Module 6 - The Wreck of the Zephyr

 Courtesy of yourbooksworld.com

Book Summary:   
This story is about a young man who claims to be the best sailor that has ever been.  One night he goes out in a storm and wakes up on an unfamiliar beach.  He walks to the nearest village and on his way notices that sailboats are sailing in the air rather than on water.  He wants to learn to sail the air. A man he meets takes him up and tries to teach him.  That night he goes out by himself and goes home.  When he arrives, his boat goes back to the ground.  He spends the rest of his life looking for the island with air-sailing boats.

APA Reference:
Van Allsburg, C. (1983). The wreck of the zephyr. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company.

My Impressions: 

  The artistry in this book adds so much to the story.  The story itself shows how the imagination can lead to amazing adventures.  I can see many boys dreaming of flying through the air with their sailboat.  Children reading this book will see the benefit of using their imaginations and reaching for their dreams.  It also shows the value of perserverance.  The boy spent his whole life looking for that island and still didn't give up.

Professional Reviews:

Award-winning children’s book author Chris van Allsburg brings us another original fantasy.  In it a young boy, brilliant at sailing, scoffs at the advice of more experienced sailors and ventures out into a storm.  When his boat capsizes, he finds himself on an island populated by people who sail in the sky with the use of special sails.  Determined to master this new skill, he steals some sails and uses them to travel home.  Forgetting that the sails do not work over land, he decides to show off by ringing his village’s bell tower and, like a modern-day Icarus, plunges from the sky.  The ending is a little more gentle than the Greek story, and instead of perishing he lives out his life limping from his injury, searching for new sails to restore his flight.Van Allsburg, in his characteristically understated way, spins the story in a somber mood, allowing the fantastical story events and the timeless themes of pride, desire, and sorrow to emerge with quiet grandeur.  This kind of fantasy may appeal best to serious-minded children, but even those who are used to more lighthearted books may benefit from this story of inflated pride which leads to tragedy.

Professional Review Reference:
Gonzalez, S. (2009, September 6). Eye level books: Literature for a christian imagination. Retrieved from http://www.eyelevelbooks.com/2010/09/06/book-review-the-wreck-of-the-zephyr/

Library Uses: This would be a good "read aloud" book for any library.  Also, it could be used for demonstrating artwork in books.  Some artist will come to schools and create a piece of art while a story is being told.  This would be a good introduction for that sort of activity.

Module 6 - And the Dish Ran Away with the Spoon

Courtesy of thereadingbook.com

Book Summary:   
This book starts with the traditional nursery rhyme about the dish running away with the spoon.  For some reason Dish and Spoon failed to return this time for the nightly reading.  Cat gathers Cow and Dog and they begin looking for Dish and Spoon.  They make their way through the neighborhood on their search.  They visit well known nursery rhyme characters from Miss Muffet and Spider to Little Boy Blue to Big Bad Wolf.  They eventually find Dish and Spoon with a few mishaps along the way.
APA Reference:

Stevens, J., & Crummel, S. S. (2001). And the dish ran away with the spoon. Orlando, FL: Harcourt, Inc.

My Impressions: 

 This is a really enjoyable book for young children.  Anyone who enjoys nursery rhymes will enjoy this

 extention of nursery rhymes.  Dish has run away with Spoon and neglected to return.  I love how Cat gets

 upset and rounds up the troops to find them.  It was very creative to use other nursery rhymes to make a

 neighborhood to travel through. 

 

Professional Reviews:

K-Gr 3-The nursery community takes action when the dish and spoon fail to return from their nightly romp. Little Miss Muffet, Bo Peep, the Big Bad Wolf, and Humpty Dumpty help Cat, Cow, and Dog locate the AWOL dinnerware before bedtime. Children can be encouraged to think about favorite book characters as part of a larger literary community, and hone their mapping skills as they follow the map of the animals' search. The oversized illustrations, particularly of Dog in her party hat and polka-dot tutu, are hilarious.

