WHEN MARIAN SANG: THE TRUE RECITAL OF MARIAN ANDERSON

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Ryan, Pam Muñoz. 2002. WHEN MARIAN SANG: THE TRUE RECITAL OF MARIAN ANDERSON. Ill by Brian Selznick. New York: Scholastic Press ISBN: 0-439-26967-9 Reading level: 6 to 10

PLOT SUMMARY

This is a biography of Marian Anderson. In her early days, Marian liked to sing and her voice was very distinct. She was asked to sing in the choir of the Union Baptist Church located in south Philadelphia. When she wanted to apply to music school, she was turned down because of her race. The book describes this part like this, “she could not understand how anyone who was surrounded by the spirit and beauty of music could be so narrow-minded.” She didn’t give up and continued to take voice lessons in her own neighborhood, and sang in the choir. Marian saw a performance of the Metropolitan Opera, and was very impressed. This performance inspired her to continue studying music. With her friends’ help, she got an opportunity to have an audition with Giuseppe Boghetti. Although she was not accepted to the school, Mr. Boghetti decided to accept her after hearing her voice. In 1927, she went to Europe to gain more advanced experiences, in Europe she felt freer than in America. She gained fame as a singer and even Arturo Toscanini announced that “I was privileged to hear only once in a hundred years.”
After coming back to America, she was asked to perform at Constitution Hall but couldn’t because of the ‘white performers only policy.’ With an approval from President Roosevelt, she could sing in the Lincoln Memorial on Easter Sunday. Surrounded by 75,000 people, she sang beautifully. When she finished, she got a roaring cheer and was asked to encore. Sixteen years after the performance, she finally could debut at the Metropolitan Opera. It was the moment she dreamt about for years.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

As an Orbis Pictus Award winning book in 2003, this book describes not only the story of prevailing against all odds, it also gives a historic background of the United States in a pre-civil rights stage and there was a wide spreading prejudice against colored people. The book has very clear sentences and a rich language to encourage students, for example ‘their harmony blended like a silk braid.’ Some pages are filled with her lyrics, and this makes me feel like I am watching her sing a song. The brown color tone of the illustrations complements the text well. With the illustrations, readers may notice that when she sang, she always closed her eyes, and she felt a deep sorrow when she was rejected from the music school. The last three pages are filled with some words from the author and illustrator describing where and how they gained information about Marian. In addition, the book includes chronological records of Marian Anderson. It would be useful when students want to know more about her.

REVIEW EXCERPTS

School Library Journal (October 1, 2004)

Interspersed with the spiritual songs she sang and including lengthy author's notes, this picture book traces Marian Anderson's history-making career. Add Ryan's Amelia and Eleanor Go for a Ride (Scholastic, 1999. ISBN 0-590-96075-X) to bring three exceptional women to the classroom. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Horn Book Guide (April 1, 2003)

This picture-book biography of the American contralto indulges in mythification (although the keynote of the Anderson myth--being kept out of Constitution Hall by the D.A.R.--is here muted), but Marian Anderson's career was significant in both musical and social terms, and Ryan and Selznick get this right. Throughout both the large double-page spreads and text there's an intimacy of tone that gives life to the legend. Copyright 2003 of The Horn Book, Inc. All rights reserved.

CONNECTIONS

Activities
*Let children read various books about Marian Anderson and compare the perspectives which each book has.

Other books about Marian Anderson
*Kaplan, Howard S. et al. Women Who Dare: Marian Anderson 0-7649-3891-6
*Freedman, Russell. The Voice That Challenged a Nation: Marian Anderson and the Struggle for Equal Rights ISBN: 0-618-15976-2
*Tedards, Anne. Marian Anderson ISBN: 1-59155-324-5
*McKissack, Patricia C. et al. Marian Anderson: A Great Singer. Ill by Ned Ostendorf ISBN: 0-89490-303-9

LINCOLN: A PHOTOBIOGRAPHY

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Freedman, Russell. 1987. LINCOLN: A PHOTOBIOGRAPHY. New York: Clarion Books. ISBN: 0-89919-380-3 Reading level: 8 to 12

