Module 3: Caldecott Winners

February 2, 2018 

Module 3: Caldecott Winner

Title: A Sick Day for Amos McGee

Genre: Caldecott Winners 1990-2017

Book Summary:

The story is about a zookeeper who travels to his job every day and takes care of the animals, who he considers his friends. One day he becomes sick and the animals do everything they can to get to the zookeeper to take care of him. 

APA Reference of Book: 

Stead, P. (2010). A sick day for Amos McGee. New York, NY:  Roaring Brook Press.

Impression

This book brought a smile to my face. I liked how the expressions of the zookeeper were illustrated into the expressions of the animals. When Amos was happy, the animals were happy. When he was sad, the animals were sad. The illustrator uses muted colors in the beginning and middle of the book, but when the animals arrive at Amos' house and see that he is ok, the color red is brightened, especially in the balloon and the rhino's scarf. The story tells the tale of what it means to be a true friend.

Professional Review:

KIRKUS REVIEW
Amos McGee, an elderly zookeeper, enjoys a clockwork life (one teaspoonful of sugar for oatmeal, two for tea and the number five bus to work) until the sniffles force him to stay in bed and miss his daily visits with animal friends. Fragile, gangly Amos, in striped pajamas and ill-fitting zoo uniform, appears as crushingly vulnerable as a child. Children will immediately like and understand him, as they too take comfort in reassuring routines—and would certainly love playing chess with an elephant or running races with a tortoise! Muted greens, browns and blues dominate pages, while brighter yellows and reds leaven the palette’s mild melancholy. Erin E. Stead’s beautifully wrought woodblock prints and pencil work create almost painfully expressive characters. Wrinkles and crinkles describe the elephant’s sagging mass and the rhino’s girth, as well as their keen sensitivity. Owl’s furrowed brow communicates deep concern even as the group heads to Amos’s home to check on him. This gentle, ultimately warm story acknowledges the care and reciprocity behind all good friendships: Much like Amos’s watch, they must be wound regularly to remain true. (Picture book. 2-6)

MCGEE, A., Stead, P., Stead, E., (2010). A sick day for Amos McGee. Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved 28 January 2018, from https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/philip-c-stead/a-sick-day-for-amos-mcgee/

Library Use: 
The librarian could use this book to teach the students about friendship. Create a list of ways the story shows that the zookeeper and the animals are friends. The librarian could also discuss the benefits of helping others just like Amos and the animals do in the story.

Readalikes:

Frog and Toad are Friends The is a story about Frog empathizes with Toad's feelings. It shows the friendship between the two characters and their daily adventures.

Bear’s New Friend This story is about Bear and his friends trying to convince shy owl to play with them. Another story about friendship.

A Weekend with Wendell This story is about two children who manage to find common ground and build a friendship from there.

Module 2: Classic Children's & Young Adult Literature

January 27, 2018 

Module 2: Classic Children's & Young Adult Literature

Alexander and the Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Day

Genre: Classic Picture books. It does fit the genre because all the illustrations match what the author wrote and helps the reader understand Alexander's frustration with having such a bad day.

Book Summary:

This book tells about the boy named Alexander who experiences a bad day.  He wake up with a gum stuck in his hair, and make a prediction that he will have a "terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day". From that one incident, he experiences a series of events that made his day worse. He gets cereal with no toy, loses his best friend, has cavities, the shoe store is out of his shoe size, falls in the mud, he hates lima beans and other experiences that made him think that he has "terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day".  With each bad thing that happens, Alexander ponders on moving to Australia. At the end of the day, his mother reassures him that sometimes people experience a "terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day, even in Australia."

APA Reference of Book: Viorst, J., & Cruz, R. (1972). Alexander and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. New York: Atheneum.


Impression

I liked the way the story was written in first person and how the author uses several run on sentences makes it seem like Alexander is more like a real kid. Even though Alexander he complains and whines, the author also showed the reader that Alexander obeyed the rules and followed directions.  He still ate lima beans even though he hated them and still wore the white sneakers even though he didn't want them either.

Professional Review:

Kirkus Reviews:

In the spiky spirit of Sunday Morning (1969) but more truly attuned to a child's point of view, Viorst reviews a really aggravating (if not terrible, horrible, and very bad) day in the life of a properly disgruntled kid who wakes up with gum in his hair and goes to bed after enduring lima beans for dinner and kissing on T.V.

At school, "Mrs. Dickens liked Paul's picture of sailboat better than my picture of the invisible castle," and at lunch, "guess whose mother forgot to put in dessert?" After school "my mom took us all to the dentist and Dr. Fields found a cavity just in me," and there is worse to come. It's no wonder the kid's ready to move to Australia, but in the end, "My mom says some days are like that. Even in Australia."

