Hello, I'm Richard Nimz, prospector of the written word and literary explorer extraordinaire. Well folks, this is it, my last module for class. I enjoyed being able to read through the books I did (except the ones I hated, although I'm glad I got the chance), and I'll be continuing this blog when I can, perhaps using the list as a guide for future selections, although the blog will continue in a modified format (whenever I finish a book I think could use more love). So, to wind everything down, here's the last, and biggest, module of all, the controversial section.
Contained within this part of the list are books that, for whatever reason, have been challenged or banned from library displays. These reasons may seem justified or they may not, that depends on the sensibilities of the individual. For my last selection, I have chosen a book where at least some of the reasons for challenging it are understandable, and might remain so for a few more years. My final book for class is Lois Lowry's Anastasia Krupnik.
Citation: Lowry, Lois (1979). Anastasia Krupnik. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
Summary: Anastasia Krupnik is a pretty normal girl with a green journal containing a list of things she loves and another of things she hates. Over the course of several months, the two lists are populated with various items, such as her first crush, her impending little brother, and her grandmother. Several items change lists, some are dropped entirely, but through it all, Anastasia just tries to get by with the normal troubles that plague every ten-year-old.
Impressions: I can see why it's controversial: the word 'shit' is used in one part of the book, a reference to a song called 'One-Ball Reiley' is dropped in another, and Anastasia is allowed sips of alcohol throughout the book. Also, religion is discussed, death and Alzheimer's are featured as part of the plot, and Anastasia's crush is a different race from her. However, if one can look past all of that, they would see a book with humor, although several parts of it can be predicted in advance. The main character feels more like a real ten-year-old than an adult in a ten-year-old body, with her own errant opinions about the world and a youthful immaturity, although both are reigned in to believable measures by opinions that are closer to reality. To quote ayvalentine, the woman who runs Reads 4 Tweens: "It’s not a terribly exciting book—mostly a slice of life, covering a few major months in 10 year old Anastasia’s life where she learns that her parents are having a baby boy, she has her first major crush, and her grandmother who has Alzheimer’s passes away...I loved this book. It made me cry emotional tears several times at the end—this isn’t terribly hard to do, mind you, but most books don’t. I’m anxious for my daughter to read it, because I wonder if this is actually a better book for moms who were 10 year old girls around 1979. I wonder if she will think it’s boring and if she won’t be able to identify with Anastasia, even though I think they have a lot in common. I’ll update this once she’s read it. It’s suitable for ages 8 to 12, especially for kids dealing with things like the birth of a sibling, the death of a grandparent, or a first crush."
I had never heard of this book before this class, although I had passed it several times at the central library, mostly because I was looking for the Magic Tree House books. As such, I think that it would be great to put in a nostalgia display, along with other good books that have been forgotten. I think that, if children today were told about it, they might enjoy it as much as I have, or more.
Auxiliary sources:
ayvalentine (9 Mar. 2012). Reads 4 Tweens - Anastasia Krupnik. Reads 4 Tweens. Retrieved from: http://reads4tweens.com/anastasia-krupnik/
Friday, December 6, 2013
Module 14: Mirror Mirror
Hello, I'm Richard Nimz, prospector of the written word and literary explorer extraordinaire. Alright, coming into the home stretch now, now it's time for poetry. Yeah, the genre is often considered fluff bar a few classics, but, as with video games, it's unfair to dismiss the whole genre out of hand. Case in point: today's selection, which features a new kind of poem that should impress even those most convinced of poetry's uselessness. Ladies and gentlemen: Mirror Mirror, by Marilyn Singer.
Citation: Singer, Marilyn (2010). Mirror Mirror: a Book of Reversible Verse. New York: Dutton Children’s Books.
Summary: On the surface, this is just like any old book of fairy tale poetry with pretty illustrations. However, all of them are told in reversos, a set of two poems, both having the same lines, but one putting all those lines in reverse order. As a result, the same words tell two different sides of the story, Little Red Riding Hood's and the Big Bad Wolf's, Cinderella's and her Prince's.
Impressions: Clever idea. The art is your standard pastel painting (which is beautiful) and the subject matter is pretty standard for the age group, this lets the new style stand out. The poetry itself is fine on its own, but it's the fact that it can make two different related stories just by reading it backwards that really makes it stand out. To borrow from Everyday Reading: "What I particularly like about this is that it can appeal to younger children who just enjoy the pictures and the poems, while older children will really get a kick out of how clever it is to have the same poem read two ways and take on completely different meanings.
I did a pretty fun unit on poetry last year and I'm kicking myself for not having included this title (and style). What was I thinking?"
Yes, this book can be used as part of a poetry display, but I think that it can be used in a broader sense: as part of the Mental Olympics. Using the theory of multiple intelligences, a library can base a series of events around all of the different intelligences, and as part of training camp, this book can be used to help build up the verbal-linguistic competitors. But even just on its own, it's a wonderful refutation of the idea that poets are dumb people.
Auxiliary sources:
Author Unknown (22 Nov 2010). Everyday Reading: Mirror Mirror: A Book of Reversible Verse by Marilyn Singer and Josee Massee. Everyday Reading. Retrieved from http://www.everyday-reading.com/2010/11/mirror-mirror-book-of-reversible-verse.html
Citation: Singer, Marilyn (2010). Mirror Mirror: a Book of Reversible Verse. New York: Dutton Children’s Books.
Summary: On the surface, this is just like any old book of fairy tale poetry with pretty illustrations. However, all of them are told in reversos, a set of two poems, both having the same lines, but one putting all those lines in reverse order. As a result, the same words tell two different sides of the story, Little Red Riding Hood's and the Big Bad Wolf's, Cinderella's and her Prince's.
Impressions: Clever idea. The art is your standard pastel painting (which is beautiful) and the subject matter is pretty standard for the age group, this lets the new style stand out. The poetry itself is fine on its own, but it's the fact that it can make two different related stories just by reading it backwards that really makes it stand out. To borrow from Everyday Reading: "What I particularly like about this is that it can appeal to younger children who just enjoy the pictures and the poems, while older children will really get a kick out of how clever it is to have the same poem read two ways and take on completely different meanings.
I did a pretty fun unit on poetry last year and I'm kicking myself for not having included this title (and style). What was I thinking?"
Yes, this book can be used as part of a poetry display, but I think that it can be used in a broader sense: as part of the Mental Olympics. Using the theory of multiple intelligences, a library can base a series of events around all of the different intelligences, and as part of training camp, this book can be used to help build up the verbal-linguistic competitors. But even just on its own, it's a wonderful refutation of the idea that poets are dumb people.
Auxiliary sources:
Author Unknown (22 Nov 2010). Everyday Reading: Mirror Mirror: A Book of Reversible Verse by Marilyn Singer and Josee Massee. Everyday Reading. Retrieved from http://www.everyday-reading.com/2010/11/mirror-mirror-book-of-reversible-verse.html
Thursday, December 5, 2013
Module 13: The Truth About Stacey
Hello, I'm Richard Nimz, prospector of the written word and literary explorer extraordinaire. OK, by show of hands, who remembers The Baby-Sitters Club books? A series of books centered around the eponymous Baby-Sitters Club... OK, I've got nothing else. I never read them as a kid: blame my Y chromoso...well, maybe, maybe not. Anyways, when the graphic novels based on this book series showed up on the list of options, I decided that I'd take this opportunity to see what 'the other side' was reading. So therefore, this is my review of The Baby-Sitter Club #2: The Truth About Stacey, originally written by Ann M. Martin and adapted by Raina Telgemeier.
Citation: Telgemeier, Raina (2006). The Truth About Stacey. New York: Graphix.
Summary: The Baby-Sitter Club is in crisis. Due to the four girls' youth, they are getting passed over for jobs in favor of older children. Even worse, a competitor, the Baby-Sitter Agency, has sprouted up offering nothing but older children. Though the members of the Club are coming up with great new ways to compete, the number of calls they get per week soon falls through the floor. Meanwhile, Stacey, one of the girls in the club, has to deal with frantic parents trying to find 'the best' treatment for her diabetes, even if their daughter has it well in hand.
Impressions: On reflection, this was a pretty decent book. The characters and artwork are alright, you don't have to have read the first book to read this one, and the story involving Stacey's diabetes actually felt like something I'd be willing to share with other people, although you can tell the source was written in the eighties based on the fact that several kids in the book didn't know that diabetes wasn't contagious (seriously, I knew that when I was in fourth grade). A more pertinent complaint of mine involves the other plot, where it turns out that the Agency is staffed by terrible people who don't care at all about the kids they babysit. Yes, it makes a good point that children should be able to voice concerns about who watches them when their parents aren't home, but I think it also cuts the legs out from under the story by making it clear that this competitor isn't going to last 'til the end of the book. If you can overlook that, though, I'd say check this book out, even if you're a boy. I'm not the only one who thinks it was good, according to Dave Baxter of Broken Frontier:
"[T]he entertainment value of the book is off the charts. Recall: I am a boy. I am not prone to liking stories that involve preteen girls sitting in their bedrooms in small groups and talking about all the other preteen girls at their junior high school. Baby-sitting, as a job or even an experience, is not something I have any interest or personal investment in; in short, this story, on a surface level, connects with me not one iota. Yet it did. The characters are instantly likeable, the plot appealing and winsome. There have, in the history of my life, been only three girl-oriented properties that have been this perfectly suited to my very male-centered tastes (and thus marking them as possibly universal, gender-wise) – Anne of Green Gables, the My Little Pony animated movie, and now The Baby-Sitter’s Clubgraphic novels."
Come to think of it, this book actually has a myriad of uses. On the one hand, I could show this to parents, to encourage them to take their children into consideration whenever they make plans about their children. On the other, I could use this as part of a competition to try and break down the gender barrier by making it part of the reading list for boys, saying that whoever can read the most 'girl books' (including this one), will win a prize of some sort. However I use it, I don't doubt that whoever I show this book to will appreciate it.
Auxiliary sources:
Baxter, Dave (20 Nov, 2006). The Baby-Sitters Club: The Truth About Stacey GN - Broken Frontier - Comic Book and Graphic Novel News & Community | Reviews. Broken Frontier. Retrieved from: http://old.brokenfrontier.com/reviews/p/detail/the-baby-sitters-club-the-truth-about-stacey-gn
Citation: Telgemeier, Raina (2006). The Truth About Stacey. New York: Graphix.
