Wednesday, March 19, 2008

February 11, 2006


Journal #1

Sarah Anderson

anderssr@mailbox.sc.edu


I had a great time doing this assignment. I enjoyed reading the books! I learned about the others and related references as well.


Re: Academic Age Appropriateness

- I am the type of teacher who when I find a good book I have many uses for it. I have used books, intended for a certain age group, with a different age group. I use my professional discretion of course. However, my age appropriateness may be more liberal than the professional evaluators of books.

- Also, I categorized by grade level because I am a teacher and not yet a mother, so I think of kids better in terms of what grade they are in.


Re: Other Media

- high-lighted in yellow

- For the website evaluation, I used Agosto’s form, but I responded in paragraph form.

756: Children’s Materials – Journal


Week One: January 9 – 15


Title: Grandfather’s Journey

Author & Illustrator:

  • Allen Say

Format, Genre & Subject Tracers:

  • Picture book

  • Non-Fiction: Biography, Multi-cultural

  • Grandfather and grandson, voyages, homesickness, Japan, USA

Bibliographic Citation:

  • Say, Allen. (1993). Grandfather’s journey. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

Annotation:

  • Allen Say narrates the story of his grandfather’s journeys to and from Japan and the United States. Allen Say describes the strong connection that he has with his grandfather, even after he passes away. They both have a love for two lands.

Memorable Quote:

  • I think I know my Grandfather now. I miss him very much.” (Page 32)

Academic Age Appropriateness:

  • Grades 3 - 6

Extended Response:

  • Personal response:

This is not the first time I have read Allen Say’s book entitled Grandfather’s Journey. I have read it several times since it’s been published. My personal feelings about this book are that it is beautiful and meaningful, but it is not one that I want to read over and over again. Actually won this book in a prize drawing at my university bookstore, so I was excited to read it, but as I read it I thought it was quite somber. I don’t feel a personal connection with this book. However, I value it for the “window” it allows me to look through in order to view another culture, time and place. I also value it for its potential uses within the classroom. I used it when my first/second multi-age class was studying a unit entitled Families. Even though the class was young, they were able to make connections to the text and illustrations as far as relationships with their grandparents. We also discussed landforms, Japanese and American culture, city and country life, plus the time period when this grandfather went on his journeys, especially through the use of the illustrations. Even though this is not a book that I choose to pick-up and read to my little nieces, I do appreciate the educational value of its simple, straightforward text and complementary illustrations, as well as its candid message.

  • Evaluative critique:

Allen Say writes and illustrates an authentic biography describing his connection to his grandfather. While both of them were born in Japan and loved Japan, they also had a connection to another land. Both of them loved the two countries that are so differently and vastly separated, Japan and the United States.

As is expected of a Caldecott Award winning book the text alone does not encompass all that the author is trying to impart to his readers. Allen Say’s pictures enrich the text with clues about the mood of that particular page, such as the illustrations on pages 8 and 9, the dessert and prairie versus pages 10 and 11, the city. Allen Say allows the pictures to do as much of the “talking” as the words.

I believe that Allen Say uses the literary device of “starting where he began.” He brings us full circle from the beginning of the book to the end of the book by connecting his feelings and experiences, with those of his grandfather.

The setting is integral to this picture book. The lands that the Grandfather visited and where he lived affected the story’s plot. The Grandfather was an adventurer who visited new places, experienced different cultures and appreciated different environments. The pictures showed the diversity of the places he saw.





Title: Charlotte’s Web

Author &/or Illustrator:

  • E.B. White, (illus.) Garth Williams

Format, Genre & Subject Tracers:

  • Chapter book

  • Fiction – animal fantasy

  • Friendship, pigs (swine), spiders,

Bibliographic Citation:

  • White, E.B. (1952). Charlotte’s web. New York: Scholastic.

Annotation:

  • Charlotte’s Web is a heart-warming story of how just a little ingenuity, loyalty and friendship can save the day! (and a life!) In the barn, two unlikely animals become friends; Charlotte, the spider, and Wilber, the pig. They are living a peaceful farm life, when one day Wilbur finds out his life is in jeopardy! He will be at Christmas dinner, but he will not be a guest… Find out what scheme Charlotte cooks-up (no pun intended!) to try to save Wilbur’s life.

Memorable Quote & Passage Title:

  • No Where to Run! (Passage pages 18 - 23)

  • Ho-mer!” she cried. “Pig’s out! Lurvy! Pig’s out! Homer! Lurvy! Pig’s out. He’s down there under that apple tree.” “Now the trouble starts,” thought Wilber. “Now I’ll catch it.”



Academic Age Appropriateness:

  • Grades 1st – 3rd

Extended Response:

  • Personal response:

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Charlotte’s Web. I believe that even though it was written over 50 years ago, there is a classic timelessness about it that children can’t resist. The talking animals captivated me and made me laugh. I could imagine that I was Fern, living on the farm and taking care of animals, listening and observing their conversations in that barn. I suspect that E.B. White purposely wrote Fern, the little girl, to take a minimal part in the salvation of Wilbur, so as to keep with the genre of a animal fantasy; animals that are sufficient to help themselves. However, I think that if I were in Fern’s position, I would have done more than observe those little animals. I bet I would have been in a whole heap of trouble trying to save every last farm animal, even after they have grown out of their cute stage. I admire Fern for her sensibilities.

  • Evaluative critique:

E.B. White expertly wrote a progressive chronological plot (Lynch-Brown 26). The progressive plot allowed the reader to develop a relationship with the characters. Soon the reader cares about Wilbur, the lovable pig, and the reader cares about what happens to him. At first, it seems as though Wilbur’s world as he grows up on the farm is comfortable with side episodes of adventure... If he goes looking for it, but then the conflict begins.

One day he finds out that he will be killed so that the farm family can eat him for their holiday dinner. Naturally, this is very upsetting for Wilbur, as well as, the reader. The reader has to read through the rising action practically holding our breath waiting to see if Wilbur will be spared and how? E.B. White uses the rising action to keep the reader in suspense. Predictions come naturally here as the reader guesses what can be done what will happen. Finally, at the climax of the story the conflict is resolved, Charlotte, and even Templeton, have saved Wilbur’s life. E.B. White wrote an appropriate conclusion to Wilbur’s conflict especially considering that he was the main character and that this story was intended for children between 6 and 9. He did not leave the story at a syrupy sweet conclusion though, he added a bit of realism with Charlotte’s death that is sad, but yet not tragic or senseless. When Charlotte died it was natural; her passing is an acceptable way to deal with the issue of death for children ages 6 – 9. Plus, White adds a sense of hope with Charlotte’s babies which infer a sense of her spirit living on.

The style in which E.B. White tells this story makes it great for both a read aloud and as an independent reader. I believe advanced 1st and 2nd graders could read it independently and it is especially perfect for 3rd graders. The words in paragraphs and in dialogue are straight forward, yet there is rich vocabulary that will intrigue the minds of young readers. Words like “radiant” and “versatile” and phrases like “hour of triumph” make the discussion of the book during a read aloud or the practice of independent reading skills such as context clues engaging and fun.

I believe that there could be an integration of poetry with some of the scenes from this book. For example, it would be fun for students to “collect” the scenes where Wilbur is being fed, they could quote the passages and draw pictures. Then they could discuss the style of E.B. White in comparison with the style of the poet Shel Silverstein in his poem “Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout Would Not Take the Garbage Out”. The kids would have a blast making those connections between narrative scenes from the book and verse writing from the poem.

E.B. White’s style is the perfect balance of entertaining humor and mental stimulation; he uses dialogue, emotions and problem solving to keep even the most “arachnophobic” person reading on in pure delight.

