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gymnerdreader's reviews
84 reviews
Bird by Zetta Elliott
5.0
Annotated Bibliography Entry: Bird by Zetta Elliott (FREE CHOICE)
Summary:
Mehkai (AKA Bird) is dealing with some pretty heavy real world issues, such as his brother, Marcus's passing due to his drug addiction and his granddad shortly thereafter. To cope with this trauma, Bird loses himself in drawing and spending time with his granddad's friend, Sonny (AKA Uncle Son) who makes him feel as if he has a voice and is not just a kid. what follows is a heartbreaking story of a boy who seemed to have an idyllic family until his brother's drug addiction became so severe they had to kick him out of the house. All in all, it is a book about picking up the pieces left behind when a loved one dies, especially a loved one that you wish you could have saved. The book ends with Bird taking comfort in seeing the birds and how close they are to heaven, knowing that Marcus and his granddad are together again healthy and free of worry.
Personal Response:
Never would have imagined this type of subject being written about in children's books as this type of subject is often taboo in books today. Even though it is an incredibly sensitive subject, it was beautifully written. It is almost poetic in the way the words flow together, they pack a punch and it definitely is a read that will tear at your heart strings. While I love the writing, I also loved the metaphors in the book, such as the birds standing for freedom and healing and I love that this book focused on coping strategies for dealing with this type of trauma, such as using art as a way of healing. Definitely a book more suitable for older kids (4th or 5th grade), but a book that I think needs to be talked about because of the topics that it explores!
Descriptions of Illustrations:
The illustrations in this book are so lifelike and makes the story come to life with its juxtaposition of light and dark colors and its use of neon colors to bring light into a dark space (such as Marcus' graffiti and his hat). When you read the words and look at the accompanying illustrations, you feel the pain the characters felt etc and you feel connected to Marcus and the world around him. The pictures contribute to that sense of heartbreak and I don't think the story would pack the same punch had the illustrations had not been done in this particular way. Just a beautiful story in terms of writing and illustrations, a perfect combo!
Classroom Connections:
As mentioned above, this book is more suitable for the older grades (4th or 5th) due to the heavy subject matter, but I do feel like it is an important book to share with stories because you never know what students are dealing with at home, whether it is death in the family, losing a loved one or a drug addiction. I could see students dealing with any of these things being able to connect with this story and I feel that it is important to bring awareness into addiction, rather than pretend that problems like this don't exist. I also think this book would be a good book to introduce older students to metaphors since this book contains metaphors throughout, such as the bird representing different things. Students could pick out the metaphors and discuss their various meanings as a class discussion. Teachers could also use this book as a way to get their own students to open up about their lives through art. Students could create artwork to express their feelings and use metaphors to describe that feeling. Bird is a great book to use to introduce students to these topics!
Summary:
Mehkai (AKA Bird) is dealing with some pretty heavy real world issues, such as his brother, Marcus's passing due to his drug addiction and his granddad shortly thereafter. To cope with this trauma, Bird loses himself in drawing and spending time with his granddad's friend, Sonny (AKA Uncle Son) who makes him feel as if he has a voice and is not just a kid. what follows is a heartbreaking story of a boy who seemed to have an idyllic family until his brother's drug addiction became so severe they had to kick him out of the house. All in all, it is a book about picking up the pieces left behind when a loved one dies, especially a loved one that you wish you could have saved. The book ends with Bird taking comfort in seeing the birds and how close they are to heaven, knowing that Marcus and his granddad are together again healthy and free of worry.
Personal Response:
Never would have imagined this type of subject being written about in children's books as this type of subject is often taboo in books today. Even though it is an incredibly sensitive subject, it was beautifully written. It is almost poetic in the way the words flow together, they pack a punch and it definitely is a read that will tear at your heart strings. While I love the writing, I also loved the metaphors in the book, such as the birds standing for freedom and healing and I love that this book focused on coping strategies for dealing with this type of trauma, such as using art as a way of healing. Definitely a book more suitable for older kids (4th or 5th grade), but a book that I think needs to be talked about because of the topics that it explores!
Descriptions of Illustrations:
The illustrations in this book are so lifelike and makes the story come to life with its juxtaposition of light and dark colors and its use of neon colors to bring light into a dark space (such as Marcus' graffiti and his hat). When you read the words and look at the accompanying illustrations, you feel the pain the characters felt etc and you feel connected to Marcus and the world around him. The pictures contribute to that sense of heartbreak and I don't think the story would pack the same punch had the illustrations had not been done in this particular way. Just a beautiful story in terms of writing and illustrations, a perfect combo!
Classroom Connections:
As mentioned above, this book is more suitable for the older grades (4th or 5th) due to the heavy subject matter, but I do feel like it is an important book to share with stories because you never know what students are dealing with at home, whether it is death in the family, losing a loved one or a drug addiction. I could see students dealing with any of these things being able to connect with this story and I feel that it is important to bring awareness into addiction, rather than pretend that problems like this don't exist. I also think this book would be a good book to introduce older students to metaphors since this book contains metaphors throughout, such as the bird representing different things. Students could pick out the metaphors and discuss their various meanings as a class discussion. Teachers could also use this book as a way to get their own students to open up about their lives through art. Students could create artwork to express their feelings and use metaphors to describe that feeling. Bird is a great book to use to introduce students to these topics!
Tan to Tamarind: Poems About the Color Brown by Malathi Michelle Iyengar
5.0
Annotated Bibliography Entry: Tan to Tamarind Poems About the Color Brown by: Malathi Michelle Iyengar
Summary:
This poetry book features collections of poems on the color brown. It basically features either objects that are brown in color (and most objects have some sort of cultural importance) or brown as a skin color, which is what the last poem in the book is about and it is basically a culmination of all the different color browns mentioned in the story. For example there poems about coffee, old picture albums autumn leaves, mountains. These are more ordinary subjects. Then there are other poems about the color of a sari, traditional Indian dresses and cultural food as well so there is a wide mix of poems from more ordinary objects that are brown in color to cultural objects that are brown. So it is a pretty comprehensive selection of poems.
