SUMMARY

Course: Lit for children & YA 5603-22
Instructor: Dr. Sylvia Vardell
Fall 06 MinJeong Cho

This project was done during the course of Literature for children and young adults (YA). I explored various genres of books and acquired the skill to review books for children and YA. Through this course and project, I learned major practical skills and knowledge to serve children.

A STEP FROM HEAVEN

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Na, An. 2001. A STEP FROM HEAVEN. Read by Oh Jina. New York: Random House ISBN: 0-8072-1612-7 Reading level: age 12 to UP

PLOT SUMMARY

Young Ju’s family left 'Han Kook’ (Korea in English) for ‘Mi Gook’ (The United States in English) when she was four years old. 'Mi Gook' looked like heaven to Young Ju, but as time went by, she realized that the life in the United States was far from being in a heaven. Apa (Young Ju’s dad in English) had to work hard to earn a small amount of money, and had a hard time understanding and speaking English. Even worse, as 'Park Joon Ho’ (Young Ju’s younger brother), was born, a burden was added to the family to raise him. Although Apa and Uhmma (Young Ju’s mom) had several jobs to improve their life, their financial status didn't get better. Uhmma sacrificed herself to her family, and as Young Ju said in the book, 'Uhmma's hands worked hard to make sure our hands would not resemble hers.' Apa, represented as a typical authoritarian Korean dad, felt frustrated as his American dream rarely came true although he worked hard and did his best. Finally he became addicted to alcohol. Even worse, the family got a call from Korea that Apa’s mother, Halmoni had been passed away, but the family couldn’t go to Korea because of the high airfare. Apa was becoming violent to his family, and Young Ju witnessed that he often beated Uhmma. Apa even beated Youn Ju severely during her playing with Amanda, her best friend who he disliked. Uhmma shouted Apa saying “you were going to kill her!...Worthless dog! Hoodlum! Drunken bastard!” And Uhmma got slammed by Apa. Threatened by Apa, Young Ju called 911 to get some help, and Apa arrested by the police. Several days later, Young Ju heard from Uhmma that Apa decided to go back to Korea. But, Young Ju, Joon Ho, and Uhmma did’t go with him. They moved to new home, and started a new life without daddy.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

This book is the first work of An Na and won the Michael L. Printz Award in 2002 which is for excellence in literature for young adults. The author was born in Korea and is the daughter of an immigrant, so she was able to employ some direct experiences from her life and surroundings. This story represents all families who migrate from Korea to the United States for a better life. The description of the conflicts and hardships in the book is so vivid that readers may share the feelings of the characters. Especially, the protagonist, Young Ju was struggled to find her identity in America as a Korean-American is sympathetic to young adults in similar situation. This book is read by Jina Oh in a first person narrative, and according to the cover of the CD, she has been appeared in numerous regional stage productions and on television in Sex and the City and One life to Live. Her voice is very stable and calm, but she tries to use various tones of voice for each characters. As a Korean, she is the best narrator in the pronounciation of many Korean words such as 'Apa' 'Uhmma', and 'Ahjimma.' The unabridged version of this audiobook has 4 CDs playing 4 hours and 14 minutes. If there were sound effects or background music for the climactic scenes, it would be perfect.

REVIEW EXCERPTS

Publishers Weekly (February 4, 2002)

Oh's appropriately girlish voice and measured reading bring to life Young Ju, quiet heroine of debut novelist Na's dark tale of a family of Korean immigrants, which just won the ALA's Printz Award for teenage literature. At age four, Young Ju is not happy to be leaving her Korean home and loving Halmoni (grandmother) to move with her parents to Mi Gook (America), believed to be the land of great promise. Through Young Ju's experiences, listeners hear the family unravel as difficulties mount for them in the States. Young Ju's parents struggle with several low-paying jobs, handicapped by their language barrier. Young Ju's alcoholic and bitter father abuses his wife and children and forbids Young Ju to socialize with American friends. And when her father crosses a frightening line in his cruelty, Young Ju bravely takes action that sets her mother, younger brother and herself on the path to yet another new life in America. Oh's characterization, which realistically captures this powerful contemporary story and gives authentic crispness to Korean words and phrases, will keep listeners in its grip. Ages 12-up. (Jan.) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Horn Book Guide (October 1, 2001)

Young Ju tells of her family's immigration from Korea to the United States and their subsequent struggles in a new country. The brief chapters have the intimacy of snapshots, and images of reaching and dreaming poignantly convey Young Ju's desire to survive her father's brutality. Mother and daughter exhibit a quiet strength; similarly, each of these vignettes displays an astonishing and memorable force. Copyright 2001 of The Horn Book, Inc. All rights reserved.

CONNECTIONS

*Discussion lists
-What is the meaning of Heaven in this book? Think about your heaven.
-As a immigrant, what kinds of problems the Park family are suffering from?
-Think about the image of the book cover. If she is Young Ju, why the half of the face covered with fabric?
-If you were Young Ju, what would you do when her father beats Young Ju and her mother.

