“Immigrant Kids”

By: Russell Freedman

Summary: The book takes place during the late 1800s and early 1900s; this is when European immigrants came to American by way of Ellis Island. It tells about the horrible living conditions they had to endure on the ships, and the long process of admittance in the new country. With a piece of chalk you where labeled: L=Lameness, H=Heart, C=Contagious, I=Infection and worst of all X= mental defects. If you did not pass the examination you where sent back to your country. The book tells how some children living in very low income families had to go to work at a very young age. These poor children could not go to school because they had to help with the families expenses. Immigrant families had to share a one room tenement. Sweatshops were rampant in the 1900s; were children worked seven days a week with starving wages. This book tells you of a Child's plight in the new country.  

Illustration and Art: Photographs are used in this book from various photographers. The author: Mr. Freedman obtained the photos from the following: American Museum of Immigration; Children’s Aid Society; International Museum of photography at George Eastman House; Library of Congress; Louis N. Freedman; Museum of New York; and Staten Island Historical Society. All Pictures are photographed in Black and White; photographs provide visualizations showing the daily lives of immigrant children.

Evaluation by Genre: The genre is Non-Fiction; it dives into the real life of immigrant children. It is also Historical-Fiction, Telling the stories of coming to America by ship and getting thru inspection at Ellis Island. It is children’s, Inspirational, Family, History, Culture, Art, and Environment. It gives Authenticity in its photographs that show Diversity with English, Dutch, Irish, and American children in school and play.

Motivational Activities Include: (a) Ask Children to analyze the front cover as well and the photos and list three things you learned about the children. (b)Ask Children to list the similarities and differences of children in the 1900s and 2000s. (c) Ask Children to list all the jobs children had to do in the book. (d) Ask Children if they ever moved to a new State or City, and how did they feel? (e)Ask Children to write a letter to an immigrant child.

Reader Response Questions: 1.What was their lives like? And were the hardships they faced just? 2. What was the procedure when entering Ellis Island? 3. What was the role of the child in the family? 4. How did they live in the tenements? 5. Did the child labor laws help the children? 6. How are the child labor laws today? 7. What was education like in the 1990s? 8. What is education like today? 9. What kinds of games did they play in the 1900s as compared to today? 10. What did you learn about this book?

If you like this book you can also read: “If Your Named Was Changed At Ellis Island” By: Ellen Levine; “Coming To America: The Story Of Immigration” By: Betsy Maestro; “I Was Dreaming to Come to America: Memories from the Ellis Island Oral History Project” By: Veronica Lawlor Also Kids At Work and Children of the Great Depression both by Russell Freeman.

About the Author: Russell Freedman is an award-winning author of 47 books; most are diverse in a number of languages. Russell grew up in San Francisco and attended the University of California and Berkley. He originally worked as a reporter doing research for the public. He then branched out to become an author, he mostly writes nonfiction books and describe the lives and behaviors of people. He has earns many award, he now lives in New York City.

Personal Comments: I personally was drawn to this book because of my love of History. The photographs in this book tell a story without the words being read. But as you read through the book you heartstrings are tugged by the harshness of life in the 1900s. The harsh reality of a child’s life as an immigrant; it takes you on a journey from the ship to the stench of the tenements. The one thing I could relate to the opening of the fire-hydrants in the summer. I loved spending time in Harlem New York at my uncle’s house during the summer months. We would play in the hydrants to cool off from the heat of the large buildings with no shade from any trees. I love this book and would recommend every school aged child to read it. I plan to use it in my classroom.

This Non-Fiction book shows Informational sources that explain the subject. This book is designed to inform the reader. It covers diverse topics ranging from: poverty, race, culture, ethics, school, work, home, and play. It also provides knowledge about immigration life of a child. It enables students at different reading levels to engage in this book. It presents detailed information about its subjects through a brief straight forward text and carefully composted illustrations (photographs). (Literature and the Child, 117).

