Out of the Dust

Thank you, Jackie Bassett , for a great way to begin a book talk.

Hesse, K. (1997). Out of the dust. New York:  Scholastic Inc.

            Close your eyes; listen; “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.”  This is the reality that Billy Jo had to deal with more than once in her young life while living in Oklahoma during the years of the dust bowl.  Living with her mom and dad in a small house on an Oklahoma farm, Billy Jo tried to make the best of her situation.  Most days she could, watching her mama’s belly grow bigger each day anticipating the birth of a brother or sister, helping her mama with household chores, but most of all, playing the piano.  Billy Jo loved to play the piano, and she was good at it.  She even made money playing the piano.  However, life was not easy for Billie Jo and her family.  Dust storms coming up out of nowhere, blowing away the land and beating down anything that tried to grow.  And there was never enough rain.  And if this wasn’t hard enough, a tragedy in which Billie Jo feels responsible rips her family apart.  Billie Jo is left scared and broken.  Can Billie Jo find the courage and strength to fight for hope in the midst of so much pain and loss?  Read Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse to find out.

Weasel

Katie, Sproles, thanks for the good use of YouTube for trailers.

DeFelice, C. (1990). Weasel. New York, NY: Avon Books.
Book Trailer: http://youtu.be/3YyZyCoAqj
 

Go back in time to Ohio, 1839. Imagine you are a young boy in charge of your whole land while your father is away. You have to keep taking care of the animals and your younger sister until your Pa returns, all the while knowing something is wrong because he hasn’t come home yet. This is how our story Weasel by Cynthia DeFelice starts out. One night Nathan and Molly are visited by a silent, strange man motioning for them to follow him into the woods. Nathan knows it has something to do with his father, but is it safe? As Nathan and Molly set out into the woods, their lives will forever be changed. Something or someone is lurking in the woods, someone dangerous. They call him Weasel. He sleeps by day and hunts by night, and kills for fun. Can Nathan get in and out of the woods without running into Weasel? Can he save his Pa? Join Nathan, Molly, and Ezra on a suspenseful journey that will make you turn page after page. You won’t want to put it down!

Memories of Summer

Thanks, Markayla, for another way to do a booktalk. PowerPoint Booktalk

  White, R. (2000) Memories of Summer. New York: Dell-Laurel Leaf.

   Information about the book:

         a. Title – Memories of Summer

         b. Author – Ruth White

         c. Genre – Historical Fiction/Realistic Fiction

         Hook:

…        summer turns to winter and the present disappears.

Plot Summary:

                              Have you ever thought about the past and realized how everything has changed? Some things may have changed for the good and others not so good but no matter how hard you try the memories tend to fade and once the disappearing begins you will never be the same.  These facts of life have become prominent for thirteen year old Lyric.  Claude Compton is the Poppy to sixteen year old Summer and thirteen year old Lyric. The family leaves their comfort of the mountains of Virginia, in the summer of 1955, and heads north to Flint Michigan, in hopes of Poppy finding work.  These two sisters share a unique bond; they share dreams, laughter, and hope.  Lyric looks to Summer as a mother figure since their mother passed when they were young.  Once the family settles in the new state and poppy gets a job with the Chevrolet Factory, the girls get to move into a house that has a bathroom, electricity, basement, beds, and a television.  This is a life they couldn’t have imagined back in Virginia but something just isn’t right.  While Lyric adjusts to the new school and students, Summer becomes withdrawn and refuses to return to school after the first few days.  To Poppy’s dismay, Summer quits school to work at a restaurant.  Poppy and Lyric are both happy to see Summer smile again and feel this is what is appropriate for this time of her life.  However, after a few weeks, Summer comes into the house, crawls under the covers, and refuses to speak.  At first, Lyric and her poppy look over the situation and assume it is part of the “growing pains” but when Summer beings to talk to figures in the air, “jibble” becomes her favorite word, her leg twitches, and she begins to scratch and claw away her flawless face.  Doctors treat her wounds and the family brings her home despite the doctor’s suggestions of a mental hospital stay and evaluation.  The family sacrifices many things to care for Summer.  Lyric stays home while her father works and when Summer said she wanted to go out with Lyric for her birthday it seemed to be hope of healing however, it ended up turning into a search party.  Summer begins to fade a little more each day.  Her appearance turns rugged and she finds pleasure in matches and fire.  Lyric tries to keep the memories of Summer alive but sometimes you can’t hold on to shadows.  Will Summer get the help she needs and return or will Lyric finally let go? Read Memories of Summer to find out what lengths one girl will go to rescue her big sister from the monster-schizophrenia.