Personal Response:
The poems in this book are beautiful and I love the way the poems sound. A lot of the poems have a great deal of imagery and it really paints a picture of what the poem is trying to say, which I love. The poems do not rhyme, but I feel like it will be appealing to children because of the mental images it produces. You can really feel and imagine the poem. The poems also all begin in the same format and I think children will like that consistency. This book also has a good comprehensive selection of poems ranging from just ordinary objects to more cultural ones so I like that it is so diverse because these poems can be used for a variety of different purposes, such as ELA or even a social justice approach. All in all, the poems are all about diversity (more in terms of the diversity of brown as a color), which is a great subject to teach kids about. Absolutely love this poetry collection and could definitely see myself using it in my future classroom!
Descriptions of Illustrations:
While this book features beautiful poems, it also features beautiful illustrations to accompany them. The illustrations appear to be done in watercolor paints, however I am not positive as art is not my forte. They are beautiful nonetheless. On another note, the illustrations really help paint a picture of what the poem is saying. For some of the poems the illustrations are the only way to understand them because of the wording of some of the poems. So the illustrations are very useful for this book and they effectively illustrate the poems, which will aid in comprehending the overall poem.
Classroom Connections:
There is a lot you can do with these poems, it is so multi-functional! I think these poems could be used to teach students about imagery and as an activity students could write poems in the format of the poems in this collection (as these poems seem to follow the same format) paying close attention to the imagery present in their own poems. I also think these poems could be used to teach about descriptive words and students could use these poems to increase their use of descriptive language. Besides language, these poems could be used to teach students about diversity and students could bring in a cultural object of their own and write their own poems on that object and the students could then present both their cultural object and poem to the class and explaining why it is important to them. Teachers could also teach from a social justice perspective and use this book to discuss the diversity in their classrooms and talk about their skin colors and letting them know that their skin color is beautiful etc. (much like the last poem in the collection). Teachers could also read a poem and have the student draw whatever is in their head (much like the chart board drawing we did for Each Kindness). There is a lot of stuff that can be done to incorporate this book in the classroom and there a lot of activities that teachers could use this collection for.
Summary:
This poetry book features collections of poems on the color brown. It basically features either objects that are brown in color (and most objects have some sort of cultural importance) or brown as a skin color, which is what the last poem in the book is about and it is basically a culmination of all the different color browns mentioned in the story. For example there poems about coffee, old picture albums autumn leaves, mountains. These are more ordinary subjects. Then there are other poems about the color of a sari, traditional Indian dresses and cultural food as well so there is a wide mix of poems from more ordinary objects that are brown in color to cultural objects that are brown. So it is a pretty comprehensive selection of poems.
Personal Response:
The poems in this book are beautiful and I love the way the poems sound. A lot of the poems have a great deal of imagery and it really paints a picture of what the poem is trying to say, which I love. The poems do not rhyme, but I feel like it will be appealing to children because of the mental images it produces. You can really feel and imagine the poem. The poems also all begin in the same format and I think children will like that consistency. This book also has a good comprehensive selection of poems ranging from just ordinary objects to more cultural ones so I like that it is so diverse because these poems can be used for a variety of different purposes, such as ELA or even a social justice approach. All in all, the poems are all about diversity (more in terms of the diversity of brown as a color), which is a great subject to teach kids about. Absolutely love this poetry collection and could definitely see myself using it in my future classroom!
Descriptions of Illustrations:
While this book features beautiful poems, it also features beautiful illustrations to accompany them. The illustrations appear to be done in watercolor paints, however I am not positive as art is not my forte. They are beautiful nonetheless. On another note, the illustrations really help paint a picture of what the poem is saying. For some of the poems the illustrations are the only way to understand them because of the wording of some of the poems. So the illustrations are very useful for this book and they effectively illustrate the poems, which will aid in comprehending the overall poem.
Classroom Connections:
There is a lot you can do with these poems, it is so multi-functional! I think these poems could be used to teach students about imagery and as an activity students could write poems in the format of the poems in this collection (as these poems seem to follow the same format) paying close attention to the imagery present in their own poems. I also think these poems could be used to teach about descriptive words and students could use these poems to increase their use of descriptive language. Besides language, these poems could be used to teach students about diversity and students could bring in a cultural object of their own and write their own poems on that object and the students could then present both their cultural object and poem to the class and explaining why it is important to them. Teachers could also teach from a social justice perspective and use this book to discuss the diversity in their classrooms and talk about their skin colors and letting them know that their skin color is beautiful etc. (much like the last poem in the collection). Teachers could also read a poem and have the student draw whatever is in their head (much like the chart board drawing we did for Each Kindness). There is a lot of stuff that can be done to incorporate this book in the classroom and there a lot of activities that teachers could use this collection for.
Not a Box by Antoinette Portis
4.0
Annotated Bibliography Entry: Not a Box by: Antoinette Portis
Summary:
A very simplistic book for beginning readers, which details the imagination of the child mind. A rabbit is sitting in a box, which the narrator questions throughout the book curious about why the rabbit is playing with an empty box. To the narrator, idea of playing with a box is questionable, however to the rabbit the box isn't really a box. It is his "not a box", which has the potential to be anything the rabbit desires including a boat, a robot or even a spaceship.
Personal Response:
I think this book would be good for beginning readers because it is a book that is simplistic enough that they could read on their own with little assistance. I also like the theme this book explores: promoting imagination. A child's imagination can be a great benefit in the classroom so I am glad this book focused on that. I like that it stressed that something so simple (such as a box) can be something amazing if we just use a little bit of creativity. This book encourages children to explore their sense of creativity, which I love and think is very important in schools.
Descriptions of Illustrations:
This book is very simplistic and the illustrations went perfectly well given the simplicity of the book in general, however I do like the aspect of spatial awareness present in the illustrations. Even when the box is a spacecraft or a robot, the reader can always see the what the drawing was originally (which is the box). The box changes and becomes other things, which is made clear by the use of red marker. The red marker is used to draw other things with the box serving as an outline. It shows the ability to use the box and creating something even more creative. Given the nature of the story, the illustrations went along perfectly and it serves as a visual to just how creative a box can be.
