Comments for ICCAL http://wowlit.org/catalog Browse our collection of literature Tue, 22 May 2012 20:39:54 +0000 hourly 1 Comment on Wild Wings by Marilyn Carpenter http://wowlit.org/catalog/9781442414457/#comment-9081 Marilyn Carpenter Tue, 22 May 2012 20:39:54 +0000 http://wowlit.org/catalog/9781442414457/#comment-9081 There are many layers to this story that makes it an excellent choice to share in the classroom. • First it is a great story that will make an absorbing read aloud. • Second, it has global and green aspects that make it timely – a osprey’s migration from Scotland to Africa is tracked in Google Earth in the story. • Third, there are e-mail exchanges between the characters who live in Scotland and Africa emphasizing the developing friendships. • Fourth, it depicts how a community can work together to care for each other and embrace others in faraway places. Marilyn I agree that the layers of this story make it compelling for use in the classroom. First, as a reader I was unaware of the plight of the osprey. Apparently it is extremely rare to have a mating pair in the wild. I would think that a teacher could integrate Math, Science, Social Studies and Language Arts all into this one book. What fun for children who are so bogged down with restricted curriculum these days! A teacher could use this book to track the opreys’ migration, and study the migration of other animals/mammals such as humpback whales and monarch butterflies. As a child I was fascinated with the books of Leo Politi who wrote Song of the Swallows about the migration of the swallows to San Juan Capistrano and Butterflies Come about the migration of the monarch butterflies to Monterey California. I was (am still am) with the notion that animals have a natural instinct to return to the same place every year. While Song of the Swallows is still in print as it won the Caldecott Award, Butterflies Come is not. I’m sure however, there are other books teachers could use with Wild Wings to learn about animal migration. Barb I loved the Leo Politi books too. When I was a child my mother always took me to a bookstore in Los Angeles to have the newest Politi book autographed. My copy of Song of the Swallows is falling apart, but it features a beautiful inscription to me done in watercolors by Politi. I started thinking about other books on migration that would be great to connect with Wild Wings. They are both fiction and nonfiction. Here are some of the titles: • Isabel’s House of Butterflies by Tony Johnston • Project Ultraswan by Elinor Osborn • North: The Amazing Story of Arctic Migration by Nick Dowson • On the Wing: American Birds in Migration by Carol Lerner Marilyn Must be the L.A. girls in us! Another thing I was thinking about with this book is how it ties back to Beatrice’s Dream. I think it gives students a realistic view of Africa. The idea that the Scottish children are emailing Africa suggests that the African continent is not some desert wasteland where everyone is running around in loin clothes and spears. I think it would pair well with City Boy by Jan Michael, which contrasts living conditions between the African cities and the more rural villages. I believe the more realistic ideas we can give students about the African continent the better for everyone. Barb There are many layers to this story that makes it an excellent choice to share in the classroom.
• First it is a great story that will make an absorbing read aloud.
• Second, it has global and green aspects that make it timely – a osprey’s migration from Scotland to Africa is tracked in Google Earth in the story.
• Third, there are e-mail exchanges between the characters who live in Scotland and Africa emphasizing the developing friendships.
• Fourth, it depicts how a community can work together to care for each other and embrace others in faraway places. Marilyn

I agree that the layers of this story make it compelling for use in the classroom. First, as a reader I was unaware of the plight of the osprey. Apparently it is extremely rare to have a mating pair in the wild. I would think that a teacher could integrate Math, Science, Social Studies and Language Arts all into this one book. What fun for children who are so bogged down with restricted curriculum these days! A teacher could use this book to track the opreys’ migration, and study the migration of other animals/mammals such as humpback whales and monarch butterflies. As a child I was fascinated with the books of Leo Politi who wrote Song of the Swallows about the migration of the swallows to San Juan Capistrano and Butterflies Come about the migration of the monarch butterflies to Monterey California. I was (am still am) with the notion that animals have a natural instinct to return to the same place every year. While Song of the Swallows is still in print as it won the Caldecott Award, Butterflies Come is not. I’m sure however, there are other books teachers could use with Wild Wings to learn about animal migration. Barb