E.B. White’s main characters are well-rounded. The talking animals live and act on the farm as if they were humans. Readers will notice that there is some good and bad in all of them. Obviously, Templeton the rat was written purposely to be a literal rat and a figurative “rat”. No matter how greedy or self-centered he is… he is still a hero. Charlotte and Wilbur needed his help at the fair… and he was there carrying spider eggs. Plus, his hording of the rotten goose egg helped save Charlotte’s life. Imagine what would have happened to Wilbur is Charlotte had not been there to write in her web. It is thanks to Templeton we didn’t have to go through that. Templeton’s good and bad sides make the story and characters easier to relate to because none of us are perfect either.





Title: The Gardener

Author & Illustrator:

  • Sarah Stewart & (illus.) David Small

Format, Genre & Subject Tracers:

  • Picture Book

  • Fiction: realistic

  • Flowers, gardening, 1930’s, letters

Bibliographic Citation:

  • Stewart, Sarah. David Small. (1997). The gardener. New York: Berryville Graphics.

Annotation:

  • Lydia Grace Finch, a young girl from the country, makes the best of a scary situation. When her father losses his job, she is sent to live with her uncle in the city for a while. Lydia Grace uses her gardening skills to bring pleasure to her own life, as well as, those around her.

Memorable Quote:

  • And, Grandma, you should smell the good dirt I’m bringing home from the vacant lot down the street.” (Unpaged)

Academic Age Appropriateness:

  • Grades: 2nd – 5th grades

Extended Response:

  • Personal response:

This book intrigued me because I, like Lydia Grace, love to garden. I admire her gardening skills, using cake pans and chipped teacups for containers, and using dirt from the empty lot down the street. Another characteristic I admire in Lydia Grace is her cheerful, optimistic and cooperative outlook on life. It is inspiring to see someone go through hard times, but still maintain their love of life, and have the courage to continue on. The watercolor illustrations appeal to be because they are soft, pastel in color, whimsical and humble like the main character. Also, I appreciate the illustrations for their inferred references to the time period of the 1930’s.

  • Evaluative critique:

The Gardener is a realistic-fiction picture book. There are many subjects in this book that children will relate to or feel intrigued by: doing good for others, moving from the country to the city, and growing plants. For example, children from the youngest to the oldest, seem to love to surprise their friends and family by doing something special for them. Lydia Grace had a mission; she would use her gardening skills to surprise her uncle and make him smile. Children will also relate to or wonder about moving to a new place. In The Gardener they get to see how it may be scary, but you can make the most of it to live happily in your new place. Children get excited to help make things grow, it’s a similar to the instinct they have to take care of animals like in Charlotte’s Web. They will be intrigued by the Lydia’s skills in planting. In conclusion, the reader becomes engaged and relates to the subjects in the book.

An attractive and unique design in the illustrations of this Caldecott Honor Award book is putting the piece of notepaper on which Lydia Grace wrote her letters “floating” on top of the illustrations. The readers eyes are drawn to the letter and then they roam the two-page spread taking in all the detail of setting, enjoying the humor like the kitty licking dishes in the sink and trying to see if Uncle even has a hint of a smile.

David Small’s watercolors are softly hued paintings which set the tone and accurately depict the setting. The tone is calming on most pages; a way to ease fears about moving to and living in a new place. I believe that the page where Lydia Grace gets off the train in her new city is very important. She gets off the train and she is standing there alone, there is no letter (as is on all the other pages) and the picture is black and white giving a sense of fear and isolation. On the very next page, the colors reappear, her stance gets jaunty, her uncle is there to guide her, and in essence that picture and text combine as if to say… This might not be such a bad place after all.

Other than the date written on the letter (letter writing skills) there is no reference in the text to the time. The pictures do all the work for setting: time and place. The pictures give as to the time and place clues: younger readers, within the time conceptualization of past and present, and the older readers with their higher level thinking skills of decades and societal life. The reader can infer time and setting by noticing the buildings, transportation, clothes, appliances, and the photograph of FDR which allude to a time gone by: the 1930’s. Even letter writing has a feeling of a time gone by. Younger kids will be able to pick up on the concept of past versus present, while older children will be able to discuss the events, objects and symbols of The Great Depression, such as the Model-T Ford or families trying to make ends meet when they are out of a job.





Title: Dragonwings

Author & Illustrator:

  • Laurence Yep

Format, Genre & Subject Tracers:

  • Chapter Book

  • Fiction: historical, Multi-cultural

  • Chinese culture, San Francisco, early 1900’s, kites, father and son

Bibliographic Citation:

  • Yep, Laurence. (1975). Dragonwings. New York: Scholastic.

Annotation:

  • Moon Shadow is eight (seven in demon years) when his father, who he has never met, sends for him. He travels to San Francisco, alone, to meet, live and work with his father. They live their so they can send money back to their family in China. There are many hardships living as a Chinese man in a foreign land, but yet there are also many opportunities. Moon Shadow’s father, Windrider, teaches him lessons and shows him the good things that can happen when you work towards your dreams.

Memorable Quote & Passage Title:

  • How Windrider got his name (Passage pages 34 - 47)

  • [Father] …I don’t know much about being a father…

[Son] I guess I don’t know much about being your son…

[Father] I guess we’ll have to learn together then…But I can see I’ll have to tell you about my name.”

Academic Age Appropriateness:

  • Grades 4th – 6th





Title: Strega Nona

Author & Illustrator:

  • Tomie dePaola

Format, Genre & Subject Tracers:

  • Picture book

  • Folktales -Italy

  • Magic pot, pasta

Bibliographic Citation:

  • dePaola, Tomie. (1975). Strega Nona. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.


Annotation:

  • Strega Nona gives Big Anthony some basic instructions about his chores and he gets one rule. However, one day when Strega Nona leaves the village to visit a friend, Big Anthony gets into some big trouble when he breaks her one rule: Do not touch the pasta pot. At first the village people love him, They get all the pasta they want. Soon, however, they turn against him because he cannot control the pasta pot. Will Strega Nona return before the entire village is destroyed? Can, or will, she help poor Anthony?

Memorable Quote:

  • Then Strega Nona sang,

Enough, Enough my pasta pot,

I have my pasta, nice and hot,

So simmer down my post of clay,

Until I’m hungry another day.

How wonderful!” said Big Anthony. “That’s a magic pot for sure!” (Unpaged)

Academic Age Appropriateness:

  • Grades 1st – 3rd

Extended Response:

  • Personal response:

Strega Nona is a tale that you can tell to your children in the car even without the book, just like the way the Italians (Maybe, after reading the listserv, the Asians?) did hundreds of years ago (Well, they didn’t do it in the car, but…). I thought the folktale was entertaining because of the humorous dilemma that Big Anthony got himself into. Even as an adult I can still relate to the story and characters and still I can learn implied lessons. I picked up on a big lesson about listening to people when they warn me about things, just as Big Anthony did, I’m sure. For example, once my husband told me not to move his motorcycle. Well, I thought I would just move it a couple inches and no one would notice – but just like Big Anthony, I should have listened. Lets just say it was very scary to be stuck between a two hundred pound motorcycle and the side of my car! Actually, I’m glad the car was there because it stopped my fall! Luckily, my husband came and saved the day – no damage to me or the motorcycle! Both Big Anthony and I should have listened!

  • Evaluative critique:

This is a Caldecott Honor book. The shapes and objects are outlined with thick slightly fuzzy lines, which enclose richly hued colors. The artwork is pleasing to the eye, but also it is accurate to the setting of an Italian village long ago. The clothing, the village square, the unpaved roads all are authentic indicators of this unique setting. It is a backdrop setting that can be used to discuss architecture and elements that make up a physical community. The buildings and the landscape can be used to discuss the types of homes the people lived in, plus, how they took care of their homes and their village.

