Nonfiction Book Review #3

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Freedman, Russell. 1993. ELEANOR ROOSEVELT: A LIFE OF DISCOVERY. New York: Scholastic, Inc. ISBN 05904890097

2. PLOT SUMMARY
ELEANOR ROOSEVELT: A LIFE OF DISCOVERY is a photobiography written by Russell Freedman of “the first wife of a president to have a public life and career of her own.” It tells of Eleanor Roosevelt’s struggles while growing up and then her experiences as an adult with marriage, children, work, and causes she supported. In addition, Freedman describes her accomplishments as a First Lady and as a United Nations delegate.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
ELEANOR ROOSEVELT: A LIFE OF DISCOVERY is a Newbery Honor book. Russell Freedman, a well-know biography author, does an excellent job of portraying this former First Lady as a person, separate and independent of her husband’s accomplishments.

The organization of the book is very logical. There are many reference aids including a Contents page and an Index, information for visiting the historical sites in A Visit to Val-Kill, a list of books about Eleanor Roosevelt, as well as books that she has written, and Acknowledgments and Picture Credits. Freedman divided the book into eleven chapters, giving each chapter a title. This allows the reader to get a sense of what kind of information is going to be included in that chapter. The first chapter is kind of an overview of Eleanor Roosevelt. Entitled First Lady, Freedman lists the many firsts of Eleanor. Then, beginning with the second chapter, Freedman goes in chronological order, covering Eleanor’s life from her birth on October 11, 1884 to her death from a stroke on November 7, 1962. This is known as a complete biography. Each chapter moves the reader through the different stages and roles Eleanor played in life.

The writing style of the book makes it easy to read. The writing flows smoothly between facts and the storyline. Each chapter begins with a quotation from Eleanor. Also included in the book are excerpts from letters and books she wrote. We learn about much of Eleanor Roosevelt ’s personality from Eleanor herself, as well as those who knew her. For example, Eleanor said, “I was tall, very thin, and very shy” (p. 20). The reader learns that she was the only woman on the campaign train with her husband and the only American woman at the United Nations. Some other interesting things we learn from this book is that Eleanor played on a hockey team at her finishing school, that her and Franklin were secretly engaged for a year, and that she learned how to swim at age 40, in order to be able to teach her two younger sons.

When she became the first Lady, Eleanor Roosevelt proved that “she did not intend to be a conventional White House Hostess” (p. 98). She was the first to hold regular press conferences at the White House. She did everything for herself, including driving her own car and operating the elevator. She was the first First Lady to fly and she flew so much that people gave her the nickname of “Eleanor Everywhere” (p. 101). She met and worked with many people considered famous in our history. She flew with Amelia Earhart, interviewed Martin Luther King, conversed with Helen Keller, and was invited to England by Queen Elizabeth.

Eleanor had a rich political life, which the reader learns of through various testimonials. Political commentator Raymond Clapper called Eleanor Roosevelt “the most influential woman of our time” (p. 118). She was outspoken and took active part in fighting for issues she believed in (racial justice, youth programs, and rights of refugees). Eleanor became a goodwill ambassador during the war and traveled all over the world, visiting service men. Admiral Halsey said, “She alone had accomplished more good than any other person or any group of civilians, who had passed through my area” (p. 138). Finally, as a UN delegate she was instrumental in drafting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. When the bill was approved, “something happened that never happened at the UN before or since. The delegates rose to give a standing ovation to a single delegate” (p. 152).

The reader can safely assume that the information in the book is authentic and accurate. We learn from the Acknowledgments that Freedman used first hand sources from recollections of people that knew Eleanor. In addition, all of the quotations used in the book came from The Autobiography of Eleanor Roosevelt, a collection of Eleanor’s three volumes of memoirs. Freedman also did a good job at avoiding glorifying Eleanor Roosevelt. The reader learns of her shortcomings as well as her accomplishments. For example, we learn that she was terrified of speaking in public, that she wasn’t the best mother, and she that she was “too serious.” Eleanor suffered many hardships, but was determined to endure and help others. For example, we learn that she only broke down and cried once after Franklin was stricken with polio.

