May 17 will be a Happy Day

Because Freak Show comes out! Happymaking indeed.

I'm one for controversial books I've decided, and this one definitely will be. A YA novel somewhat and completely based on St. James (from what I've seen in interviews) in high school is bound to cause a tiny uprising. Well if any parents get wind of it at least.

I am quite sure that most parents wouldn't want their kids being influenced by a former Club Kid. I mean they may get interested in reading Party Monster (Disco Bloodbath was a better title) or heaven forbid try to watch the movie, and if that leads to the Shockumentary... Well seeing as how there's a quite interesting scene of James & Michael Alig (I believe) making Special K almost as an instructional video, I doubt many parents will approve.

But really people, the kids that actually will pick this book up more than likely need it. They need the assurance that they aren't freaks, and if they are then who cares.

So thus...I found this line in a review, and I'm even more excited now...My favorite line from a book I've never read...

"This is not a dress, it's an ecosystem"

I need to finish all my school work & projects so I can go hijack Party Monster back from John. Hope he's watched it; I'm about to go into a James St. James mode.

LS 5603 YA - Tale of Despereaux

Bibliography
DiCamillo, Kate. 2003. The Tale of Despereaux. Ill. by Timothy Basil Ering. Cambridge: Candlewick Press. ISBN 0763617229

Plot Summary
Despereaux is an extremely small mouse, even for mouse standards, born in a castle where the Princess Pea lives. Despereaux is quite unlike the other mice; he quickly learns that he can read, he loves music, and above all he loves the princess. Events take place that cause soup to be banned, a rat to wish for light, a peasant girl to aspire to be the princess, and a kidnapping plot to be hatched. Despereaux must find the courage to do what he feels is right, even though he is a very small mouse in a very large castle.

Critical Analysis
The Tale of Despereaux is a modern fairy tale complete with a knight in shining armor; he just happens to be a small mouse. DiCamillo tells the story using an omniscient narrator that talks to the reader periodically throughout the book. Once she even directs the reader to look up a word (perfidy) in case they do not understand it based on the events in the story. This type of narration allows DiCamillo to insert reminders and additional information into the story, but it also can bring the reader away from the fantasy at some points.

The Tale of Despereaux is written in four "books," each telling the story of a separate character. The lives of Despereaux, Chiaroscuro (a rat), Miggery Sow (a peasant girl), and the Princess Pea intertwine throughout the four tales in an interesting way that, of course, leads to a "happily ever after."

The illustrations by Timothy Basil Ering are amazingly detailed pencil sketches in hundreds of shades of gray. The sketches of Miggory Sow and her cauliflower ears, especially, bring life to the character.

The elements of fantasy are found throughout The Tale of Despereaux. The animals and humans converse with each other several times in the story. Also, the theme of good versus evil is evident in the metaphor of light and darkness. The castle is bathed in light, and the dungeon, filled with prisoners and rats, sure signs of "evil" in the story, is completely dark.

Of course there is a hero as well, and he follows the path of many before him. Despereaux takes the long trek down the stairs from the safe and secure castle into the dark and dangerous dungeon more than once. He is faced with rats that wish to eat him and ultimately with saving the Princess Pea's life in the dungeon. And as is typical in fantasy, he is even briefly helped by a protective, elder, mouse. Hovis, the threadmaster, gives Despereaux advice as well as a spool of red thread to use to lead his path back from the dungeon and needle for protection. Eventually he makes his way back upstairs to the castle, and there is a standard "happily ever after" ending.

Review Excerpts
Booklist "Forgiveness, light, love, and soup. These essential ingredients combine into a tale that is as soul stirring as it is delicious. Despereaux, a tiny mouse with huge ears, is the bane of his family's existence. He has fallen in love with the young princess who lives in the castle where he resides and, having read of knights and their ladies, vows to "honor her."...And as with the best stories, there are important messages tucked in here and there, so subtly that children who are carried away by the words won't realize they have been uplifted until much later. Ering's soft pencil illustrations reflect the story's charm."

School Library Journal "In her observations of the political machinations and follies of rodent and human societies, she reminds adult readers of George Orwell. But the unpredictable twists of plot, the fanciful characterizations, and the sweetness of tone are DiCamillo's own. This expanded fairy tale is entertaining, heartening, and, above all, great fun."

Connections
This would be a great read aloud book for an elementary classroom.

They are making a movie and Tracey Ullman is the voice of Mig. This should be great...I hope.

DiCamillo also wrote The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane and Because of Winn-Dixie.
http://www.katedicamillo.com
http://www.edwardtulane.com

This site has several links to information on the author, illustrator, and lesson plans.
http://eduscapes.com/newbery/04a.htm

LS 5603 YA - Looking for Alaska

Bibliographic Data
Green, John. 2005. Looking for Alaska. New York: Dutton Books. ISBN 0525475060

Plot Summary
Miles Halter is a slightly less than average teenager; he doesn't have many friends, and other than his parents he has no real ties to his home in Florida. So when he gets to boarding school in Alabama and instantly joins a group of close knit friends it seems like his life is finally going well. Nothing is ever that simple though, as Miles and his prankster friends soon discover.

Critical Analysis
Looking for Alaska has a blunt realism that takes the reader on a roller coaster of emotions along with Miles Halter in his first year at an Alabama boarding school.

The chapters are uniquely titled according to days before, the last day, and days after. After reading only a few chapters it is evident that there is something different about this book, and there is an eerie feeling that it may not be pleasant.

Some may wish to keep away from such realistic topics such as teenage smoking, drinking, sex, language, and death, but these topics are what make Looking for Alaska so easy to connect to. John Green does a wonderful job of writing teenagers that sound like teens and act like them as well.

The tragedy of Looking for Alaska may be the center point of the book (the last day), but I would rather concentrate on the amazing friendships and finding yourself in "the Great Perhaps." Miles collects famous last words in the same way others may collect seashells or autographs. He seeks them out in the pages of biographies and any other source he can find. The Great Perhaps (last words of a poet, Rabelais) is what Miles is searching for when he goes to Alabama, and I feel that he finds it. But ultimately, as most people are, he is unprepared to find what he seeks.

This is a brilliant story of love and confusion, of poetry and last words, of despair and the ultimate prank; it is the story of life as a teenager and life as an adult. And of course in books this can be controversial, so there are probably some adults that feel kids shouldn't read such harsh realistic fiction. It is true to life though. Green told a story that hits so close to home, you can't help but feel for Miles and his friends. You can't help but try to figure life out with them.

This is one of my favorite books of the year. It is simply amazing.

Review Excerpts
School Library Journal
"The language and sexual situations are aptly and realistically drawn, but sophisticated in nature. Miles's narration is alive with sweet, self-deprecating humor, and his obvious struggle to tell the story truthfully adds to his believability."

Publishers Weekly
"Readers will only hope that this is not the last word from this promising new author. "

K. L. Going (Printz Honor winner)
"John Green has written a powerful novel--one that plunges headlong into the labyrinth of life, love, and the mysteries of being human. This is a book that will touch your life."

