The Lemonade Club by Patricia Polacco

There is a lot going on in The Lemonade Club by Patricia Polacco.  I was going to argue that there is too much going on for a children’s book until I realized that it is a true story! Wow!  The story starts out by discussing two best friends, Traci and Marilyn, and their wonderful teacher Miss Cynthia Wichelman.  The action picks up when Marilyn is diagnosed with leukemia.  In support of Marilyn, all of the students in her class shave their heads along with her.  We then find out that Miss Cynthia Wichelman also has cancer.  The two girls and their teacher form an after school club called “The Lemonade Club” and support each other through these troubled times.  In the end, Marilyn and Traci are flower girls in Miss Wichelmans’ wedding and Miss Wichelman goes back to school to be a doctor.   This is a just a glimpse into this story, there is a lot more going on as well!  This story had a definite plot and there were two or three different climaxes throughout.  I would say that in the actual story we don’t get a lot of character development, but the afterward tells us that this was a true story and gives us information about what the girls did with their lives.  Traci, who is Patricia Polacco’s daughter, becomes a doctor  and Marilyn becomes a teacher.  We can infer growth from this additional information.  Despite the somewhat dismal topic discussed in the book, I would say the mood is definitely hopeful and uplifting.  The illustrations were done in pencil and marker and complimented the story well.  I was personally inspired by Miss Wichelman ( I even wrote down a few notes about her classroom) and I hope to someday inspire students the same way she does. 
            Hmmm…where to begin!  There are so many ways this long book could be used in a classroom.  First, it could be used to address the painful subject of cancer.  Most children will have some knowledge of cancer and probably will know someone who has had it.  I would address this topic by allowing kids to write and share about their experiences as well as offering some biological information about what cancer is.   This book could also be used with a text set on bullying or friendship.  Students could make a list or draw ways that friendship helped Marilyn and   Miss Wichelman beat cancer.  I think this is important with younger children because often their definition of friendship is limited to playing and niceness.    Lastly, I would definitely want to talk to my students about how this is a true story and how the experiences of the girls when they were younger influenced what they chose to do with their lives. 
Year Published: 2007

The Worm Family by Tony Johnston

“Rejoice in who you are!  Rejoice in who everyone else is!”  That is the quote on the inside of the cover of The Worm Family, by Tony Johnston, and that is what the story is really all about.  A worm family would like to find a permanent home but get chased out of neighborhoods because other underground creatures don’t approve of them.  The worm family doesn’t want trouble so they keep moving but they eventually decide enough is enough.  They take pride in themselves and this pride and goodness is eventually recognized by the neighbors and they are accepted.  I adored this book and felt satisfied that even worms can find value in their lives!  This book flowed beautifully off the readers tongue because it had somewhat of a rhyme scheme going.  However, the rhyming words weren’t just simple words like “cat” and “hat.”  Elevated vocabulary that offered a challenge to the reader like “toes” and “discomposed” was used.  The story had a definite plot and we go to see the entire worm family develop into a strong unit that valued their own worth.  The illustrations were done in oil paint on paper and they were superb.  They showed scenes from a variety of perspectives, for instance one of the pictures was done from the perspective of the worms looking out a key hole onto a caterpillar family looking in.  It is obvious that a great deal of care was taken because the pictures were filled with details that gave the reader more information.  My favorite picture is of the worm family trying to fit in by wearing “cool” shades, listening to worm jazz, learning other languages, admiring art (a Mona Lisa worm of course), and reciting poetry.  “Wormer, Wormer, Burning Bright…In the dirt clods of the night…” J
            I can definitely see myself using this book in a classroom someday.  First, I would use this book in an insect or bug text set.  This book could be made interactive by allowing kids to identify the different types of bugs depicted in the story.  Also, there is a lot of factual information about worms presented in this book in a humorous way.  I would want to check the accuracy of it before I used it in a class, though, because it does not cite any references.  This book could also be used to talk about families.  The worm family differs from the traditional worm family because uncles, aunts, and grandparents all live together.  The family members are all very supportive of each other and find their strength through this support.  This book could also be used to talk about valuing one’s own uniqueness.  I would first discuss what the worms were insecure about and then talk about strategies they tried in an attempt to fit in and whether or not these were successful.  The front of the book contains pictures and names of each of the worm family members so, as a potential writing assignment, students could pick one of the characters and retell the story for their perspective.  I think activities such as this are valuable because children get to practice the skills involved with point-of-view and character development in their writing.  Lastly, I would definitely use this book for Readers Theater.  There are lots of parts so the whole class could be involved and kids would have fun creating bug costumes and masks.  I think Readers Theater is great because it fosters a sense of community in the classroom that makes each day a little better.
Year Published: 2004          Illustrated:Stacy Innerst