The design of the book also makes it easy to read. The book is tall, with big font on white pages. It is full of black and white photos, chronically Eleanor’s life. There are also copies of letters she wrote, newspaper articles, and her marriage certificate. Each chapter starts with an accompanying full-page portrait on the face page. (Contrary to what others said, I thought she was pretty growing up.) In addition, almost every other page has numerous pictures. The captions are also full of little tidbits of information. Finally, Freedman also includes an Eleanor Roosevelt Photo Album. There are pictures of Eleanor, her family, her friends, and people that worked for her.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Publishers Weekly
“A natural follow-up to Freedman's biography of FDR, this impeccably researched, highly readable study of one of this country's greatest First Ladies is nonfiction at its best…Freedman writes both authoritatively and compellingly, and the Eleanor that emerges is a complex, flesh-and-blood individual, not a dull heroine of textbook history. He also deals plainly with some of the more sordid aspects of the Roosevelts' married life (namely FDR's infidelity), but he never sensationalizes, and his honesty and candor signal his respect for his subject and for his readers. This biography cannot be recommended highly enough.”

School Library Journal
“Grade 6-12. Fans of Eleanor Roosevelt will enjoy this detailed anecdotal record of her life; while those unfamiliar with her life will count themselves among her admirers by the end of their listening…Highly recommended for both school and public library collections.”

Kirkus Reviews
“In this generously full history…Freedman focuses, properly, on the public life more than the personal one, as Mrs. Roosevelt herself did. Even so, synthesizing a wealth of resources (ably surveyed in a descriptive bibliography), he brings her wonderfully to life as a rare blend of honesty, intelligence, deep concern for humanity, and ability to inspire loyalty and convey her ideas. Freedman at his best: a splendid achievement.”

Horn Book
“Freedman has created a sensitive biography of Eleanor Roosevelt -- certainly sympathetic but not overly adulatory; it captures her spirit. The beautifully crafted text flows smoothly and is accompanied by over one hundred black-and-white photographs portraying Roosevelt at every age. Young readers will find inspiration, hope, and guidance in the life of the outstanding woman.”

5. CONNECTIONS
*Activities with this book:
-Create a Jeopardy Game with questions and answers about Eleanor Roosevelt’s life and divide the children into teams. Possible categories include: Eleanor’s Family, Eleanor’s Jobs, Places Eleanor Lived, and Characteristics of Eleanor.
-Compare and contrast different biographies of Eleanor Roosevelt. Other biographies include:
Sawyer, Kem Knapp. ELEANOR ROOSEVELT. February 20, 2006. DK Children. ISBN: 0756614953
Thompson, Gare, and Nancy Harrison. WHO WAS ELEANOR ROOSEVELT? January 5, 2004. Grosset & Dunlap. ISBN: 0448435098
-Show a film on the life of Eleanor Roosevelt. Some possibilities include:
CLASSIC ELEANOR ROOSEVELT FILMS DVD: 1940S WWII FIRST LADY MRS. FDR ~ ELEANOR ROOSEVELT SPEECH & SPEECHES & PICTURE FILMS INCLUDING ELEANOR ROOSEVELT QUOTES. Quality Information. ASIN: B000JR875Y
BIOGRAPHY - ELEANOR ROOSEVELT: A RESTLESS SPIRIT (A&E DVD ARCHIVES) April 26, 2005. A&E Home Video. ASIN: B0007WFUO2
THE ELEANOR ROOSEVELT STORY (1965). July 6, 2004. Kino Video. ASIN: B00028G6H6
AMERICAN EXPERIENCE - ELEANOR ROOSEVELT. January 10, 2006. PBS Paramount. ASIN: B000BITUWA

I know this was another long blog. However, I think nonfiction books are growing on me!
Happy Reading!
Lonnie

Nonfiction Book Review #2

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Armstrong, Jennifer. 1998. SHIPWRECK AT THE BOTTOM OF THE WORLD: THE EXTRAORDINARY TRUE STORY OF SHACKLETON AND THE ENDURANCE. New York: Crown Publishers, Inc. ISBN 0517800136

2. PLOT SUMMARY
SHIPWRECK AT THE BOTTOM OF THE WORLD is a recount of the Trans-Antarctic Expedition team that set out to be the first to cross Antarctica from one side to the other. The team consisted of Ernest Shackleton and 27 other men. They never even made it to land. Their ship became trapped in the ice 100 miles off shore in 1914. Jennifer Armstrong tells of their survival and journey to land that took a year and a half.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
SHIPWRECK AT THE BOTTOM OF THE WORLD is the winner of the Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction. It is also an ALA Best Book for Young Adults and a Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Book. Jennifer Armstrong does an amazing job at bringing the story to life. The reader feels as if they were really there, as they get to know the men and the experiences they went through.