Classroom Connections:
While a lot of the books we read for this class make excellent read alouds. I feel this book would be a great book for young children to read on their own and there is a great deal that can be done with this book in the classroom. I think this could be used to teach students about shapes since the box itself is rectangular and the additional drawings are so spatially accurate. Students could add their own things to the box using a variety of shapes to create the objects they want. They could then go through and label the shapes they used and discuss what they notice about all the shapes. This book could also be used as a way for students to express their own creativity. Each student could be given a box and they can be encouraged to use their imagination and create anything they want with the box making sure to use the box as a base. Just like the rabbit did in this story! I think it would be interesting to see the things that students could create and come up with just using their imagination alone!
Summary:
A very simplistic book for beginning readers, which details the imagination of the child mind. A rabbit is sitting in a box, which the narrator questions throughout the book curious about why the rabbit is playing with an empty box. To the narrator, idea of playing with a box is questionable, however to the rabbit the box isn't really a box. It is his "not a box", which has the potential to be anything the rabbit desires including a boat, a robot or even a spaceship.
Personal Response:
I think this book would be good for beginning readers because it is a book that is simplistic enough that they could read on their own with little assistance. I also like the theme this book explores: promoting imagination. A child's imagination can be a great benefit in the classroom so I am glad this book focused on that. I like that it stressed that something so simple (such as a box) can be something amazing if we just use a little bit of creativity. This book encourages children to explore their sense of creativity, which I love and think is very important in schools.
Descriptions of Illustrations:
This book is very simplistic and the illustrations went perfectly well given the simplicity of the book in general, however I do like the aspect of spatial awareness present in the illustrations. Even when the box is a spacecraft or a robot, the reader can always see the what the drawing was originally (which is the box). The box changes and becomes other things, which is made clear by the use of red marker. The red marker is used to draw other things with the box serving as an outline. It shows the ability to use the box and creating something even more creative. Given the nature of the story, the illustrations went along perfectly and it serves as a visual to just how creative a box can be.
Classroom Connections:
While a lot of the books we read for this class make excellent read alouds. I feel this book would be a great book for young children to read on their own and there is a great deal that can be done with this book in the classroom. I think this could be used to teach students about shapes since the box itself is rectangular and the additional drawings are so spatially accurate. Students could add their own things to the box using a variety of shapes to create the objects they want. They could then go through and label the shapes they used and discuss what they notice about all the shapes. This book could also be used as a way for students to express their own creativity. Each student could be given a box and they can be encouraged to use their imagination and create anything they want with the box making sure to use the box as a base. Just like the rabbit did in this story! I think it would be interesting to see the things that students could create and come up with just using their imagination alone!
Charlie & Mouse by Laurel Snyder
4.0
Annotated Bibliography Entry: Charlie and Mouse by: Laurel Snyder
Summary:
Charlie and Mouse functions as a mini storybook of sorts that tells a few separate stories about brothers, Charlie and Mouse. One story is the two brothers talking to lumps in their beds (just people who are sleeping, such as Charlie talking to Mouse and his both of them talking to their parents). The next story is about a neighborhood party in which Charlie and Mouse manage to invite the whole neighborhood to. The next story is about the brothers trying to earn money so they attempt to sell rocks only to be out of money and a garden full of rocks at the end. The last story is about the brothers successfully managing to convince their mom to give them bedtime bananas before bed.
Personal Response:
Great little storybook with some of the most simplistic and cute stories. This simplicity is meant in a good way. I think the simplicity of the stories is useful because children will actually be able to wrap their heads around the story and understand them. This book also introduces children to the concept of a storybook, which is always useful for children (to understand different genres). My favorite part about the book was the dialogue between the characters. I thought the dialogue was very witty and clever, which was refreshing to read. Like a lot of the other books I have read that were pretty humorous, I found myself laughing at multiple points. I really enjoy reading children's books that are the whole package in terms of plot, writing and humor.
Descriptions of Illustrations:
One of the highlights of this book were the simplistic stories. I found the illustrations in this book to be very simplistic as well. Besides the simplistic nature of the illustrations, they also were very cartoonish and I felt that it went along with the general nature of the story. This style of illustration I think would be very appealing to young children. Another thing I noticed is that there wasn't as much illustrations, which is something I am not used to in children's books. I don't know exactly how I feel about this, however I liked that this book's illustrations do not fit the particular mold present in a lot of children's books.
Classroom connections:
I think this is a perfect read aloud book that could be used to introduce children to storybooks (having multiple stories in one book). I think this book would be particularly useful to introduce this concept because the stories in this book are simplistic and are easy for young children to grasp and understand. This book also talks about themes, such as inclusion. This is very apparent in the Party story because the brothers invited everyone to the party, rather than being choosy. I think students could use this book to make storybooks of their own that could be read and shared with the class. Other than storybooks, I feel that this book could be used to discuss certain topics about friendship, such as kindness and inclusion. After the discussion, the teacher could explain how we should be kind and respect everyone, much like the brothers were kind and invited everyone to the party. There are a lot of things that teachers could use this book to talk about. It has the potential to promote excellent discussion about the concepts of both friendship and inclusion.
Summary:
Charlie and Mouse functions as a mini storybook of sorts that tells a few separate stories about brothers, Charlie and Mouse. One story is the two brothers talking to lumps in their beds (just people who are sleeping, such as Charlie talking to Mouse and his both of them talking to their parents). The next story is about a neighborhood party in which Charlie and Mouse manage to invite the whole neighborhood to. The next story is about the brothers trying to earn money so they attempt to sell rocks only to be out of money and a garden full of rocks at the end. The last story is about the brothers successfully managing to convince their mom to give them bedtime bananas before bed.
Personal Response:
Great little storybook with some of the most simplistic and cute stories. This simplicity is meant in a good way. I think the simplicity of the stories is useful because children will actually be able to wrap their heads around the story and understand them. This book also introduces children to the concept of a storybook, which is always useful for children (to understand different genres). My favorite part about the book was the dialogue between the characters. I thought the dialogue was very witty and clever, which was refreshing to read. Like a lot of the other books I have read that were pretty humorous, I found myself laughing at multiple points. I really enjoy reading children's books that are the whole package in terms of plot, writing and humor.
Descriptions of Illustrations:
One of the highlights of this book were the simplistic stories. I found the illustrations in this book to be very simplistic as well. Besides the simplistic nature of the illustrations, they also were very cartoonish and I felt that it went along with the general nature of the story. This style of illustration I think would be very appealing to young children. Another thing I noticed is that there wasn't as much illustrations, which is something I am not used to in children's books. I don't know exactly how I feel about this, however I liked that this book's illustrations do not fit the particular mold present in a lot of children's books.
