Archive for October 2010
Two Stories to Connect
Posted on: October 21, 2010
Ugly Pie by Lisa Wheeler. Illus. by Heather Solomon. Harcourt. Pages not numbered. Grades Preschool- 4. Picture book.
It’s fall and the perfect time for a book about making an apple pie. The first lines of this book capture the reader’s attention.
“Ol’ Bear woke up one morning with a hankerin’ for pie. Not just any pie. Ugly Pie. But the only ugly thing he had in his kitchen was some gooey sweet molasses. It tasted just fine, but it wasn’t what Ol’Bear was itchin’ for.”
Ol’ Bear then goes through his neighborhood asking for “Ugly Pie.” Each neighbor invites him to try some pie, but none of them are “Ugly Pie.” So Ol” Bear keeps on his quest. As he continues the neighbors give him some “ugly things” – raisins, apples, walnuts. Finally he has enough to make his own “Ugly Pie.” As he goes from house to house, he sings a fun song:
“Got the apples of my eye.
Ruby raisins-not too dry,
sweet molasses, my-oh-my!
But I’m still itchin’,
twitchin’, wishin”
for some Ugly Pie!”
O’ Bear finally makes a delicious “Ugly Pie” to share with a passel of neighbors. The rich, lilting, rhythmic language will have children singing along with Ol’ Bear. Solomon’s humorous illustrations add to the fun of the story and enhance the characterizations. The perspectives in the pictures vary showing close-ups and bird-eye views of the action. Best of all after enjoying the story children will want to make their own “Ugly Pie” from the recipe at the end of the story.
Wolf Pie by Brenda Seabrooke. Illus. by Liz Callen. Clarion Books. 48 pages. Grades 1-4. Beginning Chapter Book.
Connect Ugly Pie with Wolf Pie for more enjoyment. This beginning chapter book is for accomplished second grade readers and those that love to hear a humorous story read aloud. The story begins with three pig brothers building a new house. While clad in a proper business suit with bow tie, James Pygg, is working hard on the brick walls. His brothers, Marvin and Lester, are reading a book, “The Three Little Pigs.” They build their house, strong and sturdy to keep out the wolf. But Mr. Wolf comes anyway and threatens to blow their house down. However, all his huffing and puffing doesn’t work so Mr. Wolf decides to not let the pigs out if they won’t let him in. Throughout the winter he watches through the window while the pigs play games and read stories together. He even joins in, asking questions about the stories and giving clues to answer the riddles. When spring comes he begs to live with the pigs.
“I learned to sing. I like your games and riddles and stories. I don’t want to eat pigs anymore. Your food is better. Please let me live with you. I’ll be a good wolf, I promise. I’m reformed.”
The pigs and the wolf become friends and live together. They even fend off an attack from a pack of wolves. Seabrooke has created a rollicking yarn. Solomon’s comic illustrations comic illustrations add to the fun. Children may want to create their own new versions of folktales. Can the Three Billy Goats Gruff discover a peaceful co-existence with the Troll?
A Memorable Novel
Posted on: October 17, 2010
Mockingbird (mok’ing-bûrd) by Kathryn Erskine. (2010) 235 pages. Philomel. Grades 5 and up. Novel/Realistic Fiction.
Some books make indelible imprints on our hearts and memories. Mockingbird (mok’ing-bûrd) is such a book because it helps us understand and have empathy for a child with Asperger’s syndrome. Caitlin, a ten-year-old girl with Asperger’s syndrome, narrates the story of how she tries to help herself and her dad deal with grief. Her older brother, Devon and two others were killed in a shooting at his middle school. The school counselor, Mrs. Brook, works with Caitlin. Mrs. Brook tells her that, “people have a hard time understanding me (Caitlin) because I have Asperger’s so I have to try extra hard to understand them and that means working on emotions.” In a T.V. news report of the tragedy Caitlin hears the newscaster say, “isn’t it good that we now have closure?” Caitlin wonders “how CLOsure can help. And what it is.” Her dictionary, gives her a definition of closure: “the state of experiencing an emotional conclusion to a difficult life event such as the death of loved one.” Caitlin works hard to figure out how to reach closure in order to heal her father’s grief and her own.
Erskine writes in her Author Note at the end, “This book was inspired by the events at Virginia Tech as well as my own need to try to explain what it’s like for a child to have Asperger’s syndrome. … I hope that by getting inside her head (Caitlin), readers will understand seemingly bizarre behavior. And I hope that readers will see that, by getting inside someone’s head, really understanding that person, so many misunderstandings and problems can be avoided—misunderstandings and problems that can lead to mounting frustration and , sometimes, even violence.”
