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26 Fairmount AvenueTomie dePaola Genre: Autobiograohy/Author Study My Rating: 5 out of 5 26 Fairmount Avenue is a departure from Tomie dePaola's usual picture books as it is his first chapter book. Tomie dePaola says that for a long time, he avoided the task of writing a chapter book becaase the task seemed too daunting. However, after many letters from fans combined with a suggestion from his assistant to write about his childhood, dePaola took on the task, thus resulting in 26 Fairmount Avenue. The book begins in the year 1938, and the reader finds out that Tomie and his family are waiting for their house on 28 Fairmount Avenue to finish being built. Over ther year, many things happen to Tomie and his family: a hurricane, flooding, Tomie's first day of school, and a funny experience at the movies as Tomie watches his favorite illustrator, Walt Disney's, first full length film, Snow White. The stories are humorous, heart-warming, and classically Tomie dePaola.
As a long-time fan of Tomie dePaola's picture books, I was unsure how well I would receive his forst chapter book. However, I was pleasantly surprised. I really enjoyed the autobiographical account of this year in dePaola's life. It is simply told in a conversational tone, and characters from his picture books make appearances that readers will appreciate. dePaola was able to translate the charm and simplicity of his picture books into an easy read chapter book that fans will certainly apreciate. I would recommend this book for 3rd through 5th grades, especially in conjunction with a lesson about writing autobiographies, or writing from personal experience and memory.
The War on Terrorism:
Combating the Global Terrorist ThreatThomas StreissguthGenre: Nonfiction/Informational TextMy Rating: 4 out of 5
The American War Library is a compilation of books that offer juvenile readers an inside look into the victories and tragedies of America's wars. This book, Combating the Global Terrorist Threat, is one of a multi-volume set entitled, The War on Terror. It describes the U.S. strategy for dealing with countries that provide support or a safe harbor for terrorist groups. It begins with a foreword which explains how America is a nation forged by war and leads into an introduction that opens with a recounting of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. The book includes information about counterterroism, allies, the targeting of sponsor states, the preemptive war on Iraq and the Missions of al-Qaeda. The book is illustrated with photpgraphic images which provide the reader with more detailed information about just how the United States is combating terrorism.It is amazing to me that we have been at war now for eight years. It is hard to say I enjoyed reading this book, but I did appreciate the amount of information presented. I belive that this war is the hardest one to explain to students, and literature is a great resource to use for understanding. I think this book, together with the rest of books in the War on Terrorism series, provide a detailed, accurate account of the war America is currently involved in, and is a great resource to provide to students who have questions about it. I would recommend this book for students in grades 8-12.
In Their Own Words: Paul Revere
George Sullivan
Genre: Nonfiction/Informational Text/BiographyMy Rating: 4 out of 5
Sullivan brings to life the legendary story of the "midnight ride of Paul Revere". The biography also reveals Revere's activity in many of the events which ultimately lead to the Revolutionary War. We learn that Revere, among other interesting things, was a famous artist, was at the Boston Tea Party, was a member of the Sons of Liberty, had sixteen children and designed and made money. The biography also includes information on other historical figures of the time, such as John Hancock and Sam Adams and even includes historic prints, maps, photos, a chronology of events and even a bibliography for further reading.
I actually enjoyed reading this biography of Paul Revere. When it comes to reading about history, I am somewhat of a reluctant reader. However, this book was able to hold my attention becuase of the incorporation of Revere's own drawings, writings and photos. The author took only the most interesting and important information from the life of Paul Revere to incorporate into this novel. For a reader looking for a detailed, flowing narrative about Paul Revere, this book would surely fall short. However, I would reccommend it for reluctant readers who just need to know the most basic information.
Thoreau at Walden
John Porcellino
from the writings of Henry David Thoreau
Genre: Non-Fiction/Biography - Graphic Version
My Rating: 5 out of 5
John Porcellino uses the writings of Henry David Thoreau to tell the story of his two years spent in Walden. For the reader who is not familiar with Thoreau and the background of Walden; or, Life in the Woods, Porcellino includes an introduction which summarizes the motivation and inspiration behind Thoreau's decision to live a solitary life in the woods resulting from struggling with what he wanted to do with his life after college graduation. Porcellino uses only Thoreau's words in the book, but pares them down in order to create a graphic representation of the novel. The drawings are simple, cartoon depictions of Thoreau's words, thoughts and ideas.
