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A review by gymnerdreader
Walking in the City with Jane: A Story of Jane Jacobs by Susan Hughes
3.0
Annotated Bibliography Entry: Walking in the City with Jane
Summary:
Jane Jacobs is a child that would rather read a book than do actual schoolwork (which reminds me much of myself because I did the same thing). After a conflict with her teacher over brushing her teeth she gets kicked out of class by the teacher. Jane did not mind because it gave her the opportunity to explore her own beautiful backyard. Jane is very observant and is able to notice things that most people neglect to notice so she is able to see a great deal of beauty in the city around her even if it is highly commercialized and industrialized. This is how she feels when she moves to NYC. She gets married and has a family of her own, but her beautiful city is turned upside down when city planners plan to build high rise buildings and bulldoze neighborhoods. Jane gets a whole group of people together and protest the plan and it works. However another plan to build 8 lanes of traffic going directly into NYC sends Jane on a quest to protest this plan. Once again, it is rejected, but eventually gets the go ahead and Jane is arrested for her protesting. After her release, she moves to Toronto, Canada where she continues her activism and is a huge part of her community.
Personal Response:
There were some parts of this book that I liked and disliked. I liked that it portrayed people we do not often learn about in schools, such as Jane Jacobs. Prior to reading this book I had no idea who she was, but apparently she is a big deal in both the U.S. and Canada where there are days named after and a medal in her name given to people who make a difference in their community. I also like the message of appreciating the beauty that is all around you and I feel that in a world where everyone wants more than what they have this message can often be lost. People are often so focused on the material goods that they neglect to admire the beauty in their own neighborhoods. I think that's an important message for kids. I disliked that the book kind of glossed over Jane Jacob's activism, which I guess is because this is geared towards children. I also was not big on the illustrations so there were certainly parts that I didn't enjoy.
Descriptions of Illustrations:
As I mentioned before, I was not a huge fan of the illustrations. It was way too simplistic for my liking and style seemed to focus mainly on drawing. The point of the illustrations should have been to portray NYC as beautiful and these neighborhoods as being beautiful and having charm. The illustrations were colorful, but it was not enough that made me think "oh that is beautiful". The illustrations were just too simplistic and there could have been more detail added so people could see some of NYC's charm. So I was personally not a fan, but maybe children would like the color of the cities.
Classroom Connections:
Teachers could use this book on Jane Jacob's Day to celebrate her legacy of activism. Teachers could talk with students about admiring the simple things and encourage students to help make their communities a better place, much like Jane Jacobs did throughout her life. Teachers could also use this as an introduction to a lesson about Jane Jacobs and so forth. Other than that, teachers could have students draw or paint a picture depicting the communities and neighborhoods they live in. Then as a write-up activity children can choose adjectives to describe their neighborhoods. As an extension, teachers could ask students if they can brainstorm some ideas that they could do to improve the neighborhoods they want.
Summary:
Jane Jacobs is a child that would rather read a book than do actual schoolwork (which reminds me much of myself because I did the same thing). After a conflict with her teacher over brushing her teeth she gets kicked out of class by the teacher. Jane did not mind because it gave her the opportunity to explore her own beautiful backyard. Jane is very observant and is able to notice things that most people neglect to notice so she is able to see a great deal of beauty in the city around her even if it is highly commercialized and industrialized. This is how she feels when she moves to NYC. She gets married and has a family of her own, but her beautiful city is turned upside down when city planners plan to build high rise buildings and bulldoze neighborhoods. Jane gets a whole group of people together and protest the plan and it works. However another plan to build 8 lanes of traffic going directly into NYC sends Jane on a quest to protest this plan. Once again, it is rejected, but eventually gets the go ahead and Jane is arrested for her protesting. After her release, she moves to Toronto, Canada where she continues her activism and is a huge part of her community.
Personal Response:
There were some parts of this book that I liked and disliked. I liked that it portrayed people we do not often learn about in schools, such as Jane Jacobs. Prior to reading this book I had no idea who she was, but apparently she is a big deal in both the U.S. and Canada where there are days named after and a medal in her name given to people who make a difference in their community. I also like the message of appreciating the beauty that is all around you and I feel that in a world where everyone wants more than what they have this message can often be lost. People are often so focused on the material goods that they neglect to admire the beauty in their own neighborhoods. I think that's an important message for kids. I disliked that the book kind of glossed over Jane Jacob's activism, which I guess is because this is geared towards children. I also was not big on the illustrations so there were certainly parts that I didn't enjoy.
Descriptions of Illustrations:
As I mentioned before, I was not a huge fan of the illustrations. It was way too simplistic for my liking and style seemed to focus mainly on drawing. The point of the illustrations should have been to portray NYC as beautiful and these neighborhoods as being beautiful and having charm. The illustrations were colorful, but it was not enough that made me think "oh that is beautiful". The illustrations were just too simplistic and there could have been more detail added so people could see some of NYC's charm. So I was personally not a fan, but maybe children would like the color of the cities.
Classroom Connections:
Teachers could use this book on Jane Jacob's Day to celebrate her legacy of activism. Teachers could talk with students about admiring the simple things and encourage students to help make their communities a better place, much like Jane Jacobs did throughout her life. Teachers could also use this as an introduction to a lesson about Jane Jacobs and so forth. Other than that, teachers could have students draw or paint a picture depicting the communities and neighborhoods they live in. Then as a write-up activity children can choose adjectives to describe their neighborhoods. As an extension, teachers could ask students if they can brainstorm some ideas that they could do to improve the neighborhoods they want.