PLOT SUMMARY

This bibliography about Lincoln consists of seven parts. “The mysterious Mr. Lincoln” refers to his overall personality as seen by friends, artists, and writers who knew him. Lincoln’s personality was that of a man of many faces, ambitious, humorous, moody, and melancholy but most people couldn’t fully understand who he was. The “backwoods boy” part deals with his early life. He was born near Hodgenville, Kentucky and lived in a log cabin with his mother, Nancy and father, Thomas. The worst part is he lost his mom in an epidemic. He couldn’t go to school and educated himself becoming addicted to reading. According to the text, he had a reputation as a comic and storyteller. In new Salem, he had many opportunities to make good friends and mingle with the town’s intellectuals. But, he had to work harder because his general store partner, William berry left a $1,000 debt and died. At many work places, his fluent language, honesty, and dependable attitude gave him more professional opportunities. He worked in the House of Representatives of Illinois and he decide to be a lawyer. The third part, “law and politics” describes his law practices in Springfield, his debut at the Congress, and his marriage. It also deals with his two boys, Robert and Eddie. His issue focused on the anti-slavery and anti-war to get the Mexican territory. In his personal life, he lost his son, Eddie. ‘Half slave and half free’ part mentions about his anti-slavery work. Although he was already interested in this problem, in this part, more details are provided. Especially, his debate on the issue was with a senator, Stephen A. Douglas. According to the book, Douglas defended his doctrine of popular sovereignty. The nation could endure half slave and half free, he argued. Lincoln replied that popular sovereignty was just a smoke screen to allow the spread of slavery. The country had endured half slave and half free for decades only because most people believed slavery would die out. In addition, he was elected as a presidential candidate by the republican legislature and he won. ‘Emancipation’ and ‘This dreadful war’ parts are focused on the American Civil War and emancipation proclamation. It was between the Union and Southern slave states. The union was led by the president, Abraham Lincoln and the Republican Party, and opposed the expansion of slavery. But, other eleven Southern slave states declared their secession and formed the Confederate States of America, led by the president, Jefferson Davis. And Lincoln also lost his son, Willie. It was a second family tragedy. Although the war caused many losses of lives and property, the slavery was gone and Lincoln’s political position was strengthened. The last part “Who is dead in the white house?” is about his assassination. The subject heading shows that “I know I’m in danger, but I’m not going to worry about it.” On April 14, 1865, peaceful Friday night, Lincoln went to the Ford’s Theatre to watch the play ‘our American cousin.’ During the third act, the presidential box was opened and one shadowy figure fired a fatal shot to the Lincoln’s head. He was a well-known actor, John Wilkes Booth. He shouted "Sic semper tyrannis" ("Thus always to tyrants") and escaped. Although five doctors tried to save Lincoln’s life, he died on April 15 at the age of fifty-six.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

The sentences are very fact-oriented and detailed. They are very objective and logical. If students want to know more about Lincoln’s individual life, this book deals with historical and social background as well as Lincoln’s career, marriage, and presidential life. Although all illustrations and pictures are black and white, the quality is very high, thus clear to recognize. Every picture and illustration is accompanied by an appropriate text to supplement, and contains very short but understandable caption. In addition, the book contains ‘a Lincoln sampler’ which is a collection of his quotations; Lincoln’s footsteps; books about Lincoln; and Acknowledgments and picture credits.

REVIEW EXCERPTS

Booklist (December 15, 1989)
Gr. 4-10. This realistic, perceptive, and unromanticized biography of Lincoln includes a sampler of quotations from his writings and speeches.

Publishers Weekly (October 13, 1989)
This Newbery Award-winning study of our 16th president is highly readable and meticulously organized. In a boxed review, PW hailed it as a ``superb, encompassing account'' of ``an intriguing, recognizable human being.'' Ages 8-12. (Sept.)

CONNECTIONS

Activity
*Let students compare Lincoln with other presidents such as George Washington and Eleanor Roosevelt.
*Let students make a team with 4 or 5, and then make drama for one scene of their favorite.
*If available, bring children to the Lincoln’s historic sites. Parents need to prepare materials of Lincoln before visiting.

