Peters, Julie Anne. Between Mom and Jo. New York.Megan Tingley Books. 2006 This was my favorite book to read, I finished it in two days! I really enjoyed it's realism and the uniqueness of the situations, it really made it a page turner. Further, the book really made me think about how Nick and his family are similar to any family that goes through divorce, but because his mom's are gay it adds a lot of extra stress and drama to endure. I am really interested in how often this sort of situation occurs in the United States and how the families are usually split in terms of custody issues. The story of Nick and his mom's Jo and his biological mom, Erin begins as many stories do with memories of a great childhood and how well they all got along. The novel's plot turns from a functional family to a family that deals the alcoholism of one parent while the other battles cancer. I enjoy Julie Anne Peters' use of a common reason for the divorce rather than a situation that only two lesbians could go through. I think that there are some really great connections between the two lifestyles that made me realize how similar they really are. This realistically flawed family captured my attention the entire time. However, i found it a little unbelievable that Erin, the biological mom, would not let her son see Jo after the seperation because it seems like a very drastic twist of character. Overall, I think the book adds a great deal to my text set as a whole because it tells a story of divorce through the eyes of people who were in fact never married. I think the book sheds light on the fact that divorce is not always as easy as many children's books portray. Further, the book accentuates the idea that often the child is helpless in custody battles. At the same time, Peters really details the idea that family, no matter what combination of genders, is fragile and when it breaks it can shatter.
by: abigail O'Loughlin
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Looking After Louis Book Review
Ely, Louis. Looking After Louis. Morton Grove: Albert Whitman & Company, 2004.Looking After Louis is a story about a boy names Louis who has autism. A young girl in his class talks to him, but Louis just responds by repeating what she says. When they go outside for recess, some of the students ask Louis if he wants to play, but he just repeats what they say or does not move. One day at recess Louis runs out onto the field where the other boys are playing soccer and started chasing a boy, Sam, playfully around the field. Later that day Louis drew a picture of him playing soccer, so the teacher let him and Sam go play soccer outside. The young girl asks why Louis is allowed to go outside and play during school time, and she learns that you're "allowed to break the rules for special people."
I liked this story and the fact that it promoted the idea of accepting and understanding the differences within people. The little girl learns why Louis is allowed to go outside, and more importantly, understands it. Sam also accepts Louis and lets him play in their soccer game. I think that it shows that you should accept people for who they are and that, when given the chance, they can surprise you. I also like how the author incorporates different aspects of autism into the story. Someone who reads this story can begin to understand some of the characteristics of autism, and some of their tendencies as individuals. It also shows how Louis is in his own world at times, which is something that autistic kids tend to do. The one thing that bothered me, and I actually had to read the story very slowly and carefully to make sure, is that it does not mention that Louis has autism. I feel like that for someone, like the little girl in the story, to truly understand what is going on, they need to know what the disability is. At the end of the story, there is a section explaining that Louis has autism, and it also talks about what it is. However, I would have liked to see some of this information in the actual story.
I liked this story and the fact that it promoted the idea of accepting and understanding the differences within people. The little girl learns why Louis is allowed to go outside, and more importantly, understands it. Sam also accepts Louis and lets him play in their soccer game. I think that it shows that you should accept people for who they are and that, when given the chance, they can surprise you. I also like how the author incorporates different aspects of autism into the story. Someone who reads this story can begin to understand some of the characteristics of autism, and some of their tendencies as individuals. It also shows how Louis is in his own world at times, which is something that autistic kids tend to do. The one thing that bothered me, and I actually had to read the story very slowly and carefully to make sure, is that it does not mention that Louis has autism. I feel like that for someone, like the little girl in the story, to truly understand what is going on, they need to know what the disability is. At the end of the story, there is a section explaining that Louis has autism, and it also talks about what it is. However, I would have liked to see some of this information in the actual story.
Sacred River: The Ganges of India
Lewin, Ted. Sacred River: The Ganges of India. Boston, MA: Houghton-Mifflin, 2003.
Sacred River: The Ganges of India, is a depiction of the sacred river in India where every year, more than one million Hindu pilgrims journey to the city of Benares to renew themselves in its waters. This picture book explores the traditions and customs of the Hindu people by showing us the boatmen to the bathers seeking religious purification in the holy waters, the religious solitaires meditating on its banks, the cremation grounds and lastly, the final journey of the ashes of the departed.
Although the text is rather simple, it leaves the reader to focus on the richly detailed full-color illustrations to paint a vibrant picture of what actually takes place in India for the reader. The illustrations are breath taking and they accurately depict the different representations of the Hindu culture. While working on Sacred River, which he both wrote and illustrated, Ted traveled to India and observed the Hindus on their pilgrimage to the banks of the Ganges River in Benares. When creating his books, Ted does research in order to truly capture the culture that he is depicting and writing about.
Because my father is from India, I have had the privilege to travel there and experience the culture as well. This picture book has been one of the most accurate portrayals of the Indian culture that I have experienced so far. Lewin paints the traditional clothing right down to every intricate detail and this is a great text for students to learn about the Indian culture. This very fine artwork will give any reader a glimpse of life in India and the process in which the Hindus release the spirit and ashes of their loved one’s into the Ganges river.
Posted by: Tara Tandon
Sacred River: The Ganges of India, is a depiction of the sacred river in India where every year, more than one million Hindu pilgrims journey to the city of Benares to renew themselves in its waters. This picture book explores the traditions and customs of the Hindu people by showing us the boatmen to the bathers seeking religious purification in the holy waters, the religious solitaires meditating on its banks, the cremation grounds and lastly, the final journey of the ashes of the departed.
Although the text is rather simple, it leaves the reader to focus on the richly detailed full-color illustrations to paint a vibrant picture of what actually takes place in India for the reader. The illustrations are breath taking and they accurately depict the different representations of the Hindu culture. While working on Sacred River, which he both wrote and illustrated, Ted traveled to India and observed the Hindus on their pilgrimage to the banks of the Ganges River in Benares. When creating his books, Ted does research in order to truly capture the culture that he is depicting and writing about.
Because my father is from India, I have had the privilege to travel there and experience the culture as well. This picture book has been one of the most accurate portrayals of the Indian culture that I have experienced so far. Lewin paints the traditional clothing right down to every intricate detail and this is a great text for students to learn about the Indian culture. This very fine artwork will give any reader a glimpse of life in India and the process in which the Hindus release the spirit and ashes of their loved one’s into the Ganges river.
Posted by: Tara Tandon
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Heather Has Two Mommies
Newman, Leslea. Heather Has Two Mommies: Tenth Anniversary Edition. Los Angeles: Alyson Publications, 2000.Heather Has Two Mommies is about a girl named Heather who is not quite school-age yet who's favorite number is two. She has two arms, two legs, two eyes, and two mommies. Her mommies names are Mama Jane and Mama Kate. Mama Jane is a carpenter. In Mama Jane's toolbox there are two hammers: one for Mama Jane and one for little Heather. Mama Kate is a doctor. Mama Kate gives Heather aspirin to feel better and puts bandages on her cuts. Mama Jane and Mama Kate tell Heather that she will be joining a play group with a bunch of other kids and a teacher, Molly. One day, while playing with the other kids, a few of the kids start talking about what jobs their daddies have. This makes Heather upset because she doesn't have a daddy and she begins to cry. Molly gives Heather a hug and explains how not everyone has a daddy. She explains how some kids don't have daddies just like Heather and how some kids have two daddies and how each family is special. Molly says, "The most important thing about a family is that all the people in it love each other."The story of Heather and her two mommies has a very important message. The book allows each child to see that not any one family is the "right" family; that each family is special. Through children's drawings we are able to see what they do with their family members and how being a part of their family makes them happy. The illustrations are in black and white and I wonder what the purpose of this decision was. One strength of these illustrations is the chilren's drawings depicting their family. I feel like it adds a sense of relatability and realness to the book. However, one fear of mine when reading this book is how the stereotype of one lesbian being portrayed in a "manly" way is perpetuated by Mama Jane having short hair and being a carpenter. I do really like the moral of the story, as Molly put it, "The most important thing about a family is that all people in it love each other." I would use this book in my classroom, even as an introductory text to a unit on family, because it does incorporate blended families, nuclear families, single parent families, and adopted families.
Tears of a Tiger
Title: Tears of a Tiger
Author: Sharon Draper
Publisher: Simon Pulse
City: New York
Year: 1994
I ripped through the pages of Draper’s tragic tale in Tears of a Tiger barely able to put the book down. The novella opens with blunt news article describing the brutal and tragic death of Hazelwood High School’s star basketball player, Robert Washington. He dies in a fiery car accident where his best friend Andrew Jackson (better know as Andy) is driving the car. Three out of the four passengers, including Andy and Robert, were drinking. The emotional novella discusses very in-depth themes such as death, suicide, guilt, underage drinking and depression.
Andy struggles for many days after the accident. He is faced with much guilt over the death of his best friend and pays the ultimate price for his actions. I expected the novella to be a typical story of the black youth who struggles academically and excels athletically. I must admit I was pleasantly surprised by the text. If you were to strip away the racial make-up of the school you would be left with a gripping story of youngsters playing with the flames and life, only to get burned in the process.
Author: Sharon Draper
Publisher: Simon Pulse
City: New York
Year: 1994
I ripped through the pages of Draper’s tragic tale in Tears of a Tiger barely able to put the book down. The novella opens with blunt news article describing the brutal and tragic death of Hazelwood High School’s star basketball player, Robert Washington. He dies in a fiery car accident where his best friend Andrew Jackson (better know as Andy) is driving the car. Three out of the four passengers, including Andy and Robert, were drinking. The emotional novella discusses very in-depth themes such as death, suicide, guilt, underage drinking and depression.
Andy struggles for many days after the accident. He is faced with much guilt over the death of his best friend and pays the ultimate price for his actions. I expected the novella to be a typical story of the black youth who struggles academically and excels athletically. I must admit I was pleasantly surprised by the text. If you were to strip away the racial make-up of the school you would be left with a gripping story of youngsters playing with the flames and life, only to get burned in the process.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Reflection of Text Set - "Cognitive Disability" or Mental Illness
Throughout the three texts, Inside Out, Humming Whispers, and Kissing Doorknobs, there were many paralleled themes in relation to individuals who are “cognitively disabled” or mentally ill. Each character that suffered from a mental illness (Zach, Tara, and Nicole) made it apparent that although they were conscious of their actions, they could not help them.
