Post #17: Horton Hears a Who!

Title: Horton Hears a Who!
Author & Illustrator: Dr. Seuss
Category: Children’s Book Produced as a Feature Film

My son started school last year and attended kindergarten at our brand new Early Childhood Center – which houses kindergarten, preschool, and Head Start. In the lobby just beyond the front entrance is a large poster that says, “A person’s a person. No matter how small.” It is really cute and so appropriate for these little students who are just beginning school. I love the concept of respect and appreciation fostered by this statement – and that’s why I chose this book for my blog.

Of course, any time a book of any kind is transformed into a feature film, there will be changes – differences between the book and the movie. Movies add all kinds of filler & fodder – things that add personality to the character & things that develop the plot more deeply. I like the dramatic beginning of the movie, which reveals the reason that the speck on which the Whos live is floating around in the air. The book just begins with the speck flying by Horton as he splashes in the Pool of Nool. In the movie, the speck is shaken loose from its home on a flower by a rolling, prickly ball.

The movie is narrated from time to time with actual lines from the book. For example the scene in which Horton first encounters the speck is narrated with the exact lines from the very first page of the book. However, some parts are narrated with lines that sound like they could have been in the book – but they aren’t. Rather, there are new lines inserted to sound like original Dr. Seuss lines – but fit the changes in the movie. For example, when the grumpy kangaroo first arrives on the scene – the narration says: “Then humpfing a “humpf” was a sour kangaroo. The type who’s convinced she knows better than you. She made every law and enforced every rule. As self-proclaimed head of the Jungle of Nool.” These lines are clever and sound just like words that would be in this book – but they are not. And that’s only the beginning. The movie is chockfull of catchy little phrases that sound so much like Dr. Seussisms that it’s unbelievable. It really adds so much to the movie – to link it to the book. When Horton’s friend, Morton, (who appears to be a mouse like creature) tries to convince him to get rid of the clover with the speck, Horton replies, “I can’t. I meant what I said and I said what I meant. And an elephant is faithful, one hundred percent.” Horton says that’s his motto.

In the movie, Horton actually hears the voices from the speck & then has to chase it down in a very dramatic scene – in which he is assaulted by the whole Wickersham monkey family. Some of the characters in the book are the same – such as the Kangaroo & her son, the Wickersham monkeys, and the Whoville Mayor. However – other characters are new to the movie. New characters include the mayor’s sassy secretary, Horton’s students, Ms. LaRue - the scientist at Who U, the ornery councilmen, and many others. But even the characters that are the same are given more personality & character attributes. The kangaroo, voiced by Carol Burnett in the movie, channels the nasty Miss Hannigan from Annie. Horton, voiced by Jim Carrey, is as goofy as any character the actor ever played. And what a perfect choice – since Carrey portrayed the Grinch years earlier. The mayor is brought to life by actor Steve Carrel, who is raising 96 daughters with his lovely wife - a fact the book failed to mention. In addition, the mayor also has one son – named Jo-Jo – his successor as mayor. In the book, Jo-Jo is the slacker whom the mayor found playing with a yo-yo when the whole town was making noise and trying to be heard. It was Jo-Jo’s yelp that was enough to make the difference and save the town in the book. And at the end of the movie – it was also Jo-Jo’s yelp that was enough to make their voices heard and to save the town. But, Jo-Jo was more than just a runt slacker – he was the tragically misunderstood only son of the mayor, who had never spoken until that point. Very dramatic.

One big difference between the book and the movie is that Horton is portrayed as a school teacher. Another difference is that the kangaroo’s joey is really open to everything Horton says and does – instead of just echoing her every criticism, as in the book. He especially loves it when Horton stands up to his mom & says, “A person’s a person. No matter how small.” I like the way that illustrations from the book are incorporated into the movie. When Horton thinks about what the people on the speck might look like – he envisions people who look like the book’s illustrations. On the speck, in the town of Whoville – the mayor has noticed some strange things that cause him to become concerned. He suggested to the city council – a group of elders who appear to be the town’s governing body – that the much anticipated WhoCentennial Celebration should be postponed – just to be safe. But the council refuses, calling the mayor a boob. The mayor is dejected and knows that there is a reason for the stranges “goings-on”. Finally, he hears Horton’s voice. The exchange between Horton and the mayor is hilarious, as Horton tries to convince the mayor that Whoville is on a speck. The mayor finally believes and knows that he must do something to save the town. It’s a dramatic moment when the mayor gains the courage to tell the town about Horton. See, just at the big people find it hard to believe that a whole world could exist on a speck on a clover – the little Whos find it hard to believe that they are being held in the trunk of a giant elephant. The black-bottomed eagle villain from the book – Vlad Vlad-i-koff also makes an appearance in the movie, to team up with the scheming kangaroo. In the book, Vlad steals the clover and flies around all night with it. He finally releases the clover into a field of millions of clover – knowing that Horton will never find it. In the movie – Vlad pursues Horton mercilessly, wreaking havoc in Whoville. It’s just that moment, as Horton is about to speak, that Vlad whisks the clover away and flies off.

The townspeople ignore the mayor’s pleas and the dramatic changes in the weather, as they continue on with the WhoCentennial celebration. Horton charges on, chasing Vlad up a mountain and through the snow. The intense chase scene conveys more intensity than the book, but the result is the same – Vlad drops the clover into a field with millions of others. The narration during the scenes in which Horton searches for HIS clover is intermingled with quotes directly from the book and new catchy ones. But just as things begin to look sunny – as the Whoville townsfolks believe in Horton and as he pledges a safe future to them – a revolt is forming in the jungle. The angry kangaroo is leading all the jungle animals to get the clover away from Horton. Determined to rope him and cage him – the angry mob stampedes toward Horton and the clover – with the speck on top. Horton was confronted & the kangaroo demanded that he deny all the “nonsense” about people living on the speck or face the consequences. Horton refused & the mob charged toward him. He valiantly fought them off for a while – urging the citizens of Whoville to make noise so that they would be heard. They faced a boiling pot of Beezle-Nut juice – the same fate as the book tells. But, their voices are not heard and the kangaroo drops the clover over the pot of boiling Beezle-Nut juice. But, her young joey – named Rudy – reaches out and rescues the clover and the speck because he finally hears their voices just as Jo-Jo lets loose his yelp. This is a very different joey than the one portrayed in the book. The movie joey takes the clover back to Horton, because he too believes that, “A person’s a person. No matter how small.” It’s a touching moment as Horton and the kangaroo put aside their differences and forgive one another over a chocolate chip cookie and a fuzzy umbrella. But before tears have a chance to form, the whole cast of characters break into a hilarious karaoke version of REO Speedwagon’s I Can’t Fight This Feeling Anymore. The movie ends with the line, “And so let that be a lesson to one and all. A person’s a person. No matter how small.” The scene cuts to a view of the galaxy with tiny specks flying around everywhere. The movie was an excellent representation of the book – changing only a few things and adding a few things to make the story movie-ready. And so…this is my last entry in my reading journal blog for LME 518 – Woohoo. Done…two days early!