Classroom connections:
I think this is a perfect read aloud book that could be used to introduce children to storybooks (having multiple stories in one book). I think this book would be particularly useful to introduce this concept because the stories in this book are simplistic and are easy for young children to grasp and understand. This book also talks about themes, such as inclusion. This is very apparent in the Party story because the brothers invited everyone to the party, rather than being choosy. I think students could use this book to make storybooks of their own that could be read and shared with the class. Other than storybooks, I feel that this book could be used to discuss certain topics about friendship, such as kindness and inclusion. After the discussion, the teacher could explain how we should be kind and respect everyone, much like the brothers were kind and invited everyone to the party. There are a lot of things that teachers could use this book to talk about. It has the potential to promote excellent discussion about the concepts of both friendship and inclusion.
Take a Picture of Me, James Van Der Zee! by Andrea J. Loney
5.0
Annotated Bibliography Entry: Take a Picture of Me, James Vanderzee! By Andrea J. Loney
Summary:
This book is a children's biography book about the life and work of James Vanderzee. James was born in Mississippi and spent his childhood fascinated by pictures. He struggled as an artist and felt that drawn/painted pictures often did not depict people accurately so he was drawn to the camera and the art of photography. After finally getting a camera of his own he took pictures of people until he got the opportunity to move up north to Harlem. This was during the Great Migration. In Harlem, he landed a job as a photographer's assistant, but he soon realized that job was holding him back from reaching his full potential as Racism and discrimination was commonplace during those times. Eventually, James proved to everyone in Harlem that he was a great photographer and he opened his own studio. As the years went by cameras became much more affordable and people could take their own photos, thus causing James' studio to lose popularity. In the end though, James managed to bounce back when his photos were used in an exhibition showcasing the Harlem Renaissance.
Personal Response:
I like that this book featured someone that is relatively unknown to Black history and I like how it depicted a photographer and depicted photography as the art form that it is. I, personally have never heard of James Vanderzee prior to reading this book. So reading this book was a learning experience for me and I was able to take something out of it even though I am a college student. My point is oftentimes in schools when we celebrate Black History Month we are only celebrating the most well known African Americans and I feel that is a tad problematic as there are so many other talented African Americans that never get the spotlight or credit they deserve. In school, I never learned about James Vanderzee, but I learned of other people involved in the Harlem Renaissance, such as Langston Hughes. Don't get me wrong: it is important that we are learning about individuals, such as Langston Hughes, but I think it would be nice to learn about other history makers too. Just some of my thoughts!
Descriptions of Illustrations
In my view, the illustrations in this book is the definition of artsy. These pictures are artwork in and of itself. I just loved the colors of pictures it brought such life and character to what the words were saying. I thought the pictures were very appealing because of this. I loved looking at them because it really did enhance the story! I could definitely see children loving these illustrations because of the concepts of color and shadow. The pictures really did pop!
Classroom Connections:
There is a lot that teachers could use this book for. As I mentioned before about the lesser known people of Black History Month I think this book would make an excellent selection as a read aloud. Other than that teachers could set up various centers where students could go and learn about various Black history makers. They could even learn about the Great Migration and Harlem Renaissance during these centers. I think this would be a great way for students to gain some diversity on the African Americans who changed history. While I do believe this book could be used in a Black History Month center, teachers could also use this book to talk about cause/effect. I think that biography books would be a great way to introduce that concept. Teachers could also do a webquest of sorts where students could go and learn more information about James Vanderzee. It could be like a scavenger hunt sort of thing, which would give them practice doing research on the internet. Definitely a book that could be used in the classroom for a multitude of different things.
Summary:
This book is a children's biography book about the life and work of James Vanderzee. James was born in Mississippi and spent his childhood fascinated by pictures. He struggled as an artist and felt that drawn/painted pictures often did not depict people accurately so he was drawn to the camera and the art of photography. After finally getting a camera of his own he took pictures of people until he got the opportunity to move up north to Harlem. This was during the Great Migration. In Harlem, he landed a job as a photographer's assistant, but he soon realized that job was holding him back from reaching his full potential as Racism and discrimination was commonplace during those times. Eventually, James proved to everyone in Harlem that he was a great photographer and he opened his own studio. As the years went by cameras became much more affordable and people could take their own photos, thus causing James' studio to lose popularity. In the end though, James managed to bounce back when his photos were used in an exhibition showcasing the Harlem Renaissance.
Personal Response:
I like that this book featured someone that is relatively unknown to Black history and I like how it depicted a photographer and depicted photography as the art form that it is. I, personally have never heard of James Vanderzee prior to reading this book. So reading this book was a learning experience for me and I was able to take something out of it even though I am a college student. My point is oftentimes in schools when we celebrate Black History Month we are only celebrating the most well known African Americans and I feel that is a tad problematic as there are so many other talented African Americans that never get the spotlight or credit they deserve. In school, I never learned about James Vanderzee, but I learned of other people involved in the Harlem Renaissance, such as Langston Hughes. Don't get me wrong: it is important that we are learning about individuals, such as Langston Hughes, but I think it would be nice to learn about other history makers too. Just some of my thoughts!
Descriptions of Illustrations
In my view, the illustrations in this book is the definition of artsy. These pictures are artwork in and of itself. I just loved the colors of pictures it brought such life and character to what the words were saying. I thought the pictures were very appealing because of this. I loved looking at them because it really did enhance the story! I could definitely see children loving these illustrations because of the concepts of color and shadow. The pictures really did pop!
Classroom Connections:
There is a lot that teachers could use this book for. As I mentioned before about the lesser known people of Black History Month I think this book would make an excellent selection as a read aloud. Other than that teachers could set up various centers where students could go and learn about various Black history makers. They could even learn about the Great Migration and Harlem Renaissance during these centers. I think this would be a great way for students to gain some diversity on the African Americans who changed history. While I do believe this book could be used in a Black History Month center, teachers could also use this book to talk about cause/effect. I think that biography books would be a great way to introduce that concept. Teachers could also do a webquest of sorts where students could go and learn more information about James Vanderzee. It could be like a scavenger hunt sort of thing, which would give them practice doing research on the internet. Definitely a book that could be used in the classroom for a multitude of different things.