I loved the Leo Politi books too. When I was a child my mother always took me to a bookstore in Los Angeles to have the newest Politi book autographed. My copy of Song of the Swallows is falling apart, but it features a beautiful inscription to me done in watercolors by Politi. I started thinking about other books on migration that would be great to connect with Wild Wings. They are both fiction and nonfiction. Here are some of the titles:
• Isabel’s House of Butterflies by Tony Johnston
• Project Ultraswan by Elinor Osborn
• North: The Amazing Story of Arctic Migration by Nick Dowson
• On the Wing: American Birds in Migration by Carol Lerner
Marilyn
Must be the L.A. girls in us! Another thing I was thinking about with this book is how it ties back to Beatrice’s Dream. I think it gives students a realistic view of Africa. The idea that the Scottish children are emailing Africa suggests that the African continent is not some desert wasteland where everyone is running around in loin clothes and spears. I think it would pair well with City Boy by Jan Michael, which contrasts living conditions between the African cities and the more rural villages. I believe the more realistic ideas we can give students about the African continent the better for everyone. Barb

]]> Comment on Dog in Boots by Marilyn Carpenter & Barbara Thompson Book http://wowlit.org/catalog/9780823423477/#comment-9080 Marilyn Carpenter & Barbara Thompson Book Tue, 22 May 2012 17:47:57 +0000 http://wowlit.org/catalog/9780823423477/#comment-9080 What folk tales inspired you as a child? Did you want to become part of the story? The fun in this book is how Dog is inspired by reading the story, Puss in Boots, to visit the shoe store to get his own boots. Dog’s fun in trying out the boots made me remember stories that inspired my own children. Our youngest was two she requested that we read aloud The Three Billy Goats Gruff over and over. Then she had the idea that each family member would take the part of one of the characters and we would act out the story. Of course, her teenaged brother wanted to play the part of the fearsome Troll, dad became the biggest billy goat, sister the middle goat and me, her mom, was the baby. The best part was the two-year-old anointed herself director. She told us how to play the roles. Big brother even had to hide under the dining room table. What fun we had. Dog in Boots may inspire similar dramas. Marilyn The thing I enjoyed about Dog in Boots was the idea of accepting who you are. As Dog tries on many different types of foot apparel he discovers that what he already has works just fine. The ending with the suggestion of another folk tale will lead young readers into another thing to think about. Thus the discussion surrounding this book is multi-layered: what might happen if we changed something about ourselves; why do people want to change themselves?; what might happen if Dog happened upon not only Red Riding Hood, but Three Pigs, etc. It makes the book pertinent to any age level. Barb What I am enjoying about our dialogue is that you provide insights I hadn’t thought about. Now I am eager to share this book with a class to see that discussion unfold. Marilyn What folk tales inspired you as a child? Did you want to become part of the story? The fun in this book is how Dog is inspired by reading the story, Puss in Boots, to visit the shoe store to get his own boots. Dog’s fun in trying out the boots made me remember stories that inspired my own children. Our youngest was two she requested that we read aloud The Three Billy Goats Gruff over and over. Then she had the idea that each family member would take the part of one of the characters and we would act out the story. Of course, her teenaged brother wanted to play the part of the fearsome Troll, dad became the biggest billy goat, sister the middle goat and me, her mom, was the baby. The best part was the two-year-old anointed herself director. She told us how to play the roles. Big brother even had to hide under the dining room table. What fun we had. Dog in Boots may inspire similar dramas. Marilyn

The thing I enjoyed about Dog in Boots was the idea of accepting who you are. As Dog tries on many different types of foot apparel he discovers that what he already has works just fine. The ending with the suggestion of another folk tale will lead young readers into another thing to think about. Thus the discussion surrounding this book is multi-layered: what might happen if we changed something about ourselves; why do people want to change themselves?; what might happen if Dog happened upon not only Red Riding Hood, but Three Pigs, etc. It makes the book pertinent to any age level. Barb