Post #16: Bad News for Outlaws

Book: Bad News for Outlaws: The Remarkable Life of Bass Reeves, Deputy U.S. Marshal
Author: Vaunda Micheaux Nelson
Illustrator: R. Gregory Christie
Category: Coretta Scott King Award Book


I picked up this book at the public library last week to (almost) finish my reading journal blog. This title was selected to fulfill the Coretta Scott King Award book category. Bad News for Outlaws is the 2010 Coretta Scott King Award winner. The librarian was very enthusiastic about her recommendation of this book, as it is a recent acquisition for our library. It was all shiny and crisp, still on the new book cart by the circulation desk – just waiting for someone to take it home. So I did – I was the first one. I’d like to start out by saying that this book has absolutely gorgeous illustrations! I really like it better than some of the Caldecott Award winning books that I’ve reviewed for my blog. The pictures practically jump off the page. The rich, warm colors beautifully tell the story of Bass Reeves, and what a story it is! This book addresses diversity in a very straightforward manner, explaining that Bass Reeves was different from most U.S. Marshals trying to keep the peace in hostile Indian Territory. He was different because he was black. Growing up as a slave, he overcame many obstacles to become a revered and feared man of law who was honest and fair. I love the way that this story is presented, because it reads like a tall tale – but it is actually a historical biography designed to entice young readers. This is one of the big revelations I’ve had through completing this reading journal blog. I was totally unaware of the creative ways that nonfiction literature can be presented. This book is honest and forthright about the pleasant and unpleasant aspects of this American hero’s life. Bass Reeves was a slave who was believed to have escaped to freedom after a physical conflict with his owner. It seems very strange to even write that sentence – to think that one person could OWN another. I think kids need to hear that – to see how far we have come as a nation – and to remember to always value the rights of others. The book specifically stated that some white people didn’t’ like the notion of a black man with a badge. However, the focus of the book was on the great accomplishments of Reeves’ thirty two years of service to peace-keeping in the American West. The exciting stories of this man’s life are written in such a way that the reader is drawn in and hanging on the next work. Bad guys – lots and lots of bad guys – are arrested and brought to justice under this marshal’s reign. Even Reeves’ own son was not exempt from his dedication to justice and fairness. I love the stories of how Bass Reeves used cunning and craftiness in his approach to catching criminals on the run. He altered his appearance, rode on broken down horses, and assumed the identity of the wanted – in order to capture the wanted. Bass Reeves was a good moral man who resorted to violence as a last resort and was dedicated to his calling. And I’d never heard of him. I’m really happy that I had the opportunity to read this book and to learn about his life. I love how this book addresses diversity by brilliantly telling the extraordinary story of a remarkable man who was simply forgotten. I am excited about the power that we possess in children’s literature to introduce kids to wonderful human beings through the enchanting and compelling media of storybooks. What a wonderful way to immortalize historical figures – especially minority figures – who easily slip through the pages of history books without being noticed, or who simply fail to make the pages at all. I love kiddie lit that entertains and inspires – and this book does just that!!!

Post #15: Because of Winn Dixie

Title: Because of Winn Dixie
Author: Kate DiCamillo
Category: Children’s Book Produced as a Feature Film (Also a Newbery Honor book)

I’m beginning to sense a pattern here. I must be a sucker for sweet, sappy kiddie lit with precious little girls as the main characters. Just like in Everything on a Waffle & in The Higher Power of Lucky, Opal Buloni is a young girl with guardianship issues who sets out on a summer of adventure and discovery with the help of some very colorful characters. The movie began with familiar lines about Opal going to the grocery store to get macaroni & cheese, rice, and eggs. Even the “Pick-it-Quick” setting for the Open Arms church was straight out of the book. I was tickled to see how Sweetie Pie Thomas, Dunlap & Stevie Dewberry, and Amanda Wilkinson came alive! Sweetie Pie was there in pig-tails, sucking on her knuckle. The Dewberry brothers were sporting shiny, bald heads and were as mean as ever. And Amanda Wilkinson sat quietly with her face all “pinched-up” – just like Opal had described. As the movie began, I felt as though I was meeting people that a friend had already described to me. Most things were straight out of the book, and some things were added to fill up the movie and make it more interesting. It was clear in the book that Opal missed her old hometown of Watley. In the movie, Opal sat unpacking her things and looked longingly at a photo of her little league team from her old hometown – and said, “I bet they already have a pitcher.” The whole scene that sets the story played out on screen just like it was written in the book. Opal witnesses a stray dog running amuck in the middle of the grocery store and claims him for her own - dubbing him “Winn Dixie”. Even the manager of the store crying is consistent with the story. I found “the preacher” – Opal’s dad – to be a bit fussier in the movie than in the book. He put up quite a fight when Opal brought Winn Dixie home and only agreed to let him stay while Opal looked for him a permanent home. In the book – her father resisted only for a few breaths – and then conceded that the dog was a “less fortunate” if ever he’d seen one and agreed that he had found his home. The issue with trailer-park owner was also exaggerated in the movie. He allowed the preacher and Opal to stay in a trailer rent free, but he definitely wanted rid of the dog. He even threatened that they had a choice – a home or the dog. The preacher actually called the pound and Opal came racing out of the trailer crying and begging her dad not to take him away because he was her only friend. He let Opal keep Winn Dixie, but had to take out a loan from the church to pay back all their rent. He still had to promise to find a home for her dog by the end of summer. The book seemed to be all about Opal’s adventures “because of Winn Dixie”. But the movie emphasized more that it was a struggle for her to even keep him. It was interesting to see how the other characters in the book came alive. All of them seemed to have “added” personality traits – perhaps to make the movie a bit livelier. Otis was a bit creepier at first than I had envisioned after reading the book. When Gertrude the bird flew over to Winn Dixie & landed on his head, Otis said, “Well I’ll be damned.” I thought that was certainly unnecessary – especially in a children’s movie. Ms. Franny Block came to life just as she was described on the pages of the book; although, the Herman W. Block Memorial Library didn’t quite appear like the one I’d read about. The one in the movie seemed more like a funeral home or an old, historic house. The movie pretty well followed the story told in the book. Opal narrated it with select passages from the book. Otis charmed all the animals in Gertrude’s pet shop by playing his guitar. Sweetie Pie ran in sucking on her knuckle and took it out of her mouth long enough to call Otis a “magic man”. The scene in which Winn Dixie caught a mouse in church was very funny – although the mouse was more like the size of a rat. They set it free in a field. It was obvious that the preacher had a big heart, but he was just a bit more contrary on screen than on the pages of the book. Gloria Dump’s yard looked about like I had imagined – an overgrown jungle. Gloria came to life as a half-blind, wild-haired, black lady with a gigantic heart. Opal talked with Gloria Dump and shared with her the biggest secrets of her own heart – about how her mom had left. For me, one of the most touching parts of the book is the chapter in which Winn Dixie goes wild because he is afraid of the storm and Opal’s dad says that they have to watch him really carefully during storms and protect him so that he won’t run away. Fortunately this tender, sweet moment was played out just like in the book. The events in the book & the events in the movie did not follow the same order – some came earlier and some came later. One big difference between the book and the movie comes when Opal’s dad finally agrees to tell her 10 things about her mom: one for each year she’s been alive. In the book, the preacher names off ten things just as Opal requested: 1) She was funny, 2) She had fair hair & freckles, 3) She liked to plant things, 4) She could run fast, 5) She couldn’t cook, 6) She loved a story, 7) She knew all the constellations, 8) She hated being a preacher’s wife, 9) She drank, & 10) She loved you. In the movie, the preacher named off the first eight things, skipped number 9, and went on to number 10. He refused to give Opal a #10, just said that her mom packed up everything & left them – she didn’t leave a thing. He did not tell Opal that her mother drank beer, wine, whiskey….and sometimes couldn’t stop. That seemed like an important point, considering how she related to Gloria Dump through this fact, so I wondered if it would be included at all. Gloria took Opal to her backyard and showed her the mistake tree with all the old bottles. Opal asked questions and I wondered if she would say anything about her mother. ..but she didn’t. I really didn’t think that this part of the movie made sense. It’s inconsistency with the book just didn’t seem to fit at all. I think the fact that Opal’s mother drank was an important link to Gloria. It shows up later. The scene in which a police interrogates Opal about Otis is not in the book. In the book, Otis tells Opal about his jail time, not a snooping “Barney Fife” deputy. Ms. Franny told the story about Litmus – about him going off to war – and coming home to find that he was an orphan – and about him building a candy factory and creating the Litmus Lozenge. She tells the story to both Opal and Amanda - just like in the book. The secret ingredient in the candy is sadness. Opal thinks about how she misses her mother when she tastes the candy. Amanda says that she thinks about Carson and then she runs away. In the book, Opal finds out from her father that Carson was Amanda’s five-year-old brother who drowned the year before. But, in the movie she finds out from Dunlap. Otis says that the candy tastes like music and reminds him of being in jail. He then reveals to Opal why he went to jail – for playing his guitar on the street, disturbing the peace, and assaulting a police officer. Sweetie Pie said the candy tasted like not having a dog. One strange little scene in the movie was nowhere to be found in the book. Some of the neighborhood kids and the Dewberry boys are playing baseball. Winn Dixie catches a fly ball in his mouth and then all the kids begin chasing him. The same goofball police officer that interrogated Opal about Otis stops by to break up the ruckus. Winn Dixie grabs his pants and chases him back into his car. He leaves – calling them all sea monkeys. It was a weird, bizarre, pointless scene. Opal gives her dad a piece of candy and he says it tastes melancholy and reminds him of her mother – just like in the book. However, Opal then asks her father, “Did mom drink?” And…perhaps that’s more realistic. Maybe a single father who just happened to be a preacher wouldn’t tell his ten-year-old daughter that her mother was an alcoholic. When confronted with the truth, the preacher initially says that Opal is just too young to know some things. I guess Opal just figured it out, although I’m not sure how….the preacher certainly didn’t allude to it. She pleads with him and says that she wants to understand. Her dad concedes that Opal is right – that’s what happened with her mom – she started drinking. She asks if that was the tenth thing – and her dad says that it was. Just like in the book, the movie ends with a party – inspired by Gone with the Wind. However, Gloria is much more resistant to the party than in the book – much more reclusive. She finally agrees though and Opal sets out giving invitations to everyone…even the grumpy old trail-park owner. Just like in the book, Otis shows up a little bit late, awkwardly carrying a jar of pickles. A summer storm breaks up the party and everyone moves inside. Otis takes this opportunity to give Opal the red, leather dog collar that she’s been working for in the pet shop. Just then thunder crashes and Opal remembers Winn Dixie’s fear of storms. She takes off looking for him in the storm. In the book, Opal searches for him with her dad…but in the movie, her dad didn’t come to the party and Opal searches by herself. He joins her in the search after she looks for him at their trailer. She is so adorable as she lists ten things she knows about Winn Dixie. When her dad is ready to give up looking, she accuses him of always giving up – even on her mom. It’s obvious his heart is broken too as he assures her that he tried and tried to make her stay. He tells her that he loves Winn Dixie too and he is sad the he is lost too. She asks if he thinks her mom will come back and he says that he doesn’t think she will. And then he tells her he was wrong when he said that Opal’s mom took everything with her when she left. He says that she left one very important thing – Opal – and that he thanks God that she left her. They return to Gloria’s house and the party, but they do not find that Winn Dixie has been hiding under the bed –like in the book. Opal leaves Winn Dixie’s new collar by the tree she planted in the yard. Everyone sits around singing in the living room as Otis plays the guitar. Suddenly a chorus of howling joins in. Winn Dixie has come home. And Opal says that her heart isn’t so empty any more – it’s full all the way up to the top with Gloria and Ms. Franny and Amanda and her Daddy and the Dewberry boys and Otis – and it’s all “Because of Winn Dixie.”