Professional Review Reference:

Auerbach, B. (2005). And the dish ran away with the spoon. School Library Journal, 51(9), 60. Retrieved from http://www.schoollibrarymonthly.com/

Library Uses: 
One good use for this book would be for a community volunteer to come into the library and do a reading of this book.  It would be best used in the lower elementary grades. 
Another use for this book would be have a month dedicated to poetry.  This would be a perfect book for the display.

Module 5 - Bud, Not Buddy

 Courtesy of Bing images

Book Summary:   
Bud, Not Buddy is a book about a young black orphan boy during the Jazz era.  He starts out in an ophanage and is sent to live with a foster family.  When things turn bad due to their already existent child, Bud decides take off on his own.  He begins by trying to have his first meal at the mission.  Then he goes to the library.  Finally a friend from the orphanage catches up with him.  The decided to go west.  They stay the night in a camp made up of cardboard boxes.  Bud misses the train and decides to look for his true father.  All he has to go on is flyer he received from his mother.  He starts walking to the next town.  He gets picked up and eventually makes it to the place supposed to be owned by his father, Herman E. Calloway (a jazz band leader and club owner).  Of course, when Bud confronts his father, his father doesn't believe him.  Herman's band takes Bud in.  Through a course of events they finally learn the truth, that Herman isn't his father but actually his grandfather.  This book gives a good example of what life was like for blacks and poor people during the Jazz era.

APA Reference:
Curtis, P. C. (1999). Bud, not buddy. New York, NY: Scholastic.

My Impressions: 

I really enjoyed this book.  Though fiction, the settings and events that take place are characteristically

accurate to the day and time being portrayed.  For instance, Herman E. Calloway couldn't actually own his

club because he was black.  He always kept a white member of the band that he could put the club's name

in.  This would be an excellent book for teachers to use during Black History Month.  I also liked the

portayal of Hoovertown.  The towns set up outside of cities made of cardboard boxes were lived in by

families who didn't have enough money to rent or buy houses.  I actually learned a lot from this book.

 

Professional Reviews:

Bud, Not Buddy, by Christopher Paul Curtis, made history on Martin Luther King Day in January 2000. It was the first children's book in literary history to receive both the 2000 John Newbery Award book and 2000 Coretta Scott King Author Award. The committees work independently to make their selections so the announcement of the awards that morning in San Antonio, Texas, at the American Library Association midwinter meeting surprised everyone in the audience, including the committee members. Bud, Not Buddy has evolved as not only the most distinguished choice in literature for 1999, but also has become one of the more popular Newbery Award titles.

It is a heartfelt novel that resonates with both zest and tenderness as it entertains questions about racism, belonging, love, and hope. Bud's fast-paced, first-person account moves with the rhythms of jazz and celebrates life, family, and a child's indomitable spirt. It is the story of ten-year-old Bud Caldwell, recently orphaned and living in Flint, Michigan, during the Great Depression. After leaving a terrible situation in a foster home, Bud begins his journey to find who he believes is his father-a well-known bandleader who lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

The popularity of Bud, Not Buddy is strongly evidenced by the number of publications and websites that provide suggestions in using the title in the classroom and library media center.
 

Professional Review Reference:
 Brodie, C. S. (2002). Bud, not buddy. School Library Media Activities Monthly, 19(3), 47. Retrieved from http://www.schoollibrarymonthly.com/

Library Uses: 
This would be an excellent book to have theme book talks about.  This book abounds with themes:  family relationships, racism, travel, labor unions and much more.
This book could also be used for kids to make maps.  They could map out the journey that bud took to be posted with a book display in the library.

Module 4 - The Grey King

Book Summary:   
 The book starts out with a sick little boy, Will, thinking he's forgotten something.  He has hepatitis and ends up being sent to family in Wales to recouperate.  While there he begins to remember bits and pieces of what he "thinks" he's forgotten.  Will begins the journey of fighting for good, the light, and against evil, the Dark.  Will learns he's been destined his whole life to wake up the sleeper to fight the battle.  Bran helps Will throughout his journey and in the process learns of his own heritage.  This is a journey worth reading about.

APA Reference:

 Cooper, S. (1975). The grey king. New York, NY: Macmillan Publishing Company.