Tomie’s style is very appealing. He uses the sound device of rhythm and cadence with the song that Strega Nona uses to make her magic pot stop and start. If read aloud the audience will naturally want to chant it.



Week Two: January 16 – 22



Title: The Tale of Despereaux: being the story of a mouse, a princess, some soup and a spool of thread

Author &/or Illustrator:

  • Kate DiCamillo & (illus.) Timothy Basil Ering

Format, Genre & Subject Tracers:

  • Chapter book

  • Fantasy: Animal

  • Mice, Princess Pea, adventure, fairy tale

Bibliographic Citation:

  • DiCamillo, Kate. (2003). The tale of Despereaux: Being the story of a mouse, a princess, some soup, and a spool of thread. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press.

Annotation:

  • Even though Despereaux was smaller than a normal and even though he broke some forbidden mouse rules, his quest for bravery, love and honor made him the “biggest” mouse in the castle. He was a knight in shining armor who fell in love with Princess Pea, he charmed dungeon- keepers and kitchen cooks, he fought off rodents, he forgave his traitors and faced his fears. But, reader, did he live through all of those dangers and win the heart of his princess?

Memorable Quote & Passage Title:

  • Adieu (Page 64 - 66)

  • Adieu is the French word for farewell. Farewell is not he word you would like to her from your mother as you are being led to the dungeon by two oversize mice in black hoods.”

Academic Age Appropriateness:

  • Grades 3rd through 5th

Extended Response:

  • Personal response:

I seriously and immensely enjoyed reading Kate DiCamillo’s book, The Tale of Despereaux. I have read Because of Winn-Dixie, also written by DiCamillo. After reading this book, I was surprised and impressed by her ability to write so competently on such wide range of subjects and genres: one being a realistic fiction book and the other an animal fantasy. In Despereaux’s tale I thought that the subject, the language, the interspersed illustrations and the desperate yet courageous little mouse were lovable, entertaining and thoroughly enjoyable. The plot and the “good and evil” themes kept me riveted, its humor and characters kept me entertained, and its “Oh, so royal…” language took me into another world. I don’t normally read for escapism, but this time, I was able to escape into this story of a Princess, an unusual knight in shining armor, and a cast of characters of good and bad - personified.

  • Evaluative critique:

The characters, setting and plot are exceptionally written in this tale. Its style and use of language make it unique among other chapter books written for this same age group. Then the theme is intertwined within all of those elements, which make it a superior book to read independently or share it aloud.

The theme is acted out implicitly among its characters and plot. However, DiCamillo skillfully adds depth to the theme by allowing the narrator to speak directly to the reader about the theme of the book. The narrator stops and explicitly speak to the reader about things that happened, or points out words to look up so that the reader knows their exact meaning, or even lists elements of the story to take notice of. In this book the theme the author is writing about is that character counts. The narrator explicitly talks about character traits such as hatred, bravery, and empathy – just to name a few. For example, on page 198 the narrator talks about the Princess’s act of empathy when dealing with her kidnappers. When Princess Pea thought about it and put herself in Mig’s shoes she realized that Mig didn’t really want to harm her and become a princess. Instead what Mig was really looking for was some love. Princess Pea was able to bring Mig onto her side and create a connection with Mig, because she was being empathetic. If instead Princess Pea would have let hatred or anger get the best of her, the Princess would have made her kidnapping worse. She would have taken Mig’s actions at face value, thereby enlarging the chasm between them. At the end of that scene empathy was the appropriate action to keep herself safe. The narrator points out character traits as part of the theme (among other important elements of the story) throughout the entire book.

At the end of the book, due to plot twists and turns, along with the theme that character counts, each integral character is met with an appropriate fate because of their character (in the sense of morals) and actions. This literary tool of the narrator explicitly talking about character traits, comes across as letting the reader “in on the know…” It is effective in creating a connection between narrator and reader, and therefore does not seem didactic. Instead it seems like something that the readers and the narrator know, but the characters in the book are unaware of..





Title: The Man Who Walked Between The Towers

Author & Illustrator:

  • Mordiai Gerstein

Format, Genre & Subject Tracers:

  • Picture Book

  • Non-fiction: biography

  • New York, World Trade Center towers, tight-rope walking, Phillipe Petit

Bibliographic Citation:

  • Gerstein, Mordicai. (2003). The man who walked between the towers. Brookfield, Connecticut: Roaring Brook Press.

Annotation:

  • Phillipe, a juggling, tight-rope walking, unicycle-ing, street performer in New York, dared walk where no one else would. Between two building a quarter mile up in the air. First, no one would walk where he dared because it was illegal. Secondly, it was a serious risk to your life! Phillipe accomplished it though, right across the two World Trade Center Towers. Phillipe’s amazing feat took place 30 years ago, now it isn’t even possible to walk between those two buildings because they no longer exist.

Memorable Quote:

  • When he felt completely satisfied, he walked back to the roof and held out his wrist for the handcuffs.” (Unpaged)

Academic Age Appropriateness:

  • Grades 3rd - 6th

Extended Response:

  • Personal response:

Like most Americans I am deeply emotional about the World Trade Center in New York because of the tragic terrorist attack on Sept. 11, 2001. This book touched me because the true story of Phillipe Petit and his dream to walk between those two towers was inspiring. Like the American dream his feat was hopeful, risky and unique. The book pays tribute to the two brick and motor American icons with respect and honor without being over-sentimental.

  • Evaluative critique:

The Caldecott Medal is given to illustrators whose work is an excellent interpretation of the story’s elements. Mordicai Gerstein the author and illustrator, was able to create a perfect balance between the text and the illustrations. Philippe Petit, the man whom this book was written about was a street performer in New York, over 30 years ago. He was a man whose job it was to entertain others with amazing tricks. Gerstein’s illustrations reflect how I imagine Philippe Petit might have been if I had met him personally. I imagine an adventurous, intelligent, free-spirited and creative man: jaunty, yet contemplative. It’s all in the pictures and in the text. He is a man who views the world from a different perspective, which is exactly what Gerstein’s illustrations imply. There are many “shots” of how Philippe viewed New York. For example, Philippe on the ground looking up at the top of the towers, lightly holding a rope between his two fingers imagining what it would be like to cross the rope on his own two feet. His perspective made it look so easy. Then we see Philippe’s perspective as he looks down on New York as he crosses the tightrope. From Philippe’s perspective birds fly around him, ships in the water look like toys and the city lights seem to twinkle like stars. The illustrations show the reader what Philippe’s perspective is visually, the text is about his internal emotions and feelings. It is a beautiful compliment.

The fold-out pages which elongate the two towers help the reader visualize just how far up Philippe was. The format of the fold-out pages is fitting for a story about two towers.





Title: The Three Pigs

Author & Illustrator:

  • David Weisner

Format, Genre & Subject Tracers:

  • Picture Book

  • Fiction: Fantasy or variant on a fairy tale

  • Pigs (swine), modern fairy tale, nursery rhymes, moving pages

Bibliographic Citation:

  • Wiesner, David. (2001). The three pigs. New York: Clarion Books.

Annotation:

  • In this variant of a fairy tale, even the pig with a house made of sticks has found an escape. He enters another world, safe from the big bad wolf. In this other world he meets other characters from nursery rhymes and fairytales.

Memorable Quote:

  • Come on – it’s safe out here.” (Unpaged)

Academic Age Appropriateness:

  • Grades 1st – 5th




Title: Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse

Author & Illustrator:

  • Kevin Henkes

Format, Genre & Subject Tracers:

  • Picture book

  • Fiction: Animal Fantasy

  • School and teachers, mice, toys, anger and forgiveness

Bibliographic Citation:

  • Henkes, Kevin. (1996). Lily’s Purple Plastic Purse. New York: Greenwillow Books.