Connections
I love author blogs and John Green's is great. There are great sections on Famous Last Words, his NPR stories, and his new book An Abundance of Katherines (on my summer reading list) as well.
http://www.sparksflyup.com

2006 Michael L. Printz Award winner (Green's book An Abundance of Katherines is a 2007 honor book as well.) More information on the Printz Award can be found here.
http://www.ala.org/ala/yalsa/booklistsawards/printzaward/Printz.htm

National Prevention Hotline
1-800-SUICIDE

A Bit Extra
I read this book less than a week after a friend and his wife were found dead of causes I discuss in a previous post. This was a therapeutic read for me, and I am sure that anyone, young adult or otherwise, dealing with so many questions of "why" can relate to Miles. Anyone that has ever lost a friend knows the feelings and the coping mechanisms. I don't know of anyone that wouldn't try to blame themselves for not doing more, even if there was no way to do more. This is a fictional story, sure, but the feelings are real. That is why I love this book. It helped me cry and think when I thought I couldn't cry or think anymore.

Vonnegut :(

*


Another sad day.



*

LS 5603 YA - The Giver

Bibliographic Data
Lowry, Lois. 1993. The Giver. New York: Delacorte Press. ISBN 0385732554

Plot Summary
Jonas lives in a world of sameness where all children age on the same day and the old are released with a celebration. Each household consists of no more than a father, mother, son and daughter. Children receive their bicycles at age nine, and by age twelve each child is considered an adult and assigned the job they will perform for the community. Jonas gets an unusual and special assignment when he turns twelve that changes him and his community forever.

Critical Analysis
The 1994 Newbery Award winning book The Giver, by Lois Lowry, is a brilliant example of modern science fiction for young adults. It contains several of the main components of great fantasy, but the science fiction elements create the environment and premise of the book.

There is an underlying theme of good versus evil, or embracing difference versus sameness and conformity. Jonas faces pain that only the Receiver must go through, since the rest of the community lives in a world of control and naive acceptance. As he does, the Giver assists Jonas in his journey; no one else understands or knows what these two know.

The Giver is set in a futuristic world that seems to operate logically at first, but as Jonas learns more from the Giver, his world is revealed for what it truly is. As in a large portion of science fiction, The Giver shows what could happen to a society in the future and why perfection is not always the best path to follow. Even in the Utopian society of the book there are severe problems with how people are allowed to interact. Jonas knows nothing of grandparents or birthdays, for instance. Anything that could be viewed as setting one person apart as unique in any way is destroyed or erased from memory.

As with other books that raise questions about humanity, The Giver is also a frequently challenged and even banned book. The reasons for this vary, but most that I found were because of the realizations of infanticide and euthanasia within the story. I have always thought that people want children to understand and accept death. But when a book discusses a culture where death is not know or understood the results are apparently not acceptable. Death is a given, even if you believe that an older person is just going to Elsewhere or a better place. I do not agree with banning books for any reason. Even if a specific child cannot handle a book now, they may be able to when they are more mature. Topics with fantasy and interest can be controversial much of the time.

Review Excerpts
School Library Journal “Twelve-year-old Jonas's confidence in his comfortable "normal" existence as a member of this well-ordered community is shaken when he is assigned his life's work as the Receiver. The Giver, who passes on to Jonas the burden of being the holder for the community of all memory "back and back and back," teaches him the cost of living in an environment that is "without color, pain, or past." The tension leading up to the Ceremony, in which children are promoted not to another grade but to another stage in their life, and the drama and responsibility of the sessions with The Giver are gripping. The final flight for survival is as riveting as it is inevitable.”

Publishers Weekly “Lowry's development of this civilization is so deft that her readers, like the community's citizens, will be easily seduced by the chimera of this ordered, pain-free society. Until the time that Jonah begins training for his job assignment--the rigorous and prestigious position of Receiver of Memory--he, too, is a complacent model citizen. But as his near-mystical training progresses, and he is weighed down and enriched with society's collective memories of a world as stimulating as it was flawed, Jonas grows increasingly aware of the hypocrisy that rules his world.”

Connections
Lois Lowry’s website - http://www.loislowry.com/
Her Blog - http://loislowry.typepad.com/lowry_updates/
I found this interesting tidbit while reading her blog: “…though I am more fond of the bearded man, since he was an actual man whom I knew and was fond of, and I took the photo.” So, she actually took the photo of the bearded man on the cover. Amazing.

The Newbery Award - 1994 Award Winner http://www.ala.org/ala/alsc/awardsscholarships/literaryawds/newberymedal/newberymedal.htm

The Giver is part of a trilogy of futuristic novels that also includes Gathering Blue and Messenger. If you get the three-pack set, it comes with a great map of all three worlds drawn by Lowry.

If you like YA sci-fi, also check out Uglies, Pretties, and Specials by Scott Westerfeld and The Last Book in the Universe by Rodman Philbrick among so many others.

LS 5603 Biography - Out of Darkness The Story of Louis Braille

Bibliographic Data
Freedman, Russell. 1997. Out of Darkness The Story of Louis Braille. Ill. by Kate Kiesler. New York: Clarion Books. ISBN 0395775167

Plot Summary
The story of not only how Louis Braille created the language that blind people use to read, but how he became blinded, and how he lived in a world where blind were reduced to beggars.

Critical Analysis
Although I am someone that does not particularly care for nonfiction or biographies, Out of Darkness The Story of Louis Braille, captivated me. Freedman wrote a simple yet encompassing biography of Braille’s entire life in a style that made me feel as if I was reading a fiction story. This is a perfect biography to get those uninterested in biographies to read them.

The facts of Braille’s life are fascinating, from how he was blinded all the way to his last days teaching blind children to read. He was a talented pianist, as were several blind students from The Royal Institute for Blind Youth, and always striving for a better life.

Freedman beautifully crafted a story of the many steps Braille went through to turn a complex military code into the Braille we know of today so that it does not seem as if the reader is just reading a chronology of these steps. The rejection and difficulties that Braille faced while trying to create Braille are not downplayed; rather these events become a strong base of the story.

The sketches Kiesler drew of Braille, his fellow students, and the machines that created his language are an asset to the book. It is especially helpful to have the diagram of the stylus used to create Braille along with the description in the book to understand how complex writing was for the blind at that time.


Review Excerpts
Kirkus Reviews “Blinded at age three by a freak accident, Braille was sent to the Royal Institute for Blind Youth in Paris at the age of ten. His first lessons were in ``embossing,'' where raised impressions were ``read'' by tracing their outlines with a finger. This slow, cumbersome process was sanctioned by the French government, but a retired artillery captain's speech on sonography--a military code based on dots and dashes punched into strips of cardboard--inspired Braille to develop his own system of dots based on the letters of the alphabet. Readers know the ending, but the somber story of this gifted, generous boy is a compelling one. Rigidly rendered black-and-white illustrations make the setting of the story real; useful diagrams of Braille's alphabet and the slate and stylus used to write are included. With warmth and care, Freedman deftly delineates a life.”

School Library Journal “Freedman's gift for making his subjects both accessible and intriguing comes through wonderfully in this book.”

Connections
Connections could easily be made to readings about Helen Keller, who also was born able to see (and hear) but lost these abilities due to illness as a toddler. Keller benefited from the Braille language later in life as others still do today.

