Sarah's Book Blog: November 2012

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Where'd the Village go?

The Village That Vanished
Written by Ann Grifalconi
Illustrated by Kadir Nelson
Published by Puffin Books

I chose this book mostly because it looked on the outside cover to obviously be about Africa. For a while now I have been wanting to visit the continent of Africa, so anything that looks African is interesting to me. The title looked really interesting as well. I immediately wanted to know why the whole village vanished. Also, Kadir Nelson is the illustrator of this book, and he has done so many of the other books that I have read. I love his drawings. They are sure to always be beautiful and simple, and that’s the way I like things. This book was a huge disappointment to me. I was really interested and thought that there would be more depth/background to the story. Unfortunately, my hopes were let down. This story is focused around the prayer life of a young African girl. She wishes to one day be able to eloquently and properly pray just as her mother could. There were slave traders that were coming into the villages and burning them all down. This particular village decided that it was best to try and flee the slave traders. They did so until they got caught up at the edge of the river. The young girl prayed right there that God would show her the way, and that He would ease their burdens about crossing this river. So she immediately began praying the beautiful prayer and the way across the river was revealed. Huge stones were there to lead this village across the river and into the safety that awaited them. The author did a great job of blending African traditions and customs along with an easy to read and incredibly motivational story.
The illustrator is famous for her drawings that normally follow oil painting. The images contain unimaginable tiny details. There is a unique design on everything. Every illustration consumes seventy-five percent of the pages, and the text is written in a type face below of above the picture. Behind the text is negative space. The text placement would have to be considered the most formal. The cover of this book is another on of the interestingly hard paperbacks. This must be the new way to create paperbacks, in order that they may last longer. This cover has a wrap-around illustration effect. The title page has a very nice illustration that does a wonderful job setting up the curiosity of the reader.

This book could be used in the classroom in a Read Aloud lesson to share some of the African culture with the students. The teacher could complete a compare and contrast chart between Africa and America. This would be a great way to teach about how cultures are different and unique, but that humans are humans. This could also be turned into a writing assignment. The students could write about any traditions that may be passed down in their family. They could share these different traditions, and notice how even within their own culture there are differences. The teacher could share why different is always a good thing. The student’s could also write about one thing they wish to start as a tradition in their family.

World Explorer

The Adventures of Marco Polo
Written by Roger Smalley
Illustrated by Brian Bascle
Published by Capstone Press
Copyright 2005
28 pages
Historical Fiction

I am pretty sure that there will never be a time in my life that the words “Marco” and “Polo” can be said without immediately thinking of the other. I’ve always wondered what it was that started the game Marco Polo. We played it so much when I was a kid, and I never knew who Marco Polo was. I was immediately drawn to this book solely because of its title. I saw the picture on the front and thought that it was finally time that I read about the life and times of Marco Polo. Wow! This was a great book. From start to finish the author kept me interested. I am guessing the story itself would keep most people intrigued, but he had a way of creating a sense of flow and importance to the text. From the farthest corners of the earth to the kings castle itself, there were many places that many people had never been before. Since Marco, was a fairly influential man, the king sent him to a certain area of his kingdom. Marco saw tigers, rhinos, and all sorts of other dangerous animals. He returned home and started telling stories of their monstrous size and devilish looks. This is a wonderful story about an Italian traveling to China.
I enjoyed the last comic style book so much that I just had to have another one. This series from Graphic Library is a very good one. The expressions on the faces are very apparent. This book is also a hard paper back. It is very durable. Text format in this book is of course, very informal. The text bubbles cover the pages. The text is all written in the same style and color, but the placement is random. The images are vibrant full, taking up the page top to bottom.
This book could be used in a geography lesson. The students could discuss Beijing, China and where it is found on a map. The students could draw the country and learn other interesting facts about it. The teacher could also create a research for the students to find out more about China independently. The teacher could create a guided handout to elaborate on some of the things mentioned within the book, such as animals that live there. This book could also be used in a history lesson about Early Explorers. The teacher could relate this to those who explored America, and became part of the reason we live here today.

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

This House, That Hosue

You Lived Here: Houses of the World Written & Illustrated by Giles Laroche
Published by: Houghton Mifflin HarcourtCopyright 2011
30 pages
Multi-Cultural

Who wouldn’t love a book about houses? This book’s title alone gave me an instant spark of interest. I loved the Italian style seaside drawing on the cover of the book as well. I like seeing different things from around the world and it’s really neat to see how other people live, and how their homes differ from ours here in America. While this book was interesting, it was very simple and straightforward. From the beginning to the end with every flip of the page, the writer presents a great illustration and then describes the type of house that it is. He always says,” If you lived here,” as the introduction to the rest of the paragraph. The authors writing style is very simple as well. The easy to read descriptions of the houses are very detailed and informative. The book does become a little bit boring towards the end. Actually, on the last two pages, I looked at the pictures longer than I actually read about the houses. While this book was very readable and immediately intriguing, it didn’t exactly live up to the expectations that I had initially had for it.