- Inside Out – Zach states, “The thing is, I am not normal. I’m not, and I can’t help it” (Trueman 7).
- Kissing Doorknobs –
- Humming Whispers – Sophie states, “Nicole says being schizophrenic is like screaming in a closet where no one can hear you” (Johnson 112).
Hesser, Terry Spencer. Kissing Doorknobs.
Jonson, Angels. Humming Whispers. New York: Orchard Books, 1995.
Trueman, Terry. Inside Out.
Review: Thank You, Mr. Falker
Polacco, Patricia. Thank You, Mr. Falker. New York: Philomel Books, 1998.
Thank You, Mr. Falker is a wonderful book about Trisha, who is motivated and excited to finally start school and learn to read. However, she realizes fairly quickly that this task is shaping up to be a bit more difficult than the other students make it look. When she tries to read words out loud, the texts gets all jumbled up in her brain and she cannot form complete words. Other students begin to make fun of her attempts and she becomes more aware that she is not progressing while the other students are surpassing reading expectations. In the book, it states that “Trisha began to feel ‘different.’ She began to feel dumb.” Trisha becomes more frustrated when she realizes that the same problem happens when she tries to do math as well. To make matters worse, other students call her “baby” and “dumb,” which leads Trisha to spend her free time in hiding, crying. Soon she starts to find reasons to avoid going to school at all… Until Mr. Falker, her fifth grade teacher realizes what she is up against and spends his extra time schooling Trisha on the basics of reading. Over a period of time, progress was made until Trisha could finally read a full paragraph. In the epilogue, Trisha encounters Mr. Falker again and when he asks what she is doing now, she tells him that she is now a children’s book author.What is very important to know about this book is that it is an autobiography of Patricia Polacco herself, which makes her an insider to the learning disabilities community. She wrote this book because it was a tale she knew best and wanted to show how one teacher “unlocked the door and pulled [her] into the light.”
I like this book because it describes the experiences she went through and puts it into context for the uninformed reader, like how instead of words looking like a string of letters, they look like a bunch of fuzzy squiggles that are illegible. This story is accurate and authentic because it is based on her experiences. She defers the stereotype that students with learning disabilities are stupid, although according to her, many people assume. I would definitely use this book in my classroom in the future as it is very relatable and can impact those with and without learning disabilities.
Emma and Meesha My Boy a Two Mom Story
Considine, Kaitlyn. Emma and Meesha My Boy a Two Mom Story.Xlibris,2003.
This story is about a young girl learning how to take care of her pet cat. She just happens to have two moms. I really like this book because at first glance you may or may not know if her mom’s are a couple or if she has a step mom. However there is a page that states that she has a mommy and a mama this gives the impression of a same sex parented household. I think this book is a positive portrayal of a diverse family unit because it shows the family doing everyday relatable tasks. I also like how the focus of the book is not on the mom’s orientation. Through I think books that focus on the culture are important I also think it is important for the focus not to be on that culture. However, I think it is also pertinent to ensure that the culture’s voice is not being silenced trying to make the character appear normal. In this case where the family was not encountering issues or discriminations that affect this culture. I think is nice to just see a same-sex parented family going through day to day life.
This story is about a young girl learning how to take care of her pet cat. She just happens to have two moms. I really like this book because at first glance you may or may not know if her mom’s are a couple or if she has a step mom. However there is a page that states that she has a mommy and a mama this gives the impression of a same sex parented household. I think this book is a positive portrayal of a diverse family unit because it shows the family doing everyday relatable tasks. I also like how the focus of the book is not on the mom’s orientation. Through I think books that focus on the culture are important I also think it is important for the focus not to be on that culture. However, I think it is also pertinent to ensure that the culture’s voice is not being silenced trying to make the character appear normal. In this case where the family was not encountering issues or discriminations that affect this culture. I think is nice to just see a same-sex parented family going through day to day life.
Book Review
Powers, Mary Ellen. Our Teacher's in a Wheelchair. Illinois: Albert Whitman & Company, 1986.
Our Teacher's in a Wheelchair tells the tale of a teacher that was once athletic but is now partially paralyzed. The picture book shows real black and white photos of the teacher to help emphasize that he is a real person with a real job. The story goes through the aspects of Brian, the teacher in a wheelchair, from how he gets around at school, to going out with friends, and how he is confident with himself. It helps to show students how they can be anything they want no matter what or where they are in life.
One of the main reasons I chose this book is that it describes some children are afraid of Brian. It puts the perspective of how some children might actually feel about a person in a wheelchair but in a way that children are able to understand. That might be something children will not be able to understand as heavily as it intends but it is none the less important.
Aside from that aspect of the book, I really feel the pictures will allow for students to understand that people in wheelchairs are still people, not just someone with a condition. This book is a very useful teaching tool for teachers in the area of a physical disability discussion. It is also something students can read on their own and still enjoy.
Our Teacher's in a Wheelchair tells the tale of a teacher that was once athletic but is now partially paralyzed. The picture book shows real black and white photos of the teacher to help emphasize that he is a real person with a real job. The story goes through the aspects of Brian, the teacher in a wheelchair, from how he gets around at school, to going out with friends, and how he is confident with himself. It helps to show students how they can be anything they want no matter what or where they are in life.
One of the main reasons I chose this book is that it describes some children are afraid of Brian. It puts the perspective of how some children might actually feel about a person in a wheelchair but in a way that children are able to understand. That might be something children will not be able to understand as heavily as it intends but it is none the less important.
Aside from that aspect of the book, I really feel the pictures will allow for students to understand that people in wheelchairs are still people, not just someone with a condition. This book is a very useful teaching tool for teachers in the area of a physical disability discussion. It is also something students can read on their own and still enjoy.
Monday, December 10, 2007
Here Comes Diwali!
Pandya, Meenal. Here Comes Diwali! The Festival of Lights. Masachussets: MeeRa Publications, 2000.
This text tells the story of Diwali (the Festival of Lights and the Hindu New Year) through history and the perspective of a child. The child in the text accounts the happenings in her home around the time of Diwali. Then as the days leading up to Diwali arrive, she accounts through family story why Diwali is so important to Hindus. The book also includes recipes that are traditional during Diwali and also activities that children can participate in.
I think the part that I enjoyed the most was the introduction page. It gives a great description of Diwali in just a few words. Its paints a picture of the colors that shine throughout the night and what it means to the people that celebrate this holiday. To Hindus, as the introduction reads, Diwali is:
“… A new light
A new hope
A new inspiration
To make a difference
In your life
In your family
In your neighborhood
In your world”
I think that the text would be a good one for the classroom. It is accurate, complete, and easy for younger children to understand.
This text tells the story of Diwali (the Festival of Lights and the Hindu New Year) through history and the perspective of a child. The child in the text accounts the happenings in her home around the time of Diwali. Then as the days leading up to Diwali arrive, she accounts through family story why Diwali is so important to Hindus. The book also includes recipes that are traditional during Diwali and also activities that children can participate in.
I think the part that I enjoyed the most was the introduction page. It gives a great description of Diwali in just a few words. Its paints a picture of the colors that shine throughout the night and what it means to the people that celebrate this holiday. To Hindus, as the introduction reads, Diwali is:
“… A new light
A new hope
A new inspiration
To make a difference
In your life
In your family
In your neighborhood
In your world”
I think that the text would be a good one for the classroom. It is accurate, complete, and easy for younger children to understand.
--------S.S.-------
My Sister Is Different
Pulver, Robin. Way To Go, Alex! Illinois: Albert Whitman & Company, 1999
Way To Go, Alex is about a girl who has an older brother with "a brain that doesn't work right." She is jealous of her friend who is proud of her older brother and wishes Alex could be different. Their mother signs him up for the Special Olympics and the sister decides to train him for his events because she wants him to win something so that she can be proud of him. When the day comes Alex gets 3rd place in all the events and is very excited, but she is disappointed. In the end she realizes that Alex did the best that he could and realizes trying again and asking for help are not a bad thing.I felt that Pulver did a good job with the text in this book. It seemed as though a little girl had written it since phrases like, "my stomach is doing flip-flops" and talking about how she invented a "brain-fixing machine" for her brother. I thought that the over all message of the book was good, however it felt rushed at the end. I think that it would have been better if the narrator would have realized that her brother was a winner before the last page. I also felt that the illustrations in this book were a little disturbing. I thought that Alex's face being the same through out the whole book is on the edge of the line stereotypically. His sister's face also never changes from the scowl she begins with. I hoped to see the illustrator bring more than one emotion to the characters.
Way To Go, Alex is about a girl who has an older brother with "a brain that doesn't work right." She is jealous of her friend who is proud of her older brother and wishes Alex could be different. Their mother signs him up for the Special Olympics and the sister decides to train him for his events because she wants him to win something so that she can be proud of him. When the day comes Alex gets 3rd place in all the events and is very excited, but she is disappointed. In the end she realizes that Alex did the best that he could and realizes trying again and asking for help are not a bad thing.I felt that Pulver did a good job with the text in this book. It seemed as though a little girl had written it since phrases like, "my stomach is doing flip-flops" and talking about how she invented a "brain-fixing machine" for her brother. I thought that the over all message of the book was good, however it felt rushed at the end. I think that it would have been better if the narrator would have realized that her brother was a winner before the last page. I also felt that the illustrations in this book were a little disturbing. I thought that Alex's face being the same through out the whole book is on the edge of the line stereotypically. His sister's face also never changes from the scowl she begins with. I hoped to see the illustrator bring more than one emotion to the characters.
Views From Our Shoes
Views From Our Shoes: Growing up with a Brother or Sister with Special Needs. Maryland: Woodbine House, Inc, 1997.
