Module 6 - Click Clack Moo, Cows That Type

February 18 - 24, 2013

 

 

Cronin, Doreen. CLICK CLACK MOO, COWS THAT TYPE

 

Bibliography:

Cronin, Doreen. (2000). Click, clack, moo: cows that type. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

 

Summary:

When the cows discover a typewriter in the barn, they take the opportunity to tell the farmer that they are cold and need blankets. They decide to bargain with him and refuse to provide milk until they receive electric blankets. When he refuses, they bring the chickens in on the deal. They refuse to produce eggs! The duck, a neutral participant, decides to be the go-between in this deal – the typewriter for the electric blankets. The farmer agrees…then receives a typed letter from the duck requesting a diving board for the pond.

 

Impressions:

This book cracked me up! I enjoyed the simple story so much I made my daughter read it too. Although I may have to explain what a typewriter is to my audience, I would read this to all ages. In fact, I want to see what else this author has written in hopes that it is just as whimsical.

 

Reviews:

Life on the farm will never be the same after the cows discover an old typewriter. When Farmer Brown refuses their first written request for electric blankets, the determined cows go on strike. In a bold act of community organization, they convince the hens to join them, and soon the baffled farmer is out both milk and eggs. Neutral Duck arbitrates with hilarious results. Lewin's watercolors are as big, bold, and outrageous as the animals' demands. Video and audio versions available from Weston Woods.

Auerbach, B. (2005). Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type. School Library Journal, 51(9), 58.

Farmer Brown has a problem. His cows have found an old typewriter in the barn and are using it to make demands. They want electric blankets to keep them warm at night and are willing to withhold their milk until they get them. What is worse, the chickens have joined the cows in their strike. No more milk! No more eggs! The ducks are the not-so-neutral party. They carry the cows' and chickens' message, which promises to turn over the typewriter in exchange for blankets. Once Farmer Brown capitulates, however, the ducks have a few demands of their own. The delightfully understated text and expressive illustrations add to the hilarity. A read-aloud must for teachers who wish to create classroom space for conversations about literacy and power with even the youngest of readers.

Click, Clack, Moo (Book). (2002). Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 45(8), 794.

Uses:

I would read this to younger classes that come in to the library for story time. It would be a great book to use in a lesson on personification.

Module 5 - Remember: The Journey to School Integration / The Tequila Worm

February 11 - 17, 2013

 

Morrison, Toni. REMEMBER: THE JOURNEY TO SCHOOL INTEGRATION:

Bibliography:

Morrison, Toni. (2004). Remember: the journey to school integration. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co.

 

Summary:

The Civil Rights Movement is presented from the perspective of African American children living through the integration process. The photographs help to instill the reality of a time long past but not long forgotten. You are presented with the feelings of fear and anxiety these students faced when trying to just become an equal.

 

Impressions:

I was impressed with the emotion expressed by the narrator and I feel that any student can understand and relate to the feelings of anxiety. The photographs also add to the authenticity of the subject matter and make this real for the reader. I really like books with authentic photos because they really help me understand a topic, especially when it relates to history as that seems to be my weakest area.

 

Reviews:

In her introduction, Toni Morrison describes the racial climate in the U. S. in the 1950s— the

burgeoning civil rights movement and the impact of Brown v. Board of Education. Morrison reaches out to engage readers in this pictorial essay on the topic of school integration with the

brief and thought-provoking words she imagines being spoken by the children, youth, and adults captured in the photographs. The images, spanning the years 1942 to 1989, document segregated and integrated schools and the civil rights movement. A timeline and photo notes at the end of the text give dates and descriptions to help readers correlate these images to the country’s history.

Remember: The Journey to School Integration. (2010). School Library Monthly, 27(2), 28.

 

Award-winning author Toni Morrison has crafted a sensitive pictorial essay of the tumultuous times of school integration. Photographs on every page lead the reader from the segregated schools and communities to the front page of the New York Times with its announcementof the Supreme Court decision, from the initial attempts at integration to classes finally being integrated. Readers will see pictures of Ruby Bridges, Rosa Parks, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Without using inflammatory language Morrison succeeds in depicting the inhumanity of those days. Hopefully, this new generation of readers will recognize the injustices and never let them happen again. The uncaptioned pictures are placed in their historical context in the photo notes in the back matter along with a timeline of significant civil rights and school integration events. The book is dedicated to the four young girls killed in a Birmingham church bombing. Though a picture book in format, this title will touch the hearts of all, including students and adults who have not endured such treatment and those who have.