Annotation:

  • Lilly must be thinking: How can such a wonderful plastic purse get you into so much trouble? It’s so pretty, it’s so special and it makes music. Inside there are fabulous sunglasses and coins that jingle. It’s just so hard not to play with them and show them off, but not everyone at school appreciates her enthusiasm for the special purse and the items inside…

Memorable Quote & Title:

  • Phases of Anger (Unpaged)

  • Lilly went to the Lightbulb Lab. She was still very sad. She thought and she thought and she thought. And then she became angry. She thought and she thought and she thought some more. And then she became furious. She thought and she thought and she thought a bit longer. And then she drew a picture of Mr. Slinger.

Academic Age Appropriateness:

  • Grades 1st –3rd

Extended Response:

  • Personal response:

I fell in love with Lilly the first time I read about her and her purple, plastic purse. I thought she was joyously jaunty, extremely enthusiastic, and perfectly precious. (To use the literary tool of onomatopoeia like Henkes.) I find her so delightful that I would even consider naming my own child Lilly if I had a little girl – which in and of itself, feels very Lilly-esque, like when she loved school and Mr. Slinger that she wants to be a teacher just like him. Furthermore, I absolutely adored the illustrations. Her actions and expressions bring a smile to my face, and I can’t help but laugh when I see her “stages of anger”, as I refer to it. At first I thought that my positive response to this book was purely based on enjoyment with literature; entertaining mice characters, realistic plot and vivid illustrations, and hilarious mouse humor. However, the more I thought about it I realized that in my daily life as a teacher I do see “little Lilly’s” in school. Through their eyes and actions I see and experience excitement bubbling over just like Lilly.

  • Evaluative critique:

This is a picture where I consider the pictures and the text to be mirrors of each other. While other pictures books, such as Grandfather’s Journey, complement each other in a “ying & yang” sort of way: the pictures represent parts of the story that the words did not say in essence the pictures are an extension of the text. I believe that type of picture book is great for developing critical thinking skills, while Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse as a mirror of illustration and text, offers help with development of other reading skills.

Lilly is more appropriate to help readers develop their decoding and comprehension skills. Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse illustrations mirror what the text says. Therefore, the reader can look at the entertaining pictures to help them decode and read the sentence or certain words. For example, if the reader cannot decode the word “erasers” (unpaged) he/she can look at the picture and see exactly what Lilly is doing in the illustration. The author and illustrator, one in the same, let the pictures convey the exact same meaning and mood as the words. Both types of picture books are important and vital to a young reader’s development of essential reading and literary skills.






Title: Black and White

Author & Illustrator:

  • David Macaulay

Format, Genre & Subject Tracers:

  • Picture book

  • Fiction: Mystery

  • Parents and children, trains, cows, 4 stories at once

Bibliographic Citation:

  • Macaulay, David. (1990). Black and White. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

Annotation:

  • David Macaulay has written a convoluted story about cows that “disappear”, snowflakes with words on them, problem parents and boulders that move plus more “udder chaos”. Four stories taking place at the same time, viewed from different perspectives and settings? It keeps the reader guessing what could possibly happen next!?!

Memorable Quote:

  • But from the moment they came through the door that night, my brother and I knew something was wrong.” (Unpaged)

Academic Age Appropriateness:

  • Grades 4th – 6th





Week Three: January 23 – 29



Title: Hush

Author &/or Illustrator:

  • Minfong Ho & (illus.) Holly Meade

Format, Genre & Subject Tracers:

  • Picture book

  • Poetry, Multicultural

  • Thai Lullaby, rhyming, animals of Thailand, animal sounds

Bibliographic Citation:

  • Ho, Minfong. Illustrator: Meade, Holly. (1996). Hush!: a Thai lullaby. New York: Orchard.

Annotation:

  • A mother tries to put her baby to sleep, but all the animals around hut keep making noise. Her poetic, rhythmic, rhyming corrections to the animals to be quiet, are in and of themselves a lullaby for babies. However, just like a typical baby he isn’t all that interested in sleeping!

Memorable Quote & Title:

  • A Mouse in Thailand says, “Jeed-Jeed”

  • Hush!

Who’s that squeaking

By the rice barn?

Jeed-jeed, Jeed-jeed,”

A fat gray mouse. (unpaged)

Academic Age Appropriateness:

  • Grades 1st – 3rd





Title: Tops & Bottoms

Author & Illustrator:

  • Janet Stevens

Format, Genre & Subject Tracers:

  • Picture book

  • Fiction: traditional: fable

  • Rabbits (hares), a bear, gardening vegetables, work ethic, growing seasons

Bibliographic Citation:

  • Stevens, Janet. (1995). Tops and bottoms. Orlando, FL: Harcourt Brace & Company.

Annotation:

  • A family of clever rabbits convince the lazy bear to let them do all the gardening work on his land and they all agree, when its time to harvest, he can half the fruits of the rabbits labor. However, they trick him and he always ends up with the useless part of the vegetable. Read Tops and Bottoms to find out what the bear learns about expecting something for doing nothing.

Memorable Quote:

  • We can be business partners!” Hare said. “All we need is this field right here in front of your house. I’ll do the hard work of planting and harvesting, and we can split the profit right down the middle. Yes sir, Bear, we’re in this together. I’ll work and you sleep.” (unpaged)

Academic Age Appropriateness:

  • Grades 1st – 5th

Extended Response:

  • Personal response:

This fable was very enjoyable to read. Right off the bat I was curious to see how the rabbit would benefit from doing all the work. Then I impressed by his knowledge of gardening and his ingenuity. I was receptive to the lesson learned because it was implied rather than specifically stated. Plus, it is sometimes easier to understand or relate a lesson to our own life when it is acted out, instead of being stated and demanded like a set of rules.

  • Evaluative critique:

The illustrator/author, Janet Stevens has retold a fable that has been passed down for year and years. She entitled it Tops and Bottoms. Her illustrations won her a Caldecott honor award, and I believe her illustrations are very appropriate for the genre of a fable. Traditional stories like this were passed down, long before there was such a thing as animated characters and comic or cartoon artwork. So an adaptation of a fable that shows realistic artistic representations of rabbits and bears, is a perfect complement to the text, mood and style of the story.

The story meets the criteria of being a fable on many levels. First and foremost, it has animals for its characters, specifically, talking animals. The animals also exhibit other human behaviors and characteristics like problem-solving and clever-ness, hunger and laziness. Secondly, this fable has a universal lesson, which is implied as you finish reading the story. In Tops and Bottoms the lesson is not explicitly stated, but it is pictorially and contextually implied so that a reader can use his/her critical thinking skills to extract their own lesson learned.





Title: Yo! Yes?

Author & Illustrator:

  • Chris Raschka

Format, Genre & Subject Tracers:

  • Picture book

  • Fiction: Realistic, Multi-cultural

  • Making friends, race relations, two boys

Bibliographic Citation:

  • Raschka, Chris. (1993). Yo! Yes? New York: Orchard.

Annotation:

  • Two boys who see each other eventually decide to be friends and play together. The spare text and illustrations simply but effectively show the two boys communicating through short phrases, facial expressions and body language.

Memorable Quote:

  • Yo! Yes? (unpaged) *** You’ve just got to see the pictures to get it…

Academic Age Appropriateness:

  • Grades 1st – 5th




Title: Leonardo da Vinci

Author & Illustrator:

  • Diane Stanley

Format, Genre & Subject Tracers:

  • Picture book

  • Non-fiction: biography

  • Leonardo da Vanci, Italy, Renaissance, genius, artist, inventor, philosopher

Bibliographic Citation:

  • Stanley, Diane. (1996). Leonardo da Vinci. New York: Morrow Books.