Blackout by John Rocco
5.0
Annotated Bibliography Entry: Blackout by John Rocco
Summary:
It is a hot summer day and all seems to be normal in one particular household. Everybody is busy doing something and none of them seem to have any free time to spend with their family. However that typicality soon changes when the whole city experiences a blackout and all the lights go out. After the lights go out the family was does what normal families do when the power goes out: they find any light they can and play board games, etc to pass the time. This particular pass time turned out to be too mundane for this family and headed outside to the roof where they saw bright stars in the sky and a party down below. The family then joins the party and when the power does return the family is more concerned with spending time together than being busy.
Personal Response:
I have read a lot of children's books and I have never seen a children's book that is set up like this one is. It is like a graphic novel almost and I love it. It reads almost as if you are reading a comic strip. With that being said, I could see children being drawn to this book because comics are always appealing to children. I also like how relatable this book is. I am sure there are kids who have parents that work and are always busy and I am sure they have also experienced a power outage of some sort. I just love that relatable aspect because that is what draws children in.
Descriptions of Illustrations:
Illustrations are very cartoon-esque and the characters just seem to pop off the page. It is perfect for the graphic novel aspect of the book. For example, when one page said "everyone was still" just by looking at the pictures you could really feel that sense of stillness. I personally love when the illustrations accurately convey just what the words are saying. I also find these illustrations appealing for children to the comic book aspect. The illustrations really pop!
Classroom Connections:
This would be an excellent book to use to introduce children to graphic novel type books or even comics since this book seems to align with that genre. While this book can be used to talk about style and genre, it can also be used to talk about cause and effect. I think students could easily pick out causes and effects just from the plot of the book. Other than that students could create their own plot diagram for the book because I think the plot details are easy to pick out. I think students could easily fill out a plot diagram for this book because of how easy to pick out the plot details are. This is a great book that can be used for a multitude of classroom applications.
Summary:
It is a hot summer day and all seems to be normal in one particular household. Everybody is busy doing something and none of them seem to have any free time to spend with their family. However that typicality soon changes when the whole city experiences a blackout and all the lights go out. After the lights go out the family was does what normal families do when the power goes out: they find any light they can and play board games, etc to pass the time. This particular pass time turned out to be too mundane for this family and headed outside to the roof where they saw bright stars in the sky and a party down below. The family then joins the party and when the power does return the family is more concerned with spending time together than being busy.
Personal Response:
I have read a lot of children's books and I have never seen a children's book that is set up like this one is. It is like a graphic novel almost and I love it. It reads almost as if you are reading a comic strip. With that being said, I could see children being drawn to this book because comics are always appealing to children. I also like how relatable this book is. I am sure there are kids who have parents that work and are always busy and I am sure they have also experienced a power outage of some sort. I just love that relatable aspect because that is what draws children in.
Descriptions of Illustrations:
Illustrations are very cartoon-esque and the characters just seem to pop off the page. It is perfect for the graphic novel aspect of the book. For example, when one page said "everyone was still" just by looking at the pictures you could really feel that sense of stillness. I personally love when the illustrations accurately convey just what the words are saying. I also find these illustrations appealing for children to the comic book aspect. The illustrations really pop!
Classroom Connections:
This would be an excellent book to use to introduce children to graphic novel type books or even comics since this book seems to align with that genre. While this book can be used to talk about style and genre, it can also be used to talk about cause and effect. I think students could easily pick out causes and effects just from the plot of the book. Other than that students could create their own plot diagram for the book because I think the plot details are easy to pick out. I think students could easily fill out a plot diagram for this book because of how easy to pick out the plot details are. This is a great book that can be used for a multitude of classroom applications.
A Bike Like Sergio's by Maribeth Boelts
5.0
Annotated Bibliography Entry: A Bike Like Sergio's
Text Set: Kindness
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Summary:
Ruben wants one thing: a bike like Sergio's, except the only problem is Ruben's family does not have enough money to buy a bike. They have a mouthful of children to feed and Ruben's family is struggling. One day at the grocery store a lady buying bread accidentally drops money on the floor and Ruben picks it up thinking it is a dollar bill, however it turns out to be $100 bill. Ruben decides to pocket the money because it will be enough for the bike. Ruben is happy dreaming of his new bike he plans to buy, but he is soon overwhelmed with a sense of guilt. Finally, he sees the lady who dropped the money on the floor and decides to give the money back to her. He has mixed emotions about giving the money back, but is filled with pride once he is reunited with his family and they tell him how proud they are of him.
Personal Response:
This is a wonderful book in which a lot of children will be able to relate to. For starters, I am sure most children have heard of the old saying, "finders keepers, losers weepers" and this book speaks exactly to that saying. I am sure if in the same position children would keep the money without even thinking twice so this book allows children to see things from a different perspective. This book also allows you to feel sympathy for a variety of different characters. Overall, it is just a powerful book about the power of kindness and doing what is right. I think that is an important message for children to learn.
Descriptions of illustrations:
Illustrations are pretty typical in the sense that it is similar to a lot of the other books I have read for this project. That is not necessarily a negative thing. The illustrations are more cartoonish and simplistic. There is not much to them and that fits the overall style of the book. This book is more about the story line anyway. However I still did appreciate a lot of the illustrations present in this book: they are simplistic and I do believe they are appealing to children.
Classroom Connections:
I feel like this would be a good book to do a whole kindness unit on and there are definitely some activities students could do in relation to the theme of "kindness". I am finding it hard to come up with activities off the top of my head, but teachers could also use this book to discuss themes, specifically the kindness theme. Teachers could ask students if they agree with Ruben's decision to give the money back and teachers could also ask if the money was Ruben's because he found it. I could envision all the discussions that this book could generate. I also think this book could be acted out and students could act out the story or use reader's theater of some sort. Another activity that could be done is having the students write a journal from another characters' perspective. For example students could write from the lady with the bread's perspective and see how the individual stories differ. I think that would be super interesting to see!