What I am enjoying about our dialogue is that you provide insights I hadn’t thought about. Now I am eager to share this book with a class to see that discussion unfold. Marilyn

]]> Comment on Trafficked by Marilyn Carpenter & Barbara Thompson Book http://wowlit.org/catalog/9780670012800/#comment-9072 Marilyn Carpenter & Barbara Thompson Book Wed, 16 May 2012 20:01:20 +0000 http://wowlit.org/catalog/9780670012800/#comment-9072 I was intrigued by this book about a young woman from Moldova who willingly allows herself to be brought to the US to supposedly serve as a nanny to the family of a doctor so she can go to school to learn English. When she arrives she finds herself a slave to a woman who can’t pass the foreign doctor’s exam and a somewhat shady husband with ties to the Russian mafia. I had read adult novels on trafficking and wondered how this would compare. I have to say I was somewhat disappointed in the novel. Perhaps I am naïve, but Hannah, the protagonist is given several opportunities where she could have escaped. Perhaps the effect of “Stockholm Syndrome” is in effect here, but I found myself yelling at her in my head, just leave now! Barb I think I understand why Hannah didn’t leave when she had several opportunities to do so. First, she had been told many times that she could be arrested by the police if they discovered her immigrant status. So, she was afraid to be discovered by the police. When she is finally rescued she is amazed at how kind and helpful the police were to her. Second, her command of the English language was very poor. Third, she had no resources – no money, no friends, no knowledge of the place where she was living. If she had tried to escape where would she have gone, how would she taken care of herself? Marilyn I knew as I wrote my first part, that fear was a big role in why she stayed. I just wasn’t really convinced that the situation was that restrictive. I guess I read this with too much of my adult –reader mind. I’d really like to know what some high school students would think of the book. I’ll have to give it to my niece who is a great reader and going to be a freshman in high school to see what her reaction to it would be. I still feel a little frustrated. Barb I will look forward to seeing what your niece thought. I made lots of connections between the books, Sold by Patricia McCormick and Trafficked. The girls in Trafficked and Sold are similar in that they both want to help their families and are duped into being trafficked. I can imagine how such girls lack the knowledge that might have protected them. Sold was one the novels my college students reading in our Global Literature class. It really made a powerful impact on them. I would be interested in how the students would respond to Trafficked. I just saw the film, Whistle Blower. It was also about trafficking. The film has some major flaws, but it does show how the enslaved girls can’t break out of their situation because of overwhelming fear (which is shown to be realistic since several girls who try to escape are beaten and even killed.) Books like Sold and Trafficked show teens the terrible costs of trafficking. I highly recommend both titles. Marilyn I was intrigued by this book about a young woman from Moldova who willingly allows herself to be brought to the US to supposedly serve as a nanny to the family of a doctor so she can go to school to learn English. When she arrives she finds herself a slave to a woman who can’t pass the foreign doctor’s exam and a somewhat shady husband with ties to the Russian mafia. I had read adult novels on trafficking and wondered how this would compare. I have to say I was somewhat disappointed in the novel. Perhaps I am naïve, but Hannah, the protagonist is given several opportunities where she could have escaped. Perhaps the effect of “Stockholm Syndrome” is in effect here, but I found myself yelling at her in my head, just leave now! Barb

I think I understand why Hannah didn’t leave when she had several opportunities to do so. First, she had been told many times that she could be arrested by the police if they discovered her immigrant status. So, she was afraid to be discovered by the police. When she is finally rescued she is amazed at how kind and helpful the police were to her. Second, her command of the English language was very poor. Third, she had no resources – no money, no friends, no knowledge of the place where she was living. If she had tried to escape where would she have gone, how would she taken care of herself? Marilyn