*Books of Immigration for YA
Atwell, Debby. The Thanksgiving Door. ISBN: 0-618-77124-7
Gallo, Donald R (Editor). First Crossing: Stories about Teen Immigrants ISBN: 0-7636-3291-0
Hobbs, Will. Crossing the Wire. ISBN: 0-06-074140-6
Saturen, Myra. Journey to a New World: Mystic River of the West. ISBN: 0-88092-495-0

*Books of Korea Society
Kubota, Makota. South Korea. ISBN: 1-55532-168-2
Yi, David Korean Youths Lost in America. ISBN: 1-58244-102-2

THE GIVER

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Lowry, Lois. 1993. THE GIVER. Read by Ron Rifkin. New York: Random House Audio Publishing Group ISBN: 0-8072-8609-5 Reading level: age 10 to up

PLOT SUMMARY

To Jonas, where he lives seems very calm and safe, an ideal world. There is no poverty, divorce, injustice, or inequality. People in the community can’t decide everything on their own, even their families are chose by the committee in a ceremony. The community is ruled by some extraordinary rules such as the “Ceremony in December”, when children become Twelves and are assigned their roles in the community, and the “Ritual of Telling Dreams”: each morning, every member of the family shares their dreams of the previous night. Each family has one girl and one boy, and each year, fifty infants are born to birthmothers. ‘New children’ are raised in the Nurturer at the Nurturing Center until they become Ones. Recently, Jonas has been wondered about what profession he would be assigned. At the Ceremony in December, Jonas is selected as a Receiver of Memories who is the most honored and respected Assignment in the community. Role of a Receiver of Memories is to keep all the memories of the past until new Receiver was selected to pass his memories. Unlike other community members, he would feel fear, grief, sorrow, rage, and pain that the memories bring, and ‘The Giver’ is responsible to train Jonas. As he experiences new memories and feelings, Jonas comes to realize that it is not right that the freedom of the community members to decide their feelings is not permitted and he talks this to The Giver. When Jonas hears that Gabriel, who is being taken care of by Jonas’ family, is in danger of being released, Jonas decides to take Gabriel somewhere. Gabriel has not grown well and slept well, and The Giver says that ‘release’ from the community means ‘death.’ With Jonas’ escape, all the memories release and the community members can feel all the feelings they didn’t experienced before. What about Jonas and Gabriel? The last paragraph of the book left that to the reader’s imagination; “Downward, downward, faster and faster. Suddenly he was aware with certainty and joy that below, ahead, they were waiting for him; and they were waiting, too, for the baby. For the first time, he heard something that he knew to be music. He heard people singing.”

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

As a representative modern fantasy novel for young adults, The Giver won the 1994 Newbery medal and includes elements of the “impossible,” yet probable, as mentioned in Dr. Vardell’s lecture material. These elements stimulate young adults’ imagination. If the book had been narrated by a boy the same age of the young protagonist, Jonas, it would have acquired more sympathy from young adults. This audio book has four CDs and plays for 4 hours and 48 minutes. The CD jacket includes a detailed summary about the author and audio book reader. The book was read by Ron Rifkin who has been appeared on various films and drama series such as ER. His various experiences help him voice male and female characters. The voice of The Giver is very realistic and sounds like he is a real old man. The background music provides dramatic effects, especially the scene when Jonas experiences his father’s memory, and he is about to escape from the community. Compared to reading the book, I felt the audio version is better to appeal young adult reader’s attention. Although the author Lois Lowry is mentioned as one of most challenged authors, The Giver is worthy to read by young adults.

REVIEW EXCERPTS

Booklist (September 15, 1998)

Gr. 7^-9. Lowry's simple, powerful prose creates an anti-utopian world where the lack of hardship, war, and poverty only covers the citizens' deeper lack of freedom. A Booklist Editors' Choice and Newbery Medal Winner.

Publishers Weekly (August 8, 1994)

Winner of the 1994 Newbery Medal, this thought-provoking novel centers on a 12-year-old boy's gradual disillusionment with an outwardly utopian futuristic society; in a starred review, PW said, ``Lowry is once again in top form... unwinding a tale fit for the most adventurous readers.'' Ages 10-up. (Sept.)Horn Book Guide (September 1, 1993)Fiction: O In a departure from her well-known and favorably regarded realistic works, Lowry has written a fascinating, thoughtful science-fiction novel. The story takes place in a nameless, utopian community, at an unidentified future time. Although life seems perfect -- there is no hunger, no disease, no pollution, no fear -- the reader becomes uneasily aware that all is not well. The story is skillfully written; the air of disquiet is delicately insinuated; and the theme of balancing the values of freedom and security is beautifully presented. Horn Rating: Outstanding, noteworthy in style, content, and/or illustration. Reviewed by: aaf

CONNECTIONS

*About the Lois Lowry http://books.scholastic.com/teachers/authorsandbooks/authorstudies/authorhome.jsp?authorID=55&collateralID=5219&displayName=Biography

*Book Quiz
http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/giver/quiz.html
http://www.mce.k12tn.net/reading17/giver.htm

*Discussion Lists
List the extraordinary rules of the community.
What is the role of The Giver and a Receiver of Memories?
Why Jonas is different from other children?
What happen if Jonas escapes from the community?
What profession do you consider to have in the future? Why?
Make your own story after Jonas leaves the community.
What is different between our world and the community where Jonas lives?