Summary: The Baby-Sitter Club is in crisis. Due to the four girls' youth, they are getting passed over for jobs in favor of older children. Even worse, a competitor, the Baby-Sitter Agency, has sprouted up offering nothing but older children. Though the members of the Club are coming up with great new ways to compete, the number of calls they get per week soon falls through the floor. Meanwhile, Stacey, one of the girls in the club, has to deal with frantic parents trying to find 'the best' treatment for her diabetes, even if their daughter has it well in hand.
Impressions: On reflection, this was a pretty decent book. The characters and artwork are alright, you don't have to have read the first book to read this one, and the story involving Stacey's diabetes actually felt like something I'd be willing to share with other people, although you can tell the source was written in the eighties based on the fact that several kids in the book didn't know that diabetes wasn't contagious (seriously, I knew that when I was in fourth grade). A more pertinent complaint of mine involves the other plot, where it turns out that the Agency is staffed by terrible people who don't care at all about the kids they babysit. Yes, it makes a good point that children should be able to voice concerns about who watches them when their parents aren't home, but I think it also cuts the legs out from under the story by making it clear that this competitor isn't going to last 'til the end of the book. If you can overlook that, though, I'd say check this book out, even if you're a boy. I'm not the only one who thinks it was good, according to Dave Baxter of Broken Frontier:
"[T]he entertainment value of the book is off the charts. Recall: I am a boy. I am not prone to liking stories that involve preteen girls sitting in their bedrooms in small groups and talking about all the other preteen girls at their junior high school. Baby-sitting, as a job or even an experience, is not something I have any interest or personal investment in; in short, this story, on a surface level, connects with me not one iota. Yet it did. The characters are instantly likeable, the plot appealing and winsome. There have, in the history of my life, been only three girl-oriented properties that have been this perfectly suited to my very male-centered tastes (and thus marking them as possibly universal, gender-wise) – Anne of Green Gables, the My Little Pony animated movie, and now The Baby-Sitter’s Clubgraphic novels."
Come to think of it, this book actually has a myriad of uses. On the one hand, I could show this to parents, to encourage them to take their children into consideration whenever they make plans about their children. On the other, I could use this as part of a competition to try and break down the gender barrier by making it part of the reading list for boys, saying that whoever can read the most 'girl books' (including this one), will win a prize of some sort. However I use it, I don't doubt that whoever I show this book to will appreciate it.
Auxiliary sources:
Baxter, Dave (20 Nov, 2006). The Baby-Sitters Club: The Truth About Stacey GN - Broken Frontier - Comic Book and Graphic Novel News & Community | Reviews. Broken Frontier. Retrieved from: http://old.brokenfrontier.com/reviews/p/detail/the-baby-sitters-club-the-truth-about-stacey-gn
Module 12: Temple Grandin: How the Girl Who Loved Cows Embraced Autism and Changed the World
...wow, that was a mouthful. Hello, I'm Richard Nimz, prospector of the written word and literary explorer extraordinaire. Now it's time for a biography, and I was so glad to see that a person I so admire was on the list of options. Like me, Temple Grandin has a form of autism, and partially in spite of it and partially because of it, she managed to be one of the people who shook the world, which is completely unlike me...although I'm trying. Therefore, this blog's book is Sy Montgomery's biography of Temple Grandin.
Citation: Montgomery, Sy (2012). Temple Grandin: How the Girl who Loved Cows Embraced Autism and Changed the World. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children.
Summary: When Temple Grandin was born, she acted so strangely that her father wanted to put her in a mental institution. Her mother, however, sought a second opinion. Thanks to her mother's determination, Temple managed to overcome the worst parts of her autism and go on to gain a doctorate degree in animal science. From there, she managed to revolutionize kind treatment of animals in the meat industry due to the best parts of her autism.
Impressions: I'll admit I'm a little biased here, but I loved reading this book. Seeing some of the parts of autism Dr. Grandin describes gave me insight into my own Asperger's syndrome. I had no idea that my thinking in pictures and tendency to 'scramble' words I hear were parts of autism. It was also nice hearing about the other parts of Grandin's life, such as her college prank involving a UFO. I'd consider this a good book to give to people curious about how the shallow end of the autistic spectrum works, or perhaps as part of a promotion of the neurodiversity movement. It has a fair bit of mass appeal as well. According to Pamela Kramer of Examiner.com: "The book is a fascinating one and an important one for many reasons. It’s a book about being different -- and how that’s okay. It’s a book about standing up for what you believe in. It’s a book about advocating for yourself -- whether at school or in the workplace." Even if that doesn't interest you, it's still a good biography and well worth your time.
Auxiliary sources:
Citation: Montgomery, Sy (2012). Temple Grandin: How the Girl who Loved Cows Embraced Autism and Changed the World. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children.
Summary: When Temple Grandin was born, she acted so strangely that her father wanted to put her in a mental institution. Her mother, however, sought a second opinion. Thanks to her mother's determination, Temple managed to overcome the worst parts of her autism and go on to gain a doctorate degree in animal science. From there, she managed to revolutionize kind treatment of animals in the meat industry due to the best parts of her autism.
Impressions: I'll admit I'm a little biased here, but I loved reading this book. Seeing some of the parts of autism Dr. Grandin describes gave me insight into my own Asperger's syndrome. I had no idea that my thinking in pictures and tendency to 'scramble' words I hear were parts of autism. It was also nice hearing about the other parts of Grandin's life, such as her college prank involving a UFO. I'd consider this a good book to give to people curious about how the shallow end of the autistic spectrum works, or perhaps as part of a promotion of the neurodiversity movement. It has a fair bit of mass appeal as well. According to Pamela Kramer of Examiner.com: "The book is a fascinating one and an important one for many reasons. It’s a book about being different -- and how that’s okay. It’s a book about standing up for what you believe in. It’s a book about advocating for yourself -- whether at school or in the workplace." Even if that doesn't interest you, it's still a good biography and well worth your time.
Auxiliary sources:
Kramer, Pamela (6 Apr, 2012). ‘Temple
Grandin’ by Sy Montgomery is a fantastic middle grade/middle school book -
National Book | Examiner.com. Examiner.com. Retrieved from http://www.examiner.com/review/temple-grandin-by-sy-montgomery-is-a-fantastic-middle-grade-middle-school-book
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
Module 11: Dogs on Duty
Hello, I'm Richard Nimz, prospector of the written word and literary explorer extraordinaire. Now I shift my gaze to non-fiction, and a book I was really glad to find. Its topic is a little off the beaten path, but it's an interesting one all the same, and I'm glad someone wrote about it. The book is Dorothy Hinshaw Patent's Dogs on Duty.
Citation: Patent, Dorothy Hinshaw (2012). Dogs on Duty: Soldiers' Best Friends on the Battlefield and Beyond. New York: Walker & Co.
Summary: As the title said, this book talks about dogs in the American military. That includes history (from World War II) as well as what dogs are being used for now, how the dogs are trained, and what happens after they leave the service.
Impressions: Good book. It's thorough, but still doesn't go into so much detail that the subject matter becomes boring. The photographs used were appealing and arranged in an appealing manner. Especially good were the stories included, including stories about how dogs help soldiers with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder readjust to life outside of the service and how men and women do the same for them. In the words of Military Press: "This thoroughly-researched book features exclusive images from Lackland Air Force Base where the greatest number of active military working dogs are raised and trained. These dogs and their handlers are an inspiration for all of us and their stories will warm your heart, no matter how old you are." I think that this book would be perfect for Veteran's Day or Animal Appreciation Day, as a reminder of what dogs do for us and what we do for them.
Auxiliary Sources:
Author unknown (26 Nov, 2012). Dogs On Duty | Military Press. Military Press. Retrieved from http://www.militarypress.com/dogs-on-duty/
Citation: Patent, Dorothy Hinshaw (2012). Dogs on Duty: Soldiers' Best Friends on the Battlefield and Beyond. New York: Walker & Co.
Summary: As the title said, this book talks about dogs in the American military. That includes history (from World War II) as well as what dogs are being used for now, how the dogs are trained, and what happens after they leave the service.
Impressions: Good book. It's thorough, but still doesn't go into so much detail that the subject matter becomes boring. The photographs used were appealing and arranged in an appealing manner. Especially good were the stories included, including stories about how dogs help soldiers with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder readjust to life outside of the service and how men and women do the same for them. In the words of Military Press: "This thoroughly-researched book features exclusive images from Lackland Air Force Base where the greatest number of active military working dogs are raised and trained. These dogs and their handlers are an inspiration for all of us and their stories will warm your heart, no matter how old you are." I think that this book would be perfect for Veteran's Day or Animal Appreciation Day, as a reminder of what dogs do for us and what we do for them.
Auxiliary Sources:
Author unknown (26 Nov, 2012). Dogs On Duty | Military Press. Military Press. Retrieved from http://www.militarypress.com/dogs-on-duty/
Module 10: A Long Way From Chicago
Hello, I'm Richard Nimz, prospector of the written word and literary explorer extraordinaire. I love this book. It's a piece of historical fiction set in the Great Depression, but described within are the sort of events that could've happened ten minutes ago. Best of all, I think it's one of the funniest things I've read all year. This book is A Long Way From Chicago by Richard Peck, Newbery Honoree of 1999.
Citation: Peck, Richard (1998). A Long Way From Chicago: a Novel in Stories. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers.
Summary: Joey and Mary Alice Dowdel are two children from Great Depression era Chicago. One summer, they are sent to live with their grumpy grandmother in rural Illinois for a few weeks. During that time, a homeless man dies and a reporter asking for details gets directed to Grandma Dowdel, who then spins a yarn that this man was a decorated war veteran, who lost his home after selling everything to help the poor. During the wake that Grandma Dowdel sets up, the coffin and the man inside move and Grandma shoots it with her shotgun to supposedly prevent the dead man from rising again. This book contains the stories of that summer and the seven equally impressive summers after, as told by the boy who learned to respect his sharp-tongued, guileful, and secretly caring grandmother.