Post #14: Dr. Seuss books

Title: The Cat in the Hat & The Lorax
Author & Illustrator: Dr. Seuss
Category: Discussion questions

A. Identify a contemporary book that has the tension presented in The Cat in the Hat.
The first children’s book that immediately came to mind is Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak.

B. Why does the selected book appeal to children?
I think Where the Wild Things Are appeals to kids because Max is what most kids really want to be at heart – wild! He enjoys being mischievous and dressing up in costumes. He actually sounds just like my 7-year old. He is naughty to his dog and he is naughty to his mom…and he is finally sent to bed without supper. The punishment may be a bit dated, but the story is timeless. Kids can relate. Kids don’t always do what’s right. And kids sometimes go off to their bedrooms and dream of sailing off to a land where they can run free…with the wild things.

A. What makes The Lorax didactic?
By definition, didactic means “intended for instruction; inclined to teach or lecture others too much; teaching or intending to teach a moral lesson.” The Lorax is a story about the intrusion of industry and pollution on nature. The dark and dreary scenes in the beginning of the book are contrasted with the beautiful, colorful land where the Truffula Trees grew. Swomee-Swans flew through the air, Humming-Fish swam in the pond, and Brown Bar-ba-loot played and ate the fruit of the trees. The Once-ler discovered this glorious, unadulterated land and immediately began chopping down trees and building a factory. Time and time again the Lorax, who is the guardian of the trees and animals, warns the Once-ler to stop. But he doesn’t listen. Greed has taken hold of his heart. By the end of the book, the entire land is destroyed, all of the Truffula Trees are gone, all the animals are gone, and the Once-ler is left alone with his empty factory. The message of the book is clear. The invasion of big industry and factories upon the purity and sanctity of nature is a travesty. Smog fills the air, gunk fills the pond, and the land is stripped of all living thing. The Once-ler is sorry, but it’s too late. The damage is already done. The Lorax is taken away. Readers are left with the heavy lesson about our responsibility to take care of the earth. Although everything in the book is depicted in fantasy illustrations with gobbledygook names, the story makes very clear connections with real life. It is most definitely intended to be didactic or for instruction – to teach a moral lesson.

B. Are didactic children’s books published today? If not, why not?
Yes, didactic children’s books are still published today. There are still lots of lessons to be learned, so authors are still writing children’s books to teach kids social and moral lessons. Examples of such books include: The Empty Pot (integrity & honesty), The Greedy Triangle (being content), The Magic Fish (selfishness), & Odd Velvet (tolerance).

Post #13: Caldecott & Newbery Awards

Now that I have finished all of my Caldecott & Newbery selections for this blog, I thought I’d go ahead and tackle Task #4: Describe the difference between the two awards.



According to the ALA, the Newbery Medal is awarded annually for the most distinguished American children's book published the previous year. The award was proposed on June 22, 1921 by Frederic G. Melcher. He suggested that the award be named for the 18th century English bookseller John Newbery. The Newbery was the first children’s book award in the world. The winner of the very first Newbery Award in 1922 was The Story of Mankind by Hendrik Willem van Loon. The 2010 Newbery Medal winner is When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead. The Newbery Medal is an award for the text of a book and honors books that make a distinguished contribution to American literature for children.


The idea for an award for illustrations in children’s books also came from Frederic G. Melcher in 1937. According to the ALA, the Caldecott Medal "shall be awarded to the artist of the most distinguished American Picture Book for Children published in the United States during the preceding year. The award shall go to the artist, who must be a citizen or resident of the United States, whether or not he be the author of the text.” The medal was designed in 1937 by René Paul Chambellan. It is made of bronze, with the name of the winner and the date engraved on the back of the medal. The award is administered by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the ALA. The Caldecott Medal is named after Randolph Caldecott, who was an influential illustrator of children’s books in English during the 19th century. He is noted for his unique illustrations that complemented stories with humor and movement. The winner of the very first Caldecott Medal Award in 1938 was Animals of the Bible, A Picture Book, illustrated by Dorothy P. Lathrop. The 2010 Caldecott Medal winner is The Lion & the Mouse, illustrated and written by Jerry Pinkney. The Caldecott Medal is an award for artwork / illustrations in children’s books.


Since the Newbery and Caldecott Medals were awarded, the selection committees often named “runners-up”. In 1971, the “runners-up” were officially declared to be “honor books”. While only one Medal Award winner is selected each year, as few as one or as many as five Honor books may be named.

One award is not better than the other. The awards are designed to recognize different aspects of children’s literature. The Newbery is an indication of the quality of the actual text of the book, while the Caldecott is an indication of the quality of the artwork of a book.

References
American Library Association. (2010). Book and Media Awards. Retrieved March 20, 2010 from http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/index.cfm.