The book is well organized and easy to use with a Contents page containing the section titles and page numbers, and an Index with illustrations’ page numbers in boldface. It is also well documented with bibliographical references, divided by the following topics: Antarctica, navigation, and general; Shackleton; and Periodical. This makes it easy for a reader to consult the author’s sources if they want further information on this subject. On page 128, Armstrong has an Acknowledgments page where she mentions the books she used as sources, including Shackleton’s own writings and books on Antarctica. Finally, Armstrong’s work is credible because of the assistance she obtained from the Scott Polar Research Institute in Cambridge, England. The Institute has a library and archival material from the ship Endurance, including the captain’s logbook and the original photos taken by the expedition’s photographer, Frank Hurley.

At the beginning of the book, there is a photograph of the members of the expedition and then a list of the men’s names and positions. Then, we get two pages of the sketches of Endurance’s original plans and a little excerpt of the history of Endurance. Next, there are two maps provided by Kayley LeFaiver. One is an overall map of Antarctica, with the paths of past expeditions to the South Pole marked. The second map is of the Endurance Expedition and the path of the ship and men from 1914 to 1916. The maps include the dates of significant events during the expedition. Finally, there is a quotation by Apsley Cherry-Garrard, a polar explorer, in 1922. This quote sums up the feelings of men for the expedition leader, Shackleton: “For scientific discovery, give me Scott; for speed and efficiency of travel, give me Amundsen; but when disaster strikes and all hope is gone, get down on your knees and pray for Shackleton.”

The reader is immediately drawn into the book with Armstrong’s opening statement: “Just imagine yourself in the most hostile place on earth” and then goes on with a powerful description of the Antarctic environment and climate. She caps off the section with the news that in 1915, 28 men were stranded there and “They all survived.” This first page creates an interest for the reader because now they are going to want to know how these men survived. Then, at the end of the book, Armstrong includes an Epilogue so the reader learns about the fate of the men when they finally returned home.

The use of many details makes this book interesting to read. First, Armstrong makes many comparisons in order for the reader to get a sense of the actual conditions and environment of Antarctica. For example, when describing the 346 miles the men would have to walk to get to Paulet Island, the author tells us that it “more than the distance between Boston and New York City, almost as far as from Los Angeles to San Francisco, and the entire width of Iowa” (p. 51). We also get a comparison of the ship surrounded by ice from one of the men, Orde-Lees. He writes that they were stuck “like an almond in the middle of a chocolate bar” (p. 24). When describing the Southern Ocean during the winter, the author uses personification for a dramatic effect: “Winds scream over the waves. The sun retreats in horror” (p. 82). In addition, Armstrong does not just write out the facts. She also shares fun stories about the men. I laughed when reading about the men having a mock trial and “Worsley was accused of stealing a trouser button from the offering plate of a Presbyterian church” (p. 33-34). I also enjoyed the toast that always accompanied the drinks, “To our sweethearts and wives—may they never meet!” (p. 134).

Armstrong also included personal remarks and observations from the crewmembers through their journal entries. For example, Shackleton writes of his worries and concerns during the trying times of waiting to get off the ice: “The last day of the old year: May the new one bring us good fortune, a safe deliverance from this anxious time, and all good things to those we love so far away” (pg. 65). Finally, Armstrong puts in these mini lessons at the beginning of each section. We learn about the race to the South Pole, the history of Antarctica (it was part of Gondwana, a super continent, 160 million years ago), and interesting facts (Antarctica contains 90% of the earth’s ice and that there are 80 kinds of ice). We also learn about iceblink and water sky, about salt water turning to ice and how it is made drinkable. The author defines new terms for the reader (“Old Jamaica” is sailors’ slang for the sun). Armstrong does slip in a little anthropomorphism when she describes how the “Emperor penguins bowed formally to the ship and crew as they passed. Adelie penguins surveyed them from passing icebergs and called, “Clark! Clark!” -which was the name of the expedition’s biologist” (p. 17).