Annotation:

  • Leonardo da Vinci’s life is retold from birth till death. Major events, important people, his own failures and successes are presented in narrative fashion. Simple watercolor enhanced and embellished with gouache, colored pencil and photo collage are the medium for the illustrations. Stanley also used cutout inserts of sketches from da Vinci’s own notebooks.

Memorable Quote & Passage Title:

  • Impressive Resume (unpaged – picture of da Vinci playing the violin)

  • He began by calling the duke “Most Illustrious Lord,” then got right to the point… [he] claimed that he had studied all the latest “machines of war” and had come up with many improvements and some secret new ideas… Near the end of the letter he added that he was a master of architecture and that he could build canals, make sculptures, and –almost as if it were an afterthought—paint “as well as any man, whoever he be.”

Academic Age Appropriateness:

  • Grades 4th – 6th

Extended Response:

  • Personal response:

One of the people that most fascinate me is Leonardo da Vinci. So naturally, I was excited to read Diane Stanley’s book about his life specifically written for children. Personally, I enjoy reading informational books written for children because they are generally quick to read, they use descriptive language, but are not overly complicated. Stanley’s book achieved this and left me with a feeling to read more about da Vinci.

  • Evaluative critique:

Stanley’s book about da Vinci is an excellent description of his life from birth to death written in narrative form. She used accurate information, and made sure that the reader understood that information about da Vinci is not completely known. She acknowledges that he lived 600 years ago and that many of his documents, artwork, even his gravesite have been lost, misplaced, deteriorated or destroyed over time. Also, she states that over time information about da Vinci has been researched and reported differently. In such cases she reported both sides of the issue, after doing so she concluded for the reader what she believes to be the most reliable information. That strategy satisfies curiosity, but at the same time, also allows an interested reader the opportunity to read more and research to find more information.

Stanley uses a keen sense of story-telling to keep children engaged in the informational text. da Vinci’s life moves at a challenging and interesting pace. The format unique in that it is appealing to both independent student readers and also works well for read-alouds: there is one page of text, with a corresponding page of illustration.





Title: Where the Wild Things Are

Author & Illustrator:

  • Maurice Sendak

Format, Genre & Subject Tracers:

  • Picture book

  • Fiction: fantasy

  • Max - a little boy, imagination, wolf suits, private boats, wild things

Bibliographic Citation:

  • Sendak, Maurice. (1963). Where the wild things are. USA: Harper Collins.

Annotation:

  • A little boy who was being a little too rambunctious in his wolf suit is sent to his bed without his dinner. It’s then that his room turns into a forest, he sails across an ocean and lands on an island where wild things are. Read the book to find out if he ever makes it home.

Memorable Quote &/or Passage Title:

  • Those are fighting words, little boy! (unpaged)

  • His mother called him a “WILD THING!” and Max said “I’LL EAT YOU UP!” so he was sent to bed without eating anything.

Academic Age Appropriateness:

  • Grades 1st – 2nd







Week Four: January 30 – February 5



Title: Smoky Night

Author &/or Illustrator:

  • Eve Bunting, (illus.) David Diaz

Format, Genre & Subject Tracers:

  • Picture book

  • Fiction: Realism, multi-cultural

  • Los Angeles, riots, race relations, interpersonal relations, neighborliness

Bibliographic Citation:

  • Bunting, Eve. (1994). Smoky night. San Diego, CA: Harcourt Brace & Company.

Annotation:

  • One night mother and son watch their neighborhood be destroyed by looters and rioters. It is frightening, but soon they realize that they are not alone. When they have to evacuate their building because of fire, they end up in a shelter with all of their neighbors. The neighbors finally get a chance to meet each other and they begin to build relationships.

Memorable Quote:

  • Across the street from us people are dragging cartons of cereal and sacks of rice from Kim’ Market. My mama and I don’t go in Mrs. Kim’s market even though it’s close. Mama says it’s better if we buy from our own people.” (unpaged)

Academic Age Appropriateness:

  • Grades 3rd – 6th




Title: Faith and the Electric Dogs

Author & “Decorator”:

  • Patrick Jennings

Format, Genre & Subject Tracers:

  • Chapter book

  • Fiction: Fantasy

  • Language, Second Language, Mexico, rocket ship, dogs, action and adventure, runaways

Bibliographic Citation:

  • Jennings, Patrick. (1996). Faith and the electric dogs. New York: Scholastic Press.

Annotation:

  • Faith is a little girl who is having a hard time adjusting to her new home. She has moved to more than just a new home and new school, she has moved to a different country, where they speak a different language. She hates it; sometimes she feels like the only friend she has is the stray electric dog she took in. So, she decides to take-off in a rocket ship to bring her to San Francisco where she thinks she will be happier…

Memorable Quote & Passage Title:

  • Take-off (pages 60 - 61)

  • Imagine, dear reader, that an enormous giant has grasped your head with his very large hands, and then commences to shake it with every ounce of strength that he can muster. Got that? Okay. Now, he lifts you off the ground by your head, all the while continuing to shake and twist it, and slams you body repeatedly to the ground…

Academic Age Appropriateness:

  • Grades 3rd – 5th

Extended Response:

  • Personal response:

As usual, when I read fantasy, I have a difficult time getting into it, and so it went with Faith and the Electric Dogs. I was disappointed by the genre, but also, I thought the plot dragged on and on a bit. To add to my confusion, I did not see, or I was not able to escape into the connections between a dog being called electric, but having no electric abilities, throwing in short phrases or words in Spanish, and running away by building a rocket. I did feel empathy for Faith because it is difficult to move and become accustomed to a new place. However, while I understood Faith’s emotions and actions, I was confused and a bit bored.

  • Evaluative critique:

Now, even though I did not enjoy the fantasy story, I believe it is a valid example of fantasy for young children, especially for young readers who are looking for a fantasy that is not a series revolving around magic, witchcraft or wizardry, which is so popular now such as Harry Potter or The Legends of Lemonly Snicket. The fantasy does blend with reality which young readers can identify with, for example, the emotions and fear involved with being in a strange place and the fear of not fitting in. Those emotions were the catalyst that caused Faith to use a rocket to run away in.

Carol Lynch-Brown and Carl Tomlinson suggest using this book when teaching children about point of view. Jennings wrote in the first-person with the dog being the narrator. Having a minor dog character tell the story through his eyes is a very creative and original idea. I concur with the authors of the textbook that this is a great book to use when teaching different points of view. It is one thing to write a story or poem in first-person when you are writing as yourself. But to write it in first-person when you are pretending to be someone or something else is a completely different and more difficult skill. A student learning how to write or even just recognize that point of view would benefit greatly from hearing Faith and the Electric Dogs read aloud or read it independently just to see how Jennings never breaks the dog’s point of view.





Title: Through My Eyes

Author &/or Illustrator:

  • Ruby Bridges, articles and interview compiled and edited by Margo Lundell

Format, Genre & Subject Tracers:

  • Picture Book

  • Non-fiction: biography

  • Civil rights, school integration, race relations, New Orleans, Louisiana

Bibliographic Citation:

  • Bridges, Ruby. (1999). Through my eyes. New York: Scholastic Press.

Annotation:

  • Thirty years later, Ruby Bridges tells her amazing story of being one of the first black children to integrate an all white school. Even though “separate but equal” was illegal for years, Africans Americans were not afforded and did not demand fair treatment. Ruby Bridges and her family were brave leaders in the initial fight for civil rights. Ruby describes her first grade year, its struggles, successes and consequences both for herself and for the Civil Rights Movement.