Post #12: Hondo & Fabian

Title: Hondo & Fabian
Author & Illustrator: Peter McCarty
Category: Caldecott Medal Honor Book


Hondo & Fabian is a sweet story about a dog named Hondo and a cat named Fabian. The story begins with each of them asleep in their respective places – the cat in the windowsill and the dog on the floor. Each one spends the day in a different way. Hondo goes to the beach to play with his friend Fred, while Fabian stays at home to play with the baby. The illustrations are smoky, almost like everything is illustrated under candlelight. The pictures are also very simple – not too much to distract from the focal point of the page. In one illustration, the baby holds Fabian in her arms. The windowsill is visible, but nothing on the wall or floor takes away from the baby and Fabian. Hondo and Fred play in the waves at the beach. Fabian unrolls a roll of toilet paper in the bathroom. At the end of the story, and the end of the day, both animals resume their original positions and rest after a playful day. I like this book because the illustrations are easy to look at – if that makes any sense. They are easy on the eyes. The little pictures are soft and gentle. Peter McCarty has also written and illustrated other children’s books, including Little Bunny on the Move and Baby Steps. He has also illustrated Night Driving and Frozen Man. This book is similar to his other books in that all of the pictures have very soft, earthy tones. This method of using warm, washed-out colors seems to carry through to his other books. The illustrations are a little cartoonish; however, something about them is also very lifelike. The faces of Hondo and Fabian seem very real. Reading this book has reinforced to me that illustrations in children’s books vary so much. And….illustrations that are deemed excellent and award-winning also vary widely. The Caldecott Award recognizes many different styles of artwork in children’s literature. I think I got to see a good sampling of that with my Caldecott choices for this blog.

Post #11: Martin's Big Words

Title: Martin’s Big Words
Author: Doreen Rappaport
Illustrator: Bryan Collier
Category: Recent Book that Addresses Diversity (Picture Story Book)

The cover of this book is adorned with a close-up illustration of the face of Dr. King, Jr. No words. It is absolutely striking. I selected this book for this category because I really do feel that it belongs in every school library media center collection. As a picture book that addresses diversity, Martin’s Big Words has so much to offer. First, this book is highly acclaimed. It is a Caldecott Honor Book, a Coretta Scott King Honor Book, and the recipient of the 2001 Best Illustrated Children’s Book award from the New York Times Book Review. The illustrations are interesting and unique. The pictures appear to be formed from torn pieces of colorful paper. They are like a feast for the eyes. The book tells the story of the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the civil rights movement. It follows him from his life as a little boy in the south during segregation to his rise as a national leader. Martin’s big words were not lengthy, scholarly words – like Bill O’Reilly’s words of the day – meant to impress. No, Martin’s words were heavy, hopeful words from the heart. Martin’s words were love, together, and peace. At the bottom of most pages, a quote from Martin is presented in big, bright, bold letters. I love the page that says Martin “taught others to fight with words, not fists.” What a legacy. The spread that holds these words also has an illustration of a beautiful little girl in front of the American flag on the opposite page. It appears to be illustrated with torn scraps of paper, woven together into a beautiful tapestry like mismatched pieces of a puzzle. The book is visually appealing, but also historically important. While the pictures are attractive, the story is not sugar-coated. The violence and anger and fear that were prevalent in the days of the civil rights movement are conveyed in a way that is appropriate for children, but accurately enough to fully convey the seriousness of the time. The book ends with Martin’s death, but the story offers the hope that his words are still alive for us today. I honestly haven’t read a whole lot of books that address diversity, but I fell in love with this one. I think it is a “must have” for the Library Media Center! From this book, I once again learned that heavy and serious subjects can be addressed in the format of a picture book. I find this method of presenting nonfiction subject matter to be very appealing. Martin Luther

Post #10: Kitten's First Full Moon

Title: Kitten’s First Full Moon
Author & Illustrator: Kevin Henkes
Category: Caldecott Medal Award Book

Kitten’s First Full Moon has the look and feel of a really old-fashioned book. I think that’s why I liked it so much. It reminded me of books that I read when I was a little girl. The illustrations were simple, so simple in fact that they did not in any way overshadow the story. The story was very simple as well. This charming little story – that would be perfectly suited to bedtime reading – tells about kitten’s first glimpse of a full moon. Kitten thinks that the big round white ball in the sky is an inviting bowl of milk. All of the illustrations are black, and white, and shades of gray charcoal. Everything is outlined in dark black lines so that the images just seem to “pop”. They are incredibly simple, basic little drawings – not lifelike at all – but appealing in an effortless way. Kitten stretches toward to sky and sticks out her tongue to catch a drop of milk, but catches a bug instead. Every other page features kitten in the lower left corner and the moon in the upper right corner. Between them is just white space and the words, “Still, there was the little bowl of milk, just waiting.” The repetition of this line and this predictable page would be very appealing to kids. I imagine that this is the kind of book kids would want read over and over again. Kitten tries and tries to reach the bowl of milk / moon. She pulls and stretches and tumbles. She cannot reach it. Kitten runs toward the moon and climbs a tree, trying to reach it. She sees the reflection of the moon in a pond below and races down to dive in. Kitten gets soaked, but still has no milk. At the end of the story, Kitten is wet, sad, and tired – so she heads back home, dejected. When she arrives, she finds a big bowl of milk on her step, just waiting for her. The book ends with the words “Lucky Kitten” – Kitten curled up beside the empty bowl and the moon shining down on her. Kevin Henkes’ Caldecott Medal Award Winning Book Kitten’s First Full Moon shares many similarities with his other pictures books, such as A Good Day, Old Bear, and My Garden. Of course, the stark contrast is the lack of color in Kitten’s First Full Moon. However, the drawings are created in much the same style. The heavy outline is present in the illustrations in the other books as well. Henkes also has a series of Mouse Books featuring characters like Wendell, Wemberly, Chester, and Chrysanthemum. Henkes’ book Olive's Ocean was a 2004 Newbery Honor book and the book Owen was a 1994 Caldecott Honor book. The new thing I learned from reading this book is that impressive, even award-winning, artwork can be simple and basic. I really am beginning to realize that the Caldecott Medals and Honors recognize a wide range of accomplishments in the area of illustrations. The styles, media, and colors used in the award books vary widely. It’s good to see that diversity is recognized as an important factor in children’s books, even in the illustrations.

Post #9: Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs

Title: Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
Author: Judi Barrett
Illustrator: Ron Barrett

Category: Children’s Book Produced as a Feature Film

For my first children’s book and movie comparison, I have selected Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. In this case, the movie is definitely just “loosely based on” or perhaps merely “inspired by” the book. There are many more differences than similarities, but I’ll discuss both in detail. First, the characters in the book and the characters in the movie are completely different. The book features Grandpa and his two grandchildren as the central characters. Grandpa tells the story of the town that gets all its food from the sky, the town of Chewandswallow. The bulk of the book is Grandpa’s story. It is filled with eye-popping illustrations of raining entrees that grow increasingly larger and larger. The book ends when Grandpa’s story ends. The children go outside to play in the snow and find that the sun rising over a large snow-covered hill makes them think of mashed potatoes with a pat of butter. None of these characters are in the movie. The main character in the movie is Flint Lockwood – a young inventor who creates a machine that causes the effect illustrated in the book. Grandpa and his story are not mentioned at all, even for the purpose of establishing the storyline in the movie. Rather, the movie seems to take the idea of the town that is presented in the book and attempts to explain how the town came to be.

The name of the town is also another big difference. The name of the town in the book is Chewandswallow. In the movie, the name of the town is initially Swallow Falls. The name is only changed after town begins receiving food from the sky. Flint Lockwood is an aspiring inventor who has spent his life building machine after machine that is failure after failure. Finally, he builds a machine that turns water into food. He does this because he desperately wants to do something to help the town. Everyone in Swallow Falls must eat sardines, because the Baby Brent sardine canning factory has closed and there is nothing else to do with all the sardines – the town’s only industry. In an attempt to resuscitate the town’s economy (and put a little money in his own pocket), the mayor has spent the town’s whole budget to create “Sardine Land”. Flint’s machine is accidentally sent into space at the mayor’s unveiling of “Sardine Land” – setting off a series of disastrous bumps and bangs that completely disrupt the unveiling. Everyone in town is angry with Flint because he has destroyed “Sardine Land.” The whole town thinks Flint is crazy, until the sky opens up and begins to rain cheeseburgers. Flint’s invention has worked! Then, of course, he becomes the town hero.