SHIPWRECK AT THE BOTTOM OF THE WORLD contains reproductions of the actual photos from the expedition. Frank Hurley was the Expedition Photographer and he took over 400 pictures of their ordeal. When the Endurance sank, he had to get rid of most of the plates because they were too heavy. However, he did keep 150 of them. The pictures make the story more real to the reader by allowing them to see the actually conditions that these men were in. Of course, all of the photos are in black and white, which makes them even more clear and dramatic. The front cover is a picture of the men harnessed and pulling one of the boats across the ice. The title page contains a dramatic picture of the ship Endurance trapped in the ice. I thought it was a negative, until I read later on in the book that it was not a negative. Finally, the picture captions are also full of interesting tidbits of information.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)
“Armstrong's absorbing storytelling, illustrated with dramatic black-and-white photographs, makes this an enthralling adventure.”

School Library Journal (Starred Review)
“A book that will capture the attention and imagination of any reader.”Kirkus Review (Pointer)
“This unbelievable story is enhanced by the vigorous prose; from the captivating introduction through the epilogue, it is the writing as much as the story that will rivet readers.”

Horn Book
“Ernest Shackleton's extraordinary 1914-1916 Antarctic expedition was, in Jennifer Armstrong's words, "one of the most incredible feats of survival ever recorded.” The elements of the story make for fascinating reading: a courageous and inspiring leader; a foundered ship swallowed by ice; a stalwart crew stranded on shifting ice floes; a final, daring-beyond-description rescue effort in an open boat through eight hundred miles of hurricane-blown seas and on foot over an uncharted mountain range. Each of these captivating accounts should find an audience--Armstrong's for the detail-oriented, want-to-know-it-all...”

5. CONNECTIONS
This book would be great to use during a world history lesson or even a geography lesson.
*Activities with this book:
-Do a Breaking News piece, where the children create news pieces to deliver on air (can be video taped). One, for example, cam be: “Here’s John reporting on the breaking news of the Trans-Antarctic Expedition’s amazing survival.” and then a child reads a report.
-Have children create a scrapbook of items that were on the Endurance ship and/or make their own map of the Expedition’s path of travels starting and ending in England.
-Divide up the students and have each group pick a person or topic from the book that they want to learn more about. Have them research the topic in other books, websites, and documents, and then have them present the information to the class. Some possible topics include a biography of Shackleton or any of the other men, Endurance and ships in general, the continent of Antarctica, etc.

Sorry this post was so long. There were so many details I wanted to share!
Happy Reading!
Lonnie

Nonfiction Book Review #1

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Simon, Seymour. 2002. AMAZING AIRCRAFT. New York: Seastar Books. ISBN 1587171791

2. PLOT SUMMARY
AMAZING AIRCRAFT is designed for young readers as an introduction to human flight. It covers aircrafts from the first flight in a hot-air balloon to the future of huge passenger planes. Seymour Simon also goes into how the invention and advancement of aircrafts have affected our world.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Seymour Simon is definitely qualified to be writing this book. A former teacher, Simon is also an award-winning science author of more than 200 science books for children. The National Science Teachers Association has named more than half of his books “Outstanding Science Trade Books for Children.”

The information presented seems both accurate and current. However, this book does not contain any reference aids such as a table of contents, index, or bibliography. This is because this book is designed for children in first to third grade. It is part of the SeeMore Readers series that is designed especially for young readers. SeeMore Readers are known for their “large, bright pictures” and “exciting yet simple text.” The text is simple and straight forward, as well as written in nice, big letters. Simon does a good job of providing facts, as well as interesting trivial information. For example, the reader learns that the Lockheed F-117 is a “stealth” fighter plane. Simon then goes on to define what stealth means: “the F-117 is hard to see on radar.”

The organization of the book is very clear and simple. Simon lists information in chronological order from Leonardo da Vinci’s plans for “flapping wing machines” and the first flight of man in a hot-air balloon all the way through the timeline of aircrafts developments, including early planes that had “thin wings covered with cloth,” seaplanes, the first “inexpensive passenger plane,” the Douglas DC-3, to the future 800-passenger cargo plane.

Simon’s style of writing includes the use comparisons to vividly describe each aircraft. We learn that the Hindenburg was “more than three times as long as today’s 747 airplanes” and that the Boeing 747 is “longer than the distance of the Wright Brothers’ first flight.” We also get a nice comparison of the length of a new cargo plane's wings, which are over 250 feet long, “almost the length of a football field.” The reader also gets a good sense of how aircrafts have evolved over time with Simon’s comparisons of the amount of time it takes to fly a certain distance. For example, we learn that with the Wright Brothers’ plane “the longest flight lasted less than a minute and went 852 feet at a speed of 30 miles per hour.” Louis Bleriot took 36 minutes to fly across the English Channel in 1909. “Today you can fly the same distance in less than 3 minutes.” Finally, in 1927 Charles Lindbergh’s flight from New York to Paris took 34 hours. “Today, airliners fly from New York to Paris in less than 7 hours.”