HOLES

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Sachar, Louis. 1998. HOLES. Read by Kerry Beyer. New York: Random House. ISBN: 0-8072-8162-X Reading level: age 10 to up

PLOT SUMMARY

As Stanley stated in the book, “I’m not exactly the luckiest guy in the world.” Stanley and his family have always suffered from bad luck, and now it was the curse from his great-great-grandfather. One day, with the false accusation of stealing the shoes of Clyde "Sweetfeet" Livingston, Stanley is sent to ‘Camp Green Lake,’ a juvenile detention camp. It has no lake or greenery, and the evil Warden, who is the camp director, makes the boys "build character" by digging holes five feet wide and five feet deep. One day, Stanley found a golden lipstick tube with the initials, K.B. on it, and he thought the Warden was looking for something about ‘Kissing Kate Barlow.’ Stanley learns that his great-grand father’s money was stolen by Katherine Barlow who buried the money somewhere in the camp. The Warden was trying to find the money, forcing the boys in Camp Green Lake to dig holes every day. Stanley and his friend, Zero started to search for the treasure secretly. One day, they found a suitcase in the hole they were digging. The Warden saw this and tried to take the suitcase from them. Then, Stanley’s lawyer arrived at the camp to inform that Stanley was innocent of the shoes stealing, and free to go to home. Also, he can have the suitcase because his name ‘Stanley Yelnats’ was on the suitcase.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

An example of contemporary realistic fiction, Holes won several awards including the Newbery Medal in 1999, the National Book Award, and the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award. As Dr.Vardell mentioned in her lecture note, contemporary realistic fiction novels contain events that could really happen. Holes set in the Camp Green Lake which is a boy's juvenile detention center in Texas, but, episodes with courage, friendship are very familiar theme to young readers. The unabridged cassette version has three tapes and plays for 4 hours and 30 minutes. The book is read by Kerry Beyer who is a writer, actor, and director. He used different voices for each character, the pronunciation is very clear, but the speed of his reading is somewhat fast. The jacket has book summary and information about the author and narrator.

REVIEW EXCERPTS

Publishers Weekly (May 15, 2000)

PW's starred review of the 1999 Newbery Medal winner described it as a "dazzling blend of social commentary, tall tale and magic realism." Ages 10-up. (May) Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.

School Library Journal (September 1, 1999)

Gr 4-7-Stanley Yelnats is an unusual hero-dogged by bad luck stemming from an ancient family curse, overweight, and unlikely to stick up for himself when challenged by the class bully. Perpetually in the wrong place at the wrong time, Stanley is unfairly sentenced to months of detention at Camp Green Lake (a gross misnomer if ever there was one!) where he's forced to dig one hole in the rock-hard desert soil every day. The hole must be exactly five feet in diameter, the distance from the tip of his shovel to the top of the wooden handle. Each boy is compelled to dig until his hole is completed, no matter how long it takes. According to the warden the digging "builds character." Stanley soon begins to question why the warden is so interested in anything "special" the boys find. How Stanley rescues his friend Zero, who really stole Sweet Feet's tennis shoes, what the warden is desperately looking for, and how the Yelnats curse is broken all blend magically together in a unique coming of age story leavened with a healthy dose of humor. Kerry Beyer's narration of Louis Sachar's Newbery Award-winning novel (FS&G, 1998) brings each of the characters vividly to life, and his pensive portrayal of Stanley brings out all that's most appealing about this unlucky loser who becomes a winner by the story's end. A first purchase for all public library collections.-Cindy Lombardo, Orrville Public Library, OH Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.

CONNECTIONS

*Author Website

http://www.louissachar.com/

*Book Quiz
http://www.mce.k12tn.net/reading39/holes.htm
http://www.kidsreads.com/wordscrambles/word-holes.asp

*Activities
-Have children select their favorite part of the books and summarize that.
-Have children select one theme in the book and research of that.
+Juvenile Justice and Detention
+Texas
+Friendship
+Courage
-The name Stanley Yelnats is a palindrome. Have children find other examples of palindrome.
-Have children watch the film of Holes and compare the two.

