We Are the Ship; The Story of Negro League Baseball - Kadir Nelson

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Nelson, K. (2008). We are the ship the story of Negro league baseball. New York: Jump at the sun.

ISBN 9780786808328

PLOT SUMMARY

Using an “Everyman” character, this is the story of how the Negro League paved the way for the desegregation of the Major Leagues. We are given a brief window into the lives of men and women of the early 1900’s to show the hardships they faced, not just in their daily lives but in their career choices as well.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Colored. Segregation. Racism. These are themes we think of when you hear the words like “bus” or “water fountain” or “schools”. Admittedly, this is not something I would have ever associated with the sports world. When you hear about the great baseball players, Jackie Robinson undoubtedly is mentioned in conversation. But, what we forget to ask ourselves is, how did he get there? This is a story of all the men before him that paved the way for the Major League world to become accepting to any player no matter the color. No longer did they have to lie about the race of a player to say “wow, he is good!”

The oil painting illustrations show a depth that brings to life the emotions of the time. We see bleak acceptance hidden in the eyes, we see the hard work with little reward hidden in the flat smiles of the players, and we see the unfiltered joy of players on the mound to an accepting crowd. Each painting is distinguished in a way that shows the myriad of players that made up the collective of the Negro League. Even though the text is lengthy, it is written in a way that readers want to continue on in the journey and the illustrations connect directly with the wording.

REVIEW EXCERPTS

“Along with being absolutely riveted by the art, readers will come away with a good picture of the Negro Leaguers’ distinctive style of play, as well as an idea of how their excellence challenged the racial attitudes of both their sport and their times.” – Kirkus Reviews May 20th, 2010

“As illuminating as the text is, Nelson’s muscular paintings serve as the true draw.” – Publishers Weekly January 2008

CONNECTIONS 

*For older grades - Imagine if your teacher said boys would automatically get A’s, even if they don’t do the assignment, while girls could only reach a B maximum. How would that make you feel? What steps could you take to change the teachers mind?

*For younger grades – Have the students walk in and the ones wearing the color black get to sit in the desks while everyone else is told to sit on the floor.

Turtle In Paradise - Jennifer L. Holm

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Holm, J. L. (2010). Turtle in paradise. New York: Random House. ISBN 9780329839017

PLOT SUMMARY

A dream-chasing mother sends her daughter to live with distant relatives when her mother’s client says she does not like children. Turtle is thrust into new surroundings, new family and interesting situations that have this young girl slowly coming to love her circumstance.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Turtle seems a little cynical in the beginning and who wouldn’t be after their mom just dumped them like yesterday’s garage? But she understands the why behind it, she just doesn’t have to like it much. It’s refreshing to see a character show that not all children sit and do as their told, even back then. It’s also very amusing that she feels grown-ups need more advice than the kids because “[they’re] the ones who need it most.” (Holm, 2010, page 61).

She seems wise beyond her years. She knows how hard money is to come by and some of the relationships her mother must have had to the people of her new home. While the history pieces may seem irrelevant, the Great Depression era plays heavily on the events of the story. We see people barter and be kind to their neighbors and we see the greed that comes with having any money at all.

Family plays a huge part of this story and it’s not always clear they love each other. Through a series of up and down rollercoaster emotions, Turtle gets to know the grandmother who has come back from the grave the cousins who are mischievous and the man who may well be her father. It’s a lovely story showing all sides of family; the good, the bad and the hardships.

REVIEW EXCERPTS

“Holm’s voice for Turtle is winning and authentic—that of a practical, clear-eyed observer—and her nimble way with dialogue creates laugh-out-loud moments.” - Kirkus Review May 25th, 2010

“Sweet, funny and superb.” - Kirkus Review May 25th, 2010

“Depression-era story teaches history, meaning of family.” – Patricia Tauzer, Common Sense Media

CONNECTIONS 

*Imagine your mom sending you away. How would you feel? Using the book for reference, compare your feeling to that of Turtle’s.

*If you woke up living Turtle’s life, how would you handle it? Would you be happy, sad, scared? Why?

