Horrible Histories Handbooks: Pirates

Horrible Histories Handbooks: Pirates
Terry Deary
illustrated by Martin Brown

My Rating: 5 out of 5

Genre: Non-fiction/informational

Just one in Deary's Horrible Histories series, Pirates offers a wealth factual information on pirates and the lives they led. Written in a quirky and humorous manner, Deary dispels myths and legends, ranks the "top ten putrid pirates" of all time and gives a short biography of each one, describes weapons, tactics, punishments, ships, flags, language, rules, and even gives the biographies of wicked women pirates. The illustrations are cartoon-style, with clever dialogue bubbles that will leave the reader laughing and wanting more.

In an age where the popularity of pirates has soared thanks to Johnny Depp and Pirates of the Caribbean, many students are interested in pirates, and dare I say, want to be pirates. Deary does a great job of packing a large amount of information into a small, nonthreatening, handbook-style, book. I would recommend this book, along with the rest of the Horrible Handbook series, for 5th through 8th grade classrooms. It is a non-fiction text that students will become engrossed in thanks to Deary's witty writing style and the comic book-like illustrations. While students may be disappointed to find most pirates never made their enemies walk the plank, or that they never made treasure maps, they will find out more than what is offered in movies and cartoons. It is a great source of reference for students that will provide factual information without being the ever-feared, "boring reference book".

Our Earth

Our Earth
Anne Rockwell

My Rating: 4 out of 5

Genre: Non-fiction/informational

Our Earth is a picture book full of general information about the planet Earth. Rockwell, whose favorite subject in school was geography, takes the reader on an adventurous trip around the world, exploring its natural wonders such as islands formed by volcanoes, coral reefs, streams, rivers, oceans and the creatures which inhabit those places. The illustrations are bright and bold and capture the reader's attention.

Our Earth is a great introduction into the many features of our planet. It makes learning about Earth accessible and understandable. I would recommend this book for first and second grade classrooms. It would make a great literature piece to introduce a lesson on our planet.

The Invention of Hugo Cabret

The Invention of Hugo Cabret
Brian Selznick

My Rating: 5 out of 5

Genre: mystery/fiction/picture book/graphic novel
Rebecca Caudill Award 2009 nominee

It is the year 1931 in Paris when we first meet 12-year-old Hugo Cabret. He lives all by himself in a tiny apartment located in the attic of a huge train station. At the center of Hugo's world are two precious things which remind him of his happier days when his father was alive, a broken down, mechanical robot and his father's notebook full of sketches. Living a life of secrecy, Hugo manages to live alone and undiscovered in the train station; his only mission is to figure out how to put the mechanical robot back together using the sketches his father left in the notebook. It isn't until the day he gets caught and his precious notebook is confiscated that his life gets shaken up and adventures begin. The robot, the shopkeeper, mysteries and unlikely friendships make this a novel that just can't be put down.

I would recommend this novel for 3rd grade classrooms as a read-aloud, and for fourth and fifth grade classrooms for students to read independently. I think The Invention of Hugo Cabret is a wonderful novel because of its unique composition. Selznick adds over three hundred, full page, black and white drawings within the chapters of this book. The pictures are not simply illustrations of what has already been described by the words, rather they are used in place of words. The size of this book would make any fourth or fifth grader proud, and the story is so intriguing it is a fast read. If reluctant readers can get through this book, they will feel like they can get through any book. Overall, a fascinating story, an intriguing composition, and an enjoyable read.

The Velveteen Rabbit

The Velveteen Rabbit
Margery Williams
illustrated by William Nicholson

My Rating: 5 out 5

Genre: Fantasy/Classic Children's Book

The Velveteen Rabbit is a classic children's tale about a stuffed rabbit who once comes to live with a boy in his nursery one Christmas morning. At first, the rabbit is adored and admired by the boy, but is soon forgotten once more presents were unwrapped and there were new, more exciting things to play with, the rabbit became lost in the shuffle - eventually finding a home, forgotten in the nursery toy cupboard or floor. Rabbit eventually forms a kinship with the oldest toy in the nursery, Skin Horse. Skin Horse and Rabbit have a deep and meaningful conversation on what it means to be "real," and leaves Rabbit with yearning to become real. It is not until the boy's Nana cannot find the china dog the boy normally sleeps with that Rabbit is reintroduced into the boy's life. Nana grabs Rabbit out of the cupboard and tells the boy to sleep with it, "Here, take your old Bunny! He'll do to sleep with you!" From that night on, the boy and Rabbit are inseparable, thus beginning Rabbit's journey to becoming real.

The Velveteen Rabbit has been a favorite, and my personal favorite, children's classic since its publication in 1922. I love how Williams interweaves a lesson about individuality, and how being true to and loving yourself allows others to love you unconditionally. As Skin Horse says, "It doesn't happen all at once....you become. It takes a long time. That's why it doesn't often happen to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real, you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand."

