The Glorious Flight: Across the Channel with Louis Bleriot by Alice and Martin Provensen

The Glorious Flight tells of Louis Bleriot who persevered through the invention of several different airplanes to find one that would fly well. After 8 years, he successfully flies over the English Channel from France to England. The book won a Caldecott Medal for the illustrations.

Honestly, I found the text of this book bothersome. Sentences were choppy, many sentences included paranthetical sidenotes that broke up the flow, and too many sentences were fragments. At times, I think the style would have been appropriate. During the dangerous parts, like when he is flying over the channel or getting ready to crash yet another plane, I think it would set the mood, like with Paulsen's choppy sentences in Woodsong. But, almost all of the text was written in that style. As a result, it just seemed too choppy and disjointed. I think children would have difficulty reading this book because the sentence structure is so strange, but I don't think it would be appropriate for a read aloud either, for the exact same reason.

I find it interesting that I could dislike the text of a picturebook so much when the illustrations have been celebrated.

The Wreck of the Zephyr written and illustrated by Chris Van Allsburg

Chris Van Allsburg is one of those writer/illustrators that you could pick out from a line up. From the illustrations alone I feel confident that I could name his books. What I find so interesting about that though, is that the illustrations in his different books can be different in many ways. Color is used in The Wreck of the Zephyr but sepia rules the illustrations in The Witch's Broom. Other books are different as well. However, his stye is distinctive. Like his other books, Zephyr is formatted so that each illustration is framed and text is on the left page.

In Wreck of the Zephyr, a man encounters a wrecked sailboat far from land. Another man tells him the story of a boy who thought himself the best sailor. He learns to sail his boat through the sky. But, he is so intent on showing others his ability that he foolishly tries to sail over land. As a result, his sailboat crashes. I think the storyteller was the young boy. Never is it stated in the text, but I think he remained near the boat to remind himself of his foolishness. Van Allsburg effectively foreshadowed the boy's mistake when the sailor who taught the boy to sail through the air sang a folksong about the dangers of sailing over land. At that point, I realized how it was the boy would wreck his sailboat.

The illustrations of The Wreck of the Zephyr were beautiful and the text was well written allowing me to infer and draw conclusions along the way.

The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats

This Caldecott winning picturebook, The Snowy Day, chronicles the adventures of a young boy as he explores on a snowy day. I thought that the book really captured the curiousity and wonderment of a young child. How often I forget to look around and enjoy the things I see! Peter explores his footprints, discovers another track in the snow, notices how the snow is piled up by the buildings, and saves a snowball in his pocket-- for tomorrow.

The illustrations are simple but capture the "essence"of each object. Buildings are rectangular but lack detail, Peter's snow suit is simply red, the snowman is a lump of snow with a face on top. Peter's snowsuit is perfect for illustrating how young Peter really is. It has a pointy top and makes him look very round. He looks like the bundled up kid who can barely move for all the layers he has on.

I know there are other stories about Peter by Ezra Jack Keats. I'm curious to see if the illustrations are similar to The Snowy Day.

Eye of the Storm: A Book About Hurricanes by Rick Thomas and illustrated by Denise Shea

Eye of the Storm is an engaging picturebook that provides some basic information about the formation of and devastation by hurricanes. The illustrations are colorful and bright. No photographs are included-- all illustrations are digital drawings. The text provided a good amount of detail but was written in kid-friendly language. Clarification of new terminology is provided such as "Once a hurricane makes landfall, or arrives on solid ground, it slows down." (p. 14)

The book also provided important non-fiction text elements that could be helpful in teaching research skills. A Table of Contents, headings, a short index, and additional web and print resources are included. One element I thought was missing were labels or keys for some of the illustrations. As the text described the formation and movement of hurricanes, weather symbols such as red and blue arrows were used as well as a psuedo-map of the areas near the Equator. As an adult somewhat familiar with weather symbols and knowledgeable about a world map, I was able to interpret what I saw in the illustration. However, I am none too convinced that a young reader would understand the illustration. A "Content Advisor" is listed on the title page, but otherwise no citations or references are included.

Eye of the Storm is an engaging and informative non-fiction book that I will recommend to second grade teachers at my school.

Mistakes that Worked by Charlotte Foltz Jones

In the non-fiction book, Mistakes that Worked, Foltz explains how different inventions were created by accident. In short excerpts, the reader learns about lots of household items, foods, clothes, medicines, etc. Some of the stories seem based on documented fact and others on folklore or stories. I thought the author did a good job of letting the reader what was fact and what was conjecture.

Some of the interesting things I learned were that Coca-Cola is named because of some of the ingredients from the original formula, ice-cream cones became popular during the St Louis World's Fair, the chocolate chip cookie wasn't invented until the 1930s, and piggy banks in the shape of pigs were a result of the linguistically similar word "pygg" (a clay material) that was used during the middle ages. This book also states that Perrault, the writer of the Cinderella story most of us are familiar with, made a mistake when he gave her a glass slipper. The author writes that earlier versions the slippers were fur. However, the french word for fur and glass are similar. Perrault apparently confused the two and gave her a glass slipper.

I appreciated several aspects of the book. With each section, quotes by famous inventors were included to underscore the idea that mistakes can end up making for great discoveries. Mark Twain wrote, in his notebook, "Name the greatest of all the inventors. Accident." (introduction) I also appreciated that historical information was given where appropriate to set the invention into the timeperiod. For instance, Jones introduces Coca-Cola with: "The date was May 8, 1886. The Civil War had been over for twenty-one years. Grover Cleveland was the President of the United States. And, in Atlanta, Georgia, a pharmacist..." Information about world records, additional interesting facts, museums, and even some recipes are included to accompany different mistakes.

I'm not convinced that the author cited well enough for today's standards. In the front matter, acknowledgements are including listing many people and groups that, presumably, provided information and a "Selected Bibliography" is included as well. However, the author does not provide any citations within the text to indicate where specific information came from. So, I have to take all I read with a grain of salt.

Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo

Because of Winn-Dixie ... Opal makes friends in her new home of Naomi, Florida. Winn-Dixie is a special dog with an uncanny knack for making friends. The combination of his dog smile, wagging tail, and sneezing fits are lovable to almost everyone he meets.

When Opal and her father move to Naomi for ministry at her father's new church, Opal is lonely. It's summer so she doesn't have the opportunity to make friends at school. In addition, she becomes increasingly curious about her mother, who left when Opal was very young.

With Winn-Dixie's help, Opal befriends the lonely librarian, the local witch, a clerk at the pet store, some boys who tease her, a friendly younger girl, and a "pinch-faced" girl. In addition, Opal's relationship with her father improves because Winn-Dixie makes her brave enough to ask her father more and her father is brought out of his shell by lovable Winn-Dixie. Along the way, Opal learns to understand others more and is thus able to make what some might consider to be an unusual set of friends.

Each of her friends was able to help her grow in some small way. The witch helped her to understand personal demons (not in those words though) and mistakes, so that she could understand her mother a little more. Her father helped her to look beyond the front the "pinch-faced girl" put on and open herself up to boys who had a strange way of making friends.

By the end of summer, I'm sure Opal was not lonely anymore. I think children could relate to Opal's feelings of isolation and could also gain tolerance for others by seeing her befriend unlikely individuals.

The Land I Lost by Huynh Quang Nhuong

The Land I Lost is a biography about the hamlet where Huynh Quang Nhuong grew up before and during the Vietnam War. It seems strange to say it is a biography of a place, but in fact the "land" is the most important thing discussed in the book.

In each chapter, the reader discovers the dangers, joys, and stories of the jungle, river, and homes in and near the hamlet where Huynh grew up. I learned about the most dangerous animals in the areas and read stories of what happened to people who had run-ins with them. I got to know the water buffalo, Tank, that loyally served Huhnh's family. Tank not only helped in the field, but also helped catch fish, eels, otters and protect the people from wild hogs and tigers.

While not explicitely stated in the text, I inferred that the people learned to live with nature. They seemed to respect it as something to understand, use and protect themselves against as necessary, but not something to overtake or ruin.

At the beginning of the text, the author provides a note giving some background as to how secluded the hamlet was and the background of his family. At the end of the note, he writes: "I always planned to return to my hamlet to live the rest of my life there. But war disrupted my dreams. The land I love was lost to me forever." (p. xi) However, the war is not mentioned again until the last few chapters. He writes: "Once, during the endless years of fighting in Vietnam, a rocket blew up the bamboo bush." (p.124) and "One day when I was in the field with the herd, fierce fighting between the French forces and the Resistance led by Ho Chi Mihn erupted in our hamlet." (p.125)

I appreciated that the author chose to remind the reader of what the war cost him and what it ruined, but was mentioned briefly enough that I was able to enjoy the stories of his youth. I also appreciate that the author mentioned it at the beginning and ending only. It set the stage for my reading; I read knowing that things must not be the same anymore. And, it finished my reading; I read about how the war destroyed one of the most precious things in Huynh's childhood.

