Genre 5- Lily's Crossing

Giff, Patricia Reilly. Lily’s Crossing. New York: Random House, 1997.

ISBN0-440-41453-9

PLOT SUMMARY

Lily’s Crossing is story about a young girl and how WWII affected her life as well as many others. Lily’s father, Jerry leaves for the war and Lily is forced to spent the summer at Rockaway Beach with just her grandmother. Eventually Lily’s best friend moves away and Lily meets a new friend named Albert. Lily like many children has a habit of telling lies though in this story may have told a lie that could get her friend, Albert, in some dangerous trouble.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Lily’s Crossing is yet another example of a historical fiction novel with character. Historical fiction doesn’t have to be boring readings from a history book and Giff gives us a good example of that with Lily’s Crossing. One of my favorite aspects of this novel is the relationship between Lily and Albert. They have a very interesting relationship and I think students while find them fun to follow. On page 44 the reader can see the relationship between them displayed. “Without thinking, she went toward him, spittin gout sand, wiping her eye on her sleeve. The noise of the plane was fading, and she could see Albert’s hand were trembling a litte. She reached out and grabbed his arm- Its alright she told him.” I think that students will really enjoy this book and find it easily relatable all while learning bits and pieces about history!

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

Publishers Weekly- “has all the ingredients that best reward readers.”

Booklist- “With wry comedy and intense feeling… Giff gets across a strong sense of what it was like on the home front during World War II… the friendship story is beautifully drawn.”

CONNECTIONS

- Student could write pin pals to soldiers at war.

- Students could work on character traits: Selfless, brave, scared, fearful…

- Writing a letter: Students could write a letter to Lily or Albert.

Genre 5- Moon Over Manifest

Vanderpool, Clare. Moon Over Manifest. New York: Random House, 2011.

ISBN: 978-0-385-90750-7

PLOT SUMMARY

Moon Over Manifest a story about a little girl placed during the depression. The little girl, Abilene finds herself in the city of Manifest ‘waiting’ for her father to come pick her up at the end of the summer. While in Manifest, Abilene has a need to learn everything she can about her father and who he was! In the process of learning about her dad, she stumbles upon a box hidden under some floorboards in her bedroom and the adventure begins. Taken in by her new friends Lettie and Ruthanne, the girls begin the search for the ‘Rattler’. Vanderpool starts this novel off very slow but once the girls are warned to ‘leave well enough alone’ the story starts to pick up.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

My own critique with this story is that it takes quite a few pages to get into the book. It took me until about 80 pages in before I really began feeling the story. Though the story is absolutely wonderful, I do not think students will be able to stick with a story that long if they aren’t intrigued. Also, the characters in this story are absolutely amazing! When reading this story, I felt as if I had actually met the people being described. There is also a character list/description located in the front of the book, which is very helpful to students! Vanderpool also does a great job of alternating points of view. Most of the story Abilene is narrating in the ‘present’ and the story will often switch over to two boys in 1917. The process of including ‘flashbacks’ in a story for children can be difficult but Moon Over Manifest makes these transitions very easy to follow! Overall, I will be adding this to my library for my high readers. Vanderpool does a great job of incorporating parts of history into a well-written novel.

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REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

Book List- “Vanderpool weaves humor and sorrow into a complex tale involving murders, orphans, bootlegging, and a mother in hiding. With believable dialogue, vocabulary and imagery appropriate to time and place, and well-developed characters.” —Kethleen Isaacs

School Library Journal- “This thoroughly enjoyable, unique page-turner is a definite winner.” – Renee Steinberg

CONNECTIONS

Moon Over Manifest has a ton of characters to keep tract of! Students could create a story board and summarize each character on the board. Also, after summarizing, students could attempt to match each others summarizes to the character it describes.

Genre 5- Elijah of Buxton

Curtis, Christopher Paul. Elijah of Buxton. New York: Scholastic Inc, 2007.