A SINGLE SHARD

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Park, Linda Sue. 2002. A SINGLE SHARD. Read by Graeme Malcolm. New York: Listening Library ISBN: 0-8072-0701-2 Reading level: age 10 -14

PLOT SUMMARY

Background on the 12th Century Korea, this story is about an orphan named Tree Ear. He lived under a bridge with a crane man who was physically disabled. Their village, Ch’ulp’o was famous for celadon, and there was a master potter, Min. After watching Min working, Tree Ear was fascinated about making pottery, and had a dream of making his own celadon someday. One day, Tree Ear accidentally broke one of Min's pieces, and Min witnessed it. To compensate this damage, Tree Ear had to work for Min. An emissary named Kim visited the village to order a commission for the royal court. Min couldn’t finish his work before Kim leaves Ch’ulp’o, so Tree Ear had to take two vases to the Son-do, capital. On his way, Tree Ear met robbers and the vases were broken. Tree Ear was in despair, but he decided to bring one single shard to Kim. Fearing rejection, Tree Ear met Kim and showed him the single shard. Surprisingly, Kim said, “I say it of this one. And the inlay work…remarkable, I am assigning him a commission.” When Tree Ear returned to Min’s, he heard that his sincere friend crane man had died in an accident. His sorrow was so deep that Tree Ear couldn’t do anything, but Min insisted that Tree Ear continue his work. Eventually, Min’s family decided to adopt Tree Ear as their son and gave him a new name, Hyung-pil. The name shared a syllable with Min’s late son, Hyung-gu. Finally, Tree Ear’s dream had come true.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

As a Newbery Award winning book, the author tried to incorporate her understanding of the Koryo era and celadon pottery into the book. This unabridged cassette format has three tapes, and is read by Graeme Malcolm. Although he tried to keep an exact pronunciation of some Korean words such as ‘jiggeh’ and ‘Ajima,’ and change tones in conversation parts, the rate of his reading is somewhat fast. In addition, there are no sound effects during the reading except the first and closing parts started with Korean traditional music including a ‘Gayageum’ which is a twelve-stringed Korean harp. Compared with the book, I recognized the audio book needs to be more focused on reading. The quality of these cassettes was not good so I had to stop and go back to the part I couldn’t understand. However, as a Korean, I was really impressed with Linda’s explanation of Koryo celadon pottery and information about life and society in Korea during the Koryo era. This book is an impressive story of an orphan boy who overcame his adversities to become a great potter. This book is a great source to introduce Korean culture and history to children.

REVIEW EXCERPTS

Publishers Weekly (March 10, 2003)

In a starred review of this Newbery Medal winner, PW wrote, "The author molds a moving tribute to perseverance and creativity in this finely etched novel set in mid- to late-12th-century Korea. Readers will not soon forget these characters or their sacrifices." Ages 10-up. (Feb.) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Horn Book Guide (October 1, 2001)

Tree-ear, a twelfth-century Korean boy, wants desperately to become a potter of celadon ware like the revered and talented potter Min. Though homeless and orphaned, Tree-ear wins the approval of Min, eventually becoming an indispensable apprentice to him. While the characters are somewhat flat and the plot slow, Park's story is alive with fascinating information about life and art in ancient Korea. Copyright 2001 of The Horn Book, Inc. All rights reserved.


CONNECTIONS

*Online Quiz after reading ‘A Single Shard’
http://school.discovery.com/quizzes21/lspark/Shard.html

*Internet resources about celadon pottery
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
www.metmuseum.org/explore/korea/gallery.html
KoreaInfogate
www.koreainfogate.com/beautykorea/special/celadon.asp

*Additional reading lists
Whelan, Gloria. Homeless Bird. ISBN: 0-7862-4060-1
Park, Linda Sue. The Kite Fighters. ISBN: 0-440-41813-5
McCaughrean, Gerald. The Kite Rider. ISBN: 0-06-441091-9
Choi, Sook Nyul. Year of Impossible Goodbyes. ISBN: 0-8335-9794-9

ROLL OF THUNDER, HEAR MY CRY

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Taylor, Mildred D. 2001. ROLL OF THUNDER, HEAR MY CRY. Read by Lynne Thigpen. NewYork: Random House, ISBN: 0-8072-1608-9 Reading level: age 8 to 12

