Module 6: Every Friday

Summary:
This story recounts a special tradition a father and son share every Friday morning. The boy and his dad eat breakfast at a special diner every Friday. They go no matter what the weather is doing. Along the way they see many city sights. The narrator looks forward to the following outing with his dad as soon as they leave the restaurant.

Reference:
Yaccarino, D. (2007). Every Friday. New York: Henry Holt and Company.

My impressions of the book:
Every Friday is a touching short story about a boy and dad that share a special tradition and bond. It's just a simple outing to eat breakfast, but one that has made a huge impression on the narrator. It is rare to find such a special story of a father and son bonding. This story is so simple, yet speaks volumes about their relationship. They enjoy spending time together looking at the events happening in their city and having a pancake breakfast. The fact that they're together seems to be the most important thing.

Reviews:
Porter, D. (2007, June 1). [Review of Every Friday]. School Library Journal, Vol. 53, Issue 6, p. 128.
A young boy and his father have a weekly date for breakfast at a nearby diner, and the walk there is half the fun. As they pass through their urban neighborhood, they count dogs, wave to the man in the newspaper stall, and watch the slow construction of a new building. Upon their arrival at the restaurant, they greet their favorite waitress by name, and she knows to bring out pancakes right away. The story is simple but sweet, and the child's excitement about the time spent with his dad is obvious throughout. Painted in gouache, the illustrations of the cars and characters' clothing and hairstyles give the book a '50s look, as do small touches such as milk bottles in front of the door. Yaccarino uses a warm palette to create rudimentary buildings and simple, friendly faces. This is an excellent book for a parent and child to share, and perhaps some families will begin weekly traditions of their own.-Daisy Porter, San Jose Public Library, CA Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information.

Uses in a library:
This would be a great book to read aloud for Father's Day. It could also be used to discuss family traditions. The students could then write about a special family tradition they have.

Module 5: Monster

Summary:
This story tells the tale of Steve Harmon, a sixteen year old from Harlem, who ends up going on trial for participation in a robbery and murder. King, an acquaintance from the neighborhood, asks Harmon to scope the convenience store and give them a signal that the coast is clear. Harmon fulfills his end of the bargain, but later on in court claims he is not guilty. The book, written in a script style, shows the action of the trial as it's happening and the jury finds Harmon not guilty at the end.

Citation:
Myers, W.D. (1999). Monster. New York: Harper Collins Publishers.

My Impressions of the book:
This book was an interesting read, but not one that I would recommend to anyone younger than high school age. There are many adult themes running through the story such as murder, robbery, drugs, sex, and prision violence. It would take a special mature reader to deal with some of the issues and understand what is happening at the trial. I liked the style of the book, written as if it were a script for a movie. Different fonts were used to distinguish between Steve was writing in his journal and when he was writing his script. Some photographs are incorporated into the pages giving it a sense of being true to life. Throughout the story I was rooting for Steve, but was on edge in anticipation of the ending.

Reviews:
Carton, D. (1999, May 1). [Review of Monster]. The Booklist, Vol. 95, No. 17.
Gr. 9-12. Myers combines an innovative format, complex moral issues, and an intriguingly sympathetic but flawed protagonist in this cautionary tale of a 16-year-old on trial for felony murder. Steve Harmon is accused of acting as lookout for a robbery that left a victim dead; if convicted, Steve could serve 25 years to life. Although it is clear that Steve did participate in the robbery, his level of involvement is questionable, leaving protagonist and reader to grapple with the question of his guilt. An amateur filmmaker, Steve tells his story in a combination of film script and journal. The "handwritten" font of the journal entries effectively uses boldface and different sizes of type to emphasize particular passages. The film script contains minimal jargon, explaining camera angles (CU, POV, etc.) when each term first appears. Myers' son Christopher provides the black-and-white photos, often cropped and digitally altered, that complement the text. Script and journal together create a fascinating portrait of a terrified young man wrestling with his conscience. The tense drama of the courtroom scenes will enthrall readers, but it is the thorny moral questions raised in Steve's journal that will endure in readers' memories. Although descriptions of the robbery and prison life are realistic and not overly graphic, the subject matter is more appropriate for high-school-age than younger readers.