Erkine’s skill at storytelling and creating realistic characters helps her readers achieve that understanding. Caitlin’s literal take on the world provides levity and keeps the story from being sad. The characterizations of Mrs. Brook and Caitlin’s teachers show the positive support teachers and counselors can provide. The title refers to the movie, To Kill a Mockingbird. Caitlin loved to watch it with her brother and sees herself as Scout. Caitlin’s love of books enriches the story. She says – “Books are not like people. Books are safe.” Reference books and stories provide help her understand emotions. This is a book that children will want to discuss. Such discussions may lead to new understandings about the pain caused by bullying.
New Polacco Book
Posted on: October 9, 2010
The Junkyard Wonders by Patricia Polacco. (2010). Philomel. Pages not numbered. Grades 3 to 8. Picture Book.
Polacco’s Thank You, Mr. Falker remains one of my favorite books about a teacher who helped Patricia learn to read. In a time when teachers feel unappreciated, Polacco once again shows the way a dedicated teacher can change students’ lives. The teacher in this story, Mrs. Peterson, inspires her class on the first day of school by reading the dictionary definition of genius. Then she tells them to “Post it on your mirrors. Look at it every day. Memorize it! The definition describes every one of you.” The class is called “the junkyard” because as one of the boys tells Patricia the students in it are considered “different, odd. Like stuff in a junkyard.” Mrs. Peterson divides the class into tribes to work together on projects. The children become fast friends and do everything together even after school. They also protect each other from bullies in the school. When the children are especially discouraged about being picked on by other kids on the playground, one of the boys tells Mrs. Peterson, “We’re throwaways, junk, and everyone knows it.” Mrs. Peterson calls them her “Wonders,” and takes them to a junkyard to see that it is “a place full of wondrous possibilities!” There she tells them to “collect everything that you think could be made into something new. Remember, Wonders, here’s your chance. Forget what the object was … imagine what it could be!” Patricia’s tribe finds an old, torn-up model plane. They work hard to make it fly from the roof of the school at the school fair. Accomplishing their goal is a triumph because they experience and overcome many difficulties. This book is a testimony to teachers whose high expectations can inspire children to achieve. The illustrations provide colorful, animated extensions of the text. A postscript at the end tells about some of the “Wonders” as adults.
Nonfiction with Kid Appeal
Posted on: October 3, 2010
This last summer was filled with teaching summer school classes and a dream vacation to Europe. One of the best parts was attending the IBBY conference in Santiago De Compostela, Spain. Since returning home, I have been reading some wonderful books. This post will focus on the excellent nonfiction and biographies I found. These titles will tantalize the reading taste buds of youngsters who like to read about things that are “real and have really happened.” So I am back to blogging this time about biography and nonfiction.
Dave the Potter Artist, Poet, Slave by Laban C. Hill. Illus. by Bryan Collier. (2010). Little, Brown and Company. Pages not numbered. All Ages. Biography.
This unusual and stunning biography touches the heart as the sparse, lyrical text and powerful illustrations team to unfold the story of a slave, whose pottery and the poems he inscribed on them made him an important American artist. The poetic text concentrates on Dave’s process of making the pottery. The book ends with, “But before the jar/completely hardened,/Dave picked up a stick/and wrote to let us know/that he was here./I wonder where/is all my relation/friendship to all–/and, every nation.” Collier uses collage and watercolors to show different perspectives of making the pots. Some are a series of close-ups of Dave’s hands molding the pots. Other images show the environment where Dave worked. At the end Hill provides more information about Dave, his poems and a photograph of five pots. Both the author’s and illustrator’s notes tell about the inspiration and research for the book. A bibliography and list of websites offer ways for students to learn more about Dave.
Pop! The Invention of Bubble Gum by Meghan McCarthy. (2010). Simon & Schuster. Pages not numbered. Grades 1-5. Biography.
This book has lots of kid appeal from the endpapers that feature colorful bubble gum balls on a bright pink background to the last pages with “Facts about Gum” and “More Facts About Gum.” McCarthy concentrates on how Walter Diemer, an accountant for a candy and gum factory, got stuck on inventing a new kind of gum, bubble gum. Walter “spent months playing with different mixtures” until the mixture “bubbled and popped.”’ Walter thought the mixture needed some color. ““Pink coloring was the only one I had at hand,”” so bubble gum became pink! Walter’s “Dubble Bubble” became a success and Walter was promoted to Vice-President of the company. The colorful comic illustrations add to the fun. The facts at the end will intrigue children, i.e. “If you chew gum nonstop for a year straight you will lose eleven pounds (good luck with that, though!).”
Bulu: African Wonder Dog by Dick Houston. (2010). Random House. 323 pages. Grades 5-9. Biography.