Children up to 3rd grade will adore the story of The Velveteen Rabbit, more than likely connecting with the surface level message of the book; loving a toy so much it becomes real in your own heart and mind. This is a wonderful fantasy story that delicately tells a tale of the wisdom of love and the magic that it can hold.

A Wrinkle in Time

A Wrinkle in Time
Madeline L'Engle

My Rating: 5 out of 5

Genre: Science Fiction (book to movie)

A Wrinkle in Time, is the story of Meg Murry, Charles Wallace and Calving O'Keefe. Meg is regarded by her teachers and classmates as babyish and dumb. Her little brother, Charles Wallace is seemingly telepathic and their friend, Calvin O'Keefe, who is a popular basketball player at school but feels out of place within his own family. Together, the three find themselves facing an adventure involving space and time travel, angels and aliens that will test the bonds of love, family and friendship.

This book is truly a childhood favorite of mine. I love this book because it takes your mind away from the confines of reality and allows you to fantasize about lands and life beyond our planet. Their characters make us feel as if our own faults and quirks are our strengths, and that we are not the only ones who have them. Madeline L'Engle earned the Newberry award for this 1962 novel for her ability to combine science fiction elements with realistic themes and characters that children can relate to and from which they can learn. Prevailing themes in this novel include the importance of family and the continuous victory of good over evil. This novel is a magical piece of literature that is effective in the middle school classroom. As students finish reading A Wrinkle in Time, they will be clamoring to devour the following three books of the "Time Quintet."

A Year Down Yonder

A Year Down Yonder
Richard Peck

My Rating: 4 out of 5

Genre: Historical Fiction/Newberry Award

Richard Peck's, A Year Down Yonder, offers a lively picture of life in the Midwest in 1937, after the brunt of the Great Depression is over but an economic recession is prevalent. Mary Alice, the main character, is sent to live with her grandmother in Chicago after her father loses his job and cannot afford to keep their apartment. Mary Alice is unsure about the move to Central Illinois, "I had to go down to live with Grandma Dowdel, til we could get on our feet as a family again. It meant I'd have to leave my school. I'd have to enroll in the hick-town school where my grandma lived. Me, a city girl, in a town that didn't even have a picture show." With her cat, Bootsie, a sandwich in her pocket and a small trunk containing all of her belongings, Mary Alice heads off on the train to embark on one of the most adventurous, life-changing years of her life.

I was pleasantly surprised when I read this book and found it wasn't a heart-wrenching tale of a family barely scraping by and the sacrifices they had to make to survive in the post-Depression era. This book had many laugh-out-loud moments, wild adventures and highlights how a small town unites in the face of adversity.

I would recommend this book for 6th through 8th grade classes studying the depression, especially in the Illinois area. This book is actually a sequel to "A Long Way From Chicago," but I do not believe one has to be read before the other for understanding. While I would not use this text as a replacement for books which show the more devastating effects of the depression, I would incorporate it as a lighter piece of literature that shows another side to life during those difficult times. It is also a great piece to use for character study - the transformation of Mary Alice, Grandma Dowdel and her two sides, along with the numerous townspeople who keep the town buzzing with gossip. Overall, this is a great light read that will keep students interested from the first page to the last.

Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters

Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters
An African Tale
John Steptoe

My Rating: 5 out of 5

Genre: Folk tale/Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award

John Steptoe's Caldecott award winning book, Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters, is an African Cinderella story. It was inspired by a folktale collected by G. M. Theal published in his book, Kaffir Folktales.

This modern fairy tale tells the story of Mufaro and his two daughters, Nyasha and Manyara, who are known throughout their village for their beauty. Mufaro is happy and excited for both of his daughters when the king decides to be married, and calls upon the most beautiful women of the land to appear before him. While the girls are equally beautiful, their personalities are opposite. While Nyasha is kind and even-tempered, Manyara is spoiled and mean-spirited. It is Manyara's greed and pride which lead her in her desire to beat her sister to the King's palace to become his wife, and ultimately to her demise.

The story is a great alternative to the hackneyed Cinderella fairy tale. The lessons learned are paralleled: generosity prevails over greed, as well as the Golden Rule - threat others how you want to be treated. While the story is a familiar one, I especially enjoyed this book's rich and warm illustrations. Steptoe's inspiration for his illustrations stemmed from the ruins of an ancient city found in Zimbabwe and the plants and animals of that region; his paintings seem to transport you to the mystical lands of Africa. I would recommend this story for 3rd graders when dsicussing morality - does it matter how you act when no one is looking? It is also a great piece of multicultural folklore from which students can benefit.