If Alexander's mother is smart to offer casual sympathy without phoney consolation, Cruz and Viorst accord readers the same respect.

ALEXANDER AND THE TERRIBLE, V., Cruz, R., Viorst, J., & REVIEW, K. (2018). ALEXANDER AND THE TERRIBLE, HORRIBLE, NO GOOD, VERY BAD DAY by Judith Viorst , Ray Cruz | Kirkus Reviews. Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved 27 January 2018, from https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/judith-viorst/alexander-and-terrible-horrible-no-good-very-b/

Library Use
Librarians can read this and then have a discussion about how sometimes everyone can have a bad day. The librarian can ask students what it means to have a bad day. What made it so bad? What did you do to cheer yourself up? How did you cope with the bad day? The librarian can emphasize that students can turn the day around and might have a better day later on.


Read alikes:

Bad Day, Good Day by Uthman Hutchinson This story is similar to Alexander's day. Jamaal is having a bad day and he learns how to turn a bad day into a good day.

Oopsy Daisy's Bad Bad Day by Brian Brooks Another story that tells of a character's very bad day and how she pushes through, because tomorrow will be a better one.

It's A Bad Day by Mary Ellen Friday A story about two friends who have a bad day, but find there is hope for a better day around the corner.

Module 1: Introduction to Youth Literature

January 23, 2018 

Module 1: Introduction to Youth Literature


It’s a Book by Lane Smith

Book Summary:

The first pages of It's a Book introduces the reader to the three characters in this story; a mouse, a jackass and a monkey.  The donkey and monkey disagree over what a book can do.  The characters’ dialogue is identified by different colors: blue for the jackass and red for the monkey. One character represents a 21st-century tech user and constantly brags about all the things his computer can do that a book cannot. However, curiosity kills the cat and he grabs the book from the Jackass to see what the big deal is.  The two-page wordless spread shows Jackass reading for over four and a half hours, and is totally engrossed in this "stolen" book.  When Monkey finally asks for his book back.  Jackass refuses, so the owner says, “I’m going to the library”. The mouse delivers the final punch line that will leave readers gasping over the bawdy but funny ending. 


APA Reference of Book:

Smith, L. (2010). It's a book. New York: Roaring Book Press.

Impressions:


In It’s a Book, older kids would get a kick out of the ending when donkey tells monkey that he will charge the book when he is done, and mouse says “You don’t have to Jackass, it’s a book”, while younger elementary readers woul be shocked at the use of foul language. The character's dry sense of humor will make the reader laugh out loud and saying a “bad word” out loud would give great street cred to the librarian. This book is a testament to what is happening in the world today. As a librarian, I find it sad and it makes me wonder, is this where 21st-century learners are headed?  Will students keep reading books or always rely on the technology that is in the palm of their hands?  Or is it a ray of hope, since in the end, the book wins out over technology. The job of the librarian is a crucial one: one that must change and evolve with current trends but keep the traditional ways alive too. 

Professional Review:

Grades 1-3 Smith throws down his gauntlet in the ongoing debate over digital versus print in this spare offering. A donkey (jackass) with a laptop and a monkey with a hardcover book discuss the merits of their preferred formats. “How do you scroll down?” the donkey asks. “Do you blog with it?” “Can you make the characters fight?” To each question, the monkey offers an answer that riffs on this small, square picture book ’s title. At one point, the monkey shoves a page into his companion’s hands, showing a story about a  pirate. “Too many words,” the donkey responds, and he quickly transcribes the story as “LJS: rrr! K? lol! / JIM: :( ! :).” Unimpressed, the monkey continues to build his case until his big-eared mate converts to print so enthusiastically that he vows to keep reading. Although it is adults, not children, who will best appreciate the subject and satire here, the basic drama created by the characters’ arguments may help this find an audience among kids, especially tech-savvy ones.

Medlar, A. (2010). It's a book. Booklist, 66.

Library Uses:

The book, It’s a Book, should be read by the librarian at the beginning of the year to reinforce the importance of reading and to remind children that, while it's not technology, you can still be transported to other worlds. I would create a bulletin board where students would fill out sticky notes listing their favorite books, which other students would be able to get ideas for other books to read and see what their fellow classmates are reading. 

Readalikes:

Goodnight iPad: a Parody for the next generation by Ann Droyd A story that shows the family saying goodnight to their electronic gadgets each night. It shows the readers that you don't need to rely on technology all the time.

hello! hello! by Matthew Cordell A story about a girl who tries to connect with her family, who is always using technology. Another way to show kids its not all about technology and the importance of human connection.

Reading Makes You Feel Good by Todd Parr Shows the reader the ways that reading makes you feel good and why it's important to read books.