Literature Cluster

The Dust Bowl

I chose to the cover and research the Dust Bowl, because it is an important topic that unfortunately isn’t always focused on in schools. The Dust Bowl lasted from 1930-1939 in the midst of the Great Depression, and was one of the worst economical and geographical disasters to ever hit the Panhandle (Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Colorado, and Kansas) and Prairie States. I think it is so important for students to learn about the Dust Bowl because it was a part of our history. People suffered and were affected in a dramatic way. I want my students to remember these people and learn of their hopes, dreams, and survival in the midst of one the hardest periods that our country has ever known.

Grade Level: Grade 5

NC Standard Course of Study: (Social Studies) 5.08 Cite examples of surplus and scarcity in the American market and explain the economic effects.

Core Text: Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse

Hesse, Karen. Out of the Dust. Scholastic, Inc., 1997.

GENRE: Historical Fiction, Novel

ANNOTATION: This is the story of Billie Jo, a young girl growing up in Oklahoma in the early 1930’s, during the period that today we call the Dust Bowl. Her life consists of hard work and tragedy. Their farm suffers from the drought and dust, and is not doing well economically. Their family suffers many tragedies with the death of Billie Joe’s mother and brother, Billie Joe’s burnt hands and destroyed dreams, their destroyed wheat crop, and the continual dust storms. Billie Joe learns to cope with her new life and learns many valuable lessons during this trying time on our nation’s history. She ends the book with a positive outlook and a new attitude. She says, “I am like the wheat, I can’t grow everywhere, but I can grow here, with a little rain, with a little care, with a little luck.”

EXCERPTS:

Pg.21 “Ma has rules for setting the table. I place the plates upside down, glasses bottom side up, napkins folded over forks, knives, and spoons. We shake out our napkins, spread them over our laps, and flip over our glasses and plates, exposing neat circles, round comments on what life would be like without dust.”

Pg. 61 “Daddy put a pail of kerosene next to the stove and Ma, fixing breakfast, thinking the pail was filled with water, lifted it, to make Daddy’s coffee, poured it, but instead of making coffee, Ma made a rope of fire. Ma ran across the kitchen, out the porch door, screaming for Daddy. I tore after her, then, thinking of the pail left behind in the bone-dry kitchen, I flew back and grabbed it, throwing it out the door. I didn’t know. I didn’t know Ma was coming back.”

Pg.143 “Brown earth rained down from the sky. I could not catch my breath the way the dust pressed on my chest and wouldn’t stop. The dirt blew down so thick it scratched my eyes and stung my tender skin, it plugged my nose and filled inside my mouth. No matter how I pressed my lips together, the dust made muddy tracks across my tongue.”

Pg. 222 “And I know now that all the time I was trying to get out of the dust, the fact is, what I am, I am because of the dust. And what I am is good enough. Even for me.”

DISTINCTIVE FEATURES: The first thing that the reader will notice about this novel is that it is written in free verse poetry. This allows the book have both brevity and powerful word choice, because the author uses so few words on each page. This story is powerful and touching; it puts students in the middle of the Dust Bowl and teaches them how these people suffered but yet survived. This book is a Newberry Winner and would be an ideal class read; it is geared for students in fifth grade and up.

Booth, David. The Dust Bowl. Illustrated by Karen Reczuch. Kids Can Press, Ltd., 1996.

GENRE: Historical Fiction, Picture Book

ANNOTATION: Mathew, his father, and his grandfather are farmers who farm the plains of the panhandle. The plains are becoming as dry as they were during the 1930’s Dust Bowl. Mathew’s father and grandfather argue about whether to sell the farm. Mathew’s grandfather tells of the struggle to survive during the Dust Bowl. Many people moved away during that time, but Mathew’s grandparents stayed through the hard times. Eventually they saw rain and good harvests once again. At the end of the book, the three farmers decide to remain and work the farm, knowing that good times will come again soon.

EXCERPTS:

Pg.5 “When your grandma and I first farmed this land, we were young. We thought we had discovered gold in those fields of waving wheat. The world needed that wheat, and we wanted to grow enough of it for everyone.”

Pg. 12 “That wind blew for two solid weeks, blowing from the four corners of the world, blowing the land out from under our feet. It was the Big Dry. You had to see it to believe it, Mathew. It turned our world into a dust bowl. It blew doors open, broke windows, and even flattened a barn or two.”

Pg. 19 “For some, farming was becoming a slow way to starve.”

DISTINCTIVE FEATURES: David Booth’s writing style is simple and relatable. He captures the “strength and human spirit” it takes to survive struggle. The vocabulary he uses in the story would also be a valuable teaching tool for students to learn about the prairie. Words such as prairies, prairie schooners, furrows, drought, and jalopies could be looked up and defined by the students as a great way for them to learn more about the Dust Bowl. Karen Reczuch’s illustrations are also beautiful and capturing. The reader will get a great visual of what the prairie looked like during the Dust Bowl. Her paintings show the browns and oranges of the swirling dust as a back drop for her determined and life like characters. Her illustrations consist of single and double page spreads. These two features combine to make this a great and understandable teaching tool. This book is written on a third grade reading level.

Guthrie, Woody. This Land is Your Land. Illustrated by Kathy Jakobsen. Little, Brown and Company, 1998.

GENRE: Biography, Picture Book

ANNOTATION: This book is a tribute to Woody Guthrie’s most famous song, “This Land is Your Land.” The song lyrics are paired with Kathy Jakobsen’s amazing paintings to create a memorable and touching book.

EXCERPTS:

Pg 13-14 “When the sun came shining, and I was strolling, And the wheat fields waving and the dust clouds rolling, As the fog was lifting a voice was chanting: This land was made for you and me.”

Pg.21-22 “In the shadow of the steeple I saw my people; By the relief office I seen my people; As they stood there hungry, I stood there asking, I this land made for you and me?”

Pg.27-29 “This land is your land, this land is my land, From California to the New York Island; From the redwood forests to the Gulf Stream waters, this land was made for you and me.”

DISTINCTIVE FEATURES: This book begins with a note form Nora Guthrie, Woody’s daughter talking about the creation of this book, her father, and his songs. The illustrations are all beautifully painted double page spreads that perfectly complement the lyrics of the song. Kathy Jakobsen researched Woody’s life and all of his songs, and included elements from both in all of her illustrations. At the corners of various pages in the books, she has included a border with more of Woody Guthrie’s song lyrics. Her paintings are done on oil on canvas. The painted borders were inspired by notch carvings found in traditional “tramp art.” (Boxes, picture frames, and mirror frames crafted by tramps, hoboes, miners, and lumberjacks in the mid 1900’s.)The book also contains a tribute by Peter Seeger. It tells more about Woody’s life and his songs. A copy of the song is also included in the book along with a CD of Woody Guthrie singing several of his most famous songs, including “this land is your land.” This would be a great book to use to help teach the Dust Bowl, because Woody Guthrie experienced this first hand. He lived in the Panhandle States and later moved to California where he traveled around visiting migrant camps. This book is written on a third grade reading level.

Friedrich, Elizabeth. Leah’s Pony. Illustrated by Michael Garland. Boyds Mill Press, 1996.