Views From Our Shoes is a book filled with stories and passages children wrote. These children range from the age of 4 until 18 and have a sibling with a disability of some sort. The stories involve happy tales, a short description of the sibling, or some are stories where the writer was really frustrated with the sibling.I think this was an outstanding book. It is very different than the other non-fiction pieces in my collection. The stories are a great way for children to not only get their feelings out on paper, but to see how their peers are dealing with the same issues they are. I would recommend any parent to get this book for their child if they have a new member of the family that may have a disability. Also for children who are growing up and are just realizing that their sibling is "different", this book might help them through and answer questions they may have. At the end of the book there is also a glossary with different disabilities and their definitions and details about the disability.
Views From Our Shoes is a book filled with stories and passages children wrote. These children range from the age of 4 until 18 and have a sibling with a disability of some sort. The stories involve happy tales, a short description of the sibling, or some are stories where the writer was really frustrated with the sibling.I think this was an outstanding book. It is very different than the other non-fiction pieces in my collection. The stories are a great way for children to not only get their feelings out on paper, but to see how their peers are dealing with the same issues they are. I would recommend any parent to get this book for their child if they have a new member of the family that may have a disability. Also for children who are growing up and are just realizing that their sibling is "different", this book might help them through and answer questions they may have. At the end of the book there is also a glossary with different disabilities and their definitions and details about the disability.
Sunday, December 9, 2007
Smoky Night
Title: Smoky Night
Author: Eve Bunting
Illustrator: David Diaz
Publisher: Harcourt
Date of Publication: 1994
As we begin analyzing our journey from childhood to adolescents, and eventually adulthood, we can look back on many of our experiences and re-evaluate the situation that we were involved in, or were informed of. We can look back now and understand how someone in our life may have acted very absurd during a situation, leaving the answer simply in the hand of a child. In the story Smoky Night, a simple life lesson of recognizing and celebrating differences among people is brought to life.
On an evening during the demoralizing Los Angeles Riots, Daniel, a youthful naive boy shares his experiences of the frightening times he encountered. It is told from his point of view. This is essential to the story because it helps the reader relate with Daniel on a more personal level, and begin to understand what it was like to experience an appalling time like this as a child.
This story can be used to develop an understanding of the Los Angeles riots and it can introduce the evils associated with racial prejudices. The messages are pretty clear throughout the story. The riots in the story are a terrible part of America's past, and the story does a good job of presenting these horrible times, and the effects that they have on the main character and his family. The character is easy to attach with, and so it makes the story that much more meaningful to the reader, because being in a situation like this would be awful and possibly life changing. Smoky Night has social relevancy because prejudices, and stereotypes are ongoing occurrences, and introducing stories like this to children is a good place to start in overcoming these issues. The story is a youthful interpretation of the riots and i definitely consider this as a diverse piece of literature.
Author: Eve Bunting
Illustrator: David Diaz
Publisher: Harcourt
Date of Publication: 1994
As we begin analyzing our journey from childhood to adolescents, and eventually adulthood, we can look back on many of our experiences and re-evaluate the situation that we were involved in, or were informed of. We can look back now and understand how someone in our life may have acted very absurd during a situation, leaving the answer simply in the hand of a child. In the story Smoky Night, a simple life lesson of recognizing and celebrating differences among people is brought to life.
On an evening during the demoralizing Los Angeles Riots, Daniel, a youthful naive boy shares his experiences of the frightening times he encountered. It is told from his point of view. This is essential to the story because it helps the reader relate with Daniel on a more personal level, and begin to understand what it was like to experience an appalling time like this as a child.
This story can be used to develop an understanding of the Los Angeles riots and it can introduce the evils associated with racial prejudices. The messages are pretty clear throughout the story. The riots in the story are a terrible part of America's past, and the story does a good job of presenting these horrible times, and the effects that they have on the main character and his family. The character is easy to attach with, and so it makes the story that much more meaningful to the reader, because being in a situation like this would be awful and possibly life changing. Smoky Night has social relevancy because prejudices, and stereotypes are ongoing occurrences, and introducing stories like this to children is a good place to start in overcoming these issues. The story is a youthful interpretation of the riots and i definitely consider this as a diverse piece of literature.
Reaching for Sun
Zimmer, Tracie Vaughn. Reaching for Sun. New York, NY: Bloomsbury U.S.A Children's Books, 2007.
Reaching for Sun is a story written in poetry verses about a young girl named Josie. Josie allows readers to step into her personal thoughts about her life and her disability, cerebral palsy. Readers are taken through Josie's maturation process as she falls in love, deals with the "popular kids" in school, and stands up to her mother for the first time, as she travels through a year of personal growth, self acceptance, and confidence in a brighter future.
This book is very deep and personal, and shows the emotional side of living with cerebral palsy. The book is made up of a series of poems that tell this story, which helps readers connect with Josie on a more personal level. The poems serve as a way into her thoughts and feelings, and readers get to see just how she feels and what she is thinking through each experience.
The author uses a plant metaphor to mirror Josie's disability. I thought that this was a great way to make it a little easier for young readers to understand. The metaphor painted more of a tangible picture for children that they could refer back to throughout the book. In the poem titled "like me," Josie says:
"But this spring
half the branches wear no leaves,
claimed by disease or insects.
So the bulldozers tear it from the soil
with their terrible teeth
and splatter the leaves and limbs
like garbage.
Why can't they see
that half still blooms-
like me?
(Zimmer, 82)
I thought that this way a great way of saying that just because someone has a physical limitation does not mean that you should ignore the rest of them. Just because a person cannot move as well as others does not mean that they are broken and that they should be discarded completely.
Josie's newfound friend, Jordan, is a great model of an accepting friend. In the poem titled "the question," Jordan comes right out and asks questions like, "You have cerebral palsy, don't you?" and "How did you get it?" and "What's the hardest part?" When Josie answers that last question by saying, "Everyone thinking I'm retarded," Jordan responds with,
"But Josie,
you know tons of stuff! Anybody
who talks to you at school knows that.
(Zimmer 74-750)
People who have any disability don't necessarily want people to ignore it or pretend that it doesn't exist. Jordan shows readers that it's okay to ask questions, as long as they're appropriate, and take an interest in every aspect of their lives, even their disability. That is what builds a strong friendship.
I will include this book in my classroom library. I thought that it was honest, real, entertaining, full of heart, and inspirational.
The author of Reaching for Sun, Tracie Vaughn Zimmer, started off her teaching career in special education. She has worked with high school students with autism and middle school students with learning and developmental disabilities. Zimmer got the idea for this book when she was a special education teacher working with students with multiple disabilities. In an interview about Reaching for Sun, she says, "Many of my students didn't realize they were different; they were kind of blessedly unaware. But I had a few students, like Josie, who knew they were on the outside of everything. These bright kids were stuck in bodies they felt betrayed them. I witnessed their daily courage and grace. I wanted to honor them in a story."
Tracie Vaughn Zimmer's homepage
Reaching for Sun is a story written in poetry verses about a young girl named Josie. Josie allows readers to step into her personal thoughts about her life and her disability, cerebral palsy. Readers are taken through Josie's maturation process as she falls in love, deals with the "popular kids" in school, and stands up to her mother for the first time, as she travels through a year of personal growth, self acceptance, and confidence in a brighter future.
This book is very deep and personal, and shows the emotional side of living with cerebral palsy. The book is made up of a series of poems that tell this story, which helps readers connect with Josie on a more personal level. The poems serve as a way into her thoughts and feelings, and readers get to see just how she feels and what she is thinking through each experience.
The author uses a plant metaphor to mirror Josie's disability. I thought that this was a great way to make it a little easier for young readers to understand. The metaphor painted more of a tangible picture for children that they could refer back to throughout the book. In the poem titled "like me," Josie says:
"But this spring
half the branches wear no leaves,
claimed by disease or insects.
So the bulldozers tear it from the soil
with their terrible teeth
and splatter the leaves and limbs
like garbage.
Why can't they see
that half still blooms-
like me?
(Zimmer, 82)
I thought that this way a great way of saying that just because someone has a physical limitation does not mean that you should ignore the rest of them. Just because a person cannot move as well as others does not mean that they are broken and that they should be discarded completely.
Josie's newfound friend, Jordan, is a great model of an accepting friend. In the poem titled "the question," Jordan comes right out and asks questions like, "You have cerebral palsy, don't you?" and "How did you get it?" and "What's the hardest part?" When Josie answers that last question by saying, "Everyone thinking I'm retarded," Jordan responds with,
"But Josie,
you know tons of stuff! Anybody
who talks to you at school knows that.
(Zimmer 74-750)
People who have any disability don't necessarily want people to ignore it or pretend that it doesn't exist. Jordan shows readers that it's okay to ask questions, as long as they're appropriate, and take an interest in every aspect of their lives, even their disability. That is what builds a strong friendship.
I will include this book in my classroom library. I thought that it was honest, real, entertaining, full of heart, and inspirational.
The author of Reaching for Sun, Tracie Vaughn Zimmer, started off her teaching career in special education. She has worked with high school students with autism and middle school students with learning and developmental disabilities. Zimmer got the idea for this book when she was a special education teacher working with students with multiple disabilities. In an interview about Reaching for Sun, she says, "Many of my students didn't realize they were different; they were kind of blessedly unaware. But I had a few students, like Josie, who knew they were on the outside of everything. These bright kids were stuck in bodies they felt betrayed them. I witnessed their daily courage and grace. I wanted to honor them in a story."
Tracie Vaughn Zimmer's homepage
I Can't Stop!
Niner, Holly. I Can't Stop! Morton Grove, Illinios: Albert Whitman and Company, 2005.
I Can't Stop, is a story about a boy named Nathan who discovers he has Tourette Syndrome. He starts to experience "tics" and doesn't know what is wrong with him. The children in his class get frustrated with Nathan because they think that it is weird or that he is doing it on purpose. Nathan starts to get angry because he can't control the tics. Nathan's best friend Josh get frustrated with him and blame him for doing it on purpose. Nathan's parents eventually take him to see a doctor and they learn that he has tourette's syndrome. Nathan learns strategies to help him deal with his tics. Nathan has to get the courage to tell his best friend, and his parents help him tell his whole class.
Niner spends a lot of time at the beginning of the story explaining different behavioral characteristics that Nathan has as a result of tourettes. This allows the reader to really understand what Tourette's syndrome is. The book does not really talk about the emotional effect Tourette's syndrome has on Nathan. The author does not explain how Nathan feels when his parents and friends accuse him of lying. The conclusion of the story is very effective because it talks about the importance of informing people about disabilities. If children and adults are informed they may be more accepting, understanding, and less likely to judge.