I enjoyed this version of Walden for several reasons. First, I enjoyed how Porcellino takes the underlying concept of Thoreau's work (living life as simply as possible) and mirrors it with the simplicity of the book. The lack of words actually allow the reader to focus on the most reflective ideas. I also enjoyed this book becuase its simplicity makes it accessable to students of varying reading levels. Walden is one of the most influential and important pieces of American Literature, teaching the reader that simplification is the key to true success. Being able to introduce students to his work at an early age through the use of a graphic novel is fanstastic. I would recommend this book for students in grades 3-5.
Project Mulberry
Linda Sue ParkMy Rating: 5 out of 5Genre: Realistic Fiction (Multicultural Literature)
Project Mulberry tells the story of two best friends, Julia and Patrick. They are both members of the Wiggle Club, which teaches kids about farming, and were just getting started on the annual project for the state fair. Julia and Patrick decided to do a project on Animal Husbandry, but were having problems deciding on which animal to use. Finally, it is Julia's mom who suggests the idea of raising silkworms. She told the kids her grandmother used to raise them in Korea and harvested their silk to use as thread to make things. While Patrick loves the idea, Julia has problems with it - she felt it was too Korean, that projects done for the Wiggle Club needed to be "American". Julia struggles internally with continuing with the project, trying to find secret ways to sabotage it without seeming suspicious. Ultimately, Julia learns the value of friendship, and just how American raising silk worms really is.
The element of this book that I really enjoy is the way Linda Sue Park actually incorporates dialogue between herself and the character of Julia. She does this in between each chapter, and lets the reader in on little bits of information about how she crafted the book, what parts of the book are biographical, and how important the role of Julia is in guiding the plot. Also, if the reader is not interested in that aspect of the book, they can totally skip it and it has no impact on the reading of the original story. I also think it is a powerful point when Julia learns that what she thought was "too Korean" really turns out to be something that is just as American as growing corn or raising cattle. It really shows the integration of ethnicity is the framework for what is American. I would recommend this book for reading in the fifth through eighth grade classrooms.
The Year of the Rat
Grace Lin My Rating: 4 out of 5 Genre: Fiction (Multicultural Literature) The Year of the Rat is the sequel to Grace Lin's award winning, The Year of the Dog. In this story, Pacy is celebrating the Chinese New Year with her family and her best friend, Melody. Pacy and Melody learn that the Year of the Rat means that it is going to be a year of changes. The first change Pacy encounters is the possibility of her best friend moving away, then struggles with continuing with her life-long dream of being a writer and illustrator, and even learns that she has flaws of her own that she needs to change. In this novel, Pacy is forced to deal with prejudice, struggles with acceptance and learns to accept the changes that are inevitable.
Although I have never read The Year of the Dog, I really liked Lin's The Year of the Rat. I enjoyed all of the "stories within the story" which explained many traditions in Chinese culture; bringing a deeper understanding to some of the situations the characters face in the book. Students in fifth through eighth grade will easily enjoy this book, relating to some of the issues that Pacy has to face, while learning some interesting things about Chinese culture.
Grandfather's Journey
Allen Say
Genre: Non-Fiction (multicultural literature) My Rating: 4 out of 5 Allen Say's story recounts his grandfather's life in both Japan and America. His grandfather moves to California from Japan and falls in love with the New Word's natural wonders. As his grandfather ages, he begins to miss his friends and family back in Japan and moves back. In Japan, he marries his childhood sweetheart and brings her back to San Francisco Bay and together they have a daughter. When his daughter is nearly grown, his longing for his homeland returns, and the family moves back to Japan. In Japan, the daughter falls in love and is married, and sometime later, Allen Say was born. Allen grows up in Japan, and loves to hear his grandfather tell his stories about life in California. When Allen is a young man, he finally travels to California and falls in love with the land of his grandfather's stories. Eventually, we learn that no matter which country he is in, Say becomes homesick for the other, and through this experience he comes to understand the struggles of a cross cultural existence. I had to read this story a couple of times to keep track of who was who, and where the setting was. Despite the confusion, I really enjoyed Allen Say's story. Say carefully chooses words which capture his family's history, yet any person who has a shared experience can relate. The illustrations are reminiscent of an old family album and add to the personal element of the story. I feel children who have moved to this country from another can find a special connection with Allen Say and his grandfather in this book.
