Go Big or Go Home

A meteorite blazes the way to extreme adventure

Citation:

Go Big or Go Home by Will Hobbs.  (HarperCollins  Publishers, 2008).  185p. Science Fiction Junior Book.

Summary:

After FRED, a meteorite, crashes into Brady’s bedroom, he begins to experience physical changes.

Critique:

a.         The effects that Brady experiences after his encounter with Far Roaming Earth Diver (FRED) unfold leaving the reader experiencing feelings of excitement and concern.

b.         The encounter with FRED has side effects that Brady initially welcomes and eventually leaves him in jeopardy.  The supernatural, extreme adventures involve Brady and his cousin, Quinn who enlist the help of others within their Black Hills community.

c.         “ ‘That’s how Brady got the Mars bacteria into his system.  Well, Attila dropped in his tracks only a matter of hours after Brady did…So maybe Attila’s only dormant!’ Buzz cried” (p. 171) provides an extraterrestrial twist to young boys who revel in all things extreme.  

Curriculum Connection:  

Go Big or Go Home is extreme.  It is extreme in descriptions, adventures, and celestial experiences.  This book could be used in a science lesson about space travel and meteorites to discuss and test the possibility of reactions to foreign objects. There are several references to caverns, stalactites and stalagmites, and topography that it could also be used to compare the book descriptions to actual opportunities of a field trip to Luray Caverns or the Caverns at Natural Bridge.

A Suitcase of Seaweed

Claremont Stone Center Recognition of Merit Award Winner

Citation:

A Suitcase of Seaweed and other poems by Janet S. Wong.  (Margaret K. McElderry Books, 1996).  42p. Poetry Junior Book.

Summary:

A collection of poems representing the multiple facets of growing up multicultural within America.

Critique:

a.         Wong’s introduction before each cultural section of poems helps the reader make personal connections regardless of ethnicity.

b.         Separating the cultural poetry references – Korean, Chinese, and American – helps Wong compartmentalize her poems while making familial connections anyone can relate to.  The poems are simple yet telling about Wong’s childhood memories.

c.         “Our family / is a quilt / of odd remnants/ patched together/ in a strange/ pattern,/ threads fraying,/ fabric wearing then--/ but made to keep/ its warmth/ even in bitter / cold” (p.42) is easily related to regardless of ethnicity or culture and explains Wong’s heritage and family connections in one simple, easy to read poem.  

Curriculum Connection:  

A Suitcase of Seaweed is a book of poetry that would be a nice addition to a middle school English classroom that is studying the various styles of poetry and how feelings and memories can be conveyed in a few simple words.

Among the Hidden

ALA Best Book for Young Adults

Citation:

Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix. (Aladdin Paperbacks, 2000).  153p. Science Fiction Junior Book.

Summary:

Luke, a third child, lives hidden and in fear of being discovered by the Population Police until he befriends another “third.”

Critique:

a.         The story of Luke, a shadow child, pulls at the heartstrings of a parent of multiple children and reels in the reader with the feelings of fear, sympathy, and hope.

b.         The plight of Luke unfolds as the narrator shares his feelings of being alone, hopeless, scared, and brave as he searches for a life outside of the shadows.  When at his lowest point of self-pity, Luke makes a discovery that consumes his thoughts and eventually alters his life and future.  The author describes Luke’s feelings with such detail that the reader can envision him in situations and sympathize for his circumstances.

c.         “He took a deep breath, looking forward toward the Sports Family’s house, then back again toward his own.  He thought about returning home – trudging up the worn stairs, back to his familiar room and the walls he stared at every day.  Suddenly he hated his house.  It wasn’t a sanctuary.  It was a prison” (p.55) is the exact moment that Luke’s life changed in a way he never could have expected or fathomed.  

Curriculum Connection:  

Among the Hidden is a story that a middle school student could read when expected to understand laws that limit personal liberties or how a few people can make a difference.  The story may be interesting to upper elementary age students as well, but the graphic descriptions may be too much for them, unless it is being used as a follow-up to the Social Studies Trail of Tears lessons.

My Name is * Me llamo Gabriela

International Latino Book Award Winner 2006

Citation:

My Name is *Me llamo Gabriela by Monica Brown.  Illustrations by John Parra. (First Impression, 2005). Biographical Junior Book.

Summary:

The biography of the life of Gabriela Mistral as an educator, author, and Nobel Prize recipient.