PLOT SUMMARY

This story is about a family in the North during World War II and the beginning of the civil rights movement. The title, ‘Roll of thunder, Hear my cry,’ originated from the song the author sang for his father. This book is based on a story from his father, and relatives. Cassie Logan lived with her brothers, Stacey, Little Man, and Christopher-John, grandmother, and their parents on a farm in Mississippi. The Rogan family was African-American, Papa worked on the railroad to pay taxes and a mortgage on the land they owned. Although they are very independent and strong love-bonded family, they endure severe racism and discrimination from white neighbors. Even schools were separated for white and black people, respectively. Thus, Jefferson Davis County School was for the white, and The Great Faith Elementary and Secondary school was for the black. And, Jefferson Davis School had a school bus for children, but the great Faith school didn’t. One day, some guys at Wallace store lynched and even killed some black people. With the help of Mr. Jamison who is a nice white lawyer, the Logan family decided to boycott the Wallace store, and use Vicksburg store instead. With this boycott, the Logan family experienced many disadvantages. Ma got fired from the school, and Granger threatened Pa to get the land back and tried a lot different ways to do so. One day, Pa was attacked and his leg was broken. Meanwhile, T.J. has made friends with RW and Melvin, and began to steal and cheat. T.J. was also involved when RW and Melvin went into Mr. Barnett’s store to steal a pearl-handled pistol. Mr. and Mrs. Barnett got injured by RW and Melvin, when they witnessed the stealing. When Pa heard about this, and about to leave to check what was going on, Ma saw the cotton field has caught fire. After all, RW and Melvin charged all the faults to T.J. and, although Mr. Jamison tried to defend him, they heard Jim Lee Barnett died with severe injury. And, Stacey’s question, “Papa, could he….could he die?” predicted a tragedy.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Unabridged version of this book has six CDs. The book is read by Lynne Thigpen in a first person narrative and she tried to keep clear pronunciation in an appropriate speed. There were no sound effects or background music. Compared with the book, this audio book has a merit in that we can select a chapter to read and find the part we already read. This story has many incredible historical events, and the book would be a better source to stimulate children’s imagination by drawing the scenes into their minds. After chapter twelve, the author wrote the foreword and sang ‘roll of thunder hear my cry’ provided in the book. In the foreword, the author said “I wanted readers to know this family, based upon my own, and I wanted them to feel akin to them and to walk their shoes.” He also said “I have had to be honest with myself in the telling of all my stories, I realized I must be true to the feelings of the people about whom I write, and I must be true to the stories told.” A good historical fiction story must make the historical period come to life, and Mildred Taylor did.

REVIEW EXCERPTS

Booklist (March 1, 1988)

Gr. 5-9. In the midst of the Depression, a black family struggles to keep their land and cope with racial prejudices in their Mississippi neighborhood. Other books based on the author's family include Song in the Trees, Let the Circle Be Unbroken, The Gold Cadillac, and The Friendship.

Horn Book Guide (October 1, 2001)

This twenty-fifth anniversary edition of the Newbery Medal book and second novel in the Logan family saga contains a new foreword by Mildred Taylor. Copyright 2001 of The Horn Book, Inc. All rights reserved.

CONNECTIONS

*About Mildred. D. Taylor
http://www.olemiss.edu/mwp/dir/taylor_mildred/

*Discussion questions
What kinds of conflicts are appeared in this story?
How can the white and black people treated differently?

* Suggested Essay Questions
http://www.gradesaver.com/classicnotes/titles/thunder/questions.html

THE MIDWIFE’S APPRENTICE

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Cushman, Karen. 1996. THE MIDWIFE’S APPRENTICE. Read by Jenny Sterlin. Prince Frederick, MD; Recorded Books, ISBN: 1-4025-2320-3 Reading level: age 12 up

PLOT SUMMARY

A young girl named Brat is a main character. She is an orphan, found in a dung heap by Jane Sharp, a village midwife. She called Brat Beetle and Beetle became Jane’s assistant. Beetle worked for Jane to get food. Everyone in the village teased Beetle, and she had no friends. One day, she found a stray cat and became friends with it. Beetle was shocked to watch the delivery of a baby from Miller’s wife. After that, the midwife called Beetle ‘Brainless brat’ and ‘Clodpole’ and ‘Good-for-Nothing.’ When she visited the Saint Swithin’s Day Fair for the midwife, Beetle was treated with a respect and adopted new name, ‘Alyce.’ As time went by, Alyce gained confidence and was accustomed to helping the midwife. When Alyce succeeded in helping Bailiff’s wife to deliver a baby by herself, she was proud. One day, Alyce was asked to deliver Emma’s baby, but she failed because it was very difficult. Alyce felt very frustrated, and ran away with her cat. When she arrived at Inn, Alyce thought she couldn’t return to the village. She worked there for food, and met a renowned scholar, Magister Reese. He taught Alyce how to read. Finally, Alyce realized what she really wanted and returned to Jane’s village.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Narrated in the third person, this audio book consists of 3 CDs with sixteen chapters, and is unabridged. The narrator, Jenny Sterlin, is a native Englishwoman. Although there are no sound effects, readers may feel the medieval England mood with detailed description provided. The book offers a delicate and vivid description about the historical background and events. In this sense, the author did a good job. Also, this book shows how an orphan girl overcame her external adversities and internal conflicts.

REVIEW EXCERPTS

Publishers Weekly (August 19, 1996)

In reviewing this 1996 Newbery winner, PW said that Cushman "has an almost unrivaled ability to build atmosphere, and her evocation of a medieval village, if not scholarly in its authenticity, is supremely colorful and pungent." Ages 8-12. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly (February 27, 1995)

Having focused on a well-born young heroine in her Newbery Honor debut novel, Catherine, Called Birdy, Cushman returns to a similar medieval English setting, this time to imagine how the other half lived. The strengths of this new, relatively brief novel match those of its predecessor: Cushman has an almost unrivaled ability to build atmosphere, and her evocation of a medieval village, if not scholarly in its authenticity, is supremely colorful and pungent. The protagonist here first appears asleep in a heap of dung; the ``rotting and moiling'' of the refuse give forth heat enough to compensate for the stench. Homeless and nameless, she can remember no time when she did not wander from village to village. She is rescued from the dung heap by a sharp-tongued local midwife, who feeds her in exchange for work. Gradually the girl forges an identity for herself and learns some timeless truths. Some of the characterizations lack consistency (particularly that of the midwife), the plot depends on a few too many conveniences and the development of the themes seems hurried풺ut no matter. The force of the ambience produces more than enough momentum to propel the reader from start to finish in a single happy sitting. Ages 12-up. (Mar.)