GENRE: Historical Fiction, Picture Book

ANNOTATION: Leah is a young girl living in the Prairie states during the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl. She sells her prized pony, “the finest pony in the county,” in order to get money to save her father’s tractor during their farm auction. Leah’s courage and selflessness inspired others to help their family save their farm as well. In the end Leah was rewarded for her kindness by getting the pony she had sold back, with a note that thanked her for her sacrifice and encouraged her that these hard times wouldn’t last forever.

EXCERPTS:

Pg. 7 “The year the corn grew no taller than a man’s thumb, Leah’s house became very quiet. Sometimes on those hot, dry nights, Leah heard Papa and Mama’s joshed voices whispering in the kitchen. She couldn’t understand the words but knew their sad sound.”

Pg.11 “One hot, dry, dusty day grasshoppers turned the day to night. They ate the trees bare and left only twigs behind.”

Pg.14 “They’re going to have an auction, Leah. They’re going to sell the cattle and the chickens and the pickup truck.”

Pg.26 “Leah watched as friends and neighbors bid a penny for a chicken or a nickel for a cow or a quarter for a plow. One by one, they gave everything back to Mama and Papa.”

DISTINCTIVE FEATURES: This book is a fictional tale of a real time. Leah is such a loveable and relatable character. She pulls the reader into the story with her, and they experience firsthand her love for her pony, her worry over the auction, and her selflessness of selling her pony. The author’s writing style is straightforward and understandable. The painted illustrations are single and double page spreads that accurately portray this time period. The Dust Bowl pictures are hazy with dust and the fields are shriveled up and dead. The author’s note at the end is also helpful to understanding the story and its setting. The book is written in a second to third grade reading level.

Levey, Richard H. X-treme Disasters that changed America, Dust Bowl!: the 1930’s black blizzards. Bearport Publishing Company, Inc., 2005.

GENRE: informational text, picture book

ANNOTATION: This is an informational text that discusses the Dust Bowl years in detail. It discusses the cause of the dust problem, the rising temperatures, the main states affected, living conditions, and the nation’s response. It also defines terms such as black blizzards, Black Sunday, and “okies”.

EXCERPTS:

Pg.5 “Suddenly a huge black cloud covered the sun. It moved faster than a car racing down the street. The cloud roared across the fields. It swallowed up birds too slow to fly out of its way. The cloud was a storm filled with dirt. It was a deadly black blizzard.”

Pg.9 “People felt like they were drowning in the dust.”

Pg.27 “There hasn’t been a black blizzard since the 1930’s. Today the Great Plain states supply most of the wheat and corn used in the United States. It’s once again the nation’s breadbasket.”

DISTINCTIVE FEATURES: This book is an invaluable teaching tool for covering the Dust Bowl. It takes you through the Dust Bowl years step by step, defining the problems caused by it and discussing important dates and details. The book also contains photographs of real farms and families that were affected by the dust. I think that this will help students grasp the reality of this disaster. The book also has side notes and important facts sections with additional information. I especially loved the final pages of the book. It had sections entitled: Just Facts, Changes in America caused by the Dust Bowl, Glossary (pronunciations and definitions of terms used in the book), Learn More, and Learn More Online. All of these sections could be easily accessed and used by second graders and up.

Stanley, Jerry. Children of the Dust Bowl: The True Story of the School at Weedpatch Camp. Crown Publishers, Inc., 1992.

GENRE: Informational Text, Biography

ANNOTATION: This is the amazing true story of the immigrant (“okie”) school at Weedpatch Camp. Leo Hart, the Kern County superintendent of education, truly was an inspirational man who showed that anything is possible is you’re brave enough to fight for what is right. In the middle of the Great Depression, Leo helped these students construct their own school (Arvin Federal emergency School), a school that was theirs, where whey belonged and that they could be proud of. It had the best teachers who taught a special curriculum, its own garden and livestock to use in the cafeteria, an airplane, and a swimming pool. Leo Hart saw that these children had nothing and were despised by all, and he decide to make a difference. He gave them an education along with self confidence and invaluable memories.

EXCERPTS:

Pg.10 “It was a time of desperation. From 1930 to 1940 the number of farmers and agricultural workers in the Dust Bowl states declined by 400,000; by 1937 the unemployment rate in Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Texas had soared to 30 percent.”

Pg.25 “First the gasoline gives out. And without gasoline a man cannot go to a job if he could get one. Then the food goes. And then it rains, with insufficient food, the children develop colds because the ground in the tent is wet. I talked to a man last week who lost two children in ten days with pneumonia. His face was hard and fierce and he didn’t talk much.”

Pg.39 “One Okie father describes what it was like for Okie children in these words: Picture how you would feel with two or three children headed for school, almost barefoot, with ragged or ill-fitting clothing. You see them going down the road with a paper bag in their hands, with two baking-powder biscuits, maybe, and some beans in between. And if you were a little child how would you feel going to school that way….”

Pg. 44 “I could never understand, Leo said, why these kids should be treated differently. I could never understand why they shouldn’t be given the same opportunity as others. Someone had to do something for them because no one cared about them.”

Pg.50 “It was something to watch (the building of the school), Leo remembered. It was the first time where they were working for something of their own. It was the first time where they could be proud of who they were and what they were doing.”

Pg.69 “The teachers made us feel important and like someone really cared, Trice Masters said. The school gave us pride and dignity and honor when we didn’t have those things. It was our school. It did a great deal to cause us to believe we were special.”

Pg.76 “You know, he (Leo) said, history is full of choices. It’s possible to achieve anything. Look at these kids and look at what they’ve become.”

DISTINCETIVE FEATURES: I absolutely loved this book! It showed what a difference someone can make in the lives of so many. The personal quotes and stories used throughout the book really made it come alive. The photographs of the Mother Road, government funded immigrant camps, Leo, and the Weedpatch camp kids were vital to the story. The reader not only reads about the Dust Bowl and its effects, it can see them as well. The photographs in the book came from a variety of places including the Farm Security Administration and Leo Hart himself. The sequencing in the book is perfect. The reader learns about the Dust Bowl, the road to California, immigrant camps, and “okie” hatred. And after all of the bad, then comes the good. The story of the school is revealed in all its glory. The author’s emphasis on John Steinbeck and his book, The Grapes of Wrath, was also helpful to the background of the story. The reading level of the book is about fourth or fifth grade.

Harry Potter :-)

I just recently finished reading all seven of the Harry Potter books, and to say that I loved these books would be an understatement. J.K. Rowling is such a talented writer and her books can impart many great lessons to young readers.

One of the things I loved about Harry Potter was his knack for choosing good friends. His choice of close friends often stuck others as odd. He chose a frowned upon "muggle "lover’s son, Ron; a “mud blood”, Hermione; a dreamer, Luna; and one of the most picked on kids in school, Neville. His actions prove that a person’s background, physical appearance, and social standing doesn’t matter. A true friend can come from any background or social standing. This is such a great lesson for children and adults alike! Another thing that I especially loved about Harry Potter was his humble beginning and selfless attitude. Harry was raised by his Uncle to see himself as worthless, and even when he learned of his fame, he never became selfish or reckless. Throughout the book he always thought of others and strove to protect them and put them first. Harry is the type of friend anyone would be lucky to have, and the type of character I would love for kids and my future students to look up to. The final thing I have to say about the Harry Potter series is that I fully appreciated how the power of love conquered all. This is such an important lesson for kids to learn. Underneath the magic, the cool creatures, and the daring adventures, it is love that saved Harry from his enemies and love that helped Harry survive all his troubles.

