BIBLIOGRAPHY
Perkins, Lynne Rae. 2005. CRISS CROSS. New York, NY: Harper Collins. ISBN 0060092726
SUMMARY
"Teenagers in a small town experience new thoughts and feelings, question their identities, connect, and disconnect as they search for the meaning of life and love" (CIP).
ANALYSIS
I wanted to think about CRISS CROSS for a few days before I wrote the review, because although I enjoyed reading it, at the end I was somewhat underwhelmed. I kept flipping to the front cover and thinking, "a Newberry, huh?" and wondering what they saw in it that I didn't.
I'm glad I waited because the longer I sat with it, the more I began to appreciate Perkins work for the stand-out piece of wonderful writing that it is. It doesn't have a strong narrative, since it is basically a collection of impressions and moments in the lives of these interconnected young adults, but the poignancy, tone and insight of the writing are spectacular. It was such a pleasure to read someone writing with this level of craft and skill for a Young Adult audience.
The characters, as well, are all completely believable teenagers, but more than that, they're all likable as well. There's no villain, and even Dan, the least sympathetic character, has moments of likability. I thought Hector was particularly loveable, and I wished several times that I could invite him over for some cookies and milk. A trap I fell into when reading the book was mistaking angst and pathos for depth. Lenny's relationship with his father is so wonderful to read about -- in the chaper, "The Fable of Lenny," we see that Lenny's life could so easily have taken a different track, and it is also easy to see that Lenny -enjoys- his life, and looks up to his father. The complicated swirls of emotions and decisions around these issues are not layed out by Perkins one by one. We see Lenny, in a poingnant moment, realize that his childhood friends do not see any adult glamour in "chew," and that his life is headed in a different direction. We also see Lenny embrace that life, as an affable, pleasant young man helping his dad around the house. As a reader, you can feel Lenny's father's quiet pride in his son. Perkins' characterizations are masterful.
Perkins' playful light tone throughout the novel does not detract from her ability to craft intense and authentic scenes, such as the one between Debbie and her mother on page 280. This scene felt real to me as a reader 10 or 15 years after I've had any interactions like this with my own mom. As a teenager, it would have felt spoken directly to me: "So often in books, or in movies, one character looks at another and understands in a precise way what that person is feeling. So often in real life, one person wants to be understood, but obscures her feelings with completely unrelated words and facial expressions, while the other person is trying to remember whether she did or didn't turn off the burner under the hard-boiled eggs" (281). That is a universal adolescent experience- longing to connect and to be understood, but missing that connection, through chance or shyness, or as in Debbie's case, semi-intentional misdirection. Perkins turns the scene then, and gives the reader a heartbreaking insight into the character of Debbie's mom, before ending with the main theme of the novel: "Her mother had no way of knowing that this would have been a good time to tell her daughter that she had once known a boy who went away...they might have talked then about how that felt, and what you did next. But their secrets inadvertantly sidestepped each other, unaware, like blindfolded elephants crossing the tiny room" (281).
The moments of mysticism and magical realism (Dan's donkey-hood) spread throughout the story are delightful and so representative of being that age. Overall I think this is a wonderful book, but I'm not sure I would have had the patience for the vignette style as a young adult. But of course, at that age I read poetry, so who knows? CRISS CROSS is probably not the easiest book for everyone to engage with though.
REVIEWS
"The author of the popular All Alone in the Universe (HarperCollins, 1999) returns with another character study involving those moments that occur in everyone's life–moments when a decision is made that sends a person along one path instead of another. Debbie, who wishes that something would happen so she'll be a different person, and Hector, who feels he is unfinished, narrate most of the novel. Both are 14 years old. Hector is a fabulous character with a wry humor and an appealing sense of self-awareness. A secondary story involving Debbie's locket that goes missing in the beginning of the tale and is passed around by a number of characters emphasizes the theme of the book. The descriptive, measured writing includes poems, prose, haiku, and question-and-answer formats. There is a great deal of humor in this gentle story about a group of childhood friends facing the crossroads of life and how they wish to live it." SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL
"This lyrical sequel to All Alone in the Universe (1999), a Booklist Editor's Choice, begins with one of many black-and-white drawings and a caption that reads, "People move back and forth in this area like molecules in steam." As the title and caption imply, this story reads like a series of intersecting vignettes--all focused on 14-year-old Debbie and her friends as they leave childhood behind. Perkins writes with subtle, wry humor about perceptive moments that will speak directly to readers: universe-expanding crushes, which fill the world with "signs and wonder"; scornful reappraisals of childhood things (Debbie's disdain for Nancy Drew is particularly funny); urgent concerns about outfits, snappy retorts, and self-image. Perkins adds many experimental passages to her straightforward narrative, and she finds poetry in the common exchanges between teens." BOOKLIST
CONNECTIONS
I enjoyed this book, but it took me a while to get through, which is one reason why I don't think it's a great idea for a read aloud. There's not much tension- it feels like a summer afternoon. That tone throughout the writing, as well as the mixed media works and illustrations throughout the book are also part of its strength. As an assignened book for class reading, CRISS CROSS works well. It can be read on many levels, and students who are interested in literature will have fun picking out themes of adolescent development and connections (the necklace, the bugs...) while other students will enjoy some of the overtly humorous scenes dealing with Dan's potential transformation into a donkey. It's not a a difficult book to read, but not all students will find it easy to engage with either, so I think it will work with guided reading.
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Kit's Wilderness
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Almond, David. KIT'S WILDERNESS. 1999. New York, NY: Delacourt Press. ISBN 0385326653
SUMMARY
"Thirteen-year-old Kit goes to live with his grandfather in the decaying coal mining town of Stoneygate, England, and finds both the old man and the town haunted by ghosts of the past" (CIP).
ANALYSIS
I found KIT'S WILDERNESS to be a pretty distrubing read. That may just be due to pregnancy hormones, but the dark moodiness and haunting writing did not work for me right now. I had to put it down several times to keep from being drawn in and freaked out -- which probably speaks more to Almond's considerable abilities as a lyrical writer than to my abilities as a reviewer, but oh well. I didn't like it.
The character development was strong throughout, and although John Askew is intended to be enigmatic in the beginning, the force of his (creepy) personality came through. I usually have a lot more patience for the wounded loner character, but I was much more interested in Kit's relationship with his grandfather. The way it built and the inevitable end were both handled very well and with great depth of feeling. One of the main themes of the novel is continuity through generations within families and towns, and this theme was explored most beautifully through Kit's relationship with his grandfather.
Another main theme of course is redemption and rebirth- there are elements of this throughout the story but most obviously in Askew's game of death. Kit and the others "play" death and then, unlike the ghost children from the mines' past, they get to walk out of the mines, "out of the ancient darkness into the shining valley" (3). I found the paranormal aspects of the story, the blending of Kit's reality in Stoneygate with the past of the mines, and the children who died there, to be the most disturbing part for me. Once the ghost children began to permeate Kit's waking life, from Silky to the nameless others, I was willfully trying to disconnect. Almond was successful in creating a dark and moving tale, but it certainly won't go on my favorites shelf.
REVIEWS
"Revisiting many of the themes from Skellig, Almond offers another tantalizing blend of human drama, surrealism and allegory. He opens the novel with a triumphant scene, in which Kit Watson, the 13-year-old narrator, and his classmates, John Askew and Allie Keenan reemerge from "ancient darkness into a shining valley," as if to reassure readers throughout the course of the cryptic tale that the game of "Death," so central to the book, is indeed just a game. Nevertheless, he takes readers on a thrilling and spine-tingling ride." PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
"This haunting, lyrical novel by David Almond (Delacorte, 2000) will appeal to teachers because of the beauty of its language and its manipulation of themes. The supernatural elements and gripping story will engage students... The story deals with the eerie influence of the past, from the recently defunct mining industry in Kit's ancestral hometown, to the beginning of humankind. It also focuses on the necessity of the arts, particularly the art of storytelling, to the emotional well-being and even survival of those sensitive to the rhythms of the world and the ripples of time. The hook, both for Kit and for the readers, is the game called Death played in an abandoned mine shaft by a group of misfits at Kit's new school." SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL
CONNECTIONS
I'm at a loss as to how to use this novel. A history of british mining law reform? Au unit on child labor? Really it only works as literature, and I wouldn't want to teach it to the whole class. It's a good book review prospect, and I'm sure it would really connect with a segment of the student population in any jr. high school.
Almond, David. KIT'S WILDERNESS. 1999. New York, NY: Delacourt Press. ISBN 0385326653
SUMMARY
"Thirteen-year-old Kit goes to live with his grandfather in the decaying coal mining town of Stoneygate, England, and finds both the old man and the town haunted by ghosts of the past" (CIP).
ANALYSIS
I found KIT'S WILDERNESS to be a pretty distrubing read. That may just be due to pregnancy hormones, but the dark moodiness and haunting writing did not work for me right now. I had to put it down several times to keep from being drawn in and freaked out -- which probably speaks more to Almond's considerable abilities as a lyrical writer than to my abilities as a reviewer, but oh well. I didn't like it.
The character development was strong throughout, and although John Askew is intended to be enigmatic in the beginning, the force of his (creepy) personality came through. I usually have a lot more patience for the wounded loner character, but I was much more interested in Kit's relationship with his grandfather. The way it built and the inevitable end were both handled very well and with great depth of feeling. One of the main themes of the novel is continuity through generations within families and towns, and this theme was explored most beautifully through Kit's relationship with his grandfather.
Another main theme of course is redemption and rebirth- there are elements of this throughout the story but most obviously in Askew's game of death. Kit and the others "play" death and then, unlike the ghost children from the mines' past, they get to walk out of the mines, "out of the ancient darkness into the shining valley" (3). I found the paranormal aspects of the story, the blending of Kit's reality in Stoneygate with the past of the mines, and the children who died there, to be the most disturbing part for me. Once the ghost children began to permeate Kit's waking life, from Silky to the nameless others, I was willfully trying to disconnect. Almond was successful in creating a dark and moving tale, but it certainly won't go on my favorites shelf.
REVIEWS
"Revisiting many of the themes from Skellig, Almond offers another tantalizing blend of human drama, surrealism and allegory. He opens the novel with a triumphant scene, in which Kit Watson, the 13-year-old narrator, and his classmates, John Askew and Allie Keenan reemerge from "ancient darkness into a shining valley," as if to reassure readers throughout the course of the cryptic tale that the game of "Death," so central to the book, is indeed just a game. Nevertheless, he takes readers on a thrilling and spine-tingling ride." PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
"This haunting, lyrical novel by David Almond (Delacorte, 2000) will appeal to teachers because of the beauty of its language and its manipulation of themes. The supernatural elements and gripping story will engage students... The story deals with the eerie influence of the past, from the recently defunct mining industry in Kit's ancestral hometown, to the beginning of humankind. It also focuses on the necessity of the arts, particularly the art of storytelling, to the emotional well-being and even survival of those sensitive to the rhythms of the world and the ripples of time. The hook, both for Kit and for the readers, is the game called Death played in an abandoned mine shaft by a group of misfits at Kit's new school." SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL
CONNECTIONS
I'm at a loss as to how to use this novel. A history of british mining law reform? Au unit on child labor? Really it only works as literature, and I wouldn't want to teach it to the whole class. It's a good book review prospect, and I'm sure it would really connect with a segment of the student population in any jr. high school.
Friday, April 20, 2007
The Giver
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Lowry, Lois. 1993. THE GIVER. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Company. ISBN 0395645662
SUMMARY
"Given his lifetime assigment at the Ceremony of Twelve, Jonas becomes the receiver of memories shared by only one other in his community and discovers the terrible truth about society in which he lives." (CIP).
ANALYSIS
"I want to wake up in the morning and decide things.
It's the choosing that's important, isn't it?" (97).
Even though I read THE GIVER as a teenager, I chose to read it again for this assignment, and I really enjoyed the second reading. Lowry uses a science fiction context to tackle so many issues in this book that are central to the Young Adult experience. Most twelve year olds reading this book will have felt moments, like Jonas during his training, of deep isolation from their peers. They will yearn for independence, like Jonas, and at the same time, mourn the loss of their idylic childhoods: "his childhood, his friendships, his carefree sense of security -- all of these things seemed to be slipping away" (135).
Lowry's fantastic context allows readers to explore these feelings with a different perspective. Lowry also addresses the major change in perspective that comes as children move closer to becoming adults. Jonas experiences flashes of "seeing beyond," seeing something he has always seen, but suddenly realizing it has dimensions he never expected. For Jonas, it is an apple, on page 23, or the faces in the audience at the Ceremony of Twelve. For students it might be a new insight on adult relationships, or family dynamics, or even simply watching a movie they've seen a thousand times but finally understanding the dirty jokes.
Lowry also deals with the overwhelming power of adolescent emotions. The calm ordered environment of Jonas' village may seem like a refuge to students in the midst of Yound Adulthood. Jonas realizes that though his parents and sister describe emotions of "anger" and "sadness" they have never really felt these things. Jonas' isolation in being able to deeply feel is teenagey angst perfectly translated into science fiction. Jonas -is- totally alone He is forbidden from sharing his training, forbidden from taking the same drugs as the rest of the community and told to lie and be rude as well. He is set apart from his community in a way that many young adults feel set apart, and seeing the concrete manifestation of inner turmoil can make for powerful reading.
In addition, Lowry's world shares many similarites with the world of modern day jr. high and high school, where "Sameness" is certainly a governing principle. In Jonas' community, differences are drummed out through genetic engineering, drug regimens and enforced civility (84). Dress codes and cliques do the job in high school. Lowry's imagery is remarkably relatable to her audience.
The way Lowry sets up the world of THE GIVER is masterful. There are no massive infodumps, which are a challenge to avoid in fantasy or science fiction. Instead she weaves her worldbuilding seamlessly throughout conversations and character interactions. A few chapters into the book, the reader already has an understanding of the complex system of inflexible rules and regulations that govern every aspect of life in the village. Jonas mentions the tome of rules his parents keep on a shelf in the kitchen, and throughout the story there are moments like this: "All of them talking at once, hasitly making the required apology for interrupting, then forgetting again... (89). Lowry's spare but detail packed writing allows her to insert a world building detail, like the bizarrely enforced civility of the "required apology" into an action packed scene which is moving the narrative forward. She doesn't stop the action to provide background, but the reader understands within the context.
I only have a few problems with the book, and one of them is the potential depth of in-class discussions. Lowry does not shy away from difficult concepts- "releasing," for instance, will surely spark classroom debates.
"They prepared to shoot it down" (112). This may be nitpicky, but how can the concept of warfare be so totally alien to Jonas, and yet he's aware that his village has complicated weaponry and heat seeking planes? It seems inconsistent. Also, it was difficult to understand whether there is a deliberate strategy of misinformation from adults to children about "releasing." When Jonas asks about Roberto's release at the House of the Old, the answers are misleading. Do all adults know what "releasing" entails? When do children learn? It's just a nitpick, and Lowry needed the tension of the mystery in order for the reader to feel Jonas' revulsion at the final discovery, but it felt inconsistent as well.