CONNECTIONS

*Discussion questions
http://mrcoward.com/slcusd/midwifesq.html

*Other books of Middle ages.
Cushman, Karen. Catherine, called Birdy. ISBN: 0-7587-0246-9
Southern, W.R. The making of the Middle Ages ISBN: 0-7581-0032-9
Huizinga, Johan. The autumn of the Middle Ages. ISBN: 0-226-35994-8
Willis, Connie. Doomsday book. ISBN: 0-613-92255-7

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

BUBBA THE COWBOY PRINCE

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Helen Ketteman. 1997. BUBBA THE COWBOY PRINCE. Ill. By James Warhola. NewYork: Scholastic Press. ISBN 0590255061 Reading level: 5 – 8

PLOT SUMMARY

In this Texas version of Cinderella, Bubba is the hero. The background is set in a ranch in Texas. Bubba is living with his wicked stepfather and stepbrothers, Dwayne and Milton. They boss Bubba around who is a weak and naïve character and therefore downtrodden by his stepfather and stepbrothers. Miz Lurleen who lives in the neighboring rancher is looking for a husband for herself “as cute as a cow’s ear”. One day, she invites all of the ranchers in Texas to her ranch, in order to find her companionship. Bubba’s stepfather won’t let him go to the ball. When frustrated bubba arrives at the cow pasture, Miz Godcow shows up. She swishes her tail and magically helps Bubba go to the ball wearing shiny boots, a dazzling shirt and white as salt Stetson. When the fairy godcow swishes her tail again, and steer magically turns into a beautiful white stallion. When Bubba arrives at the ball, he draws attentions from all of the people attending the ball, especially, from Miz Lurllen. When the clock strikes midnight, Bubba turns into a dirty and smelly cowboy again. In his rush to get out, bubba leaves one of his boots behind. Miz Lurleen’s finds the boot, and tries to find its real owner several times, finally, she finds bubba and proposes to him. As in any happy ending story, they live ‘happily ever after, roping, and cowpoking, and gitting them doggies along.’

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

This Texan version of the story has the same motif as the other Cinderella style of stories which is that “good triumphs over evil.” But, the gender of the hero is male and the cow plays the role of the fairy godmother in this story. The most attractive scene is when bubba ran away from Miz Lurleen when he turned back in to his usual appearance. The full moon seems to know the entire situation wearing deep embarrassment on its face and the fairy Godcow is watching it pathetically in a distance. The cow lumber off on the ground. Its face looks real, adding to the suspense. Its illustration is naturally tailored with the text. The cruel touch of oil painting enhances the character and backdrop adding the liveliness; Cactus, the ranch, the cowboy hat and boots, etc, all characters and stuffs are realistic. And the Texas dialect spread in the pages emphasizes the Texan style.

REVIEW EXCERPTS

BookList, 12/01/1997
“Ketteman wisely leaves the plot unchanged, but the story has a distinct western flair and a humorous tall-tale feel that is greatly enhanced by the exaggerated actions and facial expressions of the characters in Warhola's double-page-spread oil paintings.”

Publishers Weekly, 11/17/1997
“While spoofing Cinderella is not a new idea, Ketteman and Warhola's (Aunt Hilarity's Bustle) well-matched flair for hyperbole gives both the narrative and illustrations a one-two punch. Just the ticket for buckaroos lookin' fer a good read.”

CONNECTIONS

*Activity
This book may be used for the practice to fracture a story. Let children make another story based on this book and make their own book.

*Other twist version of books of Cinderella story.
Ellen Jackson Cinder Edna 0688162959
Shirley Hughes. Ella's Big Chance ISBN: 0689873999
Robert D. San Souci. Sootface ISBN: 044041363X
Alan Schroeder Smoky Mountain Rose ISBN: 0803717334

PINOCCHIO

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Carlo Collodi, 1995. Pinocchio. Ill. By Ed.Young. New York: Philomel Books. ISBN: 0399229418 Reading level:4-8