Read-aloud passages

“I can’t. I can’t fly!”

“Sure you can.  It’s easy.  Just jump up into the air like this.”

And I am flying, flying, but I am still holding on to Summer, trying to help her lift off.  The wolves are closing in.  We can hear them growling and feel their hot breath.

“Don’t leave me, Lyric! Please don’t leave me behind!”

But I am terrified.  I let go of Summer.  I let go and I fly away.  Pg. 67

Number the Stars

A look at what iMovie and a creative mind can do with a book trailer - thanks, Megan Crabb!

Lowry, L. (1989). Number the stars. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.

Book Trailer: http://youtu.be/I6RcNXdVDEg

In a world where being Jewish is punishable by death, one family risks it all to save their friends.

“How brave are you, little Annemarie?” uncle Henrik asks his ten-year-old niece. Will you be able to save your best friend from relocation? Will you be a hero?

Number the Stars just may be the most powerful book you’ll ever read about he Holocaust. Lois Lowry has captured the essence of what it meant to be a child in 1940’s Holocaust when running in the street could get you locked up, and harboring Jews could get you killed. 

For ten-year-old Annemarie, this is the world in which she lives. She doesn’t understand why there is no sugar for cupcakes, why her sister Kirsten can’t have real leather shoes, and why her best friend Ellen has to wear a gold star on her sleeve. When her family decides to help Ellen and her parents go into hiding, she is thrown into the very scary world of war. Will she be brave enough to save her friend?

Copper Sun

                                                                                                 

One I'd like to get - thanks to Christy Havens.

Draper, S. M. (2006). Copper sun. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

This chapter book begins in Africa in 1738.  The main character is Amari, a fifteen-year-old girl who is soon to be wed and very content with her life.  This all changes when strangers come into her village, killing her family, and taking her prisoner.  Amari’s journey from Africa is one of danger, hunger, suffering, and humiliation.  She is sold at a slave auction in South Carolina where she meets Polly, an outspoken indentured white girl.  Both girls are sent to work on the same plantation for a wicked man.  Life is extremely hard for the girls.  They both dream and long for freedom.    Then a sudden turn of events leads them running for their freedom.

This book is written in sections with a parallel plot structure built around the two characters, Amari and Polly.  By doing this, the author allows the reader to see slavery through the eyes of a white person, as well as a black person’s.  The conflict in the story would be considered person-against-society.  The protagonist is Amari and the antagonist is slave traders and owners.

Introduce and/or review what a parallel plot is.  Let small groups discuss why the author chose to use a parallel plot structure.  Then discuss their answers as a class.

CC.9-10.R.L.5 Craft and Structure: Analyze how an author's choices concerning how to structure a text, order events within it (e.g., parallel plots), and manipulate time (e.g., pacing, flashbacks) create such effects as mystery, tension, or surprise.

AASL Standard 2.4.2 Reflect on systematic process and assess for completeness of investigation.

AASL Standard 4.1.3 Respond to literature and creative expressions of ideas in various formats and genres.

The Big question is...           What is freedom mean to you?

One Crazy Summer

Thank you Annette Black, for one I've missed.

Williams-Garcia, R. (2010). One crazy summer. New York, NY: Amistad.