Overall, the pacing in the story is excellent, and drives the narrative to its inevitable conclusion with Jonas's escape, but the end feels abrupt and ambiguious. Perhaps Jonas finds a true home, or perhaps he moves into one last memory, moments before freezing to death. Either way, with all the time Lowry spent building the world and introducing the characters, I wanted at least one conclusive sentence for an epilogue.
There are many many more things right with this book than the one or two things I found challenging. I would love to recommend it to a student, or oneday to use it in a class.
REVIEWS
"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
"The tension leading up to the Ceremony, in which children are promoted not to another grade but to another stage in their life, and the drama and responsibility of the sessions with The Giver are gripping. The final flight for survival is as riveting as it is inevitable. The author makes real abstract concepts, such as the meaning of a life in which there are virtually no choices to be made and no experiences with deep feelings. This tightly plotted story and its believable characters will stay with readers for a long time." SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL
CONNECTIONS
When I was looking at the reviews for this book online, I also found some study guides published for use with the book in the classroom.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/1586091506/ref=sib_dp_pt/104-9022747-1235943#reader-link
Lowry creates such a complete world in THE GIVER that I think reading guides such as this one, which pull the student out of narrative, are a misstep if the object is to encourage students to engage with the book and to foster a love of reading. Since this book speaks so specifically to personal issues of adolescent development, it works best outside of a structured classroom environment, with students choosing to read the book on their own. So perhaps offering it as an option; one of several books to choose from for book reports. Since the tale is so gripping and suspenseful at times, it would also work as a read aloud book for older grades. If the whole class does read the book, small group discussions about major themes would probably be more engaging than vocabulary exercises.
Lowry, Lois. 1993. THE GIVER. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Company. ISBN 0395645662
SUMMARY
"Given his lifetime assigment at the Ceremony of Twelve, Jonas becomes the receiver of memories shared by only one other in his community and discovers the terrible truth about society in which he lives." (CIP).
ANALYSIS
"I want to wake up in the morning and decide things.
It's the choosing that's important, isn't it?" (97).
Even though I read THE GIVER as a teenager, I chose to read it again for this assignment, and I really enjoyed the second reading. Lowry uses a science fiction context to tackle so many issues in this book that are central to the Young Adult experience. Most twelve year olds reading this book will have felt moments, like Jonas during his training, of deep isolation from their peers. They will yearn for independence, like Jonas, and at the same time, mourn the loss of their idylic childhoods: "his childhood, his friendships, his carefree sense of security -- all of these things seemed to be slipping away" (135).
Lowry's fantastic context allows readers to explore these feelings with a different perspective. Lowry also addresses the major change in perspective that comes as children move closer to becoming adults. Jonas experiences flashes of "seeing beyond," seeing something he has always seen, but suddenly realizing it has dimensions he never expected. For Jonas, it is an apple, on page 23, or the faces in the audience at the Ceremony of Twelve. For students it might be a new insight on adult relationships, or family dynamics, or even simply watching a movie they've seen a thousand times but finally understanding the dirty jokes.
Lowry also deals with the overwhelming power of adolescent emotions. The calm ordered environment of Jonas' village may seem like a refuge to students in the midst of Yound Adulthood. Jonas realizes that though his parents and sister describe emotions of "anger" and "sadness" they have never really felt these things. Jonas' isolation in being able to deeply feel is teenagey angst perfectly translated into science fiction. Jonas -is- totally alone He is forbidden from sharing his training, forbidden from taking the same drugs as the rest of the community and told to lie and be rude as well. He is set apart from his community in a way that many young adults feel set apart, and seeing the concrete manifestation of inner turmoil can make for powerful reading.
In addition, Lowry's world shares many similarites with the world of modern day jr. high and high school, where "Sameness" is certainly a governing principle. In Jonas' community, differences are drummed out through genetic engineering, drug regimens and enforced civility (84). Dress codes and cliques do the job in high school. Lowry's imagery is remarkably relatable to her audience.
The way Lowry sets up the world of THE GIVER is masterful. There are no massive infodumps, which are a challenge to avoid in fantasy or science fiction. Instead she weaves her worldbuilding seamlessly throughout conversations and character interactions. A few chapters into the book, the reader already has an understanding of the complex system of inflexible rules and regulations that govern every aspect of life in the village. Jonas mentions the tome of rules his parents keep on a shelf in the kitchen, and throughout the story there are moments like this: "All of them talking at once, hasitly making the required apology for interrupting, then forgetting again... (89). Lowry's spare but detail packed writing allows her to insert a world building detail, like the bizarrely enforced civility of the "required apology" into an action packed scene which is moving the narrative forward. She doesn't stop the action to provide background, but the reader understands within the context.
I only have a few problems with the book, and one of them is the potential depth of in-class discussions. Lowry does not shy away from difficult concepts- "releasing," for instance, will surely spark classroom debates.
"They prepared to shoot it down" (112). This may be nitpicky, but how can the concept of warfare be so totally alien to Jonas, and yet he's aware that his village has complicated weaponry and heat seeking planes? It seems inconsistent. Also, it was difficult to understand whether there is a deliberate strategy of misinformation from adults to children about "releasing." When Jonas asks about Roberto's release at the House of the Old, the answers are misleading. Do all adults know what "releasing" entails? When do children learn? It's just a nitpick, and Lowry needed the tension of the mystery in order for the reader to feel Jonas' revulsion at the final discovery, but it felt inconsistent as well.
Overall, the pacing in the story is excellent, and drives the narrative to its inevitable conclusion with Jonas's escape, but the end feels abrupt and ambiguious. Perhaps Jonas finds a true home, or perhaps he moves into one last memory, moments before freezing to death. Either way, with all the time Lowry spent building the world and introducing the characters, I wanted at least one conclusive sentence for an epilogue.
There are many many more things right with this book than the one or two things I found challenging. I would love to recommend it to a student, or oneday to use it in a class.
REVIEWS
"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
"The tension leading up to the Ceremony, in which children are promoted not to another grade but to another stage in their life, and the drama and responsibility of the sessions with The Giver are gripping. The final flight for survival is as riveting as it is inevitable. The author makes real abstract concepts, such as the meaning of a life in which there are virtually no choices to be made and no experiences with deep feelings. This tightly plotted story and its believable characters will stay with readers for a long time." SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL
CONNECTIONS
When I was looking at the reviews for this book online, I also found some study guides published for use with the book in the classroom.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/1586091506/ref=sib_dp_pt/104-9022747-1235943#reader-link
Lowry creates such a complete world in THE GIVER that I think reading guides such as this one, which pull the student out of narrative, are a misstep if the object is to encourage students to engage with the book and to foster a love of reading. Since this book speaks so specifically to personal issues of adolescent development, it works best outside of a structured classroom environment, with students choosing to read the book on their own. So perhaps offering it as an option; one of several books to choose from for book reports. Since the tale is so gripping and suspenseful at times, it would also work as a read aloud book for older grades. If the whole class does read the book, small group discussions about major themes would probably be more engaging than vocabulary exercises.
Friday, April 6, 2007
Bud, Not Buddy
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Curtis, Christopher Paul. 1999. BUD, NOT BUDDY. New York, NY: Delacourt Press. ISBN 0385323069
SUMMARY
"Ten-year-old Bud, a motherless boy living in Flint, Michigan, during the Great Depression, escapes a bad foster home and sets out in search of the man he believes to be his father--the renowned bandleader, H. E. Calloway of Grand Rapids." (CIP)
ANALYSIS
This book is just such a great story that I found it very difficult to read analytically for review. I kept having to remind myself to try to look at the book from different perspectives, and pay attention to plot devices, historical details and characterization, but I was so caught up in the story that I had a hard time keeping notes.
Bud is from the first such an incredibly sympathetic and likable character that the reader is on his side immediately. He's a combination of no-nonsense self-sufficiency (with his lists and rules on how to survive) and heartbreaking vulnerabilities. Part of what makes Bud such an empathetic character is how he seems to so easily empathize with the people he comes into contact with. Even when speaking of his terrible foster family Bud has sympahty to spare, "I can't all the way blame Todd for giving me trouble, though. If I had a regular home with a mother and father I wouldn't be too happy about other kids living in my house either" (32).
Another thing from the reading experience that stands out is what an incredibly sensory book BUD, NOT BUDDY is. Bud describes entering the library early in the book "I got a whiff of the leather on all the old books, a smell that got real strong if you picked one of them up...then there was the smell of the cloth that covered brand -new books, the books that made a splitting sound when you opened them" (54).
Curtis does a good job with building suspense throughout the story. One example on a smaller scale is the scene in the Amoses house when Bud speaks of the family deserving "what they were going to get" and making the reader believe that Bud has some plans for the gun. Of course, Bud, the excellent role model, says, "these things [guns] were just too dangerous to play with or take chances with" (33). Speaking of good role models, the flat but helpful secondary character of the librarian is one of the nicest portrayals of a librarian I've seen in YA fiction.
Overall, this books works well even for an adult reader trying to read analytically. I underlined Bud's epiphany on page 172, but I also enjoyed the moment within the story. With BUD, NOT BUDDY Curtis gives a wonderful example of gripping, eangaging and historically accurate Young Adult Historical Fiction.
REVIEWS
"A 10-year-old boy in Depression-era Michigan sets out to find the man he believes to be his father. "While the harshness of Bud's circumstances are authentically depicted, Curtis imbues them with an aura of hope, and he makes readers laugh even when he sets up the most daunting scenarios." PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
"The lively humor contrasts with the grim details of the Depression-era setting and the particular difficulties faced by African Americans at that time. Bud is a plucky, engaging protagonist. Other characters are exaggerations: the good ones (the librarian and Pullman car porter who help him on his journey and the band members who embrace him) are totally open and supportive, while the villainous foster family finds particularly imaginative ways to torture their charge. However, readers will be so caught up in the adventure that they won't mind." SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL
CONNECTIONS
This book is perfectly suited to be a read-aloud book in the classroom. It would work wonderfully to supplement a unit on the Great Depression, or even Black History month, as one of a list of books for read and review, but the fast pace, humor and delightful characterizations make BUD a great choice for a classroom read. Although perhaps more immediately interesting to boys, girls will also find characters, and even traits in Bud, to empathize and identify with.
Curtis, Christopher Paul. 1999. BUD, NOT BUDDY. New York, NY: Delacourt Press. ISBN 0385323069
SUMMARY
"Ten-year-old Bud, a motherless boy living in Flint, Michigan, during the Great Depression, escapes a bad foster home and sets out in search of the man he believes to be his father--the renowned bandleader, H. E. Calloway of Grand Rapids." (CIP)
ANALYSIS
This book is just such a great story that I found it very difficult to read analytically for review. I kept having to remind myself to try to look at the book from different perspectives, and pay attention to plot devices, historical details and characterization, but I was so caught up in the story that I had a hard time keeping notes.
Bud is from the first such an incredibly sympathetic and likable character that the reader is on his side immediately. He's a combination of no-nonsense self-sufficiency (with his lists and rules on how to survive) and heartbreaking vulnerabilities. Part of what makes Bud such an empathetic character is how he seems to so easily empathize with the people he comes into contact with. Even when speaking of his terrible foster family Bud has sympahty to spare, "I can't all the way blame Todd for giving me trouble, though. If I had a regular home with a mother and father I wouldn't be too happy about other kids living in my house either" (32).
Another thing from the reading experience that stands out is what an incredibly sensory book BUD, NOT BUDDY is. Bud describes entering the library early in the book "I got a whiff of the leather on all the old books, a smell that got real strong if you picked one of them up...then there was the smell of the cloth that covered brand -new books, the books that made a splitting sound when you opened them" (54).
Curtis does a good job with building suspense throughout the story. One example on a smaller scale is the scene in the Amoses house when Bud speaks of the family deserving "what they were going to get" and making the reader believe that Bud has some plans for the gun. Of course, Bud, the excellent role model, says, "these things [guns] were just too dangerous to play with or take chances with" (33). Speaking of good role models, the flat but helpful secondary character of the librarian is one of the nicest portrayals of a librarian I've seen in YA fiction.
Overall, this books works well even for an adult reader trying to read analytically. I underlined Bud's epiphany on page 172, but I also enjoyed the moment within the story. With BUD, NOT BUDDY Curtis gives a wonderful example of gripping, eangaging and historically accurate Young Adult Historical Fiction.
REVIEWS
"A 10-year-old boy in Depression-era Michigan sets out to find the man he believes to be his father. "While the harshness of Bud's circumstances are authentically depicted, Curtis imbues them with an aura of hope, and he makes readers laugh even when he sets up the most daunting scenarios." PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
"The lively humor contrasts with the grim details of the Depression-era setting and the particular difficulties faced by African Americans at that time. Bud is a plucky, engaging protagonist. Other characters are exaggerations: the good ones (the librarian and Pullman car porter who help him on his journey and the band members who embrace him) are totally open and supportive, while the villainous foster family finds particularly imaginative ways to torture their charge. However, readers will be so caught up in the adventure that they won't mind." SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL
CONNECTIONS
This book is perfectly suited to be a read-aloud book in the classroom. It would work wonderfully to supplement a unit on the Great Depression, or even Black History month, as one of a list of books for read and review, but the fast pace, humor and delightful characterizations make BUD a great choice for a classroom read. Although perhaps more immediately interesting to boys, girls will also find characters, and even traits in Bud, to empathize and identify with.
Tuesday, April 3, 2007
CRISPIN: The Cross of Lead
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Avi. 2002. CRISPIN: the cross of lead. New York, NY: Hyperion. ISBN 0786826479
SUMMARY
"Falsely accused of theft and murderm an orphaned peasant boy in fourteenth-century England flees his village and meets a larger-than-life juggler who holds a dangerous secret" (CIP).
ANALYSIS
I found CRISPIN to be a tense and suspenseful novel, with an engaging story sure to draw in even the most reluctant readers. The plot is full of intrigue and twists and turns. As an adult reader, I could guess where things were going, but for its intended age group, the book should be riveting. I found some of the tension overdone, but still the book was interesting. Two main elements stood out on a first reading: Avi's use of incredibly sophisticated vocabulary, and his willingness to depict graphic and bloody violence. In CRIPSIN, clouds aren't moving across the sky, they're "scudding" (139). Smells are "cloying," sounds "clamor," and the use of period words such as glaives and humors is well done and instructive. An excellent example of sneaking the vitamins into the ice cream- readers will so caught up in the story they won't realize they're absorbing context and word usage until the next time they need a thesarus for a paper.
The main themes are familiar from other Young Adult novels: free will, self determination, identity as seperate from parents or the climate of the time. But in CRISPIN every aspect of the story takes on greater weight because of the quick pace and high stakes. Crispin is left on his own in the world and must make decisions that will affect the rest of his life, when he's been told that as a peasant he should only obey his masters. Crispin finally begins to see his own identity as seperate from his history, and he says of the corrupt steward, "He sought to kill me because of who I was. No, not who I was, but who my father and mother were" (220). Cripin learns to be free thinking and to judge on his own- "perhaps it was time for me to make the decision for myself" (138). In the beginning, Crispin is servile and thinks of himself as a nothing, or even as the "wolf's head" the steward proclaims him to be. But in the end he pits himself against the strength of the steward and a group of armed guards and wins. Crispin goes from thinking the freedom and justice Bear speaks of are treasonous, to embracing those things above a potential for vast wealth as his father's son.
