BookSpeak! : Poems about Books

Book Title: Bookspeak!: Poems about Books

Author(s): Laura Purdie Salas

Illustrator/Photographer/Artist: Josée Bisaillon

Publisher: Clarion Books

Copyright Date: 2011

Genre: Picture Book - Poetry

Brief Annotation:

Salas is a poet and advocate for books! There are poems about loved books, forgotten books, and bookplates. There’s a poem bout how the middle of the story wants to be just as important as the beginning or the end, how the reader anticipates the next 1,000-word picture, and more…

Your Rating (1-5) and why:

5!! – Not only is it a great book to read to book-haters, the poetry and the illustrations are fun and whimsical to follow. If I ever had to be on trial for “why books are important,” I would bring this book as evidence.

Readers who will like this book:

This would be a great read-aloud for any age. Children that love books, children that are just being introduced to books, and I bet even children that can’t stand books could find something that they'd enjoy in Bookspeak! It’s silly, short, and sweet.

Yopp & Yopp - After Reading Activity p.132 – Literary Borrowing:

Have each child write any style of poem about books or about a specific book they love.

Question to ask about this book before a read aloud:

Do you like books?

What would happen if all of the books in the world just disappeared?

1. Interest Level (age): 4 and up

2. Grade Level Equivalent (grade): 2.5

3. Book Trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G44GF6bc9FI

Alphabet Atlas

Book Title: The Alphabet Atlas

Author(s): Arthur Yorinks

Illustrator/Photographer/Artist: Illustrator: Adrienne Yorinks, Letter Art: Jeanyee Wong

Publisher: Winslow Press

Copyright Date: 1999

Genre: Alphabet Picture Book

Brief Annotation:

Using quilt art and geography, the Yorinks and Wong take the reader on a journey

through the ABC’s. We learn a thing or two about a city or country and encounter the different types of textiles you might find in that part of the world.

Your Rating (1-5) and why:

5 – I see so much potential in this book! Check "After Reading Activity" below.

Readers who will like this book:

Anyone interested in geography and/or fascinating quilt work would find this book very enjoyable.

Yopp & Yopp - After Reading Activity p. 132 - Literary Borrowing:

Have each child choose a letter and then a city or country that corresponds with that letter. The children could research that place while also designing a quilt square with the letter and the country sewed on top. Children could combine all of their work to make a quilt or make their own individual pillows.

The book talks about addition projects about this book and geography that the reader could find at www.winslowpress.com

Question to ask about this book before a read aloud:

Have you ever made an alphabet book?

If you were to make an alphabet book, what would it be about?

Have you ever sewed anything before?

1. Interest Level (age): 5-8

2. Grade Level Equivalent (grade): 3.2

Big Momma Makes the World

Book Title: Big Momma Makes the World

Author(s): Phyllis Root

Illustrator/Photographer/Artist: Helen Oxenbury

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Copyright Date: 2002

Genre: Folklore (myth) picturebook

Brief Annotation: In this recreation of the creation story, Big Momma makes the world in 7 days, even while balancing her little baby on her hip and tending to the heaps of laundry piling up. She first creates light and darkness, then the sky, sun, moon, and stars, the earth and all the vegetation and animals. Finally, her last step is to create “some folks to keep me company.” She makes a variety of people of all shapes, sizes, and colors to fill the world and tells them to take care of the earth before retiring off to the sky with her baby in tow.

Your Rating (1-5) and why: 3.5—Big Momma Makes the World is a different take on the old creation story. It’s an interesting and fun book with colorful language that kids will probably really enjoy. The illustrations are also vibrant and appealing, blending styles of impressionistic art with surrealistic elements to create an imaginative design that complements the text nicely.

Readers who will like this book: Children who enjoy folklore and myths; kids who like to tackle big, theoretical questions in an imaginative way; adults looking for a fresh and feminine alternative to the original creation story; teachers teaching a unit on folklore and myth.

Question to ask about this book before a read aloud: Who can tell me what a myth is? What does a myth aim to tell readers? How are myths different from folktales or fables?