ISBN 13: 978-0-545-11084-6

PLOT SUMMARY

Elijah of Buxton is a story that gracefully explains how slavery affected the life of people in 1856 and how one little boy was very brave. Buxton was a ‘city’ in Canada that people could live freely on when ‘living free’ wasn’t heard of. Elijah was a very special boy because he was the first baby to be born free. Though Eli spends most of his time fearing the worse and being very ‘fra-gile’, he ends up becoming a very brave and strong young man.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Slavery is a difficult concept to explain to children. Christopher Paul Curtis does an amazing job of keep the students interested while also teaching them about major events in history. Curtis also written The Watson’s Go to Birmingham that also offers great historical value while also giving the readers characters they can relate to. When Elijah of Buxton begins, we meet a skittish, lighthearted kid but as the story goes on the reader begins to understand the heaviness of slavery. Several parts in the book are intense like when Eli meets slaves shackled in a barn, naked, two of them being a woman and her baby. Page 291 through298 the reader feels the intensity and sadness! Curtis uses dialect and descriptions that are very captivating. “He pressed his mouth there. It ripped at my insides something harsh. He was acting like giving him a drink of water waren’t no different than giving him a twenty-dollar gold piece. (p. 303) Curtis does it again in Elijah of Buxton- the reader gets to enjoy a beautifully written story about subject matter than is very difficult to understand. As a teacher I would recommend this for 4^th grade students and older. The content is a little harsh for students younger than 8.

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

Book List- “Curtis relates the difficulty of tackling the subject of slavery realistically through a child's first-person perspective… Many readers drawn to the book by humor will find themselves at times on the edges of their seats in suspense and, at other moments, moved to tears. A fine, original novel from a gifted storyteller.” —Carolyn Phelan

CONNECTIONS

As I mentioned previously, Christopher Paul Curtis has written several stories that delicately explain slavery and civil rights. An activity for older students could be to read both Elijah of Buxton and The Watsons Go to Birmingham and compare how the two stories present the same topic but at different times in history.

Genre 4 - Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream

Stone, Tanya Lee & Weitekamp, Margaret A. Almost Astronauts: 13 Women who Dared to Dream. Massachusetts: Candlewick Press, 2009.

ISBN: 978-0-7636-4502-1

PLOT SUMMARY

Almost Astronauts is a story about how women fought to be involved in NASA and fly to space. During the time these women aspired to be astronauts, men were the only people who were allowed to be involved. The 13 women were referred to as the “Mercury 13” though they were never a part of the Mercury space program they were called this nick name because they under went all the sane tests as the men involved with the Mercury program. Women who tried to “do a man’s job” like anything military related or as this story explains, go to space, there was serious opposition. This is a good non-fiction story about trying really hard and defying the odds.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Almost Astronauts is an interesting take on the 13 women who first tried to be a part of NASA. I would recommend this book as a read aloud for 2^nd or 3^rd graders or an independent read for 3^rd grade and above. The illustrations are pictures taken from the actual event being discussed. All photos’ are in black and white other than the picture on the front of the book. These photos’ offer a realistic image for students to relate to and pair with their own knowledge. The dialog is a little lengthy but normally correlated with a picture to keep students involved. In third grade we do a unit on plants so it would be very interesting to include excerpts from this book to read during our group time. Overall, this book is a great outlet for curriculum related activities, includes beautiful photography, and offers an amazing part of history often over-looked.

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

School Library Journal- “Mercury 13," this passionately written account of a classic but little-known challenge to established gender prejudices also introduces readers to a select group of courageous, independent women.” —John Peters

Horn Book- "This dramatic, large-size photo-essay covers their stories, along with the exciting politics of the women’s liberation struggle in the 1950s and ’60s (“What is a woman’s place?”) and the breakthrough science and technology surrounding space exploration, including details of the would-be astronauts’ tests and training.” – Hazel Rochman

CONNECTIONS

Almost Astronauts could be a great outlet to begin a segment on women’s rights. There are several books that a teacher could pull and discuss that at one time, women are viewed as inferior to men. A few of these books include: Susan B. Anthony: Fighter for Women's Rights (Ready-to-Read. Level 3) by Deborah Hopkinson and Amy June Bates or Elizabeth Leads the Way: Elizabeth Cady Stanton and the Right to Vote by Stone and Gibbon.

Genre 4- Biggest, Strongest, Fastest

Jenkins, Steve. Biggest, Strongest, Fastest. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1995.

RNF ISBN: 0-395-69701-8

PLOT SUMMARY
Biggest, Strongest, Fastest is a non-fiction story based on different animal facts. Jenkins goes into detail on all the “bests” of the animal kingdom like fastest, biggest, or slowest moving animal. This story states the simple facts about animals and then compares them to humans so that students can actually understand the difference!