This is a great dog story but also an account of a remarkable couple, Anna and Steve Tolan. The Tolans, former police officers, left their comfortable life in England for new adventures in Zambia. There they created a refuge for orphaned animals and a wildlife education center for the children of the area. The Tolans acquired Bulu as a puppy and he is the star of their story. They were warned about having a pet in the African bush, and some of Bulu’s harrowing adventures show why that warning was accurate. He has encounters with a cobra, crocodile and lions. Bulu has heart and unusual courage and he survives. He fosters and nurtures many of the orphans – monkeys, warthogs, a baboon, a bushbuck, a baby elephant. Black and white photographs enrich the text and show Bulu with the other animals. There is humor and suspense in this book. It would make an excellent choice to read aloud.
How to Clean a Hippopotamus: A Look At Unusual Animal Partnerships by Steve Jenkins & Robin Page. (2010). Houghton Mifflin. Pages not numbered. Grades 1-4. Nonfiction.
Jenkins and Page provide young readers with fascinating facts about animal symbiosis. The text describes how the animals have formed relationships in which each animal helps the other. For example, the oxpecker bird “debugs” large African animals like the giraffe, rhino, deer and buffalo by searching “for ticks and insects, pulling them off with its beak.” The bird also warns its host when predators are approaching. The collage illustrations feature each host animal and its partner with appealing details. The book design makes it readable and attractive. The back matter provides more information about each featured animal and symbiosis. This is a book that children will pour over and return to again and again.
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The next three books are outstanding new entries in the “Scientists in the Field” series. Together the books demonstrate how scientists around the world are working toward saving our environment and the creatures that dwell in it. Each book features stunning, full color, photographs that show close-ups of the creatures, the environments they live in and the scientists at work. The writing in each book gathers the reader into the narrative with stories from the field. These books are also outstanding in the way their text features, like sidebars, captions, insets, glossaries, indexes, further resources, guides to helping save the creatures, maps, bibliographies, appendixes are used to develop and extend the informative texts.
The Hive Detectives: Chronicle of a Honey Bee Catastrophe by Loree Griffin Burns. Photographs by Ellen Harasimowicz. (2010). Houghton Mifflin. 66 pages. Grades 5-8. Nonfiction.
The first sentence in this book makes the reader an active participant in the story. “Put on your veil, grab your hive tool, and light up your smoker… …we’re going into a beehive.” Burns first explains the vital role played by honey bees in pollinating crops, fruit and nut trees and vegetable plants. Then she describes colony collapse disorder (CCD), a mysterious scourge that is wiping out hives all over our country, and how scientists are working to understand how to combat it. The reader learns about bees and the ways bee keepers are taking care of them. Photographs of the bees in the hive and at their work are detailed and exciting to see. It is especially intriguing to learn about the scientists’ careful detective work in addressing the possible causes of CCD. An appendix provides more information about this amazing insect.
Kakapo Rescue: Saving the World’s Strangest Parrot by Sy Montgomery. Photographs by Nic Bishop. (2010). Houghton Mifflin. 74 pages. Grades 5-8. Nonfiction.
Montgomery and Bishop have other prize winning books in this series. This is sure to be another winner for them. This book tells about a project on a remote island off the New Zealand coast to save the last ninety-one kakapo parrots on earth. Compelling writing paints visual portraits of the unique parrots and the scientists’ efforts to save them.
It’s hours past midnight. You’d think any self-respecting parrot would be asleep. But not Lisa.
No, despite the late hour, this huge, soft, moss-green bird, looking somewhat like a parakeet who has eaten one side of the mushroom in Alice in Wonderland and grown into an eight-pound giant, decides this is a great time to waddle out of her nest—a nest that’s not in a tree, like a normal parrot’s, but underground.
A large size photograph of the bird accompanies these opening paragraphs. Montgomery and Bishop became part of the story because they spent ten-days on the island learning about the work of New Zealand’s National Kakapo Recovery Team. One of the last photographs shows Montgomery in “a dazzling encounter” with one of the parrots.
Project Seahorse by Pamela S. Turner. Photographs by Scott Tuason. (2010). Houghton Mifflin. 57 pages. Grades 5-8. Nonfiction.
This book also profiles an animal, the seahorse, which is in trouble because of environmental damage and overfishing. The underwater photographs of the appealing creatures dazzle. A variety of the species are pictured. This book focuses on the coral reefs off Handumon, a small village on an island in the Philippines. There the two women scientists who have founded Project Seahorse work tirelessly with local fishermen, villages and their research team to protect the seahorses and the livelihood of local fishing families. The photos of the scuba divers, fishermen at work and the gorgeous life of the coral reef compel the reader’s attention. Some chapters are just devoted to describing the unique aspects of the life cycle of the seahorse like the way the male seahorse gives birth from his brood pouch. Other chapters outline the threats to this gentle creature like traditional Chinese Medicine that uses dried, ground up seahorses for medicine. A final chapter describes the positive outcomes that have come about through the efforts of Project Seahorse.
Marilyn Carpenter, PhD.
The Children's Book Compass 