Classrooms where blind children are included could use Out of Darkness as an introduction to Braille for the sighted students.

Rolling on the floor laughing...

Okay, so this isn't a book related blog. Not exactly, although I did read Looking for Alaska by John Green last week (review later). It's a great, or horrible depending on your take on things, book to read when you're sick and supposed to be at a funeral. Needless to say a sad book full of questions was a bit to close to home for me, but I cried a lot and that always helps.

So I got home from a friend and coworkers funeral about an hour ago. Yes, I also just said I had a funeral to go to last week. Apparently it was a, well I can't see it as a murder suicide exactly, accident suicide more likely, at least to me.

Alan's wife, Barbara, made the most amazing cookies ever. Seriously, holidays (and random days) when I'd get to work and Alan would say, "Barbara made cookies. Help yourself; they're in the back." Those were the best days. I never got to meet her, that I recall, but had numerous chats on the phone with her. Usually Alan was out for a smoke break (I told him I'd help him quit many times, but oh well.) and she was just calling to talk about whatever. She was the type of person that when you talked to her you heard the laugh in her voice even if you didn't see her smile. And she had to be amazing to put up with Alan.

Don't get me wrong, I loved working with Alan; he was a great guy, but... eccentric. And so goofy. We would get into crazy modes, usually brought on by a lack of sleep on my part, where our dry and odd senses of humor would have us laughing uncontrollably all night. And to tell you the truth, I doubt if we even knew what we were laughing about many times. Or rather if I did, I am sure he had more of a clue. Sometimes Alan would say things so over my head I just had to pretend to understand for fear he'd try to explain and I'd get even more confused. Usually this involved baseball (which I know very little about), music (I at least had a clue), or old movies (sometimes I was right there & other times...).

Alan was an educator. He loved to teach people about things, of course working at a camera store and teaching people about cameras is a bit different. There is a lot of technology and science working there that most people just don't get. So I would usually come in and tell the customers what I understood of what he'd said in terms that were more simply stated. And I learned a lot, but mostly I could tell customers "This one's better, if you want a real explanation of why, you'll have to ask Alan."

Then there were the stories about Megan. She is an amazing dancer, and he proudly would brag about her accomplishments at her studio. We watched videos of recitals at work so many times that I (only working one or two days a week) had them memorized. And what I feel was surely his favorite story of Megan, because I heard it too many times to count, and every time he was full of amazement... I want to say she was two, maybe one, and they were walking in a park. She noticed a tree and wanted to feel it, so he walked her over and she felt the rough bark. He was just mesmerized by the curiosity and learning of his little girl. I can't tell the story well, and it may not sound like anything, but it was. It was a moment in his life. It was a moment in hers.

So I am writing this because I need to get my feelings out. So maybe Megan can see how much her parents impacted so many lives in such positive ways, however small or large of an impact. unfortunately our store closed in January, so I haven't seen Alan since then. We had a family there, and many of us were at the funeral today. I finally got to meet his daughter, a 16 year old with so much courage and strength, as well as his sister and a brother.

Finally, to all my friends, if you're depressed, sad, upset, anything and need to talk - call me. I don't care when it is, just talk to someone, please. Work it out some other way. I hate funerals.

I'll never hear "Merry, Merry" again before Christmas, and I'll never get those xylophone lessons either. Of course I'll probably never get a xylophone, but now if I do, I have no teacher.

We'll miss you Alan

LS 5603 Historical Fiction - Watsons Go To Birmingham

Bibliographic Information
Curtis, Christopher Paul. 1995. The Watsons Go To Birmingham – 1963. New York: Delacorte Press. ISBN 0385321759

Plot Summary
In Flint, Michigan, the Watsons may be considered “weird,” but in 1963 a young black family is safer in Michigan than Birmingham, Alabama. The story of a ten year old named Kenny and his family is fun, uplifting, and humorous until a visit to the grandmother’s house in Birmingham turns tragic. This is a story of the United States past that is told in a way that can get through to the children and young adults of today in a way that no history book ever could.

Critical Analysis
The Watsons Go To Birmingham – 1963, tells the story of a young family and what happens when their northern life is traded for one in the south during the 1960’s and desegregation. Most children of today do not understand what it really feels like to live with fear because of racism and hate. Reading about the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960’s in a history book could never give a clear picture of the feelings of children like themselves. That is why books like The Watsons Go To Birmingham – 1963 are so important as more than just entertainment, but education.

Curtis tells the story of the “Weird Watsons” in a way that transports the reader to Michigan over forty years ago. I could see a mother from the south being overly concerned, possibly not so severely, about the freezing temperatures even today. But once the trip to Alabama is planned the times come into play in a dramatic fashion.

The dad buys a TT AB-700 Ultra-Glide for the car, and since some children today may not even know what a record player is, they may not understand the significance. Of course, I found it hilarious that anyone would attempt to put a record player in a car at all, but it was the 60’s.

Curtis uses Kenny Watson as a young narrator to the story, which gives it power for other children to see what these events could have been like to them. When the church is bombed in Birmingham and Kenny walks around in a daze searching for his sister, it is written so well I felt like I was there in a daze with him. And the aftermath of the situation, although upsetting, shows how families can be bonded after tragic events, even if the event does not directly affect them.

The Epilogue to The Watsons Go To Birmingham – 1963, gives information on the civil rights movement as well as details of an actual church bombing in Birmingham. Curtis makes a point to connect the children that were killed in this bombing (This book also has a page dedicated to the memory of these four children in the beginning.) to the characters as well as people readers know. He does a good job of bridging the past to why we need to remember it through the book.

Review Excerpts
Booklist “In a voice that's both smart and naive, strong and scared, fourth-grader Kenny Watson tells about his African American family in Flint, Michigan, in 1963. We get to know his strict, loving parents and his tough older brother, who gets into so much trouble his parents decide to take him back "home" to Birmingham, Alabama, where maybe his strong grandmother will teach him some sense. Several of the family stories are a bit self-conscious (we keep being told we're going to laugh as Dad puts on a show and acts the fool), but the relationships aren't idealized. Racism and the civil rights movement are like a soft rumble in the background, especially as the Watsons drive south. Then Kenny's cute little sister is in a Birmingham church when a bomb goes off. She escapes (Curtis doesn't exploit the horror), but we're with Kenny as he dreads that she's part of the rubble. In this compelling first novel, form and content are one: in the last few chapters, the affectionate situation comedy is suddenly transformed, and we see how racist terror can invade the shelter of home.”

Connections
Several lesson plans are available online to give teachers a starting place for teaching The Watsons Go To Birmingham – 1963 in the classroom. This book could be used in English as well as history classes; one lesson plan can be found at Christopher Paul Curtis’ website as well. http://www.randomhouse.com/features/christopherpaulcurtis/index.htm

1996 Coretta Scott King Honor Book
1996 Newbery Honor Book

LS 5603 Historical Fiction - Crispin: The Cross of Lead

Bibliographic Data:
Avi. 2002. Crispin: The Cross of Lead. New York: Hyperion Books for Children. ISBN 0786826479

Plot Summary:
Crispin, a 13-year-old peasant boy in 1377 England, is claimed a wolf’s head. This means he is not considered human and anyone may kill him, so he leaves his small village hoping to find freedom in a larger town. He meets a traveling juggler named Bear who takes Crispin as his apprentice and attempts to protect him from the men that are searching for him throughout the villages and towns of England.