I Can't Stop, is a story about a boy named Nathan who discovers he has Tourette Syndrome. He starts to experience "tics" and doesn't know what is wrong with him. The children in his class get frustrated with Nathan because they think that it is weird or that he is doing it on purpose. Nathan starts to get angry because he can't control the tics. Nathan's best friend Josh get frustrated with him and blame him for doing it on purpose. Nathan's parents eventually take him to see a doctor and they learn that he has tourette's syndrome. Nathan learns strategies to help him deal with his tics. Nathan has to get the courage to tell his best friend, and his parents help him tell his whole class.
Niner spends a lot of time at the beginning of the story explaining different behavioral characteristics that Nathan has as a result of tourettes. This allows the reader to really understand what Tourette's syndrome is. The book does not really talk about the emotional effect Tourette's syndrome has on Nathan. The author does not explain how Nathan feels when his parents and friends accuse him of lying. The conclusion of the story is very effective because it talks about the importance of informing people about disabilities. If children and adults are informed they may be more accepting, understanding, and less likely to judge.
Families are Different
Pellegrini, N. (1991). Families are different. New York, NY: Scholastic Inc.
The book Families are Different is about two girls that were adopted from Korea when they were babies. The main character of the story is Nicola, who is the younger sister. Nicola introduces her family, talking about her sister, her dog, and activities she does. She explains the adoption process and then begins to talk about how sometimes she gets sad and mad because she does not look like her parents. Her mom tells her that there are many kinds of families and it doesn't matter what they look like because love holds them together. Then Nicola goes through and talks about many different types of families that there are. At the end she says that she is not strange at all and that her family has a lot of love.
I think that this book would be a great book to use as a diverse piece of literature because it shows diversity of families. There are about ten families that Nicola talks about, and even though they do not show all the combinations there still are many types included. Nicola talks about each family and how they are not wrong just different. This is key because she is not judging, just pointing out the facts as they are, which is sometimes what diverse literature needs to include. Besides diverse families they also show diverse people, there are people of different races and genders, and the book does not choose one over the other, it puts them all in equal light which is great! I really enjoyed reading this book!
Saturday, December 8, 2007
"One Dad, Two Dads, Brown Dad, Blue Dads"
Valentine, Johnny. One Dad, Two Dads, Brown Dad, Blue Dads. Los Angeles: Alyson Books, 2004."One Dad, Two Dads, Brown Dad, Blue Dads" is a story about a little boy with two blue, dads. Throughout the story a little girl questions what it is like to have two blue dads and the boy continuously stresses that his dads are just like any other dad. The ending leads to another unusual type of dad, a green dad!
Although the story presents the idea that the little boy has two dads, I feel the main focus of the story can be confusing due to the fact that the fathers are blue. The little girl in the story is consistenting questioning the boy about his fathers, however the questioning centers around the fact that his fathers are blue. Is it possible that children could misinterpret the idea of two fathers? Maybe they will think if a child has two fathers, they will be different in appearance like the blue dads. Although the book presents the idea that having two dads does not make them different, I feel children could misinterpret the message of this picture book. A similar concern is the image that the illustrations accompanying the text present. On one particular page, one of the fathers is shown wearing an apron and holding a pie because he is the one that cooks. Though the idea behind the book seems to have good intensions, some of the text and illustrations could present stereotypes about gay individuals.
Article Review: GBLTQ Literature in the Classroom
Missing! Picture Books Reflecting Gay and Lesbian Families. May 2007. National Association for the Education of Young Children. November 20, 2007. http://www.journal.naeyc.org/btj/200705/pdf/Missing-Rowell.pdf
"As long been recognized, literature has the power to touch the hearts and minds of readers of all ages (Chapman 1999)" (Rowell).
The main point this article brings about is the fact that, "The lack of inclusive, gay-friendly picture books means some children cannot see their own lives or the full diversity of family life reflected in books" (Rowell). This saddening fact cannot be more plainly stated. As the article continues on and explains that more and more families are identified as LBGTQ and those children of those families are not able to see their lives represented in literature, and as books are such a source of comfort for many kids, these kids do not receive this comfort and ability to relate. The article further discusses how few books are available in classes that are identified as LBGTQ and the ones that are, many times, the LBGTQ character may be in the story, but not the focus of the story. The article makes a strong case for including all-inclusive libraries in early childhood classrooms in order to enrich the children's lives as to what families and communities are---all encompassing. The article then goes on to list many different ways LBGTQ books can be included in different parts of early childhood curriculum, from math counting books to science to social studies. The article then gives a book list and mini-reviews of many different LBGTQ books a teacher could choose from, and includes all bibliographic information needed. The article concludes by stating that, "Children from all types of families can develop their understanding and appreciation of the commonalities in loving relationships in the homes" (Rowell).
I think this is an excellent article that gives insight to how enlightened early childhood classrooms can be with the inclusion of LBGTQ books into their curriculum in order to promote diversity and inclusion of all sorts of families in their students communities. This article also gives a good list of books for teachers to consult and look through to improve their libraries. Happy reading!
"As long been recognized, literature has the power to touch the hearts and minds of readers of all ages (Chapman 1999)" (Rowell).
The main point this article brings about is the fact that, "The lack of inclusive, gay-friendly picture books means some children cannot see their own lives or the full diversity of family life reflected in books" (Rowell). This saddening fact cannot be more plainly stated. As the article continues on and explains that more and more families are identified as LBGTQ and those children of those families are not able to see their lives represented in literature, and as books are such a source of comfort for many kids, these kids do not receive this comfort and ability to relate. The article further discusses how few books are available in classes that are identified as LBGTQ and the ones that are, many times, the LBGTQ character may be in the story, but not the focus of the story. The article makes a strong case for including all-inclusive libraries in early childhood classrooms in order to enrich the children's lives as to what families and communities are---all encompassing. The article then goes on to list many different ways LBGTQ books can be included in different parts of early childhood curriculum, from math counting books to science to social studies. The article then gives a book list and mini-reviews of many different LBGTQ books a teacher could choose from, and includes all bibliographic information needed. The article concludes by stating that, "Children from all types of families can develop their understanding and appreciation of the commonalities in loving relationships in the homes" (Rowell).
I think this is an excellent article that gives insight to how enlightened early childhood classrooms can be with the inclusion of LBGTQ books into their curriculum in order to promote diversity and inclusion of all sorts of families in their students communities. This article also gives a good list of books for teachers to consult and look through to improve their libraries. Happy reading!
Native American Children's Literature
Hucko, Bruce. A Rainbow At Night: the World in Words and Pictures by Navajo Children. San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 1996.
A Rainbow at Night: the World in Words and Pictures by Navajo Children is a non-fiction children’s book written by Bruce Hucko. Hucko taught art on the Navajo Reservation in Utah for over ten years. The book is written in a reader friendly manner. Each page shows a piece of artwork, a photo of the child who made the art, some background information by Hucko on the art, the child’s description of his or her art, and lastly some questions to use in a classroom that relate to the piece of art.
One of highlights of this book is that contains a contemporary viewpoint on Native Americans and their culture. Furthermore, this viewpoint is told through the eyes of Native American children. An element of this book that I found to be extremely appealing is the questions listed at the bottom of the page. These questions allow non Native American students a way to relate Native American students. Furthermore, it supports the idea of cultural universals: emphasizing similarities between cultures and communities before discussing differences. For example, one set of questions asks, “What is your family’s story? Where did you come from? Ask your parents and grandparents, and listen. Draw the most important parts of the story large on your paper…” (Hucko, p. 6)
Overall, I find this book appealing and would use it in a classroom library. It is essential to represent Native American people in a modern light, rather than the traditional folklore students are used to. Also, the art and stories of the children in the book create a peer teaching environment that can be carried over into the classroom.
Bryan, Jennifer. The Different Dragon. Illus. Danamarie Hosler. Ridley Park, PA: Two Lives, 2006.
Noah is a young boy living with his two mothers, little sister, and a plethora of pets. Although he no longer needs much help getting ready for bed he still loves to have a bedtime story told to him by his mom, Go-Ma. In a collaborative effort, Go-Ma and Noah weave a fantastical tale about journeying on a sailboat to a faraway land and meeting a dragon who may not be as fierce as he first seems.
Most of this book centers around the interaction between Noah and Go-Ma. While Noah’s other mother is pictured, she is never named. The illustrations depict Noah’s mothers as the matriarchs of a loving home, simply helping their children with all of those familiar bedtime routines. The fact that Noah comes from a family with same-sex parents merely frames the narrative. The central focus is Go-Ma and Noah’s bedtime story which carries a positive message about character, expectations, and acceptance. Jennifer Bryan presents Noah's family as normal part of his life, incidental to the overall story of The Different Dragon.
Illustrator Danamarie Hosler creates a beautiful home for Noah and his family, sprinkled with all the charms of a family living with two young kids. She is able to seamlessly transport the reader into the dreamy world of Noah and Go-Ma’s bedtime fairytale, making this a perfect book for anyone’s bedtime routine.
Looking After Louis
Ely, Lesley. Looking After Louis. First. London, England:
Frances Lincoln Children's Books, 2004.
Placed in a elementary school class, Looking After Louis follows a classmate of an autistic child as they interact with in the class. Louis is a student with autism, who is continually doing activities, as well as expressing behaviors in class that are very different from the other classmates. It is his desire to play soccer at recess that comes as a welcomed surprise to his teachers, as well as a learning experience for the narrator of the story.
Over all, I feel this is a really good resource to use in a classroom, especially one in which their may be a child with autism. Not only does it shed an encouraging light on inclusion in classrooms, but is also features a message for all readers. Also, a psychologist wrote a short section at the end of the book which includes information specifically about autism,along with specific characteristics, and an explanation for Louis's placement in a general education room. There are also suggestions for teachers with a student with autism in their classroom at the conclusion of the book. Another wonderful aspect of the book is that the setting is at a school, but because of how the illustrations are matched with the literature, the setting is less likely to be dated any time soon, so it could be used for years to come. Furthermore, according to the author's biography in the beginning of the book, the characters in the book are based off of students that she had in the past (as she was an English teacher) which makes a lot of sense when considering the placement of the story.