I knew as I wrote my first part, that fear was a big role in why she stayed. I just wasn’t really convinced that the situation was that restrictive. I guess I read this with too much of my adult –reader mind. I’d really like to know what some high school students would think of the book. I’ll have to give it to my niece who is a great reader and going to be a freshman in high school to see what her reaction to it would be. I still feel a little frustrated. Barb

I will look forward to seeing what your niece thought. I made lots of connections between the books, Sold by Patricia McCormick and Trafficked. The girls in Trafficked and Sold are similar in that they both want to help their families and are duped into being trafficked. I can imagine how such girls lack the knowledge that might have protected them. Sold was one the novels my college students reading in our Global Literature class. It really made a powerful impact on them. I would be interested in how the students would respond to Trafficked. I just saw the film, Whistle Blower. It was also about trafficking. The film has some major flaws, but it does show how the enslaved girls can’t break out of their situation because of overwhelming fear (which is shown to be realistic since several girls who try to escape are beaten and even killed.) Books like Sold and Trafficked show teens the terrible costs of trafficking. I highly recommend both titles. Marilyn

]]> Comment on Press Here by Jean Schroeder http://wowlit.org/catalog/9780811879545/#comment-9067 Jean Schroeder Thu, 10 May 2012 02:08:14 +0000 http://wowlit.org/catalog/9780811879545/#comment-9067 I have read this book in pre-K, Kinder, First and Second grades. All loved it. The response was "Read it again!!" Teachers interacted with the story as well as the students. It was requested by every teacher when they could order books for their rooms. Besides all the concepts it touches on, it is just plain fun!! I have read this book in pre-K, Kinder, First and Second grades. All loved it. The response was “Read it again!!” Teachers interacted with the story as well as the students. It was requested by every teacher when they could order books for their rooms. Besides all the concepts it touches on, it is just plain fun!!

