Moss, Marissa. (2004). Mighty Jackie: The Strike-Out Queen. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.
Grade Level:
I would recommend this book for students in grades K-4.
Author Credibility:
Moss provides the reader with a bibliography that explains where she obtained her sources. This book was also a Notable Children’s Book for 2005.
Summary:
Jackie Mitchell loved baseball as a little girl. She knew girls did not play baseball, but her father told her that she could do anything if she worked hard enough. So, she practiced hard everyday. She was playing with the Chattanooga Lookouts when she had the opportunity to pitch in an exhibition game against the New York Yankees. First up to bat was the mighty Babe Ruth. He was determined not to be embarrassed by a girl, despite this he struck out. Next up was Lou Gehrig. He struck out to. The crowd went wild. In the author’s note the author tells the reader that Jackie’s contract with the Lookouts was voided. She continued to play in little known minor league teams. She soon tired of this, because she felt she was part of a sideshow. She eventually gave up baseball.
Standards:
Social Studies
-Individual Development and Identity
-Individuals, Groups, and Institutions
Illustrations:
The illustrations in this book were done by C. F. Payne. They consist of paintings that illustrate the text.
Access Features:
*Author’s Note
*Bibliography
How I would use the book in the classroom:
This story would be interesting to a lot of students because of the content of baseball. I would use this book for enjoyment and getting students interested in reading. This is important for beginning readers. This book could be as a source of motivation. It tells the story of hard work, and following a dream. I would also use this book to discuss a side of baseball that is often over looked.
My response to the book:
I loved this book. What determination Jackie Mitchell had. She was not intimidated by the biggest names in baseball. She did not back down when the crowd was ready and waiting for her to mess up. Even growing up in a “baseball family” I had never heard this story. It was a great story.
Related Texts:
* Mama Played Baseball by David A. Adler
*A Whole New Ball Game: The Story of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League by Sue Macy
*When Women Played Hardball by Johnson
Other:
This book is a partial biography of Jackie Mitchell. The cover is a drawing of Jackie Mitchell. When you look in her eyes you see determination. The verso page is a black and white photograph of Jackie. This photograph is from the National Baseball Hall of Fame Library. Jackie’s signature on the front and back cover is also from the National Baseball Hall of Fame. On the title page a little girl stands on the mound of a big stadium waiting to pitch. The first word in the book is “it.” The “i” in “it” is a baseball bat.
Monday, July 30, 2007
My Light by Molly Bang
Bang, Molly. (2004). My Light. New York: The Blue Sky Press An Imprint of Scholastic Inc.
Grade Level:
I would recommend this book for students in grades K-3.
Author:
Molly Bang has written a number of children’s books. She recently started writing science content children’s books to help raise awareness about environmental issues. This book was a Noatable Children’s Book for 2005.
Summary:
This book explains how electricity comes from the sun. It starts by looking at a city at night and talks about the lights. They look like stars. Their light did come from a star, the sun. The author discusses clouds and how energy falls as rain. The water flows down stream, and may eventually be stopped by a dam. Humans use this energy from the water to create electricity.
The author then discusses wind energy. The sun heats the earth. The warm air rises. The cool air pours in, thus creating wind. The wind can be used to create electricity with turbines.
Fossil fuels are discussed next. Plants use the sun to make food, storing energy inside them. When some of these plants die they are buried for millions and millions of years. They then turn to coal and can be burned to create electricity.
Energy can also be captured in solar panels. These panels capture energy directly from the sun. This energy is used to create electricity.
Standards:
Science
-Physical Science
-Life Science
-Earth and Space Science
-Science and Technology
-Science in Personal and Social Perspectives
Illustrations:
Molly Bang also did the illustrations for this book. I loved these illustrations. They were colorful and so detailed. The book does not tell what medium was used to create these illustrations. The best way I can describe them are as paintings and maybe some computer generated art work. The illustrations flow with the text, and they help further explain the text.
Access Features:
*About this book
How I would use the book in the classroom:
This book would be great to teach students about electricity, and how it works. I would also have the students do further research on the author’s website. There are so many different aspects that the students could do further research on.
My response to the book:
I really enjoyed reading this book. The illustrations blew me away. They were gorgeous. I liked how she related electricity as coming from the sun. I have never thought about many of the points she brings out. This book did a great job of connecting all the pieces.
Related Texts:
*Common Ground: The Water, Earth, and Air We Share by Molly Bang
*Dawn by Molly Bang
*www.mollybang.com
Other:
The end pages of this book look like the stars in the sky. The title page has a sun with ripples of energy flowing out and on into the book. The color of the font switches from yellow, to white, to black according to the color of the page. The sun’s energy is represented by yellow in the illustrations. This representation can be found on every page in the book.
Grade Level:
I would recommend this book for students in grades K-3.
Author:
Molly Bang has written a number of children’s books. She recently started writing science content children’s books to help raise awareness about environmental issues. This book was a Noatable Children’s Book for 2005.
Summary:
This book explains how electricity comes from the sun. It starts by looking at a city at night and talks about the lights. They look like stars. Their light did come from a star, the sun. The author discusses clouds and how energy falls as rain. The water flows down stream, and may eventually be stopped by a dam. Humans use this energy from the water to create electricity.
The author then discusses wind energy. The sun heats the earth. The warm air rises. The cool air pours in, thus creating wind. The wind can be used to create electricity with turbines.
Fossil fuels are discussed next. Plants use the sun to make food, storing energy inside them. When some of these plants die they are buried for millions and millions of years. They then turn to coal and can be burned to create electricity.
Energy can also be captured in solar panels. These panels capture energy directly from the sun. This energy is used to create electricity.
Standards:
Science
-Physical Science
-Life Science
-Earth and Space Science
-Science and Technology
-Science in Personal and Social Perspectives
Illustrations:
Molly Bang also did the illustrations for this book. I loved these illustrations. They were colorful and so detailed. The book does not tell what medium was used to create these illustrations. The best way I can describe them are as paintings and maybe some computer generated art work. The illustrations flow with the text, and they help further explain the text.
Access Features:
*About this book
How I would use the book in the classroom:
This book would be great to teach students about electricity, and how it works. I would also have the students do further research on the author’s website. There are so many different aspects that the students could do further research on.
My response to the book:
I really enjoyed reading this book. The illustrations blew me away. They were gorgeous. I liked how she related electricity as coming from the sun. I have never thought about many of the points she brings out. This book did a great job of connecting all the pieces.
Related Texts:
*Common Ground: The Water, Earth, and Air We Share by Molly Bang
*Dawn by Molly Bang
*www.mollybang.com
Other:
The end pages of this book look like the stars in the sky. The title page has a sun with ripples of energy flowing out and on into the book. The color of the font switches from yellow, to white, to black according to the color of the page. The sun’s energy is represented by yellow in the illustrations. This representation can be found on every page in the book.
Teeth, Tails, and Tentacles: An Animal Counting Book by Christopher Wormell
Wormell, Christopher. (2004). Teeth, Tails, and Tentacles: An Animal Counting Book. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Running Press Kids.
Grade Level:
I would recommend this book for students in grades K-3.
Author Credibility:
Christopher Wormell has written a number of children’s books. He worked first as a wood engraver, and eventually started illustrating children’s books. This book was a Notable Children’s Book for 2005.
Summary:
This book is a counting book. Each page, up to the number twenty, has a large number at the top with the number word underneath. A group of words appears under the numbers describing the number and illustration. For example, one rhinoceros horn. On the opposite page is painting of the animal described on the other page. For the number one there was a painting of a rhinoceros. After counting up to twenty the author presents each animal again and gives information about each animal. A painting of the animal accompanies each description
Standards:
Math
-Numbers and Operations
Illustrations:
Illustrations in this book were done by Christopher Wormell. They consist of paintings. These paintings accompany the text and allow the students to count something on the animal.
Access Features:
*About the Author
How I would use the book in the classroom:
This book would be good to use to work on counting with younger students. For older students this book could become a springboard for researching different animals.
My response to the book:
I like books that tell about different animals. I liked that the animals were described at the end of the book. The illustrations were very detailed. They would be very easy to count the different things on the animals.
Related Texts:
*The Coin Counting Book by Rozanne Lanczak Williams
*Counting Kisses by Karen Katz
*The Icky Bug Counting Book by Jerry Pallotta and Ralph Masiello
Other:
The end pages are a forest green. This makes me think of the outdoors. Additional end pages in the front and the back count to twenty and show the different animals used in the book.
Grade Level:
I would recommend this book for students in grades K-3.
Author Credibility:
Christopher Wormell has written a number of children’s books. He worked first as a wood engraver, and eventually started illustrating children’s books. This book was a Notable Children’s Book for 2005.
Summary:
This book is a counting book. Each page, up to the number twenty, has a large number at the top with the number word underneath. A group of words appears under the numbers describing the number and illustration. For example, one rhinoceros horn. On the opposite page is painting of the animal described on the other page. For the number one there was a painting of a rhinoceros. After counting up to twenty the author presents each animal again and gives information about each animal. A painting of the animal accompanies each description
Standards:
Math
-Numbers and Operations
Illustrations:
Illustrations in this book were done by Christopher Wormell. They consist of paintings. These paintings accompany the text and allow the students to count something on the animal.
Access Features:
*About the Author
How I would use the book in the classroom:
This book would be good to use to work on counting with younger students. For older students this book could become a springboard for researching different animals.
My response to the book:
I like books that tell about different animals. I liked that the animals were described at the end of the book. The illustrations were very detailed. They would be very easy to count the different things on the animals.
Related Texts:
*The Coin Counting Book by Rozanne Lanczak Williams
*Counting Kisses by Karen Katz
*The Icky Bug Counting Book by Jerry Pallotta and Ralph Masiello
Other:
The end pages are a forest green. This makes me think of the outdoors. Additional end pages in the front and the back count to twenty and show the different animals used in the book.
The Train of States by Peter Sis
Sis, Peter. (2004). The Train of States. New York: Greenwillow Books.
Grade Level:
I would recommend this book for students in grades K-6.
Author Credibility:
Peter Sis thanks the “fact-checkers” for the book. This shows that other people checked his facts. This book is a Notable Children’s book for 2005.
Summary:
This book presents each of the fifty states as a car on a train. Each page tells the state, where the name comes from, state nickname, state capital, the state flower, the state tree, the state bird, and a fun fact. The car of the train is illustrated with different aspects from the state. The caboose of the train is Washington D.C.
Standards:
Social Studies
-People, Places, and Environments
Illustrations:
Illustrations in this book were done by Peter Sis. They consist of drawings that represent each state. They were done with black lines and watercolors.
Access Features:
*A Note About the Illustrations- This section gives the students a key to the symbols used in the book and additional information about why certain drawings were included on the state’s car.
How I would use the book in the classroom:
I would use this book when studying the states. This is a good introduction to the states but the illustrations could lead to more research. I would have the students examine the illustrations and research why certain things were included.
My response to the book:
I enjoyed this book. It had a lot of good information in it, and it presents a lot of different avenues for more research. One thing I did not like about the book was that the states were not in any order that I could see. I kept trying to figure out what order the author was using throughout the book. This book could be used with a wide variety of grades.
Related Texts:
The Scrambled States of America by Laurie Keller
*The Once Upon a Time Map book by B. G.
*Adventure Tales of America: An Illustrated History of the United States, 1492-1877 by Jody Potts
Other
The verso page shows a train traveling down the tracks. On the bottom of the page there is a classroom with a teacher teaching about the United States. Through the windows you can see the train coming.
Grade Level:
I would recommend this book for students in grades K-6.
Author Credibility:
Peter Sis thanks the “fact-checkers” for the book. This shows that other people checked his facts. This book is a Notable Children’s book for 2005.
Summary:
This book presents each of the fifty states as a car on a train. Each page tells the state, where the name comes from, state nickname, state capital, the state flower, the state tree, the state bird, and a fun fact. The car of the train is illustrated with different aspects from the state. The caboose of the train is Washington D.C.
Standards:
Social Studies
-People, Places, and Environments
Illustrations:
Illustrations in this book were done by Peter Sis. They consist of drawings that represent each state. They were done with black lines and watercolors.
Access Features:
*A Note About the Illustrations- This section gives the students a key to the symbols used in the book and additional information about why certain drawings were included on the state’s car.
How I would use the book in the classroom:
I would use this book when studying the states. This is a good introduction to the states but the illustrations could lead to more research. I would have the students examine the illustrations and research why certain things were included.
My response to the book:
I enjoyed this book. It had a lot of good information in it, and it presents a lot of different avenues for more research. One thing I did not like about the book was that the states were not in any order that I could see. I kept trying to figure out what order the author was using throughout the book. This book could be used with a wide variety of grades.
Related Texts:
The Scrambled States of America by Laurie Keller
*The Once Upon a Time Map book by B. G.
*Adventure Tales of America: An Illustrated History of the United States, 1492-1877 by Jody Potts
Other
The verso page shows a train traveling down the tracks. On the bottom of the page there is a classroom with a teacher teaching about the United States. Through the windows you can see the train coming.
The Turn-Around Upside-Down Alphabet Book by Lisa Campbell Ernst
Ernst, Lisa. (2004). The Turn-Around, Upside-Down Alphabet Book. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.
Grade Level:
I would recommend this book for students in grades K-3.
Author:
Lisa Campbell Ernst has written over twenty children’s books. This book was a Notable Children’s Book for 2005.
Summary:
This book examines each letter of the alphabet and different things this letters may become. Each letter is inside of a square. On the bottom side of the square the letter is stated. On the other three sides of the square three things are presented that this letter may become. For example “C pretends to be an angel’s halo, macaroni and cheese, a hoop earring.” The words are also written in a way in which the reader must turn the book as they read. For example, macaroni and cheese is on the top sid of the square. But looking at a book the standard way the words are upside-down. You have to turn the book around as you read it. Hence the title, The Turn-Around, Upside-Down Alphabet Book.
Standards:
Language Arts:
-Applying Knowledge
-Applying Language Skills
Illustrations:
The illustrations in this book were done by Lisa Ernst. The book does not say, but I believe the illustrations were computer generated. The consist of a large letter in various colors. They are simple, but effective.
How I would use the book in the classroom:
This book would be good to use when studying the alphabet. I would like to use it to allow students to truly look at a letter. It would allow them to use their imagination. What could this letter become. I think it would be fun to go on a scavenger hunt for shapes of letters.
My response to the book:
This book was not what I expected. I enjoyed reading it though. It presented a lot of ideas about what letters can become that I had never thought of. I thought the letters and colors stood out on the black pages.
Related Texts:
*3-D ABC by Bob Raczka
*Gone Wild: An Endangered Animal Alphabet by David McLimans
*The Hidden Alphabet by Laura Vaccaro Seeger
*The Disappearing Alphabet by Richard Wilbur
*Tomorrow’s Alphabet by George Shannon
*Alphabet City by Stephen T. Johnson
Other:
The letters on each page are over sized making them easy to see. Each page has a black boarder with a letter inside of a box. This correlates with the cover. The cover has a black boarder with A, B, C, D inside of a box. These letters are turned around.
Grade Level:
I would recommend this book for students in grades K-3.
Author:
Lisa Campbell Ernst has written over twenty children’s books. This book was a Notable Children’s Book for 2005.
Summary:
This book examines each letter of the alphabet and different things this letters may become. Each letter is inside of a square. On the bottom side of the square the letter is stated. On the other three sides of the square three things are presented that this letter may become. For example “C pretends to be an angel’s halo, macaroni and cheese, a hoop earring.” The words are also written in a way in which the reader must turn the book as they read. For example, macaroni and cheese is on the top sid of the square. But looking at a book the standard way the words are upside-down. You have to turn the book around as you read it. Hence the title, The Turn-Around, Upside-Down Alphabet Book.
Standards:
Language Arts:
-Applying Knowledge
-Applying Language Skills
Illustrations:
The illustrations in this book were done by Lisa Ernst. The book does not say, but I believe the illustrations were computer generated. The consist of a large letter in various colors. They are simple, but effective.
How I would use the book in the classroom:
This book would be good to use when studying the alphabet. I would like to use it to allow students to truly look at a letter. It would allow them to use their imagination. What could this letter become. I think it would be fun to go on a scavenger hunt for shapes of letters.
My response to the book:
This book was not what I expected. I enjoyed reading it though. It presented a lot of ideas about what letters can become that I had never thought of. I thought the letters and colors stood out on the black pages.
Related Texts:
*3-D ABC by Bob Raczka
*Gone Wild: An Endangered Animal Alphabet by David McLimans
*The Hidden Alphabet by Laura Vaccaro Seeger
*The Disappearing Alphabet by Richard Wilbur
*Tomorrow’s Alphabet by George Shannon
*Alphabet City by Stephen T. Johnson
Other:
The letters on each page are over sized making them easy to see. Each page has a black boarder with a letter inside of a box. This correlates with the cover. The cover has a black boarder with A, B, C, D inside of a box. These letters are turned around.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
The Very First Thanksgiving Day by Rhonda Gowler Greene
Greene, Rhonda. (2002). The Very First Thanksgiving Day. New York: Scholastic Inc.
Grade Level:
I would recommend this book for students in grades K-3.
Author Credibility:
Greene included in her author’s note where she got some of her information. She read the pilgrim’s journal entries. These are found in “A Relation or Journal of the Proceedings of the Plantation Settled at Plymouth in New England.” She also thanks several people for helping with the research.