GORILLAS

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Simon, Seymour. 2000. GORILLAS. [New York]: HarperCollins publishers ISBN: 0-06-023036-3 Reading level: 5 to 8

PLOT SUMMARY

Starting with the origins of the gorilla, this book describes the gorilla’s character, habitat, different Gorillas (western lowland gorillas and the eastern lowland gorillas) according to their living area. It also mentions their physical details such as bones and muscles. And it also describes gorillas as a family. The book says that gorillas often live in small family groups, each headed by a silverback, a large adult male. The rest of the family consists of a few blackbucks. In addition, it portrays their daily life in very detailed manner and their special habits such as chest beating, sounds and facial expressions, which have different meanings. Lastly, Seymour asserts that gorillas are one of the endangered animals of the world. And it is up to human, that is, human beings should give them a chance to be left alone in their natural surroundings.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Seymour Simon is one of the most respected nonfiction writers. His gorilla version also satisfies many readers. My image of a gorilla was a huge, dreadful human-like animal. But, this delicate and realistic explanation changed my mind. According to Seymour, gorillas are shy in nature and secretive animals. The sentences are very short and words are easy to understand even for young students. Every photo is arranged on each page and matches the text. If the page is about a baby gorilla, a photo of a baby gorilla is placed on the page. Students can observe the gorilla’s appearance or habits through these vivid photos, which are taken from very close to the gorilla. These results are not possible without a lot of research about gorillas.

REVIEW EXCERPTS

Horn Book Guide (April 1, 2001)
Debunking the myths about "scary beasts" spawned by our entertainment industry, Gorillas presents a more accurate portrayal of these gentle animals. While the stunning, highly expressive photos dominate in space and impact, Simon's child-friendly writing offers a fairly full picture of gorilla behavior, physiology, habitat, and daily life. The book ends on a strong conservationist note. Copyright 2001 of The Horn Book, Inc. All rights reserved.

Booklist (October 15, 2000)
Gr. 3^-5. In clear, straightforward prose, veteran science writer Simon covers the basic facts about gorillas: the three subspecies, anatomy, family groups, feeding habits, and care of the young. These facts are accompanied by large, clear, color photographs, mostly close-ups, which show the remarkable animals' wide range of humanlike expressions. The combination of the text and photographs creates a striking, powerful impression. Good for browsing as well as reports. --Todd Morning

CONNECTIONS

Activities
*Have children make their own scrapbook about Gorillas.
*Let students discuss what they didn’t know and what they found new about gorilla in this book. *Let students look for more materials about the author, Seymour Simon.

Other books of Seymour Simon
*Simon, Seymour. Our Solar System. ISBN: 0-06-114008-2
*Simon, Seymour. Snakes. ISBN: 0-06-114095-3
*Simon, Seymour. Sharks. ISBN: 0-06-087713-8
*Simon, Seymour. The Universe. ISBN: 0-06-087724-3

UP!

BIBLIOGRAPHY

George, Kristine O'Connell. 2005. UP!. Ill. By Hiroe Nakata. New York : Clarion Books. ISBN: 0618064893

PLOT SUMMARY

“Up? Up! / Wake up, Daddy! / Up the back / Lift Me up! / Giddy up! …../Up in a tree” If we read this, we can find this book has a rhyme effect in which every first line has ‘up.’ The little cute baby likes hopping, bouncing, climbing, and swinging up with her daddy. But, the last page shows that her favorite is ‘up in a tree, I’m safe and snug-tucked inside my daddy’s hug.”

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

This is a single poem picture book. Kristine wrote in a little girl’s voice playing with daddy by using cheerful and vivid expressions. Children may feel the rhythm easily if parents read this along with a song. Repetitive use of ‘up’s makes this poem rhythmical and playful. Poems are placed on the perfect locations and well paired with illustrations. Hiroe used bright red, yellow, green, and blue colors for the illustrations. The watercolors make the paintings soft and natural, and the perspective for the illustrations makes the book real and vivid.

REVIEW EXCERPTS

Horn Book Guide (October 1, 2005)
"Lift me up! / A flying feeling. / I can almost / touch the ceiling." A toddler describes her day spent in the arms (or within easy reach) of her loving father. The book will have great appeal for the littlest readers, who will enjoy its rhythms, energy, and spring-hued watercolors. Readers-aloud will appreciate its merciful brevity.”

Booklist (March 1, 2005)
“With remarkably few spare words, George conveys a vivid sense of a toddler's-eye view--from the flying feeling that comes when Daddy lifts her up to the thrill of swinging high: Pumping-stretching-Hello, Sky! Nakata's airy, spirited watercolors beautifully expand on the words' carefree, physical elation with skewed angles, glorious fruit-juice colors, and leaping, tumbling toys and figures.”