]]> Comment on Beneath A Meth Moon by Meagan Gallagher http://wowlit.org/catalog/9780399252501/#comment-9066 Meagan Gallagher Tue, 08 May 2012 03:50:32 +0000 http://wowlit.org/catalog/9780399252501/#comment-9066 I have just recently read Jacqueline Woodson’s novel, Beneath A Meth Moon. After finishing this read in just a few days I was utterly impressed. My purpose for having chosen this young adult novel as oppose to others on this resourceful site was because the brief summary sparked my interest. I have previously taken a course in literacy studies where my professor experienced the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina first hand. She gave an inspirational lecture on her experience helping students and families come together after such a catastrophic event. Her story really touched me and after reading the summary of Beneath A Meth Moon, I wanted to read what this author had to offer about the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Although the story is fictional, I chose it because reading a story based on a catastrophic storm I have seen take place interested me. In addition to the geographic setting of the story, I wanted to read this novel because I have heard Jacqueline Woodson is a great author. After reading this novel, I couldn’t agree more. One book that came to mind while reading Beneath a Meth Moon was Kate DeCamillo’s Tiger Rising. I’ve recently read Tiger Rising and found that the character Rob is quite similar to Laurel in Woodson’s novel. Both protagonists suffered a tragedy, loss of a loved one(s). Seemingly, Laurel and Rob both portrayed difficulty coping and recovering from their loss. Rob’s emotions were bottled up inside of him and Laurel’s were pushed to the back of her mind with the help of drugs. I can understand the purpose for having both of these novels read in an adolescent classroom. For me, Beneath A Meth Moon was not only a quick, easy read but an emotional one as well. As a student not too far out of high school, I was able to connect to the novel and draw the connection between Laurel Daneau and teenagers in today’s society. The story addressed issues many teenagers may encounter in their adolescent years; close friendships, first love, tragedy, abandonment, loss, isolation, drugs, poor decisions, self-doubt, insecurities, and addiction. As I was reading this book I was constantly wondering if the author was going to tell me exactly how Laurel’s mother and “M’lady,” had passed. I was also surprised to see that there was no mention of the storm by its name, Hurricane Katrina; however, the way the author’s craft described the catastrophe, there was no need. I believe this book would definitely provoke discussion among many topics; specifically, communication within families. I believe students who read this book are likely to be at the stage of their life where communicating with parents is not easy, nor desired. Laurel’s inability or lack of trying to communicate her feelings with her family got the best of her and steered her (along with T-Boom) towards meth. I admired how Jacqueline Woodson created two scenes where Laurel, after realizing she had a problem with drugs, relapsed and returned to her addiction. It could be simple for an author to construct a plot where the protagonist develops a drug addiction then gets clean and the problem is resolved. Woodson, however, takes on a more realistic outcome and shows Laurel escaping her saddened father and rehabilitation center to find the company of meth. Teenage students should be exposed to the realization that addictions are not simply overcome overnight; yet, with communication and a desire to live, they are something that can be worked on. After the story ends I like to believe that Laurel puts her brother and father first in her mind as well as herself and stays clean and in recovery. Woodson doesn’t exactly satisfy the reader with a “happy ending,” but she leaves it up to the reader to decide what happens after Laurel proudly takes Jesse Jr. to school everyday. I truly enjoyed reading Beneath A Meth Moon and am already researching my next Jacqueline Woodson young adult novel to read. I have just recently read Jacqueline Woodson’s novel, Beneath A Meth Moon. After finishing this read in just a few days I was utterly impressed. My purpose for having chosen this young adult novel as oppose to others on this resourceful site was because the brief summary sparked my interest. I have previously taken a course in literacy studies where my professor experienced the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina first hand. She gave an inspirational lecture on her experience helping students and families come together after such a catastrophic event. Her story really touched me and after reading the summary of Beneath A Meth Moon, I wanted to read what this author had to offer about the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Although the story is fictional, I chose it because reading a story based on a catastrophic storm I have seen take place interested me. In addition to the geographic setting of the story, I wanted to read this novel because I have heard Jacqueline Woodson is a great author. After reading this novel, I couldn’t agree more.
One book that came to mind while reading Beneath a Meth Moon was Kate DeCamillo’s Tiger Rising. I’ve recently read Tiger Rising and found that the character Rob is quite similar to Laurel in Woodson’s novel. Both protagonists suffered a tragedy, loss of a loved one(s). Seemingly, Laurel and Rob both portrayed difficulty coping and recovering from their loss. Rob’s emotions were bottled up inside of him and Laurel’s were pushed to the back of her mind with the help of drugs. I can understand the purpose for having both of these novels read in an adolescent classroom.
For me, Beneath A Meth Moon was not only a quick, easy read but an emotional one as well. As a student not too far out of high school, I was able to connect to the novel and draw the connection between Laurel Daneau and teenagers in today’s society. The story addressed issues many teenagers may encounter in their adolescent years; close friendships, first love, tragedy, abandonment, loss, isolation, drugs, poor decisions, self-doubt, insecurities, and addiction.
As I was reading this book I was constantly wondering if the author was going to tell me exactly how Laurel’s mother and “M’lady,” had passed. I was also surprised to see that there was no mention of the storm by its name, Hurricane Katrina; however, the way the author’s craft described the catastrophe, there was no need. I believe this book would definitely provoke discussion among many topics; specifically, communication within families. I believe students who read this book are likely to be at the stage of their life where communicating with parents is not easy, nor desired. Laurel’s inability or lack of trying to communicate her feelings with her family got the best of her and steered her (along with T-Boom) towards meth.
I admired how Jacqueline Woodson created two scenes where Laurel, after realizing she had a problem with drugs, relapsed and returned to her addiction. It could be simple for an author to construct a plot where the protagonist develops a drug addiction then gets clean and the problem is resolved. Woodson, however, takes on a more realistic outcome and shows Laurel escaping her saddened father and rehabilitation center to find the company of meth. Teenage students should be exposed to the realization that addictions are not simply overcome overnight; yet, with communication and a desire to live, they are something that can be worked on. After the story ends I like to believe that Laurel puts her brother and father first in her mind as well as herself and stays clean and in recovery. Woodson doesn’t exactly satisfy the reader with a “happy ending,” but she leaves it up to the reader to decide what happens after Laurel proudly takes Jesse Jr. to school everyday.
I truly enjoyed reading Beneath A Meth Moon and am already researching my next Jacqueline Woodson young adult novel to read.