My Impressions:
Good against evil.  It's the oldest fight in the world.  Will takes hold of his destiny and follows his heart to the end.  This is a good story of taking the necessary step to reach  a goal.

Professional Reviews:
 Gr 5-8-While recovering from hepatitis, Will Stanton is sent to a farm in Wales where he is soon caught up in the battle against "the Dark." He struggles to recall the prophetic lines he once memorized and gradually, as he learns the local place names of the geographic features around him, the meaning of the lines becomes clear to him. Through Bran, a young boy with mysterious origins who becomes Will's friend, Will fulfills the prophecies and once again defeats the Dark. This fourth book of Susan Cooper's The Dark Is Rising series (S&S Childrens, 1975) won the 1976 Newbery Medal. Twenty-five years later, it is still as powerful and mesmerizing as when it was first published. Richard Mitchley's reading is excellent and heightens listeners' enjoyment of Cooper's prose. His ease with Welsh pronunciation and the distinctive cadence of Welsh English adds greatly to the authenticity of the story's setting, which is an essential element of this book. He gives the characters distinctive voices without actually doing voices for each. Children not familiar with the earlier books in the series may find the basic premise a bit confusing since Will's status as an "old one" and the conflict between the light and the dark are not given much explanation.

Professional Review Reference:
Sherman, L. L. (2001). The grey king. School Library Journal, 47(10), 89. Retrieved from
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/

Library Uses:    This would be a good book to teach plot and setting.  Another use would be for a book club to read.

Module 5 - Esperanza Rising

 Courtesy of wikipedia.com

Book Summary:   
This story is about a young girl who had everything one could wish for.  When her father dies, her life is turned upside down.  She and her mother have to flee to escape her uncles.  They have to leave her grandmother with nuns while they escape. Esperanza goes from living the rich life to living the life of a peasant.  She has to learn how to work and fend for herself.  Eventually they are able to bring her grandmother to live with them. She learns that some of the poorest people in life are in reality very rich simply because they have family and friends and are loved.

APA Reference:

Ryan, P. M. (2000). Esperanza rising. New York, NY: Scholastic.

My Impressions: 

This book did a good job of showing distinctions in class.  I also like how it started out with Esperanza being on top of the world and had to learn to live in a completely different lifestyle.  It shows how we should value what we have.  I really liked this book.

Professional Reviews:

Gr. 5-9- Thirteen-year-old Esperanza and her newly widowed mother are forced to leave their beautiful Rancho de las Rosas in Mexico to live and work in a migrant camp in the San Joaquin Valley during the Great Depression. This Pura Belpré Author Medal winner will give readers an unusual perspective on the difficulties of life in the 1930s.

Professional Review Reference:
Gonzalez, L. (2003). Esperanza rising. Book Links, 18(3), 38. Retrieved from www.ala.org/booklinks 

Library Uses:  This would be a good book to use when discussing different cultures.  It could also be used to show differences in economic classes.

Module 4 - The Cat Who Went to Heaven

 Courtesy of goodreads.com

Book Summary:    This book is about an artist who is struggling just to live.  His housekeeper spends their last bit of money on a cat.  The artist isn't happy about it, but eventraully agrees with the housekeeper that they have been lonely and they decide to name the cat Good Fortune.  Things begin to turn around for the artist.  One day a preacher comes and hires to artist to paint a picture of Budda to hang in the temple.  The artist paints Budda and begins to add the animals from Budda's life except for the cat.  The cat is denied entrance to Paradise.  After continually leaving the cat off, the artist eventually adds the cat to the painting.  When the priest sees the cat, he claims he will burn the painting the next day.  By some miracle where the cat was on the painting, the cat has disappeared and the silk is clean.

APA Reference:

Coatsworth, E. (1958). The cat who went to heaven. New York, NY: MacMillan Publishing Company.

My Impressions: 
This story reminds me someone struggling with the concept of right and wrong.  The artist struggles with wanting to put a cat in the picture because he thinks the cat seems to be good and knowing he isn't supposed to because cats chose not to pay homage to Budda and are therefore denied entrance to Paradise.  I like that he eventually chooses what he thinks is right.  This is a good book to read.