Summary:
The story starts on Thanksgiving Day. The author introduces the food they ate that day. The Indians are then introduced. They knew how to live through the winters and how to grow the food. The author then tells about the pilgrims they farmed the land and learned from the Indians. The author then goes from the houses that protected them to the harbor they landed at. The Mayflower is then described. This ship brought the pilgrims to America. Finally, they are at the land where it all began. The pilgrims prepare to come to America. Then the author takes you back through the journey. They are on the Mayflower, sailing across the ocean, to the harbor, then to their homes, learning from the Indians, and finally eating the food prepared for the Thanksgiving feast.
Standards:
Social Studies
- People, Places, and Environments
- Individuals, Groups, and Institutions
-Culture
Illustrations:
Illustrations for this book were done by Susan Gaber. They consist of paintings done with acrylic paint. They are very detailed, and they show what is going on in the story.
Access Features:
*Author’s Note
*Illustrator’s Note
How I would use the book in the classroom:
I would use this book around Thanksgiving. For older students I would have them do more research about certain parts of the book.
My response to the book:
I enjoyed the style this book was written in. I also loved looking at the illustrations in the book. The illustrations are very detailed and they can tell a lot about the time and what is going on.
Related Texts:
*Thanksgiving is for Giving Thanks by Margaret Sutherland
*The Story of the Pilgrims by H. L. Ross
*Pilgrim’s First Thanksgiving by Ann McGovern
*P is for Pilgrim: A Thanksgiving Alphabet by Carol Crane
*The First Thanksgiving Day: A Counting Story by Laura Krauss Melmed
Other:
This book is a picture book. It is written with a repetitive style. The words rhyme and flow from page to page. Both the front and the back covers of the book portray pilgrim and Indian children playing together.
Grade Level:
I would recommend this book for students in grades K-3.
Author Credibility:
Greene included in her author’s note where she got some of her information. She read the pilgrim’s journal entries. These are found in “A Relation or Journal of the Proceedings of the Plantation Settled at Plymouth in New England.” She also thanks several people for helping with the research.
Summary:
The story starts on Thanksgiving Day. The author introduces the food they ate that day. The Indians are then introduced. They knew how to live through the winters and how to grow the food. The author then tells about the pilgrims they farmed the land and learned from the Indians. The author then goes from the houses that protected them to the harbor they landed at. The Mayflower is then described. This ship brought the pilgrims to America. Finally, they are at the land where it all began. The pilgrims prepare to come to America. Then the author takes you back through the journey. They are on the Mayflower, sailing across the ocean, to the harbor, then to their homes, learning from the Indians, and finally eating the food prepared for the Thanksgiving feast.
Standards:
Social Studies
- People, Places, and Environments
- Individuals, Groups, and Institutions
-Culture
Illustrations:
Illustrations for this book were done by Susan Gaber. They consist of paintings done with acrylic paint. They are very detailed, and they show what is going on in the story.
Access Features:
*Author’s Note
*Illustrator’s Note
How I would use the book in the classroom:
I would use this book around Thanksgiving. For older students I would have them do more research about certain parts of the book.
My response to the book:
I enjoyed the style this book was written in. I also loved looking at the illustrations in the book. The illustrations are very detailed and they can tell a lot about the time and what is going on.
Related Texts:
*Thanksgiving is for Giving Thanks by Margaret Sutherland
*The Story of the Pilgrims by H. L. Ross
*Pilgrim’s First Thanksgiving by Ann McGovern
*P is for Pilgrim: A Thanksgiving Alphabet by Carol Crane
*The First Thanksgiving Day: A Counting Story by Laura Krauss Melmed
Other:
This book is a picture book. It is written with a repetitive style. The words rhyme and flow from page to page. Both the front and the back covers of the book portray pilgrim and Indian children playing together.
Survival Secrets of Sea Animals by Mary Jo Rhodes and David Hall
Rhodes, Mary Jo and David Hall. (2007).Survival Secrets of Sea Animals. Mexico City: Children’s Press.
Grade Level:
I would recommend this book for students in grades 2-6.
Author Credibility:
David Hall has earned degrees in zoology and medicine. He has worked many years as a wildlife photojournalist. Mary Jo Rhodes has worked as a librarian and in children’s book publishing. Two consultants Karen Gowlett-Holmes and Gene Helfman worked on this book. This book is a Children’s Choice Book.
Summary:
This book is divided into chapters. Each chapter describes a survival secret of sea animals. The concept is introduced and then examples follow in each chapter. Some animals survive by finding a place to hide. Some animals live in these hiding places while others stay until danger passes. Other sea animals have sharp weapons called spines. They use these for defense. Sometimes fish travel in large groups called schools for protection. They are less likely to get attacked in these schools. Other animals use camouflage to blend in with its surroundings. These animals are hard to see. Animals can also use bright colors that confuse their predators. They may develop fake eye spots to fool predators. Some animals also look like animals that predators do not want to mess with. This is a copycat defense. Some sea animals can regenerate. Some can shock you. Others steal weapons. They eat stinging animals (they are not stung), and they travel to white growths on the animals back (instead of being digested) that can then be used to sting predators.
Standards:
Science: Life Science
Illustrations:
The illustrations in this book consist of photographs. The photographs were taken by David Hall. The photographs accompany the text, and help the reader relate to the topic.
Access Features:
*Table of Contents
*Photographs with Captions
*Glossary
*Learn More About Survival Secrets of Sea Animals (Related Resources)
*Index
*About the Author
*About the Consultants
How I would use the book in the classroom:
This book would be great when learning about sea animals. It looks at a variety of sea creatures and how they survive.
My response to the book:
This book was very interesting. I liked the way it was organized. The photographs were beautiful. The book was full of a lot of interesting facts.
Related Texts:
*Predators of the Sea by Mary Jo Rhodes
*Life in a Kelp Forest by Mary Jo Rhodes
*Dolphins, Seals, and Other Sea Mammals by Mary Jo Rhodes
*Octopus and Squid by Mary Jo Rhodes
*Life on a Coral Reef by Mary Jo Rhodes
*Crabs by Mary Jo Rhodes
Other:
This book is 43 pages plus the access features. This book is organized by chapters. Chapter titles grab the reader’s attention. The author talks to the reader in a conversational tone. They often asked the reader questions. This book was an easy read and very interesting.
Grade Level:
I would recommend this book for students in grades 2-6.
Author Credibility:
David Hall has earned degrees in zoology and medicine. He has worked many years as a wildlife photojournalist. Mary Jo Rhodes has worked as a librarian and in children’s book publishing. Two consultants Karen Gowlett-Holmes and Gene Helfman worked on this book. This book is a Children’s Choice Book.
Summary:
This book is divided into chapters. Each chapter describes a survival secret of sea animals. The concept is introduced and then examples follow in each chapter. Some animals survive by finding a place to hide. Some animals live in these hiding places while others stay until danger passes. Other sea animals have sharp weapons called spines. They use these for defense. Sometimes fish travel in large groups called schools for protection. They are less likely to get attacked in these schools. Other animals use camouflage to blend in with its surroundings. These animals are hard to see. Animals can also use bright colors that confuse their predators. They may develop fake eye spots to fool predators. Some animals also look like animals that predators do not want to mess with. This is a copycat defense. Some sea animals can regenerate. Some can shock you. Others steal weapons. They eat stinging animals (they are not stung), and they travel to white growths on the animals back (instead of being digested) that can then be used to sting predators.
Standards:
Science: Life Science
Illustrations:
The illustrations in this book consist of photographs. The photographs were taken by David Hall. The photographs accompany the text, and help the reader relate to the topic.
Access Features:
*Table of Contents
*Photographs with Captions
*Glossary
*Learn More About Survival Secrets of Sea Animals (Related Resources)
*Index
*About the Author
*About the Consultants
How I would use the book in the classroom:
This book would be great when learning about sea animals. It looks at a variety of sea creatures and how they survive.
My response to the book:
This book was very interesting. I liked the way it was organized. The photographs were beautiful. The book was full of a lot of interesting facts.
Related Texts:
*Predators of the Sea by Mary Jo Rhodes
*Life in a Kelp Forest by Mary Jo Rhodes
*Dolphins, Seals, and Other Sea Mammals by Mary Jo Rhodes
*Octopus and Squid by Mary Jo Rhodes
*Life on a Coral Reef by Mary Jo Rhodes
*Crabs by Mary Jo Rhodes
Other:
This book is 43 pages plus the access features. This book is organized by chapters. Chapter titles grab the reader’s attention. The author talks to the reader in a conversational tone. They often asked the reader questions. This book was an easy read and very interesting.
Extreme Animals: The Toughest Creatures on Earth by Nicola Davies
Davies, Nicola. (2006). Extreme Animals: The Toughest Creatures on Earth. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Candlewick Press.
Grade Level:
I would recommend this book for students in grades 3-7.
Author Credibility:
Nicola Davies earned a degree in zoology before writing this book. She has written other children’s books. She has traveled to the Artic. In fact that trip inspired this book. This book is a Children’s Choice for 2006.
Summary:
The author begins by stating that compared to other animals humans are very fragile. The author then starts at the top, the North Pole. She discusses the challenges with living here. Then she discusses some of the animals that live here and how they survive. These animals include the polar bear, arctic musk, sea otter, bowhead whale, and emperor penguin (South Pole). Then the author discusses animals that can let there body temperatures drop and still survive. These include the hummingbird, bats, and frogs. Frogs, Springtails, and Ice Fish use antifreeze like substance to keep their blood from freezing. The author then moves into the desert where it is cold at night and hot during the day. She discusses how roadrunners, camels, and other desert animals survive. The author talks about animals such as spiders living more than 18 months without food. The author then moves to heat and into a volcano. Thermopiles live here, right inside the volcano. The author also talks about the squash factor deep on the floor of oceans. The author even shows animals that get chopped up and yet they survive. They regrow the parts they are missing. Then the author ends by introducing the toughest creature on earth, the tardigrade. This creature can survive extreme heat, extreme cold, extreme pressure, a vacuum, lethal X-rays, and poisonous chemicals. Through all of this the have survived.
Standards:
Science:
*Life Science
*Earth and Space
*Science in Personal and Social Perspectives
Illustrations:
The illustrations were done by Neal Layton. They were done with ink and then digitally colored. They are humorous explanations of the text.
Access Features:
*Diagrams
*Section Titles
*Index
*Glossary
How I would use the book in the classroom:
I would use this book to discuss various animals and how they survive. It would also be beneficial when discussing the different environments in our world.
My response to the book:
I really enjoyed reading this book. I learned a lot, and had fun doing it. The illustrations were comical and added an air of humor to the material. I had never heard of the toughest animal, a tarigrade. Scientists have done everything they could think of to kill these creatures, but they always come back. That was just amazing to me.
Related Texts:
Books relating to animals and how they survive would be great accompanying books.
*Gone Wild by David McLimans
*Life on the Edge: Amazing Creatures Thriving in Extreme Environments by Michael Gross
*Life at the Limits: Organisms in Extreme Environments by David A. Wharton
*Surviving the Extremes: A Doctor’s Journey to the Limits of Human Endurance by Kenneth Kamler
*Extremes: Surviving the World’s Harshest Environments by Nick Middleton
Other:
This book consists of 58 pages. It is logically ordered from cold to hot. The end pages are scattered with tardigrades, the toughest creature on earth. The font end pages and the front cover of the book jacket are blue and white to represent the cold. Creatures that survive in the cold are discussed at the front of the book. The back end pages and the back cover of the book jacket are orange and yellow to represent heat. Creatures that survive in extreme heat are discussed near the end of the book. When you remove the book jacket the front and back cover shows the tardigrade and different things they have survived, like being frozen to absolute zero. The verso and title page hook the reader’s interest by showing bacteria in “boiling, super hot mud.” In order to find out how the survive it encourages you to turn to p. 37. In order to better illustrate certain concepts pages are turned long ways. For example, when discussing jumping insects the illustrations are turned so as to show a tall building with insects jumping over it.
Grade Level:
I would recommend this book for students in grades 3-7.
Author Credibility:
Nicola Davies earned a degree in zoology before writing this book. She has written other children’s books. She has traveled to the Artic. In fact that trip inspired this book. This book is a Children’s Choice for 2006.
Summary:
The author begins by stating that compared to other animals humans are very fragile. The author then starts at the top, the North Pole. She discusses the challenges with living here. Then she discusses some of the animals that live here and how they survive. These animals include the polar bear, arctic musk, sea otter, bowhead whale, and emperor penguin (South Pole). Then the author discusses animals that can let there body temperatures drop and still survive. These include the hummingbird, bats, and frogs. Frogs, Springtails, and Ice Fish use antifreeze like substance to keep their blood from freezing. The author then moves into the desert where it is cold at night and hot during the day. She discusses how roadrunners, camels, and other desert animals survive. The author talks about animals such as spiders living more than 18 months without food. The author then moves to heat and into a volcano. Thermopiles live here, right inside the volcano. The author also talks about the squash factor deep on the floor of oceans. The author even shows animals that get chopped up and yet they survive. They regrow the parts they are missing. Then the author ends by introducing the toughest creature on earth, the tardigrade. This creature can survive extreme heat, extreme cold, extreme pressure, a vacuum, lethal X-rays, and poisonous chemicals. Through all of this the have survived.
Standards:
Science:
*Life Science
*Earth and Space
*Science in Personal and Social Perspectives
Illustrations:
The illustrations were done by Neal Layton. They were done with ink and then digitally colored. They are humorous explanations of the text.
Access Features:
*Diagrams
*Section Titles
*Index
*Glossary
How I would use the book in the classroom:
I would use this book to discuss various animals and how they survive. It would also be beneficial when discussing the different environments in our world.
My response to the book:
I really enjoyed reading this book. I learned a lot, and had fun doing it. The illustrations were comical and added an air of humor to the material. I had never heard of the toughest animal, a tarigrade. Scientists have done everything they could think of to kill these creatures, but they always come back. That was just amazing to me.
Related Texts:
Books relating to animals and how they survive would be great accompanying books.
*Gone Wild by David McLimans
*Life on the Edge: Amazing Creatures Thriving in Extreme Environments by Michael Gross
*Life at the Limits: Organisms in Extreme Environments by David A. Wharton
*Surviving the Extremes: A Doctor’s Journey to the Limits of Human Endurance by Kenneth Kamler
*Extremes: Surviving the World’s Harshest Environments by Nick Middleton
Other:
This book consists of 58 pages. It is logically ordered from cold to hot. The end pages are scattered with tardigrades, the toughest creature on earth. The font end pages and the front cover of the book jacket are blue and white to represent the cold. Creatures that survive in the cold are discussed at the front of the book. The back end pages and the back cover of the book jacket are orange and yellow to represent heat. Creatures that survive in extreme heat are discussed near the end of the book. When you remove the book jacket the front and back cover shows the tardigrade and different things they have survived, like being frozen to absolute zero. The verso and title page hook the reader’s interest by showing bacteria in “boiling, super hot mud.” In order to find out how the survive it encourages you to turn to p. 37. In order to better illustrate certain concepts pages are turned long ways. For example, when discussing jumping insects the illustrations are turned so as to show a tall building with insects jumping over it.
An Egg Is Quiet by Dianna Aston
Aston, Dianna. (2006). An Egg is Quiet. San Francisco: Chronicle Books.
Grade Level:
I would recommend this book for students in grades K-3.
Author Credibility:
Aston has written several children’s books. Aston often goes on searches for eggs. This book is a Children’s Choice for 2006.
Summary:
This book describes different types of eggs. An aspect of the egg is presented then examples are given. These examples are then further described. The aspects described are: an egg is warm and cozy, an egg is colorful, an egg is shapely, an egg is clever, eggs come in different sizes, an egg is artistic, an egg is textured, an egg might be fossilized, an egg is giving, and an egg is noisy.
Standards:
Science: Life Science
Illustrations:
The illustrations in this book were done by Sylvia Long. They are paintings done with ink and water colors. They are colorful, and they describe what is going on in the text.
Access Features:
*Captions accompany illustrations
How I would use the book in the classroom:
I would use this book in my classroom to study eggs. This book looks at the different aspects of an egg. There is so much more to a thing that seems so simple. You could also use this book to explore the animals that come out of the eggs.
My response to the book:
I really enjoyed reading this book. It seemed soothing to me. The illustrations were beautiful. I really did not realize there was so much to something as simple as an egg.
Related Texts:
* A Seed Is Sleepy by Dianna Hutts Aston
*Eggs by Jerry Spinelli
*Eggs by Michel Roux and Martin Brigdale
Other:
The end pages of this book are blue and speckled like a robin’s egg. Additional end pages show a variety of different eggs. The name of the animal is listed under the eggs. Additional end pages at the back show the birds that come from the eggs. The name of the bird is under the bird. The words in the book are written in cursive. They are elaborate. Accompanying text further describes different types of eggs.
Grade Level:
I would recommend this book for students in grades K-3.
Author Credibility:
Aston has written several children’s books. Aston often goes on searches for eggs. This book is a Children’s Choice for 2006.
Summary:
This book describes different types of eggs. An aspect of the egg is presented then examples are given. These examples are then further described. The aspects described are: an egg is warm and cozy, an egg is colorful, an egg is shapely, an egg is clever, eggs come in different sizes, an egg is artistic, an egg is textured, an egg might be fossilized, an egg is giving, and an egg is noisy.
Standards:
Science: Life Science
Illustrations:
The illustrations in this book were done by Sylvia Long. They are paintings done with ink and water colors. They are colorful, and they describe what is going on in the text.
Access Features:
*Captions accompany illustrations
How I would use the book in the classroom:
I would use this book in my classroom to study eggs. This book looks at the different aspects of an egg. There is so much more to a thing that seems so simple. You could also use this book to explore the animals that come out of the eggs.