Critical Analysis:
Crispin: The Cross of Lead is a historical fiction tale of a young peasant boy in medieval England. Avi shows the importance of God and religion, especially to the poor, in the fourteenth century by Crispin’s constant prayer, trust in priests, and belief that God will lead him on the correct path in life. Crispin’s only possession after his mother passes away is a lead cross from his father’s death; they were given to dying during the Great Death (plague) years before. The writing on the cross ultimately gives Crispin an identity he never had before.

Avi includes real characters in his story of peasant life in 1377; John Ball was in fact a leader in the Peasants' Revolt of 1381. In Crispin, Ball holds meetings to discuss the living conditions of the poor throughout the lands. Those involved attempt to figure out when the best time to revolt against authority will be, and some feel the time is right since Lord Furnival, the Lord over the area, has died. Historically it was only four years until the unsuccessful revolution began.

The danger and violence of the times are clearly described early in the book. As Crispin flees his own village, he comes upon a decaying hanged man on a path. The picture presented is disturbing and grotesque, but I am sure it is also quite accurate as to what could have happened to an outlaw in 1377.

Great Wexly, where Bear and Crispin eventually travel to, is a large fortified city of thousands, much different than Crispin’s village of 150 souls. The filth of city living and dramatic separation between the rich and poor are evident in Avi’s writing of this area.

Crispin: The Cross of Lead is an amazing adventure story of a boy finding himself in a medieval era where few were ever freed from their monotonous and predictable lives serving rich lords and kings.

Review Excerpts:
School Library Journal “Avi has done an excellent job of integrating background and historical information, of pacing the plot so that the book is a page-turner from beginning to end, and of creating characters for whom readers will have great empathy. The result is a meticulously crafted story, full of adventure, mystery, and action.”

Booklist “Avi sets his story in fourteenth-century England and introduces some of his most unforgettable characters--a 13-year-old orphan, seemingly without a name, and a huge, odd juggler named Bear. At first, the boy is known as Asta's Son, but when his mother dies, he learns from a priest that his name is really Crispin… Avi builds an impressive backdrop for his arresting characters: a tense medieval world in which hostility against the landowners and their cruelties is increasing. There's also other nail-biting tension in the story that builds to a gripping, somewhat confusing ending, which finds Crispin, once weak, now strong. Readers may not understand every nuance of the political machinations that propel the story, but they will feel the shifting winds of change beginning to blow through a feudal society.”

Connections:
Avi’s website http://www.avi-writer.com/books/crispin.html

Crispin: The Cross of Lead would be a wonderful addition to a history unit on the medieval era for middle school grades.

A great lesson guide (PDF file), compete with historical information, a glossary, an author interview, and questions is available online from Hyperion Books for Children. hyperionbooksforchildren.com/data/books/tgpdf/0786808284147.pdf

A Literature Circle Guide (PDF file) with even more ideas for questions and activities based on the book.
teacher.scholastic.com/clubs/pdfs/crispin_t.pdf

LS 5603 Nonfiction - Optical Illusions

Bibliographic Data:
Simon, Seymour. 1998 (1976). Now You See It, Now You Don't: The Amazing World of Optical Illusions. New York: Morrow Junior Books. ISBN 0688161529

Plot Summary:
Originally published in 1976 as The Optical Illusion Book, Simon details the science behind our eyes and why we see optical illusions.

Critical Analysis:
Although some of the illustrations in Now You See It, Now You Don't: The Amazing World of Optical Illusions are somewhat dated, the information is still interesting and intriguing. Simon, a former science teacher, goes into simple details of the parts of the eye, how they work, and why we may or may not see certain things. I found it particularly interesting that people with no prior knowledge of two dimensional perspective (think railroad tracks in a painting getting smaller as they are farther away) did not get tricked by certain illusions.

Many images are ones that have been used for years in art and psychology classes. The black and white vase that can also be two faces is included, as well as the young woman or old witch (depending on your perspective) illustration. But more interesting are the slick color pages found in the center of the book; the most unusual is a photograph of two children, one quite small and the other very large. The illusion, the book tells, is created by a room constructed with a high ceiling on one side and a low ceiling on the other.

There are dozens of activities that are simple for children to do playing with color and light to create illusions themselves. This is a good introduction to a fun topic that also teaches children about the science of the eye in a way that can excite. It is no wonder that it was republished after so many years.

Review Excerpts:
Booklist "One of the clearest and most interesting discussions of optical illusions ever written for children, this was first published in 1976 as The Optical Illusion Book. The new format allows space to increase the size of the illustrations, making them clearer and more effective. Though the text of the new edition remains substantially the same, improvements to the volume include a more attractive book design and more dynamic jacket."

The Horn Book "Fascinating because it has so much for the reader to do and to try."

Connections:
There are many other optical illusion books to look for.
Seeing Double by J. Richard Block (2002)
The Mighty Big Book of Optical Illusions by Craig Yoe
Amazing Optical Illusions by IllusionWorks

There are also artists that work in illusions and impossible objects.
M. C. Escher http://www.mcescher.com/
Rob Gonsalves http://www.sapergalleries.com/Gonsalves.html
Julian Beever http://users.skynet.be/J.Beever/pave.htm

LS 5603 Nonfiction - CLICK!

Bibliographic Data:
Gibbons, Gail. 1997. Click!: A Book About Cameras and Taking Pictures. New York: Little, Brown and Company. ISBN 0316309761

Plot Summary:
This informative book gives an introduction to basic photography for children. It includes how the camera works, how to take photographs, and a brief history of photography.

Critical Analysis:
Click!: A Book About Cameras and Taking Pictures by Gail Gibbons is a good introduction to photography and cameras for children. The information on how cameras operate and directions given on how to take photographs are simple and easy to understand. Gibbons takes children through the process of creating a latent image on film all the way to developing a photograph to place in a frame. She even shows methods for taking better photographs, such as not taking a photograph while facing sunlight or using a flash indoors.

I was somewhat disappointed, however, by the inclusion of disk cameras and film in this book that was published only ten years ago. Currently I am not aware of any lab that can even make prints off of disk film (although I am sure there may be a few if you searched); it has been so long since it has been produced and sold. A much better inclusion of a different type of film would have been a Polaroid, or instant, film, which is barely mentioned at the end of the book. In contrast to a format that barely lasted over a decade, Polaroid has been making self-developing film and instant cameras since the late 1940's.

This is a minor, although unfortunate, problem in a well put together book though. The colorful illustrations are eye catching and each page is bordered with sprockets giving the pages the look of 35 mm film. Illustrations are labeled for easy location of the shutter or viewfinder for example. Interchangeable terms are also given for terms like photograph (picture, photo, snapshot) and developing film (processing).

Some "Fun Photo Facts" conclude Click!: A Book About Cameras and Taking Pictures. My favorite describes the world's longest photograph taken in Japan using 100 cameras and enlarged into life-size prints. In a world now dominated by digital photography, this is a wonderful book to show children how film photography works on a basic level.