Another theme of the story is political intrigue. Avi gives the book a strong anti-tyranny bias (but really, who's pro-tyranny?) and the as the story evolves we see that the main character Bear is involved in a potential peasant revolt. The reader learns through Avi's somewhat clumsy use of Bear as an info-dumper, that the nobility is evil, the noble blood in Cripsin is poison, and that power corrupts. There is no mention of Crispin embracing the other half of his identity- the Furnival half, in order to do good and ease the suffering his village and the others he passed through. Avi accepts no middle ground or compromise; Crispin must completely cut himself off from that path.
Like MATILDA BONE, CRISPIN does a good job of portraying the preeminence of the church in daily life. the murder of the Cripin's priest- the one person who has been kind to Crispin, is so shocking to Bear that he realizes there must be more to Crispin's history than it seems. Crispin prays nightly to God and to the saints, and indeed he prays and crosses himself before entering any new or unknown situation. Crispin also has complete confidence that the good things that have happened to him are entirely thanks to God. The reader gets the impression that the pious and impious greetings and exclamations between characters are not empty words, but hold meaning for the people speaking them. In addition, Crispin's cross, though eventually becoming the symbol of the life of privlidge he is abdicating, is for most of the story a sign of his love for his mother, and his faith in God. The portrayal of Medieval life is simultaneously more and less realistic than in MATILDA BONE. Avi shows a harsher life- the plague ridden countryside, the starving peasants working a "living death." And yet the intrigue and political machinations are further from the real day to day life of someome living in that time. Peasant revolts were few and far between, and massively unsuccessful until the Industrial Revolution forced the upheaval of England's agrarian society.
Another major theme is the relationship between Crispin and Bear. Although it is intense and terrifying at first, the friendship grows to become the best part of the book. Crispin who has been isolated and scorned find a true companion and father in Bear. Bear is an overwhelming personality, realistically drawn, heroic and full of ideals but perhaps a little naive about the danger of implementing them. Kind hearted and jolly, he is deeply saddened by the misery he sees in his travels.
I didn't have many expectations of this book going in. I know Avi is well known, but I've never read him before. I do know that generally, in a Young Adult novel, when a teenage boy finds out he's the secret son of the Lord of the Manor, the end of the story is a done deal- noble inheritance, looking down on those who scorned him, bringing peace and justice to the land... And yet Avi goes a different direction and thwarts those expectations.
REVIEWS
"Avi builds an impressive backdrop for his arresting characters: a tense medieval world in which hostility against the landowners and their cruelties is increasing. There's also other nail-biting tension in the story that builds to a gripping, somewhat confusing ending, which finds Crispin, once weak, now strong. Readers may not understand every nuance of the political machinations that propel the story, but they will feel the shifting winds of change beginning to blow through a feudal society." BOOKLIST
"Set in 14th-century England, Avi's (The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle) 50th book begins with a funeral, that of a village outcast whose past is shrouded in mystery and whose adolescent son is known only as "Asta's son"...Crispin flees, and falls in with a traveling juggler. "I have no name," Crispin tells Bear, whose rough manners and appearance mask a tender heart. "No home, no kin, no place in this world." How the boy learns his true identity (he's the bastard son of the lord of the manor) and finds his place in the world makes for a rattling fine yarn. Avi's plot is engineered for maximum thrills, with twists, turns and treachery aplenty, but it's the compellingly drawn relationship between Crispin and Bear that provides the heart of this story." PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
CONNECTIONS
I think CRISPIN, like MATILDA BONE, works best on a voluntary basis. I can appreciate it now, but as a 6th grade girl, I would have enjoyed it about as much as I enjoyed Hatchett (NOT MUCH). But it's the perfect book to bring in non-readers, specifically boys. And it brings the time period alive, so it would be a wonderful supplement for a unit on medieval history. As one of a list of book report books- this would be a great addition to classroom discussion. And some young readers might need a little help navigating the political intrigue.
Avi. 2002. CRISPIN: the cross of lead. New York, NY: Hyperion. ISBN 0786826479
SUMMARY
"Falsely accused of theft and murderm an orphaned peasant boy in fourteenth-century England flees his village and meets a larger-than-life juggler who holds a dangerous secret" (CIP).
ANALYSIS
I found CRISPIN to be a tense and suspenseful novel, with an engaging story sure to draw in even the most reluctant readers. The plot is full of intrigue and twists and turns. As an adult reader, I could guess where things were going, but for its intended age group, the book should be riveting. I found some of the tension overdone, but still the book was interesting. Two main elements stood out on a first reading: Avi's use of incredibly sophisticated vocabulary, and his willingness to depict graphic and bloody violence. In CRIPSIN, clouds aren't moving across the sky, they're "scudding" (139). Smells are "cloying," sounds "clamor," and the use of period words such as glaives and humors is well done and instructive. An excellent example of sneaking the vitamins into the ice cream- readers will so caught up in the story they won't realize they're absorbing context and word usage until the next time they need a thesarus for a paper.
The main themes are familiar from other Young Adult novels: free will, self determination, identity as seperate from parents or the climate of the time. But in CRISPIN every aspect of the story takes on greater weight because of the quick pace and high stakes. Crispin is left on his own in the world and must make decisions that will affect the rest of his life, when he's been told that as a peasant he should only obey his masters. Crispin finally begins to see his own identity as seperate from his history, and he says of the corrupt steward, "He sought to kill me because of who I was. No, not who I was, but who my father and mother were" (220). Cripin learns to be free thinking and to judge on his own- "perhaps it was time for me to make the decision for myself" (138). In the beginning, Crispin is servile and thinks of himself as a nothing, or even as the "wolf's head" the steward proclaims him to be. But in the end he pits himself against the strength of the steward and a group of armed guards and wins. Crispin goes from thinking the freedom and justice Bear speaks of are treasonous, to embracing those things above a potential for vast wealth as his father's son.
Another theme of the story is political intrigue. Avi gives the book a strong anti-tyranny bias (but really, who's pro-tyranny?) and the as the story evolves we see that the main character Bear is involved in a potential peasant revolt. The reader learns through Avi's somewhat clumsy use of Bear as an info-dumper, that the nobility is evil, the noble blood in Cripsin is poison, and that power corrupts. There is no mention of Crispin embracing the other half of his identity- the Furnival half, in order to do good and ease the suffering his village and the others he passed through. Avi accepts no middle ground or compromise; Crispin must completely cut himself off from that path.
Like MATILDA BONE, CRISPIN does a good job of portraying the preeminence of the church in daily life. the murder of the Cripin's priest- the one person who has been kind to Crispin, is so shocking to Bear that he realizes there must be more to Crispin's history than it seems. Crispin prays nightly to God and to the saints, and indeed he prays and crosses himself before entering any new or unknown situation. Crispin also has complete confidence that the good things that have happened to him are entirely thanks to God. The reader gets the impression that the pious and impious greetings and exclamations between characters are not empty words, but hold meaning for the people speaking them. In addition, Crispin's cross, though eventually becoming the symbol of the life of privlidge he is abdicating, is for most of the story a sign of his love for his mother, and his faith in God. The portrayal of Medieval life is simultaneously more and less realistic than in MATILDA BONE. Avi shows a harsher life- the plague ridden countryside, the starving peasants working a "living death." And yet the intrigue and political machinations are further from the real day to day life of someome living in that time. Peasant revolts were few and far between, and massively unsuccessful until the Industrial Revolution forced the upheaval of England's agrarian society.
Another major theme is the relationship between Crispin and Bear. Although it is intense and terrifying at first, the friendship grows to become the best part of the book. Crispin who has been isolated and scorned find a true companion and father in Bear. Bear is an overwhelming personality, realistically drawn, heroic and full of ideals but perhaps a little naive about the danger of implementing them. Kind hearted and jolly, he is deeply saddened by the misery he sees in his travels.
I didn't have many expectations of this book going in. I know Avi is well known, but I've never read him before. I do know that generally, in a Young Adult novel, when a teenage boy finds out he's the secret son of the Lord of the Manor, the end of the story is a done deal- noble inheritance, looking down on those who scorned him, bringing peace and justice to the land... And yet Avi goes a different direction and thwarts those expectations.
REVIEWS
"Avi builds an impressive backdrop for his arresting characters: a tense medieval world in which hostility against the landowners and their cruelties is increasing. There's also other nail-biting tension in the story that builds to a gripping, somewhat confusing ending, which finds Crispin, once weak, now strong. Readers may not understand every nuance of the political machinations that propel the story, but they will feel the shifting winds of change beginning to blow through a feudal society." BOOKLIST
"Set in 14th-century England, Avi's (The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle) 50th book begins with a funeral, that of a village outcast whose past is shrouded in mystery and whose adolescent son is known only as "Asta's son"...Crispin flees, and falls in with a traveling juggler. "I have no name," Crispin tells Bear, whose rough manners and appearance mask a tender heart. "No home, no kin, no place in this world." How the boy learns his true identity (he's the bastard son of the lord of the manor) and finds his place in the world makes for a rattling fine yarn. Avi's plot is engineered for maximum thrills, with twists, turns and treachery aplenty, but it's the compellingly drawn relationship between Crispin and Bear that provides the heart of this story." PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
CONNECTIONS
I think CRISPIN, like MATILDA BONE, works best on a voluntary basis. I can appreciate it now, but as a 6th grade girl, I would have enjoyed it about as much as I enjoyed Hatchett (NOT MUCH). But it's the perfect book to bring in non-readers, specifically boys. And it brings the time period alive, so it would be a wonderful supplement for a unit on medieval history. As one of a list of book report books- this would be a great addition to classroom discussion. And some young readers might need a little help navigating the political intrigue.
Matilda Bone
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Cushman, Karen. 2000. MATILDA BONE. New York, NY: Clarion Books. ISBN 0395881560
SUMMARY
"Fourteen-year-old Matilda, an apprenctice bonesetter and practitioner of medicine in a village in medieval England, tried to reconcile the various aspects of her life, both spiritual and physical" (CIP).
ANALYSIS
I thought this book was a interesting, engaging, and unusual perspective on life in the Middle Ages.
Matilda is at first unlikable. She's a proud and contemptous. What Matilda lacks in compassion she makes up for in overblown piety. We see, in her first interaction with a (human) patient at Peg's, that she begrudges a young mother and her sick child the bread and sausage Peg gives them: "She wished Mistress Peg would think of others who might be hungry before she gave thier dinner away" (36).
As readers we get to see her transformation into a kind and self-confident young woman. By the end of the novel, after nursing her friend Tildy back to health, Matilda recognizes that she has valuable gifts to offer the world and that she is a worthy person in her own right. Margery tells her "You used the skills you have: your quick thinking, good sense, your strength and your prayers, your friendship" (150). We see that everyday life may be different today than it was in Medieval England, but teenage girls are still struggling with the same issues.
In MATILDA, Cushman also deals with another common Young Adult issue, self-determination. When Matilda arrives on Peg's doorstep, she is thinking speaking and acting from the script given to her by Father Leufredus, her guardian at the Manor. Matilda moves from parroting at the beginning, "Father Leufredus advises against earthly attachments, for they take our minds away from God and Heaven" to coming to her own more compassionate (and in my view, Godly) conclusions at the end (18). Matilda learns to value kindness and practical good works over hypocritical theologies and empty learning.
One important aspect of her character development that really comes through for the reader is Matilda's shift in perspective on her life at the Manor. Early in the book, readers hear of life at the Manor as heaven on earth, but we realize slowly as Cushman reveals more of Matilda's character, that in fact her life has been very isolated and lonely, with no real friends of loved ones. Matilda finally realizes this too, and Cushman uses her epiphany as a catalyst for her further changes in thinking. Several concrete acts punctuate Matilda's changing worldview; the nursing of Effie, the gift of her coat to help a friend, and finally, her loyal treatment of Tildy. Once Matilda realizes she has gone from being merely tolerated at the Manor to being valued and loved as Peg's apprentice, she embraces her new life and friendships contentedly.
Cushman does a good job of including the reader in Peg and Margery's winking patience with Matilda. The book features a strong supporting cast of characters, memorable and full of subtle lessons for Matilda. Cushman does an excellent job of weaving in historical details that flesh out the life of regular people in that time and place. The preeminence of the church, even in Matilda's thoughts, will seem strange to today's middle schoolers, but it was the center of life then. The fascinating medical trivia is frequently disgusting, but always interesting. And Cushman does a good job with one difficult aspect of the Middle Ages, the delicacy of life. Early in the story we hear Margery tell of a woman dying in childbirth, and throughout the story characters become sick and/or die. Life was much more perilous than it is now (in this country). Students may be astonished to learn that the only defenses were basically God and folk remedies. A cold or a cut could mean death, and Peg's work as a bonesetter is terrifyingly important.
My problems with the book were few, but I felt that Matilda was hard to like for at least the first half. Her development was SLOW and frustrating. By the time Matilda, at the -very end- of the book, finally decides she should value Margery's kindness over Master Theobold's urinalysis, I was ready to scream. In addition, the novel suffers from strange and jerky pacing, and odd characterization decisions. Much of the relationship building with important secondary characters, like Tildy, takes place offstage.
REVIEWS
"Matilda's pride at being able to read and write, and her initial disdain of Peg, Peg's husband Tom, Margery the physician, and the other humble denizens of the area is palpable. Matilda's Latin oaths ("Saliva mucusque!" or "spit and slime") and her mental conversations with the saints provide humor, and her growth in self-knowledge as well as her friendships with both young and old in her new community keep listeners sympathetic." SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL
"Unlike Catherine and Brat, heroines whose combination of rebelliousness and resourcefulness made them instantly likeable, 13-year-old Matilda is less winning than her supporting cast...Fresh from the intolerant Father's tutelage, Matilda, in her zealous piety, snubs Peg and inadvertently thwarts the woman's work: more than once, while lost in prayer, the girl ruins a salve or a simple meal of porridge. Thus readers don't get the same insider's view of the bonesetter's apprenticeship that they saw of midwifery through Brat's eyes. The promise of a potential villain, Master Theobold, "the leading physick" who prizes money over healing, is never realized; the development of Matilda's friendship with another girl takes place mostly offstage; and, strangely, there are two denouements, in which Matilda makes the same realization that she has been wrong about Peg (one involving an ailing stranger whom she is treating, the other the apothecary's apprentice). Fiery Peg, her witty husband and her circle of friends will be the characters readers remember.
CONNECTIONS
This novel, being from a strongly feminine point of view, is probably unlikely to engage boys who aren't interested in reading anyway. There are descriptions of grossly humorous (though historically accurate) medical treatments, but not enough to draw in the boys I remember from middle school. I think it works best on a voluntary basis. It's certainly bursting with information about life in England in the Middle Ages, and from a perspective that's not often alluded to in history textbooks. It would be interesting as part of a small group of books, including perhaps Avi's CRISPIN, or for younger students, SALADIN (for a different worldview on the time period). Students could form some coffeeshop-esque book clubs and choose a book, maybe MATILDA, to discuss. At the end they could present a brief report on the Middle Ages from the perspective of the characters in the book they read. I think a book like MATILDA, with such fleshed out characters, is likely to draw some passionate responses.