CONNECTIONS

Activity
*Find a rhythmically matching song (e.g., twinkle, twinkle little star or ling a round a rosy) and sing this poem with the song.

Other books of Kristine O'Connell George
*George, Kristine O'Connell. Toasting marshmallows. Illustrations by Kate Kiesler. ISBN: 061804597X
*George, Kristine O'Connell. Little dog poems. Illustrations by June Otani. ISBN: 0395822661
*George, Kristine O'Connell. Old Elm speaks. Illustrations by Kate Kiesler. ISBN: 0395876117

MAKE LEMONADE

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Wolff, Virginia Euwer. 1993. MAKE LEMONADE. New York: H. Holt. ISBN: 0805022287 Reading level: Ages 10 -14

PLOT SUMMARY

14-year-old, Verna LaVaughn wants to go to school and needs money. One day, she finds a posting that reads: ‘babysitter needed bad” on the school bulletin board and contacted Jolly, the person who posted that. Jolly, who is a 17-year-old single parent, is living with two children, Jeremy and Jilly. Jolly’s apartment is “broken-down looking, disorderly and smells.” Jolly needs the babysitter while she is working. La Vaughn’s babysitting seems not easy at first, and sometimes Jeremy cuts her sister’s hair while La Vaughn is doing homework. One day, Jolly got sexually harassed by her boss and got fired. One day, Jolly got harassed sexually by her boss and got fired. Jolly still need a job and money. But, she is really helpless and incompetent to the extent she couldn’t spell her words. Finally, La Vaughn recommends that Jolly should get the benefit from the ‘Moms Up Program.’ This government support program helps single mothers go back to school and get a job and cares for the babies while mother is working. This program also educates children with teachers and Jolly wants La Vaughn to take it. With this, La Vaughn continues to have a relationship with Jolly’s family. There was one more serious accident. Jilly choked on a jungle spider toy and went to the emergency room. Jolly went to the hospital and La Vaughn took Jeremy to her home to take care of him. After that, Jolly doesn’t call La Vaughn and needs help from others. She almost finished her study, and tries to interviews for some companies. Everything is getting better than ever. Both Jolly and La Vaughn lives their separate lives.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

It is surprising that it is poetry. It has a long and continuous story and it has many poetic devices; rhythm, rhymes, and short meaningful sentences. This prose poetry has many lemons which are informally used to refer a person or thing that proves to be defective, imperfect, or unsatisfactory. Those lemons in this book are social problems such as drugs, divorces, poverty, sexual harassment, and education, etc. This story is about the process the lemon is changed into the lemonade. Although both characters, Jolly and La Vaughn are in the similar situation, they live in different way. One has hope and the other doesn’t. It is an important massage of this book. La Vaughn has a dream to go to college to be a teacher. She is passionate to earn money for her future, study, and even helps others in need. But, Jolly is in despair, sorrow, and incompetent to care of her children. Jolly, with La Vaughn’s help, strives to be active in her life and children. She went back to school and got a job. This book can be recommended for the value of story rather than the poetry value. It is a good example that even poetry has a moral lesson with a touching story.

REVIEW EXCERPTS

Publishers Weekly (July 11, 1994)
“Radiant with hope, this keenly observed and poignant novel is a stellar addition to YA literature,'' said PW in a starred review, praising Wolff's use of ``meltingly lyric blank verse'' to tell of two inner-city teenage girls struggling toward better lives.”

Horn Book Guide (September 1, 1993)
Fiction: O Fourteen-year-old LaVaughn accepts the job of baby-sitting Jolly's two small children but quickly realizes that the young woman, a seventeen-year-old single mother, needs as much help and nurturing as her two neglected children. The four become something akin to a temporary family, and through their relationship each makes progress toward a better life. Sixty-six brief chapters, with words arranged on the page like poetry perfectly echo the patterns of teenage speech. Horn Rating: Superior, well above average.


CONNECTIONS

Discussion lists for children
*Describe the meaning of lemon and lemonade in this book.
*What’s your lemon in your life and what can you do for your lemonade?
*What would you do to improve the quality of a life if you were Jolly and/or LaVaughn?

