Tuesday, February 09, 2010
Monday, February 08, 2010
Nonfiction Monday: Hairy Tarantulas
Dewey: 595.4
Hairy Tarantulas by Kathryn Camisa, Bearport, 2009
I am becoming such a fan of Bearport's nonfiction series books. This volume is part of the No Backbone!: the World of Invertebrates series. The format of the book is very well designed and well laid out for young readers. A nicely sized and very readable typeface is used through out. It has several elements, the table of contents, index, a list of additional resources, that are very useful for teaching information skills. The index terms are highlighted in boldface.
Full color photographs of very, very hairy tarantulas are clearly labeled with word balloons and spiderweb shaped text blocks. The information and facts are organized and easy to find.
This series group includes Crafty Garden Spriders, Deadly Black Widow, Jumping Spiders, Spooky Wolf Spiders, and Tricky Trapdoor Spiders.
I would highly recommend this series for Big 6 or Super 3 research projects and for kids who just love reading about spiders.
Nonfiction Monday Roundup is at Great Kid Books.
Wednesday, February 03, 2010
Peter and the Wolf
Peter and the Wolf: based upon the original work by Sergei Prokofiev of Peter and the Wolf, retold by Chris Raschka, Atheneum, 2008 (review copy provided by book retailer)
There is always music in Chris Raschaka's work.
Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf is often the first introduction children have to symphonic music. Raschka recreates the rhythms and melody lines of the music with his text.
Recall the iconic opening of the symphony that represents Peter. It goes like this: 'de dum dum de dum de dum de dum de dum de dum de dum de dumdum de dumdum de dumdumdum.' Rashka echoes this theme with his words as Peter introduces himself
Look at me
Run around and climb around and skip around
in this lovely, large, lovely
Field of green.
Listen to the music as you read this book. The menacing wolf theme is voiced as:
BAaAaAaAH!
Gimme, gimme, gimme
Me, meat to eat
NOW!
Raschka zigs and zags the words and characters across the page as the music moves the story along. Crescendos and rhythms are depicted with upper and lower case letters, as well as, different sized fonts. The reader can hear the oboe and the bird flutter of the flute.
Some scenes are framed in a proscenium theater "made of four squares of heavy paper, cut and painted in water color then glued together to make a three-dimensional illustration." The Caldecott medalist's signature style is a good match for Prokovfiev's music.
I wish this had come with a CD but the melodies are familiar and easily found if your children do not know them already. Without knowledge of the symphony, this book is not accessible as a straight forward retelling but if you know the music, this is splendid.
The Youngest Templar
Keeper of the Grail, Book 1
Trail of Fate, Book 2 --- The Youngest Templar Trilogy Series: by Michael P. Spradlin, Putnam, 2008, 2009. Audiobook, narrated by Paul Boehm, Listening Library, 2008, 2009 (audiobook review copy source: public library audiobook download / paperback review copy source: publisher provided))
Nice performance by narrator, Paul Boehm, Spradlin keeps the story moving briskly with lots of action and character development. He ends each book with a "oh-no-don't-stop-now" cliffhanger.
Young Tristan, raised in a monastery, his parentage unknown, is taken on as a squire by Sir Thomas Leux of the Knights Templar. The company commander, Sir Hugh Monfort, seems to instantly dislike Tristan and singles him out for unwarranted punishment and ridicule. Tristan accompanies Sir Thomas to the Holy Land and during the Battle for Tyre, Sir Thomas charges Will with the care of a precious and mysterious object and orders him to deliver it to the Templar Chapel in Scotland.
Spradlin mixes history and legend as Tristan meets up with an archer from Sherwood Forest named Robard and Maryam, a female Al Hashshashin warrior who accompany him on his journey. Remind you of anyone?
These are great fun. I am most anxious to read book three.
