BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Frost, Helen. 2003. Keesha’s House. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. ISBN: 9780374340643

PLOT SUMMARY:

This young adult novel is written in a poetic series of sestinas and sonnets. It tells the story of seven young teenagers in difficult life situations, struggling to survive. Each teen tells their story in a short verse. There is a safe house that they all find their way to. This house provides them with safety and some comfort from the very adult problems they are faced with. We also hear from some of the adults in their lives and get a perspective on their side of the story. Each teen has a chance to speak again as the book concludes, allowing the reader to hear how the teen has evolved from their experience of living at the safe house.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS:

This book easily draws the reader in, both due to the writing style and the disturbing subject matter of the story. The story is told in the voices of six young teenagers in a series of sonnets and sestinas. These are teenagers living very grown up lives, shouldering burdens that anyone could buckle under. One girl is pregnant and afraid to tell anyone, except her boyfriend. The boyfriend is set to go off to college on an all sports scholarship. Another girl is fighting off advances her mothers new husband is making towards her. The third girl is living with her grandmother and falling into the world of drinking and going along with the crowd. One boy is discovering that he is gay and is now disowned by his father. Another boy is living in a series of foster homes unsuccessfully while he waits for his parents to be released from prison.

The odds that these young people were up against often seemed insurmountable, and yet they strived for survival. These are the voices of strong souls who have found themselves with troubles they did not ask for and want just to live in comfort and safety and to have “family”.

The story told in verse moves quickly while each voice heard is very individual. While reading the stories of these young adults the reader is not overly aware of the story being told in verse. This is a very effective way to introduce a form of poetry young adults may not be familiar with.

This successful first novel by author Helen Frost won the 2004 Michael L. Printz Honor Award.

REVIEW EXCERPTS:

School Library Journal: “Teens may read this engaging novel without even realizing they are reading poetry.”

VOYA: “Spare, eloquent, and elegantly concise.”

Alan Review: ” The rhythmic quality and easy flow of the poetic forms allow the reader to feel the life in these characters in a powerful way.”

CONNECTIONS:

•Have students try writing in free verse, perhaps a day in their life or one memorable event.

•For more young adult themed novels written in verse, try:

Herrera, Juan Felipe. Crashboomlove: A Novel in Verse. ISBN: 9780826321145

Glenn, Mel. Split Image. ISBN: 9780060004811

Wayland, April Halprin. Girl Coming in for a Landing. ISBN: 9780440419037

Wolf, Virgina Euwer. Make Lemonade. ISBN: 9780805080704

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Lewis, J. Patrick. 2005. Heroes and She-roes: Poems of Amazing and Everyday Heroes. Ill. Jim Cooke. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers. ISBN: 9780803729254

PLOT SUMMARY:

In this collection of 21 poems, both the well known and the obscure are given tribute. Each poem is followed with a brief description of the hero that is being written about. Heroes range from “elementary school teacher” to Gandhi to Rosa Parks. Bright, colorful illustrations accompany each poem.

CRITICAL SUMMARY:

The heroes that are celebrated in this collection of poems cover a broad and diverse range of people and even animals. The poems vary in length from four lines to four paragraphs. All the poems are easy to read and the message being delivered about the hero is clear. The brief explanations after each poem give a little more background on each person or event that I found very helpful. These poems all carry a message about doing good for others. Many of the heroes showed true courage and bravery, as in the “Unknown Rebel” who stood in front of an army tank in Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China. There was even a tribute to The Wonder Dog” named Togo who led a pack of sled dogs in Alaska to bring medicine to children during a diphtheria outbreak.

Most memorable though is the author’s note at the end of the book in which he writes thoughtfully about an elementary school janitor who went above and beyond his duties to help make the school a happy and harmonious setting.

The illustrations are oil paint on illustration board and are quite colorful and vibrant. Each person is realistically depicted.

REVIEW EXCERPTS:

School Library Journal: This is an important title that will inspire young people and perhaps encourage them to look more deeply into the lives of others as well as their own.

Booklist: This is an entertaining collection, however, and a brief biographical note about each subject included with each supplies a few additional, interesting details.

CONNECTIONS:

• Have discussion about the heroes in everyday life, and then have children write their own poems about a hero in their life.