A young weather girl intern – Sam Sparks – is sent to Swallow Falls to cover the unveiling of the dirty, scheming mayor’s big idea to save the town. The young intern with the horrible assignment nobody wanted achieves overnight fame covering the “unusual” weather in Swallow Falls. This becomes a not-so-typical boy meets girl story; however, Flint and Sam do fall in love by the end of the movie. As the storyline progresses, the townspeople deluge Flint with special food orders because he is able to control what comes out of the sky. He is able to adjust the menu. This is the part of the movie that is most closely connected to the book. Scattered throughout the movie are scenes that closely resemble illustrations from the book. The giant Jell-O mold is one such example. During a conversation with Flint about all the requests for food he had been receiving from the townspeople, Sam indicates that she loves Jell-O. Flint orders up a giant Jell-O mold. Flint takes Sam on a walk and leads her to his special surprise. She exclaims, “Jell-O’s my favorite!” Sam and Flint bounce around in the Jell-O mold, spending time together and talking. It’s at this point that Sam reveals that she too was formerly a nerd. The two bond. Another example of similarity is the sanitation department vehicle. The one depicted in the movie very closely resembles the one in the book. It’s a huge garbage truck with a giant spoon on one side and a giant fork on the other side. However, unlike the one in the book, the movie’s sanitation department vehicle launches the food into the “beyond” – Mt. Leftovers. A mountain of wasted food grows in the distance. Other examples of book illustrations that are played out on the big screen include a pancake falling on the school and pea soup fog. One funny thread of the movie is the ever-expanding mayor. The mayor is ravenous. He eats and eats and eats everything and gets bigger and bigger and bigger. In each scene he expands by ridiculous proportions. In a dramatic scene near the climax, the mayor rides into Flint’s lab on a scooter. He is bigger than ever – holding a hot dog topped with ice cream, fried eggs, and donuts. At this point, the town name has been changed to “Chewandswallow” to reflect the mayor’s “new” idea to turn the town into a tourist attraction, capitalizing on Flint’s invention.

Danger looms on the horizon. Flint knows that the machine is making the food mutate, causing it to get bigger and bigger. The mayor pressures him to keep the machine going and cook up a special pasta meal for the town’s grand re-opening. Flint takes his father to dinner one night to share his good fortune. Flint has now been embraced as a “son” to the mayor, and former favorite “Baby Brent” is yesterday’s news. In an open room restaurant, Flint and his father sit at a table and wait for their dinner to fly in. A huge steak lands on their table, completely covering it. As Flint rambles on about the mayor’s plan, his father asks, “Don’t you think that’s a big steak?” Flint’s father recognizes that something is wrong here and wants him to stop. Flint is torn. He knows he needs to stop, but he has finally made an invention that everyone likes. He is loved by the town, instead of being the outcast. He angrily storms out of the restaurant leaving his father alone. Flint caves and orders up the meal the mayor has requested. The machine goes wild. The resulting disaster is a spaghetti tornado, complete with giant meatballs (reference to the title). It threatens to destroy the town. In a confrontation with the mayor (who has sneaked into Flint’s lab and ordered an additional Vegas-style buffet) – the communication mechanism is destroyed.

Now someone has to stop the machine or the whole town will be destroyed. Flint, accompanied by Sam, Manny - her camera-guy, and Brent – all fly into space to tackle the out-of-control machine to deliver the kill-code and stop it. A giant meatball has formed around it. Realizing that the town has become too unpredictable and dangerous to inhabit, the townspeople begin to evacuate. Here we find one of the few similarities. True to the book, the citizens make boats out of the stale bread and flee from the island. Just as they are making their escape, a single cherry lands on Mt. Leftovers, causing the dam holding all the food back to break. This is also a divergence from the book. The citizens are now fleeing from a food avalanche, in addition to a food hurricane. As expected, Flint’s plan does not work – completely typical of his history of disasters. However he is able to stop the machine using his first failed invention – spray on shoes. His friends escape, but he is left behind. Another failed invention – rat-birds – carry him back to his home, where the townspeople are waiting for him on their bread-boats in the harbor. In the end – the town is saved. The movie is hilarious – but not really anything like the book.
I liked the book because of the simple, but beautiful illustrations that depicted the ridiculous idea of food falling from the sky. My son loved the book, so it has become one of my favorites. I also liked the movie because of the sweet storyline about a failed young inventor who saves the day. It was predictable and sappy sweet, but I liked it nonetheless. I also enjoyed how the movie did take illustrations from the book and reflect those on the big screen. I supposed my reaction to the book and the movie were greatly influenced by the fact that my son enjoyed both of them so much. He loves the weather, so this over-the-top story about the sky raining food was a big hit with him. This book is probably similar to other fantasy books, but the concept of food falling from the sky is unique and has great kid-appeal. I think that the one thing I learned about children’s literature from reading this book and watching the movie is simply that author’s have so much freedom. The author can create her own world and make it as strange or outrageous as she pleases. No idea is too far-fetched. That’s what I love about children’s literature – it allows kids the freedom to exercise their imaginations!

Post #8: The Three Pigs

Title: The Three Pigs
Author & Illustrator: David Wiesner
Category: Caldecott Medal Award Book


When I selected this book, I thought I’d be reading a beautifully illustrated picture book about the traditional tale of the Three Little Pigs. The cover features a gorgeous close up drawing of the pigs faces, practically dripping with mischievousness. As the story began, I was struck by how ordinary the illustrations seemed. I began to wonder why in the world that this book had been awarded the Caldecott Medal. Then, just when the first little piggy is supposed to escape and run to stick house of the second little piggy, the wolf ate him…or so the story said. Actually, the wolf blew the pig out of the story and the illustration changed. Now the pig resembled those on the cover, with beautiful detail – almost lifelike. The wolf continued on until he blew all three pigs out of the story. Then the story pages began to turn sideways and curl and turn over – in the illustrations. The pigs decided to explore. One page featured the pigs taking a ride on a paper airplane, made from pages of the story. A beautiful two-page spread shows close-ups of the pigs’ faces against the stark contrast of the storybook page paper airplane. I’m not sure what the exact difference is between the two methods or media used in illustrating this page, but the difference is obvious. It clearly makes the point that the storybook looks a certain way and the pigs look different because they have essentially come to life. One two-page layout is actually completely white, with just a small illustration of the piggies’ tales from behind in the upper left corner of the first page. The next layout is nearly the same, except for an even smaller illustration of the pigs from above, about to land their paper airplane. They crash and then proceed to enter a very colorful nursery rhyme book. They find themselves right in the middle of “Hey Diddle Diddle”. I really like the illustrations that show the pigs halfway in and halfway out of the story. The part that’s in is illustrated in the same fashion as the story itself, while the part that’s outside is illustrated much differently – like the cover. The cat with the fiddle escapes from the story with the pigs. The threesome then frees a dragon, just before he is to be slain by a prince. They continue on walking through halls of pages and crumpled up sheets of paper. They unfold the page in which the wolf knocks on the last door & re-enter the story. The dragon sticks his head out the door to answer the wolf & knocks the wolf to the ground. Realizing the control they now have over the story, The pigs shake the letters loose from the story and make alphabet soup. In the end, the three pigs, the cat, and the dragon sit around the table and happily enjoy their soup. I have to be honest – I did not care for this book. I just found it to be odd and weird. I cannot imagine that I could engage my son in this book. Perhaps I feel this way because I like for things to follow a predictable pattern. This book certainly does NOT do that. It is wild and unreal, and I just didn’t like it. Wiesner also illustrated another Caldecott Medal book, the wordless picture book Tuesday. I’ve also looked at this book and found it strange as well. Wiesner is obviously a gifted illustrator; however, I just find the style used in these two books to be distracting. Many of his books feature fantasy – the improbable, the unimaginable. It reminds me a little of the outrageous illustrations in Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, although Wiesner’s illustrations are much more colorful and vivid. While I have read some fractured fairy tales, this book is really in a category of its own because of the illustrations. I think his style is totally unique & cannot really compare it to others that are similar. I have definitely learned from this book that mixed media can be used to separate dimensions in a story. I’ve also learned that traditional stories can be re-told with a modern twist.

