I love books!

I will be updating my literature blog to add video book talks in the near future.

The Harry Potter Series

I was teaching 5th grade at Enterprise Elementary School when Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone first hit the shelves at bookstores. Never being a fan of much fantasy, I had not anticipated the flurry of youngsters that would rediscover a love of reading. Students that I could not get to read at all were not devouring this text with intense motivation. I had not witnessed this kind of enthusiasm for a book in well...ever. Children were beginning the book one day and finishing it the next day. Their parents were telling me that they could not get their child to go to sleep because he or she wanted to finish the book. I, of course, could not be left out of the fervor. I knew that I must read it to stay up to date with my students. Like them, I could not put the book down and read it in one sitting. When I closed the book, I knew what these young people must have been thinking: "When is the sequel due out?" The school librarian and I started a Harry Potter book club as an after school program so that parents who protested against reading the book would not feel obligated. What fun memories those are! What I enjoyed about the Harry Potter series was that, in my opinion, an author had made the fantasy genre come to life. Rowling ingeniously wove together a story that had just enough realism and just enough fantasy to whet the imaginative appetites of readers at all levels, from all backgrounds, both male and female. My favorite books in the series were The Sorcerer's Stone, Prisoner of Azkaban, and The Half-Blood Prince. All in the series are ripe with discussion topics and themes: good v. evil, values and beliefs, trust and friendship, the importance of family, decision-making skills, honor & courage, and more. I realize that this kind of tale, of witches and magic, is not for everyone; and, I certainly encourage parents and teachers to discuss the fantastical aspects of fantasy literature with children as part of genre study. However, I have enjoyed "watching" Harry and his friends grow up, and I think most young people will, too.

Drummer Hoff Fires Off - 1968 Caldecott Award Winner

I selected this book because it was written the year I was born, and I wanted to compare this Caldecott Award winner (a book written back when I was a child) to more recent winners. Though I can see how the illustrations may have won the award back in 1968, it is amazing how far children's illustrators have progressed and changed since then. Certainly, the story itself was less than exciting; but, I realize that the award was won for the illustrations and not the writing. Nonetheless, I must say that I would probably use this book strictly as a means to show prominent illustration styles from the decades of the 50's and 60's as compared to present day illustration styles.

Project Mulberry - 2009 Rebecca Caudill Nominee

Project Mulbery was an interesting read from the standpoint of learning about Korean culture. I learned new words, foods, etc. It made me want to visit the country. I listened to this book on audio (CD) and was fascinated with the main character's interactions with the author. :) I thought Linda Sue Park did a masterful job of making Julia a very reflective character in terms of what was going on in the story and her reactions/behaviors that related to those story events. I was particularly impressed with the honest nature of the inner battle that Julia had within herself about being proud to be Korean. Being from Illinois, it was nice to read about a setting for which I was somewhat familiar. On the other hand, I got a little bored with the story line of the science fair project. It seemed to me that the conflict about whether or not to do the project or sabotage the project went on longer than I expected. However, I was rooting for Julia and Patrick's project to win. This book was just okay for me. I like other work from this author much better such as When My Name Was Keoko, and I absolutely loved A Single Shard. All in all, I think Linda Sue Park is a prolific writer, and her contribution to multicultural literature is well noted.

Missing May - 1993 Newbery Award Winner

Summer is a little girl who rotates from relative to relative until landing in a secure home with her Aunt May and Uncle Ob; but, when Aunt May dies (which is where the story really begins), the death leaves Uncle Ob and Summer reeling with the grief of losing a loved one. By taking a road trip that was both a physical trip as well as an emotional one, Summer, and especially Ob, begin to come to grips with the loss of May. This was such an endearing story. If the reader knows anything about losing a relative or close friend like this, he or she will be touched by this story. It is a short but impactful read that gives permission for people to grieve in their own time and in their own way, yet provides hope for learning how to live with one's loss. There have been a few classroom teachers who have shared how they were able to use this book with students who had lost a parent or grandparent as a means of helping them cope with the death in the family. Be warned though - you might need to bring along a tissue while you read. 

Click Clack Moo, Cows That Type

This book is about farm animals, cows in this case, who demand electric blankets from Farmer Brown because the barns are cold at night or else they won't produce any more milk. The chickens jump on the bandwagon with some demands of their own as they, too, leave their ultimatums as typed letters on Farmer Brown's barn door. This book was such a hit with me that I became a Cronin and Lewin fan instantly. Click Clack Moo is cleverly written, and the humor sprinkled throughout the story is timed just right. The illustrations add to the humor as the reader investigates the character's facial expressions on the pages as events take place. As a teacher, what I like about the book is that it is not just entertaining. It can be used with older students, too, as a way of incorporating letter writing into the language arts curriculum, to emphasize keyboarding skills in the technology curriculum, and used in a social studies/history lesson or unit as a catalyst to discuss labor unions and labor union agreements or as a way to apply to many real-life situations that deal with negotiating/arbitration in general. I think this one will become a classic or at least a "must read" on the list of every elementary schoolteacher.

Stink - 2009 Monarch Nominee

After reading this book, I am now a Stink fan. I had not read any of the Stink series, let alone the Judy Moody series (surprise, surprise). However, I will now be reading them. The author does a nice job of realistically portraying a brother-sister rivalry that is riddled with underlying love and care for one another. This was an easy read and one that children of all ages will enjoy. Kindergarten through 3rd graders will relate to Stink's issues throughout the story. The cartoon strips after each chapter were a hoot!