• For other J. Patrick Lewis books of poetry try:

Lewis, J. Patrick. Monumental Verses. ISBN: 9780792271352

Lewis, J. Patrick. A World of Wonders: Geographic Travels in Verse and Rhyme. ISBN: 9780803725799

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Simonds, Nina, Leslie Swartz, and The Children’s Museum Boston. 2002. Moonbeams, Dumplings & Dragon Boats. Ill. by Meilo So. New York, NY: Harcourt Inc. ISBN: 9780152019839

PLOT SUMMARY:

Moonbeams, Dumplings & Dragon Boats is a beautiful book that features the four major Chinese Festivals, Chinese New Year and the Lantern Festival, Qing Ming and the Cold Food Festival, The Dragon Boat Festival, and the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival. Each section begins with a description of the festival and the history behind it and has a collection of stories, activities, and recipes that can be shared with children.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS:

This book is brimming with fun activities as well as facts and information about China and the holidays celebrated there. There are plenty of fun craft activities that are tied to the celebrations that have clear instructions included with materials listed needed to complete the activities. None of the activities are overly difficult. The craft activities are designed to delight a child especially if they have made the item themselves. The Chinese Shuttlecock with its colorful tissue paper and the game that follows once the shuttlecock is complete is a perfect example. The paper lanterns for the Lantern Parade are another fun uncomplicated project to complete.

The recipes are simple and look to be a perfect activity to share with a child. Fresh Spring rolls and Sweet Rice Balls are just two examples of the very manageable recipes included.

The artwork is bright, vibrant watercolors with illustrations on every page, accompanying the recipes, activities, and legends told. Even if a child was not going to be participating in a festival activity, the stories included and the exquisite illustrations on each page would surely hold their attention. The animals of the Chinese Zodiac are especially sweet and may even inspire children to try watercoloring similar animals.

This book does a wonderful job of including historical information and covers many legends. This is a terrific book to share with children and allows them a chance to learn and participate in other cultures festivities.

REVIEW EXCERPTS:

School Library Journal: “Moonbeams is a useful, visually appealing addition to any holiday collection.”

Booklist: “This brightly illustrated, large-format book introduces Chinese New Year and the Lantern Festival, Qing Ming and the Cold Foods Festival, the Dragon Boat Festival, and the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival.”

Kirkus Reviews: “Gorgeous watercolors complement and brighten each sampling as well as attract readers with their simple beauty and elegance.”

CONNECTIONS:

• For further cultural connections to Asia for children, try this website:
www.asiaforkids.com

• Other books with stories and activities about the Chinese New Year:

Chan, Hingman. Celebrating Chinese New Year: An Activity Book. ISBN: 9781932457049

Roberts, Cindy. Chinese New Year For Kids. ISBN: 9780970733252

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Young, Ed. 2004. The Lost Horse. San Diego, CA: Harcourt. ISBN: 9780152050238

PLOT SUMMARY:

Sai, a wise man with a son and a strong horse has a good life, until a bolt of lightening scares his horse off. Friends come to offer comfort but Sai, responds that perhaps it is not such a bad thing that he has lost his horse. When the horse returns with a strong mare next to him, Sai’s friends are happy for him and offer him congratulations. Sai responds that maybe that isn’t such a good thing. Later his son rides the horse and is tossed off and breaks his leg. When war breaks out, his son is unable to fight due to his injury and therefore spared from going into battle. The twists and turns that life brings are not always what they seem.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS:

The text to this folktale is short and the message it delivers is clear. Not everything is what it seems. Often what may seem to be a hardship can turn out for the best in the long run. What may seem like a blessing can often turn into a hardship. The lesson of this tale is to trust what life brings you.

This simple tale is complimented with Ed Young’s artwork. The illustrations are a combination of watercolor and collage and are very soft and subtle. Especially dramatic is the picture of men going off to war dressed in dark grey and their horses shrouded in black. The final illustration showing Sai and his son living in peace and harmony is punctuated with brighter happier colors.

REVIEW EXCERPTS:

School Library Journal: “A wonderful elaboration on an ancient Chinese proverb and story dating from the Han Dynasty.”

Kirkus Reviews: “Young’s sensitive illustrations portray both panoramic sweeps of life in ancient China, and the individual characters in the story.”

CONNECTIONS:

• Classroom discussion about learning to accept changes that life can bring and that sometimes the bad can bring good and visa versa.

• Other Chinese folktales by Ed Young:

Young, Ed. Mouse Match: A Chinese Folktale. ISBN: 9780152014537
Young, Ed. Cat and Rat: The Legend of the Chinese Zodiac. ISBN: 9780805060492

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Lowell, Susan. 2000. Cindy Ellen: A Wild Western Cinderella. Ill. by Jane Manning. USA: Harper Collins. ISBN: 0060274468

PLOT SUMMARY:

In this rendition of the Cinderella fairytale, the setting is the Wild West. Complete with cowboys, rodeos and square dancing. Cindy Ellen’s father married a very ornery second wife with two very ornery daughters. Poor Cindy Ellen with her sweet and gentle way doesn’t stand a chance with the new stepmother and sisters. Cindy Ellen is put to work doing all of the hard and dirty work around the ranch.