Post #7: The Higher Power of Lucky

Title: The Higher Power of Lucky
Author: Susan Patron
Illustrator: Matt Phelan
Category: Newbery Award Book

When I began reading this book, I was immediately struck by the similarities between it and the other Newbery Award Book I read – Everything on a Waffle. It happened by chance that this was my second selection for this category; I was not purposely trying to select a similar book. Both of these award-winning books tell stories of young, precocious little girls who find themselves suddenly and tragically orphaned. In different ways, the girls set out on a journey of adventure and discovery, with the help of some interesting and unique friends. Lucky lives in a sleepy little desert town with a population less than fifty. Her father hadn’t wanted children, and so her parents divorced when Lucky’s mother became pregnant. Lucky’s mother is electrocuted when she steps on a downed power line after a thunderstorm. Lucky’s father calls on his first wife, a young French lady named Brigette, to come to California and be Lucky’s guardian. The story follows this young girl’s search for her “higher power” – something she overhears recovering addicts talking about their 12-Step Meetings. Lucky cleans the porch of the visitor’s center / museum where the meetings take place and eavesdrops from a hole in the wall. She desperately wants to know what her “higher power” is and where she can find it. She has lots of dreams and hopes for her life, despite her sad situation. To compound matters, she finds some suspicious things at home – three trailers strung together- that convinces her that her Guardian, Brigette, is going back home to France. Fearing that she will become a ward of the state, Lucky packs her survival kit backpack with essentials and special items, and heads into the desert. Among the items she takes is the urn with her mother’s ashes in it. She was not prepared to cast her mother’s ashes into the wind at her memorial service, because she was too young. She is overwhelmed to discover that the man she had assumed was the funeral director and had handed the urn to her was actually her father. She had no idea. Lucky is depicted on the cover of the book wearing Brigette’s special red silky dress – the one Brigette had worn when she first arrived in Hard Pan – but not again since. For this special occasion of running away, Lucky wanted a special dress. She is holding the urn in one arm and flinging her mother’s ashes to the wind with her other. This is how the story ends. The whole town searches for Lucky, who is hiding in a cave with 5-year-old Miles – who has also run away, much to Lucky’s chagrin. She had much wanted this to be her own moment. As the townspeople approach her, she turns the situation into a improvised memorial service for her mother. She opens the urn and flings the ashes away – finally achieving closure. In the end, she discovers that Brigette loves her very much and has no plans to return to France. On the contrary, the papers that had aroused Lucky’s suspicion were things that Brigette was gathering to present for her intent to adopt Lucky. Having found her “higher power”, Lucky seals the hole in the wall one day after cleaning the porch of ashes, cigarettes, cans, and candy wrappers. She doesn’t need to listen anymore. I enjoyed this little story very much. One of my favorite parts of the book is Lucky’s explanation of how she came to acquire her job at the Hard Pan visitor center / museum where the 12-Step Meetings are held. She explains that the recovering alcoholics don’t want to see the beer cans left by the smokers, who don’t want to see the cigarettes left by the recovering alcoholics. Furthermore, the eater’s anonymous group cannot stand to see the candy wrappers left by the smokers, drinkers, and gamblers. So, she is hired to sweep up after each meeting. I thought it was funny – how we all have our vices. The story touched my heart, because it told the story of a woman who came to be the mother of a child who was not her own. The tender love she showed Lucky as she cradled her in her lap each night before bed was touching. As an adoptive mother, I appreciated her struggle. I liked the way that the story unfolding, revealing little tidbits about Lucky’s past. I found it interesting that the book addressed something as mature and complex as finding one’s “higher power.” I found the innocent way that Lucky pursued hers to be charming. I think that is the new thing I learned about children’s literature – that heavy issues can be addressed. This book talks about addictions, divorce, death, substance abuse, and jail. The situation isn’t always happy. The characters are real. Short Sammy – a man who lost everything because of alcoholism. Miles: a kindergartener who lives with his grandmother because his mother is in jail. Miles’ grandmother: a recovering alcoholic who decided she had to get her act together when her daughter went to jail. I think I like the fact that this book presents very sad, but very real life situations in a gentle way that is easy for children to accept and believe. I like all of the little details in the book. Miles is always carrying around a book called, “Are You My Mother?” Lincoln’s mother gives him the name Lincoln Clinton Carter Kenndy because she desperately wants him to be president. The irony is that Lincoln’s obsession is knot-tying. Lucky’s fair hair, skin, and features make her literally blend in with her surroundings. She applies mineral oil to her eyebrows to make them glisten, so that at least one feature will stand out. I think Lucky is a little girl with lots of questions, like many pre-teen girls. The book explores how she sets out to find the answers.

Post #6: So You Want to Be President

Title: So You Want to Be President
Author: Judith St. George
Illustrator: David Small
Category: Caldecott Medal Award Book


So You Want to Be President is a really funny and surprisingly informative little book, packed with facts from cover to cover about presidents from Washington to Clinton. The cartoonish caricatures of the presidents depict hilarious scenes, such as Nixon displaying his trademark Victory sign after bowling a strike in the White House bowling alley and William Howard Taft being lifted by crane into his specially designed bathtub (with a wine glass & chicken leg in his hands). Page after page, I kept saying to myself, “I didn’t know that”. The pages are chockfull of interesting little tidbits of trivia – funny, fascinating facts. One pages features Presidents Clinton and Nixon walked dejectedly down the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, as the text discusses honesty and impeachment. I think my favorite page is the one that features a whole slew of presidents milling around a dinner party. JFK shakes hands with Lincoln, LBJ looks over the shoulder of Thomas Jefferson. The text explains that although the past 41 presidents were truly a mixed bag, there has still never been a person of color nor a woman elected as president. Geraldine Ferraro and Jesse Jackson stand together at a roped-off section of the room, unable to gain entrance to this exclusive club. How funny to think how things have changed in the past ten years. This book was published in 2000, and does not include either President George W. Bush or Barak Obama. Although the book is written in simplistic text that is easily understood by a child, it is also very entertaining for the adult reader. Everything from commonality of first names and places of birth to personality and success in office is discussed. I did not realize that two Presidents (Andrew Jackson & Herbert Hoover) were orphans. That struck me especially, since I am an adoptive mother myself. Each illustration in this book is thoughtful, creative, and very appealing. The faces on Mt. Rushmore come alive on the front cover and invite the reader to discover what’s inside. I think it is very deserving of the Caldecott Medal, not only because of the beauty of the illustrations, but also because of the careful attention to detail. I studied every detail of each page, not wanting to miss a hidden treasure. This book was shelved with and classified as a children’s fiction book, even though it is stuffed from cover to cover with presidential facts. This is the new insight I gained about children’s literature from reading this book. This is a picture book and is presented in a story format, but the story is comprised of information about the presidents – complete with a bibliography in the back. I didn’t realize that fiction books could sort of serve to deliver non-fiction information. This illustrator has also provided artwork for the following books: My Senator and Me: A Dog’s Eye View of Washington, DC, So You Want to Be An Explorer, So You Want to Be An Inventor, & American Politics: How It Really Works. These titles are very similar to his Caldecott award book, sharing the same cartoonish, caricatures in the illustrations and providing entertaining information about history. He has also illustrated numerous books that vary somewhat in the picture style – but those listed above are very similar to So You Want to Be President. I’ve never seen a book that is designed quite like this, so I think it’s very unique. I loved it & would love to see a new one that brings kids up to date with the newest president.