Here are some great sites with lesson plans all about Harry Potter!

Harry Potter Lesson Plans

Harry Potter Resources and Activities

J.K Rowling Teacher Resource File

Be sure to read all seven books and check out J.K. Rowling’s amazing website!

The Egyptian Cinderella

Title: The Egyptian Cinderella
Author: Climo, Shirley
Illustrator: Heller, Ruth
Publisher and Date: Crowell Books, 1989
Genre: Picture Book, Multicultural, Traditional Tale
Age Range: K-5th

Summary:
Rhodopis is a young slave girl in the land of Egypt. She is noticeably different from the other servant girls (she has green eyes, light hair, and rosy sun kissed skin, while the Egyptian servant girls have brown eyes, dark hair, and copper skin.) and often gets teased and left out. They would often make her do their chores when their master wasn’t watching. The only solace Rhodopis found was in her animal friends and dancing. She would often dance after her daily chores were through, her feet moving across the earth as nimbly as a goddess. One day her master caught sight of her dancing, and to reward her for her beautiful dance he gave her a pair of rose red slippers. This made the other servant girls even more jealous of Rhodopis and they piled so many chores on her that she often felt too tired to dance. One especially cruel thing that her fellow servants did was to exclude from going to meet the Pharaoh. While she is doing her chores, however, a falcon comes and snatches one of her slippers away and delivers it to the Pharaoh. Believing it is the will of the gods that he marries the girl that the slipper fits; he sets out to find her. When he finally arrives at Rhodopis’ house, she hides in the reeds. Pharaoh spots her and makes her try on the slipper and it fits! She then produces the other shoe to match! When the other servant girls cruelly exclaim that she is not even Egyptian, the Pharaoh kindly says that her eyes are green like the Nile, her hair is feathery like papyrus, and her skin is pink like a lotus flower. Her physical beauty reflects the beauty of Egypt!

Response and Teaching Ideas:
I absolutely loved reading all the different versions of the Cinderella .I would love to read as many versions as possible so that I can introduce them all in my classroom someday. I think it is important for students from other cultures to see that their culture is being represented in the classroom. These Cinderella stories would be a great way to do so. One thing that struck me as different in this story is that Rhodopis is teased and treated cruelly by her fellow servant girls not stepsisters or a stepmother. Also, there is no magical element to this story. No fairy godmother or magical fish bones are there to save the day. The story does have elements similar to other Cinderella tales however. She is sought by a royal man to try on a shoe so that he can marry her. This story also, thankfully, has a happy ending like most Cinderella versions. I would love for my students to explore this and other versions of Cinderella and create a creative Venn diagram and an I-POEM. I think that both of these activities help students think critically about what they are reading and make each book more memorable. Be sure to check out the Egyptian Cinderella and other great Cinderella tales!

Science Verse

Title: Science Verse
Author: Scieszka, Jon
Illustrator: Smith, Lane
Publisher and Date: Scholastic, Inc., 2004
Genre: Poetry
Age Range: 2nd-5th

Science Verses is such a fun collection of poems! The book starts out with Mr. Newton, their science teacher, telling them to listen closely and try to hear the science of poetry. Our narrator feels he has been zapped by Mr. Newton and now he hears the science of poetry in everything! In fact he can’t seem to stop rhyming. This poetry anthology covers a broad range of scientific topics from Evolution and anatomy to dinosaurs and black holes. This book is so catchy that it’s sure to have students learning and laughing at the same time. What a fun way to study science!

My favorite poem from the Science Verse is…….

LOVELY

I think that I ain’t never seen
A poem as ugly as a spleen.

A poem that could make you shiver,
Like 3.5…..pounds of liver.

A poem to make you lose your lunch,
Tie your intestines in a bunch.

A poem all gray, wet, and swollen,
Like a stomach or a colon.

Something like your kidney, lung,
Pancreas, bladder, even tongue.

Why you turning green good buddy?
It’s just human body study.

This is such a funny, yet gross poem. I could have never imagined creating a poem about a spleen. I just love it because it’s so unique. When reading through the elements of good poetry in the Temple textbook I noticed that this science verse fits two of them. The first element I noticed was rhyme. Every poem in Science Verse had an ending line rhyme to it. I think rhyme is an important part of poetry because it gives it a musical quality, which in turn makes it easier to read and more memorable to the reader. The second element I noticed is imagery. Can’t you just picture the human spleen from the visual imagery descriptions in this poem? It describes it as weighing 3.5 pounds and being wet, gray, and swollen. These poems are such a treat! Be sure to check them out….just don’t eat any lunch first!

Here's a great site with lesson plans and all for Science Verse!

Sitti's Secrets

Title: Sitti’s Secrets
Author: Nye, Naomi Shihab
Illustrator: Carpenter, Nancy
Publisher and Date: Aladdin Paperbacks, 1994
Genre: Picture Book, Multicultural
Age Range: K-3rd

Summary:
This is the story a young girl and her grandmother. She and her grandmother live very far apart; she lives in the United States, while her grandmother lives in Palestine. When it is time for her to go to bed, her Grandmother is just getting up. During the story, she recounts her very first visit to her grandmother’s home in Palestine. She talks about the difference in their languages, but how this allowed them to come up with their own special language. She called her grandmother, Sitti, which means Grandmother in Arabic, and her grandmother called her Habibi which means darling. During her visit, she and her grandmother were inseparable; they got milk from a real cow, watched men pick lentils in the field, made meals together, and combed her Grandmother’s long, striped hair. Her Grandmother’s hair was usually hidden under a scarf, so when her Grandmother let her see and fix it, she felt like she knew a secret. When it was time for her and her father to leave, everyone cried and hugged and her Grandmother gave her a beautiful handmade purse. When she returned to the United States she wrote a letter to the President telling him about her Grandmother and asking for peace. (I think it is important to touch on the continuing conflict between Isreal and Palestine.)

Response:
This is such a touching story! Every child should have a great relationship with their grandmother. I love how they were both able to share parts of their culture with each other even though they didn’t speak the same language. Sitti showed her Habibi how she hangs the laundry out to dry on the rooftop and how the women walk to get water in the afternoon. She teaches her how to make bread and how to serve lemonade with the fruit grown on her own lemon tree. A Grandmother’s love and life lessons are universal and timeless. This is a common thread that ties readers to this unique and heartfelt tale. I had such a great relationship with my Grandmother; she taught me how to make my coffee the “right” way, to make Spaghetti, and to make up beds and fluff pillows. I love the way Nancy Carpenter states this in her illustrator’s note. She say, “What I discovered in my research….is a culture so very different from my own, with traditions that go back hundreds of years. Mona’s Sitti, especially comes form a time and a place where people have been wearing the same style of clothes, eating the same food, planting the same crops, and living on the same land for centuries. I live in a culture where people get a new spring wardrobe every year, change their hairstyle every few months, and eat various ethnic foods every night of the week. What I CAN relate to in this story is universal-enjoying a sunny day and lemonade, playing games with friends, loving the smell of fresh baked bread, and knowing the special bond between Grandparent and child.” This is such an important mindset to have; we need to look for similarities, not differences when we encounter someone who is a different nationality from our own. We are more alike than we may think. Also make sure to pay special attention to the illustrations in this book. They are beautifully painted to reveal the true colors of the desert and to depict the closeness of a grandparent-grandchild bond.