As a self-absorbed American (aren't we all?) I know little about Vietnam except how America was involved in the war. Now I understand a little more about the culture, people and land there--at least prior to the war.

The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin

The Westing Game is a mystery involving a group of possible heirs to Sam Westing's fortune. Through a strange game set up by Westing before he was murdered, the characters must determine the murderer in order to inherit his money. As the reader, you are privy to the clues each heir receives. There are other inconsistencies, details, and clues in the text so that you can solve the mystery.

As a reader, I enjoyed the story and getting to know the characters but I didn't feel the need to try and solve the case before it was revealed to me in the story. I noticed some of the details that would have helped me figure it all out, but I was content to keep reading and let the characters do the work.

The plot is full of twists and turns and pulls you in successfully. At the end of the first, 4 page chapter, the text reads: "Who were these people, these specially selected tenants? They were mothers and fathers and children. A dressmaker, a secretary, an inventor, a doctor, a judge. And, oh yes, one was a bookie, one was a burglar, one was a bomber, and one was a mistake. Barney Northrup had rented one of the apartments to the wrong person." (p.5) At this point, I was eager to figure out who the bookie, burglar, bomber, and mistake were.

For a light-hearted read that engages, this book does the trick. I remember reading it in school and really enjoying it. In fact, it is one of only a handful of things I even remember reading as a school assignment prior to AP English. I think it has the potential to engage even reluctant readers with the plot twists and clues.

Locomotion by Jacqueline Woodson

I think this was the perfect time for me to have read this book. As someone who can write a paper but has never felt the urge to write for pleasure, I’ve been thinking a lot about why writers write this week. Between reading Rylant’s autobiographical But I’ll Be Back Again and Waiting to Waltz to thinking about Beth’s post about VA Tech, to our discussion in class, I’ve been thinking. Locomotion by Jacqueline Woodson is written from the perspective of a boy, nicknamed Locomotion, who learns to deal with the loss of his parents and sister through poetry. In fact, the book is written as poetry. So, many of the poems discuss how poetry is giving him a voice for his pain.

As an avid reader, it never occurred to me to actually try writing myself. But, after this I think the seed has been planted. Maybe I can use writing to help me in times of great emotion. I think Locomotion would be a perfect way to introduce kids to the idea that writing can be just for you and doesn’t have to be for school.

In some ways, Locomotion reminded me of another book I read this semester—Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse. Both are written about loss in a poetic form. However, Locomotion is a contemporary kid living in a city. While the girl in Out of the Dust lives during the dustbowl in the rural Midwest.

At first a lot of the poems explain poetry. One named “Line Break Poem” tells how Lonnie’s teacher explained the purpose of line breaks. The early poems revolve around the memories of his family. But, as the book progresses, I was able to see how he was healing. Many poems still involve memories of his family, but his friends at school and new memories with his sister take on a more important role. I enjoyed witnessing his progression in the subtle form of poetry. There was more for me to figure out than with prose.

I do wonder, though, why is this one classified as poetry and Out of the Dust as fiction?

In But I’ll Be Back Again, Cynthia Rylant tells us of the experiences that shaped her as a writer—her childhood including her family, first loves, and The Beatles. I see now that in some ways she is Summer from Missing May, the boy wanting a doctor’s kit in Silver Packages, and the teenager whose father “went away on business” in I Had Seen Castles. While she did not profess that all of these details from her stories resulted from her own life, I think perhaps they did, at least in part.

Most interesting of all, was the difference between how she got many of her stories and how Richard Peck professes to have gotten his. I guess I was thinking about this since we just watched Peck’s webcast from last year’s Bookfest in DC. In the webcast, Peck says he is a listener, a collector of other people’s stories. He says he gets his ideas from the lives of other people. From Rylant’s But I’ll Be Back Again, it seems that she pulls a lot from her own childhood for inspiration.

As we’ve studied Rylant, we’ve talked over and over about how she writes about family and home. She explains that the loss of her father was “all the loss I needed to become a writer.” (p.7) I guess that she writes about family and home because she felt as though something of family and home were missing for her as a child. In reading, Waiting to Waltz and now But, I’ll Be Back Again, I feel as though I can understand her motivations and subject matter more. I think I will look for more autobiographical information about authors I enjoy. It’s a bit like seeing the “picture” in one of those trick drawings—an extra bit of information or help makes all the difference in whether you can figure out what the picture is. Much like understanding a good book.

As I finished this book, I was overwhelmed by the thought that “Wow, this lady totally identifies herself as ‘writer.’” In thinking of my own self-identity, I can’t imagine summing up myself with one thing, like ‘teacher’ or ‘reader’ or ‘learner’ or ‘wife.’ But, then it occurred to me that maybe her focus on herself as ‘writer’ made it easier to tell the story of her childhood or limited the scope of her topic. Maybe she can’t really sum herself up as ‘writer,’ she chose to do so for this book. Now I’m curious to know what another book like this one would be like if she wrote it as ‘mother’ or ‘daughter’ or ‘librarian.’

Waiting to Waltz by Cynthia Rylant

In Waiting to Waltz, I followed a girl's journey growing from a child to a young lady with a backdrop of people and places entwined with her youth. Through the sparse words of peotry recounting memorable events, I was able to picture the town of Beaver and the girl. As one who generally avoids poetry, I was pleasantly surprised.

In the first part of the collection, the girl enjoys childhood joys like wax lips and remembers events like misspelling woke at the spelling bee or when her mother ran over a dog. But, in the second part of the collection, the girl begins to reflect on her fatherlessness, her freedom during the summers, and boys. At times she still feels like a child but realizes she is no longer. During the thunderstorm she acts brave "but inside, [she is] a little girl crying." (p. 19).

The girl's experiences with religion were unexpected to me. The people of Beaver seem religious but the girl's family does not seem to be. In Holiness, she was frightened at the Pentecostal service. When she took her mother to church in Saved, her mother was embarrassed by the girl's behavior. She even wishes she were Catholic because of the "slick-haired boys" (p. 37).

Without reading all of the poems in the collection, I would have an incomplete understanding of the story. They all work together to tell of this girl's journey toward adulthood.

Joyful Noise by Paul Fleischman

By about the third poem, it hit me. Paul Fleischman crafts his stories so that we hear multiple points of view. While this may not hold true for each of his books, it is true of the three most recent ones we have read-- Seedfolks, Bull Run, and Joyful Noise. In the first poem, Grasshoppers, the readers are speaking the poem from a third person point of view. But, in the next one, Water Striders, two water striders are talking to us in the first person. I started each new poem eager to figure out what the voice would be. Would each reader be a different character? Would they work together for one point of view? Would it be third person like the first poem?

I have a love-hate relationship with insects. As a former Biology major, I find their anatomy fascinating and enjoyed learning about the complexity of all living things, but on a personal level I hate bugs! I can't even kill one, but I certainly won't have one near me. So, I enjoyed the illustrations in Joyful Noise because of the detail drawn for each of the beautiful insects. And, I gained a different perspective on the insects I usually just find bothersome and gross.

Fleischman did an excellent job of varying the poems to keep me engaged in the story. Some of the poems like Water Striders, Grasshoppers, and Mayflies, provided factual information but in a fanciful way. The reader learns about water striders distributing their weight on "the thin film of the surface" (p. 7) and that mayflies only live for a day. In other poems, the insects are personified. The digger wasp is an industrious mother and the moth struggles to resist what he knows he should avoid-- the porch light.

I never would have thought I would enjoy a collection of poems about bugs!

Fables by Arnold Lobel

Arnold Lobel uses animal characters to tell his Fables. Each fable is about a page in length and ends with an italicized “lesson” sentence at the bottom. Each one is an unusual story that goes with the “lesson,” but it is not obvious what the message will be. In The Elephant and His Son, the father elephant tells his son that he must be quiet so that he can read the newspaper. He says he can only focus on one thing at a time. Then his slipper catches on fire and the son has to bring it to his attention. The lesson is: “Knowledge will not always take the place of simple observation.” While I see the lesson, it was not the obvious ending to the story.