The Youngest Templar website provides some history on the Knights Templar and the times.
http://www.theyoungesttemplar.com/
Monday, February 01, 2010
The Hunchback Assignments
The Hunchback Assignments #1 by Arthur Slade , read by Jayne Entwistle, Listening Library, 2009 (review copy source: public library audiobook download) // Hardcover edition: Wendy Lamb Books, Random House, 2009. (review copy source: publisher provided)
Arthur Slade brings new life to Victor Hugo's 1831 classic, The Hunchback of Notre Dame and resets the story in Victorian England. His twist on the story mixes Robert Louis Stevenson's Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde into a steampunk adventure with human robots (or is it robotic humans?) and explosions and intrigue.
Initially, I wondered how much appeal this story would have with readers who are at an age when they probably feel like Quasimodo yet yearn to be Edward Cullen. Would they bond with a such an ugly and physically malformed main character?
Yes.
Not only is Modo a kind and intelligent character but, as voiced by Jayne Entwistle, he is endearing and charming. His innocence about the world and his learning curve are similar to the eye opening time of life that starts in junior high school.
Mr. Socrates is a member of a mysterious society, the Permanent Association, whose mission is to safeguard the Empire, "Rule, Britannia" and all that. He rescues an abused and terrified hunchbacked child, Modo, from a traveling freak show and provides tutors who educate and train the boy. The child has a special power to physically change his appearance although it takes continuous concentration and physical effort to maintain a new visage for any length of time. Modo is isolated and protected from the outside world and even from his own appearance until he is fourteen years old.
When Modo is fourteen Mr. Socrates gives him a mirror and he sees himself for the first time in his life. Reeling from that shock, Socrates then turns him out onto the streets of London to test his survival skills, his intelligence and his special abilities. Surviving and even thriving, he is teamed with another teen, Octavia Milkweed, to infiltrate and defuse a plot to overthrow the British government.
Slade provides a wafting of romance as Modo yearns to be tall and handsome in order to gain Octavia's interest while she continuously wonders about the mask Modo wears--shades of Cyano's Roxanne and Hugo's Esmerelda.
I am looking forward to the next installment of Modo's story.
With the interest in the new Sherlock Holmes movie franchise, I think the timing for this series is excellent.
Author Visits
Authors running the gauntlet that I recognize include: Phil Bildner, Susan Stevens Crummel, Matt Holm, and H.J. Ralles.
Phil Bildner arrives.
2010 Sydney Taylor Book Award Blog Tour
My thanks to Heidi Estrin at the Association of Jewish Libraries for this information on the Sydney Taylor Book Award winners blog tour.
The Sydney Taylor Book Award will be celebrating and showcasing its 2010 gold and silver medalists and special Notable Book for All Ages with a Blog Tour, February 1-5, 2010. A blog tour is like a virtual book tour. Instead of going to a library or bookstore to see an author speak, you go to a website on or after the advertised date to read an author's interview.
The full schedule for the Blog Tour is posted at the Association of Jewish Libraries blog, "People of the Books," at jewishlibraries.org/blog.