]]> Comment on Beatrice’s Dream: A Story of Kibera Slum by Marilyn Carpenter & Barbara Thompson Book http://wowlit.org/catalog/9781847800190/#comment-9065 Marilyn Carpenter & Barbara Thompson Book Mon, 07 May 2012 20:30:39 +0000 http://wowlit.org/catalog/9781847800190/#comment-9065 This was one of the books our USBBY committee selected for our Outstanding International Books List. I was particularly impressed with the book because it tells a story with photographs from her life that I am sure most children in America don’t know. The fact that it is about a real child gives children so much more to relate to. Marilyn I too found the photojournalism of Beatrice’s life compelling. My only criticism is that sometimes the text and photos don’t match particularly well. That’s a fairly minor criticism as I think the book as a whole dispels notions of what it means to live in Africa. Barb One of the things that I found compelling about the book was that it gives us a different picture of life in Africa. Most of the books about Africa portray a rural or village setting. Beatrice’s Dream shows us what life is like for a child living in the city. Marilyn I agree that this book is really a strong addition to the literature about living in Africa. So often books about Africa treat Africa as one country whereas this book is very specific about where Beatrice lives and the conditions under which she lives. The picture of her flip flops in the pan of water really brings home to the reader what it must be like to have to walk in mud when it rains. I particularly found helpful the author’s note at the end of the book regarding the Kibera Slum. I think some of us only think of slums in India or other areas which we have experienced through visual media. Barb This was one of the books our USBBY committee selected for our Outstanding International Books List. I was particularly impressed with the book because it tells a story with photographs from her life that I am sure most children in America don’t know. The fact that it is about a real child gives children so much more to relate to. Marilyn

I too found the photojournalism of Beatrice’s life compelling. My only criticism is that sometimes the text and photos don’t match particularly well. That’s a fairly minor criticism as I think the book as a whole dispels notions of what it means to live in Africa. Barb

One of the things that I found compelling about the book was that it gives us a different picture of life in Africa. Most of the books about Africa portray a rural or village setting. Beatrice’s Dream shows us what life is like for a child living in the city. Marilyn

I agree that this book is really a strong addition to the literature about living in Africa. So often books about Africa treat Africa as one country whereas this book is very specific about where Beatrice lives and the conditions under which she lives. The picture of her flip flops in the pan of water really brings home to the reader what it must be like to have to walk in mud when it rains. I particularly found helpful the author’s note at the end of the book regarding the Kibera Slum. I think some of us only think of slums in India or other areas which we have experienced through visual media. Barb

]]> Comment on Solomon Crocodile by Kristina http://wowlit.org/catalog/9780374380649/#comment-9064 Kristina Mon, 07 May 2012 17:14:29 +0000 http://wowlit.org/catalog/9780374380649/#comment-9064 I chose to read this book because I eventually would like to teach pre-school or kindergarten. I always find that students respond positively to books with animals as the main characters and the illustrations were wonderful. With that said, I really enjoyed the lively illustrations and I'm sure that many students can relate to having no one to play with just like Solomon. Although the story may be relatable, I feel like it needed something more. I kept waiting for the other animals to accept Solomon, however that never happened. I enjoyed the fact that Solomon found a friend, but I didn't like how the two of them teamed up just to bother the other animals more. In the future, I can envision using this story as a jumping off point for a writing assignment to allow students to write/draw about a time where they felt alone and had no one to play with and how this incident made them feel. I also think I would have a discussion with students after the book to see if they would have handled the situation differently than Solomon. I chose to read this book because I eventually would like to teach pre-school or kindergarten. I always find that students respond positively to books with animals as the main characters and the illustrations were wonderful.