Teaching Ideas:
This would be a great book to read with Kindergarteners when they are studying about families. They can see that families come in all shapes, sizes, and nationalities. Another great idea would be to have students read Sitti’s Secrets and then write five similarities that they share with her. This would be a good way to show the universality of this tale.

The Power of Positive Thinking

Title: Becoming Naomi Leo’n
Author: Ryan, Pam Munoz
Publisher and Date: Scholastic, Inc., 2004
Genre: Realistic Fiction, Multicultural
Age Range: 4th-6th

Summary:

Naomi Soledad Leo’n Outlaw lives in a in a small trailer named “Baby Beluga” in Avocado Acres Trailer Rancho in Lemon Tree, California. She lives with her Great-Grandmother, Gram, and her younger brother, Owen. Naomi and Owen have been raised by Gram ever since their mother, “Skyla” dropped them off as young children when she went “to find herself.” Naomi is the narrator of the story and she shares her life with the reader throughout the book. You read of her struggle to be accepted at school. How the boys make fun of her last name Outlaw and call out “have you robbed any banks lately?” or “Is this a stickup?” She is an outcast with the girls in her school as well, because she is quiet and looks different. Her father is from Mexico and her mother is from America, so she is darker that most of the girls in her class. She has even heard one girl refer to her as “trailer trash.” Naomi doesn’t complain much about her life, however, because Gram has taught her to be a positive thinker and a believer in self prophecy. When she asks Gram what to do about the teasing boys, Gram says to write “Those boys will not bother me” over and over again until she believes it. Naomi’s brother, Owen also has trouble fitting in at school. He was born with a deformity that even after several surgeries has left his head leaning slightly to the side and pointed down. He is picked on at school as well for his unusual habit of wearing strips of tape on his shirt every day.


Naomi and Owen’s lives changes dramatically one day when their mother, Terri Lynn, (or Skyla as she now wants to be called) returns to town. She shows up at the doorstep on “Wednesday chicken bake” after being absent for seven years. Naomi knows nothing about her mother’s past except that she dates a tattoo artist name Clive, and she is an alcoholic who has been in and out of rehab and halfway houses for years. Skyla wants to take Naomi to live with her and Clive in Los Angles and to be a big sister to Clive’s daughter Sapphire. Naomi tells her mother no and receives a slap in the face for her “bad attitude.”


Naomi, Gram, Owen, Fabiola, Bernardo (their family friends), and “Baby Beluga” escape from Skyla and travel to Oaxaca, Mexico in search of Naomi and Owen’s father. They arrive in Mexico five days later to stay with Fabiola’s sister’s family. Naomi enjoys Mexico very much, and believes with all of her heart that they will find their father. On the night of the Festival of the Radishes (La Noche de los Rabanos), Naomi and her family finally come face to face with her father. After many tears, hugs, kisses, and promises to visit later it is time for Naomi and her family to head back to California for their custody court hearing against Skyla. In court, Naomi faces her fears and bravely tells the court her story loudly and truthfully. In the end, the court decides to grant Gram custody of Owen and Naomi and their lives will never be the same. Naomi has become brave, embraced her individuality, and finally lived up to her name “Naomi the lion.” She has many great years ahead of her to look forward to with Gram, Owen, her father, and faithful neighbors and friends.

Response:

Wow, is all I can say about this book. I wasn’t initially sure I was going to connect with this book, but after the first chapter, I was already falling in love with the characters and the setting. I loved how each character was so true to life, and how the setting was a down home friendly place where anyone one would be lucky to live.

Naomi was one of my favorite characters. She went through so much in this story. As an adolescent girl she is struggling to fit in a culture that tends to be unkind to anyone it considers “different.” She is teased by the boys because of her “different” last name, and she is shunned by the girls because she looks “different.” I love the way Gram tells Naomi to deal with these problems; she teaches Naomi the power of positive thinking and self prophecy. If you are positive about something and keep telling yourself something then and begin to work toward it, then one day undoubtedly it will happen. I loved this lesson so much that I chose it for the tile of my entry. This is such a positive message for us all. When faced with adversity, we need to remember that we can only control our actions and our thinking, not others. This book will also give students an inside look at what it feels like to be teased. Naomi had dreams, hopes, and talents, just like us all. Maybe the next time a student begins to tease someone they will think of Naomi Leo’n and remember not only how hurtful it is, but also how alike we all really are.

Mr. Marble, the librarian, is also one of my favorite characters. He is such a good example of the difference one caring adult can make in a child’s life. He gave the outsiders at school a place where they could belong. He showed them they were special by nicknaming them his lunch club kids. He always listened to Naomi and had something positive to say. He encouraged her, helped her find books to read, and even extended to her the special honor of displaying her soap carving in the display case during open house. He gave her a safe place at school; he cared and that truly made a difference.

Gram and Santiago Leon (Naomi’s father) are my other two favorite characters. I loved Gram for her faithfulness and dedication to her grandchildren. She taught them so many positive life lessons, gave up her “golden years” for them, and provided for them in the best way that she could. Santiago is also special to me, because even when he thought he could not be a part of his children’s lives, he never abandoned them. He wanted them, and sent money to help support them. Many students could be ale to relate well to this story, because they too could have experienced this scenario. This is such a great story, because it shows that a family is not just a mom, dad, and kids; a family is any group people who love, support, and care for one another unconditionally.

Listed here are the criteria for good multicultural literature from the Temple Textbook:
· Do the author and illustrator present authentic perspectives?
· Is the culture portrayed multi-dimensionally?
· Are the cultural details naturally integrated?
· Are details accurate and is the interpretation current?
· Is language used authentically?


When I think of good multicultural literature I think of the analogy given in our Temple Text of windows and mirrors. “Mirrors let them (children) see reflections of their own lives; windows let them see other’s lives.” I think this is such an important part of multicultural literature; for a book to truly be good it must first be truthfully representative of the culture it portrays and second it must be engaging and teach about that culture. I think that Becoming Naomi Leon definitely qualifies as good multicultural literature. Pam Munoz Ryan gives us such wonderful insider perspective into to the culture using her own background as a springboard. She represents this part of her heritage very accurately. I definitely think the Mexican culture is represented authentically throughout the book. Mexican customs, celebrations, and speech (such as the Spanish words and translations) are integrated into the book without taking away from the flow of the story. Family is another theme that is emphasized in the story. This is very important to the Mexican culture; usually Hispanic families are close knit families that can count on each other for anything and everything. Families are not only part of the Mexican culture though; families are universal and can give students a good reference point for the story. I also think that the story portrays the culture multidimensionally. It shows a quite a variety of people who don’t think or act the same. They share similar customs and beliefs but they undeniably unique. The book also doesn’t stereotype Mexican Americans. One common stereotype we place on them is that we see them as all wanting to come to America. In this story, quite the opposite occurs. Mexico, specifically Oaxaca, is represented as such an inviting place that Naomi yearns to live there. All in all Becoming Naomi Leo’n is such a good book for students to read. It opens children’s eyes to a new cultural perspective and allows them to be empathetic to others who are different from themselves.