My response to the book:
I really enjoyed reading this book. It seemed soothing to me. The illustrations were beautiful. I really did not realize there was so much to something as simple as an egg.
Related Texts:
* A Seed Is Sleepy by Dianna Hutts Aston
*Eggs by Jerry Spinelli
*Eggs by Michel Roux and Martin Brigdale
Other:
The end pages of this book are blue and speckled like a robin’s egg. Additional end pages show a variety of different eggs. The name of the animal is listed under the eggs. Additional end pages at the back show the birds that come from the eggs. The name of the bird is under the bird. The words in the book are written in cursive. They are elaborate. Accompanying text further describes different types of eggs.
3-D ABC: A Sculptural Alphabet by Bob Raczka
Raczka, Bob. (2007). 3-D ABC: A Sculptural Alphabet.Minneapolis: Millbrook Press.
Grade Level:
I would recommend this book for students in grades K-8.
Author Credibility:
Bob Raczka studied art at the University of Illinois. He is now a creative director at an ad agency. He has written several other books about art. This book is a Children’s Choice Book.
Summary:
The author goes through the alphabet and discusses different types of sculptures. Each letter is accompanied by a photograph of a sculpture. Text accompanies this letter and photograph, and explains the different aspects of the art discussed. Also found on each page is the name of the sculpture, the artist, when it was done, and where it is located.
Standards:
Art:
Using knowledge of structures and functions
Illustrations:
The illustrations consist of photographs. These photographs are of actual sculptures. Credit to these photographs is given in the “Photo Credits” section. Page numbers are included in this section.
Access Features:
*Additional Reading
*Photo Credits
How I would use the book in the classroom:
I would use this book to discuss art in my classroom. It makes you look at art in a different way.
My response to the book:
This book really made me look at art in a different way. The sculptures in the book were amazing. They cover such a wide range of aspects.
Related Texts:
*Art Is… by Bob Raczka
*More than Meets the Eye: Seeing Art With All Five Senses by Bob Raczka
*No One Saw by Bob Raczka
*Here’s Looking at Me: How Artists See Themselves by Bob Raczka
*Unlikely Pairs: Fun with Famous Works of Art by Bob Raczka
Other:
The cover art is a photograph of a sculpture. The edges of the words 3-D in the title are raised to make them 3-D.
Grade Level:
I would recommend this book for students in grades K-8.
Author Credibility:
Bob Raczka studied art at the University of Illinois. He is now a creative director at an ad agency. He has written several other books about art. This book is a Children’s Choice Book.
Summary:
The author goes through the alphabet and discusses different types of sculptures. Each letter is accompanied by a photograph of a sculpture. Text accompanies this letter and photograph, and explains the different aspects of the art discussed. Also found on each page is the name of the sculpture, the artist, when it was done, and where it is located.
Standards:
Art:
Using knowledge of structures and functions
Illustrations:
The illustrations consist of photographs. These photographs are of actual sculptures. Credit to these photographs is given in the “Photo Credits” section. Page numbers are included in this section.
Access Features:
*Additional Reading
*Photo Credits
How I would use the book in the classroom:
I would use this book to discuss art in my classroom. It makes you look at art in a different way.
My response to the book:
This book really made me look at art in a different way. The sculptures in the book were amazing. They cover such a wide range of aspects.
Related Texts:
*Art Is… by Bob Raczka
*More than Meets the Eye: Seeing Art With All Five Senses by Bob Raczka
*No One Saw by Bob Raczka
*Here’s Looking at Me: How Artists See Themselves by Bob Raczka
*Unlikely Pairs: Fun with Famous Works of Art by Bob Raczka
Other:
The cover art is a photograph of a sculpture. The edges of the words 3-D in the title are raised to make them 3-D.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Freedom Walkers: The Story of the Montgomery Bus Boycott by Russell Freedman (2 BK)
Freedman, Russell. (2006). Freedom Walkers: The Story of the Montgomery Bus Boycott. New York: Holiday House.
Grade Level:
I would recommend this book for students in grades 4-8.
Author Credibility:
Russell Freedman has written numerous nonfiction children’s books. Three sections at the end of the book are dedicated to listing his sources. These sections include: Chapter Notes, Selected Bibliography, and Acknowledgements. This book received several awards including: Orbis Pictus 2007, 2006 Cybil Award Winner, Bank Street College of Education Flora Stieglitz Straus Award, Jane Addams Children’s Book Award, and Sibert Informational Honor Book.
Summary:
Jo Ann Robinson boarded a bus just before Christmas. She sat down in the fifth seat. The bus driver made Robinson get up. Robinson left the bus upset. She joined the Women’s Political Council (WPC), and she vowed to do something about segregated busing.
White passengers entered the front of the bus and took a seat in one of the first five seats on the bus. Black passengers paid their fare then had to reenter through the rear of the bus, and sit in one of the last five seats on the bus. If the white section filled up black passengers had to give up their seats for the whites. Robinson became president of the WPC and she worked towards better seating on buses.
Claudette Colvin was asked to give up her seat as the all white section of the bus filled up. Claudette was sitting in the black section and felt it was her right to sit where she was. She did not give up her seat. She was arrest for this offense. E.D. Nixon wanted a case like Claudette’s to take the matter to the federal courts. Nixon felt Claudette was a little to young and prone to emotional outbursts to be this test case, so they waited.
Rosa Parks boarded a bus after a long day of work as a seamstress in 1955. Rosa refused to give up her seat in the black section of the bus to white people. She was arrested. They decided to make Rosa’s case the test case in the federal courts. Robinson and her friends met at the college, and they made fliers that encouraged blacks not to ride the buses on Monday, the day of Rosa’s trail.
Montgomery’s black leaders met after the trail to decide whether or not to continue the boycott. Martin Luther King, Jr. stepped up and said he wanted to do something. Before he knew it he was president of the Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA). King spoke at rallies that encouraged many African Americans in Montgomery. There were huge turn outs for these rallies. King always advocated nonviolence.
To help with the bus boycott a massive car pool was established. Also walkers were singled out at mass meetings and praised as boycott heroes. Boycotter’s demands were not met with the segregation laws of the South like they were. Soon the bus companies announced that they were losing money. The officials of Montgomery were doing everything they could to discourage the boycotters. Car pool drivers were targeted and given tickets on a regular basis. Many were arrested. The KKK also set out to discourage boycotters by using violent methods. They threw bombs into houses of high ranking black citizens. The black leaders were indicted for their role in the boycott. It was against the law to boycott “without a just cause or legal excuse.” These people turned up at the courthouse to turn themselves in. When they were released they found crowds of cheering people supporting them. Many blacks found it an honor to be arrested for the cause. Slowly Africans Americans started the legal battle. On June 4th segregation on city buses was found to be unconstitutional. The Supreme Court agreed. They walked for 5 more weeks until official paperwork reached Montgomery. Finally, they boarded the buses once again, able to sit wherever there was a free seat.
African Americans still faced discrimination. They were shot at. Bombs were set off. There was still work to be done.
Standards:
Social Studies:
*Time, Continuity, and Change
*People, Places, and Environments
*Individual Development and Identity
*Individuals, Groups, and Institutions
*Power, Authority, and Governance
*Civic Ideals and Practices
Illustrations:
The illustrations in this book consist of black and white photographs. These photographs correspond with the text. Captions accompany these photographs and explain what is happening in the picture.
Access Features:
*Table of Contents
*Map
*Introduction
*Photographs with Captions
*Chapter Notes
*Selected Bibliography
*Acknowledgements
*Index
How I would use the book in the classroom:
This book would be excellent to use in a study of the Civil Rights Movement. Books like this help the students to see that these are real people and not just old people in a book. I think a book like this would be great to use with a litature discussion group. It would provide so many topics to discuss.
My response to the book:
I really enjoyed reading this book. It really brought to life some of the people I had heard about, but didn’t really connect to. Also, I did not realize that there were others before Rosa Parks that would not give up their seat on a bus. I had never heard of Claudette Colvin before reading this book. It amazed me that they walked for over a year. They walked through both winter and summer. I can’t imagine walking everywhere I went in the summer heat we have in the south, not to mention the cold wind in winter. They stuck together though, and brought about change without violence.
Related Texts:
Any books relating to the civil rights movement would go along with this text. Some accompanying books include:
*The Walking City: The Montgomery Bus Boycott, 1955-1956 by David J. Garrow
*The Walked to Freedom 1955-1956: The Story of the Montgomery Bus Boycott by Kenneth M. Hare
*Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott by Lydia Bjornlund
Other:
This book has 114 pages with access features. It is divided into chapters. The chapter titles describe what will happen in that chapter. Freedman takes a neutral stance and tells the reader what happened during this time.
Grade Level:
I would recommend this book for students in grades 4-8.
Author Credibility:
Russell Freedman has written numerous nonfiction children’s books. Three sections at the end of the book are dedicated to listing his sources. These sections include: Chapter Notes, Selected Bibliography, and Acknowledgements. This book received several awards including: Orbis Pictus 2007, 2006 Cybil Award Winner, Bank Street College of Education Flora Stieglitz Straus Award, Jane Addams Children’s Book Award, and Sibert Informational Honor Book.
Summary:
Jo Ann Robinson boarded a bus just before Christmas. She sat down in the fifth seat. The bus driver made Robinson get up. Robinson left the bus upset. She joined the Women’s Political Council (WPC), and she vowed to do something about segregated busing.
White passengers entered the front of the bus and took a seat in one of the first five seats on the bus. Black passengers paid their fare then had to reenter through the rear of the bus, and sit in one of the last five seats on the bus. If the white section filled up black passengers had to give up their seats for the whites. Robinson became president of the WPC and she worked towards better seating on buses.
Claudette Colvin was asked to give up her seat as the all white section of the bus filled up. Claudette was sitting in the black section and felt it was her right to sit where she was. She did not give up her seat. She was arrest for this offense. E.D. Nixon wanted a case like Claudette’s to take the matter to the federal courts. Nixon felt Claudette was a little to young and prone to emotional outbursts to be this test case, so they waited.
Rosa Parks boarded a bus after a long day of work as a seamstress in 1955. Rosa refused to give up her seat in the black section of the bus to white people. She was arrested. They decided to make Rosa’s case the test case in the federal courts. Robinson and her friends met at the college, and they made fliers that encouraged blacks not to ride the buses on Monday, the day of Rosa’s trail.
Montgomery’s black leaders met after the trail to decide whether or not to continue the boycott. Martin Luther King, Jr. stepped up and said he wanted to do something. Before he knew it he was president of the Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA). King spoke at rallies that encouraged many African Americans in Montgomery. There were huge turn outs for these rallies. King always advocated nonviolence.
To help with the bus boycott a massive car pool was established. Also walkers were singled out at mass meetings and praised as boycott heroes. Boycotter’s demands were not met with the segregation laws of the South like they were. Soon the bus companies announced that they were losing money. The officials of Montgomery were doing everything they could to discourage the boycotters. Car pool drivers were targeted and given tickets on a regular basis. Many were arrested. The KKK also set out to discourage boycotters by using violent methods. They threw bombs into houses of high ranking black citizens. The black leaders were indicted for their role in the boycott. It was against the law to boycott “without a just cause or legal excuse.” These people turned up at the courthouse to turn themselves in. When they were released they found crowds of cheering people supporting them. Many blacks found it an honor to be arrested for the cause. Slowly Africans Americans started the legal battle. On June 4th segregation on city buses was found to be unconstitutional. The Supreme Court agreed. They walked for 5 more weeks until official paperwork reached Montgomery. Finally, they boarded the buses once again, able to sit wherever there was a free seat.
African Americans still faced discrimination. They were shot at. Bombs were set off. There was still work to be done.
Standards:
Social Studies:
*Time, Continuity, and Change
*People, Places, and Environments
*Individual Development and Identity
*Individuals, Groups, and Institutions
*Power, Authority, and Governance
*Civic Ideals and Practices
Illustrations:
The illustrations in this book consist of black and white photographs. These photographs correspond with the text. Captions accompany these photographs and explain what is happening in the picture.
Access Features:
*Table of Contents
*Map
*Introduction
*Photographs with Captions
*Chapter Notes
*Selected Bibliography
*Acknowledgements
*Index
How I would use the book in the classroom:
This book would be excellent to use in a study of the Civil Rights Movement. Books like this help the students to see that these are real people and not just old people in a book. I think a book like this would be great to use with a litature discussion group. It would provide so many topics to discuss.
My response to the book:
I really enjoyed reading this book. It really brought to life some of the people I had heard about, but didn’t really connect to. Also, I did not realize that there were others before Rosa Parks that would not give up their seat on a bus. I had never heard of Claudette Colvin before reading this book. It amazed me that they walked for over a year. They walked through both winter and summer. I can’t imagine walking everywhere I went in the summer heat we have in the south, not to mention the cold wind in winter. They stuck together though, and brought about change without violence.
Related Texts:
Any books relating to the civil rights movement would go along with this text. Some accompanying books include:
*The Walking City: The Montgomery Bus Boycott, 1955-1956 by David J. Garrow
*The Walked to Freedom 1955-1956: The Story of the Montgomery Bus Boycott by Kenneth M. Hare
*Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott by Lydia Bjornlund
Other:
This book has 114 pages with access features. It is divided into chapters. The chapter titles describe what will happen in that chapter. Freedman takes a neutral stance and tells the reader what happened during this time.
One Grain of Rice by Demi
Demi. (1997). One Grain of Rice: A Mathematical Folktale. New York: Scholastic Inc.
Grade Level:
I would recommend this book for students in grades K- 4.
Author Credibility:
Demi has written over 130 children’s books. A traditional version of this tale is also known as “Sissa and the Troublesome Trifles.” It can be found in Trickster Tales by I.G. Edmonds.
Summary:
This folktale takes place in India. There was a raja that ruled a province in India. The people in this province were rice farmers. The raja told the people they had to give him nearly all of their rice. He would store the rice and when a famine hit the land they would have food to eat. So the people did as the raja said. They only kept enough rice to survive on. This went on for years.
Then a famine struck the land. The raja decided he could not give the people any rice because the raja had to have enough to keep up his lifestyle. One day the king decided to throw a party. He sent elephants to the storehouses to get rice. Along the way a village girl named Rani saw rice falling out of a hole in one elephant’s basket. She gathered the rice as it fell, and returned it to the raja. The raja was so impressed he wanted to thank her, so he asked what she wanted. She told the raja she wanted one grain of rice. The raja told her he should reward her more plentifully than that. Rani said to double the rice you gave me the day before for thirty days. The raja agreed. The rice quickly added up to over a billion grains of rice. Even as the numbers increased the raja vowed to keep his promise. Eventually the raja ran out of rice. Rani declared she would give the rice to the hungry people. She even gave a basket to the raja.
Standards:
Math:
Numbers and Operations
Problem Solving
Measurement
Illustrations:
The illustrations in this book are paintings done by Demi. She was inspired by traditional Indian paintings of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The artwork was done by Chinese brushes. The colors stem from a variety of paints and inks.
Access Features:
Table – from one grain of rice to one billion
How I would use the book in the classroom:
This book would be excellent to help children with adding. The numbers in this book add up so quickly. One thing I would ask students while reading is do they think Rani made a good deal with the raja. You could also use this book to introduce some aspects of Indian culture.
My response to the book:
I enjoyed reading this book. The illustrations were beautiful. At first you would think Rani did not make a good deal, but she did. She outsmarted the raja, and was able to provide rice for the hungry people. I thought the chart in the back would be very useful.
Related Texts:
*Anno’s Mysterious Multiplying Jar by Mitsumasa Anno
*Spaghetti and Meatballs for All by Marilyn Burns
*How Much is a Million? By David M. Schwartz
Other:
This book consists of 35 pages. It has short text and is easy to read. The cover is decorated with colorful Indian style drawings. A red boarder separates the illustrations on each page. The text is to the side of the illustrations. The type font for the title and the author’s name is elaborate. They are also placed on top of a background of gold. Gold backgrounds are used often throughout the book.
Grade Level:
I would recommend this book for students in grades K- 4.
Author Credibility:
Demi has written over 130 children’s books. A traditional version of this tale is also known as “Sissa and the Troublesome Trifles.” It can be found in Trickster Tales by I.G. Edmonds.
Summary:
This folktale takes place in India. There was a raja that ruled a province in India. The people in this province were rice farmers. The raja told the people they had to give him nearly all of their rice. He would store the rice and when a famine hit the land they would have food to eat. So the people did as the raja said. They only kept enough rice to survive on. This went on for years.
Then a famine struck the land. The raja decided he could not give the people any rice because the raja had to have enough to keep up his lifestyle. One day the king decided to throw a party. He sent elephants to the storehouses to get rice. Along the way a village girl named Rani saw rice falling out of a hole in one elephant’s basket. She gathered the rice as it fell, and returned it to the raja. The raja was so impressed he wanted to thank her, so he asked what she wanted. She told the raja she wanted one grain of rice. The raja told her he should reward her more plentifully than that. Rani said to double the rice you gave me the day before for thirty days. The raja agreed. The rice quickly added up to over a billion grains of rice. Even as the numbers increased the raja vowed to keep his promise. Eventually the raja ran out of rice. Rani declared she would give the rice to the hungry people. She even gave a basket to the raja.
Standards:
Math:
Numbers and Operations
Problem Solving
Measurement
Illustrations:
The illustrations in this book are paintings done by Demi. She was inspired by traditional Indian paintings of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The artwork was done by Chinese brushes. The colors stem from a variety of paints and inks.