One Crazy Summer is a multicultural historical fiction book by Rita Williams-Garcia that has won multiple awards. These awards include Newbery Honor, National Book Award Finalist, Scott O’Dell Award, and the Coretta Scott King Award. This interest level of this book is grades 4-7. It is a delightful yet touching book about three sisters that are sent across the country on an airplane by themselves to spend the summer with their mother that abandoned them when they were very young. The story portrays the power of love and protectiveness among sisters. This is especially evident in Delphine the order sister who is very protective of her younger siblings, Vonetta and Fern. Due to not having a mother growing up, Delphine has learned to take care of her sisters, because she hasn’t been able to rely on a mother to do so. As the story unfolds the reader falls in love with these three young girls that are forced to travel from New York to Oakland California to spend the summer with their mother a stranger to them and who doesn’t want them there. The girls are faced with the realities of life living in the black neighborhood of Oakland, California and meet some interesting characters involved with the Black Panthers and the movement for equality. They learn things about their mother that they never knew and make meet people that will impact the rest of their lives. Will the girls’ mother, Cecile begin to accept the girls as her daughters and show love toward them? How will the involvement with the Black Panthers impact the girls’ lives? Will they survive the summer with their mother and make it back home to New York safely? Read One Crazy Summer, this heart wrenching yet funny tale of three girls experiencing life with a mother that abandoned them.

            This book would be a good book to use for studying episodic plot, because there many underlying story lines going on throughout the book from chapter to chapter. For example you have the relationship between Delphine, her sisters and their mother. There is also the conflict involved with the Black Panthers and the police. The book portrays person-against-person conflict between the girls and their mother and person-against-society conflict with the story of the Black Panthers and the revolutionary camp.

A classroom lesson or activity that could go along with this book is to have the students study characterization by having them compare and contrast how the characters changed from the beginning of the book to the end. This would especially be good for looking at the character of Cecile and how her attitude toward her daughters changed in the book. Another activity that could go along with this book would be to have the students do research and write about the movement of the Black Panthers in the 1960’s.

Big Questions:

• How does the character of Cecile change from the beginning of the story to the end?
• How does spending time with Cecile during the summer change the girls’ attitudes about their mother?
• How does spending time at the revolutionary camp reshape the lives of Delphine, Vonetta, and Fern?

Standards:

• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.4.3: Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., a character’s thoughts, words, or actions).
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.4.9: Compare and contrast the treatment of similar themes and topics (e.g., opposition of good and evil) and patterns of events (e.g., the quest) in stories, myths, and traditional literature from different cultures.

John, Paul, George, & Ben

Thanks, Kara Stevenson, for one I want to remember to read. I could have sworn this was going to be about the Beatles!

Smith, L. (2006). John, Paul, George & Ben. New York: Hyperion Books for Children.

Have you ever heard of John, Paul, George, and Ben? Once there were four guys: John Hancock, Paul Revere, George Washington, and Ben Franklin. Actually, there were five, but Tom Jefferson was always off doing his own thing, so people tended to forget about all about him. This is the story of how these five lads grew up to start a revolution and become the Founding Fathers of our country. How did they do it? Read the book John, Paul, George and Ben to find out!

Day of Tears: A Novel in Dialogue

Thank you, Melanie Camron, for one I want to read.

Lester, J. (2005). Day of tears: A novel in dialogue. New York: Hyperion Books for Children.

“It’s been three days since we’ve seen the sun. Yesterday it started raining and it hasn’t stopped since. The rain is coming down as hard as regret. Will said the rain started up just when the selling began. I ain’t never seen a rain like this. Will said, “This ain’t rain. This is God’s tears.”

The year was 1859. It took an auctioneer two days to sell 436 slaves like “bales of cotton”. The owner of these slaves had lost his fortune on the stock market and gambling and he walked away with $303,850 from those two days. Husbands and wives were separated, children were sold away from their parents, and brothers and sisters were sent to various parts of the south because they were thought of as property.

It has been a long time since I have sat down and finished a book cover to cover in one sitting. I wanted to get up and cry at the injustice that was shown to our fellow human beings. “Day of Tears” will make you want to weep in sadness but also cry out in triumph as slaves are freed and reunited with loved ones or as they are taken across the Ohio to a new life in the North. “Day of Tears” by Julius Lester is a historical fiction must read.

The Middle Passage

Thank you to Jessica Gossage.