 

Manczuk, S. (2005). Remember: The Journey to School Integration. Library Media Connection, 23(4), 67.

 

Uses:

I would display and/or read this to students when they are studying the Civil Rights Movement. This could also be part of a display in the library of African American authors during Black History Month.

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THE TEQUILA WORM 

Bibliography:

Canales, V. (2005). The Tequila Worm. New York: Wendy Lamb Books.

Summary:

The Tequila Worm tells the tale of a young girl, Sofia, growing up in a Mexican-American family in border town south Texas. Surrounded by her close-knit family, Sofia learns of the value of the Mexican traditions passed down through generations of family members through the telling of stories, sharing of foods and dependence on her loved ones. Her dream is to make something of herself and after being teased in the school cafeteria for bring bean tacos for lunch, a coach leads her down a path that will change her course and encourage her to excel at school. Her hard work pays off when she wins a scholarship to attend a prestigious private school in Austin, TX, three hours away. Struggling with whether to pursue her dreams and leave her family and its traditions behind or stay home and follow the expected path for her, she is encouraged to follow her heart through a series of self-discovery moments where her family traditions teach her the things she will need to be successful in her pursuits.

Impressions:

I was drawn to this book because it is based in a culture I am married to don’t always fully understand. The references to areas of Texas I have visited and lived, stores I have shopped at and foods I have enjoyed were comforting and kept me reading to learn even more. I felt a kinship to Sofia and wanted to see her succeed in everything she attempted.

Reviews:

Sofia's Texas barrio is as full of Mexican culture--from storytellers to healers to Christmas tamales and Easter cascarones--as it is of love and warmth. To Sofia, though, it is also increasingly shabby and limited, and when a scholarship offer to an exclusive boarding school arrives she decides to leave her family and barrio behind. Family expectations and peers' racist attitudes challenge her academic dreams, but her successes ultimately lead her all the way to Harvard Law. Sofia narrates her journey (which parallels Canales' own experiences) from young childhood to adulthood in vignettes a half-page to several pages long (akin to Cisneros' landmark The House on Mango Street). Repeated elements such as the tequila worm (a cure for homesickness) and comadres (lifetime female friends almost like family) provide some continuity, but overall the vignette device makes the story feel fragmented. Situations and characters in the boarding school portion of the text are superficial compared to compelling portrayals of Sofia's close family and barrio, weakening the impact of the contrast between the two worlds. However, the novel is notable for its positive portrayal of a close-knit Mexican-American family in which a young Latina uses her brains to get ahead while never losing sight of her heritage.

Hommel, M. (2005). [The Tequila Worm]. Bulletin of the center for children's books, 59(2), 76.

Sofia, 14, lives in McAllen, TX. What she lacks in material possessions, she makes up for in personality and intelligence. When she is called a "taco head" by a student at her school, she decides to "kick that girl" by getting better grades and being a better soccer player than her tormentor. As a result of this determination, Sofia is offered a scholarship to the elite Saint Luke's school in Austin. Now she must convince her family and herself that she is up to the challenge. Canales includes vivid descriptions of life in a Mexican-American community. Her prose is engaging and easy to read, making this novel a good choice for reluctant readers. The momentum slows a bit after Sofia's arrival in Austin in contrast to the portion of the book set in McAllen. Still, the story is a good addition to most collections.

Buron, M., Jones, T. E., Toth, L., Charnizon, M., Grabarek, D., & Raben, D. (2006). The tequila worm. School Library Journal, 52(2), 128.

 

Uses:

This would be great to use to introduce Spanish culture or as a study on cultural traditions.

Module 4 - The Twenty-One Balloons / Holes

February 4 - 10, 2013

THE TWENTY-ONE BALLOONS 

Bibliography:

duBois, William Pene. (1947). The 21 Balloons. New York: Viking.

Summary:

Professor William Waterman Sherman wants to have some alone time and decides to create a complete inhabitable environment he can attach a large balloon to and float across the surface of the Earth for the next year. He left with only one balloon, and three weeks later he was found floating in the ocean with the remains of 21 balloons. The question that everyone is asking is where did all of the balloons come from and how did he get so far from his launch area in only three weeks? Sherman tells a larger than life tale of his adventure that took him to the island of Krakatoa, secret home to twenty families, dangerous volcanic activity and more diamonds than you could imagine!

Impressions:

At first I didn’t want to read such an “old” story but was quickly sucked in. I truly enjoyed the adventure of it all and was intrigued with the scientific aspects of  living on an active volcanic island. The secretive actions of the inhabitants of Krakatoa reminded me of the show Lost and how Ben Linus and his crew had the submarine that was used to go out for supplies. The similarities kept me interested and wondering how in the world it was going to end. I think that secretly all of us seek the opportunity to escape our mundane lives and find a tale to tell.