Optional, but noted as extra effort:

1. Interest Level (age): Kindergarten—Grade 2

2. Grade Level Equivalent (grade): 3.3

3. List awards: Boston Globe-Horn Book Award

4. Book trailer: None

The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere

BASIC DOCUMENTATION
Book Title: The Midnight Ride of Paul RevereAuthor(s): Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Illustrator/Photographer/Artist: Christopher Bing

Publisher: Handprint Books

Copyright Date: 2001 (illistrations)

Genre: Poetry

Brief Annotation:
Christopher Bing illustrates Longfellows poem of the historic ride of Paul revere to concord to warn the malitia how the British were coming. Included in ‘the case’ of the book is:
• a replica of the letter containing the orders to raid Concord and destroy their artillery and other items being stored for war against the king
• a replica of a newspaper article: “The Deposition of Paul Revere prepared for the Massachusetts Provincial congress”


Your Rating (1-5) and why: 5
The use of College and the inclusion of the ‘orders’ to march on Concord and the Deposition of Paul Revere add to the historical significance and pulls us into a different culture and way of life. Longfellow’s poem is difficult for some elementary students to understand but his art helps bridge the unknown words with the known scenes .


Readers who will like this book:
Readers that enjoy poetry, history and adventure.


Question to ask about this book before a read aloud:
What were ways to send coded messages before the invention of electricity and the phone?
How did information travel from one town to another?

Optional, but noted as extra effort:

1. Interest Level (age): 8-10

2. Grade Level Equivalent (grade): 5.1

3. List awards:
American Library Association Notable Children’s Book in 2002 as well as a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year.

Baseball Saved Us

BASIC DOCUMENTATION
Book Title: Baseball Saved Us

Author(s): Ken Mochizuki

Illustrator/Photographer/Artist: Dom Lee

Publisher: Lee & Low Books Inc.

Copyright Date: 1993

Genre: Historical Fiction

Brief Annotation:
The story is based on the internment camps Japanese Americans were forced to live in during WWII and the racial prejudices that existed after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. The author presents the housing; eating and social situations surrounding the camps and how the American Citizens handled their captivity (both physically and mentally) while being detained by the U.S. Governement.


Your Rating (1-5) and why: 5
The story presents the American internment camp in a realistic fashion. The author illustrates the different effects (physical and emotional) captivity had on the people. The author also included the effects the bombing of Pearl Harbor had on the country and the peoples’ response toward other American Citizens. The ending was a perfect portrayal of the Japanese Americans making them become recognized as good citizens without violence. It also provides students a view of Japanese people of WWII as a group of people that weren’t just killers and helps prevent the stereotypes that existed during the war.


Readers who will like this book:
Those interested in sports history; baseball enthusiasts; students interested in WWII; Students interested in Japanese American history

Teaching Strategy from Yopp and Yopp:
Anticipation Guides p. 18-20
Anticipation guides are questions used the beginning of a unit and given again at the end of a unit to access student knowledge and views by comparing the answers from before and after.
I like the idea of using this strategy because teachers can assess the knowledge students have on WWII and the effects of Pearl Harbor on the American people. (this can naturally lead into a discussion/comparision on the effects of the bombing of the trade center towers and the reaction to Middle East American Citizens.

Question to ask about this book before a read aloud:
By looking at the cover:
Can you find anything in the picture that might give a clue to the setting of the story?
Where are the boys? What country?
(after mentioning jail because of the barbed wire)...predict their crime.
Optional, but noted as extra effort:

1. Interest Level (age): 8-10

2. Grade Level Equivalent (grade): 4.1


3. List awards"Choices"
Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)

"Editor's Choice"
San Francisco Chronicle

Not Just For Children Anymore Selection
Children's Book Center (CBC)

50 Multicultural Books Every Child Should Know 2001
Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)

Best Multicultural Title
Cuffies Award
Publisher's Weekly

Best Children's Books of the Year for 1998
Bank Street College of Education

Books to Read with Children of All Ages
Bank Street College of Education

"Pick of the Lists"
American Bookseller

40 Books about Sports for 2003
Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)

Parents' Choice Gold Award

"Pick of the Lists"
American Bookseller

Recommended Title
New York is Book Country/ New York Public Library

Gooney Bird is so Absurd

BASIC DOCUMENTATION
Book Title: Gooney Bird Is so Absurd

Author(s): Lois Lowry

Illustrator/Photographer/Artist: Middy Thomas

Publisher: Houghton Mufflin Harcourt

Copyright Date: 2009

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Brief Annotation:
While in Ms. Pidgeon’s class, the students are learning about poetry. Gooney Bird (and the entire class) use their distinct personality to create poems in the poetic styles she is learning. When a sad event happens to Ms. Pidgeon, the substitute tries to teach but cannot get past the individualism in the classroom. The book embraces the differences in each of us and creates an accepting atmosphere for everyone.

