Collier, Bryan. UPTOWN. New York: Henry Holt and Company, LLC, 2000. ISBN 9780805073997
UPTOWN is a boy's story about what makes his neighborhood special. The special things are very specific and the few words for each thing leaves room for the wonderful collage and watercolor pictures to help tell the story.
The text is very simply written and tells about our character's favorite things in Harlem. "Uptown is canvas awnings on the windows to block the sun. It's like the buildings are all dressed up. Several of the things mentioned are large cultural markers with Harlem being the largest. The narrator tells of The Apollo Theater, jazz music and the Boys Choir of Harlem. A specific reference to "a Van Der Zee photograph" sent me researching because I had not heard of him. I discovered he was an African American photographer who is best known for taking pictures of black New Yorkers. Most comments were about the 3 sisters who were dressed alike in bright yellow dresses. The comments mostly referred to their hair which all have in many braids and pulled up in high pony tails and tied with colorful fabrics. Students loved the picture but had a hard time relating to the fact that these girls looked too old to be dressing alike to go to church.
The words tell a simple story but this book is all about the pictures. The collages will appeal to children especially but older readers can appreciate the detail. For example the pictures of brownstones compared to bars of chocolate are created with pictures of Cadbury chocolate bars. The Van Der Zee photograph page includes very small photos inside different types of frames. The combination of realism and painting will hold the reader's attention for a lot longer than it takes to read the text. So many more details will come out in subsequent viewings of the illustrations.
BOOKLIST - "It's the artwork that takes center stage, the gorgeous, textured collages giving impressions of spaces and moments in the boy's neighborhood."
HORN BOOK GUIDE - "...the reader's senses are bathed in the sights and sounds that make Harlem this small boy's paradise."
This story is also available in audio:
ISBN 9781430100522
Make a collage and write about your hometown favorites.
Listen to the Boys Choir of Harlem:
"Up in Harlem"
ASIN B00000IZTM
visit Bryan Collier's website:
http://www.bryancollier.com/
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Culture 2 - African American: John Henry
Lester, Julius. JOHN HENRY. Ill. by Jerry Pinkney. New York: Puffin Books, 1994. ISBN 0803716060
JOHN HENRY is a tall-tale retold in words and pictures by a terrific pair. The story is based on a ballad and the text is great when read aloud. Readers will recognize many parts of the story about a larger than life man who could break through mountains with 2 sledgehammers faster than any machine. Pinkney's illustrations are a beautiful accompaniment to a story that still mesmerizes those who hear it.
The story of John Henry comes from a black folk ballad. Some of the lines of text are said to be taken directly from the song but there seem to be quite a few different versions of the song. The idea that John Henry could work harder and faster than any steam drill of his time is accurate in songs and in this text as well. The exaggeration in the story is what makes the tale so easy to listen to. When describing the boulder in the path of a road being built it is described as being "hard as anger and so big around, it took half a week for a tall man to walk from one side to the other." Students I read this to loved when "John Henry was swinging the hammers so fast, he was making a rainbow around his shoulders." The picture for this is mostly shades of brown and beige which enables the rainbow to stand out. The song John Henry sings is definitely in the fashion of a ballad, "I got a rainbow...Tied round my shoulder...It ain't gon' rain, No, it ain't gon' rain."
The books illustrations depict African Americans and whites side by side in many of the pictures. One of the illustrations shows John Henry talking with Ferret-Faced Freddy and a little girl watching their conversation stands out. She is a black girl with round cheeks and braids on her head and she is smiling at the men's bet being made. The pictures portray all the characters accurately in terms of clothing for the time of the story. John Henry's character is shown to be larger than all the other characters since he "grew until his head and shoulders busted through the roof which was over the porch."
Students I read this to were mostly familiar with this story and knew it was a tall tale but were so captured with the story that when I came to the end and it says he was buried in the White House lawn wanted to find out if that was true by taking a trip to see it for themselves.