Memorable Quote:

  • I don’t remember everything about that school year, but there are events and feelings I will never forget. In writing this book, I recall how integration looked to me then, when I was six and limited to my own small world. However, as an adult, I wanted to fill in some of the blanks about what was a serious racial crisis in the American South. I have tried to give you the bigger picture – through my eyes. (unpaged )

Academic Age Appropriateness:

  • Grades 3rd - 6th





Website Evaluation:

Website Title: Civil War Women: Primary Resources on the Internet

Authority of Authoring/Sponsoring Body:

  • Duke Universities Library: Special collections

Format, Genre & Subject Tracers:

  • Website

  • Non-fiction: Civil War Era

  • Women, Civil War, diaries & journals, photographs

Bibliographic Citation:

Annotation:

  • Titled and annotated links lead to primary resources within the subject of women’s lives during the Civil War. The links lead to transcribed diary and journal entries of women who lived during that period of time. There are three on-line, scanned manuscripts links through which researcher may view the author’s original hand-written pages of her diary or journal.

Memorable Quote:

  • Feb. 19th 1864 What a negligent creature I am I should have been keeping a journal all this time to show to my rebel brothers. Quote from Alice Williamson’s first diary entry. (Special Collections Library at Duke University. (June 1996). Civil War women: Primary sources on the internet: Alice Williamson’s Diary. Retrieved February 6, 2006, from http://scriptorium.lib.duke.edu/williamson/text.html.

Academic Age Appropriateness:

  • Grades 5th – 6th

Extended Response:

  • Personal response:

I enjoyed reading parts of this website. The information is intriguing because the words are straight from the women who lived and breathed the experiences during that war. During that time tensions were high as the conflicts over money, lives, loyalty and race divided and separated states, neighbors and even friends. It was interesting for me to browse through and read the events that happened that were important enough for the women to write about, but also it was interesting to “hear” their language usage and to view the photograph links.

  • Evaluative critique:

There is no arguing the validity of this information. The letters, diaries and journal entries came directly from the written work of women who chose to write down their memories and feelings. There are two logical reasons for any inaccuracies or mistakes, of which I found none, but as they say, history can rewrite itself… and who knows when truths and untruths will be revealed... So on that vein, one reason for a error in the information presented, is if the woman writing the entry was incorrect in her narrative. There is a possibility that ideas or situations are misrepresented by either ignorance or biased on personal opinion and perspective. Secondly, there could be a mistake in the transcription, which the compliers of these documents at the Special Libraries Collection at Duke addressed. They stated that transcription is a difficult process in which words, sentences, punctuation and ideas can be read wrong. They ask the reader of their compilations to report any mistakes that they believe they have discovered. The compilers and transcribers of the website also provide a link for such messages. I even saw where they thanked people for their help in deciphering words and sentences, thereby contributing to the maintenance of a quality and valid piece of information. After reading the transcribers compilations, as well as, their explanations of their work I can tell they try to represent accurate and complete information, which can be updated as more knowledge is accrued.

There are no errors as far as typographical or grammatical, the links connect quickly and directly, plus as stated before they are annotated.

The subject of the information is age-appropriate, but it is especially challenging for many reasons. The language used in writing, even today, is different than in conversational speech. These letters, diary and journal entries, were written over 100 years ago, therefore the words, patterns, and phrases challenge the comprehension skills of our elementary school students. It is possible for them to understand what they have read, but they will need to slow down and think about it terms of time and place, people and events of the Civil War.

The information was compiled in 1996 which felt worrisome to me initially. So, I evaluated the source: I determined that it is a well-respected university library, also that the dynamics of the website extend the learning of the subject. Also, I considered the subject, which as I implied before can be dynamic, but usually does not change rapidly. Therefore, I then concluded that the information, while not recently updated, was current in subject information. Therefore, it is usable in the classroom as one source.


QUESTIONS TO ASK WHEN EVALUATING WEBSITES

FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULTS

Denise E. Agosto, Ph.D.

I -- INFORMATION EVALUATION CRITERIA

I1. QUALITY OF INFORMATIONAL CONTENT

How accurate is the information provided? yes

Is the information primary source or secondary source? primary

For primary source information, are the research methods adequately described and explained? yes

For secondary source information, are the sources of information given?

Is the website relatively free from typographical and grammatical errors? yes

Is the information presented in an interesting manner, but not so creatively as to obscure its meaning? yes

Does the website encourage ongoing learning, such as continued reflection and further investigation of the topics addressed? yes

I2. LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY OF INFORMATIONAL CONTENT

Is the information age-appropriate? Yes – challenging though

Is it overly simplified or overly technical? NO

Is background knowledge beyond the experiences of most young people necessary to comprehend much of the content? Yes, but they should be learning about the Civil War in general - this enhances the learning.

I3. AUTHORITY OF AUTHORING/SPONSORING BODY

Is the name of the authoring/sponsoring body readily evident? yes

Is the author/sponsoring body a recognized authority in the field? yes

What are the author's/sponsoring body's qualifications for presenting the information contained in the website? Duke University, professors, students and researchers trained for researching Civil War artifacts.

Is a physical address for the author/sponsoring body given, or is there some other method for verifying its existence and legitimacy? Duke University Library

I4. CURRENCY OF INFORMATION

Is the information relatively current? Yes (see paragraph explanation)

Are the dates of initial site construction and most recent revisions included? Yes

Is the information updated often? NO

Is currency highly important due to the subject matter (such as medical research) or less important (such as ancient history)? Less Important

I5. PURPOSE OF RESOURCE

Is the purpose of the website (e.g. public education, product marketing, political lobbying) stated? Yes!

Are any biases toward the subject matter obvious? No, no biases evident.

Does the website exhibit any social biases (e.g. gender, racial, cultural, religious, age)? No

Is the user required to divulge personal information or to pay a usage fee? NO

Is it obvious from the domain name where the site or page originates? No, not necessarily

D -- DESIGN EVALUATION CRITERIA

D1. QUALITY OF GRAPHIC AND MULTIMEDIA CONTENT

Are the graphics clear and easy to understand? Yes, very.

Are the audio and video components high quality? Yes, excellent visual

Is the graphic and multimedia content likely to attract and appeal to young people? Appealing, but not exciting. Lots of writing, might be a bit intimidating.

D2. QUALITY OF GENERAL DESIGN

Is the overall site design pleasing? yes

Is the design attention grabbing, but not distracting? no

Is the design likely to appeal to most young people? no

Are the individual pages so long that excessive scrolling is necessary? yes

Is the text easy to read (based on font appearance, size, and color)? yes

D3. INCLUSION OF LINKS

Are there a relatively large number of links? Good number of links

Are the links related to the main subjects of the website? Yes and they are related to as well.

Are the links generally high quality? YES!

Are the links evaluated or described at all? YES!

D4. AMOUNT OF GRAPHIC AND MULTIMEDIA CONTENT

Does the site include much graphic and multimedia content, or is it primarily composed of plain text? Plain Text

Is there a relatively low percentage of advertising content? YeS!

D5. LEVEL OF INTERACTIVITY

Is there a relatively high level of interactivity? YES

Is there a method for contacting the authoring/sponsoring body for questions and comments? YES!