A Sign by George Ella Lyon

A neon sign maker.  A circus tight rope walker.  An astronaut. No, none of these.  A writer.  A Sign, by George Ella Lyon tells the story of a young girl’s progression of dreams as she grows up.  The young girl, who turns out to be the author, eventually grows up to be a writer and realizes she still does many of the things she would’ve done in those author jobs.  She “makes words glow” and “puts one word in front of the other and hopes the story doesn’t fall” and she “blasts words into readers’ hearts.”  The illustrations compliment the story by showing the physical growth of the girl alongside her mental maturation. The details in the illustrations indicate that a great deal of care was put into them; however, they weren’t overly appealing to me.  That being said, I had a warm feeling after reading this book.  It really brought home to me just how much important childhood dreaming is for helping us develop into the person each of us is meant to become. 
            After reading this book to children, I would tell them about my own childhood dream occupations, such as wanting to be a photographer, scuba diver, and lawyer, and how I decided on becoming a teacher.  I think it would be fun to incorporate a worksheet, or have children draw their own, that depicts a series of growing child and have the students color in the figures as the occupations they wanted to be at that age.  For instance, maybe when they were three they wanted to be a fire fighter and when they were four a doctor.  As a homework assignment, I would have them interview a family member about their childhood dream occupations and the job they eventually decided on.  I would invite guest speakers who have interesting jobs to come talk about their childhood dream occupations and their current occupation.   My goal with this book and these activities would be that children grasp that the world is their smorgasbord; they can pick up whatever they want and change their minds and go back for something different later on.  Another topic I would use this book for is talking about writers.  I think it is good for students to think critically about what it is that writers do for us. I want them to gain an understanding about the power words can have to comfort, entertain, ignite change, create controversy, and to simply be a friend to a lonely reader. 
Year Published: 1998          Illustrator: Chris Soentpiet