Use in a library setting:
I would either set up the book on display for black history month or Printz prize winners or use it in a book club with mature readers.

Module 5: Goin' Someplace Special

Summary:
'Tricia Ann really wants to go to "someplace special" by herself and Mama Frances finally allows her to go. She gets on the bus and reads a sign that says "colored section." She is unable to enjoy sitting on a partk bench looking at a fountain because the bench states "For whites only." As she tries to enter a hote she is thrown out my the manager. She almost gives up on going somewhere special until Blooming Mary talks her into completing her trip. Someplace special turns out to be the public library, a place that decided to open its doors to all people even though segregation ruled in the city. Although racism exists, 'Tricia Ann finds the freedom to read in her library - someplace special.

Reference:
McKissack, P.C. (2001). Goin' Someplace Special. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

My impressions of the book:
I've read a lot of stories about segregation, but this one was different. It involved a girl out on her own searching for her own freedom, yet she learns she isn't free while out and about on her journey. In all of the unjustice and hate, the public library opens its doors to her and lets her have all of the freedome in the world she craves just by opening pages of a book. The book has a nice message to send to children. The library is a welcoming place that opens its doors to everyone regardless of race. The watercolor pictures in this book are enjoyable, eye-catching, and soothing to view.

Reviews:
Wilms, D. (2001, August). [Review of Goin' Someplace Special]. The Booklist Starred, Vol. 97, No. 22.
Ages 5-8. Tricia Ann excitedly gets her grandmother's permission to go out by herself to "Someplace Special"--a place far enough away to take the bus and to have to walk a bit. But this isn't just any trip. Tricia's trip takes place in the segregated South of the 1950s. That means Tricia faces sitting at the back of the bus, not being allowed to sit on a whites-only park bench, and being escorted out of a hotel lobby. She almost gives up, but a local woman who some say is "addled,"but whom Tricia Ann knows to be gentle and wise, shows her how to listen to the voice inside herself that allows her to go on. She arrives at her special destination--the public library, whose sign reads "All Are Welcome."Pinkney's watercolor paintings are lush and sprawling as they evoke southern city streets and sidewalks as well as Tricia Ann's inner glow. In an author's note, McKissack lays out the autobiographical roots of the story and what she faced as a child growing up in Nashville. This book carries a strong message of pride and self-confidence as well as a pointed history lesson. It is also a beautiful tribute to the libraries that were ahead of their time.

Use in a library setting:
This book would be perfect to share in February for black history month. It sends such a positive message for students. They'd probably love to guess where her someplace special was. This could lead into a writing activity where students could write about their someplace special and it could be displayed in the library.

Module 4: Maniac Magee

Summary:
When Maniac Magee's parents are killed in a trolley accident, he is left alone and orphaned. He stays with an aunt and uncle who are extremely dislikable, but ends up running away from them and becoming homeless. On the street he meets a girl named Amanda Beale, and is intrigued by her because she has a suitcase full of books. He begs her to borrow a book and she reluctantly agrees. Thus begins his interest in reading and his own pursuit of self taught knowledge. Maniac shows daring pursuits of athleticism against other kids in town and word about him spreads. He ends up living with Amanda's family and then leaves them at the end of part one. In part two Maniac befriends Earl Grayson, a man who works at the zoo where Maniac hangs out at night. They become friends and eventually live together. Earl shares with him that he used to play minor league baseball against Willie Mays. On Christmas Earl gives Maniac a special gift - a brand new baseball and his old baseball glove. These are sacred items to him. Maniac teaches Earl to read and even has the patience to listen to him read a picture book that takes him and hour and a half to get through. Earl dies five days after Christmas. Once again Maniac is homeless and sleeps anywhere he can find. In part three he eventually goes back to living in Amanda's house.