Fables is the winner of the Caldecott Medal. Each fable has an accompanying picture showing the characters from that fable. The illustrations are triple framed giving the reader distance from the story’s action. I think the animal characters, formal language, coupled with the framed illustrations allows the reader to more objectively read each fable for its intended message.

While many people would expect the book to be geared toward young children as a read aloud because of the short stories, illustrations, and animals, I think the collection would be lost on young children. As I mentioned above, the lesson is not clear from each story and each lesson is a complex idea. For instance, one lesson sentence states: “Advice from friends is like the weather. Some of it is good; some of it is bad.” I don’t think young children could fathom that idea. The formal language makes the book inaccessible to young children as well. In The Lobster and the Crab, Crab states: “Lobster…it is foolhardy to venture out on a day like this.” To which Lobster replies, “Perhaps so… but I love a squall at sea.” I found the exchange amusing because it is formally written, but I don’t think young children could understand it. I think Fables would be more suited for upper elementary school children.

My favorite story is The Lobster and the Crab. Its lesson states: “Even the taking of small risks will add excitement to life.” How true! How true! I also had a good chuckle in The Bad Kangaroo. A young kangaroo throws spit balls and puts tacks on the teacher’s chair. When the principal visits home, the parents do the same thing. The lesson reads: “A child’s conduct will reflect the ways of his parents.” Hehe :)

Anansi the Spider by Gerald McDermott

Anansi the Spider tells how the moon came to be in the sky. When Anansi’s sons save him from a fish and falcon, Anansi has a hard time deciding who to reward with a “glowing orb.” He gives it to Nyame, The God of All Things, to keep it until he can decide. Nyame puts it in the sky, and thus it is the moon.

This version of the story is obviously written for children unfamiliar with Ashanti folklore. I think McDermott did a good job of including information necessary for the unfamiliar reader while telling the story simply and concisely. For instance, at the beginning he writes, “Anansi. He is “spider” to the Ashanti people.” And later after introducing Nyame, he writes: “For Ashanti people, Nyame is The God of All Things.”

Geometric shapes abound in the illustrations. Each of the six sons has a different attribute and it is represented by a unique shape. River drinker has waves on his body, while Game Skinner has two pointy triangles like the ends of knives. I imagine that Ashanti people may have used the same shapes when telling the story.

This book was a Caldecott Honor book and I can see why. Without the illustrations, the story would be incomplete. For instance, the text says: “He [Anansi] fell into trouble” while the illustration shows him falling off the land and in the next illustration you see Anansi in the river being eaten by a fish. Nowhere in the text, though, does it tell you that he was eaten by the fish.

Long Night Moon by Cynthia Rylant illustrated by Mark Siegal

I found this picturebook to be relaxing, lyrical (of course) and simple. The reader sees a scene for each of the moons that occur during the year. I enjoyed learning about the Native American names for each moon and was able to appreciate why each name was fitting for that moon. The names for the moons seem to relate to the seasonal events of the time-- "Sprouting Grass Moon" for April and "Thunder Moon" for July. It added to my appreciation and understanding of Native American respect for nature.

The illustrations of the picturebook added depth to my understanding of the poem. I often have difficulty understanding poetry at the level I usually understand prose. The illustrations helped me to visualize and follow the poem's meaning more closely. This book would definitely be great to use with kids. So often, teachers choose not to use poetry and as a result children never learn to understand it. (like my own experience!) Having the illustrations to enhance understanding and reduce the comprehension load was helpful for me and I'm sure it would be for students as well.

At the end of my copy of the book, the illustrator included a note to tell the reader how he came to choose charcoal as the medium for the illustrations. It indicates that he tried other mediums but felt that they weren't right. I think the charcoal was perfect. At night, edges are softened and colors are muted. With the charcoal, I felt like I was standing in the night too.

Bull Run by Paul Fleischman

Unfortunately, my hopes for enjoying a war novel were not met. More than anything, I think I failed to have sufficient background knowledge to fully understand the story. While I have heard of all the locations listed and have a vague idea of where they are (Northern Virginia), I don't have a good enough understanding of where they are in relation to one another. Additionally, my knowledge of the Battle of Bull Run is almost non-existent. I'm a little ashamed to admit this, but it's true! Because my background was limited, I had a difficult time following the events of the battle.

I also found the changing voices difficult in Bull Run. At first, I was excited that I would get to hear from characters more than once. At first, I was able to keep track of them all. But, later in the book, I started confusing characters and had to stop numerous times to look back and remind myself about the character's story and whether they were Northern or Southern. These difficulties really diminished my enjoyment of the story.

I did appreciate having many different perspectives on the first battle of the Civil War. I was able to glean that individuals had many motivations for entering the war. Fleischman also explored that many Northerners were not accepting of African Americans even though they were fighting, in part, for the freedom of slaves. Gideon Adams experienced racism as a free Northern African American, and Charlotta King discovered that Northerners would not give her free passage if she escaped. As a child, I had the misconception that only Southerners were prejudiced against African Americans during the time of the Civil War. Many of today's children probably also have the same misconception. This book could help to clear up their understanding. The characters who only incidentally experienced the battle were interesting as well. It is not often that one hears about the illustrators, entrepreneurs, or spectators who are involved in historical events.

Morning Girl by Michael Dorris

In this simple story of a girl growing up within her community, I gained a different perspective on native americans than that usually represented in the American consciousness and textbooks. Morning Girl and Star Boy are two very different siblings who are adolescents in their community. Morning Girl learns to appreciate her brother and learns about herself over the course of the story.

In Morning Girl's culture, nature is greatly valued. At one point, Morning Girl wishes to know how she appears. As she explores her face by touch, she relates what she feels to nature. Her chin is pointy like a starfish, her cheeks are two hills. Even after a major storm, that I assume was a hurricane, the community views the destruction as a time of renewal and enjoys the gifts they have received from the storm-- new fronds already on the ground for use as roofing, coconuts easy to collect. Even the loss of cherished items is viewed as "what the storm had borrowed." (p. 68)

While the native american culture valued reverance for nature, a value quite different from the
exlorers, Dorris gave us the opportunity to see how these people were very much like everyone else. Children must learn the rules of adult behavior for their society. Families argue but love one another. Some marriages don't work.

I thought Morning Girl gave me a well rounded viewpoint of what one native american culture could have been like before Columbus and his men landed in "the New World."

I Had Seen Castles by Cynthia Rylant

What a heartbreaking story. A young man, just learning who he was, enters WWII. He is changed forever becoming almost an entirely different person.

I generally feel rather indifferent to many Cynthia Rylant picture books, but this is her second chapter book that I have enjoyed. I wonder if she has any light-hearted chapter books? Ones that are not so saddening. As I noted with Missing May, more complete characterization seems to make a difference in my enjoyment of her books. As a first person narrative, I learned a lot about pre-war John and post-war John. Ginny was also fleshed-out, inasmuch as John knew and understood her.

While John's character described little about his life after the war, I still felt like I knew his post-war character. Through his description of himself as a teenager, I learned of his character before he went to war. However, the tone of his description led me to understand that he was very different after the war. He was lonely, scarred, and introspective. He clearly does not identify with himself before the war. In the first chapter, he describes his childhood home in third person, as if he doesn't know the occupants of his own house. In the second chapter, he describes longing for the innocence and simplicity of childhood. Clearly, he is not the same person he was as a teenager.

In one interpretation of I Had Seen Castles, it seems to be about the emotional toil and scarring that results from living through such a terrible war. But, in another interpretation, the book seems to be exploring the morality and justness of war in general. John and many of the other incidental characters are unswervingly pro WWII. Conscientious objectors are looked down upon and John doesn't question why or if he should enlist. He just feels that he should. However, by introducing the character of Ginny, who does not support the war, post-war John and the reader are led to consider whether it was just and right. While Rylant does not answer this question, I was led to consider the complex issue myself. She set the stage for the reader to consider it but chose to leave it up to us to come to our own conclusions. I'm glad she didn't steer my thinking with her own.

The Watsons Go to Birmingham-- 1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis

The Watsons Go to Birmingham--1963 is the story of a family told from the middle child's point of view. When the family is in Birmingham, everyone but especially Kenny is affected when they think that Joetta, the youngest Watson, was inside when the church was bombed.

This book was very humorous. Byron provides a lot of comic relief. He gets his lips stuck to a mirror during a winter storm, and straightens his hair then subsequently has it shaved off by Dad.