The Is Not My Hat - Jon Klassen

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Klassen, J. (2012) This is not my hat. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press. ISBN 9780763655990

PLOT SUMMARY

At the start of this book, we are met with a small fish stealing a hat from a big fish. He already knows it was wrong but he did it anyway. Through an inner monologue, we see the thought pattern as the small fish tries to rationalize just how to get away with it. The big fish wakes up and is trying to find the little fish to recover his hat back. The little fish believes he is getting away with it, but a crab tells the big fish where to find him. At long last, the big fish is reunited with his stolen hat.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

This book is one of those where you know how it will end but the journey is interesting in itself. The little fish knew it was wrong to steal and even goes to say that he knew it when he did it. The word choices Klassen use, make it very clear the little fish knew what he was doing was wrong. “I just stole it.” This book is told as an inner monologue from the point of view of the little fish. The entire book shows the little fish’s rationalization of why he stole it and how he will get away with it.

The illustrations in this book lend itself to helping the little fish hide from the big fish. My favorite page is towards the end where it is just 2 pages of seaweed. This invites the reader to help search and become a part of helping the big fish get his hat back. It also lends a certain imaginative outcome. The reader gets to decide what happened to the little fish.

Certain themes are heavily present in this book. We have all been the little fish in our lives at some point, but it’s almost instinctual to want justice. We want the little fish to get caught so balance is present. We strive to have this sense of a moral compass and to be able to distinguish from right and wrong. When someone does something wrong, we feel a deep-seated need for that wrong to be righted.

There is also the theme that all truths come to light eventually. The little fish knows crab saw him but crab said he wouldn’t tell. When big fish comes along, crab just points him in the direction of little fish. Even the book jacket has some foreshadowing going on. The inside of the jacket states, “A fish has stolen a hat. And he’ll probably get away with it. Probably.” Under this description is the little crab, who, in the end, is the one who tells the big fish where to find little fish allowing the truth to be set free and the wrong to be righted. This book is in a fabulous position of being used to teach children that even the best-laid plans can come crumbling down if the intentions behind them are not good. It can show how the truth will always come out and that cheaters never win. The little fish gained nothing from stealing and hiding away. Big fish found him and retrieved what was his, thus leaving little fish potentially labeled a thief.

REVIEW EXCERPTS

“This not-to-be-missed title will delight children again and again.” - School Library Journal: Pick of the Day September 24, 2012

“Little eyes will pore over the end pages, looking for evidence of foul play, but all the interaction between the two characters takes place where the plants grow tall and close together, obscuring the view.” - The Horn Book Magazine September/October 2012 issue

CONNECTIONS 

My daughter and I read this book together and she made comments throughout to the “baby fishie” to give the “daddy fishie” his hat back. She became distraught when the little fish disappeared into the seaweed and was relieved when “daddy” got his hat back. We used this book to help her understand taking things that are not hers and not being honest will always lead to trouble.

I believe this would be an excellent beginning of yearbook to show your new class what happens to even the best-laid plans. Truth and honesty are always expected in my classrooms and this book shows how and why those traits are important.

This Is Just to Say - Joyce Sidman

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Sidman, J., & Zagarenski, P. (2007). This is just to say: Poems of apology and forgiveness. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. ISBN 0618616802

PLOT SUMMARY

This is a book of apologies in verse form. Mrs. Merz sixth grade class is asked to write poems of apology. The students then decide to write back to their classmates. While exploring the depth of students’ ability to apologize and forgive, we see answers run the spectrum; some are remorseful while others couldn’t care any less.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Poetry is often thought of as rhyming long sentences into couplets or a set pattern such as ABBA. This is simply not the case. Poetry comes in many forms and varieties and offers up the author’s emotions in a way that bares the soul. This Is Just to Say takes the classroom of sixth-graders and shows a myriad of different writing styles and techniques. Some show short staccato-like rhythm with one or two words in a line, whereas, some take the expected approach of rhyming long lines to form sentences or coherent thought.

The emotion in each piece in this collection of poems runs the gambit of being deeply remorseful for their actions spanning all the way into I-don’t-care territory. Some show you the child truly has thought long and hard upon their actions and will never repeat them. Others are less caring of others and tell you straight up “I’d like to say I wouldn’t do it again but I’d be lying.” While neither is the wrong approach to their apology poems, I believe the exercise allows the class to tell the truth without being burned by the recipient if they do not accept the apology.

Each separate character is able to show their own unique personality through their writing style. Many people do not understand that when you write, you share a deeply personal piece of yourself to viewed and criticized by a large audience. These children were writing simple apology notes and responding to others, but in this writing exercise we can see those that have the capacity to forgive and those who do not.