AMAZING AIRCRAFT is designed like a book of photographs. Each double page contains a full picture of an aircraft. The pictures are the prominent feature of the book and the clear, clean shots draw the eye. They serve as a background for the aircraft that is described in simple blocks of text.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
School Library Journal
“Grade 1-3-Simon gets to the essence of his subjects through bold, dramatic color photographs and short, crisp texts. The first book draws comparisons between how long it took early aircraft to accomplish their missions and how long it takes modern planes; the inclusion of data about an aircraft of the future adds a touch of excitement. The description of the Hindenburg tragedy, however, seems stuck in between the discussions of various types of vehicles and their capabilities. Still, this is a good introductory title.”

Booklist
“In Aircraft, Simon presents a brief, historical survey of flight, including hot air balloons, the Wright brothers, Bleriot, Lindbergh, the Hindenburg, seaplanes, the Spitfire, the DC-3, the 747, helicopters, gliders, the Concorde, the F-17 Stealth fighter, and an enormous cargo plane. Although the words are not all simple, they appear in large, legible type. A typical double-page spread includes a colorful photo accompanied by a few lines of text. With clear photos and succinct writing, these volumes will fill a demand for informative books that are short and easy enough for primary-grade children to read independently. They are also appropriate for reading aloud to younger children.”

Kirkus Reviews
“Seymour Simon may have done more than any other living author to help us to understand and appreciate our planet and our universe.”

5. CONNECTIONS
*Additional Books
Seymour Simon has many other SeeMore Readers Level 2 books designed for grades 1-3. The following science trade books would be good to use in introducing new topics to students in the classroom:
BRIDGES. ISBN: 158717264X
SKYSCRAPERS. ISBN: 1587172593
COOL CARS. ISBN: 1587172372
DANGER! VOLCANOES. ISBN: 1587171821
DANGER! EARTHQUAKES. ISBN: 0606243453
SUPER STORMS. ISBN: 0606243445

*Activities with this book:
-Have each child pick an aircraft to read about and present to the class. For example, two children could take one double-page spread to discuss.
-Have children pick an aircraft to make a poster about. They can also create a collage of different planes from pictures cut out of magazines and newspapers.

Happy Reading!
Lonnie

Poetry Review #3

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Hesse, Karen. 1998. OUT OF THE DUST. Read by Marika Mashburn. Old Greenwich, CT: Listening Library. ISBN 0807280127

2. PLOT SUMMARY
OUT OF THE DUST is an audio book about the life of Billie Jo. She is a 14-year-old girl living on a farm in Okalahoma during the dust storms of the Great Depression.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
OUT OF THE DUST is a free verse novel by Karen Hesse. It is a form of narrative poetry, told through the voice of a 14-year-old girl during the Great Depression. This book is the winner of the 1998 Newbery Medal and the 1998 Scott O’Dell Award. Recommended for children ages 10 and up, Hesse tells of a girl’s trials and perseverance. She powerfully captures Billie Jo’s experience through a first person point of view. The book is made up of journal-like entries, or poems, from Billie Jo.

The book starts out with Billie Jo telling the listener about her birth and then fast-forwards 14 years to when she finds out her ma is going to have another baby. The entries are divided by seasons and months, beginning with Winter, January 1934. The listener learners of the relationship Billie Jo has with each of her parents, and how her relationship changes with her father after her mother dies: “Ma wouldn’t have let me go at all. Father just stood in the doorway and watched me leave.” We also hear of how her life changes after her hands are burned in a fire: “Nobody says anything about ‘those hands’ no more.” Finally, this is a story of Billie Jo’s journey, of leaving and then finding her way back home: “And I know now, that all the time that I was trying to get out of the dust, the fact is what I am, I am because of the dust. And what I am is good enough, even for me.”

Her love of music is what gets Billie Jo through hard times: “My place in the world is at the piano.” The listener feels her pain as she describes her hands, which are burned in a kerosene fire: “…lumps of flesh, swinging at my side.” Billie Jo eventually goes back to the music. The music is personified in the phrase “I’m getting to know the music again, and it’s getting to know me.”