I expected that the book would primarily be about the Civil Rights Movement and have a heavy historical fiction slant. However, more than anything, it was about family. Through the majority of the book, I learned about the family's interworkings and came to know the characters well. From Kenny's perspective, I came to know Momma as an easily embarrassed, serious, strong woman; Dad as a fun-loving, kind, but strict father; Joetta as a religious kindergartner who tried to protect her brother; and Byron as a trouble-making, but soft-hearted bully.

Throughout, I was waiting for the family to encounter prejudice or witness racial inequality, but there was nothing until the church was bombed. In retrospect, I think that the story was stronger and more powerful as a result. Because I had not been primed to read about hatred for the first 180 pages, the church bombing shocked me as it must have shocked the people who actually experienced it. Since I knew the characters as people, it made it more painful to know the pain the bombing had caused.

I appreciated the epilogue at the end of the story. While the text provided closure as to how the family dealt with the tragedy of the church bombing, the epilogue gave closure and more information about the motivations of those who participated in the Civil Rights Movement and a historical context for the bombing. Without the epilogue, I think I would have felt that the story was unfinished.

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo

Edward Tulane is a china rabbit living a pampered life. But, when he is accidentally thrown into the sea, a series of misadventures ensue that teach him to love and love again.

I am now a huge Kate DiCamillo fan! I have read Despereaux and The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane. With both, I found it hard to put the book down. I'm going to have to read each of her other books!

Just as with Despereaux, the book itself is beautiful. Edward is drawn walking up to a house on the cover and the endpages match the inside of his special traveling trunk. It's as though I was put inside the trunk to experience the journey with him. Each chapter has a page to begin it showing the chapter number and a small illustration. Then, there are color illustrations throughout the book on glossy paper with captions from the text underneath. All of the elements worked together to give me a sense of the story.

At first, Edward fails to appreciate the love he receives from his owner, Abilene. He is bored by all people and cares only about his appearance. When he loses Abilene and ends up at the bottom of the ocean, he begins to appreciate what he had. Eventually, over many years, Edward is loved by several different individuals who treat him differently, call him different names but all love him. With each love and loss, Edward becomes a more complete being. As his heart swelled with love, I felt my heart swell too. As his heart ached with each lost love, mine did also. What a gift to make me empathize with an inanimate china rabbit!

In the front matter, a quote from "The Testing-Tree" by Stanley Kunitz is provided. It says:
The heart breaks and breaks
and lives by breaking.
It is necessary to go
through dark and deeper dark
and not to turn.
It was not until Edward loved and had heartbreak that he began to live. The quote fit perfectly with the storyline and set the stage for my reading. I was also reminded of Despereaux here with the reference to dark as a part of life. The trials of life and growth that comes as a result of hardship and with love seem to be recurring themes with DiCamillo. I will have to see if the same trend continues with her other work.

I'm not sure how I would label the book. Initially, it struck me as fantasy because Edward, an inanimate object, has the capacity to think and feel. But, as I think more about it, it seems like another literary folktale. Edward learned an important lesson about opening his heart to love and appreciating the love he receives. It also has the happily ever after ending so typical of folktales.

I searched for info about the book and discovered it has its own website! www.edwardtulane.com
Included is a video clip with Kate DiCamillo and the illustrator, Bagram Ibatoulline, discussing the process of working on the project and what it meant to each of them. Lesson plans, a readers' theater script among other things is included.

One review (Publisher's weekly) actually compared this story to The Velveteen Rabbit and seemed to think that Edward Tulane was the superior story. I have only a vague memory of the Velveteen Rabbit from my childhood. I will have to check it out and see how I think they compare.

For those that loved Despereaux, you have got to read The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane.

Hatchet by Gary Paulsen

Hatchet is so named because that is the only thing a young boy, Brian, has when he is stranded, alone, in the Canadian Wilderness after a plane crash. While he fights to survive in the new environment, so different from the city where he usually lives, Brian changes and learns from the experience.

As an adventure story, I was surprised by the psychological aspect of the book. Hatchet explores man vs. nature as Brian fights for survival but also explores man vs. himself as Brian grows and changes as a result of his experiences. The man vs. himself was the more interesting storyline, to me.

At first, Brian is consumed with memories about his parents divorce and mother's infidelity while waiting impatiently for rescue. However, he is soon faced with devastation when he's attacked by a skunk, and he hits rock bottom. Then, Brian views himself reborn and hones his skills at surviving in the wilderness. His senses become more acute and his priorities are changed. No longer is he concerned about rescue but looks for food first and foremost.

Brian comes to understand that all the animals he encounters are part of nature and realizes that none of them care much for him, they were all just trying to survive. I think he also realized that self-pity was useless and that action was his only hope.

An epilogue is included which briefly chronicles what happens after Brian is rescued. A few details about his changes are included such as his wonder at the choice of food in the supermarket and how he always thought before speaking after the rescue. I think that would be a really interesting story-- how living in the wilderness changed Brian's character. I definitely finished Hatchet feeling that the story was complete but wanted another story to tell me about his life post-rescue.

This was not a book I would normally choose for myself, but I enjoyed stretching my interest limits.

Charlotte's Web by E.B. White

Charlotte's Web is truly a story of friendship-- friendship that stays with you forever, friendship for a season, or friendship for a lifetime. In this well-known story by EB White, Charlotte, the spider, helps to save Wilbur, the pig, by writing messages in her web. Just as Wilbur's future is assured, Charlotte's life comes to an end.

While I knew that friendship was the theme of the story, I was surprised by the depth and different types of friendship that were depicted in the book. Charlotte is a true, loyal friend to Wilbur but most notably, to me, she seeks no attention or recognition for herself. She is self-less in helping Wilbur. Isn't that a noble quality to find in a friend? Several times, White mentions that no one noticed Charlotte. Dr. Dorian even said, the web was really the thing of wonder not the words written in it.

Fern represented a different kind of friendship. While she loved Wilbur, she grew and changed, and her friendship with Wilbur lasted only a short time. I imagine that she still visits him from time to time, but she is not the same kind of friend as Charlotte. Through the months of Wilbur's youth, she spent a lot of time with him. However, just as he was about to be awarded the prize, Fern grew beyond her friendship with Wilbur. She became more interested in her new friend, Henry. Their friendship represents the more fleeting friendships that happen, a friendship that lasts a while but then dissolves over time.

While I know the story of Charlotte's Web so well as a result of reading it as a child and watching the old video of it many times, I enjoyed rereading it because little things made me chuckle. At one point, Charlotte says that "People believe almost anything they see in print" (p. 89) in response to Wilbur's protest at not actually being terrific. Wilbur waxes philosophic over the meaning of nothingness and the impossibility of less than nothing, saying: " If there were something that was less than nothing, then nothing would not be nothing, it would be something--even though it's just a very little bit of something" (p. 28). I imagined myself reading that as a child and saying, huh? There were other points in the story where White made observations about human nature. For instance, he wrote: "It is deeply satisfying to win a prize in front of a lot of people" (p. 160). These are all things that I think children would miss, even though they could get lots of good out of reading the story.

Charlotte's Web seems to be one of the most well-known children's books and one that has stood the test of time. However, it did not win the Newbery. It was a Newbery Honor book but The Secret of the Andes won the award that year. I've never heard of it, has anyone else? There must be something quite special about a book that has stood the test of over 50 years and still enchants children today.

Seedfolks by Paul Fleischman

In Seedfolks, individuals in a run-down Cleveland neighborhood build a garden thanks to one child who starts it all. Each chapter is written from a different character's point of view. Through each character, I realized that while the garden helped each member of its community, the characters' motivations, life situations, and perspectives were all so different. The garden truly created common ground for people with little else in common.

I enjoyed that each chapter was written from a different characters' point of view. I started each chapter excited to learn how this individual was changed by the community garden. As the garden really started to take shape several chapters into the book, I wanted to hear from Kim again. I wanted to know how she felt knowing that what she had started had, literally, grown so huge. I was disappointed when I looked ahead and found that no character would have a repeat performance. So, when characters began reappearing in other chapters, I cherished the moments.

I wanted desperately for the characters to interact and make a true community. I appreciated that the garden brought joy to people in the community and meant something different to each of them; however I longed for them to become a true community. I have fond memories of my childhood community, but as an adult I don't feel that same sense of shared experiences in my neighborhood now. I wished that the characters would make themselves into a community. I wanted it to bring me some hope that communities can still exist. I remember Sam's chapter most. He really spoke to the divides that still existed between individual's in the garden. "Each group kept to itself, spoke its own language, and grew its own special crops." (p. 34) I wish it could be different, but that does seem to be the reality of humankind.

