Miss Nelson is Missing, by Harry Allard.
This is a cute book with nice illustrations. I would say that is for grades 2-3.
This book is about a class who becomes uncontrollable and rude. Children could definitely relate to this story. The class is misbehaving and spitting spitballs among other things. The nice teacher leaves and another teacher fills in. She piles on the homework, does not have a storytime, or let the class have recess or any fun. The class goes to the police station to report Miss Nelson missing. They think of all kinds of silly things that probably did not happen to her. Eventually Miss Nelson comes back and they really appreciate her.
I think this book could be read at the beginning of the school year and a discussion could follow about what kind of classroom rules you would want to establish for the schoolyear.
Saturday, April 7, 2007
Historical Fiction
Nettie's Trip South, by Ann Turner
This book would be for grades 3-5. It is based on the diary of the authors great grandmother dated 1859. It is illustrated in black and white, which seems to add to the authenticity of the books' time period. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it for reading to your class. It is in a different format style, the young girl age 1o writes a letter to her friend describing her trip South. Quite emotional.
1. Do the characters' experiences, conflicts, and resolutions of conflicts reflect what is known about the time period?
Yes, definitely. It reflects the time period {1859}, very accurately. A young girl goes South with her older brother who is a newspaper journalist. He is going South to write an article about slavery. The book speaks fo a possible war coming soon and not being able to travel if that occurred. While she is there she goes to a slave auction. This is described in a bit of detail.
2. Do the characters action express values and beliefs that are realistic for the time period?
Yes, the main character, Nettie, is a ten year old girl from the North. She has never seen a Negro or a slave. She is told by her sister that slaves are thought to be 3/5 of a person. It is in the Constitution. Nettie wonders what they are missing- an arm, leg, foot, or something inside? Thoughts of an unbiased child. She is frightened of the train ride, it lurches and belts clouds of black smoke. She wore dresses with collars of lace that scratched her chin.
4. Is the setting authentic?
The setting is very authentic. It mentions how Nettie leaves in furs, because it is cold in the North. It talked of the characters' family staying in a hotel. It was the first hotel the girl had ever stayed in. There was a black maid who was a slave who worked there. Nettie eyed her up and down to the bottom of her feet to see if "Something" was missing. The book even describes the smell of the "sweet cedar" that the South was noted for coming thru the open windows.
5. Details are integrated into the story that do not overwhelm or distract from the story. The details added to the story. For example, at the slave auction, two young children the age of the main character were on the auction block. They were holding hands and had to be torn apart by the man in the white hat when they were sold to separate people. Nettie, the main character threw up. She was brought home and had bedrest for several days.
7. Is the theme worthwhile?
I would say definitely it is worthwhile. The story was inspired by the authors great grandmothers' diary of her trip South in 1859. There she witnessed a slave auction and returned home to become a committed abolitionist.
This book would be for grades 3-5. It is based on the diary of the authors great grandmother dated 1859. It is illustrated in black and white, which seems to add to the authenticity of the books' time period. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it for reading to your class. It is in a different format style, the young girl age 1o writes a letter to her friend describing her trip South. Quite emotional.
1. Do the characters' experiences, conflicts, and resolutions of conflicts reflect what is known about the time period?
Yes, definitely. It reflects the time period {1859}, very accurately. A young girl goes South with her older brother who is a newspaper journalist. He is going South to write an article about slavery. The book speaks fo a possible war coming soon and not being able to travel if that occurred. While she is there she goes to a slave auction. This is described in a bit of detail.
2. Do the characters action express values and beliefs that are realistic for the time period?
Yes, the main character, Nettie, is a ten year old girl from the North. She has never seen a Negro or a slave. She is told by her sister that slaves are thought to be 3/5 of a person. It is in the Constitution. Nettie wonders what they are missing- an arm, leg, foot, or something inside? Thoughts of an unbiased child. She is frightened of the train ride, it lurches and belts clouds of black smoke. She wore dresses with collars of lace that scratched her chin.