Access Features:
Table – from one grain of rice to one billion
How I would use the book in the classroom:
This book would be excellent to help children with adding. The numbers in this book add up so quickly. One thing I would ask students while reading is do they think Rani made a good deal with the raja. You could also use this book to introduce some aspects of Indian culture.
My response to the book:
I enjoyed reading this book. The illustrations were beautiful. At first you would think Rani did not make a good deal, but she did. She outsmarted the raja, and was able to provide rice for the hungry people. I thought the chart in the back would be very useful.
Related Texts:
*Anno’s Mysterious Multiplying Jar by Mitsumasa Anno
*Spaghetti and Meatballs for All by Marilyn Burns
*How Much is a Million? By David M. Schwartz
Other:
This book consists of 35 pages. It has short text and is easy to read. The cover is decorated with colorful Indian style drawings. A red boarder separates the illustrations on each page. The text is to the side of the illustrations. The type font for the title and the author’s name is elaborate. They are also placed on top of a background of gold. Gold backgrounds are used often throughout the book.
Through Georgia’s Eyes by Rachel Rodriguez
Rodriguez, Rachel. (2006). Through Georgia’s Eyes. New York: Henry Holt and Company.
Grade Level:
I would reccommed this book for students in grades K-3.
Author Credibility:
Rachel Rodriguez tells the reader in the author’s note that she read all she could about Georgia O’Keeffe’s life. The author also includes a bibliography. This is a Children’s Choice book for 2006.
Summary:
Georgia was born in Wisconsin in 1887. She roams the prairie carrying a sketch pad. She takes painting lessons, and wants to become an artist. But, artists during this time were only boys. She paints for hours and hours. Nature speaks to her. Painting helps her express herself. She moves to New Mexico were she paints things such as bones. Everything in nature is beautiful to her. She paints trees and hills, canyons, a line of cows, and a range of hills like elephants. You can see the world through Georgia’s eyes in her paintings. She paved the way for women painters.
Standards:
Social Studies:
Time, Continuity, and Change
Individual Development and Identity
Illustrations:
The illustrations were done by cut-paper collages. They are inspired by Georgia O’Keeffe’s paintings.
Access Features:
*Author’s Note
*Illlustrator’s Note
*Biblography
*More About Georgia O’Keeffe
How I would use the book in the classroom:
This would be great when discussing nature, how to express yourself, art, women and how things have changed for them, and metaphors.
My response to the book:
I enjoyed reading this book. I was not familiar with Georgia O’Keeffe’s work before this book. I loved the illustrations in this book. That was my favorite part.
Related Texts:
*Georgia’s Bones by Jen Bryant
*My Name is Georgia: A Portrait by Jeanette Winter by Jeanette Winter
Other:
This book is a picture book. The author uses a lot of descriptive language. Metaphors are used throughout the book. The end pages are green, which for me represents Georgia’s connection to nature.
Grade Level:
I would reccommed this book for students in grades K-3.
Author Credibility:
Rachel Rodriguez tells the reader in the author’s note that she read all she could about Georgia O’Keeffe’s life. The author also includes a bibliography. This is a Children’s Choice book for 2006.
Summary:
Georgia was born in Wisconsin in 1887. She roams the prairie carrying a sketch pad. She takes painting lessons, and wants to become an artist. But, artists during this time were only boys. She paints for hours and hours. Nature speaks to her. Painting helps her express herself. She moves to New Mexico were she paints things such as bones. Everything in nature is beautiful to her. She paints trees and hills, canyons, a line of cows, and a range of hills like elephants. You can see the world through Georgia’s eyes in her paintings. She paved the way for women painters.
Standards:
Social Studies:
Time, Continuity, and Change
Individual Development and Identity
Illustrations:
The illustrations were done by cut-paper collages. They are inspired by Georgia O’Keeffe’s paintings.
Access Features:
*Author’s Note
*Illlustrator’s Note
*Biblography
*More About Georgia O’Keeffe
How I would use the book in the classroom:
This would be great when discussing nature, how to express yourself, art, women and how things have changed for them, and metaphors.
My response to the book:
I enjoyed reading this book. I was not familiar with Georgia O’Keeffe’s work before this book. I loved the illustrations in this book. That was my favorite part.
Related Texts:
*Georgia’s Bones by Jen Bryant
*My Name is Georgia: A Portrait by Jeanette Winter by Jeanette Winter
Other:
This book is a picture book. The author uses a lot of descriptive language. Metaphors are used throughout the book. The end pages are green, which for me represents Georgia’s connection to nature.
Freedom Riders: John Lewis and Jim Zwerg… by Ann Bausum
Bausum, Ann. (2006). Freedom Riders: John Lewis and Jim Zwerg on the Front Lines of the Civil Rights Movement. Washington D.C: National Geographic.
Grade Level:
I would reccommed this book for students in grades 4-8.
Author Credibility:
Ann Bausum has written several children’s books for National Geographic. A few of her other works include: With Courage and Cloth: Winning the Fight for a Woman’s Right to Vote, Dragon Bones and Dinosaur Eggs: A Photobiography of Explorer Roy Chapman Andrews, and Our Country’s Presidents. A National Geographic Staff were assigned to help work on the book. They are listed on the Verso. This book has won several awards including: Sibert Honor Book, Top of the List, Booklist 2006 Editors' Choice, 2006 Notable Children's Book, Best Books for Young Adults 2006, Orbis Pictus Awards, Elizabeth Burr/Worzalla Award, 2007 Books for the Teen Age, Notable Children's Books in the Language Arts, Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People.
Summary:
The Foreword of this book included two sections one written by John Lewis and the other written by Jim Zwerg. The author then introduces the Freedom Riders and their cause. They fought against Southern segregation customs. They planned to sit together and eat together. That sounds simple enough, but in the South old customs died hard. They Freedom Riders would face a difficult journey. The author explains that all of the Freedom Riders were important, but in this book she will focus on John Lewis and Jim Zwerg.
Bausum starts at the beginning for each of these men. In the first chapter she describes the childhood of John Lewis. Lewis was born in Alabama, and from the very beginning knew he had to get out. The school he attended had no playground equipment, no furnace, no running water, and no bathrooms. Every material they received was a hand-me-down from white schools. His home was in the same shape as the school. As a young boy Lewis was given the nickname “Preacher.” As he grew older he traveled to Tennessee to American Baptist Theological Seminary. He faced a lot of the segregation issues all throughout his childhood.
Jim Zwerg was born just three months before John Lewis, but the contrast in childhoods was dramatic. He did not see a black person until he was about four years old. Then he thought it was a white person that needed a bath. Throughout his childhood he had very little encounters with people from different races. Zwerg’s house had electricity, running water, three bathrooms, central heating, and even a rec room in the family’s basement. It was not until college that Zwerg finally experienced diversity. He made many African American friends. Zwerg ended up at Nashville studying Sociology.
Both men join the Civil Rights movement while in college through the Nashville Student Movement. The groups first target was segregated theatres. They held stand-ins, when they were refused tickets they went to the back of the line to try again, over and over. The two men joined the freedom riders. The author tells of the trials that they faced along the way. They were attacked by mobs on several occasions. Many thought they would die on these trips. They were also arrested on several occasions. But, through it all they preservered. In Montgomery they were attacked by a fierce mob. The police did not come for at least ten minutes. The Freedom Riders were beaten mercilessly. Medical attention was also slow arriving. Laying in a hospital bed Zwerg held an interview that inspired many to join the Freedom Riders. Many of the Freedom Riders were arrested when they arrived in Jackson, MS. They eventually ended up at Parchman. Lewis spent 27 days in Parchman, and more than 6 weeks in jails across MS. In 1961 regulations were put in place that helped inforce the Supreme Courts earlier desissions about segregation.
The author ends by telling what happened to the two men after these Freedom Rides. John Lewis is elected to represent Georgia in Congress. Jim Zwerg becomes a preacher, then works in the local business community in Arizona. They did meet again for the 25th anniversary of these rides.
Standards:
Social Studies:
*Time, Continuity, and Change
*People, Places, and Environments
*Individual Development and Identity
*Individuals, Groups, and Institutions
*Power, Authority, and Goverance
*Civic Ideals and Practices
Illustrations:
The illustrations of this book consist of black and white photographs. They are accompanied by captions that tell what is happening in the photograph. The photographs complement the text, visualizing what the author is discussing. The illustrations are all credited in the book.
Access Features:
*Table of Contents
*Foreword
*Introduction
*Photographs with Captions
*Map
*Partial Roster of Riders
*Chronology
*Resource Guide
*Research Notes and Acknowledgements/Citations/ Bibliography
*Index
*Illustration Credits
How I would use the book in the classroom:
I would use this book when doing a unit on the Civil Rights Movement. This book helps to bring the people of the movement to life. They are more than people you read about in a book. They are real people who put their life on the line for equality. Using this book (or other books like it) will give students such a clearer picture of the struggles during this time.
My response to the book:
I seem to have read a lot of books on the Civil Rights Movement lately, and they are all so powerful. The sacrifices so many people had to make to gain individual rights is overwhelming. I had never heard of the Freedom Riders and what they done before reading this book. They knew they were going to face opposition, but the pussed on anyways. What bravery they had to have. I had also not heard a lot about white people and the role they played in the Civil Rights movement, but there where some that put their lives on the line for justice and equality.
Related Texts:
Any books relating to the civil rights movement would go along with this text. Some accompanying books include:
*Freedom Riders: 1961 and the Struggle for Racial Justice (Pivotal Moments in American History by Raymond Arsenault
*Through My Eyes by Ruby Bridges
*The Freedom Writers Diary: How a Teacher and 150 Teens Used Writing to Change Themselves and the World Around Them by Freedom Writers and Zlata Filipovic
*Freedom Ride: A Freedom Rider Remembers by Ann Curthoys
*Freedom Walkers: The Story of the Montgomery Bus Boycott by Russell Freedman
Other:
This book has 67 pages plus the access features. The author took a neutral stance and just informed the reader of the things that took place. Access features were very helpful, including a partial roster of the riders. An inspirational quote heads the page at the top of each chapter. Chapter titles are vague, but they are meant to capture the reader’s attention. The resource guide includes music and videos, and places to visit in person and online.
Grade Level:
I would reccommed this book for students in grades 4-8.
Author Credibility:
Ann Bausum has written several children’s books for National Geographic. A few of her other works include: With Courage and Cloth: Winning the Fight for a Woman’s Right to Vote, Dragon Bones and Dinosaur Eggs: A Photobiography of Explorer Roy Chapman Andrews, and Our Country’s Presidents. A National Geographic Staff were assigned to help work on the book. They are listed on the Verso. This book has won several awards including: Sibert Honor Book, Top of the List, Booklist 2006 Editors' Choice, 2006 Notable Children's Book, Best Books for Young Adults 2006, Orbis Pictus Awards, Elizabeth Burr/Worzalla Award, 2007 Books for the Teen Age, Notable Children's Books in the Language Arts, Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People.
Summary:
The Foreword of this book included two sections one written by John Lewis and the other written by Jim Zwerg. The author then introduces the Freedom Riders and their cause. They fought against Southern segregation customs. They planned to sit together and eat together. That sounds simple enough, but in the South old customs died hard. They Freedom Riders would face a difficult journey. The author explains that all of the Freedom Riders were important, but in this book she will focus on John Lewis and Jim Zwerg.
Bausum starts at the beginning for each of these men. In the first chapter she describes the childhood of John Lewis. Lewis was born in Alabama, and from the very beginning knew he had to get out. The school he attended had no playground equipment, no furnace, no running water, and no bathrooms. Every material they received was a hand-me-down from white schools. His home was in the same shape as the school. As a young boy Lewis was given the nickname “Preacher.” As he grew older he traveled to Tennessee to American Baptist Theological Seminary. He faced a lot of the segregation issues all throughout his childhood.
Jim Zwerg was born just three months before John Lewis, but the contrast in childhoods was dramatic. He did not see a black person until he was about four years old. Then he thought it was a white person that needed a bath. Throughout his childhood he had very little encounters with people from different races. Zwerg’s house had electricity, running water, three bathrooms, central heating, and even a rec room in the family’s basement. It was not until college that Zwerg finally experienced diversity. He made many African American friends. Zwerg ended up at Nashville studying Sociology.
Both men join the Civil Rights movement while in college through the Nashville Student Movement. The groups first target was segregated theatres. They held stand-ins, when they were refused tickets they went to the back of the line to try again, over and over. The two men joined the freedom riders. The author tells of the trials that they faced along the way. They were attacked by mobs on several occasions. Many thought they would die on these trips. They were also arrested on several occasions. But, through it all they preservered. In Montgomery they were attacked by a fierce mob. The police did not come for at least ten minutes. The Freedom Riders were beaten mercilessly. Medical attention was also slow arriving. Laying in a hospital bed Zwerg held an interview that inspired many to join the Freedom Riders. Many of the Freedom Riders were arrested when they arrived in Jackson, MS. They eventually ended up at Parchman. Lewis spent 27 days in Parchman, and more than 6 weeks in jails across MS. In 1961 regulations were put in place that helped inforce the Supreme Courts earlier desissions about segregation.
The author ends by telling what happened to the two men after these Freedom Rides. John Lewis is elected to represent Georgia in Congress. Jim Zwerg becomes a preacher, then works in the local business community in Arizona. They did meet again for the 25th anniversary of these rides.
Standards:
Social Studies:
*Time, Continuity, and Change
*People, Places, and Environments
*Individual Development and Identity
*Individuals, Groups, and Institutions
*Power, Authority, and Goverance
*Civic Ideals and Practices
Illustrations:
The illustrations of this book consist of black and white photographs. They are accompanied by captions that tell what is happening in the photograph. The photographs complement the text, visualizing what the author is discussing. The illustrations are all credited in the book.
Access Features:
*Table of Contents
*Foreword
*Introduction
*Photographs with Captions
*Map
*Partial Roster of Riders
*Chronology
*Resource Guide
*Research Notes and Acknowledgements/Citations/ Bibliography
*Index
*Illustration Credits
How I would use the book in the classroom:
I would use this book when doing a unit on the Civil Rights Movement. This book helps to bring the people of the movement to life. They are more than people you read about in a book. They are real people who put their life on the line for equality. Using this book (or other books like it) will give students such a clearer picture of the struggles during this time.
My response to the book:
I seem to have read a lot of books on the Civil Rights Movement lately, and they are all so powerful. The sacrifices so many people had to make to gain individual rights is overwhelming. I had never heard of the Freedom Riders and what they done before reading this book. They knew they were going to face opposition, but the pussed on anyways. What bravery they had to have. I had also not heard a lot about white people and the role they played in the Civil Rights movement, but there where some that put their lives on the line for justice and equality.
Related Texts:
Any books relating to the civil rights movement would go along with this text. Some accompanying books include:
*Freedom Riders: 1961 and the Struggle for Racial Justice (Pivotal Moments in American History by Raymond Arsenault
*Through My Eyes by Ruby Bridges
*The Freedom Writers Diary: How a Teacher and 150 Teens Used Writing to Change Themselves and the World Around Them by Freedom Writers and Zlata Filipovic
*Freedom Ride: A Freedom Rider Remembers by Ann Curthoys
*Freedom Walkers: The Story of the Montgomery Bus Boycott by Russell Freedman
Other:
This book has 67 pages plus the access features. The author took a neutral stance and just informed the reader of the things that took place. Access features were very helpful, including a partial roster of the riders. An inspirational quote heads the page at the top of each chapter. Chapter titles are vague, but they are meant to capture the reader’s attention. The resource guide includes music and videos, and places to visit in person and online.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
The Adventures of Marco Polo by Russell Freedman
Freedman, Russell. (2006). The Adventures of Marco Polo. New York: Arthur A. Levine
Books.
Grade Level:
I would recommend this book for students in grades 3rd – 6th.
Author Credibility:
Russell Freedman is a well renown children’s book author. Freedman discusses the critics in the book and what they believe. These critics believe Marco Polo never actually made it to China. Freedman discusses their viewpoints and even gives suggestions to answer their questions. In the Author’s Note Freedman discusses were he got his information. This book won several awards including: School Library Journal Best Book of the Year, 2006 Parents' Choice Silver Honor, and Notable Children’s Book Award.
Summary:
The first chapter of this book presents the question did Marco Polo really travel to China? It gives an overview of his journey, and tells how many people did not believe Marco Polo’s wild, adventurous stories. The second chapter starts with Marco Polo as a young boy. His father and uncle are merchants and they travel ending up in China in the palace of the Kublai Khan. The Polo brothers returned home with a promise to return. When they return home Marco was seventeen. On their return journey Marco Polo joined his father and uncle. They brought with them many gifts from the pope. Freedman then tells about the Polo’s journey to China. They crossed deserts, changed routes, and had many adventures just getting to China. Finally they arrived at the court of Kublai Khan. There was a great party. Marco Polo tells of many of the experencies he had in this court. According to him he became a trusted advisor and traveled throughout the empire on missions for the Khan. Marco Polo vividly describes one of his favorite cities, Quinsai. Eventually, the Polos decide it is time to go home. The Khan does not want them to leave, but finally agrees when they agree. The story ends by telling of what the Polos did when they returned home. Marco led a normal rest of his life. The final chapter of the book discusses the critics and what they believe about Marco Polo. Freedman presents their viewpoint and presents possible answers to their questions.