Here are some of the cultural markers in Becoming Naomi Leo’n:
Noche de Rábanos
las posadas
Carving: soap carving, wood carving, and radish carving
Food: mole, pan dulce, quesillo, pina coco
Close family relationships
Spanish Language
Piñatas
Nuestra Senora de la Soledad


Teaching Ideas:
I would definitely read this book with students. I would encourage them to immerse themselves in the culture; I would bring in food to try, share information about the celebrations mentioned in the story, and maybe even let them try their hand at soap carving. I would also encourage my students to imagine what it would be like to live in a foreign culture. They could write a journal article expressing their thoughts and comparing their reaction to Naomi’s.

Dim Sum for Everyone

Title: Dim Sum for Everyone
Author/ Illustrator: Lin, Grace
Publisher and Date:Alfred A. Knopf, 2001

Genre:Multicultural, Picture Book

Age Range:k-2nd

Summary:
This story is narrated by a young girl. She and her family are visiting a dim sum restaurant in Chinatown. She takes you on a tour of the restaurant and shares with you what her family had to eat. She explains that dim sum is served on carts and can be found on tables as well. He mother(Ma-Ma) chooses sweet pork buns, her father (Ba-Ba) chooses fried shrimp, her siblings Jei-Jei and Mei-Mei choose turnip cakes and sweet tofu, and she chooses little egg tarts. Dim Sum is traditionally served in little dishes, and everyone tries a little bit of everything. Dim Sum can be translated to mean “touches the heart or little heart.” It originally began as an appetizer or snack served in teahouses. It soon became so popular that restaurants opened to exclusively serve Dim Sum. Dim Sum wasn’t brought over to the Western world until the 19th century. There are several cool customs that go along with Dim Sum. To thank your waiter you tap three fingers on the table, and the waiters don’t clear away dirty dishes from the table, they count them to calculate the bill.

Response and Teaching Ideas:
This was such a unique book! I would have never imagined I could learn so much about another culture in just a few short pages. It would be a great book to reader with younger children. The words are simple enough that they can practice repeating them after you, and predicting what the text will say next. The brightly colored, double page spread illustrations are also sure to draw students in. I particularity loved the picture showing the whole room filled with families all eating Dim Sum. I loved seeing that there was such a diverse crowd of people represented in her illustrations. I think it would be so neat to focus on the Chinese tradition of Tea houses and Dim Sum. You could cover the history and serve traditional food. Students could also plan their own imaginary trip to Chinatown and write about what they would see and eat.

The Librarian of Basra

Title:The Librarian of Basra

Author/Illustrator: Winter, Jeanette

Publisher and Date:Harcourt Inc., 2005

Genre: Multicultural, Picture Book, Biography

Age Range: 1st-5th

Summary:
This is the incredible true story of Alia Muhammad Baker. Alia is the librarian of Basra, Iraq. She loves the library and the books that it contains. It is a place for those who love books to come and “discuss matters of the world and matters of the spirit.” One day, however, things change for Alia and her beloved library. The talk in the library turns to war and the fears it is brining with it. Alia fears that all of her precious books will be destroyed. She asks the governor for permission to move them to a safe place, but he refuses. She reacts by taking as many books as she can fit in her car home from the library each night, hoping that she can keep them safe. Days pass and war turns in to a reality for Basra. Alia calls on to her friend Anis Muhammad, who owns a restaurant beside the library, for help. She asks him to help her move all the books out of the library. She, Anias, and others work all night to move all the library’s books over the seven foot wall separating the two buildings. Nine days after this, Alia’s library is burned to the ground. Finally, war moves out of the area and Alia hires a truck to move the books to a safe place. She hides thirty thousand books in her and her friend’s houses. Books are everywhere, but Alia is finally satisfied that they are safe. Alia waits for the war to end, for peace to come, and for a new library to be built.

Response:
What a wonderful, inspirational story! It could truly benefit all of our students to read this heroic tale. I am, however, not naive enough to think that everyone would accept and like this story. I’m sure this is a very controversial story to some, because of the times that we live in. Some people might not like this book because it touches on the often touchy topic of war; it has several pictures of planes, gunfire, and fires destroying cities. Some might fear that this picture book is too harsh for children to read. I disagree, however. In a time when we are at war with Iraq, it is important to see that the people of Iraq are not our enemies. They are people just like us, who enjoy the same things we enjoy, and who live lives similar to ours. They read books, hold discussions, and have fears just like we do. We need to emphasize to our students that the majority of the citizens in Iraq have done nothing wrong; they are victims caught in the crossfire of their circumstances. It is always wrong to foster hatred, anger, or prejudice against any group of people. I would love to read this story to my student so that they can hear the amazingly true and heroic story of a person who is real and who is still alive! I think it would encourage them and help them show empathy toward others who are more similar to them than they may think.

Teaching Ideas:
First, this would be a great book to incorporate into a geography or history lesson when studying Iraq. I would have my students study Alia and learn more about her and the culture, geography, and history of Iraq. Second, it would also be a great book to incorporate into a third grade social studies curriculum on heroes. This ordinary woman did something extraordinary that deserves to be remembered. She is truly inspirational to all; she proves that no matter where you’re from or what age you are, you can do amazing things! Finally, this would be a great conversation starter for any age group about war and it's consequences.

ps. be sure to check out the note from the author on the last page of the book! It contains information about how this amazing story was found and what Alia is up to now.

IF Not FOR THE Cat

Title: IF Not FOR THE Cat
Author: Prelutsky, Jack
Illustrator: Rand, Ted
Publisher and Date: Greenwillow Books, 2004
Genre: Poetry
Age Range: K-5th

IF Not FOR THE Cat is such a unique collections of poems; I have never read anything like it. The book is made up of seventeen Haiku’s written by Jack Prelutsky. A Haiku is a special form of poetry first developed and used by the Japanese. It is a three-line nonrhyming poem that contains seventeen syllables. (Usually five syllables in the first line, seven in the second, and five in the third.) A haiku traditionally makes an observation about nature. In Jack Prelutsky’s book, each Haiku is written about a different animal. Each animal is described in the Haiku and a picture of the animal is drawn on the page, but the name of the animal is not revealed. Students have to guess the animal’s name based on the description and the picture. I have to take a moment to mention the illustrations in this book. Each illustration is a painting constructed using a mix of sumi brush drwing in India ink, traditional watercolors, chalk spatter, and printmaking techniques. They are done on rag stock watercolor paper and rice paper. Each drawing is beautifully done to give the reader a hint about the animal's name, be sure to check them out! The animals are listed by page numbers for the reader on the “Who is who” page at the end of the book. This reminded me a lot of Steve Jenkins’s book, What Do You Do With a Tail Like This? In both books, the students get to interact with the text by guessing. I think it’s a great way to get students excited about reading and in this case it’s an excellent way to introduce the Haiku form of poetry.
One of my favorite poems from the book is…..

Gaudily feathered,
With nothing at all to say,
I can’t stop talking.

