresponding drawings to tell the story as much as the words, thus ushering in the idea of the modern picture storybook (Jacobs & Tunnell, 2004). The American equivalent of this was Millions of Cats. (According to Wikipedia, it is "the oldest American picture book still in print.") Written and illustrated by Wanda Gag (a Minnesotan!), the rhythmic and repetitive, hand-drawn text tells the story of a lonely old man and woman who decide to get a pet. The man travels far and wide before he discovers a hill covered in millions of cats. Unable to decide which one to pick, he leads them all home. When the wife cries that they must only choose the prettiest cat to keep, a battle ensues. The cats devour each other, leaving only one scraggly kitten, which grows into a lovely companion for the couple.
Another groundbreaking event was the advent of children's fantasy literature, most notably with L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and animal fantasy classics like A. A. Milne's Winnie-the-Pooh and Kenneth Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Edward Stratemeyer started the trend of serialized children's fiction books like Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys and the Mary-Kate and Ashley. With more funding and freedom to include a range of topics, the 1960's brought an age of realism in children's literature. Books now covered such themes as abuse, death, sexuality, divorce and racial diversity. As the marketplace again changed in the 1970's and 80's, publishers emphasized impressively illustrated books as the staple for the genre. Nonfiction, historical and wordless picture books also flourished during this period. Colorization improved and other titles included toys or gimmicks like texture, scratch-and-sniff and battery operated sound effects.
Schools and other institutions began purchasing children's books to use in the classroom and with growing demand for these materials by the general public, sales skyrocketed into the millions of dollars a year. Into the late 80's and 90's, poetry books saw a surge in popularity, along with a reprinting of out-of-print classics from earlier generations. Despite the intense scrutiny of many children's books today, authors and illustrators continue to take risks in terms of subject matter and artistic expression. More and more minority characters and creators exist in the genre than ever before. Even with all of the changes in the publishing industry, political climate and school curriculum, children's literature remains a huge money-maker for publishers and an important aspect of literacy, the cultural experience of youth and library collections.
References:
Ashliman, D. L. (2006). Charles Perrault's Mother Goose tales. Viewed September 11, 2009, from http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/perrault.html
Buck, R. M. (2009). John Locke (1632-1704). Viewed September 11, 2009, from http://social.jrank.org/pages/375/Locke-John-1632-1704.html
Jacobs, J. S. & Tunnell, M. O. (2004). Children's literature, briefly (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
University of South Carolina (1999). What is a chapbook? Viewed September 11, 2009, from http://www.sc.edu/library/spcoll/britlit/cbooks/cbook1.html
Note: Other images and websites are linked directly from the text in this blog entry.
Chapbooks were inexpensively priced booklets that became popular after the 16th century (although they were frowned upon as proper reading material). Usually crudely printed on a single sheet of paper, folded into pages and accompanied by simple woodblock images, these coverless books were available to the literate, laboring class from street peddlers and hawkers. Because so much of the literature at that time contained religious or scholarly philosophies of the Puritans, chapbooks offered readers a chance to enjoy lighter topics like adventure stories, songs, political opinions, poems or folktales. These chapbooks helped influence key publishers and authors and initiate the development of children's literature.
One of these people was John Newbery. Jacobs and Tunnell (2004) suggest that Newbery was affected by John Locke, a British researcher and philosopher who argued that children should be taught through home schooling, private tutors and fun activities rather than the strict methods of rote memorization and authoritarianism as was common at the time (Buck, 2009). Newbery's publishing house printed titles specifically for children. In 1744, his first book, A Pretty Little Pocket-Book, used rhymes and stories to teach the alphabet (Jacobs & Tunnell, 2004). (I love that the caption under the frontispiece is "Instruction with delight.") His dedication to young readers prompted the creation of the oldest prize for children's books: The John Newbery Medal.