Review Excerpts:
School Library Journal "Gibbons takes a complex subject and breaks it down into simple, easy to understand terms. She describes different types of cameras and their film, and explains what happens to film inside the camera and at a photo-processing center. At this point, the author states, "First the film is removed from the cartridge in a darkroom, lit only by a red light. Then the latent images on the film are developed by soaking the film in chemicals." In fact, film must be removed in total darkness or it will be ruined; a red light will erase latent images. Explanations of printing, negatives and enlargements, tips on the care of a camera and on taking photos both indoors and outdoors are provided. A very basic chronology on the history of photography completes the presentation. The good-quality illustrations, done in the artist's unmistakable style, complement the text. Overall, a well-rounded introduction to photography."

This review caught the one mistake in accuracy I didn't at first. Film cannot be exposed to light at all or the image will be destroyed.

Connections:
Pinhole camera ideas for both young and older kids:
From a Pringles Can http://www.exploratorium.edu/science_explorer/pringles_pinhole.html
Oatmeal Box http://users.rcn.com/stewoody/

An interesting site on the Brownie featuring stories of photographers, such as Ansel Adams, and their first experiences with Brownie cameras. http://www.kodak.com/US/en/corp/features/brownieCam/index.shtml

LS 5603 Nonfiction - Through My Eyes

Bibliographic Data:
Bridges, Ruby. 1999. Through My Eyes. New York: Scholastic Press. ISBN 0590189239

Plot Summary:
In Through My Eyes, Ruby Bridges tells her story of courage as a six year old girl being integrated into an all white school in 1960. Photographs and quotes from the time accompany her amazing tale.

Critical Analysis:
Although Ruby Bridges could probably fill a book ten times as long as Through My Eyes with her story, the impact would doubtfully be as great. Children need to understand the truth of what happened during the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960's, and without firsthand accounts like this, the information they will likely get will fill two paragraphs in a history textbook.

Even as an adult who knows what happened in the U.S. in the 1960's and has heard about the Little Rock Nine on countless occasions, this story was new and full of amazing and eye-opening details. One such detail was how the black kindergartners were tested by the New Orleans school board to see which, if any, should be allowed to attend white schools the next year. Ruby Bridges was one of five that passed the test, one of four to actually go on to a white school, and the only black student integrated into William Frantz Public School.

Large photographs of protesters, Federal Marshals escorting students into schools, Ruby and her teacher Mrs. Henry, and Ruby Bridges today accompany the story. Quotes from people in Ruby's life as well as famous figures of the time, such as John F. Kennedy, also appear throughout the book making connections to her story.

This social essay gives voice to a six year old girl that was given the chance to change the way the United States functioned. By 1961, her second grade year, the schools in New Orleans were integrated and there were no more protesters outside. Through My Eyes may be a quick snapshot of what happened in 1960, but it is telling in its simplicity. The emotions of a grown up little girl can truly open a readers eyes to the confusion, horror, and ultimately joy of this era in U.S. history.

Reviews:
Publishers Weekly "With heartbreaking understatement, she gives voice to her six-year-old self. Escorted on her first day by U.S. marshals, young Ruby was met by throngs of virulent protesters... Sepia-toned period photographs join the sidebars in rounding out Bridges' account. But Bridges' words, recalling a child's innocence and trust, are more vivid than even the best of the photos."

Library Journal "In her recounting of the events of 1960-61, the year she became the first African-American child to integrate the William Frantz Elementary School in New Orleans, Bridges is true to her childhood memories. She is clear about what she remembers and what she later learned. Her account is accompanied by excerpts from newspaper articles, comments by her teacher, and a time line that fill in the details and place her story within the context of the Civil Rights Movement."

Connections:
The Ruby Bridges Foundation
http://www.rubybridges.org/home.htm

The Story of Ruby Bridges is a picture book written by Robert Coles, a child psychiatrist that met with not only Ruby Bridges, but three other girls integrated into another white school and the few white children remaining in the two schools. This would be a good way to introduce younger readers to the Civil Rights Movement.

In Through My Eyes, Ruby Bridges writes about John Steinbeck's interest in the integration of elementary students in New Orleans. Steinbeck wrote Travels with Charley about her and the situation of integration.

Other Civil Rights Movement books that may interest students of various ages include Rosa Parks: My Story by Rosa Parks and Jim Haskins , Martin's Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by Doreen Rappaport, and Witness to Freedom: Young People Who Fought for Civil Rights by Belinda Rochelle.

LS 5603 Poetry - bow wow meow meow

Bibliographic Data:
Florian, Douglas. 2003. Bow Wow Meow Meow: It's Rhyming Cats and Dogs. New York: Harcourt, Inc. ISBN 0152163956

Plot Summary:
This is a short picture book of poems about various types of cats and dogs, ranging from lions to bloodhounds.

Critical Analysis:
Douglas Florian both wrote and illustrated this fun poetry book about different types of cats and dogs. There is only one poem per page and each simple square painting of a cat or dog faces the poem it corresponds with. This makes the reading of the poetry and understanding of the illustrations simple.

Two concrete poems, "The Poodles" and "The Ocelot," are imaginative and creative. "The Poodles" is written in circles as the poem mentions the "oodles and oodles of curls" of a poodle's fur. "The Ocelot" is one simple line in the shape of a question mark. It works okay on its own, but in this concrete form, the short poem has life.

The Ocelot

Why ocelots have lots of spots puzzles ocelot.

The majority of the poems use simple rhymes that easily could appeal to children. The variety of cats and dogs contained in the poems also creates more interest to a child that may have a Dalmatian or a Siamese cat. Personally, I liked "The Manx" because my cat is half Manx and although she has a tail it is quite short.

The Manx

Who always yanks
The tail off the Manx?

Review Excerpts:
School Library Journal: "The language has flair, and the writing is zany and creative. The watercolor paintings in primarily pastel colors are great fun, revealing an attribute or the character of each animal. This is a delightful selection to read aloud to younger children, and it offers older students models of simple poems that really work."

Connections:
A good way to interest students interested in poetry is to read what they know and are interested in. Since several students may have a cat or a dog, Bow Wow Meow Meow: It's Rhyming Cats and Dogs could be a great starting point for students reluctant to read poetry.

If you have $1,500 to spare "The Poodle" as well as other paintings by Florian from various children's books are for sale. http://www.storybookart.com/dflorian.html

LS 5603 Poetry - Swimming Upstream

Bibliographic Data:
George, Kristine O'Connell. 2002. Swimming Upstream Middle School Poems. Ill. by Debbie Tilley. New York: Clarion Books, a Houghton Mifflin Company. ISBN 0618152504

Plot Summary:
Swimming Upstream Middle School Poems is a collection of poems influenced by and related to the middle school experience. The poems start at the beginning of the school year and take the reader through learning math, new friendships, and learning to play a musical instrument by the end of the year and conclusion of the book.

Critical Analysis:

The poems in Swimming Upstream Middle School Poems are short, well written, and representative of the middle school experience. Several forms of poetry are used to convey different emotions that most middle school students feel at some point.

I found "Is it Monday Again?" to be well suited for anyone that works five days a week and gets weekends off, not just for students. I also can not think of anyone that has tried to open a locker over and over again to no avail that would not relate to the Haiku "Locker."