So many parents are concerned with the education of their student, let alone a students with autism. Finding the appropriate resources for their families, as well as making sure the child reaches all potential academically and otherwise is very important. Therefore, when going through the articles on the Autism Today website, I found the information in "Combating Autism" very interesting and helpful in developing my respect for families, as well as for teachers who are working to provide as much help as possible for this growing disability. This relates and compliments the comments at the be back of the book, which focused on helping parents, teachers, as well as other students understand and deal with autism.
Frances Lincoln Children's Books, 2004.
Placed in a elementary school class, Looking After Louis follows a classmate of an autistic child as they interact with in the class. Louis is a student with autism, who is continually doing activities, as well as expressing behaviors in class that are very different from the other classmates. It is his desire to play soccer at recess that comes as a welcomed surprise to his teachers, as well as a learning experience for the narrator of the story.
Over all, I feel this is a really good resource to use in a classroom, especially one in which their may be a child with autism. Not only does it shed an encouraging light on inclusion in classrooms, but is also features a message for all readers. Also, a psychologist wrote a short section at the end of the book which includes information specifically about autism,along with specific characteristics, and an explanation for Louis's placement in a general education room. There are also suggestions for teachers with a student with autism in their classroom at the conclusion of the book. Another wonderful aspect of the book is that the setting is at a school, but because of how the illustrations are matched with the literature, the setting is less likely to be dated any time soon, so it could be used for years to come. Furthermore, according to the author's biography in the beginning of the book, the characters in the book are based off of students that she had in the past (as she was an English teacher) which makes a lot of sense when considering the placement of the story.
So many parents are concerned with the education of their student, let alone a students with autism. Finding the appropriate resources for their families, as well as making sure the child reaches all potential academically and otherwise is very important. Therefore, when going through the articles on the Autism Today website, I found the information in "Combating Autism" very interesting and helpful in developing my respect for families, as well as for teachers who are working to provide as much help as possible for this growing disability. This relates and compliments the comments at the be back of the book, which focused on helping parents, teachers, as well as other students understand and deal with autism.
Friday, December 7, 2007
Mom Can't See Me by Sally Alexander
Alexander, Sally. Mom Can't See Me. New York
This book is written from the perspective of the author’s nine-year-old daughter, Leslie. This is a true story about one little girl’s perspective of life with a blind parent. This book touches on many of the common misconceptions people may have about blindness. This is extremely beneficial for children who may not know anyone personally who is blind because it touches on everyday life situations.
Although Sally Alexander is writing this book, it is Leslie who is providing the ideas. Mom Can’t See Me begins by explaining how her mother lost her vision, breaking blood cells in her eyes eventually blinded her. Leslie explains, “Some blind people can see colors or blurry blotches, but my mom can’t see any of those things. She’s totally blind and can’t even tell if a light is on or off. She doesn’t see black, just smoky white or grey” (Alexander). This page is unlike other pages because it is black with white writing, possibly in attempt to emphasize this point. Actual photos provide illustration for this book which gives readers a more authentic experience. There are many different images of Sally, Leslie’s mother, doing normal everyday activities, such as: spending time with the family, cleaning the house, walking with her guide dog, eating dinner, riding the bus, boating, reading, (Braille) cooking, camping, tap dancing, going to the movies, playing the piano, biking, (tandem bike) swimming, writing, (on a computer that speaks every word she types) attending parent conferences, and shopping.
I felt as though this book was successful in communicating a few important messages. One message readers are hopefully picking up on is that Sally’s disability does not negatively affect her everyday life. She is fully able to accomplish her goals and live life as she pleases. Just as anyone might occasionally need some assistance, Leslie is able to help her mom out with small things like cooking, cleaning, or dictating the silent parts of movies. Leslie realizes that her mom is independent yet needs some help from time to time. This emphasizes the idea of responsibility for Leslie. Children are seeing other kids their age doing housework and being helping their parents out. This is a positive image for children who may normally dislike or have a poor attitude about chores. This book also sends children a strong message about the importance of family relationships. This family is seen spending a lot of time together doing various activities together. Lastly, this book subtly addresses the misconceptions children may possibly have about people who are blind. For instance, Leslie points out that her mother doesn’t see blackness; in fact she sees smoky white or grey. Mom Can’t See Me also tackles the frustrations family members may have at other people who do not understand the situation. As Leslie explains, “Not everybody understands about having a blind mom. I wish they did. My friends always nod or point when they talk. Since mom can’t see what they’re doing, I have to explain. I feel like a translator.” It is important to know how Leslie feels, especially for readers who are not an insider. Overall, I would use this book or one similar to it in my classroom collection someday because of the many positive messages it sends readers. Leslie’s mother is committed to her family, very independent, and is able to accomplish her goals.
The Deaf Musicians
Seeger, Pete and Duboise Jacobs, Paul
The Deaf Musicians
G.P. Putnam’s Sons. 2006
The Deaf Musicians is about a man named Lee. He played the piano and was very involved in music. He was a part of a band until his band mated noticed that his music was a little bit off. He had to tell them that he was losing his hearing, and when they found this out, one man said, “Who will listen to a deaf musician?” Lee then started going to a school for the deaf and here he found people who were deaf like him but who also had a passion for music. Lee made a new band of three deaf people who communicated through sign language, and one sing language interpreter, who sang for the band. Everyone loved Lee’s band’s music, even his old band mate who told Lee that no one would listen to his music.
Seeger and Duboise Jacobs discuss an issue of deafness that often isn’t discussed very much. They tackled a topic that dealt with a person’s passion instead of a topic of a deaf person having to learn sign language. This story never looked down on deaf people, but rather illustrated what people could do when they had a passion for something like music. The authors paint a great picture that things that someone loves doesn’t have to be given up when they find out they are losing their hearing. Instead of Lee giving up on music, he changed and adapted music to his new lifestyle. Seeger was knowledgeable about the topic of deafness because his father was deaf and every year he participates in a music festival where there are sign language interpreters. I would recommend this novel not only to families where there might be a deaf child, but to all families. It is a book of hope and inspiration that shows what can be done when you have such a passion for something.
I Have A Sister My Sister is Deaf.
Peterson, Jeanne Whitehouse. I Have A Sister My Sister is Deaf. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers, 1977.
I Have A Sister My Sister is Deaf is a story about a girl talking about her sister. She talks about how her sister likes to do all of these different things that all kids like to do, but her sister is a little different because her sister loves to play the piano but cannot hear the tune. Her sister cannot hear her yell "Look Out". She talks about how she tries to understand what it is like not to be able to hear. She talks about how they are both afraid and how they both can talk but in different ways. She talks about how she talks to her friends about her sister.This book is written by Jeanne Peterson, she is considered to be an insider because her sister was also deaf.
This book is interesting in many aspects, the first being that the sister is trying to show to her friends how her sister can do all of the things that all kids love to do, but she does them a little bit different because she cannot sing, hear tunes, or talk. She talks about how they share the same emotions but at different times. I do think that the book could be seen differently if the illustrations were in color, it makes it seem like everything they do is dull and something is missing. The other thing that is interesting is that the sister is always pointing out things that she cannot do at the same time that she is pointing out all of the things that she can do. But at the same time she is doing this, it seems like she is looking out for her sister and feeling bad for her because she will never get to experience some things in life that other people take for granted. Overall, there are a few things that I like in this book, it would be a good book to read to an older sibling who has a younger sibling who is deaf so they can learn that their brother or sister will not be able to experience some of the same things as they do but they will also experience them in a different way.
And Tango Makes Three
Richardson, Justin and Peter Parnell (Writers)& Henry Cole (Illustrator). (2005). And Tango Makes Three.
Who says only human families can be different from one another? In the story, And Tango Makes Three, two male penguins are depicted as a gay couple in the respect that they take care of and raise a baby penguin. This is a true story that is based on two chinstrap penguins from
A Movie in My Pillow
Argueta, Jorge. Illustrated by Elizabeth Gómez. A Movie in My P¡llow/ Una pelÃcula en mi almohada. San Francisco, CA: Children's Book Press, 2001.
"Jorge, Jorge, don't forget
that in Nahuatl 'tetl'
means 'stone' and 'niyollotl'
means 'my heart'"
~Excerpt from "Voice from Home" by Jorge Argueta
In this autobiographical set of illustrated poems, written in both English and Spanish, Jorge Argueta shares his impressions of San Francisco's Mission District, his longing for El Salvador after he and his father fled his patria, and comparisons between the United States and El Salvador. His mentions of the Pipiles, an indigenous people of El Salvador, and their language, Nahuatl, highlight the bilingualism present in Latin America. The poems also hint at the war occurring in El Salvador at the time when he came to the U.S. and the hunger he experienced, without dwelling on these. The balance of the book is fantástico, with just the right amount of cultural information, beautiful language, and everyday observations.
Elizabeth Gómez, a native of Mexico City, has painted illustrations that are vibrant, whimsical, and well-suited to each poem. Their texture evokes the folk art common in Mexico and Central America, with a simple quality that lends itself well to the voice of a child. Even the placement of each poem on the page helps to create an experience as the reader proceeds through the text. This peek into the heart of a nation through the heart of one of its children is truly worthwhile for both children and adult readers.
"Jorge, Jorge, don't forget
that in Nahuatl 'tetl'
means 'stone' and 'niyollotl'
means 'my heart'"
~Excerpt from "Voice from Home" by Jorge Argueta
In this autobiographical set of illustrated poems, written in both English and Spanish, Jorge Argueta shares his impressions of San Francisco's Mission District, his longing for El Salvador after he and his father fled his patria, and comparisons between the United States and El Salvador. His mentions of the Pipiles, an indigenous people of El Salvador, and their language, Nahuatl, highlight the bilingualism present in Latin America. The poems also hint at the war occurring in El Salvador at the time when he came to the U.S. and the hunger he experienced, without dwelling on these. The balance of the book is fantástico, with just the right amount of cultural information, beautiful language, and everyday observations.