Charles Perrault collected and published French fairy tales in Histoires ou contes du temps passé, avec des moralités: Contes de ma mère l'Oye, or the Tales of Mother Goose in 1697 (Ashliman, D. L., 2006). It included well-known stories like "Cinderella, or The Little Glass Slipper" and "Little Red Riding Hood". This book has since been published in many languages and other authors have utilized the character of Mother Goose.
Randolph Caldecott was a British illustrator who created amazing colored images for children's books. He is credited with being the first to show action in his illustrations for the 1878 book The Diverting History of John Gilpin (Jacobs and Tunnell, 2004). An American award for children's book illustrations is named for him: The Randolph Caldecott Medal.
Kate Greenaway was a contemporary of Caldecott's and also illustrated many beloved children's books. She is most known for her quaintly drawn Victorian children, detailed flower images and greeting cards. The Kate Greenaway Medal is comparable to the Caldecott and is awarded in the United Kingdom each year.
St. Nicholas Magazine was an American children's publication from 1873 to 1941. Edited by author Mary Mapes Dodge, it attracted the most popular and accomplished authors and illustrators. Many famous novels were printed in the magazine in serialized form like Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book and Louisa May Alcott's Jo's Boys (Jacobs and Tunnell, 2004).
All of these details laid the groundwork for the popularity and reoccurring trends in 20th century children's literature. Up to this point, illustrations were primarily used as decorative elements in stories. This changed in 1902 when Beatrix Potter created The Tale of Peter Rabbit, which incorporated corresponding drawings to tell the story as much as the words, thus ushering in the idea of the modern picture storybook (Jacobs & Tunnell, 2004). The American equivalent of this was Millions of Cats. (According to Wikipedia, it is "the oldest American picture book still in print.") Written and illustrated by Wanda Gag (a Minnesotan!), the rhythmic and repetitive, hand-drawn text tells the story of a lonely old man and woman who decide to get a pet. The man travels far and wide before he discovers a hill covered in millions of cats. Unable to decide which one to pick, he leads them all home. When the wife cries that they must only choose the prettiest cat to keep, a battle ensues. The cats devour each other, leaving only one scraggly kitten, which grows into a lovely companion for the couple.
Another groundbreaking event was the advent of children's fantasy literature, most notably with L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and animal fantasy classics like A. A. Milne's Winnie-the-Pooh and Kenneth Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Edward Stratemeyer started the trend of serialized children's fiction books like Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys and the Mary-Kate and Ashley. With more funding and freedom to include a range of topics, the 1960's brought an age of realism in children's literature. Books now covered such themes as abuse, death, sexuality, divorce and racial diversity. As the marketplace again changed in the 1970's and 80's, publishers emphasized impressively illustrated books as the staple for the genre. Nonfiction, historical and wordless picture books also flourished during this period. Colorization improved and other titles included toys or gimmicks like texture, scratch-and-sniff and battery operated sound effects.
Schools and other institutions began purchasing children's books to use in the classroom and with growing demand for these materials by the general public, sales skyrocketed into the millions of dollars a year. Into the late 80's and 90's, poetry books saw a surge in popularity, along with a reprinting of out-of-print classics from earlier generations. Despite the intense scrutiny of many children's books today, authors and illustrators continue to take risks in terms of subject matter and artistic expression. More and more minority characters and creators exist in the genre than ever before. Even with all of the changes in the publishing industry, political climate and school curriculum, children's literature remains a huge money-maker for publishers and an important aspect of literacy, the cultural experience of youth and library collections.
References:
Ashliman, D. L. (2006). Charles Perrault's Mother Goose tales. Viewed September 11, 2009, from http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/perrault.html
Buck, R. M. (2009). John Locke (1632-1704). Viewed September 11, 2009, from http://social.jrank.org/pages/375/Locke-John-1632-1704.html
Jacobs, J. S. & Tunnell, M. O. (2004). Children's literature, briefly (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
University of South Carolina (1999). What is a chapbook? Viewed September 11, 2009, from http://www.sc.edu/library/spcoll/britlit/cbooks/cbook1.html
Note: Other images and websites are linked directly from the text in this blog entry.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Week One: Books about reading : Bats at the Library
Bats at the Library by Brian Lies(Book cover image from amazon.com)
Bibliography: Lies, B. (2008). Bats at the library. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children. ISBN: 978-0618999231
SUMMARY
Bored with their usual nightly activities, a group of bats discover that someone left the library window open. They converge on the building, soaring through the stacks, playing in the drinking fountain and exploring the worlds that exist within the pages of the books.
