My Abuelita by Tony Johnston

Beautiful.  That’s what I thought of this story and it’s illustrations.  My Abuelita, by Tony Johnston, is a tale about a little boy and his grandmother (abuelita).  Abuelita is an eccentric, loving woman whose job, as it turns out, is a professional story teller.  The book has static plot consisting of the boy and his grandma getting ready to go to work.  The writing is definitely not dumbed down for the reader, and what I loved most about the writing is that many of the words are in Spanish with an English translation next to them.  But enough about the writing, on to the illustrations!  Oh, the illustrations!  For me, they are like a dream!  I thought David Diaz’s illustrations in Smoky Night were my favorite but now I would have to say it is these by Yuyi Morales.  They are colorful and eccentric and a combination of different materials.  The description in the front of the book says they were “created with polymer clay, wire, felting wool, acrylic paints, fabric, wood, metals, and Mexican crafts, then photographed and digitally manipulated.”  I don’t know if they would suit everyone’s taste but I think they are just so wonderful and funky.  Despite whether or not one likes the style, I’m sure no can deny what they add to the story.  They compliment the story, and yet, tell a story of their own.  This is one of my favorite books I’ve read for this class.
            There are so many ideas I have for using this book in my classroom that it’s hard to decide where to begin.  First, I would use this book for a unit on families.  The boy’s family appears to be made up of himself, his grandma, and his cat.  It is important that children see families that are different than the traditional nuclear family and still loving and happy.  Second, I would use this book to introduce Spanish language to the children.  I think a book that contains another language is a good way to introduce it because, in the form of a story, it is more relevant to children.  It would be good to discuss important aspects of Spanish culture at the same time the language is introduced.    Another important topic I would want to bring up about this book is the concept of being a story teller as a career.  I would want children to ponder the questions: Do you know any storytellers?  What’s a career that we have heard of that is similar to this?  I think talking about this will help children see that being creative and writing is not just something we do in class; it can have much broader applications.    
Year Published: 2009          Illustrator: Yuyi Morales

The Three Little Pigs by David Wiesner

Fairy tales are special just as they are but something truly magical happens when the characters from different fairy tales mix.  This magic is captured in David Wiesner’s version of The Three Little Pigs.  The book starts out with the traditional Three Little Pigs story and then the little pigs escape these pages and end up in what appears to be the land of books.  They meet the Cat with the Fiddle from “Hey Diddle Diddle” and save a great dragon.  In the end the pigs decide to go back home and bring their new friends with them.  With these new friends, the ole’ big, bad wolf is no match for them and is quickly eliminated.  What can you say?  It’s David Wiesner, so the illustrations are phenomenal and do most of the story telling.  I love the contrast between the plain, cartoonish, and run-of-the-mill three little pigs’ story illustrations and the vibrant, realistic illustrations when the pigs escape the page.  Wiesner plays with perspective in these realistic images so at times it seems like it is actually a close-up snap shot of these pigs.  It’s awesome! 
            The first thing I would do with this book when reading it to children is ask them which set of illustrations they like better, the more cartoonish ones or the realistic ones, and talk about why they feel this way.  I hope that the discussion that springs from this will help children to start to develop a discerning eye when it comes to illustrations and art.  I think this would be an interesting book to use when teaching about the parts of plot because this story messes with the traditional plot structure.  I think it’s important that children are exposed to examples of non-traditional plots because it will help them to understand that writing allows for lots of creativity and new ideas.  The possibilities are as endless as the universe.   Lastly, this book could be used as a writing prompt for children to write their own tales about characters who find themselves in other stories.  This is an exercise I myself would love doing so I am sure older children would like doing it as well.  As always, I think it’s important to give students an alternative to writing a story, such as writing a script to be acted out or drawing the story, because some children prefer these art forms for showing what they know and can do.  I think these kinds of activities are important because they unlock children’s creative potential by giving them building blocks from which to start.
Year Published: 2001          Awards: Caldecott Winner

In the Wild by David Elliott

Is it a crime to make so many rhymes?  Probably not if you’re as good at it as Daivd Elliot.  His book In the Wild, illustrated by Holly Meade, contains small rhyming poems about exotic animals.  All of the poems have a different rhythm and rhyme scheme that makes this book fun to read aloud.  It has a very musical feel to it, almost like a celebration song for the animals.  The illustrations are really unique and it says they are done in woodblock prints and water colors.  I like the woodblock effect because it creates unique lines that give the animals’ covering a unique looking texture that we don’t see as often.  What I did not like about this book is how he used cliché exotic animals, such as the elephant and tiger.  I would’ve liked to have seen some animals that I am not as familiar with.  Another thing I think could be improved upon in this book is some of the rhymes seemed a bit forced and out of place, such as “When peaceful, silent; when angry, loud.  Who would have guessed the Elephant is so much like a cloud?” I know poetry is all about expressing personal feelings and imagery, but as a reader I just couldn’t relate to this description of an elephant.     
            I could definitely see young children really getting into this book.  They would enjoy the bright illustrations and rhyming descriptions.  I would use this book to talk about animal habitats since it features animals that live in a variety of habitats.  I also think it would be fun to read the rhyming description of the animal to the children first and have them guess which animal they think it is.  Young children could also act out the behaviors of the animals as I am reading the story.  I think activities that make books more interactive are a great way to spark interest in reading.  After reading this book to older children I would have them write their own animal rhyming poems.  Some of the descriptions get pretty scientific, such as talking about our evolutionary connection to the Orangutan, so it would be fun to have the children right the poems about some scientific aspect of the animals after learning about them.  I think it’s a good idea for teachers to use cross curricular activities, such as this one, as much as possible because it helps children foster more connections, and thus, deeper learning.
Year Published: 2010