Cushman, Karen. 2000. MATILDA BONE. New York, NY: Clarion Books. ISBN 0395881560
SUMMARY
"Fourteen-year-old Matilda, an apprenctice bonesetter and practitioner of medicine in a village in medieval England, tried to reconcile the various aspects of her life, both spiritual and physical" (CIP).
ANALYSIS
I thought this book was a interesting, engaging, and unusual perspective on life in the Middle Ages.
Matilda is at first unlikable. She's a proud and contemptous. What Matilda lacks in compassion she makes up for in overblown piety. We see, in her first interaction with a (human) patient at Peg's, that she begrudges a young mother and her sick child the bread and sausage Peg gives them: "She wished Mistress Peg would think of others who might be hungry before she gave thier dinner away" (36).
As readers we get to see her transformation into a kind and self-confident young woman. By the end of the novel, after nursing her friend Tildy back to health, Matilda recognizes that she has valuable gifts to offer the world and that she is a worthy person in her own right. Margery tells her "You used the skills you have: your quick thinking, good sense, your strength and your prayers, your friendship" (150). We see that everyday life may be different today than it was in Medieval England, but teenage girls are still struggling with the same issues.
In MATILDA, Cushman also deals with another common Young Adult issue, self-determination. When Matilda arrives on Peg's doorstep, she is thinking speaking and acting from the script given to her by Father Leufredus, her guardian at the Manor. Matilda moves from parroting at the beginning, "Father Leufredus advises against earthly attachments, for they take our minds away from God and Heaven" to coming to her own more compassionate (and in my view, Godly) conclusions at the end (18). Matilda learns to value kindness and practical good works over hypocritical theologies and empty learning.
One important aspect of her character development that really comes through for the reader is Matilda's shift in perspective on her life at the Manor. Early in the book, readers hear of life at the Manor as heaven on earth, but we realize slowly as Cushman reveals more of Matilda's character, that in fact her life has been very isolated and lonely, with no real friends of loved ones. Matilda finally realizes this too, and Cushman uses her epiphany as a catalyst for her further changes in thinking. Several concrete acts punctuate Matilda's changing worldview; the nursing of Effie, the gift of her coat to help a friend, and finally, her loyal treatment of Tildy. Once Matilda realizes she has gone from being merely tolerated at the Manor to being valued and loved as Peg's apprentice, she embraces her new life and friendships contentedly.
Cushman does a good job of including the reader in Peg and Margery's winking patience with Matilda. The book features a strong supporting cast of characters, memorable and full of subtle lessons for Matilda. Cushman does an excellent job of weaving in historical details that flesh out the life of regular people in that time and place. The preeminence of the church, even in Matilda's thoughts, will seem strange to today's middle schoolers, but it was the center of life then. The fascinating medical trivia is frequently disgusting, but always interesting. And Cushman does a good job with one difficult aspect of the Middle Ages, the delicacy of life. Early in the story we hear Margery tell of a woman dying in childbirth, and throughout the story characters become sick and/or die. Life was much more perilous than it is now (in this country). Students may be astonished to learn that the only defenses were basically God and folk remedies. A cold or a cut could mean death, and Peg's work as a bonesetter is terrifyingly important.
My problems with the book were few, but I felt that Matilda was hard to like for at least the first half. Her development was SLOW and frustrating. By the time Matilda, at the -very end- of the book, finally decides she should value Margery's kindness over Master Theobold's urinalysis, I was ready to scream. In addition, the novel suffers from strange and jerky pacing, and odd characterization decisions. Much of the relationship building with important secondary characters, like Tildy, takes place offstage.
REVIEWS
"Matilda's pride at being able to read and write, and her initial disdain of Peg, Peg's husband Tom, Margery the physician, and the other humble denizens of the area is palpable. Matilda's Latin oaths ("Saliva mucusque!" or "spit and slime") and her mental conversations with the saints provide humor, and her growth in self-knowledge as well as her friendships with both young and old in her new community keep listeners sympathetic." SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL
"Unlike Catherine and Brat, heroines whose combination of rebelliousness and resourcefulness made them instantly likeable, 13-year-old Matilda is less winning than her supporting cast...Fresh from the intolerant Father's tutelage, Matilda, in her zealous piety, snubs Peg and inadvertently thwarts the woman's work: more than once, while lost in prayer, the girl ruins a salve or a simple meal of porridge. Thus readers don't get the same insider's view of the bonesetter's apprenticeship that they saw of midwifery through Brat's eyes. The promise of a potential villain, Master Theobold, "the leading physick" who prizes money over healing, is never realized; the development of Matilda's friendship with another girl takes place mostly offstage; and, strangely, there are two denouements, in which Matilda makes the same realization that she has been wrong about Peg (one involving an ailing stranger whom she is treating, the other the apothecary's apprentice). Fiery Peg, her witty husband and her circle of friends will be the characters readers remember.
CONNECTIONS
This novel, being from a strongly feminine point of view, is probably unlikely to engage boys who aren't interested in reading anyway. There are descriptions of grossly humorous (though historically accurate) medical treatments, but not enough to draw in the boys I remember from middle school. I think it works best on a voluntary basis. It's certainly bursting with information about life in England in the Middle Ages, and from a perspective that's not often alluded to in history textbooks. It would be interesting as part of a small group of books, including perhaps Avi's CRISPIN, or for younger students, SALADIN (for a different worldview on the time period). Students could form some coffeeshop-esque book clubs and choose a book, maybe MATILDA, to discuss. At the end they could present a brief report on the Middle Ages from the perspective of the characters in the book they read. I think a book like MATILDA, with such fleshed out characters, is likely to draw some passionate responses.
Monday, March 12, 2007
Children of the Great Depression
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Freedman, Russell. CHILDREN OF THE GREAT DEPRESSION. New York, NY: Clarion Books. ISBN 0618446303
SUMMARY
A short history of the Great Depression from the first person perspective of the nation's children. "Richly illustrated with classic archival photographs by such notable photographers as Dorothea Lange and Walker Evans" (jacket copy).
ANALYSIS
The combination of straightforward language, beautiful double page photo spreads, excellent source material and engaging first person accounts of life in Great Depression America make CHILDREN OF THE GREAT DEPRESSION a wonderful non-fiction book. Freedman doesn't talk down to his readers or underestimate their interest and intelligence. Most students will respond to the heartbreaking emotion in some of the pictures, such as "Unemployed youth" on page 9. And students who do not respond on an emotional level will be interested by the details of daily living that Freedman includes, such as the "Depression shopping list" and the chart of average annual earnings during the Depression (11). Students may be astonished that a used car could be purchased for $57.50.
Freedman covers the Great Depression from the perspective of many different segments of American society in eight chapters. The stories in "Kids at Work," and "In and Out of School" may really bring home the realities of being a child in that time period to children today. A teacher might ask them if they can imagine a time when they would have been heartbroken if they couldn't go to school. Freedman takes pains to examine how the Depression impacted children from many different ethnic and economic backgrounds. African American families were the hardest hit, as "black workers of any age were always 'the last hired and the first fired'" (49). The chapter "Okie, Go Home!" was very sad, but it can be good for students to see an unglossed version of our national history. Americans are not always happy to see immigrants, even immigrants from the Dust Bowl.
Freedman makes clear that most of life for many children in the Great Depression was endless work and hunger, but I also appreciated the inclusion of some other aspects of life. Students may relate to Depression era kids enjoying the Saturday serial with its cliffhanger, as well as the early Disney movies and The Wizard of Oz. Students might also be interested to learn the origins of the games marbles and jacks- games that "could be played anywhere without spending much money" (90). Throughout the book, Freedman includes letters sent to First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt from American children. It is clear that the nation, and especially the nation's children, looked on the Roosevelts as combined saviors and celebrities, and this personal correspondence brings home the daily struggles of the kids of the Depression in a heartbreaking way.
Freedman ends the book on an optimistic note, with "A Brighter Tomorrow," a chapter that highlights The Golden Gate International Exhibition and the New York World's Fair. These fairs both suggested that "American ingenuity would always triumph over hard times," and yet Freedman notes that in 1939, the Depression was not yet over (96). This chapter presents some of the changes that President Roosevelt made in the government of the country; banking regulation, Social Security, unemployment compensation, and laws regulating the financial markets. Freedman also notes that although Roosevelt was a controversial figure, he "gave people hope" (100). The true end of the Great Depression came with the beginning of "a different kind of crisis," the outbreak of World War II, which necessitated massive government spending and put every employable person to work (101). The children of the Great Depression went on to fight the battle of WWII, and then to come home and "build the strongest economy the United States had ever known" (101).
REVIEWS
"Few authors are as well suited as Freedman to present a clear and understandable outline of this period. His prose is straightforward and easily comprehensible, making sense of even the complexities of the stock-market crash. The use of primary sources is outstanding. This is a book told by chorus, featuring the voices of those who endured the Depression, and is embellished with black-and-white photos by such luminaries as Dorothea Lange, Ben Shahn, Walker Evans, and Russell Lee. " SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL
""It's my sister's turn to eat," a hungry child tells her teacher. Quotes like that one bring home what it was like to be young and poor in Depression America. This stirring photo-essay combines such unforgettable personal details with a clear historical overview of the period and black-and-white photos by Dorothea Lange, Walker Evans, and many others. As Freedman says, these images "convey in human terms the true meaning of economic statistics." His signature plainspoken prose does that, too, on every spacious, double-page spread, whether he is focusing on differences of race and class or on child sharecroppers, factory workers, migrant farm laborers, or boxcar kids." BOOKLIST
CONNECTIONS
This text would be a wonderful supplement to a unit on American history and the period of the Great Depression. It would be an interesting contrast to a unit on the opulence and extravagant lifestyles of the 1920s barons of industry. Students who may not take in the complicated causes of the financial crash will still engage with the personal stories and photographs of the children of the time. Since Freedman's book is compiled largely from oral histories, an interesting project for students would be to interview their own older relatives or family friends who were children during that time, or who remember the stories from their parents. Students could write a brief report of their experiences and share it with the class, or, they might make a recording to play for the class, and include any family pictures or ephemera from the time period.
Freedman, Russell. CHILDREN OF THE GREAT DEPRESSION. New York, NY: Clarion Books. ISBN 0618446303
SUMMARY
A short history of the Great Depression from the first person perspective of the nation's children. "Richly illustrated with classic archival photographs by such notable photographers as Dorothea Lange and Walker Evans" (jacket copy).
ANALYSIS
The combination of straightforward language, beautiful double page photo spreads, excellent source material and engaging first person accounts of life in Great Depression America make CHILDREN OF THE GREAT DEPRESSION a wonderful non-fiction book. Freedman doesn't talk down to his readers or underestimate their interest and intelligence. Most students will respond to the heartbreaking emotion in some of the pictures, such as "Unemployed youth" on page 9. And students who do not respond on an emotional level will be interested by the details of daily living that Freedman includes, such as the "Depression shopping list" and the chart of average annual earnings during the Depression (11). Students may be astonished that a used car could be purchased for $57.50.
Freedman covers the Great Depression from the perspective of many different segments of American society in eight chapters. The stories in "Kids at Work," and "In and Out of School" may really bring home the realities of being a child in that time period to children today. A teacher might ask them if they can imagine a time when they would have been heartbroken if they couldn't go to school. Freedman takes pains to examine how the Depression impacted children from many different ethnic and economic backgrounds. African American families were the hardest hit, as "black workers of any age were always 'the last hired and the first fired'" (49). The chapter "Okie, Go Home!" was very sad, but it can be good for students to see an unglossed version of our national history. Americans are not always happy to see immigrants, even immigrants from the Dust Bowl.
Freedman makes clear that most of life for many children in the Great Depression was endless work and hunger, but I also appreciated the inclusion of some other aspects of life. Students may relate to Depression era kids enjoying the Saturday serial with its cliffhanger, as well as the early Disney movies and The Wizard of Oz. Students might also be interested to learn the origins of the games marbles and jacks- games that "could be played anywhere without spending much money" (90). Throughout the book, Freedman includes letters sent to First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt from American children. It is clear that the nation, and especially the nation's children, looked on the Roosevelts as combined saviors and celebrities, and this personal correspondence brings home the daily struggles of the kids of the Depression in a heartbreaking way.
Freedman ends the book on an optimistic note, with "A Brighter Tomorrow," a chapter that highlights The Golden Gate International Exhibition and the New York World's Fair. These fairs both suggested that "American ingenuity would always triumph over hard times," and yet Freedman notes that in 1939, the Depression was not yet over (96). This chapter presents some of the changes that President Roosevelt made in the government of the country; banking regulation, Social Security, unemployment compensation, and laws regulating the financial markets. Freedman also notes that although Roosevelt was a controversial figure, he "gave people hope" (100). The true end of the Great Depression came with the beginning of "a different kind of crisis," the outbreak of World War II, which necessitated massive government spending and put every employable person to work (101). The children of the Great Depression went on to fight the battle of WWII, and then to come home and "build the strongest economy the United States had ever known" (101).
REVIEWS
"Few authors are as well suited as Freedman to present a clear and understandable outline of this period. His prose is straightforward and easily comprehensible, making sense of even the complexities of the stock-market crash. The use of primary sources is outstanding. This is a book told by chorus, featuring the voices of those who endured the Depression, and is embellished with black-and-white photos by such luminaries as Dorothea Lange, Ben Shahn, Walker Evans, and Russell Lee. " SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL
""It's my sister's turn to eat," a hungry child tells her teacher. Quotes like that one bring home what it was like to be young and poor in Depression America. This stirring photo-essay combines such unforgettable personal details with a clear historical overview of the period and black-and-white photos by Dorothea Lange, Walker Evans, and many others. As Freedman says, these images "convey in human terms the true meaning of economic statistics." His signature plainspoken prose does that, too, on every spacious, double-page spread, whether he is focusing on differences of race and class or on child sharecroppers, factory workers, migrant farm laborers, or boxcar kids." BOOKLIST
CONNECTIONS
This text would be a wonderful supplement to a unit on American history and the period of the Great Depression. It would be an interesting contrast to a unit on the opulence and extravagant lifestyles of the 1920s barons of industry. Students who may not take in the complicated causes of the financial crash will still engage with the personal stories and photographs of the children of the time. Since Freedman's book is compiled largely from oral histories, an interesting project for students would be to interview their own older relatives or family friends who were children during that time, or who remember the stories from their parents. Students could write a brief report of their experiences and share it with the class, or, they might make a recording to play for the class, and include any family pictures or ephemera from the time period.
Friday, March 2, 2007
A Suitcase of Seaweed
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Wong, Janet S. 1996. A SUITCASE OF SEAWEED: and other poems. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster. ISBN 0689807880
SUMMARY
"A collection of poems that reflect the experiences of Asian Americans, particularly their family relationships." COPYRIGHT PAGE
ANALYSIS
This collection of poems is divided into three sections, reflecting Wong's background in three nationalities. At the beginning of each section, Wong includes a quick pen and ink sketch representative of the poems in that section. She opens the book with a drawing of food, a bowl of noodles, and poem imagining her father meeting her mother in Korea. Also at the beginning of each section, Wong shares a series of short imagery rich impressions giving a brief snippet of family history and the country of origin for each of her parents.