Text Set: Kindness
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Summary:
Ruben wants one thing: a bike like Sergio's, except the only problem is Ruben's family does not have enough money to buy a bike. They have a mouthful of children to feed and Ruben's family is struggling. One day at the grocery store a lady buying bread accidentally drops money on the floor and Ruben picks it up thinking it is a dollar bill, however it turns out to be $100 bill. Ruben decides to pocket the money because it will be enough for the bike. Ruben is happy dreaming of his new bike he plans to buy, but he is soon overwhelmed with a sense of guilt. Finally, he sees the lady who dropped the money on the floor and decides to give the money back to her. He has mixed emotions about giving the money back, but is filled with pride once he is reunited with his family and they tell him how proud they are of him.
Personal Response:
This is a wonderful book in which a lot of children will be able to relate to. For starters, I am sure most children have heard of the old saying, "finders keepers, losers weepers" and this book speaks exactly to that saying. I am sure if in the same position children would keep the money without even thinking twice so this book allows children to see things from a different perspective. This book also allows you to feel sympathy for a variety of different characters. Overall, it is just a powerful book about the power of kindness and doing what is right. I think that is an important message for children to learn.
Descriptions of illustrations:
Illustrations are pretty typical in the sense that it is similar to a lot of the other books I have read for this project. That is not necessarily a negative thing. The illustrations are more cartoonish and simplistic. There is not much to them and that fits the overall style of the book. This book is more about the story line anyway. However I still did appreciate a lot of the illustrations present in this book: they are simplistic and I do believe they are appealing to children.
Classroom Connections:
I feel like this would be a good book to do a whole kindness unit on and there are definitely some activities students could do in relation to the theme of "kindness". I am finding it hard to come up with activities off the top of my head, but teachers could also use this book to discuss themes, specifically the kindness theme. Teachers could ask students if they agree with Ruben's decision to give the money back and teachers could also ask if the money was Ruben's because he found it. I could envision all the discussions that this book could generate. I also think this book could be acted out and students could act out the story or use reader's theater of some sort. Another activity that could be done is having the students write a journal from another characters' perspective. For example students could write from the lady with the bread's perspective and see how the individual stories differ. I think that would be super interesting to see!
Cinder Edna by Ellen Jackson
5.0
Annotated Bibliography Entry: Cinder Edna by Ellen Jackson
Summary:
This is a fragmented tale of Cinderella. It is basically the classic Cinderella with a few twists: Cinderella is not as one-dimensional as the classic and there is Cinder Edna, a girl who lives the same type of lifestyle as Cinderella, but has a more positive outlook on life and love and actually knows how to do stuff on her own. She is independent, buys her own dress for the ball and takes the bus, rather than relying on a fairy godmother. Both Cinderella and Cinder Edna attend the same ball, but both have different experiences. Cinderella meets a handsome prince and is smitten with him, while Edna thinks his lifestyle is rather boring since he just sits on his throne all day talking politics. Instead she meets Rupert, the prince's brother who is much more of a go-getter than his brother. Once the clock strikes 12 both the ladies leave and the lovers try to find them. In the end, both find their perspective brides and marry them in a double ceremony. However, it is not a happy ending for all of them. Ella is bored by her husband's lifestyle and Edna has a happy marriage with a husband who is her best friend. GIRL POWER!
Personal Response:
As I mentioned before: GIRL POWER! I love how this book treated women as independent, rather than someone who has to rely on others for help. I love that the characters in this book even Cinderella are not one-dimensional like the typical story that most kids watch from Disney. In a lot of ways it is more realistic (especially Cinder Edna) and I think kids will connect more with that. Edna is just like everyone else, she is average and not just some fantasy character. This book still has though fantasy elements, but is much more realistic. I also liked the not so happy ending for some of the characters. Very realistic, which I think is refreshing. I remember my teachers reading this book to us in elementary school and I remember liking it so it was nice to explore and read it once again from a teacher's perspective.
Descriptions of Illustrations:
Pictures are very fantastical and fits the concept of a fairy tale. The colors work well. It is not as vibrant as other illustrations I have seen, but the pictures really do convey that it is a fairy tale of sorts that we are reading. I like that and find the pictures overall to be quite enjoyable and appealing.
Classroom Connections:
There are a lot of different things teachers could do with this book. For starters, a lot of kids are familiar with Disney's Cinderella and I think it would be nice to make a venn diagram and have the students compare and contrast the two stories finding what is similar and what is different about it. Since this book represents characters in a more multi-dimensional way, teachers could have the students pick out character traits for each of the main characters in the story (this doesn't just have to be Ella or Edna). Teachers could also have students describe each of the character's personality, encouraging them to use descriptive words, which will help with the character traits. As a writing activity, teachers could have students write about which character they liked and why. Did they like Cinderella or did they like Cinder Edna? I am sure the students could give a variety of different answers as to which character they liked better. I think it would be nice to see!
Summary:
This is a fragmented tale of Cinderella. It is basically the classic Cinderella with a few twists: Cinderella is not as one-dimensional as the classic and there is Cinder Edna, a girl who lives the same type of lifestyle as Cinderella, but has a more positive outlook on life and love and actually knows how to do stuff on her own. She is independent, buys her own dress for the ball and takes the bus, rather than relying on a fairy godmother. Both Cinderella and Cinder Edna attend the same ball, but both have different experiences. Cinderella meets a handsome prince and is smitten with him, while Edna thinks his lifestyle is rather boring since he just sits on his throne all day talking politics. Instead she meets Rupert, the prince's brother who is much more of a go-getter than his brother. Once the clock strikes 12 both the ladies leave and the lovers try to find them. In the end, both find their perspective brides and marry them in a double ceremony. However, it is not a happy ending for all of them. Ella is bored by her husband's lifestyle and Edna has a happy marriage with a husband who is her best friend. GIRL POWER!
Personal Response:
As I mentioned before: GIRL POWER! I love how this book treated women as independent, rather than someone who has to rely on others for help. I love that the characters in this book even Cinderella are not one-dimensional like the typical story that most kids watch from Disney. In a lot of ways it is more realistic (especially Cinder Edna) and I think kids will connect more with that. Edna is just like everyone else, she is average and not just some fantasy character. This book still has though fantasy elements, but is much more realistic. I also liked the not so happy ending for some of the characters. Very realistic, which I think is refreshing. I remember my teachers reading this book to us in elementary school and I remember liking it so it was nice to explore and read it once again from a teacher's perspective.