Other examples of prose poems
*Baudelaire, Charles http://www.raingod.com/angus/Poetry/Poems/c_baudelaire.html
*Bly Robert http://ebbs.english.vt.edu/olp/gs/1.2/bushell.html
*Machado Antonio http://www.geocities.com/williamwchow/poem/machado.htm

A PIZZA THE SIZE OF THE SUN

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Prelutsky, Jack. 1996. A PIZZA THE SIZE OF THE SUN. Ill. By James Stevenson. New York: Greenwillow Books. ISBN: 0688132367 Reading level: Ages 4-8

PLOT SUMMARY

Although he is more famous with ‘THE NEW KID ON THE BLOCK’, this one is also welcomed by fans of Jack. The book title is the first poem of this book. Jack Prelutsky employees various themes for his poems. Most of them are funny and witty; News Brief: “So he radioed a tow truck and had every pigeon towed”; I Did a Nutty Somersault: “When you try out your roller blades, don’t do it on the ice”; Hurry Grandma Hurry: “I’m climbing up a latter, I am dangling by my knees. …Grandma take a closer look-whatever made you faint?” ; and I Got out of Bed: “the head on my shoulders had turned upside-down…the hair on my head had the look of a beard…that water would fill my unfortunate nose” Sometimes it is embarrassing and grotesque; Eyeballs for Sale! : “Fresh eyeballs for sale! Delicious, nutritious, not moldy or stale”; My Fish Was Small: “My fish no more will splash and splish. My fish I gone…I flush my fish”; and Rat for Lunch: “Rat for lunch! Rat for lunch! Yum! Delicious! Munch munch munch!” He also uses ample amount of rhythm and rhymes; I often repeat repeat myself: “I don’t I don’t know why know why…I often repeat repeat myself”; Frenetica Fluntz: “I eat as I drink and I drink as I shout and I shout as I think and I think as I draw and I draw as I walk and I walk as I read…”; and Dixxer’s Excellent Elixir: “Dexter Dixxer mixed elixir….only nineteen ninety-nine!”. Most of all, there are something that makes his poem unique and attractive to children; I AM YOUR MIRROR IMAGE, Backwards Forwards Silly Rhyme and Reverso Is Name My (backwards and mirror writing); I’m All Mixed Up (mixed use with a capital and small letters); Zeke McPeake (small characters); and A triangular tale and I Was Walking in a Circle (concrete poems).

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

It is a single poet collection. Because it deals with various themes and forms of poems, it can be recommended for those people who don’t like poems. Especially, children may enjoy his poems with abundant of funny expressions, word sounds and word play, etc.
These are very important for children at the stage of developing language skills. James Stevenson’s black ink sketches are witty, such as ‘I am usually a speedy horse’ has an illustration which the rider place his horse on his shoulder. And it makes a reader laugh cheerfully. It provides ‘index to titles’ and ‘index to first lines.’

REVIEW EXCERPTS

Horn Book Guide (March 1, 1997)
“Fiction: NF Age: K-3 Prelutsky and Stevenson have again produced an appealing collection of short poetry. Spirited line and wash drawings effectively convey the tone of the jaunty, usually funny, often silly, sometimes gross, and always childlike poems. Poems in varied typeface and placement in an open format combine with the economical line of well-placed sketches to create a fast-paced collection that's loads of fun.”

School Library Journal (September 1, 1996)
“K-Gr 6?Yet another masterful collection of poems by the prolific Prelutsky, filled with zany people, improbable creatures, and rhythm and rhyme galore, all combining to celebrate the unusual, the mundane, and the slightly gruesome ("Eyeballs for sale!/Fresh eyeballs for sale!/Delicious, nutritious,/Not moldy or stale.").”

CONNECTIONS

Activity
*Provide children a subject and let them write something accross their minds with the word, and make some sentences.
*Let children discuss which words are new or interesting to them.

Other notable books of Jack Prelutsky
*Prelutsky, Jack. The new kid on the block. Illustrations by James Stevenson ISBN: 0688022715
*Prelutsky, Jack. Something big has been here. Illustrations by James Stevenson ISBN: 0688064345

Useful website
*Poetry writing with Jack Prelutsky http://teacher.scholastic.com/writewit/poetry/jack_home.htm