The Honeybee Man by Lel Nargi and Kyrsten Brooker

Fred, the main character in The Honeybee Man, has a very unique family.  In this tale, by Lela Nargi and Kyrsten Brooker, Fred cares for and understands his bees as if he were their father.  He has become so knowledgeable about bees and making honey that he knows which bees are young and which are old and he knows exactly what bees do when they leave the hive.  He gives the queen bees historical names, such as Queen Mab and Queen Nefertiti, and talks to them as if they can understand him.  One thing, although though there are many, I liked about this book is that the other human characters, Fred’s neighbors, were ethnically diverse.  The illustrations enhance the story by giving us a visual of the bee hive and honey-making equipment.  It also helps us get a better grasp of Fred as a character.  The front of the book states that the illustrations were done in “collage and oil paint.”  The use of collage adds tons of details to the book by helping us get to know the character and his environment better, such as using real pictures as the decorations in his home.  As we learn about Fred and his bees and get a chuckle from his strange actions, we are also learning a lot about bees!  The inside of the cover and the last two pages provide the reader more factual information about the life of a bee and the honey-making process.  One caution, though, is that the author does not provide sources for the reader to verify the accuracy of the information.  Despite this one caution, I enjoyed everything about this book and fell in love with Fred the bee keeper.  He just reminded me so much of my Grandpa!
            Obviously this would be a great book to use in a classroom when talking about the life of the bee and making honey.  It lays out the steps of the honey making process as well as provides information about the life cycle of the bee.  At some point after reading this book I would like to invite a real bee keeper into the classroom to give the children more information about this occupation/hobby.  I think having guest speakers is a great way to show the kids how big the world is and how many opportunities there are.  I thinking having guest speakers also increases the likelihood that kids will store the information they’ve learned in long term memory because it will be more salient in their minds.  Another activity for this book is splitting the children up into groups of four or five and, as groups, having them draw a picture of one step of the bee cycle or the honey making process.  The drawings could then be combined on a bulletin board.  I like activities such as this because I believe they foster a sense of cooperation and community in the classroom that is so vital to learning.  Lastly, this book could also be used to introduce children who live in small towns or a suburb to city living since the story is set in Brooklyn. The illustrations are wonderful and provide students with pictures of the city neighborhood from a variety of perspectives.  The main character Fred, also describes the sights and sounds of city life, and uses city terms such as “brownstone” and “roof top terrace.”  I think natural teachable moments will pop up in a discussion such as this because chances are some students in the classroom have been to or lived in a big city before and can share their experiences of how life is the same and different there. 
Year Published: 2011

Julius by Angela Johnson

As a child, I always wanted a pig for a pet so I was immediately drawn to Julius, by Angela Johnson.  It is the story of a little girl, Maya, who is given a big, Alaskan pig by her grandfather.  Maya names the pig Julius and they become instant friends.  Her parents do not like the pig very much because it is loud and makes lots of messes, but Julius and the pig do all kinds of wonderful things together.  In the end, Maya teaches Julius manners so her parents will appreciate him as much as she does.  Although this is a very short book with a static plot, we do see some character development in Julius.  We also get to see the relationship between Julius and Maya blossom.  May doesn’t have any brothers or sisters and longs for one in the beginning.   We get to see Julius fill this void for her.  As always with illustrators that use mixed media, I found them to be dessert for the eyes!  The book says they are a combination of acrylic, watercolor, fabric, instant coffee, crayon, and India ink.   This combination comes together in a very bold way and gives the book the energy that it needs in order to effectively pull off a story about a pet pig.  Lots going on in a big way!  The pictures match up with the words of the story but also add humor to the story because we get a visual of the pig doing all these silly things.  There is a lot of detail in these illustrations so I would be sure to let children have ample time exploring the pictures and all there is to offer in them.  I thoroughly enjoyed this book because I think it accurately captures the love between humans and their pets.
            I would use this book with a text set about pets or by itself as a read aloud to lighten the mood because it will give children, and myself, a good chuckle.  After reading this book, I would provide opportunities for students to write, draw, or talk about their own pets and pet experiences.  What do you have to do to care for your pet?  What do you and your pets like to do together?  How did you name your pet?  How do you teach your pet things?  I have found that children love talking about their pets and can go on and on and on about them.  My goal for this assignment would be to inspire students to turn their verbal enthusiasm for their pets into enthusiasm for writing about their pets.  Some students will not have a pet of their own at home so I would give them the option of writing about a pet they know or writing about a pet they would like to have in the future.  Since a pig is somewhat of an unusual pet, along with this unit I would talk about exotic pets that some people have.  I would find clips on youtube where people are keeping animals, such as monkeys, buffalos, and alligators, as pets.  Students could then write about exotic pets they would like to have and possibly make up a story about the crazy things these pets do.   I think any activity in which you give students a writing prompt about a topic they are interested in goes a long way as far as sparking interesting in writing.
Year Published: 1993          Illustrator: Dav Pilkey