Impressions: I loved this book. Grandma Dowdel is easily one of the cleverest people I've ever seen in literature. This grumpy but kindly old woman, who has the brains to do anything she sets her mind to, regardless of the toes she steps on, truly demonstrates the phrase "crazy like a fox". These eight stories are really about her exploits, although the children don't get in the way at all, and in fact become two fantastic accessories to all kinds of acts, from stealing the sheriff's boat to feed the homeless to helping lovers elope by dressing up as 'the Phantom Breakman'. As Publisher's Weekly put it: "Like Grandma Dowdel's prize-winning gooseberry pie, this satire on small-town etiquette is fresh, warm and anything but ordinary." This is the perfect book to introduce people to short stories, to show what rural life was like in the years of the Great Depression, or to honor the Newbery honorees (this book lost the Newbery Medal to Louis Sachar's Holes). Or just to recommend for the heck of it, that works too.
Auxiliary Sources:
Author unknown (31 Aug, 1998). Children's Book Review: A Long Way from Chicago: A Novel in Stories by Richard Peck, Author Dial Books $16.99 (148p) ISBN 978-0-8037-2290-3. Publishers Weekly, September 1998. Retrieved from http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-8037-2290-3
Citation: Peck, Richard (1998). A Long Way From Chicago: a Novel in Stories. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers.
Summary: Joey and Mary Alice Dowdel are two children from Great Depression era Chicago. One summer, they are sent to live with their grumpy grandmother in rural Illinois for a few weeks. During that time, a homeless man dies and a reporter asking for details gets directed to Grandma Dowdel, who then spins a yarn that this man was a decorated war veteran, who lost his home after selling everything to help the poor. During the wake that Grandma Dowdel sets up, the coffin and the man inside move and Grandma shoots it with her shotgun to supposedly prevent the dead man from rising again. This book contains the stories of that summer and the seven equally impressive summers after, as told by the boy who learned to respect his sharp-tongued, guileful, and secretly caring grandmother.
Impressions: I loved this book. Grandma Dowdel is easily one of the cleverest people I've ever seen in literature. This grumpy but kindly old woman, who has the brains to do anything she sets her mind to, regardless of the toes she steps on, truly demonstrates the phrase "crazy like a fox". These eight stories are really about her exploits, although the children don't get in the way at all, and in fact become two fantastic accessories to all kinds of acts, from stealing the sheriff's boat to feed the homeless to helping lovers elope by dressing up as 'the Phantom Breakman'. As Publisher's Weekly put it: "Like Grandma Dowdel's prize-winning gooseberry pie, this satire on small-town etiquette is fresh, warm and anything but ordinary." This is the perfect book to introduce people to short stories, to show what rural life was like in the years of the Great Depression, or to honor the Newbery honorees (this book lost the Newbery Medal to Louis Sachar's Holes). Or just to recommend for the heck of it, that works too.
Auxiliary Sources:
Author unknown (31 Aug, 1998). Children's Book Review: A Long Way from Chicago: A Novel in Stories by Richard Peck, Author Dial Books $16.99 (148p) ISBN 978-0-8037-2290-3. Publishers Weekly, September 1998. Retrieved from http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-8037-2290-3
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
Module 9: Capture the Flag
Hello, I'm Richard Nicholas Nimz, prospector of the written word and literary explorer extraordinaire. The theme of the blog now is mystery, one of those genres that I personally am ambivalent towards. I may not go there normally, but point me towards a good one and it stands a good chance of being liked. What I am about to review is one of those books that I took a chance on and I'm proud to say that I didn't really care for it. It's called Capture the Flag by Kate Messner.
Citation: Messner, Kate (2012). Capture the Flag. New York: Scholastic Press.
Summary: One night, after the Smithsonian is closed, the original American flag is stolen. As a result, all flights out of Washington D.C. are cancelled. The Society of the Silver Jaguar, a secret organization dedicated to protecting American historical artifacts, mobilizes to find the flag. So do three children whose parents are all in said organization, and they might be closer to solving the case than their parents.
Impressions: Not good. First, the good things:
Citation: Messner, Kate (2012). Capture the Flag. New York: Scholastic Press.
Summary: One night, after the Smithsonian is closed, the original American flag is stolen. As a result, all flights out of Washington D.C. are cancelled. The Society of the Silver Jaguar, a secret organization dedicated to protecting American historical artifacts, mobilizes to find the flag. So do three children whose parents are all in said organization, and they might be closer to solving the case than their parents.
Impressions: Not good. First, the good things:
- The mystery was decent, with one good twist, although I thought it was a little flawed.
- The diction was decent, too, so I could get by in the book.
Now the not-so-good:
- The Silver Jaguar Society. What the heck is this doing even existing? The last time I saw this much security over American cultural artifacts, it was a pair of binoculars that could disintegrate people. Even worse, we don't even see what they do in this book to try and catch the thief, so I can't grade how well these people do their job, but they got shown up by their kids. That's several points off right there.
- Several decisions made in the book by the main characters are kind of stupid. The tagalong kid (not one of the three I mentioned earlier) has a dog who will apparently never be able to sleep without a special toy. What does he do when he finds out this toy has gone missing? He wanders into the luggage room on his own to give it back. He promptly goes missing, courtesy of the bad guy, before he can get detained by airport security, though. Also, the thoughtful one always carries around a really heavy backpack filled with Harry Potter books. He argues that he has got to take it with him even when he and the fearless leader are running to save their new friends lives because he doesn't know when he might need it. To his credit, it sees use. As a blunt instrument. In the luggage storage room. Where there are a million different suitcases that could easily serve that purpose.
- The anti-xenophobia message really needs to be toned down. One group of suspects is a mostly-foreign orchestra dedicated to international love and peace and so on. On further reflection, this might feel like something a parody would slip in as the real bad guys. Here they're played straight, and we know that none of them could've stolen the flag because the eight-year-old son of two of the orchestra's members says so (they're very close). Also, the (Mexican-American) thoughtful one whom I guess we are supposed to admire compares the people who want immigration reform to Death Eaters. On the one hand, it's his personal opinion. On the other, his expressing it that way makes me want to Flipendo him into next week. Finally, one of the suspects is a xenophobic senator from Texas (boisterous attitude included) going up against the governor of Vermont in the primaries (whom we're supposed to admire, given the praise heaped upon her). The tone of this story means that when he is revealed as the bad guy, it's not that surprising.
In the middle are the characters, who are OK to could-use-a-little work. The eight-year-old, besides being the child of the wrongfully-accused orchestra, has a hobby of drawing visual puns of English idioms and phrases which I guess is supposed to be charming, but which I drew nothing from. The thoughtful Harry Potter fan has a list of his favorite phrases from various sources, including Albus Dumbledore. The fact that he quotes Albus Dumbledore may interest people, but he didn't click with me (in any case, I'm not letting his wizarding-Nazi crack about anyone slide). Apart from those two, things are fine on that department. I just wish that the authoress had done a few things differently...
...Come to think of it, if I ever had an "OK, you write it" event at the library, where I ask patrons and staff to take books they read and show how they would've written the book, I could use this book and my own idea of how I would've done it as a guide. Other people seem to be able to read it and like it, with Jackie from My Tower of Books saying: "I thought this was an enjoyable book with spunk. I loved the friendships that were formed throughout and I'm assuming these same friendships will continue if there were to be a sequel. This would make a nice Indiana Jones-esque series for this age group." I just didn't like it that much.
Auxiliary sources:
Jackie (20 Jun, 2012). My Tower of Books: MG Review: Capture the Flag by Kate Messner. My Tower of Books. Retrieved from http://mytowerofbooks.blogspot.com/2012/06/mg-review-capture-flag-by-kate-messner.html
Module 8: Ashfall
Hello, I'm Richard Nimz, prospector of the written word and literary explorer extraordinaire. Well, we've moved into my favorite genre today: speculative fiction. I love this genre, although I prefer Star Wars-style escapism to Avatar-style 'contemplation'. However, there appears to be one exception to my rule: disaster fiction, which, if done well, feels like a survival guide with an intriguing plot. Did Michael Mullin's Ashfall meet this criteria? Well, wait and see.
Citation: Mullin, Michael (2011). Ashfall. Terre Haute, Indiana: Tanglewood.
(Huh, a book that was not published in New York City. Make a wish, folks.)
Summary: In the not too distant future, the Yellowstone caldera erupts, leaving the United States buried in ash. A few days later, an Midwestern teenager named Alex decides to set off in pursuit of his parents and sister, who were off visiting relatives in Indiana. He soon finds, though, just how hard travelling across the new ashen wastes are in winter, with bandits, cannibals, and snowstorms at every turn. He soon has the help of the irascible Darla, but that might not be enough to succeed in his quest, or even survive...
Impressions: Mixed. On the one hand, it presents an interesting view of a catastrophe that I thought might happen in my lifetime (although I've found since then that the likelihood of that happening in my lifetime is slim, courtesy of the United States Geological Survey (Lowenstern, Christiansen, Smith, Morgan, & Heasler, 2005)). The main characters are alright. Although the main character is really unsympathetic at the start, he gets better as the book goes on. Also, how the author depicts survival in this world is pretty nice, and I could imagine using this book as part of Survival Day at the library (toilet tank water is apparently good enough to wash your hands with in the real world, given what Tokyo is doing). While there is a gay couple early in the book, they're not there to make an annoying or intrusive political statement of any kind, they're just being people.
Alas, there are two big holes in the book. For starters, there's a scene near the beginning where a Baptist friend of the religion-not-disclosed-but-OK-with-premarital-sex main character claims to have a way to survive the ashfall...which turns out to be fasting and praying in the hopes that her and her congregation (which is also doing this) will get taken up to Heaven. I'm a Catholic with several Baptist relatives: I was offended. While I don't doubt this would occasionally happen, it just felt wrong, even though other Baptists show up later as relief workers in a FEMA camp.
Oh, there's my second point: the United States government apparently runs refugee camps in disaster zones the same way the Schutzstaffel ran the concentration camps in Nazi Germany, minus the forced labor. This just feels completely wrong, and there's one example that caps it all off. Apparently, as a result of the eruption, the United States is struggling to make ends meet. Fair enough, the bread basket is now covered in ash, after all. As a result, food and shelter are hard to come by, even in the FEMA camps (I'm wondering where the relief from other countries is, but maybe it's somewhere else). But, by good fortune, Alex and Darla happen upon a whole fleet of cargo ships on the Mississippi river bearing grain. Alright, relief is in sight! Nope. Apparently that grain belongs to someone and the United States can't do anything with it until they lawfully acquire it. They can't just seize it as an act of desperation, that would be easy. As an added bonus, the camp guards seem to be corrupt, just in case we were on the fence about the poor conditions being the result of merely not having enough to go around by far. While it's possible that other camps are honest, this is the only one we see, and thus it's easy to stereotype the others as being like it.