BOOKLIST - "...the story is told with rhythm and wit, humor and exaggeration, and with a heart-catching immediacy that connects the human and the natural world."
HORN BOOK GUIDE - "Pinkney's evocative illustrations - especially the landscapes, splotchy and impressionistic, yet very solid and vigorous - are little short of magnificent."
Watch a videocassette of the story:
JOHN HENRY
ASIN 6304049285
Read other Caldecott Honor books illustrated by Jerry Pinkney:
THE TALKING EGG by Robert D. San Souci
ISBN 9780590441896
MIRANDY AND BROTHER WIND by Patricia McKissack
ISBN 9780679883333
JOHN HENRY is a tall-tale retold in words and pictures by a terrific pair. The story is based on a ballad and the text is great when read aloud. Readers will recognize many parts of the story about a larger than life man who could break through mountains with 2 sledgehammers faster than any machine. Pinkney's illustrations are a beautiful accompaniment to a story that still mesmerizes those who hear it.
The story of John Henry comes from a black folk ballad. Some of the lines of text are said to be taken directly from the song but there seem to be quite a few different versions of the song. The idea that John Henry could work harder and faster than any steam drill of his time is accurate in songs and in this text as well. The exaggeration in the story is what makes the tale so easy to listen to. When describing the boulder in the path of a road being built it is described as being "hard as anger and so big around, it took half a week for a tall man to walk from one side to the other." Students I read this to loved when "John Henry was swinging the hammers so fast, he was making a rainbow around his shoulders." The picture for this is mostly shades of brown and beige which enables the rainbow to stand out. The song John Henry sings is definitely in the fashion of a ballad, "I got a rainbow...Tied round my shoulder...It ain't gon' rain, No, it ain't gon' rain."
The books illustrations depict African Americans and whites side by side in many of the pictures. One of the illustrations shows John Henry talking with Ferret-Faced Freddy and a little girl watching their conversation stands out. She is a black girl with round cheeks and braids on her head and she is smiling at the men's bet being made. The pictures portray all the characters accurately in terms of clothing for the time of the story. John Henry's character is shown to be larger than all the other characters since he "grew until his head and shoulders busted through the roof which was over the porch."
Students I read this to were mostly familiar with this story and knew it was a tall tale but were so captured with the story that when I came to the end and it says he was buried in the White House lawn wanted to find out if that was true by taking a trip to see it for themselves.
BOOKLIST - "...the story is told with rhythm and wit, humor and exaggeration, and with a heart-catching immediacy that connects the human and the natural world."
HORN BOOK GUIDE - "Pinkney's evocative illustrations - especially the landscapes, splotchy and impressionistic, yet very solid and vigorous - are little short of magnificent."
Watch a videocassette of the story:
JOHN HENRY
ASIN 6304049285
Read other Caldecott Honor books illustrated by Jerry Pinkney:
THE TALKING EGG by Robert D. San Souci
ISBN 9780590441896
MIRANDY AND BROTHER WIND by Patricia McKissack
ISBN 9780679883333
Culture 2 - African American: John Henry
Lester, Julius. JOHN HENRY. Ill. by Jerry Pinkney. New York: Puffin Books, 1994. ISBN 0803716060
JOHN HENRY is a tall-tale retold in words and pictures by a terrific pair. The story is based on a ballad and the text is great when read aloud. Readers will recognize many parts of the story about a larger than life man who could break through mountains with 2 sledgehammers faster than any machine. Pinkney's illustrations are a beautiful accompaniment to a story that still mesmerizes those who hear it.