Professional Reviews:
Commissioned to paint a picture of a dying Buddha, a struggling artist creates controversy when he includes a cat in his painting (Buddhists believe the cat rebelled against Buddha, never received his blessing and therefore cannot enter heaven). Well, wouldn't you know, something extraordinary happens to the painting-proving Buddha thinks cats are just all right with him! This cute fable is a beautifully written, short read, and has many good morals readers will take away. It would definitely suffice as a crash course on Buddha, and would be best combined with a discussion on ancient religions or other cultures.

Professional Review Reference:

Homeschoolbuzz.com. (2006, July 12). Retrieved from http://homeschoolbuzz.com/reviews.html?content=The-Cat-Who-Went-to-Heaven--1931-Newbery-winner-

Library Uses:  One use for this book would be to show aspects from different religions.  Another use would be showing the importance of animals in specific religions.

Module 3 - Many Moons

Courtesy of wikipedia.com

Book Summary:    This book is about a King always gets his princess daughter anything she asks for.  When she asks for the moon, he is stumped.  He brings in all of his important advisors and asks for help.  When he finally gives up, he tells his woes to the court jester.  The court jester comes up with the solution of just asking the princess what she actually expects to receive.  This is cute tale solving tough problems with simple solutions.

APA Reference:

Thurber, J. (1943). Many moons. San Diego, CA: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Publishers.

My Impressions:  This book does a good job of showing how simplicity is sometimes the best option.  When we're banging our heads against the wall, we usually find help in the least likely of places.  The illustrations are more modern and any of today's students would like this book.

Professional Reviews:
PreSchool-Grade 3-- Although the Caldecott-winning edition illustrated by Louis Slobodkin (HBJ, 1943) is the one that many parents and librarians grew up with, this new full-color version by Simont has a charm of its own. His illustrations are more modern in appearance, although the essentially periodless style of dress on the characters has the timeless look that this literary fairy tale demands. Backgrounds are generally sketchy, giving the characters center stage. The clever Jester, dressed in fool's motley, is still the only one of the King's advisors who has the sense to ask Princess Lenore just what she expects when she asks for the moon. The pompous Lord High Chamberlain, the skatty Wizard, and the absent-minded Mathematician are as helpless as ever, and the little princess with her common sense and gap-toothed smile is charming. This will delight a whole new generation of children. --Rosanne Cerny, Queens Borough Public Library, NY
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable
edition of this title.

Professional Review Reference:

 Cerny, R. (1991). Many moon. School Library Journal, Retrieved from http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/

Library Uses:  This book could be used in guidance lessons to show we shouldn't give when it seems nothing is going right.  Help might be just around the corner.  Another use could be in teaching predicting outcomes.

Module 3 - So You Want To Be President?

courtesy of bing.com

Book Summary:    This book is full of little known facts about presidents.  For instance, six presidents were named James and eight presidents were born in log houses.  This book is full of information that isn't necessarily taught in our history classes and are told in a humorous way.  The illustrations throughout the book are done in cartoon style which adds to the humor of the book.  Kids can enjoy what they are reading while learning interesting facts at the same time.
APA Reference:
St. George, J., & Small, D. (2000). So you want to be president?. New York, NY: Pilomel Books.

My Impressions:  As a social studies teacher, I really like this book.  The book is written to grab the reader's attention, but it throws in facts they wouldn't learn in a classroom.  The kids will enjoy reading this book.

Professional Reviews:

Trivia is interwoven into this humorously illustrated look at past commanders in chief. Commonalities are pointed out, such as popular first names of presidents (James and John), as well as differences (size, age, personality, education, previous jobs held). The one thing all U.S. presidents have in common is repeating the same 35 words when taking the oath of office.

Professional Review Reference:

Tunks, K. (2011). So you want to be president?. Book Links, 21(1), 26.

Library Uses: This would be a good book to use on President's Day.  It would also be good to use when showing different illustrators and their different styles.