When everyone dresses up and goes off to a big rodeo celebration, Cindy Ellen is left behind in her tattered clothes. That is when Cindy Ellen meets her fairy godmother. The fairy godmother makes it possible for Cindy Ellen to attend the big celebration where she meets Joe Prince. Things begin to look up for Cindy Ellen as she finds gumption and courage to face up to her mean stepsisters and stepmother. Cindy Ellen and Joe Prince marry and live happily ever after.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS:

The story of Cindy Ellen follows the story line of Cinderella closely. What is fun and unique in this retelling is the Wild West setting. The text is rich with words used in the rodeo and square dancing: figure eight, butterfly, wedding ring, daisy chain, whirlaway and curlicue.

The illustrations are watercolors done in the rich colors of the west. The colorful outfits that Cindy Ellen receives from her fairy godmother light up the page and depicts the delight she is feeling with her chance at riding in the rodeo. The illustrator does a fine job in portraying the ornery stepmother. As she stands, hands on hips, hair flying wildly, belting out orders to Cindy Ellen, we see that her entire profile matches the harsh jagged mountains in the background.

The underlying themes of the tale are positive. Sometimes you need the help of others to help find your way. Your inner courage and gumption are gifts we all have and should use.

REVIEW EXCERPTS:

Kirkus Review: ” Bright, stylish, and with a boosterish concluding note on women in rodeo.”

School Library Journal: “The text is lengthy for a picture book, but is told in language as lively, colorful, and detailed as the watercolor illustrations, and is a delight to read aloud.”

Children’s Literature: “The “yee haw” western lingo provides a barrelful of read-aloud fun, and the colorful illustrations crackle with energy and wit.”

•For other Wild West remakes by Susan Lowell try:

Lowell, Susan. The Bootmaker and the Elves. ISBN: 9780531300442
Lowell, Susan. The Three Little Javelinas: Los tres pequenos jabalies. ISBN:
9780873585422

•To learn more about rodeos try:

Munro, Roxie. Rodeo. ISBN: 9781933979038
Gabbert, Lisa. An American Rodeo: Riding and Roping. 9780823953394

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Taback, Simms. 1999. Joseph Had a Little Overcoat. New York, NY: Viking. ISBN: 0670878553

PLOT SUMMARY:

Joseph has an overcoat that is very old and worn. He decides to make a jacket out of the overcoat. When the jacket becomes worn, he makes a vest, when the vest is worn out, he makes a scarf, the scarf becomes a tie, the tie becomes a handkerchief which eventually becomes a button to fasten his suspenders.

One day the button pops off and is lost. Now there is nothing left of the overcoat. Joseph decides to make a book about the story of his overcoat and the many different uses it had. The moral of the story is you can always make something from nothing.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS:

This story, originally published in 1977, is based on a Yiddish folk song that was a favorite from the author’s childhood called “I Had a Little Overcoat”. The music and lyrics are printed on the last page of the book. This 1999 version of Joseph Had a Little Overcoat includes newly created illustrations by Taback and received both the Caldecott Medal and The Louis Posner Memorial Award.

The text of the story is simple and sequential. The overcoat dwindles in size as Joseph tailors it into new articles of clothing. Especially delightful is the use of die cut shapes for each transformation of the overcoat. Children can guess what the next transformation of the overcoat will be from the die cut shape. Once the page is turned, the reader gets a clear view of the new piece of clothing.

The illustrations are rich and vibrant and comprised of collage, gouache, watercolor and pen and ink. There is much detail on each page, fun patterns and prints in the textiles. The mixture of cut out newsprint and photos adds to the extra details on each page. Adults may chuckle over some of the sideline details such as a newspaper lying on the ground with the headlines “Fiddler Falls Off Roof” and the cross stitched messages on the walls in Joseph’s home. Children will enjoy the colorful details in the farm animals, fruits and vegetables and the many friends and family that surround Joseph.

The story delivers a wonderful message about the possibilities of reuse. Thirty years after the first publication, the message is still an important one. The moral of the story, you can always make something from nothing, ties in beautifully with the message on the value of recycling.

REVIEW EXCERPTS:

Publishers Weekly: “With its effective repetition and an abundance of visual humor, this is tailor-made for reading aloud.”

School Library Journal: “A book bursting at the seams with ingenuity and creative spirit.”

Booklist: “Taback’s mixed media and collage illustrations are alive with warmth, humor, and humanity.”

