A Picture Tells A Thousand Words

MODULE 5: PICTURE BOOKS
September 28-October 4

The Very Hungry Caterpillar
By: Eric Carle
Ages 1-9

Summary:

This classic children's picture book describes the life of a caterpillar, from its beginnings as an egg to its transformation into a beautiful butterfly. The caterpillar is so hungry and the reader takes delight in seeing him stuff his face throughout an entire week.


My Impressions:

This is a wonderful book that children really enjoy. The illustrations are marvelous, and the story is so simple and yet teaches and explains an important part of nature, the life cycle of a caterpillar.


Reviews:

"Carle’s beautiful collages explain the scientific process of metamorphosis with bold images appropriate for children of all ages. This is a classic book that should not be missed! Category: Classics; Concept; Read Aloud. Grade Level: Toddlers; Preschool; Primary (K-3rd grade). 1969, Philomel Books. Ages 1 to 9."-Allison, BookHive (www.bookhive.org)


Lesson Plans:

This story works perfectly for a preschool story time, and should be read and re-read to children of all ages. The story pairs nicely with science lessons, and could also be used for art classes as an example of collage works and paintings. Finally the story presents educators with a good opportunity to incorporate a numbers and counting lesson into their curriculum.



Carle, Eric. The Very Hungry Caterpillar. New York: Philomel Books, 1969.

www.bookhive.org. "Children's Literature Reviews: The Very Hungry Caterpillar". Children's Literature Comprehensive Database. September 25, 2009.

Award Winning Books

MODULE 4: NEWBERY AND PRINTZ AWARD WINNERS
September 21-27





A Step From Heaven
By: An Na
Ages 12 and Up

Summary:

A Step From Heaven is a book that takes and pulls the reader into the life, mind, and thoughts of a young girl. The reader lives side by side with Young Ju, as she leaves her native land of Korea as a young child and emigrates to the United States. The reader follows as Young Ju experiences life growing up in the United States. She must learn a new language and a new culture all the while struggling with personal tragedies in her own home. One trial she is struggling with at home is living in constant poverty. Both her mother and father work multiple jobs in order to support the family and provide them with a better life. Another trial she must deal with is an abusive father who is also an alcoholic. He physically and verbally abuses all the members of her family and on a regular basis and is constantly inebriated. In addition to her more serious tribulations, the reader sees Young Ju struggle with such issues as fitting in at school, sibling rivalry, and other everyday complications. If the reader is unable to connect with Young Ju in her serious problems, the reader can relate to her everyday challenges. This is what endears her to the reader, and keeps the audience engaged and hanging onto every word.


My Impressions:

I was completely enthralled with this book, and I couldn't put it down. An Na's writing style is so pleasing and attractive. I found the words and story to be mesmerizing. I believe that Na captures the essence of both children and young adults extremely well. This is a survival story with a powerful message that says that you can do anything you put your mind to. After everything that the Park family goes through, Young Ju manages to graduate from high school and receive a scholarship, and the family is able to finally purchase a house, a home, of their own. I think that it is interesting that once the "dead weight", or the father in this case, is gone, the family is finally able to be successful. This is an important message for women to remember that sometimes it is possible to be happier and more successful on one's own.


Reviews:

"This is written in the first person present tense with no burdensome narrative, which makes it appealing for younger readers with short attention spans. The manner and sensitivity of the storytelling itself will appeal to all readers. It would work well as supplemental reading for many of the social studies in areas of culture, immigration, abuse, and poverty. We will eagerly await more from this author. (Note: Winner, 2002 Michael L. Printz Award, and an ALA Best Book for YAs.) Exceptional book, recommended for junior and senior high school students, advanced students, and adults."-Ann Hart, KLIATT Review, March 2003 (Vol. 37, No. 2)


Lesson Plans:

This book provides an excellent opportunity to get students thinking about succeeding even in times of adversity. Students should create a list of the multiple problems this family experiences. On a separate list, students should write down how the situation ended. A new list of alternative solutions to these problems should then be created. For example with domestic violence and abuse, students should brainstorm ways Young Jun and her family could have received help. Examples would include calling 9-1-1, speaking with a counselor at school, moving in with their Aunt and Uncle Tim. This book also provides an opportunity to think about Asian cultures and discuss similarities and differences.


Hart, Ann. "Children's Literature Reviews: A Step From Heaven". Children's Literature Comprehensive Database. September 25, 2009 .

Na, An. A Step From Heaven. Asheville, NC: Front Street, 2001.