The story of John Henry comes from a black folk ballad. Some of the lines of text are said to be taken directly from the song but there seem to be quite a few different versions of the song. The idea that John Henry could work harder and faster than any steam drill of his time is accurate in songs and in this text as well. The exaggeration in the story is what makes the tale so easy to listen to. When describing the boulder in the path of a road being built it is described as being "hard as anger and so big around, it took half a week for a tall man to walk from one side to the other." Students I read this to loved when "John Henry was swinging the hammers so fast, he was making a rainbow around his shoulders." The picture for this is mostly shades of brown and beige which enables the rainbow to stand out. The song John Henry sings is definitely in the fashion of a ballad, "I got a rainbow...Tied round my shoulder...It ain't gon' rain, No, it ain't gon' rain."
The books illustrations depict African Americans and whites side by side in many of the pictures. One of the illustrations shows John Henry talking with Ferret-Faced Freddy and a little girl watching their conversation stands out. She is a black girl with round cheeks and braids on her head and she is smiling at the men's bet being made. The pictures portray all the characters accurately in terms of clothing for the time of the story. John Henry's character is shown to be larger than all the other characters since he "grew until his head and shoulders busted through the roof which was over the porch."
Students I read this to were mostly familiar with this story and knew it was a tall tale but were so captured with the story that when I came to the end and it says he was buried in the White House lawn wanted to find out if that was true by taking a trip to see it for themselves.
BOOKLIST - "...the story is told with rhythm and wit, humor and exaggeration, and with a heart-catching immediacy that connects the human and the natural world."
HORN BOOK GUIDE - "Pinkney's evocative illustrations - especially the landscapes, splotchy and impressionistic, yet very solid and vigorous - are little short of magnificent."
Watch a videocassette of the story:
JOHN HENRY
ASIN 6304049285
Read other Caldecott Honor books illustrated by Jerry Pinkney:
THE TALKING EGG by Robert D. San Souci
ISBN 9780590441896
MIRANDY AND BROTHER WIND by Patricia McKissack
ISBN 9780679883333
JOHN HENRY is a tall-tale retold in words and pictures by a terrific pair. The story is based on a ballad and the text is great when read aloud. Readers will recognize many parts of the story about a larger than life man who could break through mountains with 2 sledgehammers faster than any machine. Pinkney's illustrations are a beautiful accompaniment to a story that still mesmerizes those who hear it.
The story of John Henry comes from a black folk ballad. Some of the lines of text are said to be taken directly from the song but there seem to be quite a few different versions of the song. The idea that John Henry could work harder and faster than any steam drill of his time is accurate in songs and in this text as well. The exaggeration in the story is what makes the tale so easy to listen to. When describing the boulder in the path of a road being built it is described as being "hard as anger and so big around, it took half a week for a tall man to walk from one side to the other." Students I read this to loved when "John Henry was swinging the hammers so fast, he was making a rainbow around his shoulders." The picture for this is mostly shades of brown and beige which enables the rainbow to stand out. The song John Henry sings is definitely in the fashion of a ballad, "I got a rainbow...Tied round my shoulder...It ain't gon' rain, No, it ain't gon' rain."
The books illustrations depict African Americans and whites side by side in many of the pictures. One of the illustrations shows John Henry talking with Ferret-Faced Freddy and a little girl watching their conversation stands out. She is a black girl with round cheeks and braids on her head and she is smiling at the men's bet being made. The pictures portray all the characters accurately in terms of clothing for the time of the story. John Henry's character is shown to be larger than all the other characters since he "grew until his head and shoulders busted through the roof which was over the porch."
Students I read this to were mostly familiar with this story and knew it was a tall tale but were so captured with the story that when I came to the end and it says he was buried in the White House lawn wanted to find out if that was true by taking a trip to see it for themselves.
BOOKLIST - "...the story is told with rhythm and wit, humor and exaggeration, and with a heart-catching immediacy that connects the human and the natural world."
HORN BOOK GUIDE - "Pinkney's evocative illustrations - especially the landscapes, splotchy and impressionistic, yet very solid and vigorous - are little short of magnificent."