Bottom line, here's a review from Thea James of The Book Smugglers: "...I still was engaged with this novel and certainly have an emotional investment in Alex’s story. I’ll be back for more, and, if you’re a disaster/apocalypse junkie like me, Ashfall is certainly worth the read." To get my opinion, just delete the second sentence and soften the first a little.
Auxiliary sources:
Lowenstern, Jacob B., Christiansen, Robert L., Smith, Robert B., Morgan, Lisa A., & Heasler, Henry (2005). Steam Explosions, Quakes, and Volcanic Eruptions--What's in Yellowstone's Future? | USGS Fact Sheet 2005-3024. Retrieved from http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2005/3024/.
James, Thea & Grilo, Ana (4 Nov, 2011). The Book Smugglers | Joint Review: Ashfall by Mike Mullin. The Book Smugglers. Retrieved from http://thebooksmugglers.com/2011/11/joint-review-ashfall-by-mike-mullin.html.
Citation: Mullin, Michael (2011). Ashfall. Terre Haute, Indiana: Tanglewood.
(Huh, a book that was not published in New York City. Make a wish, folks.)
Summary: In the not too distant future, the Yellowstone caldera erupts, leaving the United States buried in ash. A few days later, an Midwestern teenager named Alex decides to set off in pursuit of his parents and sister, who were off visiting relatives in Indiana. He soon finds, though, just how hard travelling across the new ashen wastes are in winter, with bandits, cannibals, and snowstorms at every turn. He soon has the help of the irascible Darla, but that might not be enough to succeed in his quest, or even survive...
Impressions: Mixed. On the one hand, it presents an interesting view of a catastrophe that I thought might happen in my lifetime (although I've found since then that the likelihood of that happening in my lifetime is slim, courtesy of the United States Geological Survey (Lowenstern, Christiansen, Smith, Morgan, & Heasler, 2005)). The main characters are alright. Although the main character is really unsympathetic at the start, he gets better as the book goes on. Also, how the author depicts survival in this world is pretty nice, and I could imagine using this book as part of Survival Day at the library (toilet tank water is apparently good enough to wash your hands with in the real world, given what Tokyo is doing). While there is a gay couple early in the book, they're not there to make an annoying or intrusive political statement of any kind, they're just being people.
Alas, there are two big holes in the book. For starters, there's a scene near the beginning where a Baptist friend of the religion-not-disclosed-but-OK-with-premarital-sex main character claims to have a way to survive the ashfall...which turns out to be fasting and praying in the hopes that her and her congregation (which is also doing this) will get taken up to Heaven. I'm a Catholic with several Baptist relatives: I was offended. While I don't doubt this would occasionally happen, it just felt wrong, even though other Baptists show up later as relief workers in a FEMA camp.
Oh, there's my second point: the United States government apparently runs refugee camps in disaster zones the same way the Schutzstaffel ran the concentration camps in Nazi Germany, minus the forced labor. This just feels completely wrong, and there's one example that caps it all off. Apparently, as a result of the eruption, the United States is struggling to make ends meet. Fair enough, the bread basket is now covered in ash, after all. As a result, food and shelter are hard to come by, even in the FEMA camps (I'm wondering where the relief from other countries is, but maybe it's somewhere else). But, by good fortune, Alex and Darla happen upon a whole fleet of cargo ships on the Mississippi river bearing grain. Alright, relief is in sight! Nope. Apparently that grain belongs to someone and the United States can't do anything with it until they lawfully acquire it. They can't just seize it as an act of desperation, that would be easy. As an added bonus, the camp guards seem to be corrupt, just in case we were on the fence about the poor conditions being the result of merely not having enough to go around by far. While it's possible that other camps are honest, this is the only one we see, and thus it's easy to stereotype the others as being like it.
Bottom line, here's a review from Thea James of The Book Smugglers: "...I still was engaged with this novel and certainly have an emotional investment in Alex’s story. I’ll be back for more, and, if you’re a disaster/apocalypse junkie like me, Ashfall is certainly worth the read." To get my opinion, just delete the second sentence and soften the first a little.
Auxiliary sources:
Lowenstern, Jacob B., Christiansen, Robert L., Smith, Robert B., Morgan, Lisa A., & Heasler, Henry (2005). Steam Explosions, Quakes, and Volcanic Eruptions--What's in Yellowstone's Future? | USGS Fact Sheet 2005-3024. Retrieved from http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2005/3024/.
James, Thea & Grilo, Ana (4 Nov, 2011). The Book Smugglers | Joint Review: Ashfall by Mike Mullin. The Book Smugglers. Retrieved from http://thebooksmugglers.com/2011/11/joint-review-ashfall-by-mike-mullin.html.
Monday, December 2, 2013
Module 7: Charlie Joe Jackson's Guide to NOT Reading
Hello, I'm Richard Nimz, prospector of the written word and literary explorer extraordinaire. In the interest of ending today's blogs on a high note, I've decided to review not only something much lighter, but also something for a slightly younger audience. It's also got a point to make of its own, which I think is only a little less important than the book on my previous blog post. This book is Charlie Joe Jackson's Guide to NOT Reading, by Tommy Greenwald.
Citation: Greenwald, Tommy (2011). Charlie Joe Jackson’s Guide to Not Reading. New York: Roaring Brook Press.
Summary: Charlie Joe Jackson is a child with an unusual claim to fame: in his entire life, he has never read a book from cover-to-cover. His system works surprisingly well until the person who reads the 'middle' of the books for him decides to drop him. Now Charlie has to find a way to keep his track record unblemished, and he will go to any extremes to avoid that most hated of activities: reading.
Impressions: Don't dismiss this as a Diary of a Wimpy Kid knockoff: it's actually a darn good book in its own way. Charlie Joe Jackson, while having a pathological hatred of reading that leads him to very extreme actions, remains likable and relatable throughout the book (as a bonus, he even has a likable and relatable family, whom he likes in kind). This book is also pretty funny and very insightful into all sorts of things relating to middle school, from boy-girl interactions to how to 'cheat' at school assignments. Maybe this is just me, but my favorite part is how the book seems to say 'reading is kind of overrated and you don't have to be a bookworm to be intelligent', as well as how it says it without being preachy (helped along by the fact that most of Charlie's friends enjoy reading). I'd definitely keep this around to show kids who hate reading as well as adults who are thinking of becoming teachers (possibly as book-to-movie day, to show books that the staff and patrons would love to see on the big screen). Elizabeth Bird takes the concluding words right out of my mouth here: "All in all it’s a great little book (and I say that in spite of Charlie Joe’s rousing/baffling endorsement of The Giving Tree). This is definitely the book to hand those The Strange Case of Origami Yoda fans out there who are looking for more, and it’ll probably satisfy non-non-readers as well. Book haters of the world, your spokesman is here."
Auxiliary Sources:
Bird, Elizabeth (21 Sep, 2011). Review of the Day: Charlie Joe Jackson's Guide to Not Reading by Tommy Greenwald — @fuseeight A Fuse #8 Production. School Library Journal. Retrieved from: http://blogs.slj.com/afuse8production/2011/09/21/review-of-the-day-charlie-joe-jacksons-guide-to-not-reading-by-tommy-greenwald/#_
Citation: Greenwald, Tommy (2011). Charlie Joe Jackson’s Guide to Not Reading. New York: Roaring Brook Press.
Summary: Charlie Joe Jackson is a child with an unusual claim to fame: in his entire life, he has never read a book from cover-to-cover. His system works surprisingly well until the person who reads the 'middle' of the books for him decides to drop him. Now Charlie has to find a way to keep his track record unblemished, and he will go to any extremes to avoid that most hated of activities: reading.
Impressions: Don't dismiss this as a Diary of a Wimpy Kid knockoff: it's actually a darn good book in its own way. Charlie Joe Jackson, while having a pathological hatred of reading that leads him to very extreme actions, remains likable and relatable throughout the book (as a bonus, he even has a likable and relatable family, whom he likes in kind). This book is also pretty funny and very insightful into all sorts of things relating to middle school, from boy-girl interactions to how to 'cheat' at school assignments. Maybe this is just me, but my favorite part is how the book seems to say 'reading is kind of overrated and you don't have to be a bookworm to be intelligent', as well as how it says it without being preachy (helped along by the fact that most of Charlie's friends enjoy reading). I'd definitely keep this around to show kids who hate reading as well as adults who are thinking of becoming teachers (possibly as book-to-movie day, to show books that the staff and patrons would love to see on the big screen). Elizabeth Bird takes the concluding words right out of my mouth here: "All in all it’s a great little book (and I say that in spite of Charlie Joe’s rousing/baffling endorsement of The Giving Tree). This is definitely the book to hand those The Strange Case of Origami Yoda fans out there who are looking for more, and it’ll probably satisfy non-non-readers as well. Book haters of the world, your spokesman is here."
Auxiliary Sources:
Bird, Elizabeth (21 Sep, 2011). Review of the Day: Charlie Joe Jackson's Guide to Not Reading by Tommy Greenwald — @fuseeight A Fuse #8 Production. School Library Journal. Retrieved from: http://blogs.slj.com/afuse8production/2011/09/21/review-of-the-day-charlie-joe-jacksons-guide-to-not-reading-by-tommy-greenwald/#_
Module 7: Split
Hello, I'm Richard Nimz, prospector of the written word and literary explorer extraordinaire. Now it's time for something a little more complicated on this blog: chapter books. Due to their greater complexity, they're aimed at older readers, something that means they can explore topics more thoroughly and more explicitly than picture books. Young adult books can get into some especially prickly topics, like the book being featured here. That book is Swati Avasthi's Split.
Citation: Avasthi, Swati (2010). Split. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.
Summary: One night, Christian Witherspoon leaves his abusive father's house behind, along with his mother and his little brother Jace. Years later, Jace drives twenty hours to live with his brother. As he adjusts to living with the sibling who left him behind and tries to lead a normal life, his thoughts are occupied with the life he left, particularly his mother and his girlfriend, and one dark secret that could destroy him.