Standards:
Social Studies:
*Culture
*People, Places, and Environments
*Power, Authority, and Governance
*Global Connections
Illustrations:
The illustrations in this book were done by Bagram Ibatoulling. The illustrations changed as the book progressed. For example, when Marco Polo was in Europe Ibatoulling drew illustrations inspired from that era and that region. As Marco Polo arrived in China the illustrations changed to reflect that region. Archival and period work are also found throughout the book. Some of these even come from editions of Marco Polo’s book. These are listed in the Note on Archival Art.
Access Features:
*Table of Contents
*Index
*Author’s Note
*Art Note
How I would use the book in the classroom:
This book would be good to use when learning about Marco Polo’s adventures. It could also be used when doing a unit on explorers. This book gave such vivid descriptions of China and the Mongolian empire. Therefore, this book would be good to use when studying these aspects.
My response to the book:
I enjoyed reading this book. I did not know a lot about Marco Polo before reading this book. One of the things I liked best about this book is that Freedman gave an explanation for the things Marco Polo told about. For example Marco Polo told about huge snakes and serpents that could swallow a person in one gulp. Freedman explains that these are probably crocodiles. He had never seen these before so he described them the best he could.
Related Texts:
The Travels of Marco Polo by Marco Polo
Other:
This book is divided into chapters with 60 pages. The end pages are maroon. The title page, table of contents, and index are bordered with a maroon, antique border. The title and the names of the chapters are written in a type of writing that reminds me of older times. The pages are a tan with a marble look. This gives the sense of an older manuscript.
Books.
Grade Level:
I would recommend this book for students in grades 3rd – 6th.
Author Credibility:
Russell Freedman is a well renown children’s book author. Freedman discusses the critics in the book and what they believe. These critics believe Marco Polo never actually made it to China. Freedman discusses their viewpoints and even gives suggestions to answer their questions. In the Author’s Note Freedman discusses were he got his information. This book won several awards including: School Library Journal Best Book of the Year, 2006 Parents' Choice Silver Honor, and Notable Children’s Book Award.
Summary:
The first chapter of this book presents the question did Marco Polo really travel to China? It gives an overview of his journey, and tells how many people did not believe Marco Polo’s wild, adventurous stories. The second chapter starts with Marco Polo as a young boy. His father and uncle are merchants and they travel ending up in China in the palace of the Kublai Khan. The Polo brothers returned home with a promise to return. When they return home Marco was seventeen. On their return journey Marco Polo joined his father and uncle. They brought with them many gifts from the pope. Freedman then tells about the Polo’s journey to China. They crossed deserts, changed routes, and had many adventures just getting to China. Finally they arrived at the court of Kublai Khan. There was a great party. Marco Polo tells of many of the experencies he had in this court. According to him he became a trusted advisor and traveled throughout the empire on missions for the Khan. Marco Polo vividly describes one of his favorite cities, Quinsai. Eventually, the Polos decide it is time to go home. The Khan does not want them to leave, but finally agrees when they agree. The story ends by telling of what the Polos did when they returned home. Marco led a normal rest of his life. The final chapter of the book discusses the critics and what they believe about Marco Polo. Freedman presents their viewpoint and presents possible answers to their questions.
Standards:
Social Studies:
*Culture
*People, Places, and Environments
*Power, Authority, and Governance
*Global Connections
Illustrations:
The illustrations in this book were done by Bagram Ibatoulling. The illustrations changed as the book progressed. For example, when Marco Polo was in Europe Ibatoulling drew illustrations inspired from that era and that region. As Marco Polo arrived in China the illustrations changed to reflect that region. Archival and period work are also found throughout the book. Some of these even come from editions of Marco Polo’s book. These are listed in the Note on Archival Art.
Access Features:
*Table of Contents
*Index
*Author’s Note
*Art Note
How I would use the book in the classroom:
This book would be good to use when learning about Marco Polo’s adventures. It could also be used when doing a unit on explorers. This book gave such vivid descriptions of China and the Mongolian empire. Therefore, this book would be good to use when studying these aspects.
My response to the book:
I enjoyed reading this book. I did not know a lot about Marco Polo before reading this book. One of the things I liked best about this book is that Freedman gave an explanation for the things Marco Polo told about. For example Marco Polo told about huge snakes and serpents that could swallow a person in one gulp. Freedman explains that these are probably crocodiles. He had never seen these before so he described them the best he could.
Related Texts:
The Travels of Marco Polo by Marco Polo
Other:
This book is divided into chapters with 60 pages. The end pages are maroon. The title page, table of contents, and index are bordered with a maroon, antique border. The title and the names of the chapters are written in a type of writing that reminds me of older times. The pages are a tan with a marble look. This gives the sense of an older manuscript.
Gone Wild: An Endangered Animal Alphabet by Dvid McLimans
McLimans, David. (2006). Gone Wild: An Endangered Animal Alphabet. New York: Walker &
Company.
Grade Level:
I would recommend this book for students in grades Pre-K – 4.
Author Credibility:
This book is a Caldecott Honor Book and a Notable Children’s Book. In the introduction McLimans tells the reader the struggles he faced while writing this book. The author also provides a section in the book providing the reader with places to obtain more information about these animals.
Summary:
This book presents the letters of the alphabet in the shapes of endangered animals. At the top of each page is the common and scientific name of the animal. Followed by the upper and lower case letter directly under it. The majority of each page consists of a large letter formed by an endangered animal. On the side of each page is a box containing several important aspects about the animal. A sketch of the animal is at the top of the box. The animals class, habitat, range (where it lives), threats, and status (critically endangered, endangered, vulnerable) is also told about each animal. At the end of the alphabet the animals are presented again. More facts about each animal is presented in this section.
Standards:
Science:
Life Science
Science in Personal and Social Perspectives
Illustrations:
The illustrations are also done by David McLimans. Each letter of the alphabet is black. The sketches of the whole animal are done completely in red. The illustrations were done by pen, pencil, brush, India ink, bristol board, and computer.
Access Features:
*Charts
*Further Reading
*List of organizations that help endangered animals
How I would use the book in the classroom:
For younger students you could use this book to discuss the letters of the alphabet. You may challenge students to make letters out of some other everday materials. For older students you could use this book to study endangered animals. This may spark an interest for more research about certain animals. I think this would be a good way to introduce a unit on endangered animals.
My response to the book:
I loved looking at the illustrations in the book. It was so interesting to see how the animals turned into letters. I also liked that information about each animal was organized in a way so that it would be easily accesible.
Related Texts:
*Endangered Animals A-Z by Jill Bailey and Clint Twist
*Encyclopedia of Animals: Mammals, Birds, Reptiles, Amphibians by Harold Cogger et. al.
*Endangered Animals by George Fichter and Kristin Kest
*The Penguin Atlas of Endangered Species: A Worldwide Guide to Plants and Animals by Richard MacKay
Other:
The end pages of this book are scattered with the various sketches of the endangered animals, all in red. Red for me is an urgent color. It says we must stop what we are doing to these animals before it is to late. All of the letters in the title are made up of the animal letters presented throughout the book.
Company.
Grade Level:
I would recommend this book for students in grades Pre-K – 4.
Author Credibility:
This book is a Caldecott Honor Book and a Notable Children’s Book. In the introduction McLimans tells the reader the struggles he faced while writing this book. The author also provides a section in the book providing the reader with places to obtain more information about these animals.
Summary:
This book presents the letters of the alphabet in the shapes of endangered animals. At the top of each page is the common and scientific name of the animal. Followed by the upper and lower case letter directly under it. The majority of each page consists of a large letter formed by an endangered animal. On the side of each page is a box containing several important aspects about the animal. A sketch of the animal is at the top of the box. The animals class, habitat, range (where it lives), threats, and status (critically endangered, endangered, vulnerable) is also told about each animal. At the end of the alphabet the animals are presented again. More facts about each animal is presented in this section.
Standards:
Science:
Life Science
Science in Personal and Social Perspectives
Illustrations:
The illustrations are also done by David McLimans. Each letter of the alphabet is black. The sketches of the whole animal are done completely in red. The illustrations were done by pen, pencil, brush, India ink, bristol board, and computer.
Access Features:
*Charts
*Further Reading
*List of organizations that help endangered animals
How I would use the book in the classroom:
For younger students you could use this book to discuss the letters of the alphabet. You may challenge students to make letters out of some other everday materials. For older students you could use this book to study endangered animals. This may spark an interest for more research about certain animals. I think this would be a good way to introduce a unit on endangered animals.
My response to the book:
I loved looking at the illustrations in the book. It was so interesting to see how the animals turned into letters. I also liked that information about each animal was organized in a way so that it would be easily accesible.
Related Texts:
*Endangered Animals A-Z by Jill Bailey and Clint Twist
*Encyclopedia of Animals: Mammals, Birds, Reptiles, Amphibians by Harold Cogger et. al.
*Endangered Animals by George Fichter and Kristin Kest
*The Penguin Atlas of Endangered Species: A Worldwide Guide to Plants and Animals by Richard MacKay
Other:
The end pages of this book are scattered with the various sketches of the endangered animals, all in red. Red for me is an urgent color. It says we must stop what we are doing to these animals before it is to late. All of the letters in the title are made up of the animal letters presented throughout the book.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
The Great Expedition of Lewis and Clark by Judith Edwards
Edwards, Judith. (2003).The Great Expedition of Lewis and Clark: By Private Reubin
Field, Member of the Corps of Discovery. New York: Farrar Straus Giroux.
Grade Level:
I would recommend this book for students in grades Pre-K – 3.
Author Credibility:
Judith Edwards has written several children’s books. This book won several awards including: best Non-Fiction for the 2003 Wilde Awards and Science Trade Books for students K-12. A biblography for the book is found on the back cover, letting the reader know where the information came from.
Summary:
This story is told from the prospective of Reubin Field. The story begins with Reubin introducing himself, telling of his role in the expedition, why he chose to participate, and why they are going at all. He told about preparing in the military before the expedition even set out. He describes them journeying upriver. They met Indians, both good and bad. He tells the attitudes and important things that happened to other members of the Corps of Discovery. Toussaint Charbonneau and his wife Sacagawea and their child join the expedition. Reubin tells about what they had to do to survive, including hunting and making and repairing their own clothing. They learned to make canoes. Once while meeting with Indians Sacagawea was reunited with her brother. Once they cross the continental divide the water flows the other way so they are now going downstream. Soon they reached the ocean. They set up camp here for the winter. They wrote about many of the animals they had seen such as antelope ,badgers, and even a whale. Finally, ready to get home they set back out. They had several other encounters with Indians along the way home. One almost getting them all killed. After two years and four months they returned home. Reubin went back to work tilling the ground he received for going on the expedition. The story ends with Reubin wondering what will happen to the land in the future.
Standards:
Social Studies
*Culture
*Time, Continuity, and Change
*People, Places and Environments
Science
*Earth and Space Science
*Life Science
Illustrations:
Illustrations are done by Sally Wern Comport. The illustrations consist of paintings that coinside with the text. The book does not specify, but I think the illustrations are done in water colors. Other drawings (done in brown) are found throughout the book. These drawings remind me of sketches found in a journal.
Access Features:
*Who was Reubin Field?
*Bibliography
*Author and Illustrator information
How I would use the book in the classroom:
This book would, of course, be good to use in a study of the expedition of Lewis and Clark. You could also use this book when doing a study on Native Americans (be sure to point out that without the Native Americans the group probabally would not have survived).
My response to the book:
I enjoyed reading this book. One of the reasons I liked this book is because it is told from the prospective of an ordinary member of the Corps of Discovery. You read so much about Lewis and Clark and even Sacagawea, but I’ve never read a story about the other men in the expedition. I thought it kind of humorus that the book started out by saying that many people didn’t believe the stories that Reubin Field told. I enjoyed reading and learning about the expedition and what they did. The Native Americans were instrumental in their survival.
Related Texts:
*Lewis and Clark for Kids: Their Journey of Discovery with 21 Activities by Janis Herbert
*National Geographic- Lewis & Clark- Great Journey West DVD by Burgess Meredith
Other:
This book is a children’s picture book with 32 pages. It was an easy and enjoyable read. The illustrations on the cover consist of a group of men from the Corps of Discovery. The end pages at the beginning of the book are a two-page spread of a colorful painting of a sunset with the Corps of Discovery across the bottom. The end pages at the back of the book are a map. This map represents the work the men did. The pages throughout the book remind me of journal pages. Small drawings scattered over several pages also add to this feel. The drawings are brown and stand out from the rest of the illustrations. The author’s writing style is conversational. She even asks you questions throughout the book.
Field, Member of the Corps of Discovery. New York: Farrar Straus Giroux.
Grade Level:
I would recommend this book for students in grades Pre-K – 3.
Author Credibility:
Judith Edwards has written several children’s books. This book won several awards including: best Non-Fiction for the 2003 Wilde Awards and Science Trade Books for students K-12. A biblography for the book is found on the back cover, letting the reader know where the information came from.
Summary:
This story is told from the prospective of Reubin Field. The story begins with Reubin introducing himself, telling of his role in the expedition, why he chose to participate, and why they are going at all. He told about preparing in the military before the expedition even set out. He describes them journeying upriver. They met Indians, both good and bad. He tells the attitudes and important things that happened to other members of the Corps of Discovery. Toussaint Charbonneau and his wife Sacagawea and their child join the expedition. Reubin tells about what they had to do to survive, including hunting and making and repairing their own clothing. They learned to make canoes. Once while meeting with Indians Sacagawea was reunited with her brother. Once they cross the continental divide the water flows the other way so they are now going downstream. Soon they reached the ocean. They set up camp here for the winter. They wrote about many of the animals they had seen such as antelope ,badgers, and even a whale. Finally, ready to get home they set back out. They had several other encounters with Indians along the way home. One almost getting them all killed. After two years and four months they returned home. Reubin went back to work tilling the ground he received for going on the expedition. The story ends with Reubin wondering what will happen to the land in the future.
Standards:
Social Studies
*Culture
*Time, Continuity, and Change
*People, Places and Environments
Science
*Earth and Space Science
*Life Science
Illustrations:
Illustrations are done by Sally Wern Comport. The illustrations consist of paintings that coinside with the text. The book does not specify, but I think the illustrations are done in water colors. Other drawings (done in brown) are found throughout the book. These drawings remind me of sketches found in a journal.
Access Features:
*Who was Reubin Field?
*Bibliography
*Author and Illustrator information
How I would use the book in the classroom:
This book would, of course, be good to use in a study of the expedition of Lewis and Clark. You could also use this book when doing a study on Native Americans (be sure to point out that without the Native Americans the group probabally would not have survived).
My response to the book:
I enjoyed reading this book. One of the reasons I liked this book is because it is told from the prospective of an ordinary member of the Corps of Discovery. You read so much about Lewis and Clark and even Sacagawea, but I’ve never read a story about the other men in the expedition. I thought it kind of humorus that the book started out by saying that many people didn’t believe the stories that Reubin Field told. I enjoyed reading and learning about the expedition and what they did. The Native Americans were instrumental in their survival.
Related Texts:
*Lewis and Clark for Kids: Their Journey of Discovery with 21 Activities by Janis Herbert
*National Geographic- Lewis & Clark- Great Journey West DVD by Burgess Meredith
Other:
This book is a children’s picture book with 32 pages. It was an easy and enjoyable read. The illustrations on the cover consist of a group of men from the Corps of Discovery. The end pages at the beginning of the book are a two-page spread of a colorful painting of a sunset with the Corps of Discovery across the bottom. The end pages at the back of the book are a map. This map represents the work the men did. The pages throughout the book remind me of journal pages. Small drawings scattered over several pages also add to this feel. The drawings are brown and stand out from the rest of the illustrations. The author’s writing style is conversational. She even asks you questions throughout the book.
Rachel: The Story of Rachel Carson by Amy Ehrlich
Ehrlich, Amy. (2003). Rachel: The Story of Rachel Carson. San Diego, CA: Silver Whistle,
Harcourt, Inc.
Grade Level:
I would recommend this book for students in grades Pre-K – 3.
Author Credibility:
Ehrlich lists her sources in the Bibliography section of the book. She also thanks the Rachel Carson Council, Inc. for their help with the book. Ehrlich has written several children’s books and won several awards. This book won the following awards: John Burroughs List of Nature Books for Young Readers, Notable Children’s Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies, and Parents’ Choice Recommended Title.
Summary:
The story begins as young Rachel Carson finds a seashell in her back yard. This is odd because she does not live near the ocean. As a young child Rachel likes to write stories. She sends on of her stories to a magazine. It is published and she receives the Silver Badge for this story. While in college to be a writer, Rachel has to take a Biology class. She decides to change her major to biology after taking this class. Rachel had to take care of her family financially. To do this she got a job editing documents for the U.S. Bureau of Fisheries. She took a notebook with her wherever she went and wrote about nature. She decided while watching hawks on Hawk Mountain that she would like to earn money from her writings.Rachel wrote about the life in the oceans. She would collect specimens and take them home to study under the microscope, but she always returned the animals to their home. Rachel lived near a patch of woods. When she saw the roads expanding she was afraid the woods would be lost. She tried to buy them, but the owners would not sell her the land. When Rachel heard that birds were dying after poisions were sprayed to kill mosquitos she started investingating to find out why. She wrote a book called Silent Spring about what she had discovered. This book caused a lot of controversy. The companies that made the poisons did not like it and attacked the book. On the other hand, committees were formed to investigate. This committees found that pesticides were harming the animals. During all of this Rachel was battling with cancer. She lost the fight on April 14, 1964. After her death a wildlife refuge was named in her honor, The Rachel Carson Salt Pond Preserve.