As I mentioned before, the illustrations are the best part of this book. The illustrator draws and paints all of his pictures. He makes a collage of all the pictures by cutting and pasting them together. Every house in every picture contained distinct detail. I am certain that Laroche spent much time studying these actual houses in order to paint them so elegantly. Along with plain green end paper, Laroche uses two strips of paper with information about the book. These papers look as if you or I cut them out and pasted them there. This is a common technique that authors are now using. It is an effective way to let the reader know some short piece of important information that will give them a desire to read farther.

A teacher could use this book in any classroom. This book is very informational. Under each paragraph or story that tells about the house is an interesting set of information. The teacher could use the information in numerous ways. The students could choose their favorite house, and use the underlying information to write about it. In lower grade levels, the teacher could let each student choose their favorite house, and let them illustrate it themselves. Older elementary grade levels could do the same and then fill in the same fun information that the book has about the house they created.

Dia de los Ninos!

Book Fiesta!
Written by Pat Mora
Illustrated by Rafael Lopez
Published by HarperCollins

I chose this book because of the split language (bilingual) writing style that is used as a theme throughout the whole story. The title was also really cute, and so were the children on the front cover. I was looking for a multi-cultural book, and this one seemed like it would be the best option for my personal tastes. This book was very simple and easy to read. The entire book is basically about places where we can read together, which indirectly promotes unity among the two cultures. The author stretched the imaginations of the intended young readers by saying that we can read on the backs of elephants, we can read to lizards, and we can even read in submarines. This is great, especially for some of the youngest of readers that may not even know what Spanish is yet. The author and illustrator did a great job on teaming up and making the pictures go well with the content. For English speaking students to be able to relate the picture to something else while reading the Spanish version is very important.

The illustrations in this book are outstanding. They are by far my favorite among the children’s books I have read. The paintings seem to be done in water color. Each color appears to have a texture due to the way they were painted. The images fill up every single page. The end paper is glued to the boards inside the front and back, and even they are full of life and vibrant colors. They join with the flyleaf to create a wonderful imaginative beginning and ending for the book. The title page, frontis piece, and copyright page have their own images to communicate the nature of the story over a double page spread.

This book would be an awesome book for every classroom. The book celebrates children and reading. A teacher could create a “Book Fiesta” day for the children. The children could each bring their favorite book. They could share their book with the class, and each present a book talk. The teacher could make the whole day a celebration for the children, and bring food and music to go along with the party. This would be a great way to encourage reading. Since this book is written in English and Spanish, the teacher could allow two students to read this book aloud to the class. One student could read in English and the other in Spanish. This would be a great time to teach a little about the Spanish language afterwards. This book promotes a sense of friendship and unity among the two children in the book. The teacher could talk about the two different cultures, and the students could create a Venn-diagram about their similarities and differences.

Life Under the Sea

Ocean, it’s my Home!

Written by Angela Royston

Published by Crabtree Publishing Company

24 pages

Non-Fiction

I chose this book simply because it was about the habitants of the ocean. Last spring I visited the Atlanta Aquarium. I was amazed at the amount of creatures that live under the water. I was stunned by their distinctive bodies and life styles. This book is divided into sections that explain a specific concept. Most of the concepts are the different homes under the water. After explaining the home environment, it explains different sea creatures that live in that part of the ocean. It even tells about some of the birds that live around the ocean. I love that it includes a glossary and index in the back of the book for reference.

The images in this book are all digital photography. The images are realistic showing actual details and characteristics of the animals. The photographs were taken from numerous different photographers; therefore, no illustrator is designated for this book. The text placement within this book is very informal. It is placed to fit around images. A lot of the text is written in colorful callouts to draw emphasis to specific information. Each page has a similar background at the top that fades into a different image at the bottom based on the page information.

The teacher could definitely benefit from having this book in a classroom library. The teacher could use this book for a read aloud during a time where the students are studying the ocean life. The teacher could use this in a science lesson as a reference for students to use in a research activity on certain animals from the book. The teacher could turn this into a writing lesson as well. The students could write facts they learned from the story on a graphic organizer about each animal. The teacher could allow the students to pick their favorite creature from the book and let them research more information about its lifestyle. The students could even present this information to a classroom, or even do this as a group project. This book would need to be used primarily in the higher elementary grade levels.