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
When I read a children's book, I ask myself “Will I use this in my classroom?” Steve Jenkins’ Biggest, Strongest, Fastest would definitely be an asset to my classroom library or any library. Students will enjoy reading about animals (animals have always been a popular nonfiction choice) as well as reading about the interesting animals facts paired with each picture. This story uses simplistic illustrations. Pictures are “paper collage” and stand alone on the page. An interesting part of these illustrations is that some of them extend onto another page. For example, when describing the whale in this story, we learn that they whale is 110 feet long. To exaggerate the length of the whale, Jenkins continues the whale illustration from the front of the page onto the back. Biggest, Strongest, Fastest is a great nonfiction book!!

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
School Library Journal- “Large, clear print; fascinating facts; and beautiful, detailed, cut-paper collages make this excellent title a delight.” – Jan Ross

Booklist- “The facts are amazing. Their juxtaposition makes you gasp, not just about size and speed but about comparative wonders… The book's design makes it accessible at many levels. The youngest can identify the various creatures. Preschoolers can enjoy the one-sentence descriptions in large type.”

Horn Book- “A book that will stimulate thought and discussion about animals, art, and comparisons.”

CONNECTIONS
Math- Student’s can use the size chart located in the back of the book to compare numbers. Students could put the numbers in order from least to greatest.

Science- This story offers great scientific vocabulary! Students could also match the different sizes of the animals to the most appropriate animal.

Other stories by Steve Jenkins: Animal Dad’s, What Do You Do When Something Wants to Eat You?, and Hottest, Coldest, Highest, Deepest.

Genre 4 - Lincoln Tells a Joke: How Laughter Saved the President (and the Country)

Krull, Kathleen & Brewer, Paul. Lincoln Tells a Joke: How Laughter Saved the President (and the Country). Boston: Harcourt Children’s Books, 2010.

ISBN: 978-0-15-206639-0

PLOT SUMMARY

Lincoln Tells a Joke is a biography written about Abraham Lincoln. This story documents events in Lincoln’s life from when he was a small boy to his assassination in 1865. Krull and Brewer explain that Lincoln had quite a personality and loved laughter and joking around despite how his demeanor made him seem. We learn that though President Lincoln had a large amount of sadness and difficulties in his life but looked to humor for help. This story offers a fun way to learn about a very important person to America’s history.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Normally when teaching students about people who were important to America’s history, books and fairly boring material is used—materials like a textbook or an encyclopedia. Lincoln Tells a Joke is an example of a fun and interesting way to learn about Abraham Lincoln’s life. While reading this story students are not only learning about different events in history as well as Abraham Lincolns life, they are also learning about how President Lincoln was a fun man. The story couples facts and jokes to keep the reader interested. For example, we read “… there wasn’t much fighting over sea so Lincoln would joke that he ‘survived a good many bloody battles—with mosquitoes.” This story takes a boring topic and adds life to it! The illustrations have a painted look to them. The pictures offer smooth lines and the colors transition into one another to create an easy flowing story. Being a teacher I will add Lincoln Tells a Joke to my librarian to use as a supplement to social studies!

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

· School Library Journal- “Children will be drawn in by the straightforward prose, and librarians will enjoy sharing the book aloud." – Jody Kopple

· Horn Book- "…while not every word or picture is necessarily a hoot and a holler, they do present a positive portrait that humanizes the lionized man for whom it was “a love of laughter that kept him going.” – Andrew Medlar

CONNECTIONS

Compare and contrast: Allow students to find another story about Abraham Lincoln and compare the facts learned. Examples of stories to be used: Abraham Lincoln for Kids: His Life and Times with 21 Activities by Janis Herbert, Who was Abraham Lincoln? By Janet Pascal, Nancy Harrison and John O'Brien, Just in Time, Abraham Lincoln By Patricia Polacco.

Amazing Faces Digital Trailer

Genre 3-The Llama With No Pajama

Hoberman, Mary Ann. The Llama Who had No Pajama. New York: Harcourt Books, 1998.