Elizabeth Gómez, a native of Mexico City, has painted illustrations that are vibrant, whimsical, and well-suited to each poem. Their texture evokes the folk art common in Mexico and Central America, with a simple quality that lends itself well to the voice of a child. Even the placement of each poem on the page helps to create an experience as the reader proceeds through the text. This peek into the heart of a nation through the heart of one of its children is truly worthwhile for both children and adult readers.
Book Review: Goin' Someplace Special
McKissack, Patricia C., Pinkney, Jerry. Goin’ Someplace Special. New York: Scholastic Inc., 2001.
The Monarch Award:Illinois' K-3 Children's Choice Award. 2007 Nominee
Goin’ Someplace Special is the story of Tricia Ann’s travels through a day in the life of a young colored girl during a segregation period. She is on her way to someplace special alone for the first time where she discovers the “White’s only” signs. She is confused and saddened but finally reaches her final destination of the public library where the sign reads “All are welcome”.
McKissack and Pinkney focus their readers on the segregations of the Jim Crow signs of the past. They allow one young girls journey to tell the story of which places are off limits to those of color. This book allows readers to get a glimpse of what life was like for a young, impressionable, African American girl. Multiple signs are pointed out throughout the book and all the while Mama Frances’ voice is in the background telling Tricia Ann she is someone special and she belongs to somebody. The text is written using old southern language when switching characters, and the kind characters are represented in a caring light. The illustrations aide readers in discovering the trials and hardships people of color had to deal with in the past. People of color are clearly defined as well as the areas within which they are expected to abide by. This is a great illustration of what can be learned from the past about segregation and how far we have come as a society since the past. Children can gain a cultural sense of what others before them had to go through to experience the freedom we now carry. This is a great portrayal of multicultural literature and should be considered a viable resource for personal and classroom libraries.
Book Review: The Other Side
Woodson, Jacqueline. The Other Side. New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2001.
The Other Side is the story of two little girls separated by a wooden fence running between their yards. Both mothers warned each girl not to cross the fence, saying it was not safe on the other side. Throughout the summer Clover and Annie Paul observed each others lives and eventually became friends, sitting on the fence together, never crossing it. As Clover observes others reactions to this new found friendship, she learns about the multicultural world around her and the changes that are to come.
Woodson spends a fair amount of time emphasizing the idea of the other side of the fence through her text. She never bluntly states what is on the other side that makes it unsafe, but the strong emphasis is there for readers to make their own assumptions. I believe that through the illustrations of two young girls facing one another on opposite sides of the fence, Woodson is able to imply that even these young girls can see past color differences, and make friends when needed. This book is a great example for seeing what is and was to come in the future. As Woodson states best on the last page in reference to the fence “Someday somebody’s going to come along and knock this old fence down”. That is exactly the positive attitude that should be instilled in our youth, therefore this book is highly recommended.
Book Review: PINK and SAY
Polacco, Patricia. PINK and SAY. New York: Philomel Books, 1994.
PINK and SAY is the story of Sheldon Curtis (Say) and Pinkus Aylee (Pink) who both fought together for the Union somewhere in Georgia during the Civil War Period. The story of these two boys journey through the war has been passed from great-grandfather to grandmother, to son, and finally to the author-artist herself, Patricia Polacco. The two boys lost their Union troops so they found themselves taking rest at Moe Moe Bay’s, Pink’s mother’s home, to recuperate before regaining their search for their lost Union troops. Their stay was cut short as the Confederate troops rode in killing Moe Moe Bay and imprisoning the two boys in Andersonville. The end of the story recaps the true environment of a prison during the war period along with summing up the long lived life of Say after the war and the early death of Pink shortly after entering the prison. The story of the interracial friendship lives on through the tellings of those who shared Sheldon Curtis’ life, never forgetting Pinkus Aylee.
Polacco puts forth great effort in giving the text authentic African American dialect that can be seen during this time period in Georgia. The story creates a great portrayal of interracial relationships between soldiers of this time period. The idea of two relationships forming from two people going through similar battles is displayed clearly, and readers are able to gain a sense of belonging together among different racial backgrounds. The illustrations aide the relationships in portraying powerful depictions of Pink and Say grabbing hands as they are pulled apart. She does a fabulous job of representing the relationships that were to come in the future and gives her readers hope of interracial lasting relationships. I would recommend this book not only to African American families but also to many other families looking to broaden their multicultural experiences.
Book Review: The Skin I'm In
Flake, Sharon G. The Skin I'm In. New York: Hyperion Books for Children, 1998.
The skin I'm In, is a great book that I could not put down once I started reading it. The main character Maleeka, is tormented daily for her clothes, her good grades, and her dark skin. She is pushed around by a girl who claims to be her friend, and does things like this girl's homework in exchange for clothes to wear that aren't handmade by her mother. There is a new English teacher, Miss Saunders, who is a little different than the rest of the people in the school. Everyone can tell she has money, and she has a very distinguishing mark on her face that makes her the target for constant ridicule. She has also never been a teacher before. She forms a relationship with Maleeka where she tries to bring her true potential out. Maleeka is resistant to this, but ends up finding out that she has a hidden talent in writing. She then learns that this is a talent that she shares with her father who passed away.
This story is truly inspirational, and I feel that Maleeka is a character that anyone could relate to. In the beginning, Maleeka is a meek girl that has no self confidence. Throughout the book Maleeka begins to form her own identity and become more comfortable with the way she is. Through expectations that Miss Saunders places on the class, Maleeka learns that she has talents. She also learns that being smart and getting good grades is not as bad of a thing as her classmates make it out to be. On page 167, Maleeka says, "Call me by my name! I am not ugly. I am not stupid. I am Maleeka Madison, and ,yeah, I'm black, I'm real black, and if you don't like me then too bad 'cause black is the skin I'm in". I feel that this statement is very powerful and sends a great message to other girls who relate to Maleeka, as well as anyone who is not comfortable in their own skin. Maleeka could be a great role model for any teen.
The Skin I'm In is also a Coretta Scott King Award winning book.
For more information about Sharon G. Flake please visit:http://www.sharongflake.com/
The skin I'm In, is a great book that I could not put down once I started reading it. The main character Maleeka, is tormented daily for her clothes, her good grades, and her dark skin. She is pushed around by a girl who claims to be her friend, and does things like this girl's homework in exchange for clothes to wear that aren't handmade by her mother. There is a new English teacher, Miss Saunders, who is a little different than the rest of the people in the school. Everyone can tell she has money, and she has a very distinguishing mark on her face that makes her the target for constant ridicule. She has also never been a teacher before. She forms a relationship with Maleeka where she tries to bring her true potential out. Maleeka is resistant to this, but ends up finding out that she has a hidden talent in writing. She then learns that this is a talent that she shares with her father who passed away.
This story is truly inspirational, and I feel that Maleeka is a character that anyone could relate to. In the beginning, Maleeka is a meek girl that has no self confidence. Throughout the book Maleeka begins to form her own identity and become more comfortable with the way she is. Through expectations that Miss Saunders places on the class, Maleeka learns that she has talents. She also learns that being smart and getting good grades is not as bad of a thing as her classmates make it out to be. On page 167, Maleeka says, "Call me by my name! I am not ugly. I am not stupid. I am Maleeka Madison, and ,yeah, I'm black, I'm real black, and if you don't like me then too bad 'cause black is the skin I'm in". I feel that this statement is very powerful and sends a great message to other girls who relate to Maleeka, as well as anyone who is not comfortable in their own skin. Maleeka could be a great role model for any teen.
The Skin I'm In is also a Coretta Scott King Award winning book.
For more information about Sharon G. Flake please visit:http://www.sharongflake.com/
Thank You, Mr. Falker
Polacco, Patricia. Thank You, Mr. Falker. Philomel Books: New York, 1998.
Patricia Polacco writes a picture book about real struggles that occurred during her childhood. In Thank you, Mr. Falker, a young girl, Trisha, feels like she is “dumb” because she cannot read like the other students. However with the help of a devoted teacher, Trisha finally has success in the classroom and learns to read.
In the beginning of the book Trisha receives a special gift from her grandfather, the knowledge to know the reading is sweet. After learning this, Trisha is very excited that she is going to learn to read. However, she quickly discovers that she cannot learn to read and recognize the letters like the other students in her class. Trisha moves from Michigan to California and hopes that at her new school she will not be teased for not knowing how to read. However, the teasing only gets worse. It is not until a caring, and affectionate teacher helps Trisha learn to recognize the letters and eventually read successfully.
After reading Thank You, Mr. Falker, I think it has became one of my favorite pieces of children’s literature. In such a short encouraging story there are many real life aspects for students to relate to as well as offering the notion that success can be reached. The real problems that are addressed in this book are issues that many students may face. Such as losing family members, trouble reading, bullying, moving, resource room help, achieving success. However, for me one of the most surprising and wonderful aspects of this book is the final page of the story when Polacco admits that Trisha is actually her and that great teachers like Mr. Falker really do exist. This piece of the text offers hopes to struggling students. Also, for students who do not have trouble reading or who bully, it teaches them a lesson about acceptance and struggles that other students must have the strength to overcome. I believe that awareness, understanding, and acceptance are promoted in this book for people with learning disabilities. According to the article, “Teaching Students About Learning Disabilities Through Children’s Literature” by Prater, Dyches, and Johnstun, Polacco’s book is a high quality piece of literature acceptance of learning disabilities is accepted. It is also a high quality piece of literature because it has strong literary features (characterization, setting, plot, point of view, etc) as well as learning disabilities or portrayed very positively.
I learned quite a bit about Polacco on her website (http://www.patriciapolacco.com/author/bio/bio.html). Besides the fact that she is from Michigan and grew up on a farm (just like Trisha), she did not read until the age of 14 and was diagnosed with dyslexia. Since Polacco has a learning disability herself, this piece of literature can be called an “insider” point of view.
Review of "My Buddy"
Osofsky, Audrey. My Buddy. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1992.
My Buddy is the story of a little boy and his service dog, Buddy. The boy has muscular dystrophy and Buddy is his “arms and legs”. With Buddy around, the main character can do things without his parents constantly around helping him. Whether he is at school or home, he can do things on his own, with Buddy by his side always.