D6. COMPLEXITY OF ORGANIZATIONAL SYSTEM

Is navigation within the website fairly easy? YES

Are the organization and contents obvious from the opening page? Yes

Is there a link to the opening page on each subsequent page? No

If the website is large, is an internal search function available? NO

W -- WORKABILITY EVALUATION CRITERIA

W1. LOADING SPEED

Do all of the pages within the site load quickly? YES

Does the graphic content load a long time after the textual content has loaded? NO, good load time

W2. WORKABILITY OF LINKS

Are there many dead links? NO

Do the links require helper applications or plug-ins? NO

W3. GENERAL WORKABILITY

Is proprietary software needed? Are helper applications or plug-ins needed? NO

Is the site almost always available, or are there frequent periods of unavailability? Always available

Do heavy traffic and/or limited connections often preclude site access? NO

Are there options for downloading and running text-only and non-frame versions? NO

Are there large-print or audio options for the visually impaired? NO

Are there textual descriptions of all graphics for screen readers? NO

Is it necessary to change system configuration for printing purposes? NO




Video Evaluation:

Title: Click, Clack Moo: Cows that Type

Author & Illustrator:

  • Doreen Cronin, (illus.) Betsy Lewin

Format:

  • DVD: Video

Bibliographic Citation:

  • Albrecht, Maciek (Director). (2000). Click, clack, moo: Cows that type…and more fun on the farm [DVD]. Norwalk, CT: Video Post Production, Palace Digital Studios, MaGik Studio.

Annotation:

  • Doreen Cronin’s charming story, Click, Clack, Moo: Cows that Type, is produced in an animated video. After reading the book, pop in the DVD to watch those demanding cows and hens drive Farmer Brown crazy. Also, included on this DVD are the animated stories of The Day Jimmy’s Boa Ate the Wash by Tinka Hakes Noble and The Pig’s Wedding Helme Heine.

Academic Age Appropriateness:

  • Grades K - 2

Extended Response:

  • Personal response:

I enjoyed watching this DVD. There were many similarities to the book and just enough additions and extras to make the DVD version fun to watch. The director and producers chose the perfect music and narrator. They also add interest to the DVD with expert visual-graphics, movement and sounds effects. Another, element that makes the DVD interesting is that there are two other books made into animated videos, plus, some other extras, which I will discuss under the evaluative criteria. Lastly, I appreciated that the DVD stayed true to the book.


  • Evaluative critique:

This DVD, like the print book, is suitable for younger children ages 5 through 7. I enjoyed the humor and creativity of the book; the DVD further enhanced that literary experience. One important aspect of enjoying this DVD is that it did not stray from the original concept of the book. The text from the book and the DVD were the exact same words, the animations were produced in the artistic likeness that the book illustrator, Betsy Lewin, originally used. Plus, the sound effects, narration (narrator: Randy Travis) and the music all complemented the setting of this book: on the farm, in the country. The similarities between DVD and print book, along with the carefully chosen visual and audio enhancements work together to provide an authentic, and ideally a secondary literary experience.

There are bonus extras included on the DVD. The extras allow the reader to interact with the printed words, as well as, the video. Select the “Read Along” button and the words will appear on the bottom of the screen. The words are large enough for a reader to read along and/or aloud with the narrator. This can help develop fluency in a young reader. There is another fun feature in the extras… Children can hear the story read in Spanish, even the typed letters are translated in to Spanish!

In conclusion, the DVD is an entertaining complement to the printed book.


VIDEO EVALUATION FORM


Video Title: Click Clack, Moo, Cows that Type

Part of Series? Yes: ___ No: X Series Title: N/A

Video Company’s Name: Scholastic Video Collection

Address: ____________________________________________________________

Filmmaker: MaGik Studio

Copyright or Release Date: 2002 Length: 52 Min. Price: N/A

Brief Annotation:

  • Doreen Cronin’s charming story, Click, Clack, Moo: Cows that Type, is produced in an animated video. After reading the book, pop in the DVD to watch those demanding cows and hens drive Farmer Brown crazy. Also, included on this DVD are the animated stories of The Day Jimmy’s Boa Ate the Wash by Tinka Hakes Noble and The Pig’s Wedding Helme Heine.


Circle One: Animation


Technical Rating


Excellent


Good


Fair


Poor


Comments


Sound Quality

x






Color Quality

x





Execution of special techniques possible with video

x






Focus/Exposure

x






Content Rating


Excellent


Good


Fair


Poor


Comments

Treatment of plot, theme, characters, mood, setting

x




Enhances story. Animation gives entertaining and valid expressions.


Authority (accuracy)


x




Follows the story book page by page.


Organization/Creativity


x






Narration and Acting


x




Randy Travis is a good match for a narrator.


Interest Level: _x__ Primary (K-3)

For video versions of fiction titles, rate how well film stays true to essence of the story:

Excellent: x Good: ___ Fair: ___ Poor: ___

Comments: An excellent way to extend the learning and enjoyment of the original book.







Week Five: February 6 – 12



Title: Sarah, Plain and Tall

Author:

  • Patricia MacLachlan

Format, Genre & Subject Tracers:

  • Chapter book

  • Fiction: Historical – Development of Industrial Society – 1800 to 1914

  • U.S. frontier, 1850’s, family, stepmothers, pioneer life

Bibliographic Citation:

  • MacLachlan, Patricia. (1985). Sarah, plain and tall. New York: Harper Trophy.

Annotation:

  • Caleb and his sister, Anna, have been raised by their father ever since their mother died during childbirth. The small family is happy living on the prairie, but there is something missing… Their neighbor sent away for a mail-order bride, Maggie, and she completed their family. So, Anna and Caleb’s father decided to look for a companion. The family has been communicating with Sarah, a lady who lives in Maine, through friendly letters. Finally, they all decided that it was time that Sarah came out for a visit in order to see if she fits in as a part of their family. Read Anna’s story to see if she gets a special stepmother or not.

Memorable Quote:

  • If you should care to write, I would be interested in your children and about where you live. And you. [written by Sarah Elisabeth Wheaton] (Page 9)

Academic Age Appropriateness:

  • Grades 3rd – 5th






Title: Dear Mr. Henshaw

Author & Illustrator:

  • Beverly Cleary & (illus.) Paul O. Zelinsky

Format, Genre & Subject Tracers:

  • Chapter book

  • Fiction: realistic

  • Letter writing, story writing, book authors, divorce, California

  • Characters that write

Bibliographic Citation:

  • Cleary, Beverly. (1983). Dear Mr. Henshaw. New York: Avon Books.

Annotation:

  • Leigh Botts, a fifth grade boy, unintentionally begins a journey where he learns about himself through letter and journal writing. It all starts when he begins writing letters to his favorite author. Actually, he gets frustrated with the responses from the author, but Mr. Henshaw has some good advice. Leigh takes his advice and starts keeping a journal of his writing. Its through all of Leigh’s writing that we see him work through his conflicts, such as missing his absentee father and a mysterious lunch burglar who keeps stealing his favorite food right out of his lunch box!

Memorable Quote & Passage Title:

  • Your pooped reader, Liegh Botts

  • (Passage pages 16 – 17)

  • Dear Mr. Henshaw,

I wasn’t going to answer anymore of you questions, but Mom won’t get the tv repaired because she said its rotting my brain. This is Thanksgiving vacation and I am so bored I decided to answer a couple of your rotten questions with my rotten brain. (Joke)

Academic Age Appropriateness:

  • Grades 3rd – 5th





Title: Little House in the Big Woods

Author & Illustrator:

  • Laura Ingalls Wilder, (illus.) Garth Williams

Format, Genre & Subject Tracers:

  • Chapter Book (Series)

  • Fiction: historical: The Development of Industrial Society – 1800 – 1914

  • Wisconsin frontier, 1800’s, frontier life, family, self-sustaining lifestyle

Bibliographic Citation:

  • Wilder, Laura Ingalls. (1932). Little house in the big woods. New York: Harper Trophy.

Annotation:

  • Laura lives in a little log cabin snuggled in the big woods with her ma, pa and sisters. Her stories tell the daily activities that sustain them; how they get and make their food, how they take care of their land and cabin, as well as, the activities that bring them to town where there is as much excitement as in the dangerous but exciting woods.