MY IMPRESSIONS
Bats at the Library is fabulous. The humorous illustrations capture the reader and help display the bat's love of reading and libraries. I especially enjoyed the bat on the cover, hugging a book in closed-eyed bliss. Both children and adults will catch the details within the drawings (like the bat with reading spectacles or the yellow "water wings" of the baby bat from Lies's previous book Bats at the Beach). The illustrations also add depth to the story, combining colorful and realistic bats, dynamic lines that lead the eye across the page and pleasing composition. Either the text or the illustrations relay the same message in Bats at the Library, but together, they create a winning combination. The text is lyrical and easy to understand, and the use of rhyming couplets helps propel the story along. Lies uses visual language ("Another inky evening's here...", "Eager wings beat autumn air...", "Other bats, in munchy moods...") to describe the active, swooping bats and their excitement of sneaking into the library. During their joyous romp, the bats spend the bulk of their evening reading books to each other. Lies uses two full pages, chock full of storybook characters in animal form, to show a sliver of the characters, adventures and magical universes that children can find just by opening the pages of a book.
ACTIVITIES
Amazon.com lists the reading level for Bats at the Library as three to eight, so this book would be perfect for a story time activity. The fun content and positive message of Bats at the Library make it an easy choice for promoting literacy, library usage or other reading related topics.
Recommend or read non-fiction books about nocturnal animals or creatures that are misrepresented as "dangerous" (like wolves, sharks, bees and spiders). Do a rhyme about bats (such as "Five Black Bats" by Shel Silverstein using a hand, hiding each finger as the bats go away).
Five black bats ready to soar
One stayed behind, now there are four.
Four black bats hanging from a tree
One fell down, now there are three.
Three black bats wondering what to do
One flew away and now there are two.
Two black bats sitting in the sun
One fell asleep leaving only one.
One lonesome bat, with no place to go
Went hiding in a cave, now there are zero.
Ask children where they would go in the library if they were exploring the building at night.
REVIEWS
"Starred Review. Lies's much-lauded bats are back and the library's got them--thanks to a window left open by an unsuspecting (or perhaps sympathetic) librarian. As with its predecessor, this book's richly detailed chiaroscuro paintings find considerable humor at the intersection where bat and human behavior meet. But the author/artist outdoes himself: the library-after-dark setting works a magic all its own, taking Lies and his audience to a an intensely personal place.
Publishers Weekly, July 14, 2008
"An open library window is an invitation for a colony of bats in this sequel to Bats at the Beach (2006). Once inside, older bats look for favorite books, while younger ones explore and play. Storytime settles everyone down and transports them into the tales, filled with bat characters playing new roles. The bat homage to classic children’s books includes titles like Goodnight Sun, while images such as Little Red Riding Bat will amuse children who are familiar with the originals. The rhymed narrative serves primarily as the vehicle for the appealing acrylic illustrations that teem with bats so charming they will even win over chiroptophobes."
Linda Perkins from BookList
“The creator of “Bats at the Beach” has brought his endearing band of flying mammals back for a nocturnal visit to the public library, a stimulating trip made possible by news that a window to the building has been left ajar. Brian Lies clearly has a passion for libraries and the world of wondrous treats that they have to offer, an enthusiasm he shares by way of his wonderfully sophisticated chiaroscuro paintings."
Worchester Telegram & Gazette News, September 7, 2008
Journal topic 1 The Matthew Effect
Describe the Matthew Effect. Have you seen examples of this in your school or library? How will this knowledge impact your actions as a librarian?