I like that she opens the book with Korean Poems. It feels fitting to start with her mother, and her mother's family, since a child will first identify most strongly with her mother. As a result, these poems deal mostly with maternal themes. The majority are about food; food that her mother cooks, or withholds from a guest. Food that the author has learned to cook, eat and enjoy because of her mother. The poem that gives the book its name, "A Suitcase of Seaweed" is in this section, and tells the story of the poet's grandmother coming from Korea, bringing her suitcase,
"sealed shut
with tape,
packed full
of sheets
of shiny black
seaweed..." (7)
The language throughout the book is full of sharp thoughful imagery. The poems have rhythm and pacing that makes them tempting to read aloud. Students will enjoy the rhyming poems with their various rythmic rhyme schemes, but the free verse poems also have a clear flow, and the language and word choice will pull a reader through the poem, waiting for tension to be resolved at the end, to find out the next clue of insight to Wong's story.
The next section, "Chinese Poems," concentrates at first on the character and influence of Wong's Chinese grandfather. His voice and personality come alive in just a few poems. In this section Wong also begins to deal with issues of appetite and weight. In "Shrimp," she speak so being "ashamed of my appetite," forcing her eyes away from the food left on the plate. (21)
Wong begins the last section, "American Poems," with an ink drawing of a face, half Asian and half Caucasian, titled "half and half." These poems deal with Wong's struggle to define her identity. As a young woman she deals with typical adolescent issues such as friendships, trends, and a growing distance from idlyllic childhood, while also also seeking to balance her family's expectations with the person she wants to become. Wong ends the deeply family focused collection with "Quilt" a poem reaffirming the strength of her family.
REVIEWS
"Wong was born in America of Chinese and Korean heritage, but the basic subjects she addresses in neat stanzas of free verse aim at the heart of any family, any race." SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL
"Neat, well-turned poems, monologues, and aphorisms . . . The imagery is choice, the thoughts pointed and careful, the vocabulary attractive: In many of the pieces comedy and delicacy mingle in a single line." KIRKUS
CONNECTIONS
This book is more appropriate as a whole in the classroom at a later level, perhaps the end of middle school or early high school. It might draw readers of younger ages with a few selections of the free verse in a poetry unit. The themes of not fitting in and alienation are universal for adolescents, whether their family emmigrated recently or not. This might be too sensitive a topic for open classroom discussion, but students could write short essays on themes or lines from the poems that spoke to them personally. The collection of poems is also a memoir in a way, and students could use it in a unit on American history and the "melting pot" of diverse cultures and peoples who emmigrated here and made this country what it is. Students could be encouraged to share their own family history, and tell about their country of origin.
Wong, Janet S. 1996. A SUITCASE OF SEAWEED: and other poems. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster. ISBN 0689807880
SUMMARY
"A collection of poems that reflect the experiences of Asian Americans, particularly their family relationships." COPYRIGHT PAGE
ANALYSIS
This collection of poems is divided into three sections, reflecting Wong's background in three nationalities. At the beginning of each section, Wong includes a quick pen and ink sketch representative of the poems in that section. She opens the book with a drawing of food, a bowl of noodles, and poem imagining her father meeting her mother in Korea. Also at the beginning of each section, Wong shares a series of short imagery rich impressions giving a brief snippet of family history and the country of origin for each of her parents.
I like that she opens the book with Korean Poems. It feels fitting to start with her mother, and her mother's family, since a child will first identify most strongly with her mother. As a result, these poems deal mostly with maternal themes. The majority are about food; food that her mother cooks, or withholds from a guest. Food that the author has learned to cook, eat and enjoy because of her mother. The poem that gives the book its name, "A Suitcase of Seaweed" is in this section, and tells the story of the poet's grandmother coming from Korea, bringing her suitcase,
"sealed shut
with tape,
packed full
of sheets
of shiny black
seaweed..." (7)
The language throughout the book is full of sharp thoughful imagery. The poems have rhythm and pacing that makes them tempting to read aloud. Students will enjoy the rhyming poems with their various rythmic rhyme schemes, but the free verse poems also have a clear flow, and the language and word choice will pull a reader through the poem, waiting for tension to be resolved at the end, to find out the next clue of insight to Wong's story.
The next section, "Chinese Poems," concentrates at first on the character and influence of Wong's Chinese grandfather. His voice and personality come alive in just a few poems. In this section Wong also begins to deal with issues of appetite and weight. In "Shrimp," she speak so being "ashamed of my appetite," forcing her eyes away from the food left on the plate. (21)
Wong begins the last section, "American Poems," with an ink drawing of a face, half Asian and half Caucasian, titled "half and half." These poems deal with Wong's struggle to define her identity. As a young woman she deals with typical adolescent issues such as friendships, trends, and a growing distance from idlyllic childhood, while also also seeking to balance her family's expectations with the person she wants to become. Wong ends the deeply family focused collection with "Quilt" a poem reaffirming the strength of her family.
REVIEWS
"Wong was born in America of Chinese and Korean heritage, but the basic subjects she addresses in neat stanzas of free verse aim at the heart of any family, any race." SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL
"Neat, well-turned poems, monologues, and aphorisms . . . The imagery is choice, the thoughts pointed and careful, the vocabulary attractive: In many of the pieces comedy and delicacy mingle in a single line." KIRKUS
CONNECTIONS
This book is more appropriate as a whole in the classroom at a later level, perhaps the end of middle school or early high school. It might draw readers of younger ages with a few selections of the free verse in a poetry unit. The themes of not fitting in and alienation are universal for adolescents, whether their family emmigrated recently or not. This might be too sensitive a topic for open classroom discussion, but students could write short essays on themes or lines from the poems that spoke to them personally. The collection of poems is also a memoir in a way, and students could use it in a unit on American history and the "melting pot" of diverse cultures and peoples who emmigrated here and made this country what it is. Students could be encouraged to share their own family history, and tell about their country of origin.
Thursday, March 1, 2007
Out of the Dust
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Hesse, Karen. 1997. OUT OF THE DUST. New York, NY: Scholastic Press. ISBN 0590371258
SUMMARY
"In a series of poems, fifteen-year-old Billie Jo relates the hardships of living on her family's wheat farm in Oklahoma during the dust bowl years of the Depression." (Copyright page)
ANALYSIS
I found this book deeply moving, and I think Hesse has a wonderful strong voice in her free verse storytelling. I respect the difficult life of the people, and especially the young people, who lived through the Depression in the Dust Bowl, but the unrelenting string of unbearable tragedy Billie Jo's character is forced to live through is pretty grim. It speaks to Hesse's talent through her imagery and outstanding word choice she makes Billie Jo's grim reality so vivid to the reader, but the pervasive misery of Billie Jo's life is also a weakness for the work. After slogging through so many pages of pain, heartbreak and disappointment, I wanted to see come payoff for the main characters. It was deeply rewarding to see Billie Jo and her father begin to reconnect and heal their relationship, and to see Billie Jo begin to emerge from her grief and reconnect with her mother, and all the dreams she represented, by beginning to play the piano again.
However, I would have appreaciated a few more moments of simple childhood joy, such as "Something Sweet from Moonshine" when the kids get "Apple pandowdy" from the confiscated sugar.(126) I recognize that this is a terrible time in American History, but kids are still kids, even in ghettos and concentration camps, children find joy. I thought the near total lack of joy in Billie Jo's life was unrealistic. At other points in the story, Billie Jo describes the expectation of good things to come; apples, rain, wheat, the baby... But these poems seem to exist solely to set the reader up to share in Billie Jo's greif. The way Hesse did this throughout the story reminded me of the way some maudlin directors will zoom in on a puppy, or an old person early in a movie, with a swell of foreshadowing music, in order to signify to the audience that this character is not long for this world. It was frustrating, but the power of the poems was not lessened by this techniques.
I saw some reviews complaining that readers had a hard time connecting to any character beyond Bilie Jo. I thought Hesse's total commitment to Billie Jo's point of view was one of the strongest aspects of the work. Billie Jo's poignant insights into the people are her made each character come alive. And I saw the character's change throughout the story, both in their own merit and through Billie Jo's eyes, through her changing and maturing understanding. The character of her father in particular was very real and sharp.
REVIEWS
"This intimate novel, written in stanza form, poetically conveys the heat, dust and wind of Oklahoma. With each meticulously arranged entry Hesse paints a vivid picture of her heroine's emotions." PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY
"Told in free-verse poetry of dated entries that span the winter of 1934 to the winter of 1935, this is an unremittingly bleak portrait of one corner of Depression-era life. In Billie Jo, the only character who comes to life, Hesse (The Music of Dolphins, 1996, etc.) presents a hale and determined heroine who confronts unrelenting misery and begins to transcend it. The poem/novel ends with only a trace of hope; there are no pat endings, but a glimpse of beauty wrought from brutal reality." KIRKUS REVIEWS
CONNECTIONS
This book is a wonderful example of storytelling in free verse poetry format, but it definitely stands alone, and would not need to be incorporated into a unit on poetry to be an engaging part of a classroom curriculum. It would work as an American History/Language Arts crossover, with other first person historical fiction of different literary styles representing different time periods.
Hesse, Karen. 1997. OUT OF THE DUST. New York, NY: Scholastic Press. ISBN 0590371258
SUMMARY
"In a series of poems, fifteen-year-old Billie Jo relates the hardships of living on her family's wheat farm in Oklahoma during the dust bowl years of the Depression." (Copyright page)
ANALYSIS
I found this book deeply moving, and I think Hesse has a wonderful strong voice in her free verse storytelling. I respect the difficult life of the people, and especially the young people, who lived through the Depression in the Dust Bowl, but the unrelenting string of unbearable tragedy Billie Jo's character is forced to live through is pretty grim. It speaks to Hesse's talent through her imagery and outstanding word choice she makes Billie Jo's grim reality so vivid to the reader, but the pervasive misery of Billie Jo's life is also a weakness for the work. After slogging through so many pages of pain, heartbreak and disappointment, I wanted to see come payoff for the main characters. It was deeply rewarding to see Billie Jo and her father begin to reconnect and heal their relationship, and to see Billie Jo begin to emerge from her grief and reconnect with her mother, and all the dreams she represented, by beginning to play the piano again.
However, I would have appreaciated a few more moments of simple childhood joy, such as "Something Sweet from Moonshine" when the kids get "Apple pandowdy" from the confiscated sugar.(126) I recognize that this is a terrible time in American History, but kids are still kids, even in ghettos and concentration camps, children find joy. I thought the near total lack of joy in Billie Jo's life was unrealistic. At other points in the story, Billie Jo describes the expectation of good things to come; apples, rain, wheat, the baby... But these poems seem to exist solely to set the reader up to share in Billie Jo's greif. The way Hesse did this throughout the story reminded me of the way some maudlin directors will zoom in on a puppy, or an old person early in a movie, with a swell of foreshadowing music, in order to signify to the audience that this character is not long for this world. It was frustrating, but the power of the poems was not lessened by this techniques.
I saw some reviews complaining that readers had a hard time connecting to any character beyond Bilie Jo. I thought Hesse's total commitment to Billie Jo's point of view was one of the strongest aspects of the work. Billie Jo's poignant insights into the people are her made each character come alive. And I saw the character's change throughout the story, both in their own merit and through Billie Jo's eyes, through her changing and maturing understanding. The character of her father in particular was very real and sharp.
REVIEWS
"This intimate novel, written in stanza form, poetically conveys the heat, dust and wind of Oklahoma. With each meticulously arranged entry Hesse paints a vivid picture of her heroine's emotions." PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY
"Told in free-verse poetry of dated entries that span the winter of 1934 to the winter of 1935, this is an unremittingly bleak portrait of one corner of Depression-era life. In Billie Jo, the only character who comes to life, Hesse (The Music of Dolphins, 1996, etc.) presents a hale and determined heroine who confronts unrelenting misery and begins to transcend it. The poem/novel ends with only a trace of hope; there are no pat endings, but a glimpse of beauty wrought from brutal reality." KIRKUS REVIEWS
CONNECTIONS
This book is a wonderful example of storytelling in free verse poetry format, but it definitely stands alone, and would not need to be incorporated into a unit on poetry to be an engaging part of a classroom curriculum. It would work as an American History/Language Arts crossover, with other first person historical fiction of different literary styles representing different time periods.
IF NOT FOR THE CAT
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Prelutsky, Jack. IF NOT FOR THE CAT. Illustrated by Ted Rand. New York, NY: Harper Collins. ISBN 0060596783.
SUMMARY
"Haiku describes a variety of animals" CIP.
ANALYSIS
I found this book completely charming, from Prelutsky's perfectly chosen words to Rand's precise and yet whimsical illustrations. Everything in the book seemed carefully thought out and designed to delight young readers. The book flows along quietly from riddle to riddle, the text of each poem bright and clear against the ink and watercolor illustrations. Prelutsky's teasing haikus are in each animal's point of view, and the poems are not just lists of the distinctive features or actions of the animal described. Prelutsky seems to try to truly speak from the perspective of the poem's subject, such as in the ant haiku:
"We are we are we
Are we are we are we are
Many in our hill."
He could have mentioned that ants are tiny, that they bite, that live in tunnels underground- many things make them more immediately identifiable. But a thoughtful student might understand that ants (if they think) probably don't think of themselves as tiny. They might think of themselves as legion. Prelutsky's word choices throughout the book are thoughtful and beautiful. The description on page 9, "sing with my wings" is a wonderful example figurative language. Children can see the flashing wings and hear the hum of the hummingbird. And on page 11, "undulate" and "gelatinously" might send young readers to the dictionary, in order to solve the riddle. The poetry is not dumbed down, and the language reflects the author's respect for his audience.
I also loved Rand's illustrations. On the metrics page the art is described as "a mix of sumi brush drawings in India ink, traditional watercolors, chalk, spatter, and printmaking techniques." The watercolor and ink elements are the obvious media throughout the work, but I see creative use of spatter techiniques on page 23, as ground cover for the rattlesnake, as well as swirling around the parrot, creating a sense of giddy movement, on page 25. Each technique blends seamlessly into the whole of the finished double page spread. Each animal is truly artwork.
In addition, the illustrations match the slow and peaceful progression of the haikus perfectly, and yet each double page spread is also full of detailed drama and action. The opening spread features a precisely drawn mouse in ink and watercolor, crouched on the inside edge of his shadowed hole, with the backlit snout and whiskers of a cat peaking in. Rand's subtle and controlled drawings bring tension that matches the tension of the 5-7-5 balance of the haikus.
REVIEWS
"Prelutsky shows his command of word choice through a minimalist form that is perfectly matched by Rand's control of his mixed-media artwork to create a wonderful celebration of the art of haiku. This book, like George Shannon's Spring (Greenwillow, 1996) and Dawnine Spivak's Grass Sandals (Atheneum, 1997), shows the continuity and vitality of this ancient poetic form." SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL
"Quiet in tone and, like traditional haiku, taking inspiration from the natural world, these 17 poems express the points of view of individual animals, from mouse to moth, from skunk to crow. Each turn of the page brings a new verse, illustrated with a variety of media but primarily brushed ink and watercolors. The wide, double-page spreads offer plenty of space for illustrations, but Rand approaches the compositions with admirable subtlety and restraint in the use of color and detail, and he creates a series of dramatic scenes." BOOKLIST
CONNECTIONS
IF NOT FOR THE CAT works well as part of a poetry unit, as an example of the haiku form, or riddle poems. A fun way to involve the students during reading would be to have them guess each animal before showing the illustration. Students could participate by creating their own haikus. Traditionally these are poems about the natural world, but students could expand this and write 5-7-5 poems about any appealing or interesting things in their lives. Additionally, students could write riddle poems and have the rest of the class guess what animal or thing they're describing.