Post #5: Sunday Outing

Title: The Sunday Outing
Author: Gloria Jean Pinkney
Illustrator: Jerry Pinkney
Category: Book by Illustrator Jerry Pinkney


The Sunday Outing is the story of Ernestine, a young African-American girl living in Philadelphia and longing to ride the train down south to visit her mother’s family on a farm in North Carolina. The book ends as Ernestine boards the train and waves goodbye to her family, finally able to ride the train instead of just watching it. I liked the book because the language and dialogue seemed genuine. The exchanges between Ernestine and her Great-Aunt Odessa were simple, yet convincing. My husband and I took our seven-year-old son to ride a train in Stearns, Kentucky back over the summer. He absolutely loves trains. I thought of him as I read this book and observed Ernestine’s delight at the wonder of these amazing machines. “The Sunday Outing” refers to her trip with her great-aunt down to the train station just to watch the trains. Although the book doesn’t say it clearly, it is implied that these outings are a regular occurrence for Ernestine. She even turns down a Sunday afternoon of playing with her friends just to go watch the trains. When she finally gets the chance, Ernestine is anxious about traveling by herself. As I read, I remembered the first time I traveled by myself far from home without my parents or sister. It was 1991 and I was sixteen years old. I rode a bus to Orlando, Florida with a bunch of other teenagers for an event called Nazarene Youth Conference. I was much older than young Ernestine and I wasn’t traveling completely alone, but I was a little anxious nonetheless. The insight that I gained from this book is that the dialogue and language in a book should fit the situation or the story, rather than adhering to “proper” rules for language and grammar. Reading this book and Miracle’s Boys for a previous blog post made me realize how important the dialogue can be for setting the mood of a story or making the reader identify with the characters.


Jerry Pinkney has illustrated over one-hundred children’s books since the 1960’s. His other works include The Talking Eggs, The Patchwork Quilt, I Want to Be, The All-I-Ever-Want Christmas Doll, and The Lion and the Mouse. After looking at some of the other books Jerry Pinkney has illustrated, I can see that many of his books share a common African-American theme, including: Mirandy and Brother Wind, In For Winter Out For Spring, Tanya's Reunion, Goin' Someplace Special, Ain't Nobody a Stanger to Me, and The Moon Over Star. This book fits right into that category and is very similar to the titles just listed. The Sunday Outing is unique in that it is authored by his wife, Gloria Jean Pinkney. Other books by Jerry Pinkney illustrate familiar fairy tales or folk tales, including: Little Red Riding Hood, The Little Red Hen, Aesop's Fables, The Ugly Duckling, Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, and The Tales of Uncle Remus.

Post 4: Bravo, Mia!

Book: Bravo, Mia!
Author: Laurence Yep
Category: Book by Author Laurence Yep


Bravo, Mia! is part of the American Girl series in the contemporary fiction section. It’s the story of eleven year old Mia St. Clair, who faces numerous stumbling blocks on her journey to compete at the Regional figure skating competition. Mia’s family is struggling financially just as Mia realizes she has outgrown her skates and her dress. To compound the problem, Mia’s mother broke her leg and reports that she is unable to work for a few weeks – the very day the family’s furnace goes out. The parents call a family meeting and explain to Mia and her three older brothers that they face a difficult decision. Both Mia and her oldest brother Perry are looking forward to upcoming competitions. Mia has worked hard to represent her skate club at the regional competition. Perry is also looking forward to traveling with his hockey team to a tournament. With finances as they are, the family can only afford one of these trips. So, they allow the “Coin of Destiny” to decide. They essentially flip a coin to determine which child gets to go – Mia to regionals or Perry to the hockey tournament. The coin favors Perry and Mia handles the loss with grace and class. What Mia’s family lacks in money, they more than make up for in love. Mia’s whole family feels very badly for her, especially Perry – who won the coin toss. It doesn’t take long until fate smiles on Mia as friends rally around her, donating material for a new dress and buying her a nice pair of used skates. Mia gets to attend the competition and she has renewed confidence. While at the competition, Mia and her best friend Anya end up sharing their room with snobby Vanessa due to a reservation mix-up. This is a classic contrast of the girl who is poor, but has a wonderful relationship with her family against the girl who has all the material things she could want, but isn’t a priority to her parents. In the end, Mia also has to summon the courage to face a really good, but haughty up-and-coming skater at the competition. Mia performs well and finishes in fourth – a nice showing for her first regionals. Mia is met with the cheers and congratulations of her whole family. This is a nice story that probably has great appeal to girls in upper elementary school. Mia keeps a great attitude throughout the whole story and is an excellent role model for little girls. This book seems to follow the cookie-cutter pattern of other books in this genre. Other American Girl books in the contemporary fiction section include stories of girls who overcome obstacles to pursue their dreams of dancing, surfing, and exploring. Laurence Yep also authored another book in this series entitled Mia about this same character learning to figure skate. Laurence Yep is a respected Asian American author who has written numerous children’s books, including Newbery Honor Books Dragonwings and Dragon’s Gate. Many of his books feature Asian American characters, so this story about the American “the girl next door” type of character seems to deviate from his typical type of book, like the Golden Mountain Chronicles and Chinatown Mysteries. Published in 2008, this is one of his more recent books. The brief biography in the back stated that Yep is a big fan of figure skating. It’s interesting to see how an author’s work changes and evolves along with the author.

Post #3: The Man Who Walked Between the Towers

Title: The Man Who Walked Between the Towers
Author & Illustrator: Mordicai Gerstein
Category: Caldecott Medal Award Book

I had no idea what this book was about. To be honest, from the cover I could not guess and actually thought that the book might be rather dull. However, it was the only Caldecott Medal book left at the Public Library last Friday when I went to stock up, so I checked it out. I opened it this afternoon to take a look and found a preview on the inside left cover. The Man Who Walked Between the Towers was about the twin towers, the World Trade Center towers. I couldn’t believe it. In the summer of 1974, a few months before I was born, the towers that defined New York City’s skyline for decades were just being erected. A young French street performer named Philippe Petit got an idea for the ultimate “high wire” act. Knowing that no officials would grant him permission to attempt this feat, he secretly entered one of the towers and with the help of friends, spread a cable between the two. I had never heard of this guy or this event, but the story immediately drew me in. The story is told in simple phrases, almost poetic. The illustrations are gorgeous ink and oil depictions of Philippe’s historic performance a quarter of a mile high between the twin towers. There are two fold-out pages, one that features Philippe on the wire with everything beneath him looking very small, and another that features the crowd below with Philippe looking very small up in the sky. I love fold-out pages in books. It just seems that one gets a little something extra – a bonus. These bonus pages are beautiful and seem to try to capture the height of this feat from different vantage points. Halfway through the book I discovered a picture very similar to the one on the cover with these words below, “As the rising sun lit up the towers, out he stepped onto the wire.” And then it hit me what the cover of the book was trying to convey; this was the moment that Philippe placed his foot onto the wire and began his journey. Suddenly I could see the buildings below, the cars, and even the shadow of the towers. I understood that it wasn’t figurative at all. This book was about a man who literally walked between the towers. My husband and I took our seven-year old son to the Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Circus just a couple of weeks ago. It was a great show!!! As I read through this book, I was reminded of the high wire act at the circus. At the time, it seemed like a tremendous feat. My son was actually frightened and was worried that the performers would fall. Of course, they were secured with safety wires and had a soft landing pad below. Nonetheless, it was impressive to see the performers walk across that wire without falling. I cannot imagine how thrilling and frightening it must have been to see this young man on that thin wire, completely free of safety ropes of any kind, walking between the towers. After Philippe walked, danced, and ran on the high wire, he was arrested and sentenced to perform in the park before the children of the city – a punishment he rather enjoyed. Then the book turns to a heartbreaking spread. A page depicting a different New York City skyline is on the right and on the left is a white page with only these words, “Now the towers are gone.” It is quick, to-the-point, and painful. The book concludes by saying that the towers linger in our memories, as does that summer day when a young man walked in the air between them. The page features an illustration of “ghost” towers that appear ever so slightly behind the new skyline. I think that this is a wonderful book, not just because of the captivating illustrations that earned it the Caldecott Medal, but because of its significance in our country’s history. This book was published in 2003; two years after the towers fell. It would be an excellent addition to a history unit, to help kids reflect on the events of our past in a different way. I enjoyed the book and was pleasantly surprised by what I found inside. It may sound cliché, but this was definitely a case of “don’t judge a book by its cover”.