Watch a videocassette of the story:
JOHN HENRY
ASIN 6304049285
Read other Caldecott Honor books illustrated by Jerry Pinkney:
THE TALKING EGG by Robert D. San Souci
ISBN 9780590441896
MIRANDY AND BROTHER WIND by Patricia McKissack
ISBN 9780679883333
Culture 2 - African American: The Dear One
Woodson, Jacqueline. THE DEAR ONE. New York: Speak, 1991. ISBN 0142501905
Twelve year old Feni's comfortable world is turned upside down when her mother opens up their home to a pregnant 15 year old girl, Rebecca. Feni is an African-American girl who has lived a privileged lifestyle and her beliefs and idealogy are challenged when she begins to befriend this 15 year old who has been living a vastly different lifestyle. The two girls form a strong friendship as they decide to be open to learning about new things.
From the beginning we see a picture of Feni's privileged life and Feni's mother wants her to understand and appreciate it in relationship to her being black. "Black professionals are special, Feni. The kids should be proud of who they are." Feni pretends not to care about having money and things that others do not, but when confronted by Rebecca she begins to see how different her life is. Rebecca tells her to trade beds so Feni would have to sleep on a cot and Feni angrily gives in to prove to herself and Rebecca she is not who she appears to be. "Trade beds with me. You got that big bed with that soft mattress. I know, 'cause I felt it. That's how your whole life's been, isn't it? All rich and soft."
Another contrast between the 2 girls and a cultural marker in some aspects is the character's language. When Feni and Rebecca meet for the first time Rebecca comments on "those fishes" in their fish tank and is corrected by Feni. Rebecca fires back at Feni, "Look. Just 'cause I'm in your ritzy little house,' she hissed, 'doesn't mean you gonna teach me how to talk and tell me what to do. I don't want to be in this mansion in the boring country nohow!" Rebecca later accuses Feni of not acting black because of terms she doesn't understand. Rebecca talks about a friend getting "cracked out." "Learn the language already,' Rebecca said. 'God! You're black. Talk like it.' "
Another strong cultural marker comes near the end of the book when Feni explains her name is Swahili. Feni tells Rebecca, "It's short for Afeni, which means 'the Dear One.' "
Feni wraps up the truths she learned for herself as a black girl and for readers when she sees her family and friends as "a long line of dear ones." The truths apply to anyone struggling to seek people as people, regardless of color or background.
HORN BOOK GUIDE - "Woodson's strikingly original story, with its richly developed characters, makes this a welcome reissue."
PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY - "Woodson's deep understanding of and concern for the role of black women in society is evident as she eloquently introduces the reader to teenage pregnancy, alternate lifestyles and adoption in her moving, powerful story."
Other books by Jacqueline Woodson:
BETWEEN MADISON AND PALMETTO
ISBN 9780399237577
MIRACLE'S BOYS
ISBN 9780399231131
LOCOMOTION
ISBN 9780142401491
Twelve year old Feni's comfortable world is turned upside down when her mother opens up their home to a pregnant 15 year old girl, Rebecca. Feni is an African-American girl who has lived a privileged lifestyle and her beliefs and idealogy are challenged when she begins to befriend this 15 year old who has been living a vastly different lifestyle. The two girls form a strong friendship as they decide to be open to learning about new things.
From the beginning we see a picture of Feni's privileged life and Feni's mother wants her to understand and appreciate it in relationship to her being black. "Black professionals are special, Feni. The kids should be proud of who they are." Feni pretends not to care about having money and things that others do not, but when confronted by Rebecca she begins to see how different her life is. Rebecca tells her to trade beds so Feni would have to sleep on a cot and Feni angrily gives in to prove to herself and Rebecca she is not who she appears to be. "Trade beds with me. You got that big bed with that soft mattress. I know, 'cause I felt it. That's how your whole life's been, isn't it? All rich and soft."