Citation:          Feelings, T. (1995). The middle passage: White ships/black cargo. New York: Dial Books

Summary: This picture book written by Tom Feelings contains 64 paintings but no words. In the preface of the book, Feelings explains that telling this story through illustrations was the only way by which he could convey the account. The book took him over 20 years to complete and after looking at the book it is easy to understand why. For a text with no words the book is powerful, moving, and epitomizes the quote, " A picture is worth a thousand words."

Illustrations: The entire plot line of the story, characters, theme, and mood is shown and told through the illustrations in the book. The journey, the emotion, and the dark side of humanity is etched on every page. The author/illustrators use of color aids the reader by developing a tone and mood that is undeniable. The plot of the book at first might seem difficult to follow considering there are no words yet the reader is left with no confusion about what is taking place, who the characters are, and what their journey entailed. Again, although there are no words, the characters raw emotional and painful experiences can be felt on every page.

Grade Level : I would recommend that this book be used for grades 6 and up. Although I think our students need to know about our history, the images in the text are raw and hold nothing back. I would feel that the book may be a little much for students below grade 6.

Reflection: I felt as though this book was captivating. Usually in a book with no words the length of time to view the book is minimal but I found myself entranced by the images, the sadness, and the brutality of the pages. My heart was saddened but certain questions stood out to me and they were the same questions that my students answered when reading Elie Wiesel's Night  this year.... "How did they survive? What made them persevere? How did humanity allow this to happen?"

The Always Prayer Shawl

Thank you, Kim Burton, for a well-written reflection.
Oberman, S. (1994). The always prayer shawl. Honesdale: Boyds Mills Press.

The Always Prayer Shawl by Sheldon Oberman presents an immediate focus on things that change versus things that remain the same. The story focuses on the main character, Adam, a boy who is born and raised in Russia, but, because of the conflict of war and famine, must immigrate with his family to the United States. Prior to leaving Russia, Adam spends time talking with and learning from his grandfather, who teaches him that circumstances may change, but some things--such as what the prayer shawl he gives Adam represents, or the fact that Adam will always be Adam--never change. The events of the plot thus make the story one that is realistic fiction and to some degree historical fiction (some events occur in the past, while some are closer to present time).

The illustrations transition from black and white
to color to mark Adam's transition from childhood to adulthood.

The illustrations of the picture book are significant to the story line. For approximately the first half of the book, that presenting Adam's childhood, the book has only black and white illustrations. However, when the story transitions to Adam's adult life, the illustrations become color. All of the artwork is realistic, detailed, and completed in the medium of paint.

The story is strongly focused on Jewish culture and traditions, including that of family, heritage, and prayer. Thus, with a focus on change, it is easy to detect a theme of conditions changing, but faith remaining constant. Even though readers of different faiths may read the book, they could easily relate to the contrasts it draws between what Adam experiences as a child and what his grandson experiences ("I got eggs from a chicken, not from a store. I chopped wood for heat. I did not turn a dial."), a conversation that occurs between generations of all cultural and religious backgrounds.

The story proved easy to read, with some patterned, repetitive sentence structures that were easily understandable and provided rhythm. The author also used repetition throughout the book, in such lines as, "So he sewed on a new one," and, "Some things change. Some things don't." 

Despite cultural differences, I found the story very relatable and relevant. It has no doubt been widely well-received, as indicated by the abundance of awards it has received, including the Sydney Taylor Book Award and the National Jewish Book Award. It was also featured on the ALA Booklist's Best Books Of The Year list and as a Reading Rainbow Book.

Train to Somewhere

Train to Somewhere

Thanks to Shuree Clouse, for the High School Teacher perspective.

Bunting, E. (1996). Train to somewhere. New York: Clarion Books.

As I read through this book I felt mesmerized, or spellbound. I heard a very quite, solemn voice in my head as I went page by page. I haven’t read children’s books since I was a child, and though I was a fan of Reading Rainbow, I don’t have a memory of children’s books being so serious. And while this book is certainly very serious, I can see why it would be of comfort to a child because it does end happily without being silly or overly celebratory. Both the writing and the illustrations that accompany the story are written at such a level that they could easily be for adults, but it is their inherent simplicity that makes this more of a children’s book.

