Welcome!

You have accessed the blog site for Choosing and Using Books for Children. Throughout the term we'll use our blog to record the books we read and the ideas we have for using them when we're teachers. By the end of March, our class will have read at least 280 books. Happy reading!

Two important protocol actions for EVERY post:
1. Underline or italicize all book titles (choose one formatting style and stick with it--underline OR italicize for all book titles)
2. Add your name in the "label" box before you post each documentation.

One important recommendation:
Create your documentations in a separate Word document, then cut and paste in a blog post.

Basic Documentation

Book Title:

Author(s):

Illustrator/Photographer/Artist:

Publisher:

Copyright Date:

Genre:

Brief Annotation:

Your Rating (1-5) and why:

Readers who will like this book:

Teaching Strategy from Tompkins or Yopp & Yopp (you'll link a strategy to at least 10 of your 40 books) :

Question to ask about this book before a read aloud:

Optional, but noted as extra effort:

1. Interest Level (age):

2. Grade Level Equivalent (grade):
Use book wizard to help with the previous 2 areas


3. List awards

4. Does this book have a book trailer? If so, cut and paste the web address here.

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Oliver Button is a Sissy


Book Title: Oliver Button is a Sissy


Author and Illustrator: Tomie dePaola


Publisher: Harcourt Jovanovich publishers


Copyright Date: 1979


Genre: Picture Book – Gender Bias


Brief Annotation:


Oliver doesn’t enjoy sports because he doesn’t think he’s particularly good at any of them. But he does know that he enjoys drawing, dressing up, and dancing – and he’s good at them, too. Though Oliver’s father and his classmates constantly taunt him, he continues to do what he loves. At the school talent show, Oliver will get the chance to really show what he’s made of and there’s nothing “sissy” about it.


Your Rating (1-5) and why:


5 – I like this story because it is a personal tale told to reflect dePaola’s childhood and could definitely apply to gender stereotypes today. Nothing comes from teasing and taunting except cruelty, and just because a person may not do what they are expected to do, doesn’t mean they cannot be successful. I mean, look at Tomie dePaola!! He published over 250 for heaven’s sake! So this was a great reminder about the difference between doing what we’re “supposed” to do and doing what’s right.


Readers who will like this book:


Anyone who has felt the burn of gender bias and hopefully students that might have been the teasers on the other end.


Question to ask about this book before a read aloud:


What kind of games do you like to play in your free time?


What if you liked to play football and you liked to dance in the ballet? Is it possible?


1. Interest Level (age): 5 and up


2. Grade Level Equivalent (grade): 2.8


3. Book Trailer:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8r6UyTeZjA

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1 comment:

  1. Suzy Kaback & FamilyMarch 31, 2012 at 6:12 AM

    Good to know there's a book trailer for this title, even though it's a little older.

    Great pre-reading questions--you're not hammering in the gender piece right away, just priming kids' brains for thinking about the value of difference.

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