PLOT SUMMARY

Once upon a time, Geppetto, a puppet maker in a town in Italy, made a doll and named it Pinocchio. Pinocchio could speak, think, and walk without wires, even though he was made of wood. But, Pinocchio was a mischievous and naughty puppet. One day, Pinocchio went to the puppet theater and was almost killed by a fire-eater. After many twists and turns, Pinocchio survived and earned five gold pieces from the fire-eater. But, on the way home, a fox and a cat wiled Pinocchio into burying his money in the filed for a miracle- a gold coin tree, and the two assassins tried to rob him. But, the fairy saved him from those assassins. For the fairy’s questions “where is the money?” Pinocchio answered with a lie saying that he lost his money, but the money was in his pocket. As he lied his nose grew longer. The fairy stopped his nose from growing and said, “If you will remain with me, you shall be my little brother and I will be your good little sister.”
Finally, Pinocchio buried his money in the filed of miracle, but he found there is no gold-coin tree and his money was no longer there. Then a large pigeon came and brought him to a beach which had roaring waves. And there, the terrible Dogfish swallowed his father, and Pinocchio returned without knowing his father was gone. At this time, Pinocchio went to the land of toys lured by Candlewick and was turned into the donkey.
Pinocchio jumped into the sea and turned back to a normal puppet, but was swallowed by the Dogfish. And in the belly of the dogfish, he finally met his father. While the dogfish was sleeping at night, Pinocchio and Geppetto came out of the fish, and went back to home. The next day, Pinocchio’s long time wish finally becomes true and he turns into a real boy.


CRITICAL ANALYSIS

This adaptation version, ‘The adventures of Pinocchio’ is shorter than the original. It consists of thirteen scenes and the author used the stock-in-trade of the Italian theater, commedia dell' arte, especially, Harlequin in the Fire-eater scene. A Chinese-American illustrator, Ed Young used a collage which makes this book unique and dynamic, and gives a three-dimensional effect. Sometimes, it is difficult to read the story because of the dark colors and texture of background, but it is also interesting to look the detail of the picture, some are double–page spread.

REVIEW EXCERPTS

Booklist v. 93 (November 15 1996) p. 586
"Ed Young presents an illustrated edition of this famous Italian fantasy. Although his version of the story is considerably shorter than Collodi's text, it retains a sense of the adventure, humor, and pathos that made the original Pinocchio a classic. . . . The exaggeration of the characters' shadows in several scenes makes good use of the collage medium and significantly heightens the dramatic effects of the artwork. A handsome, large-format volume, this edition will attract readers looking for an abridged and well-illustrated version."

The Horn Book v. 72 (November/December 1996) p. 720
Title: Pinocchio"This version is an artistic achievement in its own right rather than a diluted production for the mass market. By dividing the book into 'scenes' and conveying most of the action through dialogue, Ed Young adds a new, appropriately theatrical, dimension to Collodi's classic study. An elegantly phrased author's note precedes the story, placing it in the tradition of the commedia dell'arte, isolating the elements that endow it with universal appeal, and giving a sound rationale for transforming it into a play. And transformed it is through an absorbing series of cut-paper collages that not only interpret the text but virtually embrace it through thoughtful page design. The illusion of an improvisational production is enhanced by the grouping of the original chapters into scenes that emphasize the badinage and wit of the original."

CONNECTIONS

*Discussion Subject
What kinds of lessons you can get from this book?
What happened when Pinocchio told a lie? What happen to you if you lie?
Compare role of the fairy in this book and ones in other books.

*Other version of Pinocchio
Collodi, C., et. al. The adventures of Pinocchio. ISBN: 1-586-42052-6
Collodi, Carlo; Grimly, Gris, ed. Pinocchio. Illustrations by Gris Grimly ISBN: 0-7653-0591-7

MORE SCARY STORIES TO TELL IN THE DARK

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Alvin Schwartz, 1984. More scary stories to tell in the dark. Ill By Stephen Gammell. New York: HarperCollins. ISBN: 0-397-32082-5 Reading Level: 9-12

PLOT SUMMARY

‘More scary stories to tell in the dark’ collected from Folklore is composed of four categories and each has four to eight numbers of stories. Stories are about ghost, bogeymen, monsters, demons, and evil sprits, etc. Some of the most scariest stories to me were a story about a man who doesn’t know he was killed and became a ghost; a story about a crew’s ghost, which the pirate ship was sank off long times ago; and a story about a bride who tried to hide and locked in her grandfather’s trunk in the attic on her wedding day and her body was found a few years later by a maid. The subjects can be anything and the places where the episodes happened could be anywhere, but the common thing is they are supernatural and scary. The last part, The Last Laugh, is mild or middle level of scary stories. It seems like fearful in the beginning, but people can laugh when they read the last part.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Each story has from two to four pages, and sentences are short and easy to understand. Although his scary series are selected for America's most frequently challenged book in the year of 1990 and 2000 (http://www.ala.org/ala/oif/bannedbooksweek/bbwlinks/100mostfrequently.htm), it is one of children’s favorite books. It offers detail sources from which each story is adapted and bibliographies which explain abbreviations from the book. Stephen Gammell’s spooky and creepy illustrations increase the intensity of the mood, and sometimes, it is even scarier than stories.

REVIEW EXCERPTS

The Horn Book
"Brief, bloodcurdling tales of ghosts, murders, graveyards, and other horrors, greatly enhanced by the ghoulish illustrations."

School Library Journal
"Guaranteed to make your teeth chatter and your spine-tingle."

CONNECTIONS
*Activities
Let children have a group three to four students and give them a short scary story to begin with. And then let them make their own and compile them into a class book.