Reviews:

A great adventure story, with a different kind of hero. Professor Sherman is a misanthrope (could he be one of the first anti-heroes?), and just wants to get away from it all (and I love him for it). Also unique in that the whole story is told as a talk to his club. When people are looking for a “classic book”, I always recommend this.

Bird, Elizabeth. (2012). Top 100 children’s novels #64: The twenty-one balloons by William Pene du Bois. School Library Journal.

 

The Twenty-One Balloons by William DuBois (Puffin, pap. 1986) has everything-balloon travel, diamond mines, wonderful inventions and a volcanic island that erupts while 82 people hover over it on a platform held aloft by balloons. The story is told by Professor William Sherman Waterman, a retired math teacher who is determined to fulfill his dream of travelling in a balloon high above the cares and concerns of the regular world for one year. Narrator John McDonough does a good job of sounding like the tired 66-year-old professor. The recorded version drags at times, especially in the very long introduction that describes Professor Waterman's refusal to tell his story even to the President of the United States. Listeners may cringe a little when the professor describes dumping his garbage over the side of the balloon, but this is the only aspect of the story that is dated. Life on Krakatoa, the volcanic island where the professor ultimately ends up, is truly extraordinary. The wonderful inventions, including a balloon merry go-round and electrified chairs that can be driven all over the house, are bound to appeal to listeners' imaginations. However, the narration does not exude the sense of wonder and excitement that the story deserves.

Ching, E. (1998). The twenty-one balloons. School Library Journal, 44(4), 82-82.

Uses:

I would prefer to introduce this book at the high school level to students in science courses. In association with the science teachers, a project could be developed to try to create a balloon that could lift a certain object. A comparison to the development of his balloon and basket system to modern hot air balloon could also be researched and discussed.

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HOLES

 

Bibliography:

Sachar, Louis. (1998). Holes. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

Summary:

Stanley Yelnats has been sent to a detention center where he must spend his day digging holes in the desert for the warden. This is his punishment for stealing a pair of shoes that were to be auctioned at a charity event. Only that’s not what really happened. Stanley is affected by a family curse…one he inherited from his great great grandfather when he did not fulfill a promise made to a gypsy. Through the trials of serving this sentence, Stanley learns the true reason behind the digging of the holes, the truth about what happened with the shoes and redeems his family of a curse that has followed them for generations.

 

Impressions:

This story was interesting, showing how things can come full circle and work themselves out. I liked the intricacies of how the actions of the past seemed to repeat themselves.

 

Reviews:

…We haven't seen a book with this much plot, so suspensefully and expertly deployed, in too long a time. And the ending will make you cheer — for the happiness the Yelnats family finally finds — and cry, for the knowledge of how they lost so much for so long, all in the words of a lullaby. Louis Sachar has long been a great and deserved favorite among children, despite the benign neglect of critics. But Holes is witness to its own theme: what goes around, comes around. Eventually.

Sutton, R. (1998). Holes. Horn Book Magazine, 74(5), 593-595.

 

As the winner of the Newbery Medal and the National Book Award in 1998, as well as the basis for the 2003 film adaptation (which grossed $67.3 million), Sachar's darkly comic tale has all the ingredients of a YA reading-group hit--crime, adventure, treasure and identifiable, likable characters. Falsely imprisoned in the juvenile detention center Camp Green Lake, Stanley Yelnats discovers clues to a secret treasure while digging holes in the rocky lakebed, the punishment impinged upon the prisoners by The Warden, who's obviously hiding something. But what? Stanley endeavors to find out, and according to Kirkus, "Through flashbacks, Sachar weaves a complex net of hidden relationships and well-timed revelations as he puts his larger-than-life characters under a sun so punishing that readers will be reaching for water bottles." Vicky Smith, Director of McArthur Library in Biddeford, Me., who used Sachar's novel in her own fifth-grade book group, says that the children loved the characters and enjoyed the challenge of the shifting narratives. She also notes that the discussion helped struggling readers to better understand the text. Reprinted as part of Random House's Reader's Circle series, this "rugged, engrossing adventure" will engage a wide range of young readers.

Holes. (2005). Kirkus Reviews, 73(8), 14.

Uses:

I would display this as an example of a book that is also a movie. Students could be challenged to read the story a movie is based on and do a compare and contrast assignment, ultimately determining which was better.