Where the Water Comes and Goes

All the Water in the World

Written by George Ella Lyon

Illustrated by Katherine Tillotson

Published by Richard Jackson

38 pages

Non-Fiction

I chose this book because I was interested to see what exactly it had to say about water. The world is a something that will always catch my attention. I am extremely interested in the world and all of its existence. This book is a more complicated read about the different places water goes. It is really neat to see the unique writing style the author chose to use. It seems to follow a poetic type of style. The book is a informational in a way to let everyone know where the water goes so that we may know how to keep it clean. The book ends encouraging everyone around the world to keep the Earth green.

This book has a very informal text placement. The text is printed in different colors and shapes of all sizes. Some text is bold and some has a falling effect. A lot of the text is placed in order to go along with the illustration. The illustrations are done in a collages format. For example, a page full of grass and trees displays all different shades and patterns of green fit together to make an image. Some of the images flow into a completely different image. The title page is over a two page spread with an elaborate illustration that does an amazing job communicating the nature of the story.

This book could be used in a classroom during a Science lesson. The teacher could extend on this book and teach a lesson about the water cycle. The teacher could also create a handout with examples of the different ways water is used in this story. For each example, the students could write a personal example of how they treat the water they use. The teacher could also use this in a literacy lesson about poetry. The teacher could explain that all poetry does not rhyme and share different examples. The teacher could even move into allowing students to write their own poem. This book was difficult for me to read and understand. I would suggest using it in the higher elementary grade levels.

She Speaks Truth

Ida B Wells: Let the Truth Be Told
Written by Walter Dean Myers
Illustrated by Bonnie Christensen
Published by Amistad and Collins

Honestly, I chose this book because it was about Ida B. Wells, and I learned about her when I was in elementary school. This woman led an intriguing and important life that displayed perseverance and integrity. I knew that this book would not be a letdown because the author Walter Dean Myers is a very successful and well noted author that always seems to surpass expectations with his writings. This book was basically a quick summary of Mrs. Wells life. The story takes you from her humble beginnings in Holly Springs, Mississippi, to her run for senate in Illinois. The author did an outstanding job of incorporating the details that were most important. There are so many things that you can write about Mrs. Wells, but Myers selection of topics and life events was great. I do wish that the end would have been slightly more detailed though. All-in-all this was a great book that would be a great read for many kids today. The life of Mrs. Wells was too important to forget, and this book does a great job of portraying her importance in a simple yet holistic way.

The watercolor paintings illustrated in this book are quite interesting. Chistensen uses a lot of extra black scratch marks in the images so that they are perceived as older. The illustrations portray a very distinctive style. The illustrations are arranged differently on every page. Some of the images take up the entire two pages, and the text overlaps the picture. Other pages contain an enormous amount of negative space with more than on picture fit together in a collage style. A lot of the pages have very tiny images below or above the text. Most of the pages are simply just one full picture opposing the text written on a blank background on the other page. I just love the images of this book. I would say the text placement is most formal. The book includes a couple of actual quotes form Ida which are all in a different color. One last thing that I admired me was the first letter of the first sentence of every page is in a different color.

In the back of this book is the timeline of Ida B. Well’s life. This book could be used during a history lesson. The teacher could use it during a lesson on the Civil War or about the Amendments of the Constitution. The teacher could create their own timeline of events they remembered from her life. The teacher could also make this into a writing lesson about what it would have been like to live in the time period that Ida lived. The students could also write about ways that they cold stand up for something they believe in. They could write about what if they would have been brave enough to be like Ida.

The Great American Educator

Booker T. Washington: The Great American Educator
Written by Eric Braun
Illustrated by Cynthia Martin
Published by Capstone Press

Booker T. Washington is one of the most famous African-Americans to ever live. He is arguably one of the most influential to live in Alabama too. When I saw the cover of this book, I knew that it would be based around the life of a man that helped shaped our state. I chose this book because I enjoy learning about the history of Alabama; and Booker T. Washington played a very large role in completely changing this state and its culture. This book is written in a comic book style format. It could potentially represent a very short graphic novel. It is actually a very informative and interesting short story. The book takes you from Booker’s life as a young boy still enslaved to a grown man that is at the front of the race riots in the early 1900’s. Washington was the founder of the Tuskegee Institute, a school of very humble beginnings that has turned into a large academic university. Being a historical fiction, there is a sub-plot to the story that really more or less is unimportant. The most important things are the facts about Washington. He was extremely influential in both the white and black communities. His leadership and desire for equal educational opportunities led to an extremely improved quality of life for black people in the state of Alabama.