The "Matthew Effect" was a term originally coined for finance--"the rich get richer, the poor get poorer"--but it was co-opted by Keith Stanovich, a researcher and psychologist who specialized in reading and language disabilities. He used it to describe the phenomena of the widening gap between the "word-rich" and "word-poor". If children, especially those with learning disabilities, fail at reading and writing before their third year in elementary school and do not receive intervention on the parts of the parents or teachers, these children read less, learn less and fall further and further behind their peers. They lose out on knowledge, language skills, vocabulary building and self esteem, and this sets off a chain of events with repercussions that last through the rest of their lives. It is a testament to the importance of early reading--long before the child reaches school age--and how early detection and assistance for learning disabilities can do a world of good to turn a slow learner (and poor reader) into a fast learner (and successful reader).
I found this article both interesting and depressing. Life is already difficult for children with disabilities and their parents. These kids battle additional barriers to achieve even basic reading skills. It also greatly increases the pressure on the adults in their lives to work harder to ensure that they not only gain those skills but cultivate an appreciation of reading. If you add in such socioeconomic factors as poverty, drug addicted or incarcerated parents, crime, discrimination, instability of living conditions or other illnesses, these barriers grow exponentially.
I do not have any experience in witnessing this first hand at my work environment. I currently catalog law materials, and I do not have any interaction with the public. When I worked at the public library, the kids who had problems with reading didn't come up to the reference desk or ask for help. When I did assist children, it was difficult to fully discern their reading levels because my interactions with them were limited to just a few minutes, framed with the expectation that I would answer their questions and send them on their way. Parents would occasionally come up to the desk and ask for suggestions on how to better engage their child in reading. This, however, was more challenging without the child present to ask about topics of interest or better gauge their reading abilities. Teachers have a more hands-on, in-depth view of the Matthew Effect, but it's still incredibly difficult to not only spot a learning disability but intervene. How do they balance one-on-one attention with this student while also teaching the rest of the class? What if the school has strict rules on how to handle reading disabilities that may not be effective for a particular child? What if teachers are bound to a certain philosophy--phonics vs. whole language approach--and it's not working? And what if the situation is compounded by the child trying to learn when English is not his/her primary language?
All in all, it's daunting to think about how to reach these children effectively. Librarians, like teachers, must do their best to ask appropriate questions to root out the real informational need. Customer service and approachability need to be priorities so that children who need help won't be afraid to approach the desk. Librarians should continually add to their extensive knowledge on the body of literature for children, struggling students and their parents. Community resources, including those outside of the library or school, are also helpful. Librarians should compare and analyze electronic resources that focus on literacy and reading skills to know which ones are actually useful. Even if we do all of these things and more, there are times when we will not success in pulling these children out of the Matthew Effect. Librarians are not mind readers. We cannot reach every single person who needs help. We cannot undo years of mistreatment by parents, peers and teachers or eliminate a host of social, economic, racial or cultural problems that further disengage children from reading. We can only do the best we can with our clientele. Hopefully, we can reach as many people as possible and link them to resources that unlock the door to information, knowledge and lifelong success.
What is the Matthew effect? (2008) Retrieved September 3, 2009, from Wrightslaw.com Web site: http://www.wrightslaw.com/info/test.matthew.effect.htm
Kay, M. J. (1996). Matthew effect. Retrieved September 5, 2009, from http://www.margaretkay.com/Matthew%20Effect.htm
The "Matthew Effect" was a term originally coined for finance--"the rich get richer, the poor get poorer"--but it was co-opted by Keith Stanovich, a researcher and psychologist who specialized in reading and language disabilities. He used it to describe the phenomena of the widening gap between the "word-rich" and "word-poor". If children, especially those with learning disabilities, fail at reading and writing before their third year in elementary school and do not receive intervention on the parts of the parents or teachers, these children read less, learn less and fall further and further behind their peers. They lose out on knowledge, language skills, vocabulary building and self esteem, and this sets off a chain of events with repercussions that last through the rest of their lives. It is a testament to the importance of early reading--long before the child reaches school age--and how early detection and assistance for learning disabilities can do a world of good to turn a slow learner (and poor reader) into a fast learner (and successful reader).