This book gives yet another perspective for children with disabilities. It is important for students who may need or already have a Service Dog to understand that it is a good thing, not to be embarrassed about, and that they are not alone. On the other hand, students without disabilities need to understand that a Service Dog is a working animal like guide dogs for people that are blind. When they understand their purpose, students will be more likely to leave them be and resist petting. This story is accurate and authentic, as it was based on the experiences of Scott LeRoy and his buddy, Rex. Scott and Rex were the first pair helped by Canine Companions for Independence in Minnesota. While Osofsky is not an insider, she worked closely with Scott, who is an insider, when writing this book. Aside from being a realistic representation of a disablilty, this story is generally well written and enjoyable to read.
For more information on Scott LeRoy (the inspiration for My Buddy) and the Canine Companions for Independence check out this link: http://www.ccimn.org/scott_leroy.htm
My Buddy is the story of a little boy and his service dog, Buddy. The boy has muscular dystrophy and Buddy is his “arms and legs”. With Buddy around, the main character can do things without his parents constantly around helping him. Whether he is at school or home, he can do things on his own, with Buddy by his side always.
This book gives yet another perspective for children with disabilities. It is important for students who may need or already have a Service Dog to understand that it is a good thing, not to be embarrassed about, and that they are not alone. On the other hand, students without disabilities need to understand that a Service Dog is a working animal like guide dogs for people that are blind. When they understand their purpose, students will be more likely to leave them be and resist petting. This story is accurate and authentic, as it was based on the experiences of Scott LeRoy and his buddy, Rex. Scott and Rex were the first pair helped by Canine Companions for Independence in Minnesota. While Osofsky is not an insider, she worked closely with Scott, who is an insider, when writing this book. Aside from being a realistic representation of a disablilty, this story is generally well written and enjoyable to read.
For more information on Scott LeRoy (the inspiration for My Buddy) and the Canine Companions for Independence check out this link: http://www.ccimn.org/scott_leroy.htm
Ian's Walk, A Story about Autism
Lears, Laurie. Ian's Walk, A Story about Autism. Morton Grove, IL: Albert Whitman and Company, 1998.
Ian's Walk is a story that follows two sisters and their brother, Ian, as they go for a walk to the park. The book focuses mainly on the relationship between Ian and his sister Julie. Julie seems to be at times frustrated with Ian's differences and having a brother that demands a lot of attention. As the trio walks to the park, Julie points out the differences about Ian that can sometimes be embarrassing and difficult to explain. Along the way, she explains that "Ian smells things differently," or "hears things differently." While at the park, Julie is in charge of watching Ian when he suddenly is no where to be found. Julie and her sister search nervously for Ian. Julie tries to think like he does, and eventually finds him in his favorite spot near the bells. After Julie's close encounter with losing Ian she realizes how much she cares about her brother and begins to accept and understand his differences. They decide to walk home the way Ian likes to, and try to see things his way by not only accepting but also participating in the quirky habits that Ian enjoys, such as watching the ceiling fan at the local diner.
Ian's walk would be a helpful book to use in order to bring awareness to siblings, or other children about children with autism. In the beginning, Julie struggles with Ian's differences, but as the book continues, Julie begins to see that it is Ian's differences that makes him special, and accepts Ian for the special person he is. Julie's struggles and frustrations in the beginning of the book are something that many children may relate to when living with siblings that have developmental disabilities, and may help them to see the positive things about having a special sibling like Ian. The author also provides a note about autism in the beginning of her book that explains the challenges of having a sibling with autism and the difficulty one can have when trying to explain autism to others. This note is a great forward to the book, and would be helpful for parents of autistic children, or anyone that is having difficulty explaining or understanding the responsibility, and important life lessons that can come out of having a child with autism in their lives.
Laurie Lears has written many good books focusing on children with developmental disabilities, such as Nathan’s Wish, however, Ian's Walk was awarded the Dolly Gray Children's Literature Award. This award is presented to children's literature that positively portrays characters with developmental disabilities.
Ian's Walk is a story that follows two sisters and their brother, Ian, as they go for a walk to the park. The book focuses mainly on the relationship between Ian and his sister Julie. Julie seems to be at times frustrated with Ian's differences and having a brother that demands a lot of attention. As the trio walks to the park, Julie points out the differences about Ian that can sometimes be embarrassing and difficult to explain. Along the way, she explains that "Ian smells things differently," or "hears things differently." While at the park, Julie is in charge of watching Ian when he suddenly is no where to be found. Julie and her sister search nervously for Ian. Julie tries to think like he does, and eventually finds him in his favorite spot near the bells. After Julie's close encounter with losing Ian she realizes how much she cares about her brother and begins to accept and understand his differences. They decide to walk home the way Ian likes to, and try to see things his way by not only accepting but also participating in the quirky habits that Ian enjoys, such as watching the ceiling fan at the local diner.
Ian's walk would be a helpful book to use in order to bring awareness to siblings, or other children about children with autism. In the beginning, Julie struggles with Ian's differences, but as the book continues, Julie begins to see that it is Ian's differences that makes him special, and accepts Ian for the special person he is. Julie's struggles and frustrations in the beginning of the book are something that many children may relate to when living with siblings that have developmental disabilities, and may help them to see the positive things about having a special sibling like Ian. The author also provides a note about autism in the beginning of her book that explains the challenges of having a sibling with autism and the difficulty one can have when trying to explain autism to others. This note is a great forward to the book, and would be helpful for parents of autistic children, or anyone that is having difficulty explaining or understanding the responsibility, and important life lessons that can come out of having a child with autism in their lives.
Laurie Lears has written many good books focusing on children with developmental disabilities, such as Nathan’s Wish, however, Ian's Walk was awarded the Dolly Gray Children's Literature Award. This award is presented to children's literature that positively portrays characters with developmental disabilities.
Review of Rainbow Boys
Sanchez, Alex Rainbow boys New York: Shuster & Simon Children’s Publishing Division, 2001
Rainbow boys takes a multi-perspective look at the lives of three high school seniors as they strive to understand their place in the world as gay men. Jason starts out the story coming to an LGBT meeting and sees two kids from his school, Kyle, a shy swimmer and Nelson, the most expressively out person in their high school. As the story progresses, Jason explores his attraction to Kyle after he is rejected by his girlfriend when telling her he was questioning his sexuality. Nelson strives to compensate by looking to others to fill the void left by Kyle, who had been his secret crush/best friend. After a one night stand with Brick, an online predator, Nelson possibly contracts AIDS. Through the strength of other members of the Rainbow youth group, Nelson is able to come to terms with this possibility and with the help of Kyle, helps start a gay straight alliance at their high school.
By using language familiar to the teenage audience, the novel becomes more accessible to the reader and more believable as well. The novel takes a realistic portrayal of the way GLBTQ students are reacted to in the high school setting as well as the internalization each character takes for these reactions. The book does endanger it’s reputation by inserting the AIDS virus as being spread by a malicious older man preying on gay teens, which reinforces stereotypes. It was great to see the ways that different parents reacted differently to their son coming out so show the diversity of the situation.
As an insider writer, Alex Sanchez created a great read for teens curious about the dilemmas that gay teens face as well as the triumph associated with being able to accept yourself for who you are. Alex Sanchez was challenged as an outside by being both a Mexican immigrant as well as being gay. The amount of firsthand experience Sanchez has with this topic is proved through his fluid dialogue about the subject. This would be a good read for high school students because of the sexual themes but I believe in certain middle school classrooms, this book could be introduced as well. It would provide a useful tool in giving closeted students characters to relate to in addition to showing other students the similarities between their lives and others.
Book Review: Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key
Gantos, Jack. Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key. New York: Farrar, Straus and Girox, 1998.
Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key tells the story of Joey, a boy who is out of control due to having ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). The story unfolds as Joey and those around him are attempting to gain control of his extreme and disruptive behaviors that always seem to result in some unfortunate accident.
Gantos tells the story from Joey's perspective. This element makes the book stand out. It would be easy for the reader to view Joey's situations from the teacher's or his classmates perspectives because such views probably fit best with what they own. By using Joey's voice, the reader is forced and able to see how Joey thinks and views each situations before, during and after they happen. Gantos is so effective in making Joey real to the reader that every event and situation seems reasonable from Joey's perspective. I am not sure about Gantos standing as an insider to the world of ADHD, but his well-informed on how people with ADHD think and some of the medical treatments. His book offers an inside look at what it means to have ADHD which reconfirms to readers that things not be what they seem.
Although the book is fairly humorous, there is an element of sadness when Joey's family is considered. His father is not around and his mother has suffered from alcoholism. When everyone from his teacher, grandmother, school staff and doctors learn about his mother they seem to generalize her feelings and assume she does not care about Joey's welfare or is not involved with his problems. By making her care and having her help Joey set goals and rewards to improve his behavior, Gantos seems to challenge this stereotypical image of an uninvolved, self-absorbed, alcoholic mother.
Mackinnon, Christy. Silent Observer. Washington, D.C.: Kendall Green Publications, 1993.
This book is about the author, Christy Mackinnon, and her childhood. She talks about what her life was like before she went to school, when she goes to school, then while she is in school. She became deaf at the age of 2 from whooping cough, and her closest sister, Sadie, was partially deaf from the same sickness. Through her childhood, Mackinnon met very famous people in the Deaf Community such as Alexander Graham Bell and Helen Keller. She talks about her struggles with accepting the fact that she was deaf and the everyday struggles that go along with being deaf in a hearing family.
I felt this book was absolutely amazing. I was interested in this book before I read it but once I started reading it, I was turning page after page. One of the best parts of the book for me was when all of a sudden she mentioned her neighbor, Alexander Graham Bell, like it was no big deal. I was in such awe that she knew him. Then, when she talks about her experiences in the Halifax School For The Deaf, she gets to meet Helen Keller!! I was so excited about that too because I am so fascinated with learning about how Helen Keller learned to communicate. I think it would be amazing to say I have met her, but Mackinnon talks about it in the book like it was almost not as amazing as I would picture it. If I got to meet Helen Keller, I would be announcing it to the world; it would be better than meeting some movie star to me. But Mackinnon doesn't emphasize how she felt about meeting Helen Keller in this book, which shocks me.