Hesse uses strong figurative language in her writing. The powerful words conjecture up vivid imagines for the listener. For example, when Billie Jo describes her father’s voice when singing, the listener can hear his voice “start and stop like a car short of gas, like an engine choked with dust.” Hesse also uses many more metaphors in her writing. For example, she describes the rain as “Steady as a good friend who walks beside you, not getting in your way, staying with you in a hard time.” The words of Billie Jo are simple, yet expressive, with a southern dialectic. They are musical in the way they fall from the reader’s lips: “Wet. Clinging to the earth. Melting into the dirt. Snow.” or “Like the tapping of a stranger at the door of a dream, the rain changes everything.”

Hesse uses sense imagery so the listener can practically see, smell, touch, and taste the dust. The phrase “…with dust” is repeated repeatedly for emphases. Hesse vividly describes how the dust is everywhere, in everything. At one point in the story, when Billie Jo realizes she cannot play the piano because her hands would not work, she did not cry. She says, “I think we’re both turning to dust.” The title of the book comes from a moving line when Billie Jo is talking about her father getting cancer and wanting to die. She said, “I didn’t want to go on. I just wanted to go. Away. Out of the dust.”

We hear Billie Jo’s strength when she said, “our future is drying up and blowing away with the dust” but she did not cry. We hear of her perseverance when she plays the piano after the fire: “I make my hands work, in spite of the pain, in spite of the stiffness and scars, I make my hands play piano.” She wants to prove she can still make music: “I have a hunger for more tan food...”

This is in audio book format. It was more powerful hearing the words of Billie Jo, than just reading the words because free verse is meant to be heard. It flows with the rhythm of speech. Marika Mashburn does a wonderful job of bringing Billie Joe to life, with her expressive reading. Her voice is strong, clear, and easy to understand. The story is set in Okalahoma, and Mashburn is originally from Oklahoma, so the listener gets an authentic feel for what Billie Jo’s voice would sound like. Mashburn, who has had theatre training, effectively expresses the emotion of the book, sounding sad and lonely at times, and laughing when happy. The complete and unabridged version has two cassettes and lasts 2 hours and 9 minutes. The tapes were free of static and noise.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
School Library Journal
"Grade 5 Up. After facing loss after loss during the Oklahoma Dust Bowl, Billie Jo begins to reconstruct her life. A triumphant story, eloquently told through prose-poetry.”

Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)
“This intimate novel, written in stanza form, poetically conveys the heat, dust and wind of Oklahoma. With each meticulously arranged entry Hesse paints a vivid picture of her heroine's emotions.”

Kirkus Reviews
“Told in free-verse poetry of dated entries that span the winter of 1934 to the winter of 1935, this is an unremittingly bleak portrait of one corner of Depression-era life. In Billie Jo, the only character who comes to life, Hesse (The Music of Dolphins, 1996, etc.) presents a hale and determined heroine who confronts unrelenting misery and begins to transcend it. The poem/novel ends with only a trace of hope; there are no pat endings, but a glimpse of beauty wrought from brutal reality.”

5. CONNECTIONS
*Many of Karen Hesse’s books deal with different issues and periods in American history. OUT OF THE DUST would be a good book to share with older elementary aged children when studying the Great Depression in American History. Other books that could be used include:
-A LIGHT IN THE STORM: THE CIVIL WAR DIARY OF AMELIA MARTIN
-WITNESS (Ku Klux Klan and racial issues)
-LETTERS FROM RIFKA (immigration experience)
*Activities with this book:
There are many literature and classroom guides available for OUT OF THE DUST. I have listed a few of my favorites:
-Clark, Sarah Kartchner. 1999. A GUIDE FOR USING OUT OF THE DUST IN THE CLASSROOM. Teacher Created Resources. ISBN: 157690623X
-Hesse, Karen, and Linda Beech. LITERATURE GUIDE: OUT OF THE DUST (GRADES 4-8). Scholastic. ISBN: 043913112X
-Mccarthy, Tara. 2003. OUT OF THE DUST (LITERATURE CIRCLE GUIDES, GRADES 4-8). Teaching Resources. ISBN: 0439355435

Sorry this one was a bit long. I just had so many quotes that I wanted to share.