I found this article both interesting and depressing. Life is already difficult for children with disabilities and their parents. These kids battle additional barriers to achieve even basic reading skills. It also greatly increases the pressure on the adults in their lives to work harder to ensure that they not only gain those skills but cultivate an appreciation of reading. If you add in such socioeconomic factors as poverty, drug addicted or incarcerated parents, crime, discrimination, instability of living conditions or other illnesses, these barriers grow exponentially.
I do not have any experience in witnessing this first hand at my work environment. I currently catalog law materials, and I do not have any interaction with the public. When I worked at the public library, the kids who had problems with reading didn't come up to the reference desk or ask for help. When I did assist children, it was difficult to fully discern their reading levels because my interactions with them were limited to just a few minutes, framed with the expectation that I would answer their questions and send them on their way. Parents would occasionally come up to the desk and ask for suggestions on how to better engage their child in reading. This, however, was more challenging without the child present to ask about topics of interest or better gauge their reading abilities. Teachers have a more hands-on, in-depth view of the Matthew Effect, but it's still incredibly difficult to not only spot a learning disability but intervene. How do they balance one-on-one attention with this student while also teaching the rest of the class? What if the school has strict rules on how to handle reading disabilities that may not be effective for a particular child? What if teachers are bound to a certain philosophy--phonics vs. whole language approach--and it's not working? And what if the situation is compounded by the child trying to learn when English is not his/her primary language?
All in all, it's daunting to think about how to reach these children effectively. Librarians, like teachers, must do their best to ask appropriate questions to root out the real informational need. Customer service and approachability need to be priorities so that children who need help won't be afraid to approach the desk. Librarians should continually add to their extensive knowledge on the body of literature for children, struggling students and their parents. Community resources, including those outside of the library or school, are also helpful. Librarians should compare and analyze electronic resources that focus on literacy and reading skills to know which ones are actually useful. Even if we do all of these things and more, there are times when we will not success in pulling these children out of the Matthew Effect. Librarians are not mind readers. We cannot reach every single person who needs help. We cannot undo years of mistreatment by parents, peers and teachers or eliminate a host of social, economic, racial or cultural problems that further disengage children from reading. We can only do the best we can with our clientele. Hopefully, we can reach as many people as possible and link them to resources that unlock the door to information, knowledge and lifelong success.
What is the Matthew effect? (2008) Retrieved September 3, 2009, from Wrightslaw.com Web site: http://www.wrightslaw.com/info/test.matthew.effect.htm
Kay, M. J. (1996). Matthew effect. Retrieved September 5, 2009, from http://www.margaretkay.com/Matthew%20Effect.htm
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Week One: Not necessarily good books that adults love : Love You Forever
I only have to do one post for Week One's assignment, but I was so affected by the books this week, I did two extra just for fun.
Love You Forever by Robert Munsch, illustrated by Sheila McGraw
(Book cover image from amazon.com)
Bibliography: Munsch, R. (2000). Love you forever. Tonawanda, NY: Firefly Books. ISBN: 978-1552091098
SUMMARY
A mother sings a lullaby to her newborn son about her unending love for him. As he grows into a mischievous toddler, a messy nine-year old, a self-absorbed teen and an adult, she continues to sneak into his room and rock him to sleep while singing this song of love. Finally, as the woman is dying, the son picks her up and sings his own lullaby to his mother, then continues the tradition with his own newborn daughter.