Standards:
Science:
Science as Inquiry
Life Science
Earth and Space Science
Science in Personal and Social Perspectives
Illustrations:
The illustrations in this book were done by Wendell Minor. They consist of paintings done in watercolor and gouache. Illustrations were on one page while text was on the other. A small drawing adorned the top of the page with the text. The occasional two page illustration spread was found in the book. They are beautifully colored paintings that relate to the text.
Access Features:
The book is divided into chapters. Each chapter is headed with a title and a date as the subtitle. The book also includes a Bibliography.
How I would use the book in the classroom:
This would be a good book to study while studying the effects humans have on the environment. I also thought this book would be good to introduce young students to the concept of chapters.
My response to the book:
I enjoyed reading this book. Before I read the book I had never heard of Rachel Carson. I learned a basic knowledge about her from this book. The illustrations in the book were wonderful. I loved looked through the book at these paintings. I also liked how the book was divided. Each page was a chapter. The title of the chapter told the reader what the chapter would be about.
Related Texts:
*Rachel Carson: Pioneer of Ecology (Women of Our Time) by Kathleen V. Kudlinski
*Rachel Carson: Preserving a Sense of Wonder by Thomas Locker
*The Sense of Wonder by Rachel Carson
*Lost Woods: The Discovered Writing of Rachel Carson by Rachel Carson
Other:
The end pages of this book are a light blue with seashells outlined all over. Rachel Carson worked a lot near the ocean. Her first experience with nature was finding a seashell in her back yard. The cover art shows a great deal about Rachel’s life. The migration of the butterflies on the cover is also talked about later on in her life. The hawks she watched and wrote about are also on the cover. The author’s writing is very descriptive, similes and metaphors are used often.
Harcourt, Inc.
Grade Level:
I would recommend this book for students in grades Pre-K – 3.
Author Credibility:
Ehrlich lists her sources in the Bibliography section of the book. She also thanks the Rachel Carson Council, Inc. for their help with the book. Ehrlich has written several children’s books and won several awards. This book won the following awards: John Burroughs List of Nature Books for Young Readers, Notable Children’s Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies, and Parents’ Choice Recommended Title.
Summary:
The story begins as young Rachel Carson finds a seashell in her back yard. This is odd because she does not live near the ocean. As a young child Rachel likes to write stories. She sends on of her stories to a magazine. It is published and she receives the Silver Badge for this story. While in college to be a writer, Rachel has to take a Biology class. She decides to change her major to biology after taking this class. Rachel had to take care of her family financially. To do this she got a job editing documents for the U.S. Bureau of Fisheries. She took a notebook with her wherever she went and wrote about nature. She decided while watching hawks on Hawk Mountain that she would like to earn money from her writings.Rachel wrote about the life in the oceans. She would collect specimens and take them home to study under the microscope, but she always returned the animals to their home. Rachel lived near a patch of woods. When she saw the roads expanding she was afraid the woods would be lost. She tried to buy them, but the owners would not sell her the land. When Rachel heard that birds were dying after poisions were sprayed to kill mosquitos she started investingating to find out why. She wrote a book called Silent Spring about what she had discovered. This book caused a lot of controversy. The companies that made the poisons did not like it and attacked the book. On the other hand, committees were formed to investigate. This committees found that pesticides were harming the animals. During all of this Rachel was battling with cancer. She lost the fight on April 14, 1964. After her death a wildlife refuge was named in her honor, The Rachel Carson Salt Pond Preserve.
Standards:
Science:
Science as Inquiry
Life Science
Earth and Space Science
Science in Personal and Social Perspectives
Illustrations:
The illustrations in this book were done by Wendell Minor. They consist of paintings done in watercolor and gouache. Illustrations were on one page while text was on the other. A small drawing adorned the top of the page with the text. The occasional two page illustration spread was found in the book. They are beautifully colored paintings that relate to the text.
Access Features:
The book is divided into chapters. Each chapter is headed with a title and a date as the subtitle. The book also includes a Bibliography.
How I would use the book in the classroom:
This would be a good book to study while studying the effects humans have on the environment. I also thought this book would be good to introduce young students to the concept of chapters.
My response to the book:
I enjoyed reading this book. Before I read the book I had never heard of Rachel Carson. I learned a basic knowledge about her from this book. The illustrations in the book were wonderful. I loved looked through the book at these paintings. I also liked how the book was divided. Each page was a chapter. The title of the chapter told the reader what the chapter would be about.
Related Texts:
*Rachel Carson: Pioneer of Ecology (Women of Our Time) by Kathleen V. Kudlinski
*Rachel Carson: Preserving a Sense of Wonder by Thomas Locker
*The Sense of Wonder by Rachel Carson
*Lost Woods: The Discovered Writing of Rachel Carson by Rachel Carson
Other:
The end pages of this book are a light blue with seashells outlined all over. Rachel Carson worked a lot near the ocean. Her first experience with nature was finding a seashell in her back yard. The cover art shows a great deal about Rachel’s life. The migration of the butterflies on the cover is also talked about later on in her life. The hawks she watched and wrote about are also on the cover. The author’s writing is very descriptive, similes and metaphors are used often.
The Buried City of Pompeii by Shelley Tanaka
Tanaka, Shelley. (1997). The Buried City of Pompeii: What it was Like When Vesuvius Exploded.Toronto: Hyperion/Madison Press Books
Grade Level:
I would recommend this book for students 3rd – 8th grade.
Author Credibility:
The author thanks many experts for there help with the book in the Acknowledgements section of the book. The author also states that, “every effort has been made to attribute correctly all material…”
Summary:
The book begins by introducing the reader to Mount Vesuvius. It transgresses from beautiful to deadly so quickly. From there the author takes you to modern day area around Mount Vesuvius. Tanaka tells what is left in Pompeii today, including the House of Menander. This house is a huge house that covers an entire city block. The author draws you in by asking questions about what happened to the family in this great house. Tanaka then focuses the story on the life of Eros the steward of the House of Menander. He goes throughout his day as normal trying to prepare the house for the return of the master. They are having to do a lot of repairs from an earthquake several years before. The author follows Eros as he makes his daily trip into the city. The city, Forum, ancient life in the city, and the baths are described in detail as Eros travels through the city.
Eros is leaning over a basin of water when it starts to tremble. Most people thought it was another earthquake. As they ran outside they realized though that this was not an earthquake, but the erruption of Vesuvius. Pumice began to fall on the city. Eros frantically races toward the house to find his daughter. He finds her and they return to their quarters. Eros decides they can’t leave the house. He grabs his seal and life savings in a leather purse and they wait for it all to end.
In the Epilogue the author gives the reader information about the erruption of Vesuvious. She also describes how the city was preserved by the ash and pumice from the volcano. She describes the excavations of the city of Pompeii. Tanaka tells in detail what was found from the excavations especially in the House of Menander. This included the skeletons of Eros and his daughter. Tanaka also explains to the reader that one reason this city is so important is the information it has given us about the life of the Romans. The last sentence of the book, “Never has the volcano remained quiet for so long,” leaves the reader with a sense that this tragedy could possibly happen again.
Standards:
Science: Earth and Space
Social Studies: People, Places, and Environments
Illustrations:
Illustrations were done by Greg Ruhl. The paintings and artwork were done using gouache and acrylic. Watercolors were used to create the maps and diagrams found throughout the book. The artwork found throughout the book accompanied the text. Photographs are also found throughout the book. Photographs are by Peter Christopher. The Photo Credits section of the book documents were the photographs came from. Captions accompanied the photographs, and explained what was seen in the photograph.
Access Features:
*Maps
*Photographs with captions
*Sidebars
*Diagrams
*Glossary
*Recommended Further Readings
*Picture Credits/ Acknowledgements
How I would use the book in the classroom:
This would be a great book to learn when learning about the Roman Empire. It gave a broad overview of life in a Roman city. So many important aspects of the Roman empire were discussed in this book. One thing I would like to do in my classroom is divide the students into groups and have them each research a topic in the book such as: gladiators, Forum, baths, theater, etc.
My response to the book:
I really enjoyed reading this book. I am interested in Pompeii and I enjoyed learning more about the city and what happened there. I really liked how the story was presented. Tanaka caught your attention from the first pages and held it by telling the journey of one family. I liked how the story told of one families experience when Vesuvius errupted. Tanaka brought in Roman life and made it come to life for the reader. Side bars gave the reader more information about what was being discussed.
Related Texts:
* The Secrets of Vesuvius by Sara C. Bisel
*Pompeii by Peter Connolly
*How Would You Survive As an Ancient Roman by Anita Ganeri
*Ancient Rome by Simon James
*Volcano and Earthquake by Susanna van Rose
*Volcano by Patricia Lauber
*Pompeii Lost and Found by Mary Pope Osborne
*Pompeii…Buried Alive! by Edith Kunhardt Davis
*Escape From Pompeii by Christina Balit
*Bodies From the Ash by James M. Deem
Other:
This book is a paperback book. The book contains 48 pages including the glossary, acknowledgments, picture credits, and further readings. This book was an easy read. It was written in a conversational tone. The book opens with a cast of one of the victims of Vesuvius. For me this provided a sense of reality about what I was about to read. It was such a tragedy. The boarders at the top of each page are grape vines. This made me think of the importance of grapes to Rome. They were used to make wines. This is even discussed in the book.
Grade Level:
I would recommend this book for students 3rd – 8th grade.
Author Credibility:
The author thanks many experts for there help with the book in the Acknowledgements section of the book. The author also states that, “every effort has been made to attribute correctly all material…”
Summary:
The book begins by introducing the reader to Mount Vesuvius. It transgresses from beautiful to deadly so quickly. From there the author takes you to modern day area around Mount Vesuvius. Tanaka tells what is left in Pompeii today, including the House of Menander. This house is a huge house that covers an entire city block. The author draws you in by asking questions about what happened to the family in this great house. Tanaka then focuses the story on the life of Eros the steward of the House of Menander. He goes throughout his day as normal trying to prepare the house for the return of the master. They are having to do a lot of repairs from an earthquake several years before. The author follows Eros as he makes his daily trip into the city. The city, Forum, ancient life in the city, and the baths are described in detail as Eros travels through the city.
Eros is leaning over a basin of water when it starts to tremble. Most people thought it was another earthquake. As they ran outside they realized though that this was not an earthquake, but the erruption of Vesuvius. Pumice began to fall on the city. Eros frantically races toward the house to find his daughter. He finds her and they return to their quarters. Eros decides they can’t leave the house. He grabs his seal and life savings in a leather purse and they wait for it all to end.
In the Epilogue the author gives the reader information about the erruption of Vesuvious. She also describes how the city was preserved by the ash and pumice from the volcano. She describes the excavations of the city of Pompeii. Tanaka tells in detail what was found from the excavations especially in the House of Menander. This included the skeletons of Eros and his daughter. Tanaka also explains to the reader that one reason this city is so important is the information it has given us about the life of the Romans. The last sentence of the book, “Never has the volcano remained quiet for so long,” leaves the reader with a sense that this tragedy could possibly happen again.
Standards:
Science: Earth and Space
Social Studies: People, Places, and Environments
Illustrations:
Illustrations were done by Greg Ruhl. The paintings and artwork were done using gouache and acrylic. Watercolors were used to create the maps and diagrams found throughout the book. The artwork found throughout the book accompanied the text. Photographs are also found throughout the book. Photographs are by Peter Christopher. The Photo Credits section of the book documents were the photographs came from. Captions accompanied the photographs, and explained what was seen in the photograph.
Access Features:
*Maps
*Photographs with captions
*Sidebars
*Diagrams
*Glossary
*Recommended Further Readings
*Picture Credits/ Acknowledgements
How I would use the book in the classroom:
This would be a great book to learn when learning about the Roman Empire. It gave a broad overview of life in a Roman city. So many important aspects of the Roman empire were discussed in this book. One thing I would like to do in my classroom is divide the students into groups and have them each research a topic in the book such as: gladiators, Forum, baths, theater, etc.
My response to the book:
I really enjoyed reading this book. I am interested in Pompeii and I enjoyed learning more about the city and what happened there. I really liked how the story was presented. Tanaka caught your attention from the first pages and held it by telling the journey of one family. I liked how the story told of one families experience when Vesuvius errupted. Tanaka brought in Roman life and made it come to life for the reader. Side bars gave the reader more information about what was being discussed.
Related Texts:
* The Secrets of Vesuvius by Sara C. Bisel
*Pompeii by Peter Connolly
*How Would You Survive As an Ancient Roman by Anita Ganeri
*Ancient Rome by Simon James
*Volcano and Earthquake by Susanna van Rose
*Volcano by Patricia Lauber
*Pompeii Lost and Found by Mary Pope Osborne
*Pompeii…Buried Alive! by Edith Kunhardt Davis
*Escape From Pompeii by Christina Balit
*Bodies From the Ash by James M. Deem
Other:
This book is a paperback book. The book contains 48 pages including the glossary, acknowledgments, picture credits, and further readings. This book was an easy read. It was written in a conversational tone. The book opens with a cast of one of the victims of Vesuvius. For me this provided a sense of reality about what I was about to read. It was such a tragedy. The boarders at the top of each page are grape vines. This made me think of the importance of grapes to Rome. They were used to make wines. This is even discussed in the book.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
The Race to Save the Lord God Bird by Phillip Hoose (3 BK)
Hoose, Phillip. (2004). The Race to Save the Lord God Bird. New York: Melanie Kroupa
Books Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Grade Level:
I would recommend this book for students in grades 4-8.
Author Credibility:
Hoose is a member of the Nature Conservancy as well as the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Sierra Club, and the American Birding Association. He provides a detailed description of where he obtained his information in the Sources and Acknowledgements sections of this book. In sources he describes his sources chapter by chapter. This book has received the Boston-Horn Book award.
Summary:
This book chronicles the life of the species the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker. Hoose begins by telling the reader in the introduction that extinction of a species is nothing new. Mass extinctions have happened before in 5 big waves. But the 6th wave, the one we are in now, is different because it is caused by humans. Hoose then introduces the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker. Alexander Wilson had set out to paint every bird species in the United States. Along his journey he encounters an Ivory-Billed Woodpecker. He shoots the first two he sees and stuffs them so he can paint them later. But, the third he encounters is only wounded by the shot. He catches it and takes it back to his hotel room to paint. Wilson is able to paint several of the first paintings of the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker from this bird.
As the book progresses the author tells of an experience he had to handle an Ivory-Billed Woodpecker specimen. From this experience the author tells the reader how he researched this bird. Many important facts are given about the bird in this first chapter. The next step in the chapter of the life of the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker species comes in the form of John James Audubon. Audubon like Wilson set out to paint the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker. Hoose gives you the highlights of Audubon’s life and what he accomplished.
Next, in chapter 3, the story shifts to the lumber industry. After the Civil War much of the trees in the Northern United States was being cut. The next step for the lumber companies was the South and the home of the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker. Hoose described in great detail this industry and why they flocked to the South. Another problem the birds of the United States and the world faced was the plume. The plume was a popular style for a long time. Many birds were slaughtered for their feathers so they could be put into womens’ hats. Hoose describes the war that resulted over plumes. Some were even killed for trying to protect the birds from hunters.
Arthur Allen and Jim Tanner are two important people that studied the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker. Allen took the first photograph of the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker. Both Allen and Tanner worked together to capture the calls of an Ivory-Billed Woodpecker on tape (this is the only recording of the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker). Tanner would spend three years of his life studying the bird. At the end of this three years he presented a action plan to the Adubon Society to save the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker. At the center of this plan was preserving the Singer Tract (the only place he actually saw an Ivory-Billed Woodpecker in his three years of study). In his research Tanner learned that the bird needed a large natural forest in order to survive. He reccomended preserving the habitat that they were living in. The only problem with this was the lumber companies would rather have money than the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker. They continued to cut the forest down. Despite many advances and work to save the forest it is continually cut down, until the last known Ivory-Billed Woodpecker in the forest’s home is destroyed. Hope still lived though for the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker as the bird is found in Cuba. Hoose takes you on a journey through Cuba as researchers search for the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker.
The story ends with a sense of hope. Hoose tells the reader of many “sightings” of the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker. These sightings have never been authenicated though, not for a lack of trying. Many scientists and bird watchers today are still looking for the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker. They refuse to give up hope on this magnificent bird.
Standards:
Science: Life Science
Illustrations:
The illustrations in this book consist of black and white photographs and drawings/paintings. Many of the first drawings and photographs of the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker are included. The photographs and drawings/paintings correspond with the text.
Access Features:
*Table of Contents
*Index
*Sidebars
*Introduction
*Maps
*Emportant Dates for the Protection of Birds…
*Glossary
*Sources/Acknowledgements/ Picture Credits
How I would use the book in the classroom:
This book would be good to use when studying conservation. This book does a great job describing the need for conservation for animals. It also shows what will happen when humans ignore what they know about animal habitats. This book could also be used when discussing animals and their habitats.
My response to the book:
I enjoyed reading this book. I had never heard of the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker before reading this book. I found myself wishing I had the opportunity to see one of these birds in person. Hoose did an amazing job describing the bird. He showed the passion so many people had for this bird. That passion added a certain element of interest to the book for me. The sidebars in this book added other tidbits of information that the reader might find interesting. I enjoyed reading these.
Related Texts:
*The Grail Bird: Hot on the Trail of the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker by Tim Gallagher
*In Search of the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker by Jerome A. Jackson
*The Ivory-Billed Woodpecker by James T. Tanner
Other:
There are 163 pages in this chapter book. The background on the cover of the book is a map of the region the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker once lived. Also on the cover is a picture of the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker. The beak of this woodpecker points toward the opening of the book, drawing the reader into the book. The end pages are photographs of the bird flying through the forest. The writing is conversational and easy to read. Hoose takes the reader through the process he went through while researching the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker.
