Literacy Now

by Melanie D. Koss

There something special about sharing a book with a child; turning the pages, pointing to pictures, and enjoying the closeness. But there is a new trend changing the reading experience – children’s book apps. Although both print books and book apps share a story, they are different media and can be used for different purposes. Book apps can make words and stories come to life, allowing a child a different experience with a story. They can aid in comprehension and help children make to connection between words, sounds, and supporting pictures. As technology becomes more integrated into our daily lives, children’s book apps are one way to begin this digital reading process.

What Types of Apps Are Available and How Do We Evaluate Them? 

The first thing to think about is why you’re using an app. We’ve identified four major purposes, including using an app solely for reading, as a source of entertainment, to extend the reading experience, or as an educational tool.

One feature to look for is types of narration. Book apps often contain multiple narration options including Read to Me, Read by Myself, Read and Do, and Read and Record. The Read and Record feature allows the reader to develop a sense of ownership, practice fluency, or record for another listener.

Another feature is animation, including passive and active, each of which requires different levels of engagement. Passive animation includes animation built into the program that does not require interaction. Active animation is designed for interaction between user and app and includes animation activated via actions such as tapping the screen or tilting the device. Other active animations include visual cues or use of additional devices such as webcams and microphones.

App enhancements can include linked glossaries, relevant animation that adds to the text, or the ability to repeat narration. This includes additional scenes or text not found in the print version, or the ability to interact with elements of the pictures to cause images to move and add layers of meaning.

Some apps include educational features designed to impact student learning, including highlighting words as they are read, words or objects narrated when touched, cause and effect sequences, available comprehension activities, and vocabulary support. Also, some apps provide differentiation, including the ability to adjust the reading level of text, the rate of narration, the size of the text, and the availability of alternative output such as sign language.

Extra features and controls to look for include the ability to choose different languages, help buttons, scene selection screens, sound on/off switches, or away to personalize the app with children’s names, photos, or other personal information.

Favorite Apps

A favorite app example is the classic story The Monster at the End of This Book. This Sesame Street favorite has been adapted to provide a range of reading, entertainment, enhancement, and education opportunities. The words are read aloud and highlighted, and readers can click on a word and have it repeated. On top of the original illustrations and text, readers can tap Grover to make bricks fall, ropes untie, or for him to talk to the reader and add additional comments. If the reader does not click to turn the page, Grover will prompt by saying, for example, “Remember, touching that corner will turn the page, so do not touch it. Do not even look at it. Ack, you’re looking at it!” Additional features such as parent notes are provided.

Blue Hat, Green Hat by Sandra Boynton is a well-known app with a variety of interactive elements that add to the print version. It has options for Read to Me or Read it Myself, and when a word is tapped it is highlighted and read aloud. Each animal interacts with its article of colored clothing when tapped, and there is always an extra element with the turkey, such as an explosion of underwear that can then be flicked around the screen. 

Nosy Crow created a version of The Three Little Pigs that includes a number of features. Unique to this app is a Read and Play version, so the reader can choose whether or not to enable additional interactions. When interactions are enabled, the reader can blow on the microphone to help the wolf blow down the houses, tap on each character to hear characters’ internal thoughts that reveal their individual personalities, and tilt the screen to show more of the background illustrations.

The Strange and Wonderful World of Ants by Amos Latteier is a nonfiction title strong in differentiation. What makes this app stand out is the ability to change the reading level, which adjusts the difficulty of the vocabulary, the size of the text, the font, and the amount of information provided. Narration is only available for the beginning level. Also available are a glossary, questions, and links to other ant websites.

There are also apps developed for older readers. One popular book series, Nancy Drew, has been developed into an app series called Nancy Drew Mobile Mysteries. These apps are designed as crossovers between books and games, and have multiple components for interacting with the text. Nancy leads readers on a choose-your-own-adventure, in which they read through 8 chapters, unlock mini-mysteries, and play games that provide additional story information. This app provides glossary and sound supports with certain words highlighted throughout the text.

Chopsticks, a new novel by Jessica Anthony and Rodrigo Corral, is written entirely in photographs, pictures, and other assorted images. Piano prodigy Glory has disappeared and the text is told in flashbacks leading up to her disappearance. The app extends the print version by adding additional images, music, color, and embedded videos, all of which add additional layers of meaning to the already visual text.

Additional Resources

Additional resources on finding and using apps can be found on the following blogs and websites: Kirkus Reviews, Moms with Apps, Digital Storytime, and the iTunes App Store.

Melanie D. Koss is an assistant professor in the Department of Literacy Education at Northern Illinois University and is a member of the International Reading Association's Children's Literature and Reading Special Interest Group (CL/R SIG).

In the spring of 2012, a group of English Language Arts educators from Franklin, MA, launched a highly successful middle school reading program around The Hunger Games. In this five-part special series, the teachers who orchestrated the whole-school