I really liked this poem because it reminded me of the parrots I have seen in pet stores. I always visit a pet store if I see one, and usually there are always parrots in the store talking and chirping away. The racket they make is always noticeable. It’s such an oxymoron that they are always talking yet they don’t have anything to say; if you take time to think this through, you’ll discover it is so true. Parrots constantly make noise, but they only parrot or repeat what we say, they can’t make intelligent conversation on their own. When reading through the elements of good poetry in the Temple textbook I noticed that this Haiku fits two of them. The first element of good poetry that I noticed in this Haiku is imagery. When you read this poem it first emits visual imagery with the line “gaudily feathered” and then it moves to auditory imagery with the lines “with nothing at all to say, I can’t stop talking.” The reader can both hear and see the parrot. The second element I noticed is insight. As I mentioned earlier, if you take time to think through what this poem is saying, you find yourself saying, “ah that is so true.” Parrots don’t have anything to say, yet they talk constantly.

Jack Prelutsky's poems are a treat! He was named our nation's first Children's Poet Laureate! Be sure to check him out!

Al Capone Does My Shirts

Title: Al Capone Does My Shirts
Author: Choldenko, Gennifer
Publisher and Date: G.P Putnam’s Sons, 2004
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Age Range: 4th-6th

2005 Newberry Honor Book

Summary:
This book is set during the 1930’s on Alcatraz Island off the coast of San Francisco. It tells the story of Moose, his family, and his friends. Moose is a young boy
who has just been uprooted from his home in San Francisco and moved to the isolated prison site of Alcatraz Island all for the sake of his sister Natalie. Natalie is “different” from other kids her age; she loves buttons, book indexes, and lemon cake. She has trouble functioning at a level normal for most sixteen year olds. Moose’s mother tries so hard to do what’s best for Natalie, often leaving Moose’s best interest out of her decisions. When the family moves to a “twelve-acre rock covered with cement, topped with bird turd, and surrounded by water” all so Natalie can attend the Ester P. Marinoff School, Moose has had just about enough. Not wanting to disappoint his father, Moose tries to make the best of his situation. He ends up becoming surprisingly fond of his new home. He joins a school baseball team, actually befriends Natalie, and becomes part of one of his new friend Piper’s schemes (must to his dislike). He is beginning to finally feel like he belongs. When his mother’s plan to sneak Natalie into Ester P. Marinoff School as a ten-year-old fails, Moose may face being uprooted again. He and his new friend Piper come up with a crazy scheme to sneak the infamous Al Capone ( who is a prisoner on Alcatraz) a letter asking for help. Natalie gets accepted to a new older branch of the school and Moose gets a piece of paper in his shirt with the word “done” on it. It is a great ending to a truly inspirational book!

Response:
This was such a wonderful book! It has a great setting, memorable characters, and an excellent message. The setting of the book will draw students in and fill their imaginations with visions of criminals, jail breaks, and undercover operations. The book gives just enough information about the criminals on the island to set the scene without distracting the reader from the message of the book. The map on the first few pages of the book is vital to understanding the story; be sure to take time to look at it. The characters are very true to life. You can feel Moose’s frustration with Natalie when he shouts at her, saying, “Do you have any idea what you’re doing to us? To Mom and Dad? You’re making them old. They worry about you all the time. At least you can try. At least you can do that. Sometimes I think you don’t even try and I hate you for it, Natalie. We try so hard and you don’t. I hate you, Natalie! I do!” At one time another we have all experienced frustration with someone in our lives, whether it was a parent, a friend, or sibling. The emotions and actions of the characters in this story are so true to life; students will be able to relate to all of the characters well. Probably the most important aspects of this book are the messages it sends to students. The first message I pulled from the book is to make the best of your present circumstances. Moose was uprooted from his home, his friends, and his family (his grandmother), all so that his sister could get a better education. Moose was very upset about this in the beginning of the book, but during the course of the book there is a noticeable shift in his attitude. He begins to accept his new life and even looks for ways to embrace it. He joins a baseball team at school, goes exploring for “convict baseballs” with Natalie, and even becomes friends with all the other kids on Alcatraz Island. This message is applicable to everyone. All during our lives we are put into situations that we might not to happy about; we need to learn to do as Moose did. Any situation can look brighter if we have the attitude that we are going to embrace it and make it better. The second message that I took from the book is acceptance, specifically acceptance of people we consider “different.” During the time period in which this book was set, nobody had termed the name for autism (this is the condition that affected Natalie). They had no way to treat it or to help these children or adults prosper. People during this time weren’t very receptive of it either. When Piper initially meets Natalie, she asks if she is “retarded” or “stupid.” She also hints that she doesn’t really approve of Natalie hanging around. This is so sad. We should always accept others no matter what makes them different. Moose is great example of how a person should act. He ends up being very accepting of his sister and helps her make a lot of progress by working with her and just by hanging out with her.

Teaching Ideas:
This would be a great book to incorporate into the classroom anytime for the year, but it could specifically be used when The Great Depression is being covered. The book is set during the 1930’s right when the Great Depression is hitting the hardest. I was actually slightly disappointed that the book did not mention the Great Depression more, but it does give enough information to seg-way into a discussion on the Great Depression. This is also a great book to read with your class to encourage acceptance and empathy.

Harry Pottter and the Socerer's Stone

Title:Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Author: J.K. Rowling
Illustrator: Mary Grandpr'e
Publisher and Date: Aurthur A. Levine Books, 1997
Genre: Fantasy
Age Range: 4th-6th grade

Summary:
Harry Potter is the loneliest, most miserable boy in the muggle (human) world. He’s shunned by his relatives, the Dursley’s, that have raised him since infancy. He’s forced to live in the cupboard under the stairs, to wear his Cousin Dudley’s hand-me-down clothes, and to go to his elderly neighbor’s house when the rest of the family is doing something fun.

On his eleventh birthday, however, Harry’s life changes forever. After much trouble and many letters, a giant named Hagrid informs Harry that he’s really a wizard and will soon be attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry also learns of his fame and hero status in the wizarding world; when he was an infant, the evil Lord Voldemort killed his parents and then tried to kill Harry as well, but Harry survived and allegedly destroyed Lord Voldemort in the process!

When Harry hears the news, he is shocked and confused. Can it all be true? Everything Hagrid told him turns out to be true, and with a joyful heart Harry starts wizarding school in September. He quickly becomes best friends with a boy named Ron Weasley, and before they even make it to Christmas, they break a lot of school rules. For example, they attack a troll and prevent it from killing fellow student, Hermione Granger, while they are supposed to be fleeing to their common rooms with their fellow students. After the troll incident, the three become inseparable, and Harry is amazed to have found such great friends. He is constantly busy trying to stay on top of the mounds of homework, as well as participating in weekly Quidditch practices. Quidditch is the most popular sport among wizards and Harry is the youngest Quidditch player at Hogwarts in over a century.

As the year progresses, the three friends set out to solve the mystery of the gigantic three-headed dog that is guarding a secret in the school. They deduce that a very valuable object, the Sorcerer’s Stone, is being hidden in the school (it can lead to eternal life and abundant wealth). They began to suspect Professor Snape (one of the meanest Professors at Hogwarts) of trying to steal the stone, and they quickly take action to circumvent the theft.