Impressions: I would put this on the reading list of things teenagers should know. It deals with the topic of domestic abuse, but more specifically with how it can affect its victims (it helps that it was written by someone who works in domestic abuse cases). The two brothers are decent people, though not spotless, and the story is actually very gripping. While it does not end the way I would like it to, I must admit that it was probably for the best, for the message's sake. In the words of Ivy Book Bindings: "Overall, this novel is simply brilliant. It is a powerful, thought-provoking, and beautifully-written novel about two brothers coming to terms with their past and learning how to move on - together."
Auxiliary Sources:
(5 Sep, 2012). Ivy Book Bindings: Review: Split by Swati Avasthi. Ivy Book Bindings. Retrieved from http://ivybookbindings.blogspot.com/2012/09/review-split-by-swati-avasthi.html
Citation: Avasthi, Swati (2010). Split. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.
Summary: One night, Christian Witherspoon leaves his abusive father's house behind, along with his mother and his little brother Jace. Years later, Jace drives twenty hours to live with his brother. As he adjusts to living with the sibling who left him behind and tries to lead a normal life, his thoughts are occupied with the life he left, particularly his mother and his girlfriend, and one dark secret that could destroy him.
Impressions: I would put this on the reading list of things teenagers should know. It deals with the topic of domestic abuse, but more specifically with how it can affect its victims (it helps that it was written by someone who works in domestic abuse cases). The two brothers are decent people, though not spotless, and the story is actually very gripping. While it does not end the way I would like it to, I must admit that it was probably for the best, for the message's sake. In the words of Ivy Book Bindings: "Overall, this novel is simply brilliant. It is a powerful, thought-provoking, and beautifully-written novel about two brothers coming to terms with their past and learning how to move on - together."
Auxiliary Sources:
(5 Sep, 2012). Ivy Book Bindings: Review: Split by Swati Avasthi. Ivy Book Bindings. Retrieved from http://ivybookbindings.blogspot.com/2012/09/review-split-by-swati-avasthi.html
Saturday, November 30, 2013
Module 6: Space Station Mars
Hello, I'm Richard Nimz, prospector of the written word and literary explorer extraordinaire. Alright, now I've got a picture book with content that I'm personally rather fond of, being about space and all. It hasn't won any awards, or even gotten reviewed in any big papers, so I think that it's perfect for this blog. It's called Space Station Mars, and it was written by Daniel San Souci.
Citation: San Souci, Daniel (2005). Space Station Mars. Berkeley, California: Tricycle Press.
Summary: One day, a bunch of kids are sitting out in the backyard when a meteor streaks across the sky. Kids being kids, they decide to find it. They do, but they have no idea what it is or if it's radioactive or not. That's when Neil comes in. A nerd complete with chemistry set and crystal radio, he organizes the gang into a laboratory (of sorts) dedicated to finding out about the aliens who might be responsible for this rock. What he discovers, though, could mean the difference between life or death for an entire planet. (Before you get the wrong idea, there are no real aliens, although the last page makes it kind of unclear)
Impressions: I thought it was alright. I'll admit, the story is kind of ridiculous, but I was willing to go along with it (kids will be kids, after all). The artwork is great, and the scene where Neil presents two 'aliens' with the rock near their 'spaceship' really is phenomenal (as an added bonus, that 'spaceship' really exists). While science is, understandably, thrown under the bus at several points, there are still enough instances of good science that it could be used as a jumping off point to talk about science. There's even a message in code at the end that I would love to use as a puzzle to teach kids about cryptography. In closing, it's like Gina Clifford said: "Young children will enjoy this book read aloud and established readers will find this book easy to read. The illustrations are lively and fun, capturing a youngster's imagination."
Sources:
Clifford, Gina (5 May, 2008). Family Reads: Space Station Mars. Family Reads. Retrieved from http://www.familyreads.com/2008/05/space-station-m.html
Citation: San Souci, Daniel (2005). Space Station Mars. Berkeley, California: Tricycle Press.
Summary: One day, a bunch of kids are sitting out in the backyard when a meteor streaks across the sky. Kids being kids, they decide to find it. They do, but they have no idea what it is or if it's radioactive or not. That's when Neil comes in. A nerd complete with chemistry set and crystal radio, he organizes the gang into a laboratory (of sorts) dedicated to finding out about the aliens who might be responsible for this rock. What he discovers, though, could mean the difference between life or death for an entire planet. (Before you get the wrong idea, there are no real aliens, although the last page makes it kind of unclear)
Impressions: I thought it was alright. I'll admit, the story is kind of ridiculous, but I was willing to go along with it (kids will be kids, after all). The artwork is great, and the scene where Neil presents two 'aliens' with the rock near their 'spaceship' really is phenomenal (as an added bonus, that 'spaceship' really exists). While science is, understandably, thrown under the bus at several points, there are still enough instances of good science that it could be used as a jumping off point to talk about science. There's even a message in code at the end that I would love to use as a puzzle to teach kids about cryptography. In closing, it's like Gina Clifford said: "Young children will enjoy this book read aloud and established readers will find this book easy to read. The illustrations are lively and fun, capturing a youngster's imagination."
Sources:
Clifford, Gina (5 May, 2008). Family Reads: Space Station Mars. Family Reads. Retrieved from http://www.familyreads.com/2008/05/space-station-m.html
Module 5: Monster
Hello, I'm Richard Nimz, prospector of the written word and literary explorer extraordinaire. Like last week, I'm focusing on a less mainstream award. This time, it's the Michael L. Printz Award, actually a series of awards given out for literary excellence in teen literature or related fields. In an interesting twist, the book I'm reviewing was written by a ten-time Coretta Scott King honoree/award-winner (eleven counting his lifetime achievement award). The book: Monster by Walter Dean Myers, winner of the first Michael L. Printz Award in 2000.
Citation: Myers, Walter Dean (2001). Monster. New York City: HarperTempest.
Summary: Aspiring teenage filmmaker Steve Harmon is arrested one day for participating in a robbery that led to a murder. Now facing the possibility of life in prison, Steve already has jury opinion stacked against him for being young, black, and most importantly, on trial at all. What follows is a part-screenplay, part-diary of his trial and the events that led up to his arrest. No-one is sure how it will end, but it doesn't look good.
Impressions: This was pretty good. Actually, it was really good. It was quite an eye-opening look into the court system, from actually getting arrested to the trial itself. Both Steve and the ringleader for the robbery have their own defense attorneys going up against the state prosecutor, but while one attorney is trying to acquit them both, Steve's is trying to distance Steve from the robber/murderer. We don't know whether or not Steve actually participated in the robbery, but I still liked him, mainly because of what he was going through. My only real complaint is the screenplay portion of the book. Steve's film teacher calls him gifted, but I doubt that I'd be watching the film he wrote. Basically, as Tammy L. Currier wrote: "Filled with ambiguity, this fast-paced nail-biter will have you at the edge of your seat unable to put it down. Perfect for teens and adults alike, MONSTER raises interesting questions about the path to crime and our judicial and prison systems."
Use: This would easily find good use as a guide for young people on why to stay out of prison (and hopefully to obey the law). If the city wanted to do a 'scare 'em straight' day to keep people from offending, this book would be on the top of the list of books to be read out loud and in detail. Not as effective as an actual visit to a prison, but whatever I can do...
Sources: Currier, Tammy L. (21 Apr, 1999) Monster | Teenreads. teenreads. Retrieved from http://www.teenreads.com/reviews/monster-0
Citation: Myers, Walter Dean (2001). Monster. New York City: HarperTempest.
Summary: Aspiring teenage filmmaker Steve Harmon is arrested one day for participating in a robbery that led to a murder. Now facing the possibility of life in prison, Steve already has jury opinion stacked against him for being young, black, and most importantly, on trial at all. What follows is a part-screenplay, part-diary of his trial and the events that led up to his arrest. No-one is sure how it will end, but it doesn't look good.
Impressions: This was pretty good. Actually, it was really good. It was quite an eye-opening look into the court system, from actually getting arrested to the trial itself. Both Steve and the ringleader for the robbery have their own defense attorneys going up against the state prosecutor, but while one attorney is trying to acquit them both, Steve's is trying to distance Steve from the robber/murderer. We don't know whether or not Steve actually participated in the robbery, but I still liked him, mainly because of what he was going through. My only real complaint is the screenplay portion of the book. Steve's film teacher calls him gifted, but I doubt that I'd be watching the film he wrote. Basically, as Tammy L. Currier wrote: "Filled with ambiguity, this fast-paced nail-biter will have you at the edge of your seat unable to put it down. Perfect for teens and adults alike, MONSTER raises interesting questions about the path to crime and our judicial and prison systems."
Use: This would easily find good use as a guide for young people on why to stay out of prison (and hopefully to obey the law). If the city wanted to do a 'scare 'em straight' day to keep people from offending, this book would be on the top of the list of books to be read out loud and in detail. Not as effective as an actual visit to a prison, but whatever I can do...
Sources: Currier, Tammy L. (21 Apr, 1999) Monster | Teenreads. teenreads. Retrieved from http://www.teenreads.com/reviews/monster-0
Friday, November 29, 2013
Module 5: Zora and Me
Hello, I'm Richard Nicholas Nimz, prospector of the written word and literary explorer extraordinaire. Well, now I can be more in keeping with my blog's title and talk about more obscure awards, like the Coretta Scott King book awards. These are a family of awards and honors dedicated to Black authors and illustrators who honor black culture and universal values. The list of honorees is a list of books I had never read by people I had never heard of, including one that I read which does not particularly make me want to read any more (although this is probably due to taste and not quality). This book is Zora and Me, written by Victoria Bond and T.R. Simon, recipients of the John Steptoe Award for New Talent (one of the Coretta Scott King Awards).
Citation: Bond, Victoria & Simon, T.R. (2010). Zora and Me. Sommerville, Massachusetts: Candlewick Press.
Summary: The narrator of the book is a childhood friend of future authoress Zora Neale Hurston, who at that point in her life is a storyteller whose imagination knows no bounds. When a local woman falls into a swimming hole, Zora declares the culprit to be a man who can transform into an alligator. When an itinerant black man is murdered on the train tracks, though, the truth is much more mundane. Zora and her two friends endeavor to get to the bottom of the matter, even as tensions mount between their small black town and the nearby white city.