I am more excited to read Bull Run now, knowing that Fleischman uses the same format. I'm not usually a war book fan, but I'm holding out hope that I'll like it...

Missing May by Cynthia Rylant

My favorite part of Missing May is the characterization. I often miss getting to know the characters when I read Cynthia Rylant, however I feel as though I know Ob, Cletus, even May, and especially Summer. I was pleasantly surprised. When Rylant described Ob, I had a visual of his appearance, his mannerisms, and an idea as to his personality. I felt like I knew Ob well from early in the story but it took most of the book for me to know Cletus, May and Summer.

Cynthia Rylant set the tone for Missing May from the outset. I felt somber and slightly depressed all the way through. I think her craft was at play here to set the tone. Initially, she used several repetitious phrases such as "and hold me and hold me" (p. 4) "swallow and nod, swallow and nod" (p. 5), and others. I was struck with the sentence that read "I feel adrift." (p. 10) I thought, what a simple, yet perfect description for how she must feel without her mother figure, May.

In Missing May, Summer's aunt has died. Her uncle, Ob and herself are trying to heal and go on with life without May. Summer is frightened because she is afraid Ob will leave her too. Eventually, Ob and Summer lstart earning to live without their beloved May, with the help of their new friend Cletus. They have a long road ahead of them when the book ends, but I felt assured that they would make it through.

From Summer's description of her life, the reader can tell she had everything she thought she needed. However, details about their lives clearly indicate that they are impoverished. Summer's perspective on her life is different than outsider's view. Since Rylant wrote from Summer's point of view I was able to see what she found to be so rich about her life. Otherwise, I probably would have felt like the kids at school described her. What craft to let me understand Summer's point of view while recognizing that many other people probably view her life differently.

Poverty, and grace in poverty, reappear in Rylant books. She writes about individuals in poverty but writes about their lives beyond their poverty. I was reminded of Miss Maggie where the poor old woman is eventually befriended by a young boy whose family helps Miss Maggie, and Silver Packages where the boy receives Christmas gifts each year and appreciates the smallest of things he receives. Then, as an adult, he returns to doctor to his childhood community. She writes of the things that make her characters human--kindness, sorrow, pain, and joy while recognizing the poverty. I'm sure her childhood in the Appalachia mountains has inspired her to share such stories with us.

Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse

I have intended to read this book for several years, and have not managed to find the time. What better time than the present, right? My interest was piqued because it won the Newbury and because I had heard it was written in verse.

Immediately upon pulling it off the shelf, I noticed that the title is written so that the words appear to be emerging from the dust as you read it. I really can't explain it more clearly; I think you will need to see it to understand.

Over the course of the year chronicled in Out of the Dust, the main character, Billie Jo, deals with dust storms, poor crops, and psychological as well as physical trauma. Just as her community struggles to come "out of the dust," Billie Jo does too.

As I read about Billie Jo, I was immediately drawn to her character. She seems like a young girl trying to figure out who she is. It is obvious she loves her family but she is also trying to spread her wings and stretch beyond her immediate family. So, when tragedy struck Billie Jo's family, I was empathetic to her problems. Throughout the rest of the story, Billie Jo tries to pull herself up after the tragedies and move on with her life. It is not easy.

Her struggles are juxtaposed with the Dust Bowl. At the same time I was getting to know Billie Jo in the beginning, I was learning more about the dust bowl. Parts of the story described people moving to California hoping for work, poor crops, starving animals, storms wiping out all of the growing wheat. As Billie Jo's situation worsened, the dust storms got worse. Both aspects of the book-- Billie Jo's story and the Dust Bowl worked together cohesively, they complement one another and add to the impact of the book as a whole.

I know little about the Dust Bowl, however the historical details appear accurate. Roosevelt is mentioned, a short explanation about the causes of the Dust Bowl are included, and other details. Hesse did a superb job of including important historical details to make the story believable and give the reader the necessary frame of mind without making it feel as though you were reading facts about the Dust Bowl. The reader learns them by reading Billie Jo's perspective on events occuring around her.

I'm glad I finally had the chance to read Out of the Dust. It was worth it!

The Three Pigs by David Weisner

In this fractured fairy tale, the three little pigs escape the pages of their folktale and have an adventure going to other stories. Along the way, they recruit other characters from their stories. In the end, they go home with their new friends and live happily ever after.

Wiesner used a series of framed illustrations to initially tell the story and allow the characters to escape into the white background. After escaping, his illustrations depict the pigs crumpling the pages, knocking them over and even folding one into paper airplane. By using frames for the illustrations of the traditional tale, an alternate reality was created in the white background. Additionally, when the pigs are out on their adventure, the text is dialogue in speech bubbles as the characters interact. The dialogue and speech bubbles when contrasted with the narrative text within the illustrated frames also adds to the alternate reality Wiesner creates for the pigs.

The Three Pigs is intended for older audiences. Readers must have knowledge of other folktales and be able to step outside the traditional story structure to understand and appreciate the book. I think it would be lost on many elementary aged students. Additionally, teachers would be hardpressed to give the book justice as a read-aloud. Kids will have to wait to read it on their own in order to truly enjoy the story.

The Three Pigs represents a step away from traditional story telling by an author/illustrator who thinks outside the box.

Olive's Ocean by Kevin Henkes

I'm so accustomed to picture books for young children by Kevin Henkes. It was great to see him write for a different audience-- with much success too. Olive's Ocean was a Newbery Honor Book. A girl named Olive died in a car accident. After her death, her mother brings Martha a page out of Olive's journal in which Olive wrote that she hoped Martha and she would become friends. While on vacation at Grandmother Godbee's cape home, Martha thinks a lot about Olive, has her first taste of teenage love, and grows closer to her Grandmother.

Martha is an introspective young girl, aged 12, who learns some important lessons on her vacation. Don't trust everything a guy tells you, its okay to have mixed emotions about your family at times, and most importantly, the world doesn't revolve around you.

While the title would indicate that Olive was an important part of the story, the book is definitely about Martha. Olive is only important because her journal entry and death are catalysts for Martha's introspection and ensuing realizations.

Olive's Ocean is a simple story of a girl's experiences growing up. Nothing amazing happens, no crazy circumstances, or anything like that. Martha just experiences some important life events and is changed as a result. That is exactly why I think it was a Newbery Honor book--young readers can relate to what Martha experienced and may gain some understanding about themselves by reading about Martha.

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor won the Newbery Award in 1977. The story takes place in the rural South during the Great Depression. Over the course of a year, the Logan family battles against prejudice, race related violence, and unfairness after an African American in the community is beaten and set on fire. Events build as tension between the White landowners and the African American families grow. The Logan family tries to maintain the safety of the family while fighting for what they believe.

Roll of Thunder was a heavy read. Not only is the subject matter heavy, but the reading is dense as well. I think most elementary aged students would be unable to handle the book. By AR it is leveled as a 5.7 (for whatever that is worth) but I think middle schoolers would be better suited for it.

The main character, Cassie is 8 years old. She must have been sheltered because over the course of the story, she must learn of the prejudice and inequality prevalent in her community. At the beginning of the story, the African American students receive the discarded textbooks from the county, and she nor her siblings understand why they are receiving such poor materials. Later in the story, Cassie goes into a store and is angered when the proprieter helps all of the white customers before he will help her and her friends. Other events occur highlighting how little she understands about the prejudice toward her race.

While I found her innocence somewhat unbelievable, it could help a young reader to understand the time period. As a young reader, many students may have a limited understanding of the prejudicial practices in the rural South. A reader could relate to Cassie's feelings of anger, resentment, and confusion as she experienced prejudice because of her race. As she is coming to understand the situation, the reader is also coming to understand it. For young adults, Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry could be a fictional representation of America's ugly past that would help them become aware of our history in a way that would move them emotionally as they become invested in the Logan family.

Tar Beach by Faith Ringgold

In Tar Beach, an eight year old girl fantasizes about making her family's life better. She flies above the city. Anything that she can fly over, becomes hers. She wants the George Washington Bridge, she wants to Union Building, presto all she has to do is fly over them.

The text is simple yet my heart-strings were pulled as I read a child's perspective on prejudice, family sacrifice, and happy times with loved ones. The girl is attempting to claim ownership of things that her parents have no hope of owning or controlling on their own. To right the wrong of prejudice against the Union her father can't join, she plans to fly over it, and own it. Happy times with friends and family on Tar Beach (the apartment building roof) create the sense of safety that allows the girl to dream of giving her family the things they want. So they can have more happy times.