Prelutsky, Jack. IF NOT FOR THE CAT. Illustrated by Ted Rand. New York, NY: Harper Collins. ISBN 0060596783.
SUMMARY
"Haiku describes a variety of animals" CIP.
ANALYSIS
I found this book completely charming, from Prelutsky's perfectly chosen words to Rand's precise and yet whimsical illustrations. Everything in the book seemed carefully thought out and designed to delight young readers. The book flows along quietly from riddle to riddle, the text of each poem bright and clear against the ink and watercolor illustrations. Prelutsky's teasing haikus are in each animal's point of view, and the poems are not just lists of the distinctive features or actions of the animal described. Prelutsky seems to try to truly speak from the perspective of the poem's subject, such as in the ant haiku:
"We are we are we
Are we are we are we are
Many in our hill."
He could have mentioned that ants are tiny, that they bite, that live in tunnels underground- many things make them more immediately identifiable. But a thoughtful student might understand that ants (if they think) probably don't think of themselves as tiny. They might think of themselves as legion. Prelutsky's word choices throughout the book are thoughtful and beautiful. The description on page 9, "sing with my wings" is a wonderful example figurative language. Children can see the flashing wings and hear the hum of the hummingbird. And on page 11, "undulate" and "gelatinously" might send young readers to the dictionary, in order to solve the riddle. The poetry is not dumbed down, and the language reflects the author's respect for his audience.
I also loved Rand's illustrations. On the metrics page the art is described as "a mix of sumi brush drawings in India ink, traditional watercolors, chalk, spatter, and printmaking techniques." The watercolor and ink elements are the obvious media throughout the work, but I see creative use of spatter techiniques on page 23, as ground cover for the rattlesnake, as well as swirling around the parrot, creating a sense of giddy movement, on page 25. Each technique blends seamlessly into the whole of the finished double page spread. Each animal is truly artwork.
In addition, the illustrations match the slow and peaceful progression of the haikus perfectly, and yet each double page spread is also full of detailed drama and action. The opening spread features a precisely drawn mouse in ink and watercolor, crouched on the inside edge of his shadowed hole, with the backlit snout and whiskers of a cat peaking in. Rand's subtle and controlled drawings bring tension that matches the tension of the 5-7-5 balance of the haikus.
REVIEWS
"Prelutsky shows his command of word choice through a minimalist form that is perfectly matched by Rand's control of his mixed-media artwork to create a wonderful celebration of the art of haiku. This book, like George Shannon's Spring (Greenwillow, 1996) and Dawnine Spivak's Grass Sandals (Atheneum, 1997), shows the continuity and vitality of this ancient poetic form." SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL
"Quiet in tone and, like traditional haiku, taking inspiration from the natural world, these 17 poems express the points of view of individual animals, from mouse to moth, from skunk to crow. Each turn of the page brings a new verse, illustrated with a variety of media but primarily brushed ink and watercolors. The wide, double-page spreads offer plenty of space for illustrations, but Rand approaches the compositions with admirable subtlety and restraint in the use of color and detail, and he creates a series of dramatic scenes." BOOKLIST
CONNECTIONS
IF NOT FOR THE CAT works well as part of a poetry unit, as an example of the haiku form, or riddle poems. A fun way to involve the students during reading would be to have them guess each animal before showing the illustration. Students could participate by creating their own haikus. Traditionally these are poems about the natural world, but students could expand this and write 5-7-5 poems about any appealing or interesting things in their lives. Additionally, students could write riddle poems and have the rest of the class guess what animal or thing they're describing.
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
The Turkey Girl
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Pollock, Penny. THE TURKEY GIRL : a Zuni Cinderella story. Illustrated by Ed Young. Boston, MA : Little Brown and Co. ISBN 0316713147
SUMMARY
A young poor girl who tends the village turkeys dreams of going to the Dance of the Sacred Bird. Her dream seems impossible until the turkeys offer to help her in thanks for her faithful care of them. In exchange for the beautiful clothes and jewels the turkeys give her, the Turkey Girl must promise to return home before the sun has set.
ANALYSIS
Penny Pollock's retelling of this Zuni story is lovely and moving. Her voice throughout the story is reverent and engaging. Many of the values and traditions of the Zuni tribes come through the story naturally, without being a focus of Pollock's attention. Many details of daily life in the pueblo are inserted seamlessly into the tale; the houses "piled atop one another," the journey of "Sun-Father" and the "yucca-cactus sandals" Turkey Girl wears.
There is little mention of Turkey Girl's physical beauty. Turkey Girl possesses other attributes that are prized above beauty; Pollock shows that she is faithful to her charges, and that she is proud, holding her head high, "as if she did not mind" when she is disdainded by the other girls at the spring. She is resourceful- she found a job as an orphan without connections and did it well, so that the turkeys were grateful to her. Pollock's prose throughout the story is filled with rich descriptions and action. It does not get dark, instead, "fingers of darkness reached across the plaza." At the dance, "The music thrummed with power. The dancers echoed the beat with their pounding feet." Pollock puts the reader in the moment with Turkey Girl, and we watch with sadness when she makes the wrong choice: "she began to wonder how it was that she should leave teh festival for mere turkeys. Were they not just gabbling birds?"
Ed Young's illustrations in oil crayon and pastel were lovely, although not always lively. The color palatte reflect the natural landscape of the Southwest, and the loose abstracted style of the color-washed drawings leaves an opening to imagine the scenes and faces of the characters as one reads. Some of the double page spreads seem open to interpretation, such as the depiction of the sacred dance, which seems at one moment to represent the legs and feet of stomping braves, and then to be the necks and heads of a flock of turkeys. However, in spite of their overall beauty, I had several problems with the illustrations. On many pages it was difficult to make out the text of the story when it was set against the illustrations. The illustrations also sometimes seemed flat, and Young made the choice not to depict some of the most exciting and action filled moments of the story. When Turkey Girl ventures into the Pueblo for water, Young shows an abstracted faceless "herald-priest" on a roof, staring down at four blobs with jars on their heads. The bustling village scene Pollock describes is static and serene in the illustration. The haunting and lovely drawings do not always seem to fit the action. Pollock describes Turkey Girl's "white doeskin dress beleted with red-and-yellow cloth" and goes on to tell of the jewels the turkeys shower her with, but the illustrations are of turkeys, turkeys and more turkeys. Turkey girl is shown covered in a dark coat, with not a speck of her dress showing. And at the dance, all we see are the ambigious turkey/feet, followed by two double page spreads of the sky, one with clouds and one with sunset, to represent the waning day. The four year old I know would have trouble staying engaged with these illustrations.
REVIEWS
"Young's spare oil crayon and pastel illustrations contain almost elemental forms that sometimes merely suggest the objects they depict. The artist makes the most of the desert's dramatic lighting, creating shadowy backgrounds that draw attention to the story's spiritual underpinnings. While his palette jumps wildly from pale shades to the most vibrant pinks, blues, and golds of a vivid desert sunset, the illustrations do not detract from Pollock's thoughtful retelling, which itself gracefully captures the Zuni landscape. Unfortunately, many pages are difficult to read due to a lack of contrast between the illustrations and the words placed on top of them." SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL
"In this sobering Native American variation of the Cinderella story, the focus is not on finding true love but on remaining true to one's promises. To repay the kindness of the poor orphan girl who tends them, the tribe's turkeys dress her in a fine doeskin robe so she can attend the Dance of the Sacred Bird. So enthralled is she with the dancing that she breaks her promise to return to the turkeys before dawn and consequently loses her friends forever. Pollock frequently interrupts the narrative with references to Zuni clothing and dwellings-the girl's yucca sandals, her "turquoise necklaces and earrings of delicate beauty."" PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY
CONNECTIONS
This book would be a valuable component to classroom or library storytime units on either Native American Culture, specifically Zuni tribes in the Southwest, or on folktales from around the world. As part of a unit on folktales, students could compare and contrast in discussions the differences between this story and the Cinderella story they've heard before. As readers, we see that Turkey Girl suffers consequences for breaking her promise. The author notes that this story ends with "the hard truth that when we break our trust to Mother Earth, we pay a price." Do students feel that Turkey Girl paid a fair price? Have students ever accidentally told a secret? Or broke a promise? What happened? How can students act to be good stewards of the earth in their lives?
Pollock, Penny. THE TURKEY GIRL : a Zuni Cinderella story. Illustrated by Ed Young. Boston, MA : Little Brown and Co. ISBN 0316713147
SUMMARY
A young poor girl who tends the village turkeys dreams of going to the Dance of the Sacred Bird. Her dream seems impossible until the turkeys offer to help her in thanks for her faithful care of them. In exchange for the beautiful clothes and jewels the turkeys give her, the Turkey Girl must promise to return home before the sun has set.
ANALYSIS
Penny Pollock's retelling of this Zuni story is lovely and moving. Her voice throughout the story is reverent and engaging. Many of the values and traditions of the Zuni tribes come through the story naturally, without being a focus of Pollock's attention. Many details of daily life in the pueblo are inserted seamlessly into the tale; the houses "piled atop one another," the journey of "Sun-Father" and the "yucca-cactus sandals" Turkey Girl wears.
There is little mention of Turkey Girl's physical beauty. Turkey Girl possesses other attributes that are prized above beauty; Pollock shows that she is faithful to her charges, and that she is proud, holding her head high, "as if she did not mind" when she is disdainded by the other girls at the spring. She is resourceful- she found a job as an orphan without connections and did it well, so that the turkeys were grateful to her. Pollock's prose throughout the story is filled with rich descriptions and action. It does not get dark, instead, "fingers of darkness reached across the plaza." At the dance, "The music thrummed with power. The dancers echoed the beat with their pounding feet." Pollock puts the reader in the moment with Turkey Girl, and we watch with sadness when she makes the wrong choice: "she began to wonder how it was that she should leave teh festival for mere turkeys. Were they not just gabbling birds?"
Ed Young's illustrations in oil crayon and pastel were lovely, although not always lively. The color palatte reflect the natural landscape of the Southwest, and the loose abstracted style of the color-washed drawings leaves an opening to imagine the scenes and faces of the characters as one reads. Some of the double page spreads seem open to interpretation, such as the depiction of the sacred dance, which seems at one moment to represent the legs and feet of stomping braves, and then to be the necks and heads of a flock of turkeys. However, in spite of their overall beauty, I had several problems with the illustrations. On many pages it was difficult to make out the text of the story when it was set against the illustrations. The illustrations also sometimes seemed flat, and Young made the choice not to depict some of the most exciting and action filled moments of the story. When Turkey Girl ventures into the Pueblo for water, Young shows an abstracted faceless "herald-priest" on a roof, staring down at four blobs with jars on their heads. The bustling village scene Pollock describes is static and serene in the illustration. The haunting and lovely drawings do not always seem to fit the action. Pollock describes Turkey Girl's "white doeskin dress beleted with red-and-yellow cloth" and goes on to tell of the jewels the turkeys shower her with, but the illustrations are of turkeys, turkeys and more turkeys. Turkey girl is shown covered in a dark coat, with not a speck of her dress showing. And at the dance, all we see are the ambigious turkey/feet, followed by two double page spreads of the sky, one with clouds and one with sunset, to represent the waning day. The four year old I know would have trouble staying engaged with these illustrations.
REVIEWS
"Young's spare oil crayon and pastel illustrations contain almost elemental forms that sometimes merely suggest the objects they depict. The artist makes the most of the desert's dramatic lighting, creating shadowy backgrounds that draw attention to the story's spiritual underpinnings. While his palette jumps wildly from pale shades to the most vibrant pinks, blues, and golds of a vivid desert sunset, the illustrations do not detract from Pollock's thoughtful retelling, which itself gracefully captures the Zuni landscape. Unfortunately, many pages are difficult to read due to a lack of contrast between the illustrations and the words placed on top of them." SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL
"In this sobering Native American variation of the Cinderella story, the focus is not on finding true love but on remaining true to one's promises. To repay the kindness of the poor orphan girl who tends them, the tribe's turkeys dress her in a fine doeskin robe so she can attend the Dance of the Sacred Bird. So enthralled is she with the dancing that she breaks her promise to return to the turkeys before dawn and consequently loses her friends forever. Pollock frequently interrupts the narrative with references to Zuni clothing and dwellings-the girl's yucca sandals, her "turquoise necklaces and earrings of delicate beauty."" PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY
CONNECTIONS
This book would be a valuable component to classroom or library storytime units on either Native American Culture, specifically Zuni tribes in the Southwest, or on folktales from around the world. As part of a unit on folktales, students could compare and contrast in discussions the differences between this story and the Cinderella story they've heard before. As readers, we see that Turkey Girl suffers consequences for breaking her promise. The author notes that this story ends with "the hard truth that when we break our trust to Mother Earth, we pay a price." Do students feel that Turkey Girl paid a fair price? Have students ever accidentally told a secret? Or broke a promise? What happened? How can students act to be good stewards of the earth in their lives?
Friday, February 16, 2007
And the Green Grass Grew All Around
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Schwartz, Alvin. 1992. AND THE GREEN GRASS GREW ALL AROUND : folk poetry from everyone. Illustrated by Sue Truesdell. New York, NY. Harper Collins. ISBN 0060227575
SUMMARY
This is a compilation of over 250 folk poems which "celebrates the vitality and originality of everyday language" (liner notes). The collection includes autograph rhymes, street rhymes, parodies, riddles, limerecks, love poems, and anything else heard on a playground.
ANALYSIS
The collection of poetry is truly exhaustive. Any child will eventually find a poem that they know and love. The power of this book is that it's basically a collection of children's secret lanuage, validated through being written down. Each generation of kids thinks they came up with these rhymes, and each one takes ownership of the language and passes it on to the next, with a few changes. The book is a wonderful incentive for kids to make more original poems to pass on. Scwartz says "A folk poet made up each of the poems in this book" (p. 153).
The book is broken into sections according to what the poems are about; people, food, school, weather and so on. Schwartz also provides and index of first lines, which is the best way to find a specific known poem. Schwartz's notes section on origins and sources is a wonderful resource for teachers and students. For instance, who knew that the "Swaaping Song" may have its origin in a "fourteenth-century political song from the days of King Richard II" (p. 179)?
Truesdale's lively and funny drawings are well suited to the subject matter, and her literal take on the rhymes are frequently more amusing than the poems themselves. The black and white pen and ink drawings look like sketches and doodles from a bright and very naughty student's notebook. They are the perfect accompaniment to the children's art of the folk tale.
The layout of the poems is loose and varies from page to page, with drawings interspersed between poems. Sheet music is provided when the poem has traditionally been sung to a certain tune.