In this story a group of orphans travel west by train in the hopes of being adopted by new parents. They have all lived in orphanages or on the streets in New York City, and this is their opportunity for a new life. Everyone wants to be adopted, except for Marianne who is holding out hope that her real mother will be there at one of the stops, and that they will be reunited. Unfortunately Marianne never finds her mother in the story, but as the narrative resolves she is matched with a couple who seems to understand her pain, and they take her home to be their own child.

I found this to be a very beautiful story because the plot and resolution are simple, and there is nothing sweet about the characters or their situation. Though everything seems very solemn, it is realistic and I can see the tone “meeting” the needs of the children who read it.

Even the illustrations are simple, and though there isn’t a lot of detail, the composition of each piece perfectly matches the words on the page. I like the shading and the way the artist uses colors and light on each picture the most. Each picture feels like it is a complete painting.

I enjoyed this story, and would even like to read a more detailed and “grown up” version of it. I had no idea that there was such a thing as an Orphan Train, but as I think about history and the number of immigrants that came through New York in that time period, I can understand why there was a need for one. If I were teaching history, this would be a great book to include when talking about the industrial revolution and immigration.

When I think of incorporating this book into my own (English/Language Arts Secondary) classroom, I think it would make a great reflection piece for my students. So many of them have had to face hardships in their lives and they will share their stories with you quite matter of factly—which is similar to the narrator’s voice. I would like to read this story to them and have them respond to how they felt hearing it, or to encourage them to begin writing about their own experience. It may make for a good piece to add to my upcoming unit on the Odyssey. As this little girl travels, her life is changing. My students could reflect on both character's travels and how they change in their own personal narratives.

Reading this story made me think of my own personal experience and the one trip that I have made to New York.  I had the opportunity to go to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. I think sharing my personal details like this could be helpful to having students connect to the story and it would be fun to see them make their own “Train to Somewhere” poster or presentation as a performance assessment. I could even see this being something that we do at the beginning of the school year, and then once again at the end to see how they have changed over the course of it.

This was a very good first experience for becoming reacquainted with children’s literature. I am looking forward to getting into the next couple of picture books that we are going to read. As I wrote this reflection I came up with more ideas for how to use this story in my classroom than I anticipated, and so I hope to come up with more ways to use the next couple of books as well. 

As a complete aside, when looking for an illustration for this post, I found this website with a list of children's books broken down by common threads. I think it would be really useful to look into for incorporating more children's literature into the classroom, and so I'd like to post if here for future reference.

http://ww2.valdosta.edu/~ckplymel/reading.html

Buffalo Dance: The journey of York

Thanks to Heather Conley for a new book by a KY author.

Walker, F. (2004). Buffalo Dance:  The journey of York.  Lexington, KY:  The University Press of Kentucky.Frank X Walker is a professor at the University of Kentucky.  He is known for the creation of the word Affrilachia, meaning "African-American Appalachia.  He even published a book of poetry title Affrilachia in 2000.

The collection of poems titled Buffalo Dance:  The Journey of York revolves around the Lewis and Clark expedition.  York was the name of Clark's slave who traveled with the group.  Walker takes on the persona of York, telling the story of the expedition through York's point of view.  Throughout the collection, there are small descriptions of the events of the expedition.  Walker uses these descriptions to share his inspiration with his audience. 

Most of the poems contain very little punctuation, and the diction is very distinct.  In one poem, titled "Earth Tones," Walker writes, "Massa believe the earth an all her chil'ren / be like wild horses that need to be broke...Most Indian peoples we come across / seem to be partners with the land...Who say they own the land?"  The use of "an," "Massa," and "chil'ren" and the intentional use of incorrect subject-verb agreement are meant to show the lack of education of York.

Walker uses figures of speech to give life to the natural environment that surrounds York.  Personification is used to describe the sound of the river in "Sad Eye":  "the river singing softly / in the distance...."  Simile is used to describe Lewis and Clark in "Ornithologists":  "The Captains...was happy as larks / if we could bring something new...."The figurative language used by Walker also employs phrases that are considered Appalachian in nature.