Descriptions of Illustrations:
Pictures are very fantastical and fits the concept of a fairy tale. The colors work well. It is not as vibrant as other illustrations I have seen, but the pictures really do convey that it is a fairy tale of sorts that we are reading. I like that and find the pictures overall to be quite enjoyable and appealing.
Classroom Connections:
There are a lot of different things teachers could do with this book. For starters, a lot of kids are familiar with Disney's Cinderella and I think it would be nice to make a venn diagram and have the students compare and contrast the two stories finding what is similar and what is different about it. Since this book represents characters in a more multi-dimensional way, teachers could have the students pick out character traits for each of the main characters in the story (this doesn't just have to be Ella or Edna). Teachers could also have students describe each of the character's personality, encouraging them to use descriptive words, which will help with the character traits. As a writing activity, teachers could have students write about which character they liked and why. Did they like Cinderella or did they like Cinder Edna? I am sure the students could give a variety of different answers as to which character they liked better. I think it would be nice to see!
Yeh-Shen: A Cinderella Story from China by Ai-Ling Louie
4.0
Annotated Bibliography Entry: Yeh Shen: A Cinderella Story from China retold by Ai-Ling Louie
Summary:
Yeh Shen is the beautiful daughter of the late Chief Wu and one of his wives whom died shortly after Yeh was born. Yeh grows up as an orphan with her step mother and step sister who are both jealous of her for being more beautiful, than both of them. She is always given the unpleasant, grueling chores around the house and she lives a very sheltered lifestyle. She has no friends except a fish, but that quickly ends when the step mother stabs the fish and cooks it for dinner out of spite. The only thing devastated Yeh has left is the bones of the fish that was left behind. The bones turn out to be magical and grant Yeh anything she could possibly want. When the spring festival comes up, Yeh wishes she could attend and magical bones turn her rags into riches. She attends the festival where everyone is stunned by how beautiful she is, however she gets nervous and leaves afraid her step mother and step sister will recognize her. In haste, she leaves behind a golden slipper, which is eventually sold to the King who orders a manhunt of sorts to find the rightful owner of the slipper. Eventually, Yeh goes to the pavilion to try on the shoe and it fits her perfectly. She takes it back with her and the King eventually locates her. They are married and the step mother and step sister end up being crushed to death by stones.
Personal Response:
This story is entirely different from the original Cinderella and even the fragmented Cinderella that I read. In terms of the traditional story it is almost a completely different story in and of itself. There are some similarities, such as the mean step mothers and step sisters (though the ones in this version are much nastier than the ones in the traditional, they are abusive) and making Cinderella (Yeh Shen) do all the chores. I like that this is a completely different version because it comes off as more cultural to me. They mentioned the Spring Festival being a gathering where women go and meet the man they hope to marry. It all comes across as being extremely cultural and I like that. I especially like the fish because I know the fish is big in Chinese culture with the zodiac symbols and such. Definitely like the cultural aspect of this one. You can tell it was passed from generations to generations. It reads as such!
Descriptions of Illustrations:
In terms of illustrations, there is not much to look at. This book doesn't have big, vibrant pictures that draw you in and take up the entire page. The pictures here are much more obscure in the sense that it is often hard to tell what they are depicting. The pictures are pretty much just shades of color. It is hard to tell what/who it is exactly, but I liked it. The illustrator used nice juxtapositions of contrasting colors and that made the pictures stand out a little bit. I do think that these illustrations might not be appealing for some kids, but it may be appealing to older kids who are starting to read more chapter books and less picture books.
Classroom Connections:
I wanted to mention that I think this book would be best to share with older students as I feel the story line for this one would go over the younger kids' heads. They may not be able to understand the story as well. A teacher could use this book as a way of comparing various versions of Cinderella, such as the traditional tale and the even the fragmented tale of Cinder Edna. They make a venn diagram comparing and contrasting the two stories. There are definitely things to contrast as this version is completely different from the traditional. Students could also compare and contrast character traits of the characters in this version to the ones in other versions. For example, in my opinion the step mother is worse to Yeh Shen than the step mother is in other versions of Cinderella I have read. The one in this version is just abusive. I think this would be a good center idea as well and teachers could set up different centers where students could get time reading other versions of Cinderella and doing activities for each. This is much like what we did in class and I think that is something teachers could do for older students to examine traditional literature, such as this one.
Summary:
Yeh Shen is the beautiful daughter of the late Chief Wu and one of his wives whom died shortly after Yeh was born. Yeh grows up as an orphan with her step mother and step sister who are both jealous of her for being more beautiful, than both of them. She is always given the unpleasant, grueling chores around the house and she lives a very sheltered lifestyle. She has no friends except a fish, but that quickly ends when the step mother stabs the fish and cooks it for dinner out of spite. The only thing devastated Yeh has left is the bones of the fish that was left behind. The bones turn out to be magical and grant Yeh anything she could possibly want. When the spring festival comes up, Yeh wishes she could attend and magical bones turn her rags into riches. She attends the festival where everyone is stunned by how beautiful she is, however she gets nervous and leaves afraid her step mother and step sister will recognize her. In haste, she leaves behind a golden slipper, which is eventually sold to the King who orders a manhunt of sorts to find the rightful owner of the slipper. Eventually, Yeh goes to the pavilion to try on the shoe and it fits her perfectly. She takes it back with her and the King eventually locates her. They are married and the step mother and step sister end up being crushed to death by stones.
Personal Response:
This story is entirely different from the original Cinderella and even the fragmented Cinderella that I read. In terms of the traditional story it is almost a completely different story in and of itself. There are some similarities, such as the mean step mothers and step sisters (though the ones in this version are much nastier than the ones in the traditional, they are abusive) and making Cinderella (Yeh Shen) do all the chores. I like that this is a completely different version because it comes off as more cultural to me. They mentioned the Spring Festival being a gathering where women go and meet the man they hope to marry. It all comes across as being extremely cultural and I like that. I especially like the fish because I know the fish is big in Chinese culture with the zodiac symbols and such. Definitely like the cultural aspect of this one. You can tell it was passed from generations to generations. It reads as such!