Award Winning Books

Module 4: NEWBERY AND PRINTZ AWARD WINNERS
September 21-27

Island of the Blue Dolphins
By: Scott O'Dell
Ages: 9-12

Summary:

A tale of survival and courage of a young woman, this book is an interesting read. Karana jumps off her chance at a new life and courageously swims back to the Island of the Blue Dolphins to protect and take care of her brother. She assumes and hopes that another ship will return soon to retrieve her, but slowly realizes as the months and then years pass by that she is on her own. Karana thinks only of her survival and prepares herself for each day's challenges, obstacles, and even the possible return of the Aleuts. She befriends the surrounding wildlife, and secures a steadfast bond with one of the wild dogs who roams the island. She names him Rontu, and the book goes on to tell of her day to day life and adventures.


My Impressions:

This is another book that I have always wanted to read, and I was delighted to finally have the chance. I found this to be a very good book, that is well written. It is a timeless story and the survival theme is very interesting and many readers will find it intriguing. It reminded me of an older version of Gary Paulsen's thrilling book, The Hatchet. I especially enjoyed Karana's bond and relationship with her dog Rontu. I have a wonderful dog of my own, and I think that I could survive on an island alone for many years with just him for company.


Reviews:

"Winner of the Newbery Medal in 1961, this story of Karana, the Indian girl who lived alone for eighteen years on an island off the coast of California, still fascinates young readers. Her survival story--fighting the wild dogs and loneliness, hunting for food, and hoping to be rescued--is spellbinding." -Marilyn Courtot (Children's Literature)


Lesson Plans:

This book provides educators and librarians with an excellent opportunity for a cross curricular lesson plans. The books discusses many varieties of wildlife including both plants and animals. This presents the perfect learning opportunity for science classes to delve into discussions on endangered species, poaching, and hunting animals for sport. Students can be given a particular member of wildlife mentioned in the book and present reports and projects on that animal. In addition, students could participate in a "Survivor" Reality Show of their own with situations based on the book. Students could act out various scenes and they could write their own survival based adventure stories and essays.

Courtot, Marilyn. "Children's Literature Reviews: The Island of the Blue Dolphins". Children's Literature Comprehensive Database. September 20, 2009 .

O'Dell, Scott. The Island of the Blue Dolphins. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1988.

Books Promoting Diversity and Culture

Module 3: Caldecott, Coretta Scott King, and Pure Belpre Winners
September 14-20

The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses
By: Paul Goble
Ages 5-8

Summary:

This is a nicely written Native American fairytale, where a young girl is the caretaker of the horses in her village. One day a terrible storm arises, and the horses run off in fear. As the girl is their caretaker, she follows them in order to bring them back. Frightened they travel a great distance, very far from home. A handsome and grand wild stallion greets them and entices the girl and her horses to join him. The girl quickly begins to love the stallion and the gorgeous land he roams. She finds her place with the stallion and the other wild horses and decides that she has a new home of her own.


My Impressions:

Since I am a girl who loves wild horses, I selected this book for my blog. It is a very nice story that will appeal to a wide range of children, especially girls who consider themselves to be horse crazy. As a child, I often dreamed of riding off into the sunset with horses and frequently imagined myself as an animal of some sort. The best part of this book is the beautiful illustrations. They closely resemble pieces of artwork, and are unlike the illustrations found in a typical children's picture book.


Reviews:

In this Caldecott Medal book, Goble tells the story of how a girl so loved horses that, according to this Native American legend, she eventually became one. Beautiful, bright color illustrations on every spread expand upon the spare, but effective text. A true delight for those who love folklore and horses. The text closes with two Native American songs celebrating horses. Ages 5 to 8. -Marilyn Courtot (Children's Literature)


Lesson Plans:

This book is great not only because it is a Caldecott winner, but it is also a wonderful book that could be used to help promote diversity and multicultural understanding and tolerance within children. This book would be a great creative addition to discussions and activities dealing with Native American culture and history. The book ends with two traditional poems from Native American culture. These poems could be memorized and presented or performed by students. Students could also use these poems as examples and could create nature based poetry of their own.



Courtot, Marilyn. "Children's Literature Reviews: The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses". Children's Literature Comprehensive Database. September 11, 2009 .


Goble, Paul. The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses. New York: Simon & Schuster Books, 1978.