Overall, though, I felt this book was great. I absolutely loved it and would recommend it to anyone, deaf or hearing, child or adult. It was not the easiest book to find, but once you find it, it's worth it. Another fascinating thing about this book is how it came to be a published book. Christy Mackinnon wrote her story and drew her own pictures but never put the book together. It wasn't until her niece found these pages of her story and her wonderful pictures years later and decided to put them together as a book and have it published. This story tells history right from a person who lived it. And that is the best part!
Thursday, December 6, 2007
"Salaam; A Muslim American Boy's Story"
Brown, Tricia. Salaam; A Muslim American Boy's Story New York: Henry Holt and Company, LLC, 2006.
Salaam is a non-fictional book that goes through the everyday life a boy names Imran. The story is contemporary and it shows how a Muslim American boy lives through black and white photographs that range from he and his best friend Trevor making a teacher at their school laugh to fasting for Ramadan. The simple text and black and white photographs make for a moving book that shows how life for a boy in post-9/11 America copes with the misconceptions people have about his and his families faith.
There is not much information available about either this book or its author. Before the story of Imran even begins Brown notifies the reader that this book has been in the works for three years, having met many road blocks along the way in the post -9/11 era.
I feel that it is important for works such as Salaam be read and published about Muslim Americans because peace comes from understanding not fear and once you have been introduced to Imran and his family it is very difficult to see them as an enemy. I think that it is interesting that Brown (author) and Cardwell (illustrator) chose to attempt a work like Salaam being from the outside position on what it is actually like to be a Muslim American boy, but as a non-fictional pictorial of a Muslim American boy this piece is valuable to have in any classroom when addressing diversity within our own nation.
Stars in the Darkness- Joosee Barbara
Joosse, Barbara. Stars in the Darkness. San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 2002.
Stars in the Darkness is a story about an African American boy who lives with his mother and brother in an apartment in the city. The boy is the narrator of the story and is dealing with the issue of his older brother, Richard, who he looks up to and respects, joining a gang. The narrator and his mother decide to rally the neighbors together to fight against the gangs by starting Peace Walks at night to stop the gangs. The story deals with the emotions the boy is feeling along with his mother as they realize that Richard has become part of a gang.
The book is written by Barbara Joosse, who grew up in Milwaukee, and who according to the images on her website she does not appear to be African American and according to her biography she also did not appear to grow up in the inner city. For these reason she would be considered an outsider author for this particular book about African American individuals. On the issue of her writing as an outsider Joosse stated that, "I often write outside of my own experience, drawing word pictures of places or people or activities other than my own. In order to do this, I need to visit those places (whether it is a geographic location or a new activity), record the voices of people who live the story I tell, research and call on a team of expert readers to check for accuracy”. This is an important thing to note when thinking about her as an author because it explains how she does her research to create these authentic books even from a culture that is not her own.
However, even as an outsider author she uses African American Language (AAL) in both the narrative and the dialogue in the book. Since the narrator is an African American boy the narrative text also uses this language. Through the use of words that drop the final consonant, as is a typical grammatical form of AAL, such as howlin’ fightin’ playin’ sleepin’ and nothin’, the author uses this grammatical form used in AAL to add authenticity to the text. This correct grammatical form of AAL as written by Joosse shows the way in which an outside author can also authentically create AAL in text. For this reason I believe that this book is a great example of a diverse literature book written authentically by an outside author and would be great to add to a classroom collection.
The book is written by Barbara Joosse, who grew up in Milwaukee, and who according to the images on her website she does not appear to be African American and according to her biography she also did not appear to grow up in the inner city. For these reason she would be considered an outsider author for this particular book about African American individuals. On the issue of her writing as an outsider Joosse stated that, "I often write outside of my own experience, drawing word pictures of places or people or activities other than my own. In order to do this, I need to visit those places (whether it is a geographic location or a new activity), record the voices of people who live the story I tell, research and call on a team of expert readers to check for accuracy”. This is an important thing to note when thinking about her as an author because it explains how she does her research to create these authentic books even from a culture that is not her own.
However, even as an outsider author she uses African American Language (AAL) in both the narrative and the dialogue in the book. Since the narrator is an African American boy the narrative text also uses this language. Through the use of words that drop the final consonant, as is a typical grammatical form of AAL, such as howlin’ fightin’ playin’ sleepin’ and nothin’, the author uses this grammatical form used in AAL to add authenticity to the text. This correct grammatical form of AAL as written by Joosse shows the way in which an outside author can also authentically create AAL in text. For this reason I believe that this book is a great example of a diverse literature book written authentically by an outside author and would be great to add to a classroom collection.
Nappy Hair- Carolivia Herron
Herron, Cavolivia, Nappy Hair. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1997.
Nappy Hair is a picture book written in a unique style of writing known as Call and Response. This call and response story tells the story of a young girl, Brenda, and her Uncle Mordecai’s view of how she got her “nappy hair”. The book talks about this young girl and how proud she should be of her hair because it comes from “the lord” and her ancestors from Africa, and how “one nap of her hair is the only perfect circle in nature”.
This style of call and response is an authentic African American story telling technique in which the characters in the story respond to the narrator of the story. Uncle Mordecai is the narrator in this story and throughout the book the author uses different styles of text to show that another character is speaking in response to Uncle Mordecai. For example in this passage the standard text is Uncle Mordecai and the other text is the response by other characters in the book:
“Brenda, you sure do got some nappy hair on your head, don’t you?
Well.
It’s your hair, Brenda, take the cake,
Yep.
And come back and get the plate.
Don’t Cha know.”
Call and response technique of story telling is an African American traditional way of telling stories and this adds authenticity to the text and the story as told by Carolivia Herron. Herron uses another grammatical form of AAL in her writing as she writes, “ain’t going to be nothing they come up with going to straighten this chile’s hair”. In this passage the author also makes use of AAL in the way in which she uses multiple negation in her passage through the phrase “ain’t going to be nothing”. Multiple negation is also a AAL grammatical style which adds authenticity to the text itself.
The illustrations in this book are done in a cartoon style and depict an African American family and specifically Brenda with her nappy hair. Each character in the book is African American as depicted in the illustrations, including the angels in heaven. Brenda is the character with the nappy hair and her expressions in each illustration depict her happiness and how proud she is of her hair showing through the illustrations that she is proud of herself and her hair. The illustrations depict a multi generational family, all dressing in various clothing some traditional and some modern, and they all have different styles of hair which is an important emphasis of the book and a detail the illustrator considered in his illustrations.
The different techniques of AAL used in the text by the author of Call and Response and multiple negation are grammatical forms of AAL that add authenticity to the text itself. This authenticity in the way the book is written and the accurate use of AAL throughout the text and the illustrations makes this book a piece of diverse literature. Herron also uses the word “nappy” a traditionally negative word used to describe African American people’s hair, in a positive light throughout the book, which counteracts the typical negative stereotypical view of the word “nappy”. For these reasons I believe that Nappy Hair is a unique book that would be piece of diverse literature that could be used in many ways to inform others about African American culture and to ignite discussion about things such as call and response techniques, AAL, and even ideas about nappy hair.
Book Review: Sammy Spider's First Sukkot
Spider’s First Sukkot.
Kar-Ben Publishing. 2004.
This book is one of many Sammy Spider stories. In this book, Sammy Spider is watching the Shapiro family prepare for the Jewish harvest holiday of Sukkot. Throughout the book Sammy repeatedly says “spiders don’t celebrate Sukkot, spiders spin webs”. Sammy and his mother build a web in the sukkah. Although Sammy is a spider he gets to celebrate Sukkot after all.
This book is filled with large, colorful, creative pictures which bring the story to life. The illustrator, Katherine Janus Kahn, did a great job, by using paper cutouts, to allow the reader to feel as though they were a part of the Sukkot holiday during the crisp fall season. The author, Sylvia Rouss, chose simple but descriptive words in order to explain to the readers exactly what happens in a sukkah. It is as though the readers are right there with Sammy Spider watching over the Shapiro family as they celebrate Sukkot. I feel that this is a very clever way for children to learn about a new holiday. The book does a great job describing why Jewish people celebrate Sukkot as well as explaining the traditions and symbolism in the sukkah. One important thing to keep in mind while choosing to read this book is the target audience. I feel as though any child would enjoy this book. Jewish children can read it in order to learn about their own holiday and others can read it to learn about the Jewish religion, just as Sammy Spider was able to do! -CA
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Autism Insurance in Michigan (AIM)
Hi,
I have worked with some children with autism and have seen many families who don't get insurance covered for diagnosis and treatments for those on the Autism Spectrum. There is a hearing on December 13 at 9am in front of the Health Policy Committee at the Capitol to get the bills about the insurance coverage for families passed. You can find more information on their website: http://autisminsurancemichigan.blogspot.com/.
On this website there's an email address that you can send a letter about your experiences with families who have children with autism and let them know how a lack of access to Autism Services has impacted these families. This website also provides the address, time, and more information about the bill.
Please attend this hearing on the December 13, 2007 to support these families and to get the bills passed!! We need as much support as possible!
Thanks for reading.
Melanie
Book Review #4: "Moses"
Weatherford, Carole Boston. Illustrated by Kadir Nelson Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom. New York: Hyperion Books for Children
Moses tells the amazing story of Harriet Tubman, the founder and orchestrator of the Underground Railroad, a pathway that led slaves to freedom. Throughout the book, Tubman converses with God and asks him for guidance and strength to finish her journey. She continuously faces obstacles in her travels but eventually makes it to Philadelphia and returns to the South frequently to help free other slaves.
The book does a great job of fleshing out a story that so many children are familiar with. This story is such an important one in the Black community and Weatherford seems to handle it in just that manner. Weatherford explores Tubman's spiritual side in a way in that children can understand and relate to. The issue of slavery is not a major focus but is presented in a manner that children can understand the effects of it. The different fonts in the book signify the differences in narrative, Tubman's voice, and God's voice. This makes the story easier to follow for the reader and also gives readers the sense of unsureness of Tubman and the power of God.
The illustrations are very powerful and engaging. The scenes where Tubman runs through the woods show the fear that this journey was filled with. Nelson does a great job of showing pain, triumph, and strength through Tubman's facial expressions. The colors and expressions throughout the book match well with the story and its message. This is one of my favorite picture books for both its content and illustrations.
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