I have never been a big fan for Cat in the Hat books. However, I decided to give this book a try since it’s a nonfiction ‘Learning Library’ science book. I thought it may be a little different than their rhyming style. Each page in this book has a little rhyme that does give factual information about animals. To me it is a bit confusing and it is hard for me to learn the content. However, I think these books appeal to children because it is cartoony and colorful. Some children have learning styles that make the sing-song poem easier for them to retain. ( )
I liked how realistic the setting in this book was. The teacher, Mrs. O’ Neil, does a great impression how classroom management. Her dialogue with the children helps teach science through this book. It was a short, easy read. I really liked how Claudia Mills ended some of the chapter repetitively by using the comparison of Pluto and Oliver. Many children are confused when they are taught in science class that Pluto is no longer a planet, therefore, this book could be beneficial to have in your classroom library. I also liked Oliver’s little problem of standing up for himself. It’s not often that parents realize how smothering they can be. ( )
Slowly, the Nazis would give restrictions to the Jews. They couldn’t leave their house after certain hours. They had to shop at certain stores. They weren’t allowed to travel. They weren’t allowed to listen to the radio. (Hana’s father did try to wiggle around the restrictions with the church bell.) They were stripped of their rights until they had none left. By allowing one thing to be taken away, it made it easier for the Nazis to take it all way. If you can’t do this, then you may not as well be able to do this, etc. Until ultimately, they were forced to wear the Star of David as a sign of inferiority. Levine does an amazing job of capturing Hana’s innocence while writing about the traumatic events of the Holocaust. She does it in a way so that children and people can grow to love Hana. Knowing Hana saved her buchta for George to eat was tear jerking. George lived with this guilt for so long. But honestly, that little piece of bread that she did not eat and gave to George really could have made the difference to whether he lived in the end or not. Levine does an amazing job of capturing Hana’s innocence while writing about the traumatic events of the Holocaust. She does it in a way so that children and people can grow to love Hana. Knowing Hana saved her buchta for George to eat was tear jerking. George lived with this guilt for so long. But honestly, that little piece of bread that she did not eat and gave to George really could have made the difference to whether he lived in the end or not. I would rate this 4 stars because I was confused on who was Jacob and who was Sam from the pictures. Once I figured it out, I thought it was pretty cool how the child with the disability was white and the other boy was African American. It was significant because this book was published in 1980. The book starts off with what Jacob can do. It focused on how he was such a caring, thoughtful person. It also showed progress, that he could still learn simple things such as knocking on the door. Overall, a very simple, realistic book. ( )
I really liked this author’s style of writing. Because the point of view is told through Sugar’s spunky personality. She uses phrases like ‘I think this must be what freedom is. On the river, hearing water while a soft wind strokes your cheek. Seeing blue sky, bright sun, and a horizon that never ends’ to give dreamy imagery and emotion to the reader. (Page 35). Sugar’s character is a blank canvas because she was born as a slave on River Road Plantation, never having have step foot off the property. Her yearning to see what’s out there plays into the relationships she develops with Billy and the Beau as she learns more about different people and places. This yearning is described on page 58, ‘I know I’m behaving badly, but I can’t help myself. Unhappiness, like a wildfire, is burning inside me.’ I enjoyed this book because I have also folded origami when I was younger. It has a cute, imaginative plot where the little boy creates his own world with his creations. One particular poem was ‘Ostrich’s Injury. I’m sorry my cat attacked. Glue? Staple? Tape? Band-aid?’ makes the origami come to life. It gets emotions and thoughts to paper. The poem comes to life just like how the origami paper creations are alive. ( )
I probably cried about 4 times while reading this book. The books just seem to get more intense and emotional as the semester reaches it’s last month. I currently work with a 1st grade student that has Troyer’s Syndrome which affects his muscles. He can not speak loud or clearly, however, his social skills are exceptional and he does not have a problem making friends. I also think because he is only 7 years old, he does not face the criticism and judgments that Caitlyn does for her ‘disability’. Caitlyn faces a different situation because her disability is not physical. People do not know that she is different just by glancing at her. She develops a reputation of being the ‘weird girl’ at school because children do not understand her disability. I personally did not know the effects of Asperger’s syndrome, how could I expect another child to?