MY IMPRESSIONS
I understand the sentiment of this book, but I've always thought it was overwrought and irritating. The author is using the image of the mother picking up her son and rocking him in his sleep, no matter his size or age, as a metaphor for the infinite love she has for him as a parent. Regardless of the annoying, destructive or selfish things he does, his mother still loves him and always looks at him as her baby. However, given how literal children are, I could easily see a small child thinking that this parent would actually drive to her adult son's house and hold him in her lap as he slept, or that this mother had to resort to crawling around on the floor to see if her son was asleep before she could display parental affection. I'm particularly disturbed because the mother has to sneak into the child's room on her hands and knees (and peer at him with crazy eyes over the edge of his bed), rather than openly expressing her love. Why does she have to do it only if he's "really asleep"? Why the secret, nighttime expressions of love? Shouldn't she instead teach her son appropriate ways to show affection all of the time, complete with open communication and boundaries?
The other part of the story that gives me pause is the somber ending. Death is a natural part of life, and I don't think that parents should sugar coat that people don't live forever. I understand that the author wanted to use the concept of life-death-rebirth as a cyclical plot point. However, it seems strange in a book about parental love to remind a child right before they go to sleep that yes, your parent will eventually grow old and die, and you'll have to take care of them while raising your own children. (Sweet dreams, honey!) I think it's telling that the author writes "You'd better come see me because I'm very old and sick." This implies that the son is negligent and uncaring, and he hasn't visited his mother in so long that he's unaware of her frail state. What lesson is this supposed to teach a child when a mother, who has done nothing but profess her limitless love for her son, has to threaten him just to get a final visit? It seems more based on guilt and emotional manipulation than selfless love.
The illustrations are amusing (although slightly creepy) and contain many details that both children and adults can appreciate. The drawings of the child as he ages are realistic and help enhance the plot of the story. The text is easy to understand, rhythmic, predictable and repetitive, thus making it accessible for ages four to eight.
I don't have children, so perhaps this is a book that I can't truly relate to because I'm not yet a mother. All but a handful of reviews for this book are gushing and complimentary, so I am in the minority with my opinion of Love You Forever. Despite my dislike of it, Love You Forever is a wildly popular book.
REVIEWS
Due to its wide appeal, I would use this book in a public library setting during a story time. I would then start a discussion that points out the comic and ridiculous aspects of the illustrations and text in the hopes that children wouldn't read them literally.
Discuss bedtime stories and lullabies. Sing songs like "Rock a Bye, Baby" or "Are You Sleeping?"
Include Love You Forever in a display for Mother's Day.
REVIEWS
"First published in 1986, this classic book by Munsch is a gentle affirmation of the love a parent feels for their child--forever. McGraw's soft and colorful pastels perfectly complement the sentiment of the book--one that will be read repeatedly for years. "
Bowker's Books in Print
"The mother sings to her sleeping baby: "I'll love you forever / I'll love you for always / As long as I'm living / My baby you'll be." She still sings the same song when her baby has turned into a fractious 2-year-old, a slovenly 9-year-old, and then a raucous teen. When her son grows up and leaves home, she takes to driving across town with a ladder on the car roof, climbing through her grown son's window, and rocking the sleeping man in the same way. Then, inevitably, the day comes when she's too old and sick to hold him, and the roles are at last reversed. Each stage is illustrated by one of Sheila McGraw's comic and yet poignant pastels."
Amazon.com review of the hardcover edition
"It presents the most realistic picture of parenthood I have ever seen: a toddler who pulls all the books off the shelf and all the food out of the fridge and a teen with strange friends, strange music and strange clothes. But through it all it shows the unconditional...and my children claim psychotic...love of this mother for her son."
Terri O'Neale from her book review
Love You Forever by Robert Munsch, illustrated by Sheila McGraw(Book cover image from amazon.com)
Bibliography: Munsch, R. (2000). Love you forever. Tonawanda, NY: Firefly Books. ISBN: 978-1552091098
SUMMARY
A mother sings a lullaby to her newborn son about her unending love for him. As he grows into a mischievous toddler, a messy nine-year old, a self-absorbed teen and an adult, she continues to sneak into his room and rock him to sleep while singing this song of love. Finally, as the woman is dying, the son picks her up and sings his own lullaby to his mother, then continues the tradition with his own newborn daughter.