REVIEW EXCERPTS

“Sideman’s ear is keen, capturing many voices. Her skill as a poet accessible to young people is unmatched… this is an important book both for its creativity and for its wisdom.” – School Library Journal, Starred Review

“Packed with the intensity of everyday pain and sorrow, kids and adults exchange the words that convey grief, delight, love and acceptance of themselves and others.” – Kirkus review

CONNECTIONS 

*Show students that everyone has to apologize at some time in their life and it’s ok to do so. It’s also good form to accept the apology and move on. Do not dwell on it. This could be used as a tool to model how the apology process will be in the classroom.

*Creative writing exercise where students mimic the book activity and write an apology note to someone and then have to respond to someone who apologized to them.

The Wednesday Wars - Gary D. Schmidt

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Schmidt, G. D. (2007). The Wednesday wars. New York: Clarion. ISBN 9780618724833

PLOT SUMMARY

Set in 1967, this tells about Holling Hoodhood, a Presbyterian 7th grader. With a teacher he is convinced is out to get him, daily death threats and the Vietnam War looming over everyone’s head, he has his work cut out for him. A home life that is too “perfect” and school life that filled with Shakespeare, how much worse could it get…? Did I mention the rats and the cream puffs?

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

This book brought me to tears. The characters were highly relatable and believable. I made connections to almost every character when I thought back to my middle school years. I could pick out the Swieteck brothers who no one wanted to mess with (but could be secretly nice), the Meryl Lee who was sweet but spiteful when it suited her, the Danny Hupfer always trying to fit in with the “in” crowd but somehow not managing fully.

The storyline kept you fully immersed in the late 1960’s with the emphasis on baseball and the players of the time, the Vietnam War and how it affected those at home, the technology and new machinery of the 60’s as well as the political issues of the time.

Even the home life was very much different from today. The mom was very rarely given speaking parts and she never spoke in contradiction with the Man of the House, even when she didn’t agree. The father was more concerned with work and the next big job than his actual family. He full expected his children to do as he said and have no original thoughts or ideals.

I loved how each chapter was broken into the months of school and, starting in October, each month a new Shakespeare story is studied. Somehow the story of the month relates to Holling’s life and lets him glean some vital information.

Mrs. Baker started out as Holling’s arch nemesis and slowly transitioned into more of a mother figure than his own. As Mrs. Baker showed more sides of herself to Holling, her worry for her deployed husband, her grief when he goes missing, her compassion when she gives Mai Tai her hot chocolate, along with many other acts towards all of her students, he began to see her as more than a teacher but as a full human being. He could see she was hard on him because she saw great potential. She pushed him academically, emotionally and physically to become the best version of himself. She encouraged him to think for himself and figure out what makes him truly happy instead of just doing what’s expected. Mrs. Baker shows the true roll a caring teacher can have on a child.

REVIEW EXCERPTS

“Schmidt has a way of getting to the emotional heart of every scene without overstatement, allowing the reader and Holling to understand the great truths swirling around them on their own terms.” – Kirkus Review June 18th, 2007

“Funny, breathtakingly poignant '60s coming-of-age tale.” – Matt Berman, Common Sense Media

CONNECTIONS 

*What kind of drills did they have in the 1960’s that we no longer have today? What drills are implemented in schools today that were not needed back then? Create a Venn diagram to compare the two types of drills.

*What teacher has had the most impact on you so far? Why? How does it compare to Mrs. Baker and Holling’s relationship?

The Three Pigs - David Wiesner

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Wiesner, D. (2001). The three pigs. New York: Clarion Books. ISBN 0329279815

PLOT SUMMARY

Three pigs go on a journey while escaping the traditional step of being eaten by the big, bad wolf. They are blown out of their story and go on to meet characters from other great literary works. With others joining in along the way, we see them live happily ever after their own way.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

How this story is written starts off similar to a comic book where there are pictures broken up by white space. The first pig being blown out of frame opens the story to a whole new wonder for the three pigs. They roam around using the folded pages of the wolf who is trapped in his story. They can escape their story and travel to other universes and help out other characters. The cat and the fiddle come along for the ride, as well as the cow. They also help a dragon escape his slaying.

The illustrations start out as a traditional flat picture style and then transition to a more realistic, textured appearance once they leave their story. When they are in another story, the illustrations adapt to a model that mirrors that story's style.