Descriptions of Illustrations:
In terms of illustrations, there is not much to look at. This book doesn't have big, vibrant pictures that draw you in and take up the entire page. The pictures here are much more obscure in the sense that it is often hard to tell what they are depicting. The pictures are pretty much just shades of color. It is hard to tell what/who it is exactly, but I liked it. The illustrator used nice juxtapositions of contrasting colors and that made the pictures stand out a little bit. I do think that these illustrations might not be appealing for some kids, but it may be appealing to older kids who are starting to read more chapter books and less picture books.
Classroom Connections:
I wanted to mention that I think this book would be best to share with older students as I feel the story line for this one would go over the younger kids' heads. They may not be able to understand the story as well. A teacher could use this book as a way of comparing various versions of Cinderella, such as the traditional tale and the even the fragmented tale of Cinder Edna. They make a venn diagram comparing and contrasting the two stories. There are definitely things to contrast as this version is completely different from the traditional. Students could also compare and contrast character traits of the characters in this version to the ones in other versions. For example, in my opinion the step mother is worse to Yeh Shen than the step mother is in other versions of Cinderella I have read. The one in this version is just abusive. I think this would be a good center idea as well and teachers could set up different centers where students could get time reading other versions of Cinderella and doing activities for each. This is much like what we did in class and I think that is something teachers could do for older students to examine traditional literature, such as this one.
Someone New by Anne Sibley O'Brien
5.0
Annotated Bibliography Entry: Someone New by Anne Sibley O'Brien
Text Set: Kindess
Genre: Picture book
Summary:
There are 3 immigrant students who are new students in 3 different classrooms. Maria is from Guatemala and does not speak English. The other students in the class wish they could help her and wish they could include her in things, such as soccer. They are afraid to mess up their soccer team. However after Maria approaches them asking them if she can play, they have a change of heart and realize she is an excellent soccer player. Jin is from South Korea and connects with the little boy in his class through their love of comic books and sharing things from their culture (Jin showing the boy how to write his name in Korean). Fatimah is from Somalia and she manages to connect with another girl in her class through drawing pictures of their family and home life. All of the students did not know how to help the new students at first because of the English ability, however after befriending them these new students managed to change the other students views and perspectives.
Personal Response:
Love that this book showed the different perspectives of all the characters. That way, readers could understand that it is hard for both parties to forge friendships. I also feel like this type of thing happens all the time in schools and I do think it is realistic that the main issue with other students being reluctant to befriend immigrant children is the language barrier and not knowing how to communicate with them. They want to, but they just do not know how! I think this is what happens in schools when someone new comes into class and that new student is an immigrant or an ELL student. I am sure a lot of kids would love to befriend the student, but it is ultimately the language barrier and not knowing what to do that is holding them back. I feel like this is a story that should definitely be shared in schools because I am sure situations, such as the ones depicted in the book occur all the time in classrooms.
Descriptions of illustrations:
Pictures are very modern and cartoon-like. They resemble people very well. The illustrations and layout reminded me a bit of comics because the characters speak in speech bubbles. I think the illustrations are appealing because of the cartoon aspect. The characters resemble people (nothing abstract) and it fits well with the story. I think because of this these pictures would be very appealing to children.
Classroom Connections:
I think this is the type of book that teachers could share and do activities with if they happen to have someone new come into the class and that student is an ELL student. I think if the book was shared at that time it would be more meaningful for students as they would have personal connections. If shared at a time where there is a new student, teachers could have students brainstorm different ways in which they could make the new student feel at home and make their own greeting cards welcoming the student into the classroom (which I am sure a new student would like). Teachers could also have students write in their journals about ways in which they could make the new student feel welcomed and over coming the language barrier. Since this story is about 3 different situations, I feel that teachers could use this book to talk about the different perspectives and have students write how they think the immigrant students feel about being a new student and befriending other students. This would be best before reading the companion book I'm New Here, which is actually told from the immigrant students' perspectives. So this activity would be a good introduction to the other book.
Text Set: Kindess
Genre: Picture book
Summary:
There are 3 immigrant students who are new students in 3 different classrooms. Maria is from Guatemala and does not speak English. The other students in the class wish they could help her and wish they could include her in things, such as soccer. They are afraid to mess up their soccer team. However after Maria approaches them asking them if she can play, they have a change of heart and realize she is an excellent soccer player. Jin is from South Korea and connects with the little boy in his class through their love of comic books and sharing things from their culture (Jin showing the boy how to write his name in Korean). Fatimah is from Somalia and she manages to connect with another girl in her class through drawing pictures of their family and home life. All of the students did not know how to help the new students at first because of the English ability, however after befriending them these new students managed to change the other students views and perspectives.
Personal Response:
Love that this book showed the different perspectives of all the characters. That way, readers could understand that it is hard for both parties to forge friendships. I also feel like this type of thing happens all the time in schools and I do think it is realistic that the main issue with other students being reluctant to befriend immigrant children is the language barrier and not knowing how to communicate with them. They want to, but they just do not know how! I think this is what happens in schools when someone new comes into class and that new student is an immigrant or an ELL student. I am sure a lot of kids would love to befriend the student, but it is ultimately the language barrier and not knowing what to do that is holding them back. I feel like this is a story that should definitely be shared in schools because I am sure situations, such as the ones depicted in the book occur all the time in classrooms.
Descriptions of illustrations:
Pictures are very modern and cartoon-like. They resemble people very well. The illustrations and layout reminded me a bit of comics because the characters speak in speech bubbles. I think the illustrations are appealing because of the cartoon aspect. The characters resemble people (nothing abstract) and it fits well with the story. I think because of this these pictures would be very appealing to children.
Classroom Connections:
I think this is the type of book that teachers could share and do activities with if they happen to have someone new come into the class and that student is an ELL student. I think if the book was shared at that time it would be more meaningful for students as they would have personal connections. If shared at a time where there is a new student, teachers could have students brainstorm different ways in which they could make the new student feel at home and make their own greeting cards welcoming the student into the classroom (which I am sure a new student would like). Teachers could also have students write in their journals about ways in which they could make the new student feel welcomed and over coming the language barrier. Since this story is about 3 different situations, I feel that teachers could use this book to talk about the different perspectives and have students write how they think the immigrant students feel about being a new student and befriending other students. This would be best before reading the companion book I'm New Here, which is actually told from the immigrant students' perspectives. So this activity would be a good introduction to the other book.