With that said, I really enjoyed the lively illustrations and I’m sure that many students can relate to having no one to play with just like Solomon. Although the story may be relatable, I feel like it needed something more. I kept waiting for the other animals to accept Solomon, however that never happened. I enjoyed the fact that Solomon found a friend, but I didn’t like how the two of them teamed up just to bother the other animals more.

In the future, I can envision using this story as a jumping off point for a writing assignment to allow students to write/draw about a time where they felt alone and had no one to play with and how this incident made them feel. I also think I would have a discussion with students after the book to see if they would have handled the situation differently than Solomon.

]]> Comment on N Is For Navidad by Mandy Marinelli http://wowlit.org/catalog/9780811852050/#comment-9062 Mandy Marinelli Mon, 07 May 2012 02:37:35 +0000 http://wowlit.org/catalog/9780811852050/#comment-9062 N is for Navidad by Susan Middleton Elya and Merry Banks is an excellent book for young children. This book is one that all students can enjoy, including English Language Learners. The illustrations by Joe Cepeda are colorful and vibrant, easily capturing the attention of young children. N is for Navidad celebrates Christmas, while teaching readers about Latino holiday traditions one letter at a time. I chose to read this book, because I am very interested in promoting multiculturalism in the classroom. As the author goes through each letter of the alphabet, readers learn a new word in Spanish corresponding to that particular letter. Each word mentioned ties together to create one big picture of a Latino-style Christmas. This is a fun way for English speakers to learn about a new language and culture. The author’s note in the back of the book is particularly helpful in describing customs, translating words form Spanish to English, and listing the correct pronunciation of each word. This has been my favorite bilingual book for young children that I have ever read. Other books that I have read have simply provided word translations on each page, without much creativity. This book makes you want to continue reading, because it tells a story. The story is exciting for students to hear and recite, because it rhymes. While reading this book, I thought of all of the opportunities for learning that can arise from it. This book can obviously be read at Christmastime to get students in the holiday spirit. Since the author’s note mentions how many families of Latino heritage celebrate Christmas from December 16th through January 6th, it would be fun for teachers to deliver a classroom unit between those dates. This would be a perfect opportunity to ask children to share about the holidays that they celebrate with their classmates. After reading N is for Navidad, students could create oil paintings, similar to the ones in the story, to represent their own holidays. Children could also be asked to create symbolic representations of what they learned. Teachers could also design an activity involving students making their own alphabet books, each page telling about or illustrating their own holiday traditions corresponding with each letter of the alphabet. After reading this book, teachers could engage students in an author study about Susan Middleton Elya or Merry Banks. Inside the back cover of the book, we learn that Susan Middleton Elya is not a native Spanish-speaker. She actually loved learning Spanish so much that she wrote books in both Spanish and English for the past thirteen years. This information can be inspiring to students and further their excitement about learning new words. Inside the back cover of the book, we also learn that Merry Banks’ upbringing in San Antonio, Texas was what inspired this book. In the book illustrations, I noticed that all of the people are smiling and laughing; and I feel that the same mood and atmosphere could be created in the classroom while learning about new customs. Reading this book made me wish that they had similar books in other languages. This type of book makes English Language Learners feel included and proud of their culture. This book promotes multiculturalism and bilingualism within the classroom, which is so important in an increasingly diverse population of students. N is for Navidad by Susan Middleton Elya and Merry Banks is an excellent book for young children. This book is one that all students can enjoy, including English Language Learners. The illustrations by Joe Cepeda are colorful and vibrant, easily capturing the attention of young children. N is for Navidad celebrates Christmas, while teaching readers about Latino holiday traditions one letter at a time.
I chose to read this book, because I am very interested in promoting multiculturalism in the classroom. As the author goes through each letter of the alphabet, readers learn a new word in Spanish corresponding to that particular letter. Each word mentioned ties together to create one big picture of a Latino-style Christmas. This is a fun way for English speakers to learn about a new language and culture. The author’s note in the back of the book is particularly helpful in describing customs, translating words form Spanish to English, and listing the correct pronunciation of each word. This has been my favorite bilingual book for young children that I have ever read. Other books that I have read have simply provided word translations on each page, without much creativity. This book makes you want to continue reading, because it tells a story. The story is exciting for students to hear and recite, because it rhymes.
While reading this book, I thought of all of the opportunities for learning that can arise from it. This book can obviously be read at Christmastime to get students in the holiday spirit. Since the author’s note mentions how many families of Latino heritage celebrate Christmas from December 16th through January 6th, it would be fun for teachers to deliver a classroom unit between those dates. This would be a perfect opportunity to ask children to share about the holidays that they celebrate with their classmates. After reading N is for Navidad, students could create oil paintings, similar to the ones in the story, to represent their own holidays. Children could also be asked to create symbolic representations of what they learned. Teachers could also design an activity involving students making their own alphabet books, each page telling about or illustrating their own holiday traditions corresponding with each letter of the alphabet.
After reading this book, teachers could engage students in an author study about Susan Middleton Elya or Merry Banks. Inside the back cover of the book, we learn that Susan Middleton Elya is not a native Spanish-speaker. She actually loved learning Spanish so much that she wrote books in both Spanish and English for the past thirteen years. This information can be inspiring to students and further their excitement about learning new words. Inside the back cover of the book, we also learn that Merry Banks’ upbringing in San Antonio, Texas was what inspired this book.
In the book illustrations, I noticed that all of the people are smiling and laughing; and I feel that the same mood and atmosphere could be created in the classroom while learning about new customs. Reading this book made me wish that they had similar books in other languages. This type of book makes English Language Learners feel included and proud of their culture. This book promotes multiculturalism and bilingualism within the classroom, which is so important in an increasingly diverse population of students.