It is interesting to see such an important part of United States history told through the eyes of such an underrated figure.  Quite often we see the story told through Sacagawea's view point, but we never see York's interpretation of the journey.  Even though it is Walker's own imagination, the poems can still bring a lot of discussion to the classroom.  The last poem in the collection, "Birth Day," is from the legend that York became a chief among the Crow Indians and did not die in Tennessee as is told in history.

Buffalo Dance is a great book that could be used in a variety of courses:  English, US history, Kentucky history, etc.  Some questions for reflection may include:  What other stories in from history could be told from different point of view?  How was York's life as a slave different from other slaves during this time period?  How were York and Sacagawea alike; how were they different?

Train to Somewhere

Bunting, E. (1996). Train to somewhere. New York: Clarion Books.

(Thanks to Derek Poe for this reflection.)

 Bunting's sad historical fiction, illustrated in naturalistic watercolor and charcoal (in some places) by Ronald Himler (Impressionist), details the story of fourteen fictitious-but-plausible orphans with dreams of adoption.  This Industrial Age tale, its integral setting, and its images echo not only the issues facing America at the time but also those of England and Ireland that were critiqued in the works of Charles Dickens, Jonathan Swift, and Mary Shelly during Britain's Industrial Age.  The book's introduction provides background information necessary to understand and appreciate the story, but under the story, we find enduring social concerns still faced today.

From first touching the book, one cannot help but notice the somber mood captured on the dust jacket, thanks to Himler's artistic rendition of two young girls who have been denied the secure childhood that every young one needs.  No love.  No happiness.  No warm blanket.  Just worry and fear and "terrible hurt" (p. 23) in the face of challenges far too advanced for young minds to understand as the hulking, black land-serpent belches steam and uncertainty at the feet of the two young girls who carry everything they own in small totes.  The story's cause and effect organizational pattern is used to help explain the terrifying, wearisome, and downright sad conditions these orphans faced.

These same feelings are expressed through the dialogue the author uses to create the solemn tone, evident when, for example, Marianne, the story's narrator, has insecure thoughts: "I can see my own long, thin face.  I'm not pretty.  I know Nora will be one of the first ones taken" (p. 7).  Her worry is suitably portrayed in the preceding illustration as the two pretend-sisters clutch one another tightly to gain the security they have been denied--and in Maryanne's grave expression and she hopes that she and Nora will not be separated and that her real mother will be waiting for her.  It is events like this that able readers make grim predictions.  As the chronological plot rails along, we find more disappointment and worry in Maryanne, who continues to dream of a mother's open arms as the orphans are paraded like cattle in front of prospective takers, until finally she is accepted.

This book reminds us that every child deserves a family, a home, and unconditional love.  In America, particularly in our larger urban settings but also in our smallest towns, children face the same uncertainty and fear, the same loss and abandonment, the same inner pain and psychological dismay that Marianne faces in the story.  If I read this tragic book to a child, and he or she said to me, "I don't get it."  I would simply say, "I'm glad."

Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl

Thanks, Beth Wooley, for a lovely booktalk about Anne.

Frank, A. (1952).  Anne Frank: The diary of a young girl. New York: Doubleday.

Take a moment and think back to your thirteenth birthday.  How did you get to spend your day? 

Now take a moment and try to imagine your birthday not being able to spend it with your friends having fun but with your family in hiding. 

Thirteen year old Anne Frank lived her life for two years in hiding with her family and another family.  The take over of the Netherlands started a new life for Anne of seclusion and constant worry.  She could no longer go to school, see her friends or develop crushes on boys.  If she were caught out and about, she and her family would be transported to the concentration camps with rest of the Jews.  Could you imagine not being able to live your life the way you want to or were raised to?  Her teenage years now consisted of war, awaiting her freedom.  Her parents listened to the radio daily hoping to hear of some change in the war.  Some days it was as if the end was around the corner until they would learn of the German advances.  Anne wrote in her diary everyday, telling the people who would someday read it, about the trials and tribulations of her life.  Everything always seems to start out okay, but as time passes it is as if you have to grow up way too fast.  How did Anne’s life change?  How did she grow as a person listening to the war?  Explore the journey with Anne as she takes one day at a time through the German take over of the Netherlands and her life.  War is an ugly event that is almost never fully revealed.