4. Is the setting authentic?
The setting is very authentic. It mentions how Nettie leaves in furs, because it is cold in the North. It talked of the characters' family staying in a hotel. It was the first hotel the girl had ever stayed in. There was a black maid who was a slave who worked there. Nettie eyed her up and down to the bottom of her feet to see if "Something" was missing. The book even describes the smell of the "sweet cedar" that the South was noted for coming thru the open windows.
5. Details are integrated into the story that do not overwhelm or distract from the story. The details added to the story. For example, at the slave auction, two young children the age of the main character were on the auction block. They were holding hands and had to be torn apart by the man in the white hat when they were sold to separate people. Nettie, the main character threw up. She was brought home and had bedrest for several days.
7. Is the theme worthwhile?
I would say definitely it is worthwhile. The story was inspired by the authors great grandmothers' diary of her trip South in 1859. There she witnessed a slave auction and returned home to become a committed abolitionist.
Realistic Fiction
Inside the Aquarium, by Wendy Wax and Joe Murray
In Nortons' description it mentions that realistic fiction, "can extend childrens' horizons." I enjoyed this book because it gave children insight to what goes on inside of an aquarium at a zoo, or aquarium park.
Plot- A baby seal is stranded on the beach and a young girl finds it. She tells her parents and the "Rescue Unit" is called.. The aquariums' rescue unit comes to pick up the seal and bring it to their facility to check it over. They invite the family to come along. It is an interesting look at the inside workings of an aquarium- the feed and care of the fish and animals, the cleaning, and the environment including landscape and water type and temperature for the animals.
Nortons' criteria:
#5 Was the language appropriate in revealing the true nature of the situation? Yes, I thought it was. It provided terms such as lab technicians, marine biologists, etc to make it realistic of an aquarium and some of the people who worked there.
#10 The story definitely provided enjoyment.
In Nortons' description it mentions that realistic fiction, "can extend childrens' horizons." I enjoyed this book because it gave children insight to what goes on inside of an aquarium at a zoo, or aquarium park.
Plot- A baby seal is stranded on the beach and a young girl finds it. She tells her parents and the "Rescue Unit" is called.. The aquariums' rescue unit comes to pick up the seal and bring it to their facility to check it over. They invite the family to come along. It is an interesting look at the inside workings of an aquarium- the feed and care of the fish and animals, the cleaning, and the environment including landscape and water type and temperature for the animals.
Nortons' criteria:
#5 Was the language appropriate in revealing the true nature of the situation? Yes, I thought it was. It provided terms such as lab technicians, marine biologists, etc to make it realistic of an aquarium and some of the people who worked there.
#10 The story definitely provided enjoyment.
Traditional Literature
Mutaro's Beatiful daughters, An Aferican Tale by John Steptoe.
A Caldecott honor book.
Setting was in a far off place and long ago. The setting was in Africa and occured a long time ago.
Plot - The king wanted to choose a wife. A man in the kingdom had two beautiful daughters. His daughter Nyasha was good to animals and people. His other daughter Manyara thinks of only herself. A test is given while they walk thru the forest to the kings town. Myana goes first, ahead of her father and sister to try and beat them to the king. She encounters a boy who is hungry and does not share her lunch. She encounters an old woman who gives her advice which she does not take. The other sister goes thru the forest and feeds the hungry boy and takes the old womans advice. She ends up being the one chosen by the king because of her kindness.
Motif- In the story there is a magical transformation of reality - the king was was a snake, the hungry boy and the old woman.
A neat book with beautiful pictures.
A Caldecott honor book.
Setting was in a far off place and long ago. The setting was in Africa and occured a long time ago.
Plot - The king wanted to choose a wife. A man in the kingdom had two beautiful daughters. His daughter Nyasha was good to animals and people. His other daughter Manyara thinks of only herself. A test is given while they walk thru the forest to the kings town. Myana goes first, ahead of her father and sister to try and beat them to the king. She encounters a boy who is hungry and does not share her lunch. She encounters an old woman who gives her advice which she does not take. The other sister goes thru the forest and feeds the hungry boy and takes the old womans advice. She ends up being the one chosen by the king because of her kindness.
Motif- In the story there is a magical transformation of reality - the king was was a snake, the hungry boy and the old woman.