Books Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Grade Level:
I would recommend this book for students in grades 4-8.
Author Credibility:
Hoose is a member of the Nature Conservancy as well as the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Sierra Club, and the American Birding Association. He provides a detailed description of where he obtained his information in the Sources and Acknowledgements sections of this book. In sources he describes his sources chapter by chapter. This book has received the Boston-Horn Book award.
Summary:
This book chronicles the life of the species the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker. Hoose begins by telling the reader in the introduction that extinction of a species is nothing new. Mass extinctions have happened before in 5 big waves. But the 6th wave, the one we are in now, is different because it is caused by humans. Hoose then introduces the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker. Alexander Wilson had set out to paint every bird species in the United States. Along his journey he encounters an Ivory-Billed Woodpecker. He shoots the first two he sees and stuffs them so he can paint them later. But, the third he encounters is only wounded by the shot. He catches it and takes it back to his hotel room to paint. Wilson is able to paint several of the first paintings of the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker from this bird.
As the book progresses the author tells of an experience he had to handle an Ivory-Billed Woodpecker specimen. From this experience the author tells the reader how he researched this bird. Many important facts are given about the bird in this first chapter. The next step in the chapter of the life of the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker species comes in the form of John James Audubon. Audubon like Wilson set out to paint the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker. Hoose gives you the highlights of Audubon’s life and what he accomplished.
Next, in chapter 3, the story shifts to the lumber industry. After the Civil War much of the trees in the Northern United States was being cut. The next step for the lumber companies was the South and the home of the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker. Hoose described in great detail this industry and why they flocked to the South. Another problem the birds of the United States and the world faced was the plume. The plume was a popular style for a long time. Many birds were slaughtered for their feathers so they could be put into womens’ hats. Hoose describes the war that resulted over plumes. Some were even killed for trying to protect the birds from hunters.
Arthur Allen and Jim Tanner are two important people that studied the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker. Allen took the first photograph of the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker. Both Allen and Tanner worked together to capture the calls of an Ivory-Billed Woodpecker on tape (this is the only recording of the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker). Tanner would spend three years of his life studying the bird. At the end of this three years he presented a action plan to the Adubon Society to save the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker. At the center of this plan was preserving the Singer Tract (the only place he actually saw an Ivory-Billed Woodpecker in his three years of study). In his research Tanner learned that the bird needed a large natural forest in order to survive. He reccomended preserving the habitat that they were living in. The only problem with this was the lumber companies would rather have money than the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker. They continued to cut the forest down. Despite many advances and work to save the forest it is continually cut down, until the last known Ivory-Billed Woodpecker in the forest’s home is destroyed. Hope still lived though for the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker as the bird is found in Cuba. Hoose takes you on a journey through Cuba as researchers search for the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker.
The story ends with a sense of hope. Hoose tells the reader of many “sightings” of the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker. These sightings have never been authenicated though, not for a lack of trying. Many scientists and bird watchers today are still looking for the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker. They refuse to give up hope on this magnificent bird.
Standards:
Science: Life Science
Illustrations:
The illustrations in this book consist of black and white photographs and drawings/paintings. Many of the first drawings and photographs of the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker are included. The photographs and drawings/paintings correspond with the text.
Access Features:
*Table of Contents
*Index
*Sidebars
*Introduction
*Maps
*Emportant Dates for the Protection of Birds…
*Glossary
*Sources/Acknowledgements/ Picture Credits
How I would use the book in the classroom:
This book would be good to use when studying conservation. This book does a great job describing the need for conservation for animals. It also shows what will happen when humans ignore what they know about animal habitats. This book could also be used when discussing animals and their habitats.
My response to the book:
I enjoyed reading this book. I had never heard of the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker before reading this book. I found myself wishing I had the opportunity to see one of these birds in person. Hoose did an amazing job describing the bird. He showed the passion so many people had for this bird. That passion added a certain element of interest to the book for me. The sidebars in this book added other tidbits of information that the reader might find interesting. I enjoyed reading these.
Related Texts:
*The Grail Bird: Hot on the Trail of the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker by Tim Gallagher
*In Search of the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker by Jerome A. Jackson
*The Ivory-Billed Woodpecker by James T. Tanner
Other:
There are 163 pages in this chapter book. The background on the cover of the book is a map of the region the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker once lived. Also on the cover is a picture of the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker. The beak of this woodpecker points toward the opening of the book, drawing the reader into the book. The end pages are photographs of the bird flying through the forest. The writing is conversational and easy to read. Hoose takes the reader through the process he went through while researching the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Shutting Out the Sky: Life in the Tenements of New York by Deborah Hopkinson (2BK)
Hopkinson, Deborah. (2003). Shutting Out The Sky: Life in the Tenements of New York
1880-1924. New York: Orchard Books
Grade Level:
I would recommend this book for students 4th –7th grades.
Author Credibility:
Hopkinson tells the reader were she researched her information in several different sections. These sections include: Acknowledgments, Selected Bibliography, Text Permissions, Notes, and Photo Credits. She goes chapter by chapter and tells the reader where her information and quotes came from in the Notes section of the book. This book won such awards as
Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People
Orbis Pictus Honor
Jane Addams Children’s Peace Award Honor.
Summary:
This book looks at the life of the immigrant children: Rose Gollup Cohen, Leonard Covello, Maurice Hindus, Pauline Newman, and Marcus Eli Ravage. The book skips back in forth between their lives and their experiences. It starts by telling of their lives before they came to America. It discusses what they think America will be like. Hopkinson discusses how many families had to split apart for awhile in order to save enough money to make it to the United States. Coming to America was a big deal and often whole communities turned out to wish people going to a America best wishes. Hopkinson mentions the long journey to the United States, and finally their arrivial to the United States. As the children arrive to the United States they get their first experience in the tenements. America was so different from the countries they came from some did not venture past their front steps for the first few days. Hopkinson gives the reader a vivid description of tenements and the conditions immigrants lived in. Many families took in boarders as an extra income. The rooms were crowded and rarely repaired.
Hopkinson also discusses greenhorns and what the immigrants would do to fit in in the United States, sometimes even changing their names. In order for a family to survive they needed income from everyone in their family. Everyone worked, often young children would help by making silk flowers for hats. The book tells of each of the children’s first jobs, and how hard they worked.
Slowly changes started to happen to regulate the child industry. Children were required to go to school for a while, but many dropped out before high school in order to work. This book also tells about the games children liked to play, the things they enjoyed, and life on the streets.
The story ends with a description of each child and what they did in their life. This was my favorite part. It showed how hard work and determination pays off. I loved reading to see were the children ended up.
Standards: Social Studies
*Culture
*Time, Continuity, and Change
*People, Places, and Environments
*Individual Development and Identity
*Production, Distribution, and Consumption
Illustrations:
The illustrations in this book consist of sepia colored photographs. An entire page at the end of the book is dedicated to “Photo Credits.” The photographs are not of the exact situation or child discussed in the book, but similar situations and children.
Access Features:
*Table of Contents
*Index
*Diagram
*Photographs with captions
*Foreward
*Voices in the Book-gives an overview of the children we will read about
*Afterword
*Timeline
*Further Reading
How I would use the book in the classroom:
This book looks into the life of immigrants when during 1880-1924. One thing you could do in the classroom with this book is compare what they thought life in America would be like to what it was really like. You could make a timeline of the lives of the children discussed in the book, showing especially where they ended up.
My response to the book:
One of the things that stood out to me was the hard work these children did. They worked constantly to make a better life. Several generations sacrificed so much to make sure their children had a better life. Several of the children did not attend high school, or they did not attend to later in their lives. They saw school as a way to make their life better and they worked hard to be able to go. They often went to school at night after a long day at work, staying up even later to study. It made me think we take school for granted now a days. In our minds to many times school is something we have to do, not something we want to do in order to better our lives.
Related Texts:
*Tenement: Immigrant Life on the Lower East Side by Raymond Bial
*The Battle With the Slum by Jacob A. Riis
*97 Orchard Street, New York: Stories of Immigrant Life by Linda Granfield
*Immigrant Kids by Russell Freedman
*At the end of this book the author suggest several related texts in “Further Reading.”
Other:
Chapters are divided with subtitles that further help the people understand the material. This book is written in a chapter book type of format.
1880-1924. New York: Orchard Books
Grade Level:
I would recommend this book for students 4th –7th grades.
Author Credibility:
Hopkinson tells the reader were she researched her information in several different sections. These sections include: Acknowledgments, Selected Bibliography, Text Permissions, Notes, and Photo Credits. She goes chapter by chapter and tells the reader where her information and quotes came from in the Notes section of the book. This book won such awards as
Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People
Orbis Pictus Honor
Jane Addams Children’s Peace Award Honor.
Summary:
This book looks at the life of the immigrant children: Rose Gollup Cohen, Leonard Covello, Maurice Hindus, Pauline Newman, and Marcus Eli Ravage. The book skips back in forth between their lives and their experiences. It starts by telling of their lives before they came to America. It discusses what they think America will be like. Hopkinson discusses how many families had to split apart for awhile in order to save enough money to make it to the United States. Coming to America was a big deal and often whole communities turned out to wish people going to a America best wishes. Hopkinson mentions the long journey to the United States, and finally their arrivial to the United States. As the children arrive to the United States they get their first experience in the tenements. America was so different from the countries they came from some did not venture past their front steps for the first few days. Hopkinson gives the reader a vivid description of tenements and the conditions immigrants lived in. Many families took in boarders as an extra income. The rooms were crowded and rarely repaired.
Hopkinson also discusses greenhorns and what the immigrants would do to fit in in the United States, sometimes even changing their names. In order for a family to survive they needed income from everyone in their family. Everyone worked, often young children would help by making silk flowers for hats. The book tells of each of the children’s first jobs, and how hard they worked.
Slowly changes started to happen to regulate the child industry. Children were required to go to school for a while, but many dropped out before high school in order to work. This book also tells about the games children liked to play, the things they enjoyed, and life on the streets.
The story ends with a description of each child and what they did in their life. This was my favorite part. It showed how hard work and determination pays off. I loved reading to see were the children ended up.
Standards: Social Studies
*Culture
*Time, Continuity, and Change
*People, Places, and Environments
*Individual Development and Identity
*Production, Distribution, and Consumption
Illustrations:
The illustrations in this book consist of sepia colored photographs. An entire page at the end of the book is dedicated to “Photo Credits.” The photographs are not of the exact situation or child discussed in the book, but similar situations and children.
Access Features:
*Table of Contents
*Index
*Diagram
*Photographs with captions
*Foreward
*Voices in the Book-gives an overview of the children we will read about
*Afterword
*Timeline
*Further Reading
How I would use the book in the classroom:
This book looks into the life of immigrants when during 1880-1924. One thing you could do in the classroom with this book is compare what they thought life in America would be like to what it was really like. You could make a timeline of the lives of the children discussed in the book, showing especially where they ended up.
My response to the book:
One of the things that stood out to me was the hard work these children did. They worked constantly to make a better life. Several generations sacrificed so much to make sure their children had a better life. Several of the children did not attend high school, or they did not attend to later in their lives. They saw school as a way to make their life better and they worked hard to be able to go. They often went to school at night after a long day at work, staying up even later to study. It made me think we take school for granted now a days. In our minds to many times school is something we have to do, not something we want to do in order to better our lives.
Related Texts:
*Tenement: Immigrant Life on the Lower East Side by Raymond Bial
*The Battle With the Slum by Jacob A. Riis
*97 Orchard Street, New York: Stories of Immigrant Life by Linda Granfield
*Immigrant Kids by Russell Freedman
*At the end of this book the author suggest several related texts in “Further Reading.”
Other:
Chapters are divided with subtitles that further help the people understand the material. This book is written in a chapter book type of format.
On Earth by G. Brian Karas
Karas, G. Brian. (2005). On Earth. New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons.
Grade Level:
I would recommend this book for students in grades Pre-K – 2nd grades.
Author Credibility:
This book is an ALA Notable Children’s Book for the 2006 year. Karas has received this award for many of his works.
Summary:
This book discusses the Earth and its functions. Karas explains scientific information in an easy to read format. The book touches on the rotation of the Earth, including a diagram. Other aspects such as shadows and day and night are explained. Karas explains how we measure a year, and also shows that you continue to grow during this time. Seasons are also explained with charts. The book even describes why we don’t fall off of the Earth. A question most students will probably have.
Standards:
Science: Earth and Space
Illustrations:
The illustrations in this book appear to be paintings. Several of the diagrams are drawings that further describe the aspect discussed.
Access Features:
*A chart describing the scientific aspects of Earth discussed in the book. This chart could also be used as a glossary.
How I would use the book in the classroom:
This book would be great to use to learn about the Earth in a lower elementary classroom. For Pre-K and Kindergarten students the teacher may choose to read the book aloud and discuss the various concepts in the book.
My response to the book:
I enjoyed reading this book. I thought the information was presented in a way that young children could understand. The illustrations and text would be interesting for young readers.
Related Texts:
*If You Decide to go to the Moon by Faith McNulty
Other:
The title of the book curves along the side along with painting strokes gives the illusion of the rotation of the earth. The sun can be partially seen along the opening side of the book. This invites the reader into the book. The end pages are blue. This represents the
water on the Earth or perhaps the sky.
Grade Level:
I would recommend this book for students in grades Pre-K – 2nd grades.
Author Credibility:
This book is an ALA Notable Children’s Book for the 2006 year. Karas has received this award for many of his works.
Summary:
This book discusses the Earth and its functions. Karas explains scientific information in an easy to read format. The book touches on the rotation of the Earth, including a diagram. Other aspects such as shadows and day and night are explained. Karas explains how we measure a year, and also shows that you continue to grow during this time. Seasons are also explained with charts. The book even describes why we don’t fall off of the Earth. A question most students will probably have.
Standards:
Science: Earth and Space
Illustrations:
The illustrations in this book appear to be paintings. Several of the diagrams are drawings that further describe the aspect discussed.
Access Features:
*A chart describing the scientific aspects of Earth discussed in the book. This chart could also be used as a glossary.
How I would use the book in the classroom:
This book would be great to use to learn about the Earth in a lower elementary classroom. For Pre-K and Kindergarten students the teacher may choose to read the book aloud and discuss the various concepts in the book.
My response to the book:
I enjoyed reading this book. I thought the information was presented in a way that young children could understand. The illustrations and text would be interesting for young readers.
Related Texts:
*If You Decide to go to the Moon by Faith McNulty
Other:
The title of the book curves along the side along with painting strokes gives the illusion of the rotation of the earth. The sun can be partially seen along the opening side of the book. This invites the reader into the book. The end pages are blue. This represents the
water on the Earth or perhaps the sky.
Monday, July 9, 2007
With Courage and Cloth: Winning the Fight for a Woman’s Right to Vote by Ann Bausum (2 BK)
Bausum, Ann. (2004).With Courage and Cloth: Winning the Fight for a Woman’s Right to Vote. National Geographic Society.
Grade Level:
I would recommend this book for students 4th grade –7th grade.
Author Credibility:
Bausum documents her journey and research through this book in two different sections: Sources and Acknowledgments and Biblography. The Sources and Acknowledgments section of the book goes through each chapter and documents her research. She also gives credit to several people that helped with this book in the Acknowledgments. The Bibliography reinforces her research. It also allows you to check out the sources for yourself. This book has won severa awards including:
Jane Addams Children's Book Award2005 Best Book for Older Readers2005 Notable Children's BookBest Books for Young Adults 2005Best Books 20042005 Amelia Bloomer ListNotable Social Studies Trade Book for Young PeopleOrbis Pictus Awards2005 Juvenile Nonfiction Book Award
Summary:
This book begins with the authors experience of meeting Alice Paul one of the crusaders for women’s rights discussed in this book. She explains that this meeting inspired her to write about the time of history Alice Paul helped to shape. This book looks in depth into these years. Chapter one discusses a parade organized by Alice Paul. Women from all over the nation with various credientials marched in the parade. The colors of purple, white, and gold were seen everywhere. As the women marched spectators began to harass them. These spectators were mostly men. These men soon stopped the parade with their harassments. The police did very little to protect the women. The parade did accomplish one goal: media coverage.
Chapter two takes you back in time a bit to the period of 1848 – 1906. This is done to give the reader a little background about how the movement was started. A meeting at Seneca Falls, New York helped to get the movement for women’s rights rolling. It started as a meeting of a group of friends, complaining about not being treated equally with men. They drafted “A Declaration of Rights and Sentiments.” This document was modeled after “The Declaration of Independence,” and listed the concerns they had. Women’s voting rights were almost left out of this document. Many of the soldiers for women’s rights worked for the rights of slaves also. Woman Suffarage organizations were established as the women worked towards equall treatment for women. There were two main organizations (one worked more at a state level and the other at a federal level). For a time these organizations combined, but they would later split again because of their differences. The rest of this chapter chronicles the lives of these early women activists. Bausum does a great job presenting both sides of the argument in this book. She lets you know the reasons men did not want women to vote.
As the book progresses through the years Bausum tells the reader of what is happening in the rest of the world on the same issue. Women of Britain are being arrested and force fed in prision because of their civil disobediance. Some of the activists in the United States would later use these same tactics to get things done in the United States. They would be arrested and then protest further by refusing to eat. This became common, but they were almost always pardoned before their time in prision was through.