Princess Academy by Shannon Hale

Don’t you just love it when everything turns out exactly as it should?  Although this outcome isn’t usually consistent with real life, it does leave a reader with a warm and fuzzy feeling.  Princess Academy, by Shannon Hale, is a Newbery Honor Book about a fourteen year old Mountain Girl, Miri, who is very uncertain about herself and her future.  She has no idea why her father will not let her work in the linder quarry like the other kids her age in Mount Eskel, Danland and she feels very useless.   When an official from the royal family arrives in their village to say that a princess academy will be built to educate all girls age 12 to 17 because the priests have predicted the queen will come from the village, everything changes.  Through brilliant character development, we watch Miri grow into a strong, intelligent girl who saves the others girls at Princess Academy more than once and who helps the village improve it’s linder trading practices after years of being cheated.   Miri is not the only character we get to see grow in this book; Hale also does a brilliant job of having the supporting characters also transform into their best possible selves. The plot has multiple climaxes that are very descriptive and keep the reader on the edge of their seat.  Yet, the setting is what I was most impressed with in this book.  Hale effectively brings to life a believable, yet imaginary country, Danland.  Within this country, she effectively creates a unique province, a class system with each class having defining characteristics, a special language of the mountain people, a system of government, and even natural resources unique to the area.  I would love to spend some time in this writer’s imagination…absolutely fascinating!  Needless to say, I thoroughly enjoyed this book.  What I liked most about this book are the strong female characters.  Miri does not end up being the princess (sorry, spoiler).  Rather, she makes a life of her own as a teacher by using her knowledge and resourcefulness.  Also, I liked how throughout the book “doing the right thing” is positively reinforced for the characters, and thus the readers, in a subtle, yet profound way.
            I’m not really sure if I would use this book for the whole class.  I don’t know if it has universal appeal and, although it was well done, it doesn’t have that something special that really exhilarates me.  I think if the teacher isn’t excited about a book, it’s hard to get the kids into it.  That being said, if I were to use this book I have a couple of ideas for activities.  First, the class could track the growth of Miri or any of the other characters.  I think this is an important activity because it allows students to more fully appreciate what goes into writing, and hopefully, it will improve their own writing.  Second, the description of the action and the dialog in this book would make many of the scenes wonderful options for acting on the dram a.  Besides the obvious public speaking benefits of acting, I think inhabiting the roles of these strong female characters would be very empowering for middle schoolers who are struggling with self-consciousness issues.  The characters in this book use their own, somewhat magical, language called quarry talk.   I think it is important that students ponder and try to grasp the importance of language and how it functions in their own lives.  I would have students ponder these questions: Why did the people of Mount Eskel need to form their own language?  Why can’t Britta understand the language?  How are languages created?  Lastly, I would do a lot with setting in this book.  Students could make maps and/or dioramas of Danland.  I think these are good assignments because they provide a form of assessment that students who may not succeed at paper/pencil tests can possibly excel at.  I think students would also have fun creating their own countries in a similar fashion to how Hale created Danland.   For their own country, they would need to come up with the geography of the land, language, government, social classes, prejudices, commerce, and natural resources.   When student’s engage in activities like this one, I think it helps them appreciate civilization and culture a lot more because it brings out the complexities of these taken-for-granted topics. I think it also helps them pay more attention to things such as government when learning about other cultures or historical events.
Year Published: 2005          Awards: Newbery Medal of Honor

Can You Say Peace? by Karen Katz

Goom-jigi.  Kurtuku.  Heiwa. He ping. Peace.  Can You Say Peace? by Karen Katz is a book celebrating International Day of Peace (September 21).  The book has a static plot consisting of children all around the world saying “peace” in their own language.  Each child is accompanied by an illustration depicting life in that country.  The last page brings home the main message of the book that no matter how different people may look or live, everyone wants and needs the same things.  Although this book was very short and did not have much of a plot, I believe it has a very powerful message that all human beings need to be reminded of.   The illustrations had a folk art feel and  were vibrant and gave the book a hopeful, uplifting tone for the reader.  I loved how there were a variety of patterns on the buildings and clothing.  You could spend a lot of time looking at the illustrations because there is a whole bunch going on at once in them. 
            This would be a really great book to use with a kindergarten or first grade class.  I think celebrating the International Day of Peace is a great idea.   Children could create flags from other countries and talk about why peace is important.  I think topics such as “peace” are daunting and a bit abstract to young children unless they are made relevant to their personal lives.  So, I would encourage students to think about t how they can create peace everyday at home, in school, and on the playground.  To address this topic, I would probably split children up into groups of four and five and have them act out a scene where students chose peace or make a poster for peace that could be displayed in the hall.  Another reason I would use this book is because I think children would really enjoy practicing saying “peace” in these other languages.  I think International Day of Peace would be a great time to bring in games or songs that children in other countries enjoy.  I would definitely use this book in my classroom because it shows kids just how big the world is that we live in, yet how similar we all really are.
Year Published: 2006          Awards: Chosen for READ poster art

Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes

I don’t know what those kids are taking about…I love the name Chrysanthemum!  Chrysanthemum, by Kevin Henkes, is one of the sweetest books I’ve read in a long time.  It is the story of a little girl who is given a very special name by her parents only to have it be a source of ridicule when she enters school.  She eventually overcomes her name insecurities with the help of her parents and a special teacher, Mrs. Delphinium.  The precision of the wording in this book was amazing.  I loved how Henkes incorporated flower verbs into the story as much as possible, such as “wilted” and “bloomed.”  Even though it is just a short picture book, we see Chrysanthemum‘s character develop throughout the story.  The illustrations didn’t wow me but they did capture the personalities and emotions of the characters very well.  I also liked how on some pages the author would expand on the story by putting a series of pictures in squares on one page that give more information than the words.  All in all, this is a wonderful story about the importance of a name that I’m sure many children can relate to.
            I would use this book to address two topics: bullying and names.  After reading this story, I would ask the students to describe how Chrysanthemum felt about her name before and after the students teased her.  I would then have students discuss or write about a time that someone teased them about their name or something else.  I think Chrysanthemum is a character we fall easily in love with and feel her pain along with her. So, I think children will be in the right frame of mind to discuss bullying after this book because they just felt the consequences of it first hand through Chrysanthemum’s experience.  To discuss names with this book, I would have my students journal about how they feel about their name.  As a homework assignment, I would have students go home and ask their parents why they decided to name them the name they did.  I would then have them share their name story with the class the next day.  I think this is an important assignment because I think it really cues students into their own uniqueness and how special they really are. 
Year Published: 1991              Awards: ALA Notable Children's Book     Horn Book Fanfare

The Other Side by Jacqueline Woodson

Wow! The Other Side, by Jacqueline Woodson, amazed me because I didn’t know such a big message could fit into such a short book.  I loved it!  I loved it so much that I re-read it to myself twice and then read it to my fiancé.   It is a book about childrens’ ability to see past color for the sake of friendship.  The story appears to be set in the 1950’s and a fence is up in the middle of town that separates where black and white people can live.  What is interesting about the plot, is that the white little girl is the one who feels isolated and left out.  Despite their parent’s warnings not to cross the fence, two girls from opposite sides come to sit together every day on the fence and eventually become friends.  Their actions inspire other children to come and sit on the fence as well.  The book ends with the girls believing that someday the fence will get knocked down.  The illustrations are done in beautiful water colors and they compliment the story plot.  I would love to have the illustration of the little girls sitting on the fence as a piece of artwork for my home.  So awesome!  I loved this book so much because it teaches about a sad and uncomfortable topic in a way that also offers hope. 
            Needless to say, I will definitely be using this book in my classroom.  I think that if you teach in a school with any diversity at all, race relations will be brought into the classroom at some point or another.  I will address this topic using books like this and discussion.  I will introduce this book by saying, “We are now going to read a book about some brave girls.  These girls are brave because they were willing to see past the way someone looks in order to form a friendship.  About fifty years ago, children were only allowed to play with kids who had the same colored skin as themselves.  Some kids were really brave and kind, though, and wanted to be friends with everyone regardless of how they looked.  We are lucky that now days we can be friends with whoever we want.  We must always remember to choose our friends based on how they treat us and not on how someone looks.”  I would then read the book and afterwards we would discuss what it would be like to be one of the kids in this book.  For older children, they could journal from the perspective of one of the characters.  I think activities like this are important because, not only do kids get to hear about the characters’ experiences, they get to feel the same feelings as the characters.  I also think this would be a great book to teach about the literary element of symbolism because of the obvious meaning attached to the fence.  Clearly, the fence is symbolic for the larger social issue of segregation and I think older children would be able to identify this.   Children need to know about symbolism because it helps them realize that texts have many layers of meaning within them, and thus, children will gain a deeper appreciation for literature. 
Year Published: 2001   
Illustrator:    E.B. Lewis  
Awards: ALA Notable, Riverbank Review Book of Distinction, Texas Blue Bonnet List, SLJ Best Book, Booklist Editor’s Choice, New York Public Library’s 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing, 2001 Time of Wonder Award, IRA Teacher’s Choices 2002, (featured on covers of The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, Booklist and The Baltimore Sun), 2004 Louisiana Young Reader’s Choice Award (Honor), 2003-2004 Pennsylvania Young Reader’s Choice Master List, California Young Reader Medal Nominee, 2003-2004 South Carolina Book Award Nominee