Things come to a head when they sneak past the vicious, three-headed dog and go down into the bowels of the school, determined to save the stone. Ron and Hermione help Harry get through the challenges set forth to stop the thief(playing music for the three headed dog, finding the “right” flying key, winning a life size game of chess, solving a potions riddle), but Harry ends up alone to face his final challenge. He is surprised to find Professor Quirrel in the final room also searching for the Sorcerer’s Stone. Professor Quirrel is a follower of Lord Voldemort and they now share one body. Harry is forced to do battle with the Lord Voldemort, and he’s able to save the Sorcerer’s Stone, although he’s almost killed in process. The school headmaster, Dumbledore, arrives just in time to save Harry.

The school year ends spectacularly. Harry, Ron, and Hermione are honored for their bravery and service to the school, Gryffindor wins the House Cup for the first time in seven years, and Harry leaves to go back to the Dursley’s for the summer feeling as if he’s finally found a place where he truly belongs.

Response to Themes:
Harry Potter is a fantastical novel full of mystical creatures and magical people, yet it is also a very didactic book. It touches on so many important themes and life lessons that are very applicable to student’s lives today. A theme that runs throughout the story is the importance of one’s name and identity. In the beginning of the book, Harry Potter was the least important resident on Privet Drive or anywhere else for that matter. He was despised by his aunt and uncle, picked on by his cousin Dudley, and treated as an outsider at school. In the muggle world, the name Harry Potter evoked pity and sympathy if anything at all. This all changes however a few chapters into the book. Harry discovers that his name evokes fame, heroism, bravery, and respect in the wizarding world, all because of his actions as a baby. Another character whose name is especially important in the book is Lord Voldemort. His name is so feared that most wizards and witches refer to him as “you know who”. I think that this theme can have two implications for students. The first is that our names are attached to our reputations. We have to make sure that our actions reflect the kind of reputation we would like to have; Voldemort’s actions were evil and wrong, therefore he got the reputation of being evil and his name from then on evoked fear and hate. The second way to view this theme is that we should not judge people by their previous identity or by their name. Harry Potter was the same boy in both the muggle and the wizarding world, yet he achieved so much more in the wizarding world because he had people who believed in him and supported him.

Another important theme from the book is the power of love. One of my favorite parts of the book is when Dumbledore explains to Harry about his mothers love for him. He says, “Your mother died to save you. If there is one thing Voldemort cannot understand, it is love. He didn’t realize that love as powerful as your mother’s for you leaves its own mark. Not a scar, no visible sign….to have been loved so deeply, even though the person who loved us is gone, will give us some protection forever. Quirrell….could not touch you for this reason. It was agony to touch a person marked by something so good.” Love is a powerful emotion and a gift that we can bestow on anyone. To be loved and cared for is probably one of the most important things in life. Love gives us the strength and confidence to face our daily lives.

Prejudice is another important theme throughout the book. Harry’s Aunt and Uncle had prejudice against him and his “kind” throughout the book. Their attitude about him put a wall up between them and kept them from becoming a close family. Prejudices can ruin relationships and reputations. Is it not better to actually get to know someone than to simply think you do? People can surprise you if you take the time to get past what you think you know and actually get to know them. I think this is an especially important lesson for students today. In school there are always kids who are bullied, picked on, and made fun of just because they are different or we have a prejudice against them. In my classroom I want my students to form their own opinions about others (and not just to rely on what they have been taught in the past), and treat everyone with respect.

Another central theme in the book deals with making choices and decisions. Every day of our lives we have to make choices. We decide what to eat and to wear, whether or not to come to school or to try in school, how we treat others, who are friends are, ect. We are literally bombarded with choices everywhere we turn. Some are big choices while others are small choices. Harry was faced with several of each kind throughout the book. He had to decide to trust what Hagrid told him was true about his past, he had to choose what kind of friends he would make at school, and he had to choose to follow his heart to do what he thought was right. Harry’s choices ultimately led him into danger and breaking rules, but also to saving the school and protecting himself and others. Our choices might not always be as big as Harry’s, but we need to always remember that each choice we make is important. Everything we do in life has an impact on us and others.

The final theme that I want to point out is the importance of our dreams. Our dreams are what push through life; they’re what we strive for and work towards. In Harry Potter, dreams are specially represented by a magical mirror, the Mirror of Erised. The inscription of the mirror reads, “erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi,” which when reversed reads I show not your face but your heart's desire. According to headmaster Dumbledore, the mirror "shows us nothing more or less than the deepest, most desperate desire of our hearts" When you look into this mirror, it will show you exactly what your hearts desire is. When Harry looks in the mirror he sees his parents and other relatives. He gets to meet them and spend time with them; something he was never able to do in reality. In the book Dumbledore takes the mirror to a new hiding place so that Harry can no longer spend his time looking into it. Dumbledore is teaching Harry a very hard lesson; he is showing him that we cannot just live in our dreams, we have to face reality. Dreams are wonderful and necessary, but if we spend all of our times caught up in fanaticizing about our dreams rather then taking the steps or actions necessary to make our dreams real, then really what good are our dreams? If Harry would have spent his life in front of the mirror it would have been wasted! We can’t just have dreams and desires (to have them is not enough), we have to live our lives in such a way that we actively pursuing them.

The following is my representation of the Mirror of Erised. If I were to look into the mirror at this point in my life, I would see my future classroom filled with students ready to learn and make their mark on the world. My ambition and my dream is to be the best teacher I can be.
When I created this mirror I attached my dream to the mirror with Velcro, that way my students can create their own dreams and place them on the mirror as well.

Teaching Ideas:

This would be a great book to use with older children. I would encourage them to pick out and explore it's themes just as we have done. I think it's very important for students not to just read a book, but to actively think through its characters and themes as well. Here's another great teaching idea from readwritethink.org.

Finally, these are few of my favorite Dumbledore quotes from the book…….
“The truth….is a beautiful and terrible thing, and should therefore be treated with great caution.”
“Fear of a name increases fear of the thing itself.”

My Thoughts About Non-Fiction Texts

When I was younger I had the best time reading informational animal texts. I was a big animal lover, and these books taught me so much about the anmimals that I loved. I think informational texts are great to use with any age because they can teach you so much in a fun way. It's almost like you don't know that you're learning; you're simply reading a good book. The same things goes for biographies. There is nothing better than reading a good book about one of your heroes. I loved reading books about Abraham Lincoln, Paul Revere, and Anne Frank growing up. These were people that I could look up, and these things really happened. I think children get that, and thats what makes them excited about reading this type of literature.

Rosa

Title: Rosa
Author: Giovanni, Nikki
Illustrator: Collier, Bryan
Publisher and Date: Scholastic Inc., 2006
Genre: Biography
Age Range: 1st-5th grade

2006 Caldecott Honor Book

Recipient of the 2006 Coretta Scott King Award

Summary:
This is the amazing story of Mrs. Rosa Parks. This story takes place in Montgomery, Alabama in the year 1955. Rosa was a daughter, a wife, and the best seamstress in the town of Montgomery. One day, Rosa was allowed to go home early because of her hard work that day. She left the alteration department feeling excited about the surprising her husband with meat loaf for dinner. She paid a dime to ride the bus and then boarded the bus from the back as was the custom of the day for African Americans. She soon discovered that the black compartment was full, so she sat in the neutral compartment (a compartment for both whites and blacks). After a while the bus became full, and the driver, Mr. James Blake, ordered Rosa and her riding companion to vacate their seats so that white people could sit in them. Her companion moved, but Rosa did not. Even when the police were called and she was arrested, thoughts of injustice and inequality made her strong enough to stand up for something she knew was wrong. Word soon spread throughout the town that Rosa was arrested. When Jo Ann Robinson, a professor at Alabama State (the colored university) and new head of the Women’s Political Council, heard the news she exclaimed, “Not Mrs. Parks!” Dr. Robinson arranged for twenty-five women to meet in secret that night to make posters supporting Rosa’s bravery. These posters read, “No riders today; support Mrs. Parks-stay off the buses; walk on Monday.” The African American community took up the challenge and walked, and walked, and walked some more. People from all over the United States sent clothes and shoes so that these people could continue to walk for over a year. Dr. Martin Luther King spoke for all the people and said, “We will walk until justice runs down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream. On November 13, 1956, almost a year after Rosa Parks’s courageous stand the courts decided that segregated buses, like segregated schools, was illegal.