Books Promoting Diversity and Culture

Module 3: Caldecott, Coretta Scott King, and Pura Belpre Winners
September 14-20

Bud, Not Buddy
By: Christopher Paul Curtis
Grade 6 and Up

Summary:

Bud Caldwell is a 10 year old boy on a quest to find his father. For four years, he has tried to obey the rules of society which says he needs to stay in a foster home, but he can no longer endure the ridicule and torment of his adoptive families. His mother has been dead for four years, and so he only has a hunch that the man in his flyer is his father. Herman E. Calloway is a famous jazz musician who plays the upright bass and lives in Grand Rapids. Bud runs way from his latest tormentor, Todd, and sets out to find Herman E. Calloway, the man he believes is his father. Along the way he meets up with nice people such as the local librarian, the residents of the Hooverville town just outside of Flint, Michigan, Lefty Lewis the railroad porter, and the beautiful and talented Ms. Thomas, who all help him out, give him food and shelter along the way. One of the most beautiful literary metaphors in this book is the image that an idea often begins as a small seed, is planted, nurtured, and grows into a large maple tree.


My Impressions:

I was blown away by this book. It is so entertaining, exciting, and fun. I loved the way that the author wrote. Curtis' writing style is so comfortable and familiar. I frequently laughed out loud as I read each chapter. I love how Bud is so strong and independent. He had no problem sleeping in trees and keeping a knife under his leg for protection. Yet at the same time he had this overactive imagination and would always scare himself. I love the scene where he reads the box in Lefty Lewis' car that says, "human blood." His imagination leads him to believe that Lefty is an actual vampire. Although he is afraid, he locks the car, puts it into gear, and attempts to drive off and leave the evil vampire Lefty behind in the dark. Even though he is truly scared, he has so much courage, and is able to take action and try to save himself. These characteristics make him the perfect hero. This book is thoroughly entertaining, and full of emotion; laughter, sadness, joy, helplessness, faith, and courage, just to name a few.


Reviews:

"The book provides some valuable lessons about growing up, relationships with others and dealing with adversity. It is an excellent acquisition for any school or public library and a worthy example of quality writing for any creative writing program. Thematic links include: Family; Personal Struggles; Quest; Orphans; Homeless; Survival; Helpers; Friendship; History--Depression; Creative Writing. Resource Links Rating: E (Excellent, enduring, everyone should see it!), Grade 6 up. Ages 11 up." -Gail Lennon, Resource Links, December 1999 (Vol. 5, No. 2)


Lesson Plans:

This book provides librarians and educators with many options to incorporate within any school curriculum. The first and most obvious choice of lesson plans would be to use this book for Black History Month activities and lessons. This book would also be a fantastic read aloud book for students in younger grades during story times, etc. Another great way to utilize this book in the classroom would be to expose students to the world of jazz music. Even though jazz music will not be apart of the standard school curriculum, using jazz as a teaching tool or activity extension will allow students to use their imagination and creativity to design related projects, or write papers and essays. Using jazz music as an extension activity will foster a greater love of literature in the students and cause them to remember the lessons and morals of the story. This story can also be linked with history and the Great Depression Era. Assignments and projects could be developed jointly between the Social Studies and English departments featuring the descriptions and issues mentioned in this book. Finally, at the end of the audio book, the author briefly discusses the book. Christopher Paul Curtis concludes by expressing his regrets that he didn't take the time to talk with his grandparents about their experiences growing up in during the Depression. This book could be used to develop genealogy based projects for the classroom. Students could interview relatives or neighbors to discover something exciting and interesting about the past.




Curtis, Christopher Paul. Bud, Not Buddy. New York: Random House, 1999.

Lennon, Gail. "Children's Literature Reviews: Bud, Not Buddy". Children's Literature Comprehensive Database. September 11, 2009 .

Children's Treasures From Days Gone By

Module 2: Classic Children's and Young Adult Literature
September 7-13

Harold and the Purple Crayon
By: Crockett Johnson
Ages 2-7

Summary:

This is a beautiful story of a wee little boy who decides to create his own destiny. Harold wants to take a walk in the moonlight one night. Although there isn't any moon and really nowhere to go, Harold grabs a purple crayon and begins drawing his own adventure. He comes across some challenges but uses his head and conquers every obstacle.


My Impressions:

I have always wanted to read this book, but just never stopped for a few moments to do it. It is a very cute story, with a great message. I love how Harold just handles his problems and just quickly devises a viable solution. This story teaches a valuable life lesson.