REIVEWS
"A marvelous book that is sure to become a classic if children have any say in the matter. Schwartz has gathered sassy, funny, scary, and slightly naughty children's folk poetry heard on schoolgrounds and wherever else kids are having fun. Adults who stew over the appropriateness of Roald Dahl's books or Shel Silverstein's poetry may have concerns here, but kids will love having all their underground playground rhymes in one volume." SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL
"In b&w pen and watercolor, Truesdell's marvelous characters dance across the generously broad pages, peering inquisitively at the hilarious goings-on or gleefully joining in the shenanigans. It's hard to imagine a child who wouldn't greet this treasure trove with enthusiasm." KIRKUS REVIEWS
CONNECTIONS
This book is a great centerpiece for a folk poetry unit. Students can bring in their own variations of the rhymes, or share family expressions and poems. Students can discuss the differences between some of the rhymes in the book and the way the rhyme has changed on their playground. Schwartz includes a section on the origins of some ryhymes, and students might be interested in finding out how old some of the poems really are.
Schwartz, Alvin. 1992. AND THE GREEN GRASS GREW ALL AROUND : folk poetry from everyone. Illustrated by Sue Truesdell. New York, NY. Harper Collins. ISBN 0060227575
SUMMARY
This is a compilation of over 250 folk poems which "celebrates the vitality and originality of everyday language" (liner notes). The collection includes autograph rhymes, street rhymes, parodies, riddles, limerecks, love poems, and anything else heard on a playground.
ANALYSIS
The collection of poetry is truly exhaustive. Any child will eventually find a poem that they know and love. The power of this book is that it's basically a collection of children's secret lanuage, validated through being written down. Each generation of kids thinks they came up with these rhymes, and each one takes ownership of the language and passes it on to the next, with a few changes. The book is a wonderful incentive for kids to make more original poems to pass on. Scwartz says "A folk poet made up each of the poems in this book" (p. 153).
The book is broken into sections according to what the poems are about; people, food, school, weather and so on. Schwartz also provides and index of first lines, which is the best way to find a specific known poem. Schwartz's notes section on origins and sources is a wonderful resource for teachers and students. For instance, who knew that the "Swaaping Song" may have its origin in a "fourteenth-century political song from the days of King Richard II" (p. 179)?
Truesdale's lively and funny drawings are well suited to the subject matter, and her literal take on the rhymes are frequently more amusing than the poems themselves. The black and white pen and ink drawings look like sketches and doodles from a bright and very naughty student's notebook. They are the perfect accompaniment to the children's art of the folk tale.
The layout of the poems is loose and varies from page to page, with drawings interspersed between poems. Sheet music is provided when the poem has traditionally been sung to a certain tune.
REIVEWS
"A marvelous book that is sure to become a classic if children have any say in the matter. Schwartz has gathered sassy, funny, scary, and slightly naughty children's folk poetry heard on schoolgrounds and wherever else kids are having fun. Adults who stew over the appropriateness of Roald Dahl's books or Shel Silverstein's poetry may have concerns here, but kids will love having all their underground playground rhymes in one volume." SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL
"In b&w pen and watercolor, Truesdell's marvelous characters dance across the generously broad pages, peering inquisitively at the hilarious goings-on or gleefully joining in the shenanigans. It's hard to imagine a child who wouldn't greet this treasure trove with enthusiasm." KIRKUS REVIEWS
CONNECTIONS
This book is a great centerpiece for a folk poetry unit. Students can bring in their own variations of the rhymes, or share family expressions and poems. Students can discuss the differences between some of the rhymes in the book and the way the rhyme has changed on their playground. Schwartz includes a section on the origins of some ryhymes, and students might be interested in finding out how old some of the poems really are.
The Greatest of All
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Kimmel, Eric A. 1991. THE GREATEST OF ALL : a Japanese folktale. Illustrated by Gioria Carmi. New York, NY : Holiday House. ISBN 082340885
SUMMARY
A mouse father, in search of the mightiest husband for his daughter, approached the emperor, the sun, a cloud, the wind, and a wall before the unexpected visitor finally appears.
ANALYSIS
This is Eric Kimmel's retelling of a classic Japanese folktale, and he does not seem to have wanted to take any chances with the content. As a result, if one is looking for an action packed story with tension and fast pacing, this is not the book to pick up. In the tradition of oral stories, it is very repetitive. As a reviewer, I have a handicap in that I'm not familiar with any other versions of this folktale, and I'm also unfamiliar with many aspects of Japanese culture. For instance, the repetetive dialogue between Father Mouse and each of his prospective son-in-laws seems stilted and formal, but this might be a result of a strong cultural value placed on good manners. The Japanese terms and names in the story were interesting and well placed. The place the story more firmly in its context and make the dialogue flow better. Kimmel's thoughful Author's Note gives the definitions.
The story contains many of the traditional elements of the folktale; Father Mouse goes on a quest, he is anthropomorphic- a talking mouse, and he encounters several anthropomorhic magical beings in his search for "the greatest of all." It is a different type of story in that Father Mouse, a comical and sometimes not very likable character, is also the main character. He is not the villain of the story, but he is the only impediment to his daughter's marraige with the mouse she loves. Father Mouse is proud and stubborn, but in this version of the story, he receives no punishment for these character faults. In fact, in the end, he is more proud than before.
Many folktales are told with shorthand characterizations, actors in the story may not be quite fleshed out because the audience is already familiar with the type; the good hero, the evil villian, the old wise woman and so on. But I thought the characters in this story, with the exception of Father Mouse, were particularly flat. The strongest impressions of character and personality came through in Carmi's illustrations of Sun, Cloud, Wind and Wall. The illustrations and text are seperated in the first edition on two parallel blocks floating in the midst of a tomato-colored page. The border color was distracting and a little ugly, and didn't compliment the illustrations. The illustrations themselves were one or one and half page spreads, with only one two page spread. Carmi used colored pencil and perhaps watercolor in a subdued but warm palatte. Father Mouse wears jewel tone robes and his daughter Chuko wears a bright kimono. Carmi succeeds in usings the illustrations to depict elements of Japanese architecture and culture.
REVIEWS
"Kimmel ( Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock ; Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins ) concisely retells this pleasant if low-key tale of a self-important mouse who lives in the emperor's palace and dresses in fine silk. He refuses to allow his daughter to marry a humble field mouse, announcing that whomever she marries "must be the greatest of all." PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY
"Carmi uses tall frames and details of dress to suggest a Japanese setting; her style is lively and accessible but undistinguished, the illustrations' muted tomato-soup borders more distracting than harmonious. Still, an acceptable setting for a good story." KIRKUS REVIEWS
CONNECTIONS
This book might work well as part of a unit on Japanese culture. The emperor's palace illustration is an example of an historic period of Japanese architecture, and the haiku and caligraphy at the end of the story open a window on two strong cultural traditions. Students might compose their own haikus, and see some examples of Japanese caligraphy.
Of course, the story could also serve as an examply of a Japanese folktale, in a unit of folktales and traditional stories from many different cultures.
A potential discussion question for older students: What are we readers supposed to think of Father Mouse? The book says, "He thought himself a splendid mouse indeed!" (p. 3). Do you think the other characters in the book think as highly of Father Mouse as he thinks of himself? Are there any clues in the story that make you think Father Mouse might be a little silly?
Kimmel, Eric A. 1991. THE GREATEST OF ALL : a Japanese folktale. Illustrated by Gioria Carmi. New York, NY : Holiday House. ISBN 082340885
SUMMARY
A mouse father, in search of the mightiest husband for his daughter, approached the emperor, the sun, a cloud, the wind, and a wall before the unexpected visitor finally appears.
ANALYSIS
This is Eric Kimmel's retelling of a classic Japanese folktale, and he does not seem to have wanted to take any chances with the content. As a result, if one is looking for an action packed story with tension and fast pacing, this is not the book to pick up. In the tradition of oral stories, it is very repetitive. As a reviewer, I have a handicap in that I'm not familiar with any other versions of this folktale, and I'm also unfamiliar with many aspects of Japanese culture. For instance, the repetetive dialogue between Father Mouse and each of his prospective son-in-laws seems stilted and formal, but this might be a result of a strong cultural value placed on good manners. The Japanese terms and names in the story were interesting and well placed. The place the story more firmly in its context and make the dialogue flow better. Kimmel's thoughful Author's Note gives the definitions.
The story contains many of the traditional elements of the folktale; Father Mouse goes on a quest, he is anthropomorphic- a talking mouse, and he encounters several anthropomorhic magical beings in his search for "the greatest of all." It is a different type of story in that Father Mouse, a comical and sometimes not very likable character, is also the main character. He is not the villain of the story, but he is the only impediment to his daughter's marraige with the mouse she loves. Father Mouse is proud and stubborn, but in this version of the story, he receives no punishment for these character faults. In fact, in the end, he is more proud than before.
Many folktales are told with shorthand characterizations, actors in the story may not be quite fleshed out because the audience is already familiar with the type; the good hero, the evil villian, the old wise woman and so on. But I thought the characters in this story, with the exception of Father Mouse, were particularly flat. The strongest impressions of character and personality came through in Carmi's illustrations of Sun, Cloud, Wind and Wall. The illustrations and text are seperated in the first edition on two parallel blocks floating in the midst of a tomato-colored page. The border color was distracting and a little ugly, and didn't compliment the illustrations. The illustrations themselves were one or one and half page spreads, with only one two page spread. Carmi used colored pencil and perhaps watercolor in a subdued but warm palatte. Father Mouse wears jewel tone robes and his daughter Chuko wears a bright kimono. Carmi succeeds in usings the illustrations to depict elements of Japanese architecture and culture.
REVIEWS
"Kimmel ( Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock ; Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins ) concisely retells this pleasant if low-key tale of a self-important mouse who lives in the emperor's palace and dresses in fine silk. He refuses to allow his daughter to marry a humble field mouse, announcing that whomever she marries "must be the greatest of all." PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY
"Carmi uses tall frames and details of dress to suggest a Japanese setting; her style is lively and accessible but undistinguished, the illustrations' muted tomato-soup borders more distracting than harmonious. Still, an acceptable setting for a good story." KIRKUS REVIEWS
CONNECTIONS
This book might work well as part of a unit on Japanese culture. The emperor's palace illustration is an example of an historic period of Japanese architecture, and the haiku and caligraphy at the end of the story open a window on two strong cultural traditions. Students might compose their own haikus, and see some examples of Japanese caligraphy.
Of course, the story could also serve as an examply of a Japanese folktale, in a unit of folktales and traditional stories from many different cultures.
A potential discussion question for older students: What are we readers supposed to think of Father Mouse? The book says, "He thought himself a splendid mouse indeed!" (p. 3). Do you think the other characters in the book think as highly of Father Mouse as he thinks of himself? Are there any clues in the story that make you think Father Mouse might be a little silly?
Thursday, February 1, 2007
Genre 1: A Caldecott Celebration
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Marcus, Leonard S. 1998. A CALDECOTT CELEBRATION. New York, NY: Walker and Company. ISBN 0802786561.
SUMMARY
A CALDECOTT CELEBRATION is a celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Caldecott Medal. This charming children's history book opens with the introduction of Randolph Caldecott and the origins of the medal, and then moves through the six decades in which it's been awarded by profiling one recognized illustrator from each decade.
ANALYSIS
The stories in this book are told clearly, in straight forward engaging language that young readers will follow. They will probably find at least one of their favorite books among the six Caldecott winners profiled, and will enjoy seeing the way the illustrator brought an idea to fruition. Marcus tells the artists' stories with humor and an eye to which details will appeal to children. In several cases, through interviews with the authors, Marcus pieces the story together from the first moment of inspiration to the final illustration in the book, as in the case of the 1955 winner, Marcia Brown, and the cherubs over the door of Scribner's Publishers.
The most engaging aspect of Marcus' book is the artist's original sketches and drawings interspersed throughout the text, sometimes embellished with insider information on the type of medium used and the way the printing process worked when that author was writing. The original dummies and works in process cannot fail to fascinate young readers, who may relish the opportunity to get a behind the scenes look at their favorite picture books. The personal anectodotes Marcus shares from the lives of the winners are chosen well, and seem to pop up throughout the profiles just when plain history might start to get a little boring. Any wandering attention will be called back for the story of Robert McCloskey's New York apartment full of sixteen ducks. In addition, the way Marcus fits the lives and works of the artists into the context of history is well done. For instance, when speaking of Robert McCloskey's scholarship opportunity, Marcus mentions that he was a teenager during the Great Depression, "a time when money and jobs were scarce" (Marcus, 7). The language is not dumbed down and the concepts can be easily grasped for students who were not familiar with that history. Marcus also places the many of the books in the context of their times; for instance, Marcus notes that MAKE WAY FOR DUCKLINGS was published soon before the country entered World War II, and "the story's promise of security and a father's safe return came to mean a great deal to the children of a nation at war" (Marcus, 11). Marcus also gives perspective on the success of Marcia Brown's CINDERELLA by mentioning the fad for new illustrations of fairytales in that time.
Two aspects of the book seem the most significant to young readers: seeing the creative process in action, and watching the artists turn their dreams into reality. Young readers familiar with the stories get to see the artist's vision take shape, from the first spark of imagination in Maurice Sendaks "Where the Wild Horses Are" to the final award winning book. Marcus does not discount serendipity in the lives of the award winners, but he does not make much of the chance meetings and old friendships that in most cases led to publication. Instead Marcus presents the artists' histories as dreams that were achievable through hard work and perseverence.
The glossary at the end of the book is a wonderful tool for young readers and their teachers.
REVIEWS
"Filled with witty anecdotes and pithy observations, Marcus's (Dear Genius: The Letters of Ursula Nordstrom) approach to examining the works of six Caldecott Medalists will be of as much interest to adults as to picture book readers. He has chosen one book from each decade, "so that viewed together, the six offer an informal cross section through time of the American picture book": Robert McCloskey's Make Way for Ducklings, Marcia Brown's Cinderella; or, The Little Glass Slipper, Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are, William Steig's Sylvester and the Magic Pebble, Chris Van Allsburg's Jumanji and David Wiesner's Tuesday. With a generous sprinkling of the artists' own words and sometimes those of his or her editor, Marcus chronicles the inspiration behind these works, the creative process, the artists' reactions to winning the prestigious award and its effect on their careers. He fills the volume with the kinds of details children relish..." PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY.
CONNECTIONS
Ask kids about projects they've started and finished, such as drawings or models, or even something like a treehouse. Was the project different in the end than the way they'd imagined it in the beginning? Do students think Maurice Sendak was right, and it is necessary to have "a firm, clear vision" before beginning the work? (Marcus, 22).
This book also could work as part of a unit on great artists throughout United States history, given that one of the original intetions of the Caldecott Award was to "encourage American artists to make picture books" that were valuable works of art like Randolph Caldecott's books.
Since students will almost certainly have read some of the award winning books Marcus profiles, it will not be hard to spark a discussion on which of the books each child likes the most and why.
Marcus, Leonard S. 1998. A CALDECOTT CELEBRATION. New York, NY: Walker and Company. ISBN 0802786561.
SUMMARY
A CALDECOTT CELEBRATION is a celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Caldecott Medal. This charming children's history book opens with the introduction of Randolph Caldecott and the origins of the medal, and then moves through the six decades in which it's been awarded by profiling one recognized illustrator from each decade.