Since this book is set up in a comic book format, all of the pictures follow the comic book style also. The pictures are extremely detailed with a magnificent use of colors. There is more than one image on about every page. In most of the images the people have a shiny affect to their head or face. This book is very good quality paper back book. The text placement within this would have to be very informal. The text is written in text bubbles all over the images. It is almost difficult to follow what order they should be read. I think the comic book style is a great thing to tie into a historical fiction book. It definitely grabs the readers’ interest from the start.

This would be another great book to use for a read aloud during a history lesson. It would be most efficient in a lesson about Alabama’s history. The students create a cause and effect graphic organizer. In this booker the presidents William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt were mentioned. The teacher could use this to do a lesson on these presidents, and their involvement with Booker T. Washington. The teacher could make a writing assignment for the students to write about their dreams. They could include life goals, and how they plan to reach these goals.

Rapper and a Chilren's Book Author

Just the Two of Us
Written by Will Smith
Illustrated by Kadir Nelson
Published by Scholastic Press

This was an easy book for me to choose. Who wouldn’t want to read a book by Will Smith? He is a well-known musician and actor, so I figured that his entertainment success would bleed over into this book. This book also had an intriguing cover that led me to believe it was going to be centered on a father and son that had their own little family. The picture of the dad holding his son up was too warming to pass up. As far as the story itself is concerned, this short book is one of my most cherished favorites of all. Smith turns out to be an incredible writer. The story is written with in a poetic style with elegant rhymes and a simple flow (what else would you expect from a former musician). The plot follows the affections and simple lessons from a father for his son. From the moment the young child is born, the father is constantly doing everything he can to be the best father that he can be. His undying affection and love for the little boy is evident from the time he brings him home to the time he’s old enough to be on his own. The title did give away part of the story, as we later find out that the man was divorced from his wife. However, it doesn’t stop him from encouraging his son to aim for the stars, to have courage, and to be a great man.

This is one of the first books that I chose with a book jacket. The book jacket protects the book, and informs the reader. The images in this book were very detailed and elaborate. They covered each page top to bottom. It looks as if the illustrator painted the pages with acrylic paint. The text with in the book is very informal. It is in all different shapes, colors, and sizes. The words are all typed on top of the pictures. Even though the text is all written on top of the pictures, they are all mostly opposite the focus of the illustration. This may a slight but of very formal text mixed in.

This book could be used in a classroom in a Literacy Lesson. The book follows a poetry format. The students could write their own poem about their life. They could include their hobbies, family, and many other things about their everyday life. The teacher could talk about the life of Will Smith and his career in music. The teacher could talk about how songs are really just poems that are sung, and then the students could write their own song. The teacher could extend a read aloud into a math lesson. She could take an inventory about each student’s favorite hobby. The teacher could put the results on the board, and then require the students to make a graph of the hobbies.

Is my Tooth Under Your Table?

George Washington’s Teeth

Written by Deborah Chandra & Madeleine Comora

Illustrated by Brock Cole

Published by Farrar Straus Giroux

34 Pages

Historical Fiction

I chose this book about George Washington, because it is about our very first president. Since it is around election time, this book easily caught my attention. I flipped through the book to see the random text and picture placement. I have not yet blogged about a book like this, therefore I was sold. This book is about George Washington having problems with his teeth. All of his teeth became rotten and fell out over a period of time. He was distraught about losing all of his teeth. He was afraid that everyone would make fun of him. He believed he looked like a grandmother. After losing every last one of his teeth, he makes the decision to find all of his teeth to make a mold for dentures. Surprisingly, he finds them all just in time to make it to the ball. This book was very comical and interesting.

The text placement in this book is informal. The text is arranged to fit above, below, between, and around the pictures. The illustrations are intriguing. The outer edges are not defined by a line of any sort. The pictures mostly fade away at the edges. The illustrations are surrounded by a large amount of negative space in order to make the pictures pop out more. In the beginning of the book, the colors used in the pictures are all dark and dreary. Towards the very end when George regains a set of teeth the pictures are colorful. The colors exemplify more of a pastel style. The images might possibly be done in crayon or something similar.

This book could be used in a classroom in an enormous amount of ways. First it would be great to use in a history lesson about Presidents and the Revolutionary War. In the back of the book is a timeline of events of George Washington’s life. This would be a great way to discuss the true historical facts of his life. This book could also be used for a literacy lesson. There is a rhyming theme throughout the whole book. The teacher could do a lesson on rhyming words in a lower grade level classroom. Also in this book, George counts down as he loses his teeth. The teacher could use this for a math lesson. It would be more appropriate for lower grade levels, but the teacher could focus on counting down or subtraction.