Another contrast between the 2 girls and a cultural marker in some aspects is the character's language. When Feni and Rebecca meet for the first time Rebecca comments on "those fishes" in their fish tank and is corrected by Feni. Rebecca fires back at Feni, "Look. Just 'cause I'm in your ritzy little house,' she hissed, 'doesn't mean you gonna teach me how to talk and tell me what to do. I don't want to be in this mansion in the boring country nohow!" Rebecca later accuses Feni of not acting black because of terms she doesn't understand. Rebecca talks about a friend getting "cracked out." "Learn the language already,' Rebecca said. 'God! You're black. Talk like it.' "
Another strong cultural marker comes near the end of the book when Feni explains her name is Swahili. Feni tells Rebecca, "It's short for Afeni, which means 'the Dear One.' "
Feni wraps up the truths she learned for herself as a black girl and for readers when she sees her family and friends as "a long line of dear ones." The truths apply to anyone struggling to seek people as people, regardless of color or background.
HORN BOOK GUIDE - "Woodson's strikingly original story, with its richly developed characters, makes this a welcome reissue."
PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY - "Woodson's deep understanding of and concern for the role of black women in society is evident as she eloquently introduces the reader to teenage pregnancy, alternate lifestyles and adoption in her moving, powerful story."
Other books by Jacqueline Woodson:
BETWEEN MADISON AND PALMETTO
ISBN 9780399237577
MIRACLE'S BOYS
ISBN 9780399231131
LOCOMOTION
ISBN 9780142401491
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Culture 1 - International: The Shadows of Ghadames
Stolz, Joelle. THE SHADOWS OF GHADAMES. Trans. by Catherine Temerson. New York: Delacourte Press, 1999. ISBN 0385901313
Malika is an 11 year old girl growing up in Ghadames, a Libyan city, in the late 19th century. Ghadames is a city steeped in traditions where Muslim women are kept secluded from many things. Malika is a bright young girl questioning the way things are in the secret world of women and begins to see hope for change.
Many readers will know that women are considered to be inferior to men in some cultures but may not realize that there is a sort of secret world for these same women. THE SHADOWS OF GHADAMES title even alludes to the fact that women are in the shadows of what goes on in this Libyan city. Malika, the main character, is nearly 12 and almost of a marrying age and it is through her eyes that she and the reader learn many Muslim customs and customs which may not be related, festivals, and other traditions for women. "The rooftops of Ghadames are like a city above the city, an open, sunny town for women only, where they walk about, lead their own lives, visit one another, and never talk to men." Malika is inquisitive and is learning things from an ultra-traditional mother as well as her father's other wife from another city whose ways are not as strict. Malika is learning from each woman which leads to frustration while she is forming her own ideas about life. This is a theme older students will be able to relate to regardless of culture.
Many words in the book are specific to the culture and related to things such as clothing, "throwing the thick pleats of his burnoose behind his shoulder", beliefs, "jinn, or spirits", and religion, such as references to Ramadan.
A big issue for Malika is that she wants to learn to read and in Ghadames that is not normally taught to girls. We see evidence of change coming concerning this issue because her mother doesn't read but the second wife does and Malika's father would like her to learn. A visitor is able to begin teaching her after her mother consents.
Stolz also is descriptive of how the characters look. Malika's mother "has bluish tattoos on her forehead and chin, and a mark in the shape of a star on each of her cheekbones." Even jewelry worn by women is important. When the men are returning from a journey the women can wear jewelry such as "silver drops that dangle gently against their cheeks; they slip on bracelets and anklets...fasten necklaces made of fragrant grains...pin on a brooch..." Descriptions of clothing help the reader to visualize the characters also: Malika's father in a "camel-hair burnoose...and his head is wrapped in a turban with the flaps floating around his neck. When it's time to leave, he will fold them over his mouth, as the Tuareg nomads do" and the second wife, Bilkisu, "draped in indigo blue veils."
This is an eye-opening book that could raise many questions that a reader could begin researching to learn more about women in this culture.