Happy Reading!
Lonnie

Poetry Review #2

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Lewis, J. Patrick. 2005. PLEASE BURY ME IN THE LIBRARY. Orlando: Gulliver Books, Harcourt. ISBN 0152163875

2. PLOT SUMMARY
PLEASE BURY ME IN THE LIBRARY is collection of 15 children friendly poems by J. Patrick Lewis. The poems are geared toward book lovers and reading, with works on libraries, books, language and words, and literature. The poems include What If Books Had Different Names, Flea-ting Fame, Necessary Gardens, Eating Alphabet Soup, Great, Good, Bad, Please Bury Me in the Library, A Classic, The Big-Word Girl, Reading in the Dark, Pictures, Pictures, Pictures, Three Haiku, Summer Reading at the Beach, Conversation on a Leaf, Are You a Book Person, and Ab-so-lu-tas-ti-cal. The illustrations are provided by newcomer Kyle M. Stone.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This is a great collections of light verse poems by J. Patrick Lewis. He uses clever wordplay, humor, and nonsense, while introducing the reader to various forms of poetry, including the narrative poem, a haiku, an eight-word acrostic, free verse, and rhyming quatrains and couplets. Even his Acknowledgments at the end of the book are put into poetic form with an aabb end rhyme. He includes a Contents page with the title and page number for each poem. The author was inspired by other famous poets, such as Edward Lear, X.J. Kennedy, and Lewis Carroll.

Lewis shows a great sense of imagination with his poems. For example, What If Books Had Different Names is a fun take on classic literature for children (“Furious George, Goodnight Noon”). Necessary Gardens makes a line of poetry out of each letter in the word LANGUAGE. Pictures, Pictures, Pictures is a double dactyls poem beginning with the nonsense first line, “Higgledy-piggledy.” Great, Good, Bad is a poem of nonsense. Finally, Lewis cleverly composing three haiku poems in Three Haiku. One includes: Difficult writing/Assignment: “The Story of /My Life: A Haiku”

I like that readers learn about other books in this book of poems. Lewis mentions many books throughout his poems including Caterpillars: Fascinating Fauna, Frankenstein, The Field Mouse’s Guide to Midnight, Godzilla Meets Tooth Fairy, and of course all of the ones mentioned in What If Books Had Different Names.

This is Kyle M. Stone’s picture-book debut and what a debut! His illustrations are rich and dark, with a childlike quality to them. The pictures are done in acrylic paint and mixed media. They created an added dimension to the poems with funny details. The reader is first attracted to the book because of it cover, depicting mice reading a book in a library. On the front cover, we see the picture from the perspective as if we were standing in front of the mice. On the back cover we get the same scene, but from the perspective of standing behind the mice and reading along with them.

The illustrations are fun, funny, and full of details. An example is the picture for The Big-Word Girl, which is about Elaine reading the Webster’s Dictionary while at the movies with her friend. Stone depicts her friend as a monster! In addition, if the reader looks closely, the same little boy is found on the pages for two poems, Necessary Gardens and Great, Good, Bad. He is in blue pajamas reading a book. In the scene for the Three Haiku, we see the shadow of Frankenstein behind the little boy reading the book Frankenstein. Finally, Stone shows great imagination when he painted a little girl flying above the world in a paper airplane for Ab-so-lu-tas-ti-cal.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
School Library Journal
“A semi-swell collection of 16 poems celebrating books, reading, language, and libraries…The tone is generally light, with the last few entries turning more to wonder and metaphor ("A good book is a kind/Of person with a mind/Of her own..."). Usually printed one per spread, the poems are accompanied by richly dark artwork…The Lewis hallmarks are all here–clever wordplay, humor, nonsense, rhyme–though the collection doesn't have quite the spot-on snap of his best stuff…Lee Bennett Hopkins's Good Books, Good Times! (HarperCollins, 1990) and Wonderful Words (S & S, 2004), which include offerings on the same subject from many fine authors, would partner in a nice balance with Lewis's frothier nonsense.”

Booklist
“This homage to reading salutes all the essential elements: letters, words, books. Lewis' poetry is continually clever, whether pithily summing up children's classics (a book that is excitedly read by a kid of 6 to another kid of 63) or capturing the thrill of reading in the dark…Despite the picture-book format, it will take children older than the preschool crowd to appreciate the wordplay, which on occasion is quite sophisticated…The acrylic and mixed media artwork (see cover, this issue) adds whimsy to the words. Case in point, a bibbed lamb eating the Dr. Seuss special.”