Cited

Freedman, Russell. Immigrant Kids. New York: Dutton, 1980. Print.

Whitman Galda, Lee, Bernice E. Cullinan, and Lawrence R. Sipe. "Literature and the Child." , 7th Edition by Lee Galda, Bernice E. Cullinan, Lawrence R. Sipe (9780495602392). Wadsworth, Cengage Learning, n.d. &, 1998. Print.

Post by: Terry M. Wheaton

“Where the Wild Things Are”

By: Maurice Sendak

Illustrations by Maurice Sendak

    The Genre in this children’s picture book has mild thematic elements. There are several genres in this book. It has Adventure, Action, Family, Fantasy, Brief Language and Drama. The genre used is story telling.    

     Story Elements are the Setting is max’s bedroom where his imagination runs wild, he sails to the wild things and his fantasy journey begins. The setting is in a bedroom, an ocean and a forest. The author captures a verbal and visual map of the fantasy word. In this fantasy world it is rich in details as his room grows into a forest. He goes through the forest, climbs in a boat, and set sail over the ocean to another forest, where the wild things live. Then he backtracks out of the forest where the wild things are, back into the boat, over the oceans, and back through the forest into his room. 

      The Plot of the book is based on fantasy; it is Max, who puts on a wolf’s costume runs around his house making mischief. His mother angrily calls him a wild thing and sends him to his room without any supper. While there his room turns into a forest, then out of his imagination he boards a boat in the wild sea and enters the land of make-believe in the land of the Wild Things. They are very scary monster but Max is the scariest of them all. Max is made the king of the Wild Things; he dances and has wild rumpuses with the Wild Things. But he gets homesick and lonely and gets back in his boat had heads home to a warm supper waiting in his bedroom. The plot is consistent as he travels from his room to where the wild things are then travels from where the wild things are back home to his room.

      The Characters are Max, his mother and the Wild Things. The character grows during the course of the story. The character Max lives in a realistic story world and because of anger he enters into a fantasy situation. His character is typical of a young boy who in the beginning of the story chases the dog, builds a play tent and fuses with his mother but Max takes it a step further when he lets his anger grow into a fantasy world where it is O.K. to be as angry as you want to. Where there are no rules and he does not have to listen to anyone he is the king in his fantasy world and everyone must listen to him.

      The Style of the book is simple sentences that are sometimes split between two pages. In the beginning and the end of the books most of the writing is on one side of the book while the illustration is on the opposite side. When the sentences are split it encourages the reader to continue to the next page. This keeps the reader engaged in the book. The style and images are rich with vivid figurative language.  

     The Theme is re-occurring throughout the book. Example of this would be, “Through night and in and out of weeks and almost over a year.” This is said in the beginning and the end of the book. Another example would be “They roared their terrible roars and gnashed their terrible teeth and rolled their terrible eyes and showed their terrible claws.” This is repeated in the middle of the book to show emphasis on the wild things that they are frightening and scary. The theme is max struggling with good and evil. Max struggles emotionally throughout the book. He lets his pride stop him from saying sorry for being a bad boy and not controlling his anger. He enters the world of fantasy to escape his true world of reality. The theme also deals with dark emotions   that are very rare in children’s picture books.  

    

      The type of fantasy the story represents is Max who gives into his free rein into his angry emotions. By the end of the story Max comes to a decision that he is no longer angry and now he wants to go home. As brought out in the book on page 213, Max’s animal fantasy does contribute to human thought, and feelings. Max sends the wild things off to bed without any supper; this is a mirror image of himself because his mother sent him to bed without any supper. And just like he told his mother he would eat her up, the wild things said they would eat Max up when he was leaving them. The fantasy is in max’s mind and we go on a ride to the wild things.