Your Rating (1-5) and why: 5
I loved this book. It is funny and touching yet it emphasizes the differences in everyone and how great that concept is. I liked how Lowry integrated the events in the story into the lessons of poetry the teacher was emphasizing. It is the reason I chose poetry as my main topic for class. I have read this book twice and cannot wait to introduce my future students to this book/series and poetry.

Readers who will like this book:
Students that enjoy poetry; those that dare to be different in any way; students who like to listen to silly things

Teaching Strategy from Tompkins :
#6 Book Talk (p. 14-15)
Book talks are introductions of books given to students to pique their interest into reading it. The book is introduced by displaying the book; giving a summery and reading a short excerpt aloud without giving away the ending.
I believe this is a great strategy for Gooney Bird is so Absurd because there are so many funny things written in the text that students can appreciate at its best by reading it themselves and using their own interpretation for making connections and mental pictures of the plot. I like the idea of presenting it as a book I enjoyed so that students will feel comfortable discussing it with me after they read it.

Question to ask about this book before a read aloud:
What is something you have worn totally different than everyone else?


Optional, but noted as extra effort:

1. Interest Level (age): 6-8

2. Grade Level Equivalent (grade): 3.3

The Whipping Boy

BASIC DOCUMENTATION
Book Title: The Whipping Boy

Author(s): Sid Fleischman

Illustrator/Photographer/Artist: Peter Sis

Publisher: Harper Trophy

Copyright Date: 1986

Genre: Historical Fiction

Brief Annotation: The king has taken a poor-homeless child into his castle to become the ‘whipping boy’. Each time ‘Prince Brat’ (as they call him) gets into trouble, the king summons the ‘whipping boy’ to take the beatings. The prince knows it was forbidden to spank, smack or whip a prince, so he enjoys neglecting his studies and pulling practical jokes on guests without fear of such harsh punishments being inflicted on him. When the prince decides to run away-he commands the ‘whipping boy’ to accompany him to become his servant. We learn not every position in life is perfect and the importance friendship can be to happiness.


Your Rating (1-5) and why: 2
I found this book not to be exciting and hard to follow at times. I don’t think the characters were well developed and it seemed like I was listening to words more than a story. The ending was a bit of a letdown.

Readers who will like this book: Readers/listeners that enjoy: animals coming to the rescue; fairy tale endings and readers/listeners that feel as outsiders or on a ‘lower’ status than someone/anyone else.

Teaching Strategy from Yopp & Yopp :
Character Trait Charts pp. 102-103
Character trait charts emphasize the characters and build students’ vocabulary. Students read a selection or book then analyze the characters based on a chart presented by the teacher. Students identify which characters exhibit particular traits and should be ready to discuss or explain their reasoning.
I like this strategy for The Whipping Boy because it allows students to view perspectives from different views and there are usually explanations for peoples’ actions. The whipping boy viewed the prince as lazy and spoiled but the prince viewed his situation as not being permitted to experience everyday tasks and therefore found himself bored with no reason to learn. This book gives an opportunity to ‘watch’ the characters change through their situations and begin to understand one another’s economic status with its advantages and disadvantages.

Question to ask about this book before a read aloud:
How great would it to be a prince/princess? Why?
Can we make a prediction what a ‘whipping boy’ is?

Optional, but noted as extra effort:

1. Interest Level (age): 8-10

2. Grade Level Equivalent (grade): 4.0


3. List awards
Newbery Medal
ALA Notable Children's Book
School Library Journal Best Book


4. Does this book have a book trailer? http://www.homepages.dsu.edu/mgeary/booktrailers/late_elementary.htm