The book chronicles the long battle for women’s suffarge. There were many votes for the issue through the years, and slowly states started to come around. The women protested daily for almost a year outside of the white house. Slowly support came around, but it was not easy. Even after the president supported the women there were not enough votes to ratify the constitution. Baurum tells how the women worked to gain support. And finally victory. After a long battle the constitution was ratified.
Standards: Social Studies
*Culture
*Time, Continuity, and Change
*People, Places, and Environments
*Individuals, Groups, and Institutions
*Power, Authority, and Governance
Illustrations:
The illustrations in this book consist of photographs. The photographs are sepia colored. Captions accompany most photographs and tell the reader the story behind the photograph. The photographs allow the visual learner a better understanding of the women discussed by allowing them to see them.
Access Features:
*Table of Contents
*Afterword
*Profiles-includes: Born and Death date, Background information, Contribution to Woman Suffarage, Selected Landmarks, and Quotable Words
*Chronology
*Resource Guide
*Sources and Acknowledgments
*Index
*Maps
*Photographs/ Captions
How I would use the book in the classroom:
This book would be excellent to use in a study about women’s suffarage. It could also be used in a study about suffarage for all people and races in the United States.
My response to the book:
I enjoyed reading this book. I learned a lot about the struggle women faced to gain the right to vote. I often take this right for granted. I mean I exerciece my right to vote, but I don’t think about the sacrifice so many women had to make to assure me this right. These women saw something wrong with the world and they worked throughout generations to change this. The topic in this book is often overlooked in history textbooks.
Related Texts:
The resource guide in this book could prove to be very helpful. It includes books for younger readers, videos, places to visit, and web sites.
Other:
This book is organized by chapters. Each chapter title gives the reader a vague understanding of what the chapter will be about. The writing of the book is very conversational. The end pages of the book are purple and gold, the colors the women adopted during their movement. Many of the banners they made were purple and gold. Famous quotes are highlighted in gold throughout the book.
Grade Level:
I would recommend this book for students 4th grade –7th grade.
Author Credibility:
Bausum documents her journey and research through this book in two different sections: Sources and Acknowledgments and Biblography. The Sources and Acknowledgments section of the book goes through each chapter and documents her research. She also gives credit to several people that helped with this book in the Acknowledgments. The Bibliography reinforces her research. It also allows you to check out the sources for yourself. This book has won severa awards including:
Jane Addams Children's Book Award2005 Best Book for Older Readers2005 Notable Children's BookBest Books for Young Adults 2005Best Books 20042005 Amelia Bloomer ListNotable Social Studies Trade Book for Young PeopleOrbis Pictus Awards2005 Juvenile Nonfiction Book Award
Summary:
This book begins with the authors experience of meeting Alice Paul one of the crusaders for women’s rights discussed in this book. She explains that this meeting inspired her to write about the time of history Alice Paul helped to shape. This book looks in depth into these years. Chapter one discusses a parade organized by Alice Paul. Women from all over the nation with various credientials marched in the parade. The colors of purple, white, and gold were seen everywhere. As the women marched spectators began to harass them. These spectators were mostly men. These men soon stopped the parade with their harassments. The police did very little to protect the women. The parade did accomplish one goal: media coverage.
Chapter two takes you back in time a bit to the period of 1848 – 1906. This is done to give the reader a little background about how the movement was started. A meeting at Seneca Falls, New York helped to get the movement for women’s rights rolling. It started as a meeting of a group of friends, complaining about not being treated equally with men. They drafted “A Declaration of Rights and Sentiments.” This document was modeled after “The Declaration of Independence,” and listed the concerns they had. Women’s voting rights were almost left out of this document. Many of the soldiers for women’s rights worked for the rights of slaves also. Woman Suffarage organizations were established as the women worked towards equall treatment for women. There were two main organizations (one worked more at a state level and the other at a federal level). For a time these organizations combined, but they would later split again because of their differences. The rest of this chapter chronicles the lives of these early women activists. Bausum does a great job presenting both sides of the argument in this book. She lets you know the reasons men did not want women to vote.
As the book progresses through the years Bausum tells the reader of what is happening in the rest of the world on the same issue. Women of Britain are being arrested and force fed in prision because of their civil disobediance. Some of the activists in the United States would later use these same tactics to get things done in the United States. They would be arrested and then protest further by refusing to eat. This became common, but they were almost always pardoned before their time in prision was through.
The book chronicles the long battle for women’s suffarge. There were many votes for the issue through the years, and slowly states started to come around. The women protested daily for almost a year outside of the white house. Slowly support came around, but it was not easy. Even after the president supported the women there were not enough votes to ratify the constitution. Baurum tells how the women worked to gain support. And finally victory. After a long battle the constitution was ratified.
Standards: Social Studies
*Culture
*Time, Continuity, and Change
*People, Places, and Environments
*Individuals, Groups, and Institutions
*Power, Authority, and Governance
Illustrations:
The illustrations in this book consist of photographs. The photographs are sepia colored. Captions accompany most photographs and tell the reader the story behind the photograph. The photographs allow the visual learner a better understanding of the women discussed by allowing them to see them.
Access Features:
*Table of Contents
*Afterword
*Profiles-includes: Born and Death date, Background information, Contribution to Woman Suffarage, Selected Landmarks, and Quotable Words
*Chronology
*Resource Guide
*Sources and Acknowledgments
*Index
*Maps
*Photographs/ Captions
How I would use the book in the classroom:
This book would be excellent to use in a study about women’s suffarage. It could also be used in a study about suffarage for all people and races in the United States.
My response to the book:
I enjoyed reading this book. I learned a lot about the struggle women faced to gain the right to vote. I often take this right for granted. I mean I exerciece my right to vote, but I don’t think about the sacrifice so many women had to make to assure me this right. These women saw something wrong with the world and they worked throughout generations to change this. The topic in this book is often overlooked in history textbooks.
Related Texts:
The resource guide in this book could prove to be very helpful. It includes books for younger readers, videos, places to visit, and web sites.
Other:
This book is organized by chapters. Each chapter title gives the reader a vague understanding of what the chapter will be about. The writing of the book is very conversational. The end pages of the book are purple and gold, the colors the women adopted during their movement. Many of the banners they made were purple and gold. Famous quotes are highlighted in gold throughout the book.
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Harvesting Hope: The Story of Cesar Chavez by Kathleen Krull
Krull, Kathleen. (2003).Harvesting Hope: The Story of Cesar Chavez. New York, San Diego, London: Harcourt, Inc.
Lexile: AD 800 (K –5th grade)
Author Credibility:
Harvesting Hope: The Story of Cesar Chavez won the Jane Adams Children’s Book Award for 2004. Krull research Chavez by walking in the fields and listening to stories about Chavez and the farmworkers fight for a better life. Krull has written a number of nonfiction stories about various people in history.
Summary:
This story is a partial biography of Cesar Chavez. It starts with Caser’s life on their family’s ranch in Arizona. Life is good and Cesar is happy, until his family had to move to California because a drought. His family became migrant farm workers working wherever they could. They wanted to go back to the ranch, but the wages for this work were too low. He often faced discrimination because of his race throughout his childhood. He dropped out of school to work full time after the eigth grade. Slowly he decided it was time for a change in the farmers working conditions. He traveled very slowly gathering support. As more people joined the cause they adopted a black eagle as their symbol and named their work La Causa (The Cause). Finally, they took action. The workers of a vineyard went on strike. They marched more than three hundred miles to Sacramento. They faced a lot of oppostition, but they remained peaceful. As they marched word spread and people welcomed them along the way. Many of these people joined the march. The owners of the grape company agreed to sign a contract with Cesar offering better pay and working conditions. By the time they reached Sacramento the crowd of fifty-seven had grown to ten-thousand. The people were so happy to hear of their small victory, but the work was not over. The Author’s Note tells the reader much more of Cesar’s life. He continued his work until his death in 1993.
Standards:
Social Studies
*Culture
*Time, Continuity, and Change
*Individuals, Groups, and Institutions
*Power, Authority, and Governance
Illustrations:
The illustrations consist of paintings. These paintings were done with acrylics, stamps, and computer-created cutouts. The illustrations are closely related to the text, and help tell the story even without the words. They bring the story to life.
Access Features:
*Author’s Note
How I would use the book in the classroom:
This book would allow for so many possibilities in the classroom. It could be used during a study of Mexican culture. It could stem from a study on nonviolent change, including Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi. One thing that really stuck out to me that would be worth noting in the classroom is the power and change one person can spark. Younger readers of this book would require an adult read-aloud.
My response to the book:
I enjoyed reading this book. It brought to light issues I have never even thought about. In the Author’s Note Krull makes the comment many people have probally never heard of Cesar Chavez. I was part of this group. The text and the illustrations really brought to life the struggle Cesar Chavez faced and how hard he worked to overcome the discrimination he faced.
Related Texts:
*First Day in Grapes by L. King Perez
*Cesar: Si, Se Pued!/ Yes, We Can! By Carmen T. Bernier-Grand
* My Diary from Here to There/Mi diario de aqui hasta alla by Amada Irma Perez
*Cesar Chavez: A Hero for Everyone by Gary Soto
Other:
When looking at the whole cover the book shows Chavez as a little boy and then as a man. This symbolizes the journey this book is about to take. On the cover of the book Cesar Chavez looks toward the opening of the book, inviting the reader to open the book and enjoy. Even all of the plants on the title page reach toward the next page of the book, drawing the reader farther in. The vibrant colors display for me a sense of hope. The portrait of Chavez on the last page of the book is almost identical to the cover.
Lexile: AD 800 (K –5th grade)
Author Credibility:
Harvesting Hope: The Story of Cesar Chavez won the Jane Adams Children’s Book Award for 2004. Krull research Chavez by walking in the fields and listening to stories about Chavez and the farmworkers fight for a better life. Krull has written a number of nonfiction stories about various people in history.
Summary:
This story is a partial biography of Cesar Chavez. It starts with Caser’s life on their family’s ranch in Arizona. Life is good and Cesar is happy, until his family had to move to California because a drought. His family became migrant farm workers working wherever they could. They wanted to go back to the ranch, but the wages for this work were too low. He often faced discrimination because of his race throughout his childhood. He dropped out of school to work full time after the eigth grade. Slowly he decided it was time for a change in the farmers working conditions. He traveled very slowly gathering support. As more people joined the cause they adopted a black eagle as their symbol and named their work La Causa (The Cause). Finally, they took action. The workers of a vineyard went on strike. They marched more than three hundred miles to Sacramento. They faced a lot of oppostition, but they remained peaceful. As they marched word spread and people welcomed them along the way. Many of these people joined the march. The owners of the grape company agreed to sign a contract with Cesar offering better pay and working conditions. By the time they reached Sacramento the crowd of fifty-seven had grown to ten-thousand. The people were so happy to hear of their small victory, but the work was not over. The Author’s Note tells the reader much more of Cesar’s life. He continued his work until his death in 1993.
Standards:
Social Studies
*Culture
*Time, Continuity, and Change
*Individuals, Groups, and Institutions
*Power, Authority, and Governance
Illustrations:
The illustrations consist of paintings. These paintings were done with acrylics, stamps, and computer-created cutouts. The illustrations are closely related to the text, and help tell the story even without the words. They bring the story to life.
Access Features:
*Author’s Note
How I would use the book in the classroom:
This book would allow for so many possibilities in the classroom. It could be used during a study of Mexican culture. It could stem from a study on nonviolent change, including Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi. One thing that really stuck out to me that would be worth noting in the classroom is the power and change one person can spark. Younger readers of this book would require an adult read-aloud.
My response to the book:
I enjoyed reading this book. It brought to light issues I have never even thought about. In the Author’s Note Krull makes the comment many people have probally never heard of Cesar Chavez. I was part of this group. The text and the illustrations really brought to life the struggle Cesar Chavez faced and how hard he worked to overcome the discrimination he faced.
Related Texts:
*First Day in Grapes by L. King Perez
*Cesar: Si, Se Pued!/ Yes, We Can! By Carmen T. Bernier-Grand
* My Diary from Here to There/Mi diario de aqui hasta alla by Amada Irma Perez
*Cesar Chavez: A Hero for Everyone by Gary Soto
Other:
When looking at the whole cover the book shows Chavez as a little boy and then as a man. This symbolizes the journey this book is about to take. On the cover of the book Cesar Chavez looks toward the opening of the book, inviting the reader to open the book and enjoy. Even all of the plants on the title page reach toward the next page of the book, drawing the reader farther in. The vibrant colors display for me a sense of hope. The portrait of Chavez on the last page of the book is almost identical to the cover.
Volcano: The Eruption and Healing of Mount St. Helens by Patricia Lauber
Lauber, Patricia. (1986).Volcano: The Eruption and Healing of Mount St. Helens. New York: Bradbury Press.
Lexile: 830 (3rd grade and up)
Author Credibility:
Lauber acknowledged many of the scientists and naturalists who helped with her research. Many of which read and commented on the book before it was published. This book was named a Newbery Honor book.
Summary:
This book starts by introducing the reader to the sleeping volcano of Mount St. Helens. It chronicles the time up to the famous erruption. Earthquakes were a sign that the volcano was “waking up.” It goes back in time telling of previous erruptions that helped build the volcano up. Graphs are used to illustrate the text. Lauber makes a point to describe the life of the mountain. This will become more important later in the book. Lauber describes how geologists studied the volcano and tried to predict when it would errupt again. Chapter two describes the famous erruption of Mount St. Helens. Pictures show the descruction this erruption caused. The book tells the important work geologist did to try to understand the volcano. Chapter three starts the rebuilding process of life on the volcano. It describes how life quickly started to come back to the volcano. It tells how some things survived and how others came to colonize the recently destroyed area. It describes how plants and animals likely came to the volcano and how they interacted. Chapter four continues with this theme and describes how all of the organisms coming back to the volcano were interlocked. They depend on each other. Finally, chapter five tells the reader information about volcanoes and how they work. Diagrams are used to help illustrate these points. It is important to note that the author describes for the reader how a volcano is important for us.
Standards:
SCIENCE:
*Life Science
*Unifying concepts and processes
*Earth and space science
Illustrations:
The illustrations in this book consist mainly of photographs with captions that describe these photographs. Diagrams and maps are also included in the book to help explain points discussed in the book. The photographs really bring to life and give the reader a clear picture of Mount St. Helens, both the destruction and the new life.
Access Features:
*Table of Contents
*Index
*Photographs with captions
*Diagrams
*Map
How I would use the book in the classroom:
In my classroom I would provide this book for students as they do research on volcanoes. This book provided a lot of useful information that the students could easily look up and find. This book could also be used when studying about the contium of life or how life comes to a barren place.
My response to the book:
This book was very informative. The conversational structure of the book made it easy and fun to read. I loved looking at the pictures. They provided such a great visual for the content of the story. They brought the story to life.
Related Texts:
* Volcanoes by Seymour Simon
* Mount St. Helens: The Eruption and Recovery of a Volcano by Rob Carson
* Into the Volcano: A Volcano Researcher at Work by Donna OMeara
Other:
Appropriately the front cover contains a picture of Mount. St. Helens errupting. The book is broken up into chapters. The chapter titles provide the reader a general idea of what the chapter will be about.
Lexile: 830 (3rd grade and up)
Author Credibility:
Lauber acknowledged many of the scientists and naturalists who helped with her research. Many of which read and commented on the book before it was published. This book was named a Newbery Honor book.
Summary:
This book starts by introducing the reader to the sleeping volcano of Mount St. Helens. It chronicles the time up to the famous erruption. Earthquakes were a sign that the volcano was “waking up.” It goes back in time telling of previous erruptions that helped build the volcano up. Graphs are used to illustrate the text. Lauber makes a point to describe the life of the mountain. This will become more important later in the book. Lauber describes how geologists studied the volcano and tried to predict when it would errupt again. Chapter two describes the famous erruption of Mount St. Helens. Pictures show the descruction this erruption caused. The book tells the important work geologist did to try to understand the volcano. Chapter three starts the rebuilding process of life on the volcano. It describes how life quickly started to come back to the volcano. It tells how some things survived and how others came to colonize the recently destroyed area. It describes how plants and animals likely came to the volcano and how they interacted. Chapter four continues with this theme and describes how all of the organisms coming back to the volcano were interlocked. They depend on each other. Finally, chapter five tells the reader information about volcanoes and how they work. Diagrams are used to help illustrate these points. It is important to note that the author describes for the reader how a volcano is important for us.
Standards:
SCIENCE:
*Life Science
*Unifying concepts and processes
*Earth and space science
Illustrations:
The illustrations in this book consist mainly of photographs with captions that describe these photographs. Diagrams and maps are also included in the book to help explain points discussed in the book. The photographs really bring to life and give the reader a clear picture of Mount St. Helens, both the destruction and the new life.
Access Features:
*Table of Contents
*Index
*Photographs with captions
*Diagrams
*Map
How I would use the book in the classroom:
In my classroom I would provide this book for students as they do research on volcanoes. This book provided a lot of useful information that the students could easily look up and find. This book could also be used when studying about the contium of life or how life comes to a barren place.
My response to the book:
This book was very informative. The conversational structure of the book made it easy and fun to read. I loved looking at the pictures. They provided such a great visual for the content of the story. They brought the story to life.
Related Texts:
* Volcanoes by Seymour Simon
* Mount St. Helens: The Eruption and Recovery of a Volcano by Rob Carson
* Into the Volcano: A Volcano Researcher at Work by Donna OMeara
Other:
Appropriately the front cover contains a picture of Mount. St. Helens errupting. The book is broken up into chapters. The chapter titles provide the reader a general idea of what the chapter will be about.
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