5. CONNECTIONS
*Activities with this book:
-Have the children volunteer to take turns reading each poem.
-Read Necessary Gardens and then let children make up their own anagram poem, using the letters of their name.
-The following is an additional list of activities written by Mary Lou Meerson, an educational consultant who lives in San Diego, California:
1. Have the children look carefully at the front and back of the jacket. Invite their observations.
2. Discuss the title page illustration. Ask the children if they have ever heard the phrase “She had her nose buried in a book.” This girl has her whole body buried.
3. After reading Great, Good, Bad (p. 10), put those categories on a chalkboard or poster paper and have the students nominate books or stories for each cate­gory. Encourage debate!
4. After reading Pictures, Pictures, Pictures (p. 20), check out of the library a variety of wordless picture books. Working in small groups, have the children write a narrative for one of the wordless books and present it to the class.

I loved this book.

Happy Reading!
Lonnie

Poetry Review #1

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Prelutsky, Jack. 1980. ROLLING HARVEY DOWN THE HILL. Ill. by Victoria Chess. New York, NY: Greenwillow Books. ISBN 0688802583

2. PLOT SUMMARY
ROLLING HARVEY DOWN THE HILL is a collection of humorous poems about the narrator’s friendships with four other boys-Lumpy, Tony, Willie, and Harvey.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This is a picture book of poems by Jack Prelutsky. They are written from the viewpoint of a nameless narrator about his four friends. The poems all have an abab end rhyme. Prelutsky includes a Contents page with a list of the 15 poems and their pages. The first poem introduces the reader to the narrator’s friends,
“There’s Tony and there’s Lumpy
and there’s Harvey and there’s Will,
and we all hang out together
in the middle of our hill.”

Prelutsky’s theme of friendship is universal. The poems tell stories about the boys’ adventures together, including “Smoking in the Cellar” and when they broke “Mister Mulligan’s Window” while playing baseball. Prelutsky’s poems are also timeless. Children can relate to getting in fights with your friends and then making up: “Willie and I were pals again, as soon as the fight was done, neither of us lost the fight, but neither of us won.” This is a good book about the ups and downs in friendships, the importance of being tolerant, and being able to forgive each other. We learn that Harvey always wins, because “it isn’t that he’s better, it’s that Harvey always cheats,” that he never shares, and that he plays mean practical jokes. The boys get back at Harvey by rolling him down a hill: “Harvey’s always butting in, his mouth is never still, so Tony, Lumpy, Will and me rolled Harvey down the hill.”

Victoria Chess illustrates the book with cartoon-like characters. The book cover is made to look like a brick wall. The front cover has a picture of all the boys with Harvey showing off. The back cover has the boys smiling as they sit on top of Harvey. The illustrations are simply done in black and white. They seem a little dated, since this book was published 26 years ago. However, Chess does a great job of depicting these boys and their relationship. For example, on the title page we see Harvey giving one of the other boys rabbit ears. Then we see them running on the Contents page. The reader can also tell what the boys are feeling from the expressions on their face. When Willie ate a worm, all the boys look queasy. The boys point and laugh when Harvey hits a wall in “The Race”. Finally, we see the narrator standing by himself, both on the dedication page and on the last author page.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Booklist (starred review)
“Fresh and funny.”

AudioFile
“Jack Prelutsky's poems have a strong following. This audio edition--in two forms: narrative and operetta--has similar appeal. The musical version, with music by Jody Tull, is performed by The Boychoir of Ann Arbor, Michigan. The operetta is lively, fun and very professional. It should attract young listeners, who will love the sound effects and gaffs that accompany it. On the second side, Jon Ophoff reads a straightforward narration of the poems. Without the sound effects and snappy music, it seems a little pale, but the clear rendition focuses more on the poems.”

5. CONNECTIONS
*This is a great book to share when discussing friends and friendship. Talk with the class about how people are different and ask them to list what they like about their friends.
*Activities with this book:
-Have different students volunteer to read the poems that deal with each friend. For example, one student will read all of the poems about Lumpy, including “Lumpy is My Friend” and “Lumpy Chases Pigeons.”
-There is also an audio book available that would be fun to listen to while reading along in the book: Jack Prelutsky. 1993. ROLLING HARVEY DOWN THE HILL. Read by the Boychoir of Ann Arbor. Retail pak, 1 cassette. Listening Library. ISBN 0807202177

Just as a side note: I've read a lot of Jack Prelutsky's work and the reader can tell how is his work has grown and evolved over the years. I personally like his newer collections, like SOMETHING BIG HAS BEEN HERE.

Happy Reading!
Lonnie