Memorable Quote & Passage Title:

  • Laura’s Favorite Days: Churning and Baking (Passage page 29)

  • Each day had its own proper work. Ma used to say:

Wash on Monday,

Iron on Tuesday,

Mend on Wednesday,

Churn on Thursday,

Clean on Friday,

Bake on Saturday,

Rest on Sunday.

Academic Age Appropriateness:

  • Grades 2nd – 4th





Title: Soup

Author &/or Illustrator:

  • Robert Newton Peck, (illus.) Charles C. Gehm

Format, Genre & Subject Tracers:

  • Chapter Book: Transitional (Series)

  • Fiction: historical

  • Boys, friendship, mischief,

Bibliographic Citation:

  • Peck, Robert Newton. (1974). Soup. New York: Yearling Books.

Annotation:

  • Robert has a friend. His friend Soup keeps life in the small town exciting. Together they run and play and have fun. They enjoy everyday and at that same time they can get into a whole bunch of mischief: drenching bullies with water and smoking corn are just some of their escapades.

Memorable Quote &/or Passage Title:

  • Soup’s on! (Passage Pages 13 - 14)

  • His real and righteous name was Luther Wesley Vinson, but nobody called him Luther. He didn’t like it. I called him Luther just once, which prompted Soup to break me of a very bad habit before it got really got formed. As soon as the swelling went out of my lip, I called him Soup instead of Thoop.

Academic Age Appropriateness:

  • Grades 2nd – 4th




Magazine Evaluation:

Title: National Geographic Kids


SLIS 756 CHILDREN’S MAGAZINE EVALUATION FORM

Spring 2006



MAGAZINE: National Geographic Kids


Issues examined: February 2006


1. What is the statement of intent (if there is one)?


There is no statement of intent written in the printed form of the magazine.


However, by looking at the table of contents and flipping through the pictures a prospective reader can tell that the magazine is informational, as well as, entertaining. A quick glance reveals articles about animals, special places and important happenings around the world, but there are also popular comics, advertisements and puzzles for fun.


I checked online at National Geographic Kids magazine <http://www.nationalgeographic.com/ngkids/about_us.html>. I found under the about us button…


National Geographic Kids' mission is to entertain children while educating and exciting them about their world.

It is the original photo-driven kids' magazine, geared toward readers ages 6 to 12, with the exceptional photography you'd expect from the National Geographic brand.

National Geographic Kids is an interactive, multitopic magazine covering animals, entertainment, science, technology, current events, and cultures from around the world. National Geographic Kids is the magazine that makes it fun to learn about the world.

Captivating kids since 1975, the magazine, formally known as National Geographic World, takes a sneak approach to teaching—readers are having so much fun they don't realize they're learning!



  1. Probable audience: age/grade level? sex? other?


This magazine appeals to both boys and girls. Some of the advertisements lean toward one sex or the other. For example, Smackers Chap Stick advertisement is geared towards the girls and there is an M&M’s advertisement that I believe appeals to the boys. Why? The M&M’s are half robot half monster and half milk chocolate (maybe that would be thirds, but I think get the point).


However, the articles are definitely for both the girls and the boys. The ages that this magazine would most appeal to are 6 through 10. I believe this is an appropriate magazine to have available in an elementary school library media center.



3. Subject? What area(s) of the curriculum might this publication complement?


This magazine covers a wide-range of subjects within the fields of the humanities and sciences, plus interactive games and puzzles. There are articles on animals and their behavior, sports, cool places to visit around the world, as well as, historical information. All of it is presented with strong visually appealing graphics.


I think this magazine could supplement a Language Arts class. The magazine encourages reading for pleasure; it is not intimidating and yet it’s still educational.



4. Basic appeal: Describe how content and format are likely/unlikely to appeal to the intended audience?


Colors and shapes dominate the visual appearance of this magazine; the text is secondary. After reading the articles, I determined that the text was secondary, but that was not a reflection on the information. The information is interesting and entertaining. The text is presented in short “snapshots” of information. These “snapshots” are short enough and written on a level that most 3rd through 5th graders will be able to read in just a few minutes. The younger children may not be able to read the text, but they will enjoy the pictures and they will be able to make connections between pictures and words. For example, there is a photograph of two birds, in the corresponding subtitle, “Beauty and the Bird”, a younger reader could identify the word bird. Therefore, readers of a wide range of abilities can access information easily.


The longer, feature articles divide the information into short paragraphs, printed with a large subtitle, and suspended within a heavily bordered shape such as a rectangle or a circle. The spacing and segmentation of text is appealing to young readers as it is not intimidating.


As stated before, the titles and subtitles in themselves are appealing. They are large, vivid and brightly colored. They even come in every size and font. Those titles make it easy for a reader to find an article or to just scan quickly for a subject that interests him/her.


The photographs, illustrations/pictures, graphics and computer-generated artwork encompass a majority of the page. Even so, the text and the visual components complement each other; a caption or a longer “snapshot” of information always accompanies the pictures. Plus, there are many statements or side-notes randomly placed among the bright illustrations, such as, “Go online for more information about animal love. natinalgeographic.com/ngkids” which is printed on the bottom corner of the page with a small picture related to the subject of the article and web link.



  1. Non-fiction material: What types of articles are included? Are they clearly written? Is material universally appealing or is it aimed at a specific interest?


The non-fiction articles are well written. The brief informational paragraphs provide information and then quickly move onto another subject or idea. Therefore, a reader must be able to jump from one subject or idea to the next without any transition. For example, the article “Do Animals Love Each Other?” talks about the actions and behaviors of animals in relation to their feelings and emotions that unfortunately they cannot communicate to us. The article’s subject is if animals love or not, but the examples that the writers use to explain the subject jump from dolphins, to monkeys, to cats and other animals with no transitions to prepare you. Except, however, for the picture (and sometimes the subtitle), which can be quite helpful actually.


The material interests children from the ages of 6 through 10 or so as well as both boys and girls. The subject material as stated before is informational but it is also is varied and trendy. The information presented touches on the subjects from animal behavior to “The Truth Behind you Favorite Stars” (i.e. Spider-Man from the movies connected to real spiders. In a table the information starts off at…


“Spider-man launches himself at the evil Doc Ock using a slingshot made of spider silk.”


To


“Spiders are totally old. Scientists think they first appeared about 380 million years ago.” (page 19, Joseph Guinto, NGK, Feb. 2005)


6. Fiction: If the magazine contains fiction, briefly comment on it.


There are no fiction stories in this magazine.



7. Does the magazine include contributions from children? Comment on these.


The very back cover is the “Art Department”. The magazine posts a question or activity and then selects and publishes original artwork sent in from the readers. The instructions include, their mailing address, and directions which include a parent signature.


This month the prompt was…

What would you do if you had magical powers?


The artwork is scaled down and three pieces are published with the title of their artwork, their name, age and city & state.



8. Advertising: Analyze advertisements in relationship to the content of the magazine and the audience to which the magazine is directed. What kinds of appeals are made? What methods are used? What types of products are advertised?


Sometimes in this magazine it was hard to decipher an advertisement from article… but the ads that are in there are trying to sell candy, food, video games, television shows and little girl “make-up”. The articles have nothing to do with the content of the magazine; they just appeal to young eyes! Many of the advertisements are for items that are inexpensive; that they could buy themselves. The advertisements always make sure the packaging is bright and vividly set-off from the background and the rest of the ad. The readers will recognize the packaging quickly when they are in the store.



9. Would you recommend this magazine for an elementary school classroom or library? For a children’s room in a public library?



As I stated above, I do believe this magazine belongs in an elementary school library. I suspect it will be worn ragged by the end of the month because of all the children paging through it. The children in an elementary school will enjoy reading the articles, and working on the puzzles and games. This magazine can be read over again because there is a giant amount of information.


It would be well read in a public library as well.







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