     The media/ technique and style of art featured in this book have been adapted many times, including an animated short in 1973 ( an updated version in 1988); a 1980 opera; and a live-action 2009 feature film adaptation, directed by Spike Jonze. The book has sold over 20 million copies worldwide. Sendak’s style of art that he uses is Graphite and pencil with varying softness and hardness by using lines that intersect. He uses tone and shading by increasing the intersecting lines closer together. He uses pastels and water crayons for blending. The combination of this media with the lines, shapes, and color makes different textures throughout the book. He was very adamant about make the eyes yellow to show anger and rage.

     The one thing that I noticed in the illustration that enhances the story was early in the book there was a picture Max that he drew before he went on his adventure. Max had not yet been to the place where the wild things are when he made this drawing, yet his drawing looks exactly like one of the wild things he would later meet. Before Max’s journey, Max’s real world in the book always contained by a white border on all four sides. As his room transforms into the forest, that border slowly shrinks until it filled the whole page. (The added black border represents the edge of the page.) The world of Max’s imagination is larger, more wonderful, and less bounded than the real world. Every page depicting the land of the wild things bleed to the edges of the page; not one of them has a white border surrounding it on all four sides. When Max returns to his room from his imaginative journey, though, the border does not return I wondered why in his illustrations did he do it and is there a meaning behind it? Another thing in the illustrations was the wild things were big as the trees and yet they were scared of max that is so little compared to them. In most of the illustration I noticed the moon, from a full moon to a half moon back to a full moon maybe to show the year, week and day he left in his fantasy. I looked up the moon tarot card and what it said shocked me. I was wondering if he used the moon card as a hidden theory behind his book, see if you see what I see? The moon mean a disorientated person walking in is/her sleep. He/she looks around to find him/herself in another land entirely. The creatures are from childhood nightmares, and fantasies that peer from the shadows and eyes glowing. The moon is always in control and everyone surrenders to its powers of the unconscious hat will take him/her some ware. The fool gets into the boat and shoves off as the waters sweep him away, moonbeams light the way. I really believe he used tarot cards in his book. What do you think?

     My personal response to this book is that this book has many facets to it. It has Dark under tones dealing with a child’s anger in many ways. This Freudian book speaks of a child’s Imagination, survival, danger, boredom, fear, frustrations, anger and jealousy. First Max has a wild imagination to escape his fear of loneliness and abandonment. He invents this place where he is king. His mother chastised him and in return he shows his frustrations by taking it out on the wild things.  But, soon boredom creeps in and he is no longer satisfied with the prospect of being the king any more.  He wants out of his dream world and returns to reality of a warm cozy room with a hot plate of food. The fallacy of the book tells you that, “The Grass is not always greener on the other side.”

     I also would use the book in my classroom I would engage the children in dramatic play by listening to the story and answering questions.  I would also ask them if they ever experienced what Max was going though. First, would engage them in integrating vocabulary words through word puzzles and sentence structure. Next, I would integrate Art by way of face masks. Finally I would incorporate music, theater, dance, and visual art by way of the children pretending to be a character in the book.  I feel this book is appropriate for K-6 classroom. 

     My main objectives would be to engage the students in dramatic play by listening to the book/movie and answer the questions that I prepared for them. Next, the children will participate in all the activities such as: word Puzzles and face masks (cutting them out, coloring and decorating them). They will incorporate acting, music and art through a mini-play.

     One of my goals is that children will respond well to the book by responding to the questions and incorporating their own real-life issues. The children will use their own imagination through play, art, music and dance. 

Cited

Book:

Whitman Galda, Lee, Bernice E. Cullinan, and Lawrence R. Sipe. "Literature and the Child." , 7th Edition by Lee Galda, Bernice E. Cullinan, Lawrence R. Sipe (9780495602392). Wadsworth, Cengage Learning, n.d. &, 1998. Print.

Sendak, Maurice (1963, 1991), Where the Wild Things Are, New York, New York: Harper Collins, Children’s Books.