Impressions: I didn't like it. Racism is not a favorite topic of mine, and the main character is one of those oppressed blythe spirits whom the author obviously admires that I've come to abhor. Both of those opinions, however, are my personal opinions, so I don't doubt that there are people who will disagree with me on that point. I'll admit that it's a good book to include if you want to talk about history at your library. I, however, wasn't engaged by either of those two matters, so I wound up slogging through what was a pretty decent story (though don't expect to guess who the murderer is).
Another thing, more controversial than my other complaints, comes from how the races are treated. Yes, I know that my own white race was responsible for visiting a score of troubles on other innocent people based on race. That's why I don't like reading books where white characters are either the bad guy or the token good guy whose part-time job is to shill the chosen minority (although, to my relief, white people don't really show up). My last big gripe about the book is that one of the characters, a woman of mixed race named Gold, is given such a hard time by most of the black townsfolk (though not the leads) for trying to fit in among white people (for rejecting her own culture). While a much more justified reason for disliking her shows up, that earlier part didn't give me any reason to sympathize with the black townsfolk (there is no justification for their treatment of her that'll change my mind), and even now I'd rather be reading about her rather than the actual protagonists.
Dissenting opinion: This comes courtesy of June Weltman, a writer for the Jacksonville's Florida Times-Union. To quote:
"Zora and Me" is the fictional creation of two new writers. They have used the early upbringing of the celebrated African-American novelist and folklorist Zora Neale Hurston to weave a mystery that will capture young readers...This is the kind of story that lingers with a certain gentleness toward some of life's harsh realities. It would be a good book for summer reading and family discussion."
I know that people will disagree with me about this book, and that's fine. Just let me disagree in peace. Better yet, if you can, find me something by black authors that I might like. African-American authors could use more publicity.
Sources:
Weltman, June (11 Jun, 2011). Book review: Fiction: 'Zora and Me' offers life lessons in imagined youth of author Zora Neale Hurston | jacksonville.com. The Florida Times-Union. Retrieved from http://jacksonville.com/entertainment/literature/2011-06-12/story/book-review-fiction-zora-and-me-offers-life-lessons
Citation: Bond, Victoria & Simon, T.R. (2010). Zora and Me. Sommerville, Massachusetts: Candlewick Press.
Summary: The narrator of the book is a childhood friend of future authoress Zora Neale Hurston, who at that point in her life is a storyteller whose imagination knows no bounds. When a local woman falls into a swimming hole, Zora declares the culprit to be a man who can transform into an alligator. When an itinerant black man is murdered on the train tracks, though, the truth is much more mundane. Zora and her two friends endeavor to get to the bottom of the matter, even as tensions mount between their small black town and the nearby white city.
Impressions: I didn't like it. Racism is not a favorite topic of mine, and the main character is one of those oppressed blythe spirits whom the author obviously admires that I've come to abhor. Both of those opinions, however, are my personal opinions, so I don't doubt that there are people who will disagree with me on that point. I'll admit that it's a good book to include if you want to talk about history at your library. I, however, wasn't engaged by either of those two matters, so I wound up slogging through what was a pretty decent story (though don't expect to guess who the murderer is).
Another thing, more controversial than my other complaints, comes from how the races are treated. Yes, I know that my own white race was responsible for visiting a score of troubles on other innocent people based on race. That's why I don't like reading books where white characters are either the bad guy or the token good guy whose part-time job is to shill the chosen minority (although, to my relief, white people don't really show up). My last big gripe about the book is that one of the characters, a woman of mixed race named Gold, is given such a hard time by most of the black townsfolk (though not the leads) for trying to fit in among white people (for rejecting her own culture). While a much more justified reason for disliking her shows up, that earlier part didn't give me any reason to sympathize with the black townsfolk (there is no justification for their treatment of her that'll change my mind), and even now I'd rather be reading about her rather than the actual protagonists.
Dissenting opinion: This comes courtesy of June Weltman, a writer for the Jacksonville's Florida Times-Union. To quote:
"Zora and Me" is the fictional creation of two new writers. They have used the early upbringing of the celebrated African-American novelist and folklorist Zora Neale Hurston to weave a mystery that will capture young readers...This is the kind of story that lingers with a certain gentleness toward some of life's harsh realities. It would be a good book for summer reading and family discussion."
I know that people will disagree with me about this book, and that's fine. Just let me disagree in peace. Better yet, if you can, find me something by black authors that I might like. African-American authors could use more publicity.
Sources:
Weltman, June (11 Jun, 2011). Book review: Fiction: 'Zora and Me' offers life lessons in imagined youth of author Zora Neale Hurston | jacksonville.com. The Florida Times-Union. Retrieved from http://jacksonville.com/entertainment/literature/2011-06-12/story/book-review-fiction-zora-and-me-offers-life-lessons
Module 4: Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH
Hello, I'm Richard Nimz, prospector of the written word and literary explorer extraordinaire. My second, and last, Newbery award winner is a good book that also has a movie based on the series (two actually). Whereas the movie based on the Chronicles of Prydain series is divisive in terms of whether it was good or not, almost everyone agrees about how to rank the movies (first is good, second is bad). This book is Robert C. O'Brien's Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, winner of the Newbery award for 1972.
Citation: O'Brien, Robert C. (1994). Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH. Orlando, Florida: Harcourt Brace.
Summary: Mrs. Jonathan Frisby is a regular field mouse, who was widowed several years earlier and whose son, Timothy, now suffers from pneumonia. While she was ordered to keep Timothy indoors, soon the plow will come and destroy their home. Desperate, she is sent to the rats living in the rosebush for help moving her house to the lee of the big stone, where it will be safe. Once there, she finds a story of genetic experimentation and escape, a story involving her late husband.
Impressions: This was a good book, although I consider the movie to be better. Mrs. Frisby is not given a first name of her own in the book, which is somewhat annoying. Also, the book seems to dawdle a little on the tests the rats go through. However, that is all trivial compared to the book's successes. The story is interesting, as well as the world of the rats. Also, perhaps showing what kind of tests the rats go through can do some good: it's just mazes with small electric shocks being the worst things the rats go through. To borrow from Eclectic Indulgence: "I believe this is a great book for children as well as adults - one filled with both magic and meaning that all can take something from."
Sources:
(29 May, 2012) Eclectic Indulgence... classic literature reviews: Review: Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh by Robert C. O'Brien. Eclectic Indulgence. Retrieved from http://eclectic-indulgence.blogspot.com/2012/05/review-mrs-frisby-and-rats-of-nimh-by.html
Citation: O'Brien, Robert C. (1994). Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH. Orlando, Florida: Harcourt Brace.
Summary: Mrs. Jonathan Frisby is a regular field mouse, who was widowed several years earlier and whose son, Timothy, now suffers from pneumonia. While she was ordered to keep Timothy indoors, soon the plow will come and destroy their home. Desperate, she is sent to the rats living in the rosebush for help moving her house to the lee of the big stone, where it will be safe. Once there, she finds a story of genetic experimentation and escape, a story involving her late husband.
Impressions: This was a good book, although I consider the movie to be better. Mrs. Frisby is not given a first name of her own in the book, which is somewhat annoying. Also, the book seems to dawdle a little on the tests the rats go through. However, that is all trivial compared to the book's successes. The story is interesting, as well as the world of the rats. Also, perhaps showing what kind of tests the rats go through can do some good: it's just mazes with small electric shocks being the worst things the rats go through. To borrow from Eclectic Indulgence: "I believe this is a great book for children as well as adults - one filled with both magic and meaning that all can take something from."
Sources:
(29 May, 2012) Eclectic Indulgence... classic literature reviews: Review: Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh by Robert C. O'Brien. Eclectic Indulgence. Retrieved from http://eclectic-indulgence.blogspot.com/2012/05/review-mrs-frisby-and-rats-of-nimh-by.html
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Module 4: The High King
Hello, I'm Richard Nimz, prospector of the written word and literary explorer extraordinaire. From excellence in art to excellence in storytelling, now I move on the John Newbery Medal winners. These are usually books that have been named as the best of their year. However, I would say that this one might also be a recognition of its entire series. It's Lloyd Alexander's The High King, last book in the Chronicles of Prydain series and winner of the 1969 Newbery Medal.
Citation: Alexander, Lloyd (1999). The High King. New York: H. Holt.
Summary: The book begins on the heels of the previous book in the series: Taran Wanderer, with Taran and Gurgi returning home to Princess Eilonwy. Before Taran can ask the princess to marry him, though, Fflewddur Fflam comes in with an injured Prince Gwydion, whose magic sword Dyrnwyn has been stolen by the Death-Lord Arawn. On the way to retrieve it, the company finds that Arawn is planning a battle to conquer Prydain once and for all. Now the final battle is brewing, and anyone can die opposing the forces of the Lord of Death.
Impressions: Good. The prose is right and the plot behind it is gripping. It's interesting to see how Taran has grown as a character since the first book in the series, which is underscored by how he is now able to draw Dyrnwyn, when he was unable to in the first book under similar circumstances. So many things that readers of the series know pass away in this book, and it feels sad to watch every departure. In short, a fitting conclusion to an epic series.
Another person's opinion: "The High King is the end to an epic journey for Taran, the protagonist, who has grown tremendously in wisdom and strength over the course of the series, from an assistant pig-keeper to a great warrior. Taran comes of age and makes the most important decisions of his life, and the book culminates in a mighty battle between the forces of good and evil. The presence of an excellent heroine in Eilonwy gives female readers a strong character to identify with. Alexander’s writing is graceful in dealing with serious themes of death and destruction, juxtaposed with the inner turmoil in Taran’s mind. The characterisation is rich, allowing for still more development of Taran and Eilonwy, and the descriptive passages are lyrical as always. There is subtle humour in Eilonwy’s delicate observations, and the battle sequences are full of excitement. Readers of 12 and older who enjoy fantasy will lap up this wonderful piece of writing; but while The High King stands alone as a superb book and is capable of being read as such, readers will enjoy the series best in sequence, beginning with The Book of Three." (Cumiskey)
Uses: The Chronicles of Prydain series draws heavily on Wales and Welsh mythology, so the whole series (The High King included) can be used in a display for any event involving Wales (perhaps as part of a greater event involving the United Kingdom).
I loved this book; I loved the series as a whole. Don't let any bad words about the Disney movie sway you, the series is well worth your time. You might even like the movie (the author did, after all).