I love how the pigs can come and go from a story as they please. It is reminiscent of a reader. They can pick up and book and be immersed in that world and then put it down and immerse themselves in another world. Sometimes, once a book is finished and it’s one I truly loved, I find myself comparing characters from the old book to the new book. The pigs being able to take other characters and fit them into their story struck a chord in me.

REVIEW EXCERPTS

“On the last few pages, the final words of the text break apart, sending letters drifting down into the illustrations to show us that once we have ventured out into the wider world, our stories never stay the same.” – Kirkus Review April 23rd, 2001

“Satisfying both as a story and as an exploration of the nature of story, The Three Pigs takes visual narrative to a new level.” – Goodreads Review

CONNECTIONS 

*Great for introducing other styles of writing. 

*Could be used to take a story they love and create a project piece that shows their favorite characters out on their own adventure.

*This could also be used as a creative way to solve problems. Rather than staying and taking the traditional “being eaten” route, these pigs were able to think outside the box (quite literally) and find a solution that works for them.

The Mad Potter: George E. Ohr, Eccentric Genius - Jan Greenberg & Sandra Jordan

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Greenberg, J., & Jordan, S. (2013). The mad potter: George E. Ohr, eccentric genius. New York: Roaring Brook Press. ISBN 9781596438101

PLOT SUMMARY

The Mad Potter, as George dubbed himself, is full of personality that showcases an amazing artist who was absolutely ahead of the times. Here we see the full embodiment of George’s life as well as how his pottery helped change the art community. With photographs following his movements and his amazing art on display throughout the pages, this book will leave you wanting more, more, more of Ohr!

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

George E. Ohr was truly ahead of his time. The style in which this was written invites the reader to learn more about Ohr’s life and personality as it helped shape the direction his artistry took. Real black and white photographs show what the time was truly like and the setting that pushed Ohr into becoming a widely known artist. Readers are able to connect emotionally thought the photos: we get to ooh and aah at his cute children, laugh at his silly antics, mourn when he loses his shop and rejoice when he rebuilt bigger and better. True to Ohr, he instructed his children to not show his work for 50 years, I believe, in the hopes his work would be truly appreciated as it hadn’t been during his life. Treated more as a novelty, he wanted to his name to go on in history as a shaper of modern art.

Ohr was true to himself throughout his life even when that labeled him as a “black sheep”. He believed in being loud and flamboyant because that’s who is was as a person. He never tried to change to fit the mold society wanted at the time and that reflected in her art. Ohr’s personal philosophy was “unequaled, unrivaled, undisputed, greatest art potter on the Earth”. He had the courage to demonstrate his larger than life ideals even though they were not widely accepted at the time.

REVIEW EXCERPTS

“Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan, authors of the award winning Ballet for Martha, approach this colorful biography with a gentle and curious hand.” – Goodreads

"A fascinating introduction to an innovative artist." - Kirkus Reviews

CONNECTIONS 

*Could be used during a Civil War unit to lend perspective of everyday life during that time period. 

*Creative writing project where the student tells about a secret passion they have.

*Describe how his art influenced many artists after him. 

*Choose a piece of pottery from the book and describe why it speaks to you.

The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Gaiman, N., & McKean, D. (2008). The graveyard book. New York, NY: Harper. ISBN 9780060530921

PLOT SUMMARY

A young boys’ family was murdered by a mysterious man. The young boy goes to live in a cemetery to be raised by the inhabitants per the request made by the mother’s spirit. As the boy grows, he learns certain magic and the Jack of All Trades order is revealed. He is prophesized to be their downfall.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

I love how the chapters were broken up. It was very specific to the story line. Each chapter, new, important information was gleaned that was integral to the storyline as a whole. The level of details to describe the graveyard, I thought, was done in such a way as to paint a vivid picture in the readers’ mind. You really got a sense of the layout and how homey it was to Bod.

What seems like trivial characters become so much more involved as the story progresses. Scarlett seems like some random friend he made at the beginning of the story and comes back to have a significant impact. The twist with Mr. Frost was something I had not seen coming and I think adds to the level of complexity of the plot. The intricacy will be sure to leave readers on the edge of their seats for the entire ride!

REVIEW EXCERPTS

“Magical, terrifying, and filled with breathtaking adventures, The Graveyard Book is sure to enthrall readers of all ages.” – Goodreads review

“This is not yet another silly little fantasy novel, but something with weight and depth. The fact that it just happens to be loads of fun to boot is simply a nice bonus.” – School Library Journal, Elizabeth Bird

CONNECTIONS 

*Neil states this book was influenced by the written story of The Jungle Book. Complete a Venn diagram comparing the two stories.