Reference:
Spinelli, J. (1990). Maniac Magee. New York: Little, Brown and Company

My Impressions of the Book:
I enjoyed reading this Newbery Medal winner. There were a variety of themes that occurred in this book inlcuding homelesness and racial tension. Interestingly enough, Maniac lives with families that are both black and white and seems to not place any enphasis on color whatsoever. In fact, in one place in the book he compares the two families saying how alike they are despite their skin color. Maniac is a survivor in the true sense of the word, living wherever he can with whoever will take him in. He doesn't even mind sleeping at the zoo. Maniac doesn't attend school but has a love for books. At one point in the book when he does get some money from Earl to buy something to eat, he spends it on books and teaches himself through them. He cares about teaching Earl to read and encourages other kids to go to school but doesn't see the need for himself. I enjoyed Spinelli's writing style throughout the book also. He used a lot of similes, metaphors, and other writing techniques that I try to draw out of stories when I am using them in my classroom. This is a book I'd consider reading aloud to my fourth graders.

Reviews:
Shoemaker, J. (1990, June). [Review of Maniac Magee]. School Library Journal, Vol. 36, Issue 6, p. 138.
Gr 6-10-- Warning: this interesting book is a mythical story about racism. It should not be read as reality. Legend springs up about Jeffrey ``Maniac'' Magee, a white boy who runs faster and hits balls farther than anyone, who lives on his own with amazing grace, and is innocent as to racial affairs. After running away from a loveless home, he encounters several families, in and around Two Mills, a town sharply divided into the black East End and the white West End. Black, feisty Amanda Beale and her family lovingly open their home to Maniac, and tough, smart-talking ``Mars Bar'' Thompson and other characters are all, to varying degrees, full of prejudices and unaware of their own racism. Racial epithets are sprinkled throught the book; Mars Bar calls Maniac ``fishbelly,'' and blacks are described by a white character as being ``today's Indians.'' In the final, disjointed section of the book, Maniac confronts the hatred that perpetuates ignorance by bringing Mars Bar to meet the Pickwells--``the best the West End had to offer.'' In the feel-good ending, Mars and Maniac resolve their differences; Maniac gets a home and there is hope for at least improved racial relations. Unreal? Yes. It's a cop-out for Spinelli to have framed this story as a legend--it frees him from having to make it real, or even possible. Nevertheless, the book will stimulate thinking about racism, and it might help educate those readers who, like so many students, have no first-hand knowledge of people of other races. Pathos and compassion inform a short, relatively easy-to-read story with broad appeal, which suggests that to solve problems of racism, people must first know each other as individuals. --Joel Shoemaker, Tilford Middle School, Vinton, IA

Use in a library setting:
This book could be used to discuss race and class issues with students. It could also be used to discuss homelesness or reading and writing as a means of escape from problems in the world.

Module 4: Holes

Summary:
Stanley Yelnats stole Clyde Livingston's shoes and now he gets to go to an all boys camp in Texas called Camp Green Lake. It sounds like a nice place to be until he learns he must dig a five foot by five foot hole every day. The digging is meant to "build character" because after all "it's not a Girl Scout camp." Eventually Stanley learns that the warden has them digging holes for a reason. The camp sits on an old dried up lake, and there are items that have been buried for quite some time that the warden would like to call her own. Stanley makes an escape at camp one day following the path of one of his camp friends who also runs away. Together they survive on onions and old jarred peaches and come back to give the warden a run for her money.

Citation:
Sachar, L. (1998). Holes. New York: Dell Yearling.

Impressions of the book:
Holes is a brilliantly written book where the characters seem to come alive and are filled with so much personality. As I read the book I had a clear image in my head of the camp, Stanley's camp mates, the warden, and Mr. Sir. Stanley, although in a horrible location, is so endearing, especially when he writes home to his mother telling her what a great time he's having at camp. Even though he's been fasely accused of his crime and is working off his punishment, he makes the best of his situation. Sachar uses many great writing techniques in this story. I especially enjoyed how he flashed back and forth in time to give the reader background information on what had occurred in the past and how it relates to what is happening in the book. Holes is Louis Sachar at his best!