The story of Tar Beach was first told on a story quilt. In the quilt. a single large painting of the family on Tar Beach is the focal point. The text is written on the top and bottom with quilting squares along the perimeter. To make the book, Ringgold painted addition illustrations in the same style as the quilt painting. On the bottom border, prints of the quilt squares are pictured. It is no wonder Tar Beach is a Caldecott Honor Book. For students, it would be interesting to explore how the story, quilting, and painting all go together to create the book. Autobiographical information detailing some of the process is included at the end of the text along with a photograph of the original quilt.

The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi

In the historical fiction and Newbery Honor book, The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle, Charlotte makes the journey to America on a merchant sailing ship with no other passengers. As she soon discovers, there is tension between the captain and the crew. She gets involved in the ensuing drama, and her life is changed forever.

True Confessions explores how significant life events can alter the course of your life. When Charlotte boards the ship, she narrates "What could I do? All my life I had been trained to obey, educated to accept. I could hardly change in a moment" (p.17). Over the course of the two month journey, Charlotte does change. The events that transpire-- mutiny, deceit, murder, and chaos change her so that she is no longer "trained to obey, educated to accept."

While True Confessions takes place in the 19th century and chronicles the journey of a 12 year old girl, the book deals with stereotypes and prejudice in ways that modern children could understand and might understand more clearly because of the historical time period. As evidenced in the quotation above, Charlotte starts out as the stereotypical genteel young lady of the 19th century. She has no voice of her own, attempts to do what would please her father, and feels she must stay "above" the crew. Because of the situation where she finds herself, Charlotte fights against gender stereotyping. She learns to have her own voice, think for herself, and befriend individuals because of who they are, not their station in life. She also becomes friends with the only non-white, an African, on the ship. He meets with prejudice from other crew mates, and racism in the 19th century North is briefly mentioned. Charlotte comes to see that he is a true friend and that they have much in common.

To help the modern reader, Avi provides an appendix with definitions and diagrams to explain sailing terminology and parts of the ship. Descriptions of sailing and details like how time was kept added to the historical context of the book. The appendix was a necessary aid to help the reader understand the descriptions. I have not been drawn to historical fiction, but I will try to read more now that I've enjoyed The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle.

Van Gogh Cafe by Cynthia Rylant

I enjoy reading fantasy, but I think science fiction is more my cup of tea. I had a lot of trouble believing what I was reading in Van Gogh Cafe. In science fiction, I can be drawn into an alternative reality and can be convinced of almost anything. But, with Van Gogh Cafe I read each chapter and tried to figure out an explanation for each magical event. With each chapter, the magic was harder and harder to explain away. But, I just couldn't believe it.

In The Van Gogh Cafe, a man and his daughter run a cafe where magic is known to happen. While there are many incidental characters in the story, the daughter is the one who senses the magic and waits to see how each magical event will turn out.

I did try to consider how each magical event helped the people in Flowers. I especially liked how the possom helped everyone to get along. I had a sense that while each magical event, like with the possom, was meant to help one character in particular, many people benefited from the magic. The possom helped the man go make an animal shelter, the poetry helped the boy find his cat.

I would have liked to know more about the characters that were affected-- the boy or the man or the star. However, the flat characters and short vignettes fit with the setting. In a cafe near a major highway, I'm sure the owners know many locals but don't really know much about them. In addition, the owners probably meet many new faces and do little more than serve them food and see them on their way. Even Clara, the girl, had little characterization. I have no idea what she looks like, what she likes to do (other than work at the cafe), who her friends are, or what kind of a person she is. I missed getting to know the characters in the book.

This is not a book I enjoyed or would recommend to others.

The Giver by Lois Lowry

Can you imagine a world without color or emotions? I can't. But, that is the world imagined by Lowry in The Giver. From early on in my reading of this book, I was reminded of 1984. As Lowry described the speakers giving announcements or the regimented daily schedules I thought of the other science fiction book I love.

In The Giver, people live in a world where they do not know emotions, choice, or color. There is no such thing as happiness, remorse, anger, love, courage or fear. People are not even affected by killing another through "release." As I was reading the book, I constantly thought, "why?" "why bother even living?" I think that is what Lowry was attempting to elucidate for all of us. Yes-- there is pain, heart-ache, fear, and unhappiness. But, negative feelings are balanced by joy, love, exhilaration, and courage. I was proud of Jonas as he realized that he could not allow the community to continue without emotion. In part, I think his feelings were selfish, he didn't want to live such a solitary life. However, more than that, I think he wanted to share the wonderful (and sometimes painful) emotions with the people he loved. With the capacity to love, he wanted to share it. In the end, he showed himself to be selfless. He lost his family, his home, his safety, his physical well-being so that others could feel and might make choices.

Lowry's descriptions of the Giver as a pained, tormented, old looking man made me think about how lucky we all are. All the things we experience would totally weigh us down psychologically if we couldn't share them with others. The Giver experienced some relief as he transferred memories to Jonas and could share not only the bad but the good.

At the beginning of the book, I thought that much of the story was just about giving us information so we could picture the community so different from our own lives. However, I was happily surprised when I realized how Lowry had tied together her descriptions with important events that moved the story along. For instance, learning about Father's job as Nurturer introduced us to Gabriel, an important character at the end of the book. Learning about the public admonishments informed us that Jonas could see more than others, what we later discover is his ability to see "beyond", to see color.

It made so much sense at the end to discover that Rosemary was The Giver's daughter. Of course the prospect of causing her pain and unhappiness was difficult for him. Only he, in the whole community, actually had the capacity to love and he was forced to transform his child. However, it is still somewhat unclear to me why Rosemary asked for release. Why couldn't she bear it? Did she come to love her father and couldn't bear to see him in pain? Did she lack the bravery to bear the burden? But, I suppose The Giver wondered as well.

The Egyptian Cinderella by Shirley Climo illustrated by Ruth Heller

The Egyptian Cinderella tells the story of a Greek girl kidnapped and sold into slavery in Egypt. The other servants resented her because she was different, but her master loved how beautifully she danced. As a result, he gave her gold slippers. When the other girls went to see the Pharoah, Rhodopis was left behind. A falcon came along and stole one of her gold slippers. The falcon took the slipper to the Pharoah and he came looking for its owner. In time, he found Rhodopis. He married her and found her Greek features beautiful.

According to the author's note, the story of Rhodopis was first recorded in first century B.C. And, a greek slaved named Rhodopis did marry a Pharoah.

Unlike other Cinderella versions I have read, Rhodopis is not particularly kind. In all the other versions, the author states that she is very kind and good. However, that is not the case in The Egyptian Cinderella. Rhodopis is described as loving animals and dancing beautifully.

A falcon is the "magical" creature that leads the Pharoah to Rhodopis. (A falcon is the animal that the sky god, Horus, would come to earth as, according to the author's note.) So, while there is no fairy godmother changing the way Rhodopis (Cinderella) looks, an other-worldly character does allow the Pharoah and Rhodopis to meet.

The illustrations of the book remind me of artwork I have seen from Egypt. The characters are depicted in profile and the body positions are reminiscent of Egyptian artwork. Bodies are angular, hair hangs down and eyes are decorated. Even the falcon is similar to Egyptian artwork. While I think the pictures could have been culturally insensitive, each individual has different facial features. I did not get the impression that all of the women looked the same. The illustrations drew me into the story and reminded me that I was reading a different, earlier! version of a story I know well.

Smoky Mountain Rose: An Appalachian Cinderella by Alan Schroeder pictures by Brad Sneed

In this version of Cinderella, the tale takes place in the Appalachia mountains. The culture, language, and environment are clear through the words and illustrations of the picturebook.

There were some changes, but the story very much follows the Perrault version of Cinderella. One notable change was that of the father. He was a very minor character in Perrault's version, however he has a more prominent role in this story. The father asks Rose (Cinderella) if he should try to remarry and then feels remorse over how Rose is treated by the step-mother and sisters. I was glad that someone in the story loved Rose-- she wasn't completely forgotten by her father when he remarried.

The language used is very amusing. I felt like I could hear the narrator. Words are spelled as they are to be pronounced and colorful figurative language is used throughout. For example,

"Now lis'en" (the very first line of the book)

"Way I see it, we'd all fit together neater'n a jigsaw" (The father had high hopes for his new marriage.)

"why, they were so mean they'd steal flies from a blind spider" (describing the step sisters)

"they started a-howlin': 'Lawd-a-marcy! Who'd want to dance with a dirt clod lak you?'" (I love how he spelled like)

My favorite part though, is the fairy godmother. It's a pig who can talk and do magic. She has no magic wand but grunts and carries on when doing magic.