Reviews:

"Harold’s fiftieth birthday (he appeared in 1955) finds him much the same as ever except for an anniversary sticker and a brighter jumpsuit on the cover. At the time, his creator, Crockett Johnson, was already known for political cartoons in New Masses, his comic strip Barnaby, and pictures for children’s books by his wife Ruth Krauss. In the last decade of his life, Johnson turned to painting large abstracts based on geometric theorems. The paintings are mostly forgotten, but Harold has delighted children for generations with his insouciant look and his big purple crayon, with which he creates an entire universe of imaginative adventures on perfectly blank pages.... Johnson’s style is, as he explained, “simplified, almost diagrammatic for clear storytelling, avoiding all arbitrary decoration.” Baby Harold and his crayon live on--admired by artists like Chris Van Allsburg and Maurice Sendak, praised by critics, loved by children--as a celebration of the power of art and imagination. Ages 2 to 7.-Barbara L. Talcroft (Children's Literature)"


Lesson Plans:

Hand students a single crayon and have them write and illustrate their own 'color' story. Students should think of various problems they encounter in their everyday lives. Using only one crayon, they must first try to find an unusual or far fetched solution to that problem. Next students should find a logical solution the problem. Students should then draw out the problem and both solutions.


Johnson, Crockett. Harold and the Purple Crayon. New York: Harper Collins, 1983.

Talcroft, Barbara, L. "Children's Literature Reviews: Harold and the Purple Crayon". Children's Literature Comprehensive Database. September 6, 2009 .

Youth Treasures From Days Gone By

Module 2: Classic Children's and Young Adult Literature
September 7-13

The Book of Three
By: Lloyd Alexander
Grades 5 and Up

Summary:

Exciting and thrilling are very descriptive words that simply do not go far enough in expressing the adventure and suspense the reader feels when reading this classic young adult book. The Book of Three is the first book in a series of five Lloyd Alexander entitles The Chronicles of Prydain. The reader meets the bored and frustrated Taran, who is an assistant pig keeper in the much too peaceful land of Caer Dallben. Taran longs for adventure and to become a hero. When the evil Horned King seeks Hen Wen, the pig Taran is in charge of, she runs off. Taran is quickly thrust into the life of hero as he sets off to find Hen Wen. He quickly discovers that the life of a hero is not as glamorous as he expected. He faces peril and terror at each and every turn. He makes some wonderful friends along the way like Gurgi, Eilonwy, Fflewddur Fflam, and his new mentor Gwydion. He makes terrible mistakes such as always managing to offend his fellow companion Eilonwy, but he also learns some powerful lessons such as "there are times when the seeking counts more than the finding."



My Impressions:

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and was completely taken aback. When I selected it, I had no idea what it was about. I was pleasantly surprised and found the book to be interesting and was completely engrossed by the second chapter. I loved the relationship between Eilonwy and Taran, and found myself laughing at the direct and pointblank statements she frequently threw out at Taran. Eilonwy always spoke her mind and I really loved this character. I will definitely continue the series at some point because it is so well written and entertaining. I realized later that the Disney movie, The Black Cauldron is based on the second book in the series. I am anxious to watch this movie again and see if the characters illustrated by Disney match the pictures in my head.



Reviews:

"Lloyd Alexander's The Book of Three is a rousing tale of fantasy. Set in the imaginary kingdom of Prydain, Alexander incorporates both elements of Welsh folk tales and intriguing fantasy. Together these form an engaging story for readers of all ages. The tale itself centers around a boy, Taran, who is an Assistant Pig-Keeper to the oracular pig Hen Wen. Taran experiences internal conflict because of his great desire to become a hero, and external conflict when he is thrown into a great adventure inadvertently. The characters are extraordinary as they battle to save the land in a classic tale of good versus evil. This book is highly recommended to all readers young or old. A pronunciation guide is an added bonus to this wonderful book. Fiction, Highly Recommended. Grades 5 and up. -Cassidy Burleson (The Lorgnette - Heart of Texas Reviews Vol. 12, No. 3"

Lesson Plans:

This is such a creative and imaginative book full of magical and interesting characters, kingdoms, and creatures. Students should be encouraged to create artwork to depict the various people, places, and events that take place in the novel. The best artwork could then become a part of a display in the library. Hopefully other students would be inspired by the artwork and become interested in reading the book as well.

Alexander, Lloyd. The Book of Three. New York: Holt, 1999.

Burleson, Cassidy. "Children's Literature Reviews: The Book of Three". Children's Literature Comprehensive Database. September 6, 2009 .