*Imagine if you lived in a graveyard. Describe what you think your typical day might look like?

Swamp Angel - Anne Issacs

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Isaacs, A., & Zelinsky, P. O. (1994). Swamp angel. New York: Dutton Children's Books.
ISBN 0525452710

PLOT SUMMARY

A girl affectionately nicknamed Swamp Angel enters a contest to get rid of the giant bear terrorizing a frontier community set in the hills of Tennessee. Showcasing some widely known landmarks, we see her wrestling match with Thundering Tarnation from the bottom of a very deep lake to the Great Smoky Mountains.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

These illustrations were first painted in oils on cherry, maple and birch veneers. This quality of work is astounding. I loved the woodwork quality to the pages. Having painted them first gives each page a picture on a picture feel, creating space for boarders. Sometimes the illustrator was able to play with the border, allowing it to interact with the inside image. This created a playful story that kept the readers engaged throughout. In some pictures, multiple views were being shown in a single image inviting the reader to delve into the story. At one point we see Swamp Angel spread across 2 pages in 5 different scenarios. This helps present the passage of time while letting the reader use their imagination to fill in the blanks as to what she was doing.

The style in this book allows the reader to be transported to Tennessee. We see very distinctive language as well as imagery to truly get a sense of the lifestyle in the 1900’s world view. Words such as “homespun” and “settlers” set the tone of a time long ago while “”tarnation” and “confound it, varmit” show the local dialect. The illustrations complement the feel of the old world using a portrait style to showcase the amazing artwork.

REVIEW EXCERPTS

“It is impossible to convey the sheer pleasure, the exaggerated loopiness, of newcomer Isaacs's wonderful story…. To say that you are entering Caldecott land doesn't begin to do this book justice.”  – Kirkus Review Oct. 1st, 1994

“Caldecott Medal-winning artist Paul O. Zelinsky's stunning folk-art paintings are the perfect match for the irony, exaggeration, and sheer good humor of this original tall tale set on the American frontier.” – Goodreads Review

CONNECTIONS 

*Great story to use to show hyperbole. 

*Can be used as a 3rd-grade genre study when teaching Tall Tales – students can get bored with the same Johnny Appleseed/Paul Bunyon stories.

Sisters - Raina Telgemeier

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Telgemeier, R. (2014). Sisters. New York: Graphix, an imprint of Scholastic. ISBN 9780545540599

PLOT SUMMARY

Two sisters travel in a car with their mother and brother across the country. Sisterhood is a magical bond that cannot be torn apart by anyone… but each other. Traveling is not all that it’s cracked up to be when the sister you are traveling with is annoying to the extreme! Can they manage to survive the trip in one piece?

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Sisters was an amazing story of two sisters who do not get along at all. They have different hobbies, fashion sense, and temperament. Raina always wanted a sister and this book shows what you get is not always what you ask for. Amara, from a young age, does not act like Raina thinks she should. As they grow older, you see them on opposite ends of almost every topic there is under the sun. One wants Burger King, the other McDonalds. One hates snakes the other loves them and so on. Even though they have very different personalities, their bond is still strong. Towards the end, when the mom reveals the hardship between her and her husband, the sisters come together and put aside some of their differences to connect. Coupled with the snake-wrangling, they end the ride in comfortable peace. This was a great way to show the ups and downs between any sibling relationship.

I loved the way the pages were styled differently. When you are in the present and it is happening right now, the pages have a white boarder. As a memory surfaces, the pages take on a yellowish-green hue. I really loved the way the flashback directly related to what happens next in the present. It showed a full complete picture making the story more realistic

REVIEW EXCERPTS

“Told in then-and-now narratives that are easily discernable in the graphic format, Telgemeier’s tale is laugh-out-loud funny (especially the story about the snake incident) and quietly serious all at once.” – Kirkus Reviews Aug. 26th, 2014

“Raina uses her signature humor and charm in both present-day narrative and perfectly placed flashbacks to tell the story of her relationship with her sister, which unfolds during the course of a road trip from their home in San Francisco to a family reunion in Colorado.” – Goodreads Review

CONNECTIONS 

*Compare your sibling relationship to that of the book. If you are an only child, explain how you think it would look.

*How do you think the kids feel about their parents not getting along? What do you think will happen to them?

*Have you ever had a fight with your sibling? How did you resolve the issue?