Post #2: Miracle's Boys

Last Friday I made a trip to our Public Library to check out a few books so that I could begin working on the Reading Journal blog for LME 518. I had originally planned to visit our elementary school because I thought that the collection would be larger, but school was dismissed due to the weather. The weather forecast was calling for lots of snow, so I figured I’d be in the house most of the weekend. So, I visited the Public Library to check out some books. I had planned to start at the top of the reading list and work my way down. I approached the librarian and told her that I needed a few Caldecott books. She smiled and told me that a young man had just come by and checked out TEN Caldecott Medal books. I couldn’t believe it! I knew that no one else in my hometown was taking LME 518, so I couldn’t figure out why someone would make a request like that. I was a little aggravated. Plan A was out the window…on to Plan B. The librarian spent the next 15 – 20 minutes with me searching her collection for books that fit the categories for the Reading Journal blog. Among them were this selection – a story about three brothers who are alone in this world. They must choose to band together or abandon each other. I told the librarian that she would be my new best friend for the rest of the semester. She just smiled and said, “That’s what librarians are for.”


Book: Miracle’s Boys
Author: Jacqueline Woodson
Category: Recent Book that Addresses Diversity (Chapter Book)

After the first paragraph of this book, I thought to myself – I’m never going to be able to even understand this story, forget about enjoying it. It seemed to be overpowered by dialogue that could only be understood by young African-American boys. But, as I read on I did understand the book and came to appreciate the dialogue as a way of setting the tone and mood of the book. By the end of the first chapter, I could see Lafayette & Charlie’s little bedroom. I cringed as the older brother hurled insults at his younger sibling. The dialogue helped me to understand their world, their situation, and their feelings. The anger and animosity was so strong that my heart was breaking for young Lafayette by the time his brother called him “Milagro killer” at the end of the first chapter. I didn’t know what this word meant, and didn’t realize at the time that it was a name, so I looked it up on the Internet. I found that Milagro is Spanish for miracle. Lafayette had revealed that he and his brothers were biracial – one parent was Puerto Rican. I assumed the other parent was African American from Charlie’s high regard for the “badness” of “brothers”. I also assumed that the boys probably spoke some Spanish since one parent was Puerto Rican. I thought Charlie was calling Lafayette “miracle-killer”. It wasn’t until the next chapter that I realized that Milagro was the name of the boys’ mother. Then the title of the book became clear – Miracle’s Boys were Ty’ree, Charlie, and Lafayette. Miracle or Milagro was their mother. And Charlie was accusing his young brother of killing her. The book is told from Lafayette’s voice. My heart was breaking by the second chapter, as he relayed memories from years gone by of sweet and sensitive “old Charlie” contrasted with brazen and belligerent Newcharlie who had just returned from Rahway correctional institution. The book covers the events of about a day, beginning on a Friday evening and ending on a Saturday evening. However, the gaps are filled in as the brothers share with each other stories of years gone by when their family was whole, when both their parents were alive. I honestly had to fight back tears all night as I was reading this book, and finally just succumbed to it and had myself a cry. The hearts of all three brothers were breaking in different ways, as they tried desperately to remember, and to forget. As Lafayette, Ty’ree, and even Charlie cried at different times in the story, remembering their mother, I just cried with them. I just found it exceptionally sad to think of these three young boys, alone in this world, longing for the arms of their mother. I suppose that this probably evoked a heightened emotional response in me because I am a mother of a little boy. It seemed so real that I had to double check & make sure it wasn’t based on or inspired by a true story. (It's not). There is however a 6- part miniseries based on the book. Reading the book makes me want to watch the movie. This book touches on so many issues, including diversity, poverty, gangs, city life, families, death, and friendship. There were a few curse words in chapter 14, as the oldest brother picks Charlie up from the police station; however, I think they are probably appropriate and true to the story. In the end, the brothers find their way back to each other and embrace the memory of their family as it was, the reality of their family as it is, and the hope for the future. It does have a happy ending, but there will be tears along the way. This is definitely a book that addresses many issues related to diversity & should be in every middle school library.

Post #1: Everything on a Waffle

This beautiful and snowy Saturday morning seemed like the perfect time to start my Reading Journal blog for LME 518. I looked over the reading list earlier in the week and began collecting a few books to read over the weekend. When I saw that two Newbery Medal or Honor books were part of the required reading, I immediately went to my bookshelf at home to retrieve one I already had. Several years ago, I was helping our elementary school librarian with a evening book fair for students and parents. We were committed to being there until a certain time, but the crowd began to thin as the evening wore on. I picked up an attractive little book from the librarian’s desk and began to read in between visitors. The little book was Everything on a Waffle by Polly Horvath. I finished a few chapters before the night was over, but left the book in the library. At that point, I was so invested in the book that I felt like I had to finish it, so I ordered it. When it arrived, I finished the book with laughs and smiles. That was many years ago. I remembered how the story began and how it ended, but I had forgotten much of the in-between parts that made the story stick together. So, I was excited to read it again. That’s where my blog begins…with a waffle. Appropriate for a Saturday morning, don’t you think?


Book: Everything on a Waffle
Author: Polly Horvath
Category: Newbery Award Honor Book


I started reading this book early last night and finished before I went to bed. It’s a really quick read, as each chapter draws the reader into the next. It’s hard to put down. I like the way the book is written, from the point of view of precocious Primrose Squarp. Her seven-month ordeal of bouncing from guardian to guardian while her parents are lost at sea is relayed in the “voice” of this 11-year old little girl. As I was reading the book, I felt like I was just reading journal entries made by Primrose as she struggled along. I also enjoyed the little recipes that were tucked at the back of each chapter. Each recipe was referenced in the chapter before and tied into the story. The book was funny, as ridiculous stories unfolded. The characters were described with precise physical detail and easy to envision. I really liked the fact that this book had a happy ending. I wanted to believe with Primrose all along that her parents were truly stranded on an island and would return someday. I cheered her on as she kept asking everyone she met, “Haven’t you ever believed something just because you knew it was true?” But, I too was surprised, along with everyone in Coal Harbour, when her parents came sailing back into town. I think I enjoyed this book so much because the setting was a sleepy little town, where everyone knows everyone else. That sounds exactly like Albany, where I grew up and still live. I have known real characters like Miss Perfidy, the uptight prude. I have endured stories from Albany’s version of Miss Honeycut, who feels compelled to inject a little class and culture into the surroundings with endless stories of days gone by. I sympathized with Primrose as she dreamed of traveling away to exciting places where important things happen. The cover of the book is also very visually appealing, and that’s probably what drew me to it. We see Primrose, with her “carrots in apricot glaze” hair, seated before a huge stack of waffles. At the top, we find three characters from the story: Miss Bowzer, Uncle Jack, and Lena with her boiled potatoes. Along the way, we see other things from the story tucked in between the waffles – a hockey stick, asparagus, a fishing boat. I haven’t read any other books by this author, so I cannot make a comparison. However, in comparison to other books written from the child’ point of view, I think this one is very well-written and entertaining. It is much deserving of the Newbery Honor. The new thing that I learned about children’s literature after reading this book is that the format or style in which the story is presented can be different from the norm, even whimsical. I also learned that I prefer a story told from the point of view of a child character in the story, rather than from an omniscient view. I definitely recommend Everything on a Waffle for you and your students!