]]> Comment on The Third Gift by Andrew Sbarra http://wowlit.org/catalog/9780547201955/#comment-9061 Andrew Sbarra Mon, 07 May 2012 00:50:38 +0000 http://wowlit.org/catalog/9780547201955/#comment-9061 I absolutely loved this book. The author does a wonderful job telling another perspective of the three wise men's gifts in regards to the Christmas Story. The fictional story follows a young boy and his father as they collect "tears" from trees, which end up being myrrh. I would recommend this book for the Christmas season, especially in any Christian based school. As far as picture books go, the illustrations in this book are nothing short of amazing. At some points, I found myself studying the characters faces because I thought they could be photographs placed within drawings. It does an excellent job capturing the innocent expressions of our main character as he observes his father, the marketplace, and finally the three magi. I highly recommend The Third Gift. I absolutely loved this book. The author does a wonderful job telling another perspective of the three wise men’s gifts in regards to the Christmas Story. The fictional story follows a young boy and his father as they collect “tears” from trees, which end up being myrrh. I would recommend this book for the Christmas season, especially in any Christian based school.

As far as picture books go, the illustrations in this book are nothing short of amazing. At some points, I found myself studying the characters faces because I thought they could be photographs placed within drawings. It does an excellent job capturing the innocent expressions of our main character as he observes his father, the marketplace, and finally the three magi.

I highly recommend The Third Gift.

]]> Comment on Press Here by Mary Fahrenbruck http://wowlit.org/catalog/9780811879545/#comment-9060 Mary Fahrenbruck Sat, 05 May 2012 18:00:14 +0000 http://wowlit.org/catalog/9780811879545/#comment-9060 I shared this book with a group of mothers with young children. They were delighted with the text in that the narrator warmly invites and encourages readers to physically interact with the book. Often times, they pointed out, children are discouraged from rubbing, blowing and shaking a book! I shared this book with a group of mothers with young children. They were delighted with the text in that the narrator warmly invites and encourages readers to physically interact with the book. Often times, they pointed out, children are discouraged from rubbing, blowing and shaking a book!

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