Movie:

Jonze, Spike (03, 02, 2010), Where the Wild Things Are, Warner Bros, Movie

Video:

Http://www.moviephone.com/where-the-wild-things-are/24823/credits

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wa9iRLeB81U&feature=release

Activities:

http://www.wordsearchfun.com/104708_Where_The_Wild_Things_Arewordsearch.html

http://worksheets.theteacherscorner.net/make-your-own/crossword/crossword-puzzle.php

http://www.makinglearningfun.com/Activities/Halloween/WildThinsMasks/Wildthings

Narnia

The Lion, The Witch

And The Wardrobe

By: C.S.Lewis

Illustrated by: Tudor Humphries

Summary: Four children (Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy) are transported to a mythical land of Narnia. They go through a magical wardrobe closet. Lucy is the first one to step through the wardrobe closet where she is confronted by a faun Tumnus of Narnia, who is very surprise to meet a human. Tumnus tells Lucy he is a servant of the white witch. She then goes back to tell he siblings who at the time do not believe her. Edmund does not believe her till he himself enters into Narnia. Edmund meets the white witch who gives him Turkish Delights and he is so greedy that he asks for more. The witch tells him he will have more if only he brings his siblings and the quest is on. The only one that can save them is Aslan the Lion. This world of magic will keep you glued to the book from start to finish  

Illustration and Art: Great Illustrations of winter themes, Landscapes and wildlife. His illustrations come to life in the reflections in the wardrobe close of Lucy’s siblings showing their mistrust of her story of Narnia. The Illustrator also uses a Bright colorful Red in the scarf of Tumnus and the coat of Father Christmas, to show how cold it was. Again the Illustrator uses a lot of reflections with the owl, looking in on Tumnus crying. And in the beavers house a reflection of Aslan the Lion. The Illustrator uses mystical beasts: half man half horse, horses with wings, elves, Dragons, gargoyles, giants, and stone figures. The Art is so enchanting; there are different textures in the stone to show you cliffs and jagged edges.

Evaluation by Genre: The genre is Children’s Literature, Fantasy, Faith, Fiction, This story a book of redemption, rebirth it also has Christian allegory. It has a lot of mythology in the story.  

Reader Response Questions: (1) Who is the Lion and why is he so important in this story? (2) Who of the Children is on the side of the White Witch? (3)  Why Is Lucy so important in the story? (4) What does the Witch represent in the story? (5) What did Father Christmas give to Lucy and why was it so important? (6) Who was Tumnus, and why was he crying? (7)Who were the beavers and why are they important to the story? (8)Who was Father Christmas? (9) Who was the White Witch and what did she represent? (10) What was the importance of the lamppost?

Motivational activities include:

·         Discuss and tell what you like and disliked about the book.

·         Point out the differences in the book compared to the movie.

·         What would you have done differently if you where Edmund?

·         A small play with all the characters in the story.

Personal Comments: I love this story, It is so beautifully illustrated it make me feel like getting in front of a fireplace with a warm cup of chocolate. As I read this book it takes you on a journey into a mystical place of good versus evil with good winning out. I have read this story so many times to my children over the years till the books pages are worn out. It is a good escapism that lets your fantasy go wild.  This has always been a favorite on my library shelf.

In chapter six page 209, figure 6.1, I would say that the story meets the criteria for excellence in narrative fiction. The fantasy world is detailed and believable within the context of the story. The story events are imaginative, yet logically consistent within the story world. The characters are multidimensional, with consistent with logical behavior. The writing is rich, and the structures are clear. And the themes are meaningful, causing readers to think about life.

Cited

Whitman Galda, Lee, Bernice E. Cullinan, and Lawrence R. Sipe. "Literature and the Child." , 7th Edition by Lee Galda, Bernice E. Cullinan, Lawrence R. Sipe (9780495602392). Wadsworth, Cengage Learning, n.d. &, 1998. Print.

Lewis, C. S. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. New York: HarperCollins, 1994. Print.