MY IMPRESSIONS
I understand the sentiment of this book, but I've always thought it was overwrought and irritating. The author is using the image of the mother picking up her son and rocking him in his sleep, no matter his size or age, as a metaphor for the infinite love she has for him as a parent. Regardless of the annoying, destructive or selfish things he does, his mother still loves him and always looks at him as her baby. However, given how literal children are, I could easily see a small child thinking that this parent would actually drive to her adult son's house and hold him in her lap as he slept, or that this mother had to resort to crawling around on the floor to see if her son was asleep before she could display parental affection. I'm particularly disturbed because the mother has to sneak into the child's room on her hands and knees (and peer at him with crazy eyes over the edge of his bed), rather than openly expressing her love. Why does she have to do it only if he's "really asleep"? Why the secret, nighttime expressions of love? Shouldn't she instead teach her son appropriate ways to show affection all of the time, complete with open communication and boundaries?
The other part of the story that gives me pause is the somber ending. Death is a natural part of life, and I don't think that parents should sugar coat that people don't live forever. I understand that the author wanted to use the concept of life-death-rebirth as a cyclical plot point. However, it seems strange in a book about parental love to remind a child right before they go to sleep that yes, your parent will eventually grow old and die, and you'll have to take care of them while raising your own children. (Sweet dreams, honey!) I think it's telling that the author writes "You'd better come see me because I'm very old and sick." This implies that the son is negligent and uncaring, and he hasn't visited his mother in so long that he's unaware of her frail state. What lesson is this supposed to teach a child when a mother, who has done nothing but profess her limitless love for her son, has to threaten him just to get a final visit? It seems more based on guilt and emotional manipulation than selfless love.
The illustrations are amusing (although slightly creepy) and contain many details that both children and adults can appreciate. The drawings of the child as he ages are realistic and help enhance the plot of the story. The text is easy to understand, rhythmic, predictable and repetitive, thus making it accessible for ages four to eight.
I don't have children, so perhaps this is a book that I can't truly relate to because I'm not yet a mother. All but a handful of reviews for this book are gushing and complimentary, so I am in the minority with my opinion of Love You Forever. Despite my dislike of it, Love You Forever is a wildly popular book.
REVIEWS
Due to its wide appeal, I would use this book in a public library setting during a story time. I would then start a discussion that points out the comic and ridiculous aspects of the illustrations and text in the hopes that children wouldn't read them literally.
Discuss bedtime stories and lullabies. Sing songs like "Rock a Bye, Baby" or "Are You Sleeping?"
Include Love You Forever in a display for Mother's Day.
REVIEWS
"First published in 1986, this classic book by Munsch is a gentle affirmation of the love a parent feels for their child--forever. McGraw's soft and colorful pastels perfectly complement the sentiment of the book--one that will be read repeatedly for years. "
Bowker's Books in Print
"The mother sings to her sleeping baby: "I'll love you forever / I'll love you for always / As long as I'm living / My baby you'll be." She still sings the same song when her baby has turned into a fractious 2-year-old, a slovenly 9-year-old, and then a raucous teen. When her son grows up and leaves home, she takes to driving across town with a ladder on the car roof, climbing through her grown son's window, and rocking the sleeping man in the same way. Then, inevitably, the day comes when she's too old and sick to hold him, and the roles are at last reversed. Each stage is illustrated by one of Sheila McGraw's comic and yet poignant pastels."
Amazon.com review of the hardcover edition
"It presents the most realistic picture of parenthood I have ever seen: a toddler who pulls all the books off the shelf and all the food out of the fridge and a teen with strange friends, strange music and strange clothes. But through it all it shows the unconditional...and my children claim psychotic...love of this mother for her son."
Terri O'Neale from her book review
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