Critique:

a.         The life story of Gabriela Mistral is expressed in both English and Spanish and visually.

b.         Gabriela’s upbringing and travels are told so the reader can understand what she did in her life that led to being the first Hispanic woman to be awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature.

c.         “My stories traveled the world with me…And because people from all over the world loved my stories so, I was given a very special prize – the Nobel Prize for Literature” (p. 24-26) explains how the stories that Gabriela Mistral has been telling all of her life lad to a coveted award.

Curriculum Connection:  

My Name is * Me llamo Gabriela could be utilized during Hispanic Heritage Month to celebrate Latinos that have made contributions to the world culture.  The story can also enhance a language arts writing prompt where students are studying their own life story. 

The Frog Scientist

ALA Notable Book 2009
Orbis Pictus Honor Book 2009

Citation:

The Frog Scientist by Pamela S. Turner.  Photographs by Andy Comins. (Houghton Mifflin, 2009).  58p. Informational Junior Book.

Summary:

Dr. Tyrone Haynes and his team include the reader with his field biology and laboratory discoveries while trying to understand the decline in frog populations worldwide.

Critique:

a.         The photographs presented provide an unmistakable visual for the reality of a scientist.

b.         The order of events presented takes the reader from discovery to investigation to a hypothesis of a new theory relating to frog habitat and reproduction rates.

c.         “To test his hypothesis, Tyrone uses a manipulated variable…and a responding variable…The best way of remembering which is which is to think of an ‘if…then’ statement” (p.31) sets up the parameters of the experiment using familiar language with new vocabulary for readers.

Curriculum Connection:  

The Frog Scientist would be well suited for science lessons in most elementary and early middle school classrooms.  The pictures, vocabulary, and explanation can lend itself to the life cycle of a frog, the use of variables within an experiment, and scientific investigation skills.

Are You Ready to Play Outside?

Geisel Medal Award Winner 2009

Citation:

Are You Ready to Play Outside? by Mo Willems. (Hyperion Books for Children, 2008).  57p. Geisel Picture Book.

Summary:

Gerald and Piggie find fun outside regardless of the weather.

Critique:

a.         The unassuming illustrations provide a balance between colors and simple lines while engaging the emerging reader with the use of easy sentences.

b.         Gerald and Piggie have outdoor plans that are spoiled when it begins to rain.  They soon discover the fun they can have in the rain.  The common language allows the reader to understand all of the emotions they experience as their plans change.

c.         “Now I like rain – and now the rain has stopped!  I am not a happy pig” (p. 50 - 52) takes the reader through the emotions that Piggie and Gerald experience allowing them to make an emotional connection.

Curriculum Connection:  

Are You Ready to Play Outside? is a must have book for any early childhood classrooms that study controlled vocabulary or beginning readers.  The well-known text and engaging illustrations make this book a new favorite.

Henry's Freedom Box

Caldecott Medal Honor Book 2008

Henry’s Freedom Box by Ellen Levine.  Illustrated by Kadir Nelson.  Scholastic Press, 2007.  Historical Picture Book.

Slavery, Underground Railroad, Freedom, Shipped, Family, Auction, Container, Assistance, Travel, Brown

Henry ships himself to freedom from slavery in a container.

Henry “Box” Brown’s true story of his escape from slavery on the Underground Railroad is illustrated using shades of brown.  After his family was sold at an auction, Henry seeks assistance from Dr. Smith to mail himself to freedom.  Travel in a container by cart, boat, and rail finally reaching Pennsylvania.

Dan Yaccarino's Mother Goose

City Living, Mother Goose Style

Citation:

Dan Yaccarino’s Mother Goose by Dan Yaccarino.  (Random House, 2004).  41p. Mother Goose Picture Book.

Summary:

Traditional Mother Goose rhymes presented with updated illustrations

Critique:

a.         Familiar Mother Goose rhymes are given a new life with vibrant and entertaining illustrations.

b.         The updated illustrations entrance today’s youngsters in yesterday’s rhymes.  The pictures use bright colors and cityscape backdrops to portray the familiar prose.

c.         Hey Diddle Diddle includes a jazz cat playing the fiddle as the police officer chases the dish that ran away with the spoon, Mary’s garden is growing behind a brick wall, and Mother Goose is riding her gander above cabs and busses helps illuminate the city life of the tattered rhymes.

Curriculum Connection:  

Dan Yaccarino’s Mother Goose embodies what is old can be new again.  This book should be placed side by side with a traditional Mother Goose book to explore how similar rhymes can be interpreted differently.  A great addition to any early childhood classroom, Dan Yaccarino’s Mother Goose, could be used as story extension and nursery rhyme recall.