Post by : Terry M. Wheaton

The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs By: Jon Scieszka, Illustrated By: Lane Smith

“The True Story of the Little Pigs”

By: A wolf

As told by: Jon Scieszka

Illustrated By: Lane Smith

Summary: The book tries to show the Wolf's side of the story. He is not big nor is he bad not by a long shot.  The wolf justifies  that he had  to go to the little pigs' houses  to get some sugar  to bake a cake for his dear Granny's birthday. The wolf having  a cold and "sneezing a great sneeze", he didn't mean to blow down the pigs houses and eat  the pigs.  He the Wolf was as not letting good meat go to waste, since the pigs die in the sneeze anyway. At the very end of the book,  the wolf told the whole story from his prison cell telling the  officer "he's been framed", having been caught by the cops during his 'attack' on the third pig's house being hauled away due to his rage after the pig insulted his granny!   he was mad because the pig dismissed his politeness of  his request for sugar. This is such a funny story it will crack your sides with laughter.

Evaluation by genre: This story is a children’s book that uses folklore, and fantasy, it is a fairytale and a fable all wrapped into one. The illustrations are so comical especially the hamburger which has a rabbit, a sheep, and a pig in between the buns with the hamburger tomatoes, onion, and pickle. The mixing bowl has a bunny under the flour, and the eggs; the sugar is missing ingredient. And he is going door to door to ask for some sugar. Illustrations are bright and colorful. The front of the book is a newspaper headline by the “Daily Woof” story by A Wolf.

Reader Response Questions: (1) Why does the wolf go to the houses to get sugar? (2) Why didn't he go to the supermarket? (3) Do you think he really felt bad eating the little pigs? (4) Do you think it was fair to lock him up? (5) Do you think that he is the villain or the victim?

Personal comments: I love this story, I grew up reading the story of the Three Little Pigs but I have never had it read to me like this. I loved it so much, now you can see the side of the wolf and his plight. It has a cute twist on the end that will tickle your sides with laughter. You should as a teacher buy this book and read it to your class no matter what age they are, they will laugh too. It was honored by “The American Library Association” as a ALA Notable Book. The National Education Association said,”It is the top 100 Books for all Children.” School Library Journal said, “It is the top 100 picture book polled in 2012.” If you like this book please read “The Trial of the Big Bad Wolf”

Classroom Activities:

(1) Before reading the book first read the original story, “The Three Little Pigs” Then read “The True Story of the Three Little Pigs.” Ask your students to fold a piece of paper in the middle to write which parts are the same and which parts are different.  

(2) Point of view: In this story the author changes the point of view from the original story, Ask the students to write about whether or not they are convinced by the wolf's story. Does he seem trustworthy? Why or Why not?

(3) Ask the children to write a letter to the wolf in jail.

(4) Ask the children to act out the two stories.

(5) Ask the children do they know of any other fantasy/fairy tales that have been changed over the years.

In chapter six page 209, figure 6.1, I would say that the story meets the criteria for excellence in narrative fiction. The fantasy world is detailed and believable within the context of the story. The story events are imaginative, yet logically consistent within the story world. The character is multidimensional, with consistent and logical behavior of a wolf. The writing is rich, and the structures are clear. And the themes are meaningful, causing readers to think about life.

In chapter six page 215, figure 6.3, this folklore contains the tale of ‘The Three Little Pigs’ with a small twist. The author weaves in many folklore elements of the original story. Where the wolf huffs and puffs and blows down the house of straw and the house of sticks but cannot blow down the house of bricks. The story does compare a literary tale to the original piece of folklore on which it is modeled. It also does discuss the differences between the original and the elaborated tale.

Cited

Whitman Galda, Lee, Bernice E. Cullinan, and Lawrence R. Sipe. "Literature and the Child." , 7th Edition by Lee Galda, Bernice E. Cullinan, Lawrence R. Sipe (9780495602392). Wadsworth, Cengage Learning, n.d. &, 1998. Print.

Scieszka, Jon, and Lane Smith. The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs: By A. Wolf. New York: Viking Penguin., 1989. Print.