Source:
Cumiskey, Donal (n.d.). Inis Magazine - Review- The High King. Inis Magazine, Issue #17. Retrieved from http://www.inismagazine.ie/reviews/book/the-high-king
Citation: Alexander, Lloyd (1999). The High King. New York: H. Holt.
Summary: The book begins on the heels of the previous book in the series: Taran Wanderer, with Taran and Gurgi returning home to Princess Eilonwy. Before Taran can ask the princess to marry him, though, Fflewddur Fflam comes in with an injured Prince Gwydion, whose magic sword Dyrnwyn has been stolen by the Death-Lord Arawn. On the way to retrieve it, the company finds that Arawn is planning a battle to conquer Prydain once and for all. Now the final battle is brewing, and anyone can die opposing the forces of the Lord of Death.
Impressions: Good. The prose is right and the plot behind it is gripping. It's interesting to see how Taran has grown as a character since the first book in the series, which is underscored by how he is now able to draw Dyrnwyn, when he was unable to in the first book under similar circumstances. So many things that readers of the series know pass away in this book, and it feels sad to watch every departure. In short, a fitting conclusion to an epic series.
Another person's opinion: "The High King is the end to an epic journey for Taran, the protagonist, who has grown tremendously in wisdom and strength over the course of the series, from an assistant pig-keeper to a great warrior. Taran comes of age and makes the most important decisions of his life, and the book culminates in a mighty battle between the forces of good and evil. The presence of an excellent heroine in Eilonwy gives female readers a strong character to identify with. Alexander’s writing is graceful in dealing with serious themes of death and destruction, juxtaposed with the inner turmoil in Taran’s mind. The characterisation is rich, allowing for still more development of Taran and Eilonwy, and the descriptive passages are lyrical as always. There is subtle humour in Eilonwy’s delicate observations, and the battle sequences are full of excitement. Readers of 12 and older who enjoy fantasy will lap up this wonderful piece of writing; but while The High King stands alone as a superb book and is capable of being read as such, readers will enjoy the series best in sequence, beginning with The Book of Three." (Cumiskey)
Uses: The Chronicles of Prydain series draws heavily on Wales and Welsh mythology, so the whole series (The High King included) can be used in a display for any event involving Wales (perhaps as part of a greater event involving the United Kingdom).
I loved this book; I loved the series as a whole. Don't let any bad words about the Disney movie sway you, the series is well worth your time. You might even like the movie (the author did, after all).
Source:
Cumiskey, Donal (n.d.). Inis Magazine - Review- The High King. Inis Magazine, Issue #17. Retrieved from http://www.inismagazine.ie/reviews/book/the-high-king
Module 3: Sylvester and the Magic Pebble
Hello, I'm Richard Nimz, prospector of the written word and literary explorer extraordinaire. Well, one Caldecott winner to go, and this one is not only older, it's more controversial. It's not that controversial now; heck, the scandalous part is amusing now. This book is Shrek author William Steig's Sylvester and the Magic Pebble, winner of the 1970 Caldecott Award.
Citation: Steig, William (1969). Sylvester and the Magic Pebble. New York: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers.
Summary: While wandering around, Sylvester the donkey (of doubtful relation to Donkey the donkey) finds a magical pebble that grants his wishes. However, when attacked by a lion, he makes a foolish wish to be turned into a rock. Now unable to use his magic pebble to change himself back, Sylvester is trapped for months as a rock, and his parents are scared, then sad, for what may have happened to their son.
Impressions: This is a sign that books for small children can still have good drama, at least for me. Sylvester is presented as a normal donkey, not a jerk who had something coming, but a completely innocent person who just made one mistake. As a result, it's easy to feel scared along with his parents, feel sad for them when their search turns up nothing, and happy for all of them at the end, when they are reunited. The artwork is OK, but the story is where the book really shines.
Uses: The controversial part of the book comes from one page where the police Sylvester's parents go to are portrayed as pigs. That's it. That is the whole controversy in a nutshell. In 1969, that made sense. In 2013, not so much. As such, this book loans itself really well to a demonstration of controversial books, whether they're still controversial today or if they're perfectly acceptable now.
To close, I quote Abbey Anclaude, "Sylvester's humorous illustrations of fully dressed farm animals conducting daily business upright are set against the simple and endearing text...Sylvester and the Magic Pebble was recognized by the California Teachers' Association as one of the 100 Best Books of the Century. The good news is that Sylvester will continue to delight young readers for centuries to come."
Sources:
Anclaude, Abbey (Aug, 1999). Sylvester and the Magic Pebble review | BookPage. BookPage. Retrieved from http://bookpage.com/review/sylvester-and-the-magic-pebble-hardcover/sylvester-and-the-magic-pebble-review
Citation: Steig, William (1969). Sylvester and the Magic Pebble. New York: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers.
Summary: While wandering around, Sylvester the donkey (of doubtful relation to Donkey the donkey) finds a magical pebble that grants his wishes. However, when attacked by a lion, he makes a foolish wish to be turned into a rock. Now unable to use his magic pebble to change himself back, Sylvester is trapped for months as a rock, and his parents are scared, then sad, for what may have happened to their son.
Impressions: This is a sign that books for small children can still have good drama, at least for me. Sylvester is presented as a normal donkey, not a jerk who had something coming, but a completely innocent person who just made one mistake. As a result, it's easy to feel scared along with his parents, feel sad for them when their search turns up nothing, and happy for all of them at the end, when they are reunited. The artwork is OK, but the story is where the book really shines.
Uses: The controversial part of the book comes from one page where the police Sylvester's parents go to are portrayed as pigs. That's it. That is the whole controversy in a nutshell. In 1969, that made sense. In 2013, not so much. As such, this book loans itself really well to a demonstration of controversial books, whether they're still controversial today or if they're perfectly acceptable now.
To close, I quote Abbey Anclaude, "Sylvester's humorous illustrations of fully dressed farm animals conducting daily business upright are set against the simple and endearing text...Sylvester and the Magic Pebble was recognized by the California Teachers' Association as one of the 100 Best Books of the Century. The good news is that Sylvester will continue to delight young readers for centuries to come."
Sources:
Anclaude, Abbey (Aug, 1999). Sylvester and the Magic Pebble review | BookPage. BookPage. Retrieved from http://bookpage.com/review/sylvester-and-the-magic-pebble-hardcover/sylvester-and-the-magic-pebble-review
Module 3: This is Not My Hat
Hello, I'm Richard Nimz, prospector of the written word and literary explorer extraordinaire. For this post and the next, I'm delving into a special kind of classic book: the winners of the Randolph Caldecott Medal. These books have been deemed the best the year had to offer in terms of artistic talent, and this next one has a very distinct style reminiscent of the never-even-nominated Eric Carle. It's This is Not My Hat, by Jon Klassen, winner in 2013.
Citation: Klassen, Jon (2012). This is Not My Hat. Somerville, Massachusetts: Candlewick Press.
Summary: The book is about a little fish who's stolen the hat off of a much bigger fish. More specifically, it's about how the big fish finds the little fish in spite of the little fish's claims that he won't be caught. In the end, the big fish gets his hat back (and the little fish seems to have vanished).
Impressions: I liked this book. While the book could have just said that stealing something is wrong, this book shows that the thief relied on things being a certain way (which they weren't in the end), also making this book about actually making plans rather than just depending on things being a certain way and presuming that everything will turn out in your favor. However, Roger Sutton appears to have read a little more into it. According to him, "given that children’s literature champions the small and the weak, there is also this [moral]: Don’t get caught. Depending on where you are on the political spectrum, “This Is Not My Hat” could be a cautionary tale of either righteous class struggle or uppity proletarians." Regardless of interpretation, however, I liked the cutout style of art and found the color palette to be very suiting for the story. Basically, this is good, and I advise checking it out.
Sources:
Sutton, Roger (9 Nov, 2012). 'Little Tug' and 'This is Not My Hat' - NYTimes.com. The New York Times. The New York Times Company. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/11/books/review/little-tug-and-this-is-not-my-hat.html?_r=0
Citation: Klassen, Jon (2012). This is Not My Hat. Somerville, Massachusetts: Candlewick Press.
Summary: The book is about a little fish who's stolen the hat off of a much bigger fish. More specifically, it's about how the big fish finds the little fish in spite of the little fish's claims that he won't be caught. In the end, the big fish gets his hat back (and the little fish seems to have vanished).
Impressions: I liked this book. While the book could have just said that stealing something is wrong, this book shows that the thief relied on things being a certain way (which they weren't in the end), also making this book about actually making plans rather than just depending on things being a certain way and presuming that everything will turn out in your favor. However, Roger Sutton appears to have read a little more into it. According to him, "given that children’s literature champions the small and the weak, there is also this [moral]: Don’t get caught. Depending on where you are on the political spectrum, “This Is Not My Hat” could be a cautionary tale of either righteous class struggle or uppity proletarians." Regardless of interpretation, however, I liked the cutout style of art and found the color palette to be very suiting for the story. Basically, this is good, and I advise checking it out.
Sources:
Sutton, Roger (9 Nov, 2012). 'Little Tug' and 'This is Not My Hat' - NYTimes.com. The New York Times. The New York Times Company. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/11/books/review/little-tug-and-this-is-not-my-hat.html?_r=0
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
Module 2: Bunnicula: A Rabbit-Tale of Mystery
Hello, I'm Richard Nimz, prospector of the written word and literary explorer extraordinaire. There's another classic book as the topic of this post, although I'd never even heard of it before the reading list was posted. It appears to be well-loved, though, given that it not only made the National Education Association's Teachers' Top 100 Books for children list, but was also adapted into a play. Ladies and gentleman, this is Deborah and James Howe's Bunnicula: A Rabbit-Tale of Mystery!
Citation: Howe, Deborah and James (1979). Bunnicula: A Rabbit-Tale of Mystery. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.
Summary: Harold the dog and Chester the cat are pets of a family that shall be hereafter called the Monroes. The family came back from a Dracula movie with a baby rabbit that they name 'Bunnicula'. As the days go by, the two pets find that the name is more fitting than their owners could've guessed. Vegetables show up drained of juices and completely white. The bunny itself has an interesting fur pattern that looks like a cape and in place of its big front teeth are two fangs. Today, it feeds on vegetables. Tomorrow, however, could be blood...