The illustrations in Smoky Mountain Rose are beautiful. They are watercolors with vivid colors. Most of the illustrations are full-bleed on one page with text on the other. The use of full-bleed illustrations is different than other fairy tales. Usually, like in the Perrault version, illustrations are framed, giving the reader a sense of distance. But, that is not the case in Smoky Mountain Rose. The reader is drawn into the illustrations and I think it makes Rose a more "real" character. Rose is depicted in various places on the page. When the attention is on her, she is centered however her back is in view when she is being mistreated. It is not until you see her at the ball that she is centered and faces the reader. Throughout the ball scene, she is obviously the center of attention in the text and the illustrations.

Cinderella by Charles Perrault retold by Amy Ehrlich illustrated by Susan Jeffers

Like many Americans, my knowledge of Cinderella comes from the Disney version I watched as a girl. So, I thought I should actually read the French version it was based on!

In Perrault's version of Cinderella, Cinderella is the stepdaughter who is forced to work unmercifully by her stepmother and sisters. When there is a ball, her fairy godmother makes her a coach, horses, a coachman, and a beautiful dress. She goes to the ball and enchants everyone-- even her stepsisters-- with her beauty and kindness. On the second night, she leaves behind her glass slipper. She tries it on later when the prince is looking for her. Her sisters ask for her forgiveness, she marries the prince, and all live happily ever after.

I can't help but compare this version to the Disney version. I cringed as I had the thoughts while reading, but it couldn't be helped. There are no mice that befriend Cinderella in the Perrault version. In the movie, there is only one ball that Cinderella attends and she is not as forgiving or kind to her sisters.

In Perrault's version, Cinderella's goodness and kindness are highlighted throughout. She is kind to her sisters at the ball and easily forgives them when they repent after realizing she is the princess from the ball. The moral seems to be that one should be forgiving no matter what others have done to you. I wanted to say, "They don't deserve your forgiveness! Don't be so nice to them! They are only repenting because they are selfish." I guess I'm too old for the fairy tale ending. And, I am none too sure I really want that to be the ending. Couldn't she have forgiven them but not welcomed them into her court and helped them marry well?

The illustrations in the book were beautiful. They were ink line drawings. The illustrations depicted Cinderella's emotions well. On the dedication page, you see Cinderella sitting by a gate looking forlorn, lonely, and sad. There is red bird that shows up in each illustration where Cinderella is being mistreated. It is as if the bird is her companion and friend. However, when she is at the ball or with her Fairy Godmother, the bird is not in the illustration. I probably wouldn't have even noticed him, but he is illustrated in the front matter and is also perched on Cinderella's shoulder on the cover. The illustrations added depth to Cinderella's character.

Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbit

I have heard many good things about this book, so just had to read it as one of my fantasy entries. Unfortunately, I wasn't that impressed. It was ok, but not anything I would rave about.

Tuck Everlasting is the story of a young girl who happens upon the Tucks in the wood. The Tucks unknowingly drank from a spring giving eternal life. They kidnap her and tell her about their fate. She comes to love them and must help them when events start spiralling out of control.

The first few chapters were difficult to get through. There is extensive description of the wood-- I was a bit bored. As I read on, I began to feel empathetic toward the characters. Through the dialogue between Winnie (the young girl) and each Tuck it became clear that they were unhappy, felt that they belonged nowhere, and had little hope.

The most interesting part of the book was that each 100+ year old Tuck was more child-like than Winnie in many ways. They seemed innocent and needy. Throughout her night with them, each one came to see her while she tried to sleep. Each family member asked her for assurance that she was ok despite the fact that she was trying to sleep. That reminded me of a child going to their parents bed and asking, "Are you awake? Are you awake?" until the parent wakes up. The family members were looking to Winnie for direction and validation-- she even viewed them as helpless.

Babbit explored what life would be like without death. To elucidate her thoughts, she used dialogue between Winnie and the Tucks. From the beginning, I knew that Babbit thought eternal life would be terrible. The Tucks took Winnie so that they could convince her not to drink from the spring. Each member of the family had a slightly different perspective about their plight. The father thought, "It's something you don't find out how you feel until afterwards." (p.119) The mother was saddened because they had to move so often and had no friends. The youngest Tuck was the only one who seemed to enjoy the life. He even tried to convince Winnie to drink from the spring when she turned 17. She was wise enough to understand that she didn't really want eternal life.

Pay the Piper by Jane Yolen and Adam Stemple

Pay the Piper is "A Rock 'n' Roll Fairy Tale" as explained on the front cover. It is a modern take on the Pied Piper of Hamelin that, as the authors state, attempts to answer the "why?" of the Pied Piper story. In Pay the Piper, the piper is part of a rock n roll band with a folk influence (ie the pipe). A teenage girl reporter, at the concert, overhears a key conversation and witnesses rats dancing for the piper. She begins to piece things together, but when all the children disappear on Halloween it is up to her to save the day.

The story is told from two perspectives-- that of the girl and that of the Pied Piper (named Gringas). Gringas' perspective is told through his inner monologue and memories of his past. The text is italicized to indicate this to the reader. Initially, the reader has very little information about the individual with the inner thoughts. It was an effective way to draw me into the story. I was curious to figure out who the character was. Through his inner thoughts, the reader learns the "why" of his fate as the Pied Piper. Simultaneously, the young girl is piecing the clues together herself. I enjoyed the authors' way of conveying the back story to me. Each time Gringas had a thought, I was able to put a little more of the puzzle together-- much like the heroine of the story.

While the story didn't really feel like a fairy tale, the depiction of teenage girls and family dynamics was interesting. As a backdrop to the mystery of the book, the girl deals with over-bearing parents, an annoying little brother, and she has an assortment of comical friends. She even has a teenage crush. So, while the story of the Pied Piper is unfolding, I also laughed at the modern teenage drama depicted in the book.

Since many traditional tales include weak female characters, I appreciated that the teenage girl was smarter than everyone else-- even the 800 year old Gringas. She didn't ask for any guy's help, she solved the curse dooming Gringas as the Pied Piper, and took action to save all of the kids in town. While the author's proclaim Pay the Piper as a fairy tale, I am unsure as to whether it really is. It seems more like fantasy to me. But, hopefully I'll be able to figure it all out for sure in a few weeks when we learn about fantasy. :)

I have one major beef with the authors. They quoted what they said was the earliest account in their author notes at the beginning of the book, but I found no bibliography to back it up. Additionally, there were no source notes or references included anywhere to indicate that their assertions about the story's origins and scholarly theories were based on something.

I have definitely never read another book like this one.

The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo

In this tail (lol), each character desires something uncommon-- "light" (either literally or figuratively). Masterfully, their stories are woven together by DiCamillo and their lives intertwine as the action unfolds. One, with a pure heart, intelligence, and a voice who encourages him, is able to live his dream-- his desire comes true. Another, with a "crooked" heart and intelligence but with a voice who leads him astray, attempts to live his dream, but his plan is evil. Since his heart is crooked and he has been lead astray, his dream is thwarted. (Thank goodness!) And, yet another character, with little intelligence and no one who believes in her, can not live her dream either. In DiCamillo's traditional tale, good triumphs over evil and kindness saves them all.

As I finished The Tale of Despereaux last night, my first instinct was to pick up the next book on my list so I could get it started and finished a little sooner. But, my mind (and heart) said, "no!" I needed to think this book over and spend a little longer relishing it.

After only a few short chapters, I was hooked by DiCamillo's writing style in Despereaux. As she addressed me!--"the Reader," I couldn't wait to keep reading. I wanted to see how she was going to pull me in again. She actually compelled me to look up perfidy in the dictionary even though I had a pretty good idea what the word meant. With simple but descriptive events and dialogue, I knew the characters-- Despereaux's mother, the over-dramatic, self-absorbed, and silly mouse. Despereaux's individuality-- the mouse who was born with his eyes open.

I love how DiCamillo told each character's story individually at first. I knew that the characters' fates were intertwined but knowing each characters' back story helped to make each one a well-developed, sympathetic character. While Roscuro's plan was diabolical, I felt for him because he had his heart broken and fate had conspired to ruin his dream. He could not enjoy the light because he had unintentionally caused the queen's death. He was ruined by that broken heart and Botticelli.