Post by : Terry M. Wheaton

“To be a Drum”

By: Evelyn Coleman

Art by: Aminah Brenda Lynn Robinson

Summary: With the rhythm begins a story, a story that Daddy Wes whispers to his two young children one morning. It is the story of the drum, the pulse of the drum that is in our hearts, minds and souls. It is a story that takes you back to yesteryear, a day on the continent of Africa. It is a story of African people that move through time beating as a drum, moving as a drum, and becoming a drum. It is a mytho-poetic symbol that links all people to their African roots and the rhythm of the earth that if you are quite and still you can still feel the beating of the drum.

Illustration and Art: The artist in the book used different dyes and paper, the artist incorporates pieces of cloth and various materials to show how they put messages in their quilts, including wool, raw cotton, clay, sand, wood strips, vintage buttons, and basket fragments. In the book some of the cloth scraps were from the artist’s great-aunt who was a slave in Georgia. Other scraps she collected from clothing dating back from the early twentieth century to the present.

Evaluation by Genre: The genre is Historical Fiction, the story is Music, Cultural (African American), Children’s, Inspirational, Family, History, Culture, Art, and Environment (Nature).  It is a combination of history, exhortation, and tactile images, the text offers a dramatic read-a-loud opportunity, given the right tellers voice. The art combines many elements to create a vibrant, eclectic series of scenes throughout the book. As described on page 56 in our text, Literature and the Child, Figure 3.1 describes Fiction as Characters that are dimensional as well as believable, that the story is set in the real world of the past and the real world of the present times. Events of the book are plausible, logical and real world of the present, and the past. The text also states on page 24, that Historical fiction is a setting that affects the plot and character Authentic of details and language. On page 25, it states that the book is an excellent piece of literature, the book depicts diversity, it explores cultural differences, it is appropriate and a positive contribution to understanding of the culture portrayed.

Motivational activities Include:  

 • Retell this story in your own words.

• Discuss and then tell or write about what you enjoyed most about this book.

• Research the subject of slavery. What does it mean to be a slave? What was the life of a

slave like? Discuss what you learned about slavery with an adult.

• The illustrations in To Be a Drum are very unique. How do they make you feel? Why do you

think Aminah Brenda Lynn Robinson chose this type of artwork for this particular book?

Reader Response Questions:

(1)What year did slavery start? (2)Who were the first slaves? (3)Why didn’t Mat hear the drums? (4)What would you have done differently if you were taken from your land and taken to a new country? (5)What were all the ways they used drums?

If you like this book you can also read by Evelyn Coleman: “Circle of Fire” “White Socks Only” “Mystery of the Dark Tower” “The Foot Warmer and the row” “The Glass Bottle Tree” and “Shadows on Society Hill.”

Personal Comments: I personally found this book to be not only historical but inspiring. When you read, “To Be a Drum,” you are taken back to a place in Africa, you struggle with the agony of being taken away from your family. You as a people use the only thing you had a ‘Drum.’ A simple musical instrument that others would see but not see that it is your way of life beating inside of you, wanting to be ‘free’ with every beat of your heart, beating as a drum. You feel the beat moving through your body pushing out, out from your fingers hitting the drum, feeling the rhythm pulsate through your body. Cruelty could not stop your drum oh no not your drum! You kept on beating, beating for the world to see, that you are alive, you are “Free.” A must read for all ages. Please purchase the book and read it right away and tell me if you still feel the same after reading, “To Be a Drum.” I know I was not; I ran out the next day and purchased a personal copy. Good Reading and God Bless.  

Cited

Coleman, Evelyn, and Aminah Brenda Lynn Robinson. To Be a Drum. Morton Grove, IL: Albert Whitman Galda, Lee, Bernice E. Cullinan, and Lawrence R. Sipe. "Literature and the Child." , 7th Edition by Lee Galda, Bernice E. Cullinan, Lawrence R. Sipe (9780495602392). Wadsworth, Cengage Learning, n.d. &, 1998. Print.

Post by: Terry M. Wheaton