A neat book with beautiful pictures.
Poetry
Random House Book of Poetry for Children, selected by Jack Prelutsky.
This book is a treasury of 572 poems for todays' child.
I thought this book had a wonderful collection of poems with a wide variety of subjects, from famous people to holidays, to months and seasons of the year, to the ways of living things.
One of the criteria from Nortons book for selecting childrens' poems was to introduce 'scenes of action'. I thought that the poem 'The Months',
introduced scenes of action. One of the phrases was, "Dull November brings the blast, then the leaves are whirling fast."
Following is an example of a poem that fits Nortons' criteria #7: the subject should delight children, say something to them, enhance their egos, strike happy recollections, tickle their funny bone or encourage them to explore.
Soap
Just look at those hands!
Did you actually think
That the dirt would come off, my daughter,
By wiggling your fingers
Around in the sink
And slapping on the top of the water?
Just look at your face!
Did you really suppose
Those smudges would all disappear
With a dab at your chin
And the tip of your nose
And a rub on the back of one ear?
You tell me your face
And your fingers are clean?
Do you think your old Dad is a dope?
Let's try it again
With a different routine
This time we'll make use of the soap!
Martin Gardner
Saturday, March 31, 2007
Multicultural Literature
The book I am using for this post is, Brother Eagle, Sister Sky, by Susan Jeffers.
1. Does the book transcend stereotypes? I believe it does. It does however, portray the Native Americans that lived back in the 1850's.
2. Are characters from a variety of backgrounds? The illustrations show both early settlers and Native Americans.
3. Any non-white characters present? Yes, the Native Americans.
4. Is culture or ethnicity accurately portrayed? Yes, the illustrations are beautiful and accurately portray some of the clothing types, symbols and tools and accessories that the Native Americans used.
5. Is the setting of the story authentic? Yes, very much so. It is set in the mid 1850's.
6. If dialect is used, is it used in a legimate way? Yes, the dialect is based on the speech that Chief Seattle gave to Washington D.C. when the government wanted to buy the land of his exhausted and defeated people.
His words were transcribed by Dr. Henry Smith. That transcription was interpreted and rewritten more than once in this century. His speech was adapted by Joseph Campbell for the PBS series with Bill Meyer and for the book, The Power of Myth.
7.Are illustrations authentic and nonstereotypical? Yes, the illustrations are wonderful, very colorful and accurate in many details, such as papooses, medicine wheels, arrow carries, headdresses, mocassins, trader wool blankets, and how the horses were decorated.
8. Are social issues/problems presented frankly and accurately?
Yes, they are. The book portrays environmental issues, along with the message, "The earth does not belong to us. We belong to the Earth."
It also brings up history and how the U.S. government bought Native American lands.
1. Does the book transcend stereotypes? I believe it does. It does however, portray the Native Americans that lived back in the 1850's.
2. Are characters from a variety of backgrounds? The illustrations show both early settlers and Native Americans.
3. Any non-white characters present? Yes, the Native Americans.
4. Is culture or ethnicity accurately portrayed? Yes, the illustrations are beautiful and accurately portray some of the clothing types, symbols and tools and accessories that the Native Americans used.
5. Is the setting of the story authentic? Yes, very much so. It is set in the mid 1850's.
6. If dialect is used, is it used in a legimate way? Yes, the dialect is based on the speech that Chief Seattle gave to Washington D.C. when the government wanted to buy the land of his exhausted and defeated people.
His words were transcribed by Dr. Henry Smith. That transcription was interpreted and rewritten more than once in this century. His speech was adapted by Joseph Campbell for the PBS series with Bill Meyer and for the book, The Power of Myth.
7.Are illustrations authentic and nonstereotypical? Yes, the illustrations are wonderful, very colorful and accurate in many details, such as papooses, medicine wheels, arrow carries, headdresses, mocassins, trader wool blankets, and how the horses were decorated.
8. Are social issues/problems presented frankly and accurately?
Yes, they are. The book portrays environmental issues, along with the message, "The earth does not belong to us. We belong to the Earth."
It also brings up history and how the U.S. government bought Native American lands.
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