Locker

I've got your numbers.
Twelve...eleven... twenty-one.
Why won't you open?

With topics ranging from first loves to band practice, Swimming Upstream Middle School Poems is a good book of introductory poems that could easily be used in a classroom.

Review Excerpts:
Booklist: "The unnamed female narrator sees the first "jigsaw year" as refitting and recombining old friends and new, old ideas and new."

School Library Journal: "Students will relate to this voice navigating "upstream," while they try to find their own place in the middle-school wilderness."

Reading Teacher: "Using a variety of verse styles the poems reveal a range of topics... This collection speaks of small moments (hall passes) and large moments (discovering other students' problems) and all the moments in between."

Connections:
Kristine O'Connell George's website has great resources for teachers, such as a companion guide and discussion guide for download. Poems written by students for an online contest are also displayed.

http://www.kristinegeorge.com/swimming_upstream.html

Teen Lit Fest '07 in Humble, Texas

Okay, I am jealous that I never had anything near a Lit Fest of any kind in high school; this was amazing. Yesterday I was on my way to Houston anyway (to pick up 2 new sugar gliders as friends for the one I already had), so hearing that Scott Westerfeld & Justine Larbalestier were speaking and signing at the Humble ISD Teen Lit Fest was a great surprise. Of course it meant leaving quite early and still barely making the signing at 1, but I got there.

Thankfully I got in Westerfeld's line first after buying a few books; by the time I left (at 1:45) his line was circling the cafeteria. It was insane. So I got Last Days signed making me a very happy girl this weekend. I also got Magic or Madness signed by Justine, Playing in Traffic by Gail Giles, and Elegies in Blue a poetry book by Benjamin Alire Saenez signed. Chris Crutcher & Chris Yambar were there as well, but unfortunately I didn't have the money for a book by everyone. So I had a lovely day of driving, a lot, then more, with a nice little hour break of meeting authors. Happy making and quite bubbly!

And Justine & Scott are coming back to Texas in April, I believe. So I'll probably be going down to Austin in a couple months since I didn't get to see them speak this time.

Speaking of banning books...

I encourage everyone to check out Scott Westerfeld's (Uglies series, Peeps, So Yesterday, etc.) blog about Susan Patron’s Newberry Award-winning book The Higher Power of Lucky. And take note of the masses of kids, librarians, and all others that commented on the supposed talk of banning this book due to the use of the word "scrotum." How sad people. There are worse things we should be protecting kids from than anatomical terms. But in all fairness he give such a great rant I could never come close.

Check it out here
http://www.scottwesterfeld.com/blog/

LS 5603 Poetry - Stop Pretending

Bibliographic Data:
Sones, Sonya. 1999. Stop Pretending What Happened When My Big Sister Went Crazy. New York: HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN 0060283874

Plot Summary:
Stop Pretending What Happened When My Big Sister Went Crazy is an autobiographical story of when Sonya Sones older sister had a nervous breakdown. Sones was only thirteen at the time and her sister, in a mental hospital throughout the book, was nineteen. The book is written in verse, telling the story of disappointment and, briefly, of understanding a girl faces when her older sister "goes crazy."

Critical Analysis:
Sones beautifully tells the story of heartache and disappointment of a thirteen year old girl (herself) as the sister she has always looked up to changes into someone unrecognizable. The use of poetry allows the reader to be taken on a roller coaster of emotions that change as quickly as they do in real life. Telling this story in verse also makes it a quick read and especially suitable for reluctant readers that may have family and social problems of their own.

The reader is allowed to witness family struggles such as her mother watching soap operas all day long and hiding from reality. Sones also details personal struggles like her friends acting supportive, but ultimately ignoring her once they find out her sister is crazy. At times it is difficult to read, almost as if the reader is eavesdropping on the emotions of a stranger, but ultimately this is a story that needed to be told.

This is a story that can help young adults, as well as adults, understand what it is like to witness a loved one go through a mental breakdown. It is a thought provoking book that is poised for great discussions. And the Author's Note at the end of the book provides insight into why and how Sones, with her sister's encouragement, decided to write about such a personal part of her life.

Review Excerpts:
Booklist - "...Such small moments become large in the context of their promise of healing and the demonstration of life's power to continue. Based on Sones' own family experience, this novel-in-verse shows the capacity of poetry to record the personal and translate it into the universal."

School Library Journal - "An unpretentious, accessible book that could provide entry points for a discussion about mental illness - its stigma, its realities, and its effect on family members."

Kirkus - "Individually, the poems appear simple and unremarkable, snapshot portraits of two sisters, a family, unfaithful friends, and a sweet first love. Collected they take on life and movement, the individual frames of a movie that in the unspooling become animated, telling a compelling tale and presenting a painful passage through young adolescence."

Connections:
Other books in verse that I liked:
What My Mother Doesn't Know by Sonya Sones
A Bad Boy Can Be Good For A Girl by Tanya Lee Stone
Both of these are about teenage girls learning about guys, love and the lack of it. Approximately 14 & up

This book would be great to recommend to any teenager that feels alone going through a rough time. I also think it would be great for councilors to use since it is not preachy, but simply tells a story of what happened in one situation.

LS 5603 Traditional Literature - More Scary Stories

Bibliographic Data:
Schwartz. Alvin. More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. 1984. Ill. by Stephen Grammell. New York: Harper & Row, Publishers. ISBN 0397320817

Plot Summary:
This is a collection of short, some only a page long, folk stories for children ages nine and up. More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark is the sequel to Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. The third book in the series is titled Scary Stories 3 More Tales to Chill Your Bones.

Critical Analysis:
According to the American Library Association website (www.ala.org), Alvin Swartz was the most challenged author from 1990 to 2004. This is probably due to the Scary Stories series being number one on the most challenged books list of 1990 to 2000. The books are in good company since Of Mice and Men, Harry Potter, and Bridge to Terabithia are also in the top ten.

When I saw this I found myself asking "Why?" Why is a series of books that I remember my entire fourth grade class adoring at the top of a list of challenged books? As I recall we loved to sing "O'Leary is dead, and O'Riley don't know it... and neither one knows that the other one's dead. BA-ROOOM! BA-ROOOM!" I guess there are a lot of adults that do not find it as amusing and entertaining as nine-year-olds do.

More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark is a wonderful collection of one to four page scary folk stories collected, researched, and retold by Alvin Swartz. The vast majority of the stories are not horribly scary and as I recall most were not that scary when I was nine either. I actually find the illustrations much worse than the stories themselves. I barely glanced at the illustration to the story The Bride and hopefully will remember not to look at it again. (It reminds me of a scene in The Ring.) If anything, the Scary Stories books have truly creepy illustrations with mildly scary stories.

I found some of the stories, such as The Voice and The Church, to be too short and lacking in enough detail to make them interesting. It was a let down to complete a page and realize the story was already finished. Other stories like The Drum, Somebody Fell from Aloft, and One Sunday Morning were much more satisfying to read.

Some familiar and common tales that are used in television and movies are included in this collection. Wonderful Sausage, a story of a butcher using human meat, has been retold in many ways over the years. (I recall a Tales from the Crypt show using a similar story, as well as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.) And A Ghost in the Mirror was similar to a story used recently on the show Supernatural. (On a side note, I still freak out if I see a mirror in the dark from reading this story when I was young.)