ANALYSIS
The stories in this book are told clearly, in straight forward engaging language that young readers will follow. They will probably find at least one of their favorite books among the six Caldecott winners profiled, and will enjoy seeing the way the illustrator brought an idea to fruition. Marcus tells the artists' stories with humor and an eye to which details will appeal to children. In several cases, through interviews with the authors, Marcus pieces the story together from the first moment of inspiration to the final illustration in the book, as in the case of the 1955 winner, Marcia Brown, and the cherubs over the door of Scribner's Publishers.
The most engaging aspect of Marcus' book is the artist's original sketches and drawings interspersed throughout the text, sometimes embellished with insider information on the type of medium used and the way the printing process worked when that author was writing. The original dummies and works in process cannot fail to fascinate young readers, who may relish the opportunity to get a behind the scenes look at their favorite picture books. The personal anectodotes Marcus shares from the lives of the winners are chosen well, and seem to pop up throughout the profiles just when plain history might start to get a little boring. Any wandering attention will be called back for the story of Robert McCloskey's New York apartment full of sixteen ducks. In addition, the way Marcus fits the lives and works of the artists into the context of history is well done. For instance, when speaking of Robert McCloskey's scholarship opportunity, Marcus mentions that he was a teenager during the Great Depression, "a time when money and jobs were scarce" (Marcus, 7). The language is not dumbed down and the concepts can be easily grasped for students who were not familiar with that history. Marcus also places the many of the books in the context of their times; for instance, Marcus notes that MAKE WAY FOR DUCKLINGS was published soon before the country entered World War II, and "the story's promise of security and a father's safe return came to mean a great deal to the children of a nation at war" (Marcus, 11). Marcus also gives perspective on the success of Marcia Brown's CINDERELLA by mentioning the fad for new illustrations of fairytales in that time.
Two aspects of the book seem the most significant to young readers: seeing the creative process in action, and watching the artists turn their dreams into reality. Young readers familiar with the stories get to see the artist's vision take shape, from the first spark of imagination in Maurice Sendaks "Where the Wild Horses Are" to the final award winning book. Marcus does not discount serendipity in the lives of the award winners, but he does not make much of the chance meetings and old friendships that in most cases led to publication. Instead Marcus presents the artists' histories as dreams that were achievable through hard work and perseverence.
The glossary at the end of the book is a wonderful tool for young readers and their teachers.
REVIEWS
"Filled with witty anecdotes and pithy observations, Marcus's (Dear Genius: The Letters of Ursula Nordstrom) approach to examining the works of six Caldecott Medalists will be of as much interest to adults as to picture book readers. He has chosen one book from each decade, "so that viewed together, the six offer an informal cross section through time of the American picture book": Robert McCloskey's Make Way for Ducklings, Marcia Brown's Cinderella; or, The Little Glass Slipper, Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are, William Steig's Sylvester and the Magic Pebble, Chris Van Allsburg's Jumanji and David Wiesner's Tuesday. With a generous sprinkling of the artists' own words and sometimes those of his or her editor, Marcus chronicles the inspiration behind these works, the creative process, the artists' reactions to winning the prestigious award and its effect on their careers. He fills the volume with the kinds of details children relish..." PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY.
CONNECTIONS
Ask kids about projects they've started and finished, such as drawings or models, or even something like a treehouse. Was the project different in the end than the way they'd imagined it in the beginning? Do students think Maurice Sendak was right, and it is necessary to have "a firm, clear vision" before beginning the work? (Marcus, 22).
This book also could work as part of a unit on great artists throughout United States history, given that one of the original intetions of the Caldecott Award was to "encourage American artists to make picture books" that were valuable works of art like Randolph Caldecott's books.
Since students will almost certainly have read some of the award winning books Marcus profiles, it will not be hard to spark a discussion on which of the books each child likes the most and why.
Genre 1: The Hello Goodbye Window
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Juster, Norton. 2005. THE HELLO GOODBYE WINDOW. Illustrated by Chris Raschka. New York, NY: Hyperion. ISBN 0786809140
SUMMARY
This is a sweet and colorful story narrated in the voice of a young girl. She tells about the magical window at her Nanna and Poppy's house, the "Hello, Goodbye Window" and all the adventures she has while visiting her grandparents.
ANALYSIS
The bright swirling impressionist illustrations put the reader more firmly in the girl's point of view, as she describes in present tense the rituals and joys of staying overnight with her loving grandparents. In the first double page spread, the reader sees only the narrator's hands as she looks over the fence into her grandparents' yard and sees their expectant faces in the "Hello, Goodbye Window."
Through the childlike whimsy of the illustrations, and through Juster's simple prose, the reader sees the everyday actions of a loving family through the lense of an imaginative child. Commonplace things, like a cat in the garden, take on magical proportions, and rituals like making oatmeal, and saying goodnight to the stars, are sweetly described in her voice. The story is a window on a day and night in the life of a happy extended family, from harmonica playing, to naptime, when the girl is sure that nothing happens until she wakes up.
The drawings are alive and bursting with expression and joy, a perfect rendering of a child's imagination. The book frequently uses the double page spread to draw the reader more completely into the vibrant reality of the story. The text is in a simple black font, and spaced creatively in blocks, usually at the edges of the illustration. The story, although solidly in narrator's perspective, invites older readers to wink at the interpretations the girl puts on everyday activitites in the life of a child. The story also invites older readers to relive and enjoy the magic of living as a child, seeing a dinasaur, a pizza man, and the Queen through the kitchen window. And finally the stay concludes when the young protagonist sees her parents. Children's emotions can sometimes feel overwhelming to them, and Juster describes perfectly the happy-sad feeling of seeing her parents, and knowing that her visit with Nanna and Poppy has come to an end.
REVIEWS
"While the language is bouncy and fun, it is the visual interpretation of this sweet story that sings. Using a bright rainbow palette of saturated color, Raschka's impressionistic, mixed-media illustrations portray a loving, mixed-race family. The artwork is at once lively and energetic, without crowding the story or the words on the page; the simple lines and squiggles of color suggest a child's own drawings, but this is the art of a masterful hand." Starred Review, SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL
"The window imagery is less important than the title would make it seem. More intrinsic is Juster's honest portrayal of a child's perceptions (a striped cat in the yard is a tiger) and emotions (being happy and sad at the same time "just happens that way sometimes")." Starred Review, BOOKLIST
CONNECTIONS
Follow storytime with craft time, and have students draw pictures of grandparents or older relatives or friends, and things they enjoy doing with them. With the teacher's help, students could create their own picture books about time they spend with their own extended family or friends.
Use this book to start a storytime unit on grandparents and extended family. Other possible picks for the unit could be Else Minarik's LITTLE BEAR'S VISIT, and Vera Williams' A CHAIR FOR MY MOTHER, which describes a loving non-traditional family.
Juster, Norton. 2005. THE HELLO GOODBYE WINDOW. Illustrated by Chris Raschka. New York, NY: Hyperion. ISBN 0786809140
SUMMARY
This is a sweet and colorful story narrated in the voice of a young girl. She tells about the magical window at her Nanna and Poppy's house, the "Hello, Goodbye Window" and all the adventures she has while visiting her grandparents.
ANALYSIS
The bright swirling impressionist illustrations put the reader more firmly in the girl's point of view, as she describes in present tense the rituals and joys of staying overnight with her loving grandparents. In the first double page spread, the reader sees only the narrator's hands as she looks over the fence into her grandparents' yard and sees their expectant faces in the "Hello, Goodbye Window."
Through the childlike whimsy of the illustrations, and through Juster's simple prose, the reader sees the everyday actions of a loving family through the lense of an imaginative child. Commonplace things, like a cat in the garden, take on magical proportions, and rituals like making oatmeal, and saying goodnight to the stars, are sweetly described in her voice. The story is a window on a day and night in the life of a happy extended family, from harmonica playing, to naptime, when the girl is sure that nothing happens until she wakes up.
The drawings are alive and bursting with expression and joy, a perfect rendering of a child's imagination. The book frequently uses the double page spread to draw the reader more completely into the vibrant reality of the story. The text is in a simple black font, and spaced creatively in blocks, usually at the edges of the illustration. The story, although solidly in narrator's perspective, invites older readers to wink at the interpretations the girl puts on everyday activitites in the life of a child. The story also invites older readers to relive and enjoy the magic of living as a child, seeing a dinasaur, a pizza man, and the Queen through the kitchen window. And finally the stay concludes when the young protagonist sees her parents. Children's emotions can sometimes feel overwhelming to them, and Juster describes perfectly the happy-sad feeling of seeing her parents, and knowing that her visit with Nanna and Poppy has come to an end.
REVIEWS
"While the language is bouncy and fun, it is the visual interpretation of this sweet story that sings. Using a bright rainbow palette of saturated color, Raschka's impressionistic, mixed-media illustrations portray a loving, mixed-race family. The artwork is at once lively and energetic, without crowding the story or the words on the page; the simple lines and squiggles of color suggest a child's own drawings, but this is the art of a masterful hand." Starred Review, SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL
"The window imagery is less important than the title would make it seem. More intrinsic is Juster's honest portrayal of a child's perceptions (a striped cat in the yard is a tiger) and emotions (being happy and sad at the same time "just happens that way sometimes")." Starred Review, BOOKLIST
CONNECTIONS
Follow storytime with craft time, and have students draw pictures of grandparents or older relatives or friends, and things they enjoy doing with them. With the teacher's help, students could create their own picture books about time they spend with their own extended family or friends.
Use this book to start a storytime unit on grandparents and extended family. Other possible picks for the unit could be Else Minarik's LITTLE BEAR'S VISIT, and Vera Williams' A CHAIR FOR MY MOTHER, which describes a loving non-traditional family.
Genre 1: My Friend Rabbit
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Rohmann, Eric. 2002. MY FRIEND RABBIT. I. by Eric Rohman. Brookfield, CT. Roaring Books Press. ISBN 0761315357
SUMMARY
This is a playful story about a mouse's friendship with a rabbit who is always getting into trouble. Rabbit wants to help Mouse play with his new toy plane, but the plane gets stuck in a tree. Rabbit's funny and creative problem solving brings more trouble for the two good friends.
ANALYSIS
Rohman's illustrations in MY FRIEND RABBIT tell the story on their own, with minimal comically understated text. The thick black outlines and stark shadows and light of the relief prints make the creatures expressive and alive. The book moves forward across the simple grassy scene, as readers watch Rabbit's idea take shape. The double page illustrations are engrossing, and make the book seem to race by, as readers watch first the back half of an elephant, and then the whole expressive, resistant beast move across the page under Rabbit's steam.
Personally, I find the animal's facial expressions to be the best part of the book; the fearful surprise of the elephant, the wary reluctance of the rhino, the outraged indignance of the mother duck... all hilarious. And Mouse's journey is rendered starkly and beautifully: his early astonishment and growing impatience is always tempered by loyalty to his friend Rabbit, who is shown hopeful and determined throughout. The vertical tower of animals is creative use of the double page spread, and grabs attention in a funny way. Rohman's expressive illustrations endow each animal with character and humor, and watching the animals, however reluctantly, cooperate to get Mouse's plane down, is a fun and interactive way to bring up themes of sharing, friendship and loyalty.
REVIEWS
"Rohmann tells most of the story through bold, expressive relief prints....This gentle lesson in patience and loyalty, balanced on the back of a hilarious set of illustrations, will leave young readers clamoring for repeat readings." PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
"[A] smart, sassy object lesson....The fun of this is in the spacing and sequencing of the heavily ink-outlined drawings....Tremendous physical humor delivers a gentle lesson about accepting friends as they are." BOOKLIST
CONNECTIONS
The book is a good starting point for a discussion about playing with older and stronger kids, and friends who sometimes get into trouble. MY FRIEND RABBIT also deals with issues of sharing and friendship, and Mouse's defense of his friend in the beginning, "My friend Rabbit means well," is a sweet commentary on loyalty between friends. A teacher might offer a story of playing with a friend who is followed by trouble, like Rabbit, and ask students to share stories of this from their experience.
Rohmann, Eric. 2002. MY FRIEND RABBIT. I. by Eric Rohman. Brookfield, CT. Roaring Books Press. ISBN 0761315357
SUMMARY
This is a playful story about a mouse's friendship with a rabbit who is always getting into trouble. Rabbit wants to help Mouse play with his new toy plane, but the plane gets stuck in a tree. Rabbit's funny and creative problem solving brings more trouble for the two good friends.
ANALYSIS
Rohman's illustrations in MY FRIEND RABBIT tell the story on their own, with minimal comically understated text. The thick black outlines and stark shadows and light of the relief prints make the creatures expressive and alive. The book moves forward across the simple grassy scene, as readers watch Rabbit's idea take shape. The double page illustrations are engrossing, and make the book seem to race by, as readers watch first the back half of an elephant, and then the whole expressive, resistant beast move across the page under Rabbit's steam.
Personally, I find the animal's facial expressions to be the best part of the book; the fearful surprise of the elephant, the wary reluctance of the rhino, the outraged indignance of the mother duck... all hilarious. And Mouse's journey is rendered starkly and beautifully: his early astonishment and growing impatience is always tempered by loyalty to his friend Rabbit, who is shown hopeful and determined throughout. The vertical tower of animals is creative use of the double page spread, and grabs attention in a funny way. Rohman's expressive illustrations endow each animal with character and humor, and watching the animals, however reluctantly, cooperate to get Mouse's plane down, is a fun and interactive way to bring up themes of sharing, friendship and loyalty.
REVIEWS
"Rohmann tells most of the story through bold, expressive relief prints....This gentle lesson in patience and loyalty, balanced on the back of a hilarious set of illustrations, will leave young readers clamoring for repeat readings." PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
"[A] smart, sassy object lesson....The fun of this is in the spacing and sequencing of the heavily ink-outlined drawings....Tremendous physical humor delivers a gentle lesson about accepting friends as they are." BOOKLIST
CONNECTIONS
The book is a good starting point for a discussion about playing with older and stronger kids, and friends who sometimes get into trouble. MY FRIEND RABBIT also deals with issues of sharing and friendship, and Mouse's defense of his friend in the beginning, "My friend Rabbit means well," is a sweet commentary on loyalty between friends. A teacher might offer a story of playing with a friend who is followed by trouble, like Rabbit, and ask students to share stories of this from their experience.
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Introductory Post
This blog is created and maintained in fulfillment of an assignment for Children's Literature at Texas Woman's University. I introduced myself on the discussion board, but I'll recap here. My name is Kate, I live in LA with my husband and daughter. I'm in my second semester of online classes in the MLS program and I'm looking forward to learning more about Children's Lit. I like to bake, quilt and knit. I watch a lot of movies. I read what I enjoy to the detriment of my studies (luckily I enjoy children's books) and I like to walk my dog in the arroyo close to our house.
As I type this I'm sitting next to a brown mixing bowl that was my constant companion for the first trimester of my last pregnancy, and has made a quick comeback for this one. Wish me well soon.
As I type this I'm sitting next to a brown mixing bowl that was my constant companion for the first trimester of my last pregnancy, and has made a quick comeback for this one. Wish me well soon.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)