Tillie The Terrible Swede by Sue Stauffacher

History and childrens’ books.  When I see a book such as, Tillie The Terrible Swede, combining two of my favorite things in life I obviously have to pick it up.  Before reading this book I had never heard of Tillie Anderson.  I should have, though, because she did a lot for women’s rights.  She was an immigrant who came to America and fell in love with competitive bicycle racing.  In the late 19^th century, riding a bike and wearing pants was not considered proper behavior for ladies but Tillie did it anyways.  She broke many bicycle racing records throughout her life.  I truly enjoyed reading about Tillie’s bravery and zest for life and the story is so well done that children will enjoy it too.  What I liked most about Tillie, besides her name which I love, is that she did not stop racing after she got married.  It truly is an empowering historical story.  I did not, however, find the illustrations to be that great.  I would say they were mediocre at best.  The faces on the characters were just two dots and some lines.  It just didn’t seem like a lot of care was taken with the illustrations.
            The use of this book in the classroom is pretty straightforward.   I would use it to teach about the Womens’ Rights Movement.  I think the topic would need to be introduced before the story was read.  I would introduce the topic by saying, “Even though women  can do almost everything men can do now days, it wasn’t always this way.  Women used to have to follow very strict rules and were not allowed to do many things, like vote or get good jobs.  We are glad that things have changed today but it was not an easy process.  Woman had to work very hard to be able to do have these things we call rights.”  I would then go on to explain about human rights by having the children brainstorm things that they think everyone should be allowed to do.  The day I read this story to the class I think it would be fun to dress up as Tillie Anderson and ride a bicycle into the classroom.  When the teacher does things like this I think it makes them very memorable for the kids and they are more likely to transfer the information to long term memory.   I think it would be good to follow-up this story by having children research another suffragist.  When children spend time doing their own research on things, they feel more invested, and thus, are more likely to remember the information.   

Year Published: 2011          Illustrator: Sarah McMenemy

The First Strawberries: A Cherokee Story by Joseph Bruchac

I love Native American stories like that in The First Strawberries, by Joseph Bruchac, because they remind readers to appreciate the simple things in life and see the beauty that is all around.  It is a Cherokee tale that has been orally passed down through the ages.  In the story, a husband and wife quarrel and the wife takes off walking.  The husband is very sorry and wants to apologize but he cannot catch up to his wife.  The sun helps him catch up to his wife by tempting her with delicious strawberries that she stops to pick.  When she eats the sweet strawberry she is reminded of how sweet life was with her husband before they quarreled.  The words in this story are very simple but I think this adds to the mood of the story as that of the oral tradition.  The illustrations help the short tale along and the beginning of the book says they are done in “water colors and colored pencils.”  The book was well done but it didn’t “wow” me like other books.
            I have some hesitations about using his book in my classroom and initially wasn’t going to blog about it for this reason.  However, I decided it would be good to get my ideas and feelings out in words.  I would be apprehensive about using this book because it has some obvious religious connotations, such as “the creator made man and woman.”  I’m worried that using this book might lead to a large group discussion about religion.  I know when handled in the right way, conversations like this can go really well but at this point I don’t feel confident enough in how I would handle it.  If I were to use this book, I would introduce it by saying, “We are going to read a story that is very old.  The book is not very old but people use to tell this story using their voices before there were books.  The group of people who gave us this story are a group of people named Native Americans.  You might have heard of them before and they have wonderful stories.  We are very glad they told these stories to each other because now we can enjoy the stories in books.  Native Americans have an idea about where the first strawberries came from.  This does not mean that this is where they came from for sure.  It’s just an idea someone had.  Just like all the stories we read, you may like or dislike it and you may think it is real or not real.”  Obviously this would be a good book to use with a Native American or oral storytelling unit.  I would ask students to share oral stories that they know.  I think this is a good exercise because it allows children to learn about the parts of a story through their own speech.  I would also use this book to talk about apologies.  I would ask the class about how the man apologized and how he felt after he did.  The students could then share their own feelings about apologizing.  I believe it’s always important to include a text-to-self connection as much as possible because they help children remember the lesson of the book. 
Year Published: 1993          Illustrator: Anna Vojtech