I greatly enjoyed the Notes and Sources sections at the end of the book. Schwartz researched multiple versions of each story and compiled a good anthology that interests children, and the background behind certain stories even made them more interesting. For example, Rings on Her Fingers tells of a woman buried alive and awakened by a grave robber attempting to cut off her fingers to steal rings. In this story the grave robber falls on his knife in the grave, a sort of revenge for stealing, but the origins of the story are based in a reality prior to embalming.

Overall More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark and the rest of the series are good entertainment for kids that are able to handle the stories and illustrations without having nightmares. And even if a few nightmares, or irrational fears of mirrors, occur the reading and understanding of these traditional folktales can be beneficial as a part of our culture.

Review Excerpts:
The Horn Book: "Brief, blood curdling tales of ghosts, murders, graveyards, and other horrors, greatly enhanced by the ghoulish illustrations."

School Library Journal: "Guaranteed to make your teeth chatter and your spine tingle."

Connections:

ALA's Banned Books Week Information Page
http://www.ala.org/ala/oif/bannedbooksweek/bbwlinks/Default3879.htm

The Top 10 Challenged Authors 1990 to 2004 and Most Challenged Books Lists can be found through the above link. There are also activities to use in classrooms and in your own life involving banned and challenged books.

Scary Stories to Tell in The Dark, Scary Stories 3 More Tales to Chill Your Bones, and In a Dark, Dark Room and Other Scary Stories are also by Alvin Schwartz.

LS 5603 Traditional Literature - Cendrillon

Bibliographic Data:
San Souci, Robert D. 1998. Cendrillon. Ill. by Brian Pinkney. New York: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division. ISBN 068980668X

Plot Summary:
This version of the classic Cinderella is based on the French Creole tale Cendrillon. Son Souci retold the story from the point of view of the godmother, or Nannin', which gives the tale a unique twist. The usual plot elements are all intact though: the girl is made to do work by her stepmother, there is a grand ball, and of course Cendrillon is found after leaving her slipper behind.

Critical Analysis:
Cinderella must be one of the most well-known fairy tales existing, and because of this variations on the tale are plentiful. In reading Cendrillon by Robert D. San Souci, the traditional elements of Cinderella are expanded upon to create a wonderful picture book.

The illustrations by Brian Pinkney explode with color. The painted etching feel of the illustrations blends well with the story to create a whole picture of the Caribbean world that Cendrillon is living in.

The story begins with the narrator, later to be revealed as Cendrillon's godmother, telling the story of her childhood. The origin of a familiar element, the wand used to change ordinary items into the carriage, ballgown, etc. for the ball, is introduced. In this version of the fairy tale, the godmother receives the wand from her mother as a child before she is orphaned, but finds no use for it until she wishes to help Cendrillon attend the ball.

The story continues as Cendrillon's stepmother works her constantly, and finally the notice of the ball comes. Cendrillon's nannin', or godmother, has her pick a fruit a pain, or breadfruit, to turn into a coach with the wand. Native Caribbean words for fruits and animals are used to bring the culture of the story to life. There is a glossary at the end of the book I referenced several times. The native words helped the classic and familiar fairy tale become something special and unique.

After the ball, the young man that danced with Cendrillon searches for her using her lost slipper. As is standard, she is locked in a room as her stepmother attempts to squeeze the stepsister's foot into the tiny shoe. As the godmother continues to narrate from the doorway inside the house she says, "If you cut off those big toes it would be a fine fit." This was my favorite part of the story as it is a direct homage to the Brother's Grimm version of the story where the stepsisters actually do have their toes cut off to fit the slipper. As it is in Cendrillon, it adds a somewhat comic touch.

Review Excerpts:
Publisher Weekly: Pinkney's oil and scratchboard illustrations burst with vigorous movement as he captures the exotic palette and the lush textures of the "green-green island in the so-blue Mer des Antilles." The lyrical cadences of the text spattered with French and Creole words combine with the sensuous paintings to bring the tropics to life. However, the story's charm lies not in the well-matched Caribbean bride and groom or in the (rather predictable) happy ending, but in the authentic voice of the godmother.

Connections:
Of course there are many picture books that tell the Cinderella story, but here are a few that use other cultures as well.

San Souci, Robert D. Sootface: An Ojibwa Cinderella Story. Ill. Daniel San Souci. Random House Children's Books. ISBN 044041363X

Hickox, Rebecca. Golden Sandal: A Middle Eastern Cinderella Story. Ill. by Will Hillenbrand. Holiday House, Inc. ISBN 0823415139

Louie, Ai-Ling. Yeh-Shen: A Cinderella Story from China. Ill. by Ed Young. Penguin Young Readers Group. ISBN 0698113888

LS 5603 Traditional Literature - The Legend of the Bluebonnet

Bibliographic Data:
dePaola, Tomie. 1983. The Legend of the Bluebonnet: An Old Tale of Texas. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons. ISBN 0399209379

Plot Summary:
This is a Comanche folktale of the origins of the buebonnet in Texas. In The Legend of the Bluebonnet: An Old Tale of Texas, Tomie dePaola tells the story of a young Comanche girl and her sacrifice to rescue her tribe from drought and famine.

Critical Analysis:
The Legend of the Bluebonnet: An Old Tale of Texas is a Pourquoi tale, or a story that tells why something in nature is the way it is.

In the Author's Note following The Legend of the Bluebonnet: An Old Tale of Texas, dePaola writes about how a friend suggested the folktale of the origin of the Texas state flower to him. Reasearch was done on the legends as well as on the Comanche tribe in Texas before dePaola began to retell the story in this brilliant children's book.

I remember reading and studing this book as a child and loving it, so the opportunity to revisit this particular book was of interest to me. Now as an adult, I still enjoy the story, but I feel that I understand more of how couragous and amazing the girl in the book really is.

The illustrations are in warm earth tones that reflect the Comanche tribal setting. The night time scenes are created with a deep blue backdrop in the sky that is traded for a wonderful carpet of bluebonnets when the sun rises. Anyone that has ever visited the Texas Hill Country will surely recognize the last illustration of bluebonnet covered hills.

The story is ultimately of sacrifice and redemption. It revolves around a young girl and her only possession, a doll her family had made her before they passed away due to the famine. The girl, named "She-Who-Is-Alone," sacrificed her doll to the Great Spirits in order to bring forgiveness to her tribe and an end to the drought and famine. At the conclusion of the story her tribe renames her "One-Who-Loved-Her-People," as she had saved the land and the tribe by sacrificing her doll.

Review Excerpts:
Children's Literature: review by Debra Briatico
Tomie dePaola provides a charming retelling of the Native American legend about the origin of Texas' state flower, the bluebonnet.

Connections:
Tomie dePaola also wrote a book on the Indian Paintbrush (The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush, ISBN 0698113608). This is probably the second most recognized Texas Hill Country flower, and I loved them when I was young.

Anyone around my age (28) also may remember that The Legend of the Bluebonnet: An Old Tale of Texas was a Reading Rainbow book. There is a review done many years ago posted at this website: http://pbskids.org/readingrainbow/books/review021a.html.