I think it was clever for Erskine to include an autistic child in the book. This gave readers insight on the huge spectrum of disabilities. Caitlyn is categorized as highly functional. Erskine was also clever to place Caitlyn in a middle class family with a single parent. This allows Caitlyn to attend a public school with the school counselor, Mrs. Brook, as her only source of additional help. I think the fact that Erskine places the setting during the aftermath of a school shooting heightened the emotional response we get from Caitlyn. Her disability centers around her inability to read emotions. Since she was completely unaware of the entire community mourning it allowed her character to build as she becomes aware and even helps give back to the community through the Eagle chest. ( )
I really enjoyed reading this book because I am a huge fan of Laura Ingalls Wilder. I grew up reading the Prairie books. This nonfiction biography of her is interesting because it gave many details that were also in the series. There were several things that we different. Such as the death of her baby brother and moving out of Wisconsin originally. I think this book was pretty much a summary of the series crammed into one. It was missing all of the elements of adventure that Laura was able to capture in her bookks. ( )
This biography is one of the more lengthy picture books I’ve read all semester. The beginning of the book, the author focuses on Sam Clemens’ mischievous behavior and vivid imagination. His childhood friends became characters in his books as he relieved their many adventures. ‘In many of Mark Twain’s books people die by drowning. This was an area of expertise for Sam, who by the age of nine was almost drowning on a regular basis. Expertise was essential to Mark Twain, who always tried to write what he knew — whether or not it had actually happened.’ This book was extremely wordy, and I found myself getting lost in it. ( )
This book left me speechless. This children’s book along with its illustrations are everything a children’s book is supposed to be. The colors and pictures tell the story of a fearless Pakistan girl who advocated for the education of women. The page ‘Malala will be free as a bird’ and the pages with no text are profound and have a huge impact on the content of the book. ( )
AG Ford does an amazing job with the illustrations in this book. He creates a vivid, realistic view of America from JFK’s wealthy perspective. I really liked how this book was realistic and not shy about the fact that John Kennedy came from a wealthy, respectable family. The Kennedys were said to be the closest thing to royalty that America had. It was also emphasized that JFK was a successful president because of his charisma, ways of words, and ability to express himself. This can inspire children to work diligently in school so that they too can become president of the United States. ( )
I absolutely love reading about Helen Keller and Annie Sullivan. This book is written for children and explains Helen Keller’s situation in a way that children will be able to understand. Annie was able to do the impossible at the time and teach Helen Keller, a little girl who could not see nor hear. The relationship between the two could inspire teacher and student. I like how the book focused on Helen’s frustration and temper during her childhood. The words flowed seamlessly as the finger spelling and learning increased. ( )
It is interesting to me that the illustrations appear to be draw with mud and colored clays. It correlates with the title of the book – A Golem made with Mud. This folklore tale plays on the greediness of an emperor and his desire to turn iron into gold. It is a Jewish folklore with alchemists, wizards, and magicians. A rabbi wanted to prevent the burning of holy books because it angered the emperor that the secret was no hidden among them. The emperor neglected the city of Prague and the Jews were forced to live in ghettos. There are a lot of descriptive words that tell the story. ‘In its rage the golem grew larger and larger. Flames shot from its eyes and streaked across the sky. The terrified crowd ran in all directions.’ These words paint a vivid image in the readers head. There is a menorah in one of the illustrations even though the text does not mention it at all. The golem wore the emperor’s palace on top of its head like a crown. This perhaps was my favorite page. The city is drawn in the shape of a crown and now the golem is King.
The book immediately speaks to their readers by informing them of how this version of Cinderella is the real one because the character knew Cinderella personally. It is told by a worker in the neighborhood that Cinderella grew up in. It is also based in the Caribbean so the characters have a different dialect or accent. The worker is also poor, but decides to help Cinderella instead of herself. She is the true fairy Godmother even though she used a magic item to help her. She is a real person which makes this folklore version of Cinderella more realistic. She also attends the ball. This book is written in lyrical prose. As I am reading the pages, the words seem to flow so effortlessly out of my mouth. This is a Halloween edition to Cinderella. Cinderella is prettier skeleton than the rest of her family. Instead of a glass slipper, her entire foot is broken off. The other women living in this dead world, also break off their foot in order to pass the marriage test. This book would appeals to an audience of Tim Burton.