ISBN: 0-15-200111-5

PLOT SUMMARY

Hoberman gives a wide variety of fun children’s poems in The Llama Who Had No Pajama. Within this book we read about everything from birthdays, and whales to swinging on swings. This book is a good example of traditional and rhyming poetry that is easily incorporated in the classroom or library.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

The poems in this book are cute and silly. Children and adults alike will enjoy the illustrations and rhyming. Fraser does an eloquent job of illustrating the pictures of seasons, animals, and people. No dark harsh lines are used. The pictures feel much more traditional than most poetry books I have read recently. Another interesting part of this poetry book is the “first line” index. This index is exactly what it sounds like- an index organized by the first line of each poem. I have never seen this done before and I think it is a really interesting way for students to use the index portion of a book. Not very many child’s books offer an index so most students don’t understand how utilize one. I would gladly add The Llama with No Pajama to my classroom library because it offers wonderful traditional poetry and can easily be incorporated into lessons.

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

· School Library Journal- “Good for beginning or experienced readers of poetry, this should indeed become a favorite."

· Horn Book- "This collection of some forty years of Hoberman verse is a charmer."

CONNECTIONS

· A teacher or librarian could work with Kindergarteners on rhyming or predicting words.

· The Llama With No Pajama is a great way to introduce a unit on poetry. The poems are simple and a lot of fun. It’s a good way to not overwhelm students while also keeping them intrigued.

· Readers Theatre- Using these poems in play form are a good way to get students moving and up out of their seats while at the same time, working with poetry.

Genre 3- one of those hideous books where the mother dies

Sones, Sonya. One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies. New York: Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, 2004.

ISBN 13: 978-0-689-85820-8

PLOT SUMMARY

One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies is a book written in poetry. A young girl, Ruby, loses her mother and muddles her way through her feelings in her new home in L.A., California. While communicating with her friends from Boston through email she tries to find new friends at her new school in California. This book is intended for a young adult audience, not elementary. Through out this book the reader covers topics like sex, homosexuality, friendship, breakup’s and death.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

I teach 3^rd grade so when I read through this book at first I was really uncomfortable! After finishing the entire story, I ended being proved wrong. I let the “real life” material of this story catch me off guard but for a young adult audience this is an easy read for students to relate to. It is different that the story is written in poetry and stanza’s. A lot like the novel Out of the Dust, this story takes a few pages to be able to find the rhythm of the poetry. At times this novel can be very grief stricken but Ruby brings an odd humor and smarty aleck attitude that lightens the mood and keeps the reader captivated. Though there aren’t any illustrations, One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies gives specific descriptions that help the reader feel as though they were there with Ruby, hugging the tree during the earthquake or finding out the Ray had chosen another girl. Overall, this story is one that any student could relate to!

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

School Library Journal: This is not just another one of those gimmicky novels written in poetry. It's solid and well written, and Sones has a lot to say about the importance of carefully assessing people and situations and about opening the door to one's own happiness.

CONNECTIONS

· Read another story written in verse and compare the two. Also, students could compare how a story written in poetry is different or similar from a story not written in poetry.

· Use this novel to focus on writing styles. Not every story has be told in a particular way. Examples: Poetry, journalism, novels, picture books, etc.

Genre 3- Messing Around on the Monkey Bars

Franco, Betsy. Messing Around on the Monkey Bars. Massachusetts: Candlewick Press, 2009.

ISBN: 978-0-7636-3174-1

PLOT SUMMARY

Messing Around on the Monkey Bars is a book of two voice poems about school children and their daily activities like recess, eating lunch, and riding the bus.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

This book is a great example of poetry geared towards the classroom. Students can easily relate to. Many times poetry is “left out of the loop” because it has a boring reputation. Franco gives us a fun example of modern poetry. Also, because this is a book of two voice poems there is an opportunity for students to read aloud and increase fluency!

The illustrations are by Jesse Hartland. Hartland’s illustrations are very child-like. They seem as if a child had drawn them and were created with watercolors. A student could easily approach this book and have fun reading it. Another characteristic that I liked about this book is the guide found at the beginning of the story. As we have learned by reading Children’s Literature in Action, poetry has become very rare so having a guide that teaches students how to read two-voice poetry is a help accommodation! Each part is in a different font and the parts where both students read together is bolded. Messing Around on the Monkey Bars is a fun, educational book! Great for the classroom!

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

· School Library Journal vol. 55 iss. 11 p. 94 (c) 11/01/2009- “Teachers and librarians looking for readers' theater materials will be delighted with this collection”

CONNECTIONS

There are fantastic opportunities for figurative language lessons within this book. For example, students can work on onomatopoeia recognition.

After reading through the poems in this book, students could write their own poems about their everyday experiences at school!