BOOKLIST - "Stolz invigorates her tale with elegant prose and a deft portrayal of a girl verging on adolescence."
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL - "This quiet story is notable for the intimate picture of the traditional Muslim world that it conveys."
Read about Arab women:
ARAB WOMEN: BETWEEN DEFIANCE AND RESTRAINT by Suha Sabbagh
ISBN 9781566561877
Read more Batchelder Award books:
THE PULL OF THE OCEAN by Jean-Claude Mourlevat
ISBN 9780385733489
AN INNOCENT SOLDIER by Josef Holub
ISBN9780439627719
Malika is an 11 year old girl growing up in Ghadames, a Libyan city, in the late 19th century. Ghadames is a city steeped in traditions where Muslim women are kept secluded from many things. Malika is a bright young girl questioning the way things are in the secret world of women and begins to see hope for change.
Many readers will know that women are considered to be inferior to men in some cultures but may not realize that there is a sort of secret world for these same women. THE SHADOWS OF GHADAMES title even alludes to the fact that women are in the shadows of what goes on in this Libyan city. Malika, the main character, is nearly 12 and almost of a marrying age and it is through her eyes that she and the reader learn many Muslim customs and customs which may not be related, festivals, and other traditions for women. "The rooftops of Ghadames are like a city above the city, an open, sunny town for women only, where they walk about, lead their own lives, visit one another, and never talk to men." Malika is inquisitive and is learning things from an ultra-traditional mother as well as her father's other wife from another city whose ways are not as strict. Malika is learning from each woman which leads to frustration while she is forming her own ideas about life. This is a theme older students will be able to relate to regardless of culture.
Many words in the book are specific to the culture and related to things such as clothing, "throwing the thick pleats of his burnoose behind his shoulder", beliefs, "jinn, or spirits", and religion, such as references to Ramadan.
A big issue for Malika is that she wants to learn to read and in Ghadames that is not normally taught to girls. We see evidence of change coming concerning this issue because her mother doesn't read but the second wife does and Malika's father would like her to learn. A visitor is able to begin teaching her after her mother consents.
Stolz also is descriptive of how the characters look. Malika's mother "has bluish tattoos on her forehead and chin, and a mark in the shape of a star on each of her cheekbones." Even jewelry worn by women is important. When the men are returning from a journey the women can wear jewelry such as "silver drops that dangle gently against their cheeks; they slip on bracelets and anklets...fasten necklaces made of fragrant grains...pin on a brooch..." Descriptions of clothing help the reader to visualize the characters also: Malika's father in a "camel-hair burnoose...and his head is wrapped in a turban with the flaps floating around his neck. When it's time to leave, he will fold them over his mouth, as the Tuareg nomads do" and the second wife, Bilkisu, "draped in indigo blue veils."
This is an eye-opening book that could raise many questions that a reader could begin researching to learn more about women in this culture.
BOOKLIST - "Stolz invigorates her tale with elegant prose and a deft portrayal of a girl verging on adolescence."
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL - "This quiet story is notable for the intimate picture of the traditional Muslim world that it conveys."
Read about Arab women:
ARAB WOMEN: BETWEEN DEFIANCE AND RESTRAINT by Suha Sabbagh
ISBN 9781566561877
Read more Batchelder Award books:
THE PULL OF THE OCEAN by Jean-Claude Mourlevat
ISBN 9780385733489
AN INNOCENT SOLDIER by Josef Holub
ISBN9780439627719
Culture 1 - International: The Breadwinner
Ellis, Deborah. THE BREADWINNER. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000. ISBN 9780192752840
A sixth grade girl growing up in Afghanistan under the Taliban, must become the breadwinner for her family after her father is taken away. Parvana takes on a dangerous challenge to be able to care for remaining family. Her eyes are opened to more horrors than she thought existed and yet she is able to see glimpses of hope.