| Visit these blogs on or after the listed dates to read interviews with our authors and illustrators! MONDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2010 Monday, February 1, 2010 April Halprin Wayland, author of New Year at the Pier: A Rosh Hashanah Story Sydney Taylor Book Award winner in the Younger Readers Category at Practically Paradise Monday, February 1, 2010 Stephane Jorisch, illustrator of New Year at the Pier: A Rosh Hashanah Story Sydney Taylor Book Award winner in the Younger Readers Category at Frume Sarah's World Monday, February 1, 2010 Margarita Engle, author of Tropical Secrets: Holocaust Refugees in Cuba Sydney Taylor Book Award winner in the Teen Readers Category at bookstogether TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2010 Tuesday, February 2, 2010 Robin Friedman, author of The Importance of Wings Sydney Taylor Book Award winner in the Older Readers Category at Little Willow's Bildungsroman Tuesday, February 2, 2010 Jacqueline Davies, author of Lost Sydney Taylor Honor Award winner in the Teen Readers Category at Biblio File Tuesday, February 2, 2010 Jonah Winter, author of You Never Heard of Sandy Koufax? Sydney Taylor Honor Award winner in the Younger Readers Category at Get in the Game: Read! and cross-posted at Examiner.com WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2010 Wednesday, February 3, 2010 Elka Weber, author of The Yankee at the Seder Sydney Taylor Honor Award winner in the Younger Readers Category at BewilderBlog Wednesday, February 3, 2010 Adam Gustavson, illustrator of The Yankee at the Seder Sydney Taylor Honor Award winner in the Younger Readers Category at Great Kids Books Wednesday, February 3, 2010 Judy Vida, daughter of the late Selma Kritzer Silverberg, author of Naomi's Song Sydney Taylor Honor Award winner in the Teen Readers Category at The Book Nosher THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2010 Thursday, February 4, 2010 Jacqueline Jules, author of Benjamin and the Silver Goblet Sydney Taylor Honor Award winner in the Younger Readers Category at ASHarmony Thursday, February 4, 2010 Natascia Ugliano, illustrator of Benjamin and the Silver Goblet Sydney Taylor Honor Award winner in the Younger Readers Category at The Book of Life Thursday, February 4, 2010 Deborah Bodin Cohen, author of Nachshon, Who Was Afraid to Swim Sydney Taylor Honor Award winner in the Younger Readers Category at Ima On and Off the Bima Thursday, February 4, 2010 Jago, illustrator of Nachshon, Who Was Afraid to Swim Sydney Taylor Honor Award winner in the Younger Readers Category at Jewish Books for Children FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2010 Friday, February 5, 2010 Annika Thor, author of A Faraway Island Sydney Taylor Honor Award winner in the Older Readers Category at Teen Reads Friday, February 5, 2010 Ellen Frankel, author of The JPS Illustrated Bible for Children Sydney Taylor Notable Book for All Ages at Deo Writer |
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Movie: Fantastic Mr. Fox
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
The Top 100 Children's Fictional Chapter Books Poll
Aiming for LOWER test scores? Fire the school librarians
I have yet to meet a school administrator whose attitude is, "Woah, slow down now, our school's test scores are TOO good!" In my experience, they are constantly looking for that edge, that extra something that will motivate students and enhance the learning environment in order to RAISE test scores.
It would be crazy to REMOVE personnel and programs that have demonstrably improved student achievement, wouldn't it?
Jen Robinson;s Book Page points to this article, "Parent Volunteers to Play Larger Role in Dearborn Public School Libraries."
The Dearborn school district is attempting to deal with budget issues, in part, by laying off many of their school librarians and obliterating (my word) their school library programs.
from M-W.com: Obliterate = "1 a : to remove utterly from recognition or memory b : to remove from existence : destroy utterly all trace, indication, or significance of ...
2 : to make undecipherable or imperceptible by obscuring or wearing away"
My suggested headline for this article would be:
or
"District Knee-Caps Student Achievement"
After reading the article my heart went out to:
- the librarians facing the loss of their jobs
- the impossible mission of the eight librarians who will be left to build, support, run, and teach at 32 libraries
- the earnestness of the parents who understand these programs are important and want to volunteer to fill the void
- the students who are being denied a vital part of their education
Michigan is one of the MANY states that has demonstrated the importance of school libraries to student success in The Impact of Michigan School Librarians on Academic Achievement: Kids Who Have Libraries Succeed.
From the Executive Summary, pg. ix:
Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP) reading test scores rise with the extent to which the state’s school library programs are headed by qualified school librarians. The relationship between school libraries and test scores cannot be explained away by other school or community conditions at any school level.
Parents and tax payers must hold the district administration and state legislators accountable.
The kids deserve better.
More information and links to many studies on the importance of qualified school librarians and library programs are available at Library Research Service.