My impressions: I wish I liked this book more. There are several moments that I found pretty funny mixed in with moments that I find silly. (The cat confusing a S-T-E-A-K with a S-T-A-K-E? Not funny to me. The cat trying to drive a piece of meat through the bunny's heart. Funny.) However, it's surprisingly imaginative, and the most memorable good part of the book is in something that I can't tell you without spoiling the book.
Uses: The book really does feature an imaginative bit of thinking, and I would love to honor that at the library. I would love to use it as an example of imaginative thinking regarding horror tropes.
Just let me say it as S. K. List said it: "Thousands of young readers have given this book their approval, and they're sure to be joined by thousands more -- with good reason...One typical older fan remembers the book vividly: "It's funny, creative, and just silly enough not to be stupid. The animals are well characterized, too, in the way they talk. It's a great book.""
Sources:
List, S. K. (n.d.) Bunnicula: A Rabbit-Tale of Mystery - Book Review. Common Sense Media. Retrieved from http://www.commonsensemedia.org/book-reviews/bunnicula-a-rabbit-tale-of-mystery
Citation: Howe, Deborah and James (1979). Bunnicula: A Rabbit-Tale of Mystery. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.
Summary: Harold the dog and Chester the cat are pets of a family that shall be hereafter called the Monroes. The family came back from a Dracula movie with a baby rabbit that they name 'Bunnicula'. As the days go by, the two pets find that the name is more fitting than their owners could've guessed. Vegetables show up drained of juices and completely white. The bunny itself has an interesting fur pattern that looks like a cape and in place of its big front teeth are two fangs. Today, it feeds on vegetables. Tomorrow, however, could be blood...
My impressions: I wish I liked this book more. There are several moments that I found pretty funny mixed in with moments that I find silly. (The cat confusing a S-T-E-A-K with a S-T-A-K-E? Not funny to me. The cat trying to drive a piece of meat through the bunny's heart. Funny.) However, it's surprisingly imaginative, and the most memorable good part of the book is in something that I can't tell you without spoiling the book.
Uses: The book really does feature an imaginative bit of thinking, and I would love to honor that at the library. I would love to use it as an example of imaginative thinking regarding horror tropes.
Just let me say it as S. K. List said it: "Thousands of young readers have given this book their approval, and they're sure to be joined by thousands more -- with good reason...One typical older fan remembers the book vividly: "It's funny, creative, and just silly enough not to be stupid. The animals are well characterized, too, in the way they talk. It's a great book.""
Sources:
List, S. K. (n.d.) Bunnicula: A Rabbit-Tale of Mystery - Book Review. Common Sense Media. Retrieved from http://www.commonsensemedia.org/book-reviews/bunnicula-a-rabbit-tale-of-mystery
Module 2: Freight Train
Hello, I'm Richard Nimz, prospector of the written word and literary explorer extraordinaire. I'm going to break with my title now and delve into 'classic' fiction, since I'm at that module in my class. Still, this is a book I've never heard of, so I imagine that it's possible that many other people haven't heard of it either. So, with that in mind, I present Freight Train by Donald Crews.
Citation: Crews, Donald (1978). Freight Train. New York: Greenwillow Books.
Summary: I feel a little silly including a summary of the plot of the book, since there isn't one, really. It's just a picture of a train going on its way, showing the different kinds of cars on the train, the different colors of the rainbow (and black), and the various things a train might pass by or through on its way. There isn't really a plot, just a bunch of things the author wants to show us.
My impressions: Still, I liked it. The art is simple, but still appealing and it touched on that childish love of trains I still have. It also went beyond the usual cars on a train, the caboose, the coal car, and the engine, and actually listed other cars, like the hopper car and the gondola car. My only regret is that what these cars actually do is never listed. I hear that the author made an updated version called Inside Freight Train in 1991 that showed what the cars carried, but plain old Freight Train is a good enough book. To quote Karyn Wellhousen's review: "Donald Crews has effectively captured our enchantment with trains... His style draws readers quickly into the book...".
Uses: The main use I can think of is to use it as a springboard when and if my library decides to talk about trains. However, this book is also a Caldecott honor book, and it could also be used as inspiration for an art day at the library, for kids and adults alike.
In conclusion, another good book. Feel free to check it out if your kid has an interest in trains, he won't be disappointed.
Sources:
Wellhousen, Karyn (n.d.). Freight Train - Book Review. Common Sense Media. Retrieved from http://www.commonsensemedia.org/book-reviews/freight-train
Citation: Crews, Donald (1978). Freight Train. New York: Greenwillow Books.
Summary: I feel a little silly including a summary of the plot of the book, since there isn't one, really. It's just a picture of a train going on its way, showing the different kinds of cars on the train, the different colors of the rainbow (and black), and the various things a train might pass by or through on its way. There isn't really a plot, just a bunch of things the author wants to show us.
My impressions: Still, I liked it. The art is simple, but still appealing and it touched on that childish love of trains I still have. It also went beyond the usual cars on a train, the caboose, the coal car, and the engine, and actually listed other cars, like the hopper car and the gondola car. My only regret is that what these cars actually do is never listed. I hear that the author made an updated version called Inside Freight Train in 1991 that showed what the cars carried, but plain old Freight Train is a good enough book. To quote Karyn Wellhousen's review: "Donald Crews has effectively captured our enchantment with trains... His style draws readers quickly into the book...".
Uses: The main use I can think of is to use it as a springboard when and if my library decides to talk about trains. However, this book is also a Caldecott honor book, and it could also be used as inspiration for an art day at the library, for kids and adults alike.
In conclusion, another good book. Feel free to check it out if your kid has an interest in trains, he won't be disappointed.
Sources:
Wellhousen, Karyn (n.d.). Freight Train - Book Review. Common Sense Media. Retrieved from http://www.commonsensemedia.org/book-reviews/freight-train
Monday, November 25, 2013
Module 1: Bats in the Library
Hello, I'm Richard Nimz, prospector of the written word and literary explorer extraordinaire. I've started this blog to fulfill a class assignment on youth literature. I'm thinking that I might continue this for a different audience (if I remember and I feel like it), but for now, I'm going to stick to the curriculum. Right now, that means Books about reading, and I've decided that means Bats in the Library by Brian Lies.
Citation: Lies, Brian (2008). Bats at the Library. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.
Summary: The book has a pretty simple plot, as most picture books are. Basically, someone left a window open at the library and a whole bunch of bored bats take that opportunity to go to the library. From there, the book prettymuch details things that ordinary people might do, such as have a storytime or play with the photocopier, or things that normal people wouldn't do, such as make shadow puppets or play in the water fountain. Finally, though, daybreak comes and the bats flee the library until next time.
My impressions: I had to choose between this book and The Plot Chickens by Mary Jane and Herm Auch, and I decided to pick the one I liked the best by far. I like the concept of animals doing human things in a library, and the fact that these are bats (which usually get a bad reputation) makes it even better. The bats actually look really cute rather than scary here, as bats that eat fruit or insects as opposed to blood tend to do. The rest of the artwork is good, too, and the portion where bats imagine themselves in the books they're reading really is one of the best sections of the book by far. The entire book is told in poem, and told nicely in poem, although that really doesn't hold a candle compared to the illustrations. In closing, I can totally understand why this book was placed on TIME magazine's top 10 list of children's picture books for 2008: to quote Amy Lennard Goehner, it's a "beautifully illustrated rhyming tale..." that delivers well "the message that's every parent's mantra: reading rocks!"
Uses: I would love to share this book with kids as part of a storytime, but I think that there are other ways to put it to use. Firstly, the furry/anthro population gets a bad rap as being inappropriately interested in animals when they really just think animals with human traits are cool. I could use this as a display to show that what the furry fandom thinks is cool is not always indecent. Alternatively, I could use the section of the book that shows the bats putting themselves in their favorite fiction to kick off the child portion of a fanfiction day at the library, letting the kids think of ways they could insert themselves into their favorite books or movies (or I could just use the picture as a decoration, with the author's permission, of course).
In closing, I think that this is a fun book that should be shared with children. Try and locate it the next time you're at the library.
Sources:
Goehner, Amy Lennard (3 Nov. 2008). "Bats at the Library, Written and illustrated by Brian Lies - The Top 10 Everything of 2008 - TIME. TIME Magazine. Retrieved from http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1855948_1863719_1863734,00.html
Citation: Lies, Brian (2008). Bats at the Library. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.
Summary: The book has a pretty simple plot, as most picture books are. Basically, someone left a window open at the library and a whole bunch of bored bats take that opportunity to go to the library. From there, the book prettymuch details things that ordinary people might do, such as have a storytime or play with the photocopier, or things that normal people wouldn't do, such as make shadow puppets or play in the water fountain. Finally, though, daybreak comes and the bats flee the library until next time.
My impressions: I had to choose between this book and The Plot Chickens by Mary Jane and Herm Auch, and I decided to pick the one I liked the best by far. I like the concept of animals doing human things in a library, and the fact that these are bats (which usually get a bad reputation) makes it even better. The bats actually look really cute rather than scary here, as bats that eat fruit or insects as opposed to blood tend to do. The rest of the artwork is good, too, and the portion where bats imagine themselves in the books they're reading really is one of the best sections of the book by far. The entire book is told in poem, and told nicely in poem, although that really doesn't hold a candle compared to the illustrations. In closing, I can totally understand why this book was placed on TIME magazine's top 10 list of children's picture books for 2008: to quote Amy Lennard Goehner, it's a "beautifully illustrated rhyming tale..." that delivers well "the message that's every parent's mantra: reading rocks!"
Uses: I would love to share this book with kids as part of a storytime, but I think that there are other ways to put it to use. Firstly, the furry/anthro population gets a bad rap as being inappropriately interested in animals when they really just think animals with human traits are cool. I could use this as a display to show that what the furry fandom thinks is cool is not always indecent. Alternatively, I could use the section of the book that shows the bats putting themselves in their favorite fiction to kick off the child portion of a fanfiction day at the library, letting the kids think of ways they could insert themselves into their favorite books or movies (or I could just use the picture as a decoration, with the author's permission, of course).
In closing, I think that this is a fun book that should be shared with children. Try and locate it the next time you're at the library.
Sources:
Goehner, Amy Lennard (3 Nov. 2008). "Bats at the Library, Written and illustrated by Brian Lies - The Top 10 Everything of 2008 - TIME. TIME Magazine. Retrieved from http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1855948_1863719_1863734,00.html
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