LS 5603 Picture Books - Talking With Artists

Bibliographic Data
Cummings, Pat. 1995. Talking With Artists Volume Two. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0027242455

Plot Summary
Talking With Artists is a three volume series compiled and edited by Pat Cummings. The books have interviews and information on a variety of children's literature illustrators set up in an informal as well as educational manner.

Critical Analysis
Talking With Artists Volume Two is a great introduction to the lives and methods of several children's book illustrators. Each profile begins with a short autobiography by the artist followed by a brief interview. The artists write to the children that compose their audience by concentrating on the interesting and fun facts about how each of them became artists. One artist in the book sold his first painting at nine years old (to a family friend), and others spent years trying to get work.

Each artist profile is accompanied by a photograph of the artist as a child as well as a current photograph. In addition, a drawing, painting, or other art form from the artists' childhood accompanies the text along with an image from a published picture book. This visual representation of where each artist began their journey to becoming a professional illustrator is wonderful to see.

One unique section of Talking With Artists is the "Secret Techniques" area at the end of the book. Each artist describes simple ways to create some of the looks of their artwork as well as helpful hints to aspiring artists.

Each artist uses different media and methods to create their own unique illustrations. The text is interesting and keeps the readers attention, and the artwork shown is wonderful. It is too bad that more samples from books that the illustrators discussed are not represented; each illustrator only has one illustration sample shown. Despite this, the overall information and artwork are terrific.

Review Excerpts
BookList "Cummings' selection of artists is especially good this time, demonstrating a great diversity in artistic style and choice of media. Kevin Henkes, Floyd Cooper, Denise Fleming, and Vera B. Williams are among the 13 included. A special treat for budding artists and wonderful for teachers."

Connections
This is one of three in a series of Talking With Artists books by Pat Cummings.
Cummings, Pat. 1992. Talking With Artists. ISBN 0027242455
Cummings, Pat. 1999. Talking With Artists Volume Three. ISBN 0395891329

Other related books
Preller, James. 2001. The Big Book of Picture-Book Authors & Illustrators. ISBN 0439201543
Kovacs, Deborah & Preller, James. 1999. Meet the Authors and Illustrators:Volume 1. ISBN 0590490974
Cummins, Julie. Wings of an Artist. ISBN 0810945525

LS 5603 Picture Books - The Three Pigs

I choose to read The Three Pigs by David Wiesner for my review of a Caldecott award medal book.

Bibliographic Data
Wiesner, David. 2001. The Three Pigs. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company. ISBN 0618007016

Plot Summary
The classic story of The Three Little Pigs is revamped just as the wolf is about t0 eat the pigs up. A confused wolf searches for the pigs, but they are having their own adventure outside of the pages of the story they belong in. The pigs meet a cat with a fiddle and a dragon from other stories and bring them back to the house made of bricks just in time to confuse and scare away the wolf.

Critical Analysis
The illustrations of The Three Pigs begin quite simply and much like any older picture book, but this rapidly changes as the pigs realize they can leave their own story and explore others. The pigs become more realistic and natural in appearance in contrast to the pages they have left.

The illustrations then take a dramatic turn from most any picture book that children are probably used to. This could confuse some children, but others would certainly be excited that this book is not exactly like every other picture book they have read.

The pigs begin their exploration of different stories by traveling on a paper airplane they created themselves from a page of their story. David Wiesner truly makes the pigs fly across the pages; on one page the three pigs are very close flying toward the reader, and on the next they are in the distance zooming away. After crashing, a brilliant page to create interaction with the reader is included as one of the pigs is extremely large and close up saying, "I think... someone's out there." Can the pig see the reader?

The style of the pigs changes two more times first as they enter the cartoon world of Hey Diddle Diddle, and later as they enter a single color sketch drawing of a medieval setting complete with a dragon. As the pigs and their new friends find the brick house again they are able to reenter their original story and a familiar "they all live happily ever after" completes the book.

The innovative changing of styles within each story brings life to the pigs and their friends. It is as if they are real pigs that find themselves trapped within children's stories, but when all is said and done that is where they belong.

Review Excerpts
The Horn Book: "In a time when series predominate and all too often an author’s new book looks depressingly like the last, David seeks a different approach and visual subject for each of his books."
ALA Booklist: "Wiesner uses a range of artistic styles and thrilling perspectives to play with the structure and conventions of traditional storytelling, redefining the picture book."

Connections
David Wiesner won a Caldecott in 1992 for Tuesday. ISBN 0395870828
He also just won the 2007 Caldecott for Flotsam. ISBN 0618194576

LS 5603 Picture Books - Giant Steps

In reviewing a picture book illustrated by Chris Raschka, I choose John Coltrane's Giant Steps.

Bibliographic Data
Raschka, Chris. 2002. John Coltrane's Giant Steps. New York: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division. ISBN: 9780689845987

Plot Summary
An announcement is made. "Thank you for coming to our book. We have something very special for you tonight." Then Raschka's "remix" of John Coltrane's Giant Steps begins. It is a watercolor interpretation of the jazz song using a box, snowflake, raindrops and a kitten to "perform." The foundation, tempo, harmony and melody are represented by Chris Raschka's illustrations instead of the usual musical instruments.

Critical Analysis
Chris Raschka begins Giant Steps by informing the reader of John Coltrane's "marvelous and tricky composition." Raschka sets the scene for the music to begin and grow by simple watercolor images of raindrops. As he adds each additional element to the music, the colors begin to overlap and merge until they appear to be a jumbled mess. He then yells, "stop!" The word is huge, taking up half of a page, and the watercolors seem to be sliding to an abrupt halt. It almost makes the reader jump to a stop right along with the box, snowflake, raindrops and kitten.

Chris Raschka now begins to direct the watercolors into a pattern more congruent with Coltrane's music. Raschka corrects each section and even gives examples of what pages need to be changed. For example, he tells the raindrops that they "were rushing on page 19," and how to correct this problem.

The text and soft watercolor illustrations are finished with a bowing kitten and a "Bravo, everyone." The watercolor Raschka used in John Coltrane's Giant Steps created a perfect illustration of how music is created by different aspects layering on one another. This would also be a great book to read and then look at while listening to the song so that children could see how words, pictures and music can all be connected.

Review Excerpts
Children's BookPage: "This is a charming, elegant book for young people just being introduced to the world of jazz. "
The Horn Book: "As with Raschka’s other jazz books, we are thrown right into a world in which paint, composition, and color don’t just depict music, they become the musical experience. "

Connections
This book brings to mind an art exercise many have probably done where the artist, or student, listens to a piece of music and draws or paints what they hear. John Coltrane's Giant Steps would be a simple yet effective way to teach children about music and art while also getting them to read.

Chris Raschka wrote other books on jazz music as well.
Raschka, Chris. Charlie Parker Played Be Bop. ISBN 0531059995
Raschka, Chris. Mysterious Thelonious. ISBN 0531300579

Okay, here goes...

So, I am creating this blog for a class on children's & ya literature (at Texas Woman's University), but hopefully it will turn into a place where I can log my thoughts on books before I forget why I liked (or didn't like) them.