Reviews:
Follos, A. (1998, September). [Review of the book Holes]. School Library Journal, Vol. 44, Issue 9, p. 210.
Stanley Yelnats IV has been wrongly accused of stealing a famous baseball player's valued sneakers and is sent to Camp Green Lake, a juvenile detention home where the boys dig holes, five feet deep by five feet across in the miserable Texas heat. It's just one more piece of bad luck that's befallen Stanley's family for generations as a result of the infamous curse of Madame Zeroni. Overweight Staneley, his hands bloodied from digging, figures that at the end of his sentence, he'll "...either be in great physical condition or else dead." Overcome by the useless work and his own feelings of futility, fellow inmate Zero runs away into the arid, desolate surroundings and Stanley, acting on impulse, embarks on a risky mission to save him. He unwittingly lays Madame Zeroni's curse to rest, finds buried treasure, survives yellow-spotted lizards, and gains wisdom and inner strength from the quirky turns of fate. In the almost mystical progress of their ascent of the rock ediface known as "Big Thumnb," they discover their own invaluable worth and unwavering friendship. Each of the boys is painted as a distinct individual through Sachar's deftly chosen words. The author's ability to knit Stanley and Zero's compelling story in and out of history of intriguing ancestors is captivating. Stanley's wit, integrity, faith, and wistful innocence will charm readers. A multitude of colorful characters coupled with the skillful braiding of ethnic folklore, American legend, and contemporary issues is a brilliant achievement. There is no question, kids will love Holes.

Use in a library setting:
This book could be used to discuss right and wrong, friendship themes, or loyalty. Students could make a chart or some other type of technology project that features examples of these themes in the book.

Module 3: Flotsam

Summary:
This wordless children's story tells the tale of a boy who takes a trip to the beach and discovers an old Melville camera that has washed up onto the shore. Upon developing the film, he views unusual sea creatures and pictures that children before him have taken of themselves. Some of the photos are pictures within a picture, so he takes some snapshots of himself holding other pictures and discards the camera into the sea. Eventaully the cycle of picture taking will begin again as the next child finds the old camera at the end of the story.

Reference:
Wiesner, D. (2006). Flotsam. New York: Clarion Books.

My Impressions of the Book:
One might think a book must have words to be enjoyable, but that is truly not the case with this amazing, one-of-a-kind wordless book. The story is entertaining and delightful because it's from the boy's perspective, an inside view of his beach trip. The pictures within a picture that are developed show kids enjoying the beach from decades past. This use of the picture within a picture is part of the ingenious creativity of the book. Flotsam truly deserves the Caldecott Award!

Reviews:
Engberg, G. (2006, August). [Review of the book Flotsam]. The Booklist Starred,Vol. 102, No. 22.
As in his Caldecott Medal Book Tuesday (1991), Wiesner offers another exceptional, wordless picture book that finds wild magic in quiet, everyday settings. At the seaside, a boy holds a magnifying glass up to a flailing hermit crab; binoculars and a microscope lay nearby. The array of lenses signals the shifting viewpoints to come, and in the following panels, the boy discovers an old-fashioned camera, film intact. A trip to the photo store produces astonishing pictures: an octopus in an armchair holding story hour in a deep-sea parlor; tiny, green alien tourists peering at sea horses. There are portraits of children around the world and through the ages, each child holding another child's photo. After snapping his own image, the boy returns the camera to the sea, where it's carried on a journey to another child. Children may initially puzzle, along with the boy, over the mechanics of the camera and the connections between the photographed portraits. When closely observed, however, the masterful watercolors and ingeniously layered perspectives create a clear narrative, and viewers will eagerly fill in the story's wordless spaces with their own imagined story lines. Like Chris Van Allsburg's books and Wiesner's previous works, this visual wonder invites us to rethink how and what we see, out in the world and in our mind's eye.

Use in a library setting:
This book would be great to discuss topics such as wordless books, Caldecott winners, or to share with other beach themed books. Showing examples of wordless books would also lead up to a great technology project. Students could take their own digital pictures, upload them to movie maker, and show their own wordless story.