Response:
This book accurately portrays the quiet strength and heroic acts of Rosa Parks. Her bravery and willingness to take a stand fueled the civil rights movement that changed the lives of African Americans all over the United States. Rosa Parks is a great example for all of us. She shows us that we all can have an impact. She was a wife and seamstress, not a movie star or a politician. She proves to us that anyone can make a difference if you are willing to stand up for what you believe in. Giovanni does a great job of emphasizing this throughout the book.

The illustrations in this book also provide us with a great visual of the setting, the city, and Rosa Parks herself. The illustrations were done using watercolors and collage. Bryan Collier actually traveled to Montgomery to get a feel for the illustrations. He said the first thing he noticed was the heat; that’s why his illustrations have a yellow, dark hue to them. The heat was foreshadowing “an uneasy quiet before the storm.” I love what Collier says about his illustrations of Rosa: “In my paintings, Mrs. Parks looks as if a light is emanating from her. To me, she is like a radiant chandelier, an elegant light that illuminates all our many pathways.”

Rosa Parks like many other brave African Americans are heroes for us all. They do things that many of us would dare say is impossible. Rosa’s riding companion that day did not have the courage to stand up for himself. He left his seat, saying he didn’t want to start any trouble. If we did not have brave men and women like Rosa Parks who were willing to make a stand, who knows where we would be today? Rosa is a wonderful biography to share with students. She sets such a positive example for students. She uses quiet courage and determination, not screaming or force, to make her stand.

Teaching Ideas:
I would definitely use this book when talking about the civil rights movement or the inequality faced by African Americans all over the United Sates. I would love to have my student’s research and learn more about Rosa’s life and share these with the class. Here are some great examples of teaching tools to use with your class:

*PBS did a special series on the Civil Rights Movement. Their cite contains information about Rosa Parks, a quote by Jo Ann Robinson (a influential character in the book),a set of lesson plans for elementary teachers, and a video about the Montgomery Bus Boycott.

*Scholastic also has a page deciated to Rosa Parks, which gives a brief overview of her life and has a student's interview with Mrs. Parks.

*This site contains another interview with Rosa Parks and several video clips with Rosa and other influential Civil Rights individuals.

*This site contains a great biography of Rosa Parks and a timeline of her life.

Owen & Mzee: The Language of Friendship

Title: Owen & Mzee: The Language of Friendship
Authors: Isabella Hatkoff, Craig Hatkoff, and Dr. Paul Kahumbu
Photographer: Peter Greste
Publisher and Date: Scholastic Press, 2007
Genre: Informational Picture Book
Age Range: K-5th
Recipient of the 2008 Christopher Award

Summary:

This book retells the amazing story of two of the most unusual best friends. Owen is a hippotamus who was the only one of his pod to survive the Tsunami of 2004. Owen was rescued and brought to Haller Park, a reclaimed limestone quarry. The park workers considered their options and decided to put Owen in a boma with gentle animals. Owen immediately tried to befriend, Mzee, a grumpy 130 year old male tortoise. After only a day Mzee and Owen became fast friends. When Mzee ate so did Owen, where Mzee went Owen was not too far behind, and where Mzee slept Owen did too. Their bond became stronger as they nurtured and cared for one another. They have lived together for over a year and a half now and caretakers have noticed another unbelievable aspect of their friendship. Owen and Mzee have created their own special language to communicate. They even have a noise that they call to one another that seems to be unique to only them. People come from all over the world to see these two amazing friends, and those who can’t travel read about them in the newspapers and on the web. They have become a symbol of hope for all that were involved with the Tsunami. The book comes to a close with a new plan for these two friends. The caretakers of Haller Park are considering moving Owen, Mzee, and Toto ( a new tortoise friend) into a new part of the park to be with Cleo, another lonely hippo. It will be interesting to see what happens, and to continue to watch and learn from the true story of Owen and Mzee.

Response:

What an amazing, inspirational story for us all! We as readers can learn so much from the tale of Owen and Mzee. When life becomes difficult, don’t despair or give up; look for help in unusual places. Also friendship is vital to survival. We all need to support and care of others to help us make it though each day. Another important lesson to point out to children especially is that friendship comes in all shapes and sizes. Who could picture a more unusual friendship than Owen and Mzee? We don’t just have to be friends with people who look and act just like us. Our differences are what us loveable and unique. Also we should not limit ourselves to just one friend. We should take a lesson from Owen and claim the motto: “the more the merrier.”
This was a much different kind of picture book. I don’t usually read many informational books (I’m more of a fairy tale kind of girl), but I was pleasantly surprised to find this book not only interesting and informative, but also heartwarming and inspirational. The text did a great job of explaining and retelling the story, while the photographs added the great visuals of Owen, Mzee, and their life together. This book is a great example of what our Temple Text calls a Nature informational text. This kind of text takes the reader inside the topic for an in-depth look.

Teaching Ideas:

First and foremost, make sure to take time to explore the “more about” pages in the back of the book. These pages give excellent extra information about Kenya, Owen, Malindi, Mzee, Haller Park, and the Tsunami of December 2004.
This would be a great inspirational story to read to kids any time of the day or year. Children came learn so much from Owen and Mzee: the value of friendship, resiliency in spite of hard times, and how to celebrate our uniqueness. Be sure to check out these websites to learn more about this amazing duo.

http://www.owenandmzee.com/omweb/

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/Valentine/Story?id=447923&page=1

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4152447.stm

Bio-Poem: Waterhouse Hawkins

Waterhouse.

Inventive, smart, creative, and brave.

Friend of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.

Lover of dinosaurs, learning, and England.

Who feels joy, fear, and loss.

Who finds happiness in constructing dinosaurs for all to see.

Who needs to share his work with the world.

Who gives his life to bringing dinosaurs “back to life.”

Who fears rejection and the unjust.

Who would like to see the discoveries of even more dinosaurs.

Who enjoys drawing, painting, building, and recreating dinosaurs.

Who likes to wear fancy suits to important dinners inside of a dinosaur statue.

Resident of London, England.

Hawkins.

Check out these websites to learn more about the amazing Waterhouse Hawkins:

http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/geology/chamber/hawkins.html

http://www.britannica.com/eb/topic-257535/Waterhouse-Hawkins

http://www.famousamericans.net/benjaminwaterhousehawkins/

http://www.strangescience.net/hawkins.htm