CONNECTIONS:

• Have a classroom discussion on recycling and reusing. Have the class each bring an item that can be recycled into a new use; for example a soup can become pencil holder.

• Books about recycling and reusing:

Meachen Rau, Dana. A Box Can Be Many Things. ISBN: 978-0516261539

Roca, Nuria. The Three R’s: Reuse, Reduce, Recycle. ISBN: 978-0764135811

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Levine, Ellen. 2007. Henry’s Freedom Box. Ill. by Kadir Nelson. New York, NY: Scholastic Press. ISBN: 978-0763635190

PLOT SUMMARY:

In the mid nineteenth century, young Henry Brown is a slave living with his brothers and sisters in a large house with a kind master. When the master falls ill, Henry dreams he will be set free, only to be sold off to a new master. Separated from his family, Henry is very sad. He goes to work every day in his new master’s tobacco factory. Henry meets another slave named Nancy. He feels happiness again and soon, Henry and Nancy get married. They both work for different masters, but are lucky enough to live together and have three beautiful children. One day Henry learns that his wife and three children have been sold and sent away while he is at work. He runs to the town center only to get there and see his family in a cart disappearing down the road.

Knowing he would never see his family again, Henry could think only of freedom.
Henry makes a courageous plan to be shipped up to friends in Philadelphia in a crate. The trip takes 27 hours, traveling on a boat and a train, upside down and right side up. He eventually arrives in Philadelphia, finally achieving his dream of freedom.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS:

This 2008 Caldecott Honor title is a dramatic tale told from events that actually happened. The history of slavery and consequences of children being separated from brothers and sisters and parents can be a frightening subject to learn about. This story should be shared with discussion of slavery and the risks that people took to gain freedom.

The illustrations of Nelson Kadir are powerful. He uses a mix of cross-hatching with pencil, watercolor and oils inspired by an original lithograph of the actual event. The colors are rich and the use of light within the scene depicts the pictures mood. The drawings are realistic and placement and cropping of the pictures help to convey the emotion of the story. The large double page spread of Henry, his head bent down at work depicts his sorrow and distraction over his worries of losing his family. This is a bittersweet story from an important part of our history. The illustrations are outstanding and bring the story to life.

REVIEW EXCERPTS:

Starred review in Booklist: “A brief author’s note confirms the details of the story, but it’s the dramatic artwork that brings this emphatically to life.”

Starred review in Kirkus: “Nelson’s powerful portraits add a majestic element to Levine’s history-based tale of Henry “Box” Brown.”

Publisher’s Weekly: “These powerful illustrations will make readers feel as if they have gained insight into a resourceful man and his extraordinary story.”

CONNECTIONS:

•To see the original lithograph that inspired this book:
http://docsouth.unc.edu/neh/brownbox/menu.html

•For other books about slavery and freedom:

Weatherford, Carole Boston. Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom. ISBN: 0786851759

Stroud, Bettye. The Patchwork Path: A Quilt Map to Freedom. ISBN: 978-0763635190

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Marcus, Leonard. 2007. Pass It Down: Five Picture-Book Families Make Their Mark. New York, NY: Walker & Co. ISBN: 978-0802796004

PLOT SUMMARY:

Leonard Marcus presents five families involved with children’s picture books and shares their stories. While each family is very different, there is a common theme of parents involving their children with their art and writing projects. Each family shares memories of the beginning of their career in children’s books along with illustrations, early sketches, storyboards and photographs.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS:

This book contains illustrations from books that may be familiar to many readers. The chance to hear how their stories and illustrations came into being allows for a fascinating view into the lives of authors and artists. Each chapter tells the story of one of the five families. Especially effective is the side by side comparison of early sketches of an idea next to the final illustration.

Children and young adults may be inspired by the stories of these families and the paths they followed to their careers. This book will also be of interest to adults involved with children’s literature. This book reinforces the value of involving children and learning by participation.

REVIEW EXCERPTS:

Starred Review in Kirkus Reviews: “Fascinating . . . An outstanding work about the connections between parents and children, editors and artists and readers and writers.”

School Library Journal: The book will be of interest to those readers who enjoy getting behind the scenes of the books they love.

CONNECTIONS:

• Other books dealing with the authors and artists and how they began their careers:

Marcus, Leonard. Side by Side: Five Favorite Picture-Book Teams Go to Work.
ISBN: 978-0802796165

Cummings, Pat. Talking with Artists: Volume 1. ISBN: 978-0027242454

About

This Blog pertains to books I will be reviewing for coursework in Children’s and Young Adult Literature through Texas Woman’s University Graduate School of Library and Information Science.