*Other scary stories from Alvin Schwartz
Alvin Schwartz. Scary stories to tell in the dark ISBN: 0397319266
Alvin Schwartz. In a dark, dark room, and other scary stories ISBN: 0060252715
Alvin Schwartz. Ghosts!: ghostly tales from folklore ISBN: 0060217960
Alvin Schwartz. Scary stories 3: more tales to chill your bones ISBN: 0060217944

Like Likes Like

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Raschka, Chris. 2001. Like Likes Like. Ill. by Chris Raschka. DK Publishing. ISBN 0789425645. Reading level: Baby-Preschool

PLOT SUMMARY

The author, Raschka, weaves a story through a pity feline’s loneliness and yearning for friendship.
“Two by two, he and she, curly and straight, fancy and plain, different and same”. In this world of pairs, the cat feels alone when all the other animals have their pairs. With a wish to have its own friend, the cat goes to journey that is full of nature such as roses, seas, flowers and fliers, trees and skies, grass and mounds, and stones. In this world, the cat still looks like lonely and yearning for a friend. When the cat finally meets its own mate, with dark brown furs and green eyes, it really looks happy.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Words pairs such as ‘rows and rose’, ‘sees and seas’ and ‘flowers and fliers’ make the reading rhythmical and playful. Raschka’s simple prose mixes up well with the illustrations. Oil pastels and watercolor are used to enrich the white kitten’s story. The cat’s face is full of expression, and it reflects loneliness and sadness. The background colors also tell a story. Yellow, blue, green colors are more intensive and dark when the cat is alone. And the pink convey the delight when the cat found its ‘like.’

REVIEW EXCERPTS

From Publishers Weekly
"This pert and pithy picture book has strong visual echoes of Raschka's Yo! Yes? down to the bright yellow dust jacket. But if the thematic territory of loneliness and friendship is familiar, the development and spirit here are fresh."

From School Library Journal
"Raschka told a hip story of blossoming friendship in spare and sweet prose."

CONNECTIONS

*Another book from Chris Raschka
Raschka, Chris. Yo! Yes? ISBN: 0531071081
*Books about friendship
Carle Eric. Do You Want to Be My Friend? ISBN: 0399215980
Bonsall, Crosby. Mine's the Best ISBN: 0064442136

Talking with Artists

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Cummings, Pat. 1992. Talking with artists. New York: Bradbury Press. ISBN 0027242455. Reading level: Ages 9-12

PLOT SUMMARY
If your child wants to be an illustrator, or wonders what illustrators do, this book is a good guide for you to use. It can also be a comprehensive source of illustration jobs. This book is compiled and edited by Pat Cummings who is an illustrator and author of some popular picture books such as ‘My Mama Needs Me by Mildred Pitts Walter.’ The story includes fourteen well known illustrators such as Lois Ehlert, Steven Kellog, and Chris Van Allsburg.
It starts with their personal background in a piece titled ‘My stories’. Here we become familiar with the illustrator’s childhood and how they got into art, their family story, what was their motivation to become an illustrator, and with someone who influenced their life, etc. Eight questions are asked of each illustrator and include ‘Where do you get your ideas from?’
‘What is a normal day like for you?’ ‘Where do you work?’ ‘Do you have any children? Any pets?’ ‘What do you enjoy drawing the most?’ ‘Do you ever put people you know in your pictures?’ ‘What do you use to make your picture?’ And ‘How did you get to do your first book?’ Cummings points out that these questions are frequently asked by young students.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The sentences are so simple and clear that they make the book easy to read, and so detailed that reading the book feels like a ‘real conversation’ with the illustrators. Reading the personal stories of each illustrator is interesting, and the photos and artworks from their childhood and adulthood make this book inspiring and engaging for young readers. Most of the questions are related to their art, but some questions such as ‘What is a normal day like for you?’ and ‘Do you have any children? Any pets?’ are very personal and make readers feel closer to the illustrators. The book has a glossary for art medium and terms, and more detailed information about artwork included in this book is provided in the ‘acknowledgments’ section.

REVIEW EXCERPTS
Booklist
"Beautifully designed to draw readers, this book will inspire many children to make art and possibly even to choose it as a career some day. A fine addition to a beautiful and absorbing series."

The Horn Book
"Although similar in format and organization, the books in this remarkable series are not simply carbon copies of one another. The introductions alone, succinct and provocative, demonstrate the ways in which the compiler gives added dimension to her project: Volume One presented the idea of illustration as a profession; Volume Two touted the value both of practicing old techniques and trying new ones; Volume Three introduces the concept of illustration as a means of communication. . . . Informative, enjoyable, and inspirational."

CONNECTIONS
*Activity
Let the children select their favorite artist and gather some artwork or information about this artist in the library or on the internet.
*Other related books for illustrator job.
Preller, James. The Big Book of Picture-Book Authors & Illustrators. ISBN 0439201543
Christelow, Eileen. What Do Illustrators Do? ISBN 0395902304