The Breadwinner is rich in cultural markers. The map at the beginning of the book and the glossary were so helpful. Many of the terms listed related to clothing and the first sentence of the book lets readers know they will be learning as well as becoming involved in the character's world. " " I can read that letter as well as Father can, " Parvana whispered into the folds of her chador." The next few paragraphs go on to give background as to why Parvana must whisper and some of the events that have occurred due to the existence of the Taliban in Afghanistan. Readers are quickly pulled into a world most cannot comprehend and will want to know more. Ellis does a great job incorporating so many aspects of Parvana's day to day existence by dialogue and Parvana's thoughts which at times show a great deal of fear for her way of life. When her family decides to recreate her as a boy so she can leave the house to get things they need to survive Parvana has a great deal of internal conflict and her sister accuses her of being scared. Parvana's response shows she realizes the dangers she will face in this endeavor, " "It's safe to call someone else scared when you're safe inside your home all the time!" " But her fear of her family suffering pushes her to do this extraordinary task. It is this combination of internal and external conflict that draws the reader into this world that more students are hearing about because of references to the Taliban, Kabul, Jalalabad and Kandahar in the news.
The names of the characters are so beautiful one might wish to hear them spoken - Mrs. Weera, Maryam, Shauzia, Nooria. The fact that there are so many people interacting with Parvana shows how Taliban rule affects people of all ages and from many parts of Afghanistan.
The story is enlightening and disturbing because of the reality of the severe restrictions placed on people. Middle school aged children will be moved by the emotion woven into the truth of the characters' lives.
BOOKLIST - "The Breadwinner is a potent portrait of life in contemporary Afghanistan, showing that powerful heroines can survive even in the most oppressive and sexist social conditions."
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL - "The girl's courage and wit are admirable; she comes alive as a character..."
Read other books by Deborah Ellis:
PARVANA'S JOURNEY
ISBN 9780192753489
MUD CITY
ISBN9780192753762
A sixth grade girl growing up in Afghanistan under the Taliban, must become the breadwinner for her family after her father is taken away. Parvana takes on a dangerous challenge to be able to care for remaining family. Her eyes are opened to more horrors than she thought existed and yet she is able to see glimpses of hope.
The Breadwinner is rich in cultural markers. The map at the beginning of the book and the glossary were so helpful. Many of the terms listed related to clothing and the first sentence of the book lets readers know they will be learning as well as becoming involved in the character's world. " " I can read that letter as well as Father can, " Parvana whispered into the folds of her chador." The next few paragraphs go on to give background as to why Parvana must whisper and some of the events that have occurred due to the existence of the Taliban in Afghanistan. Readers are quickly pulled into a world most cannot comprehend and will want to know more. Ellis does a great job incorporating so many aspects of Parvana's day to day existence by dialogue and Parvana's thoughts which at times show a great deal of fear for her way of life. When her family decides to recreate her as a boy so she can leave the house to get things they need to survive Parvana has a great deal of internal conflict and her sister accuses her of being scared. Parvana's response shows she realizes the dangers she will face in this endeavor, " "It's safe to call someone else scared when you're safe inside your home all the time!" " But her fear of her family suffering pushes her to do this extraordinary task. It is this combination of internal and external conflict that draws the reader into this world that more students are hearing about because of references to the Taliban, Kabul, Jalalabad and Kandahar in the news.
The names of the characters are so beautiful one might wish to hear them spoken - Mrs. Weera, Maryam, Shauzia, Nooria. The fact that there are so many people interacting with Parvana shows how Taliban rule affects people of all ages and from many parts of Afghanistan.
The story is enlightening and disturbing because of the reality of the severe restrictions placed on people. Middle school aged children will be moved by the emotion woven into the truth of the characters' lives.
BOOKLIST - "The Breadwinner is a potent portrait of life in contemporary Afghanistan, showing that powerful heroines can survive even in the most oppressive and sexist social conditions."
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL - "The girl's courage and wit are admirable; she comes alive as a character..."
Read other books by Deborah Ellis:
PARVANA'S JOURNEY
ISBN 9780192753489
MUD CITY
ISBN9780192753762
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Culture 1 - International: Koala Lou
Fox, Mem. KOALA LOU. Ill. by Pamela Lofts. Melbourne: Ian Drake Publishing, 1988. ISBN 0152000763
A young koala loves to hear how her mother loves her. When baby brothers and sisters come along mother's attention must be divided among all the children and leaves Koala Lou feeling left out. She comes up with a plan to gain her mother's attention from her mother. Even though her plan doesn't go her way she still receives the reward she was initially seeking - her mother's reassurance of love.
Mem Fox's book KOALA LOU is mostly a sweet story with simple text and story line written to assure children parents love them even if they are sometimes too busy to say it.
The book is set in the Australian bush but doesn't overwhelm the reader with terms that would cloud the true message of the book. The text combined with Pamela Loft's detailed yet soft illustrations create a fantastic opportunity to teach about the landscape, plants and animals of Australia. "SHE would enter the Bush Olympics! She would compete in the gum tree climbing event,..." face a page with a gum tree, owl and a lizard. The most colorful page shows so many native animals ready for the Bush Olympics. Many of the animals are wearing hats in honor of the occasion.
My son read the book and was fascinated by the animals illustrated throughout the book. He was also sure Koala Lou would win her event at the Bush Olympics.
The text and illustrations combine factual information about Australia and a fanciful story of talking animals for younger children. Children may be excited when they hear the reference to the kookaburra because they may have heard the song about it.
HORN BOOK - "A first-rate choice for bedtime, story hour, or reading aloud."
KIRKUS REVIEWS - "Another winning import from one of Australia's favorite authors."
Check out the Kookaburra Song - http://www.kiddyhouse.com/Songs/Kookaburra.html
Teach children about Australian animals and the gum tree, also known as a eucalyptus tree.
Read HUNWICK'S EGG by Mem Fox.
ISBN 9780152163181
A young koala loves to hear how her mother loves her. When baby brothers and sisters come along mother's attention must be divided among all the children and leaves Koala Lou feeling left out. She comes up with a plan to gain her mother's attention from her mother. Even though her plan doesn't go her way she still receives the reward she was initially seeking - her mother's reassurance of love.
Mem Fox's book KOALA LOU is mostly a sweet story with simple text and story line written to assure children parents love them even if they are sometimes too busy to say it.
The book is set in the Australian bush but doesn't overwhelm the reader with terms that would cloud the true message of the book. The text combined with Pamela Loft's detailed yet soft illustrations create a fantastic opportunity to teach about the landscape, plants and animals of Australia. "SHE would enter the Bush Olympics! She would compete in the gum tree climbing event,..." face a page with a gum tree, owl and a lizard. The most colorful page shows so many native animals ready for the Bush Olympics. Many of the animals are wearing hats in honor of the occasion.
My son read the book and was fascinated by the animals illustrated throughout the book. He was also sure Koala Lou would win her event at the Bush Olympics.
The text and illustrations combine factual information about Australia and a fanciful story of talking animals for younger children. Children may be excited when they hear the reference to the kookaburra because they may have heard the song about it.
HORN BOOK - "A first-rate choice for bedtime, story hour, or reading aloud."
KIRKUS REVIEWS - "Another winning import from one of Australia's favorite authors."
Check out the Kookaburra Song - http://www.kiddyhouse.com/Songs/Kookaburra.html
Teach children about Australian animals and the gum tree, also known as a eucalyptus tree.
Read HUNWICK'S EGG by Mem Fox.
ISBN 9780152163181
Sunday, June 3, 2007
Welcome!
I am creating this blog for a graduate class I am taking at Texas Woman's University. The class is about multicultural literature for children and young adults. I will be posting my reviews and thoughts about books I will be reading this summer.
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