Character development is one area where Despereaux differs from many traditional tales. Generally, characters are flat and stereo-typical in traditional tales. But, DiCamillo's main characters were well-developed. Despereaux loved to read, refused to conform to his society, showed bravery but also moments of weakness and terror in the face of great difficulty, and dared to follow his dream. Through the events DiCamillo described and the well-developed characters' complex actions and emotions, I was led to really consider what her message was. In the end, I think she is saying that it is best to be your own person but that you must have bravery, intelligence, encouragement, kindness, and daring for your dream to come true.

Bridge to Terabithia-- The Movie

I don't think I have ever seen a movie that stuck so closely to the book events. I was amazed that only details were changed-- the paints as a birthday instead of a Christmas present or Dad working at a hardware store not in DC. Of course there were others, but the story remained quite true to the book.

The thing I found most interesting about the movie was how I responded to Leslie's death. I usually boo-hoo to movies AND books. When reading the book, I didn't get upset about Leslie's death until Jess accepted that it had really happened. At the time, I thought that the TV in the background or other things had kept my emotions from becoming involved. However, I had the same reaction to the movie. In the woods when he talked to him father, I teared up and felt the pull at my heart strings--not before. I interpret my reactions to mean that the writer/director has incredible power over me by the way the characters respond to situations. I know that I often get pulled in when reading or watching movies, but it has never been so clear to me how much I identify with the main characters. It amazes me how powerful words can be!!

For mass marketing, I understand why the time period was updated and special effects were used to make Terabithia, but I have mixed feelings about those decisions. In terms of the time period, I think the story was less believable as present day. Children today seem over-exposed to adult situations. I had a hard time believing that these children were so innocent and child-like as fifth graders. I can't imagine a single 5th grader I know having an imaginary world. My husband even leaned over during the movie and asked, "How old are these kids supposed to be?" But, I believed it when the setting was 25 years ago. I didn't mind the fantasy world of Terabithia though. As an adult reading the book, I had difficulty becoming absorbed into their play in Terabithia. With the visuals provided by the movie, I was able to enjoy that part of the storyline more. I thought the fantasy world was used judiciously. The movie still seemed grounded in the reality of Jess' life.

Overall, I enjoyed the movie but liked the book better.

The Great Gracie Chase Stop that Dog! by Cynthia Rylant

I went to my school's library today and was in for a shock! Only about 10 Cynthia Rylant books were there. I hope that just means that she is popular with the kids and not that we only have 10 Cynthia Rylant books!

Immediately upon starting The Great Gracie Chase... I thought of my own dogs. I chuckled throughout because my dogs are much like Gracie. Like Gracie, Kylie (one of my dogs) likes nothing better than to lay around the quiet house all day. She also hates for people to come near our house. I'm sure the mailman loves putting mail in our slot each day-- she barks and barks. When Gracie started to run, I thought of my other dog, Niko. He LOVES to get out, and there is no catching him. Like the characters in this story we have to give up before we get him. There is just no use trying. Also like Gracie, he comes home in his due time. Obviously, I had close personal connections to The Great Gracie Chase.

This book by Cynthia Rylant is a light-hearted story that any dog lover can enjoy. The story is told from Gracie's perspective. She's a good dog who decided to go for a walk and then made a huge chase. Using the dog's perspective gives people who may have been on the other end of a similar situation (namely, chasing their own dog) a different point of view.

Mark Teague's illustrations also provide enjoyment for the reader because the pictures give you a great visual. Throughout the story, Gracie is the center of attention, but in the background of each full bleed illustration, you see the people attempting to chase her. They meet with accidents and are put in precarious positions because of Gracie. The illustrations bring the viewer into the action and everything seems off kilter-- the perspective of the illustrations changes constantly. Sometimes the viewer is looking from above, sometimes from below, sometimes from in front. Additionally, all the buildings and trees are crooked, like you might see them while running.

This would be an enjoyable read aloud for young or older students because who hasn't been a part of a great dog chase?

Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson

As a child, I read and read and read. But, my memories of reading rarely include a specific book title or author. Bridge to Terabithia is one book I do remember though. As I got ready to reread it, I couldn't remember much detail except that someone dies. Knowing that about the story really changed the way I read it. I found myself looking for foreshadows and trying to figure out which character it was going to be. Long before I found any evidence in the text, I suspected it was Leslie. Jess and Leslie so obviously had a close bond and Jess was definitely the main character. But, I loved the "ah-ha" moment when I read and recognized the foreshadowing comment by May Belle-- "'But Leslie,' she insisted. 'What if you die? What's going to happen to you if you die?'" I find that I often overlook literary elements like foreshadowing, allusion, etc so it gave me a sense of accomplishment to feel like I "got it." As I write this, I'm thinking, "wow, this is only a kid's book." But, I was proud of myself nonetheless.

Paterson's language fascinated me throughout. I have sticky notes all over my copy with examples of phrases that got my attention. In the very first pages, I was able to visualize Jess and his family. I knew immediately, in the first paragraph, that the setting was in the rural South, just from the way she phrased her sentences. For instance, "...once he began running he would be hot as popping grease." or "Momma would be mad as flies in a fruit jar..." I could go on and on. Okay, one more powerful quote. At the end when Jess is moving beyond Terabithia, he thinks, "It was up to him to pay back to the world in beauty and caring what Leslie had loaned him in vision and strength." That sentence spoke to me because I could see that Jess had learned from Leslie and their friendship had changed him for the better. He recognized in this part of the book that Leslie had been a gift and that a part of her would stay with him forever.

Throughout Terabithia, Paterson dealt with loneliness. Early on, Jess was identified as a loner who wanted to make an impression on someone-- he wanted to be the fastest runner. Even after Leslie's death he thought that he would be the only kid whose best friend had died. He was looking to stand out in some way. Most of his family took him for granted and he did not feel a connection with any of them. Similarly, Leslie was lonely in her new home. Their friendship seems destined because they fulfilled such a need for one another. Jess' mother and father also seemed like lonely characters. They dealt with their loneliness differently. Jess' mother didn't want to be bothered. She retreated into herself as a result of her loneliness. She slept a lot. While Jess' father was not a well developed character, he seemed alone because he traveled far distances each day and was distant with Jess.

Of course, no response to Bridge would be complete without reflecting on Leslie's death. Early in the story, Jess drew a picture of a hippopotamus going over a cliff and then in the Smithsonian, he sees the buffalo going over the cliff. I know it must relate to Leslie's death, but I haven't figured it out completely. I think the animals going over the cliff may represent how the world Jess knows is about to fall away beneath him and he will be torn to bits (figuratively of course) by Leslie's death.

I have to admit, I'm a little nervous about seeing the movie. I'm afraid it might ruin my memory of the book.

The Mountains of Tibet by Mordicai Gerstein

As I was getting ready to read Chapter 4, I went to the library to get a copy of The Man Who Walked Between the Towers. While I was there, I picked up another book by Mordicai Gerstein-- The Mountains of Tibet. I thought it would be interesting to see how the two stories compare.

The Mountains of Tibet is about a Tibetan man who always dreamed of seeing the world. When he dies, he has the opportunity to choose another life or going to "heaven." The man chooses to have another life and eventually chooses a life very much like the life he just led.

As with the story of Petit, this story is about an individual who wants an adventure. As a boy, the man always gazes off thinking of what else is out there. However, the Tibetan man does not have the adventure he expected-- instead he has the adventure of choosing his new life. In addition, the man's choices show how comforting and safe home can feel.

While reading, I was struck by how different the illustrations are between the two books. While The Man Who Walked Between the Towers involves ever changing perspective and framing that varies from page to page, the illustrations in The Mountains of Tibet are consistently placed from page to page and the perspective remains the same throughout. I got the distinct sense of being outside of the action in The Mountains of Tibet. It is interesting to have read the quote from Gerstein that he studied Tibetan art before creating the illustrations for this book. It is apparent that they are in a different style than those in The Man Who Walked Between the Towers.

Having read Chapter 4, I appreciated more about the decisions made in the picturebook's layout. I have almost no formal knowledge of art, so I was intrigued by what I noticed while reading. Before the man's death and after he is reborn, text and illustrations are shown on the same page with consistent layout-- illustration at the top and text at the bottom. The text is also carefully balanced between the left and right pages. After the man's death, the placement of the illustrations and text change. The dead man, having to make his choices, is placed centrally on each left hand page with text above and below the illustration. He seems safe in a circle of blue and is obviously central to the story. Pictures representing his many choices are placed on the right hand page-- also encapsulated in a circle. Considering the book's subject matter, reincarnation, I think the circular illustrations help to convey the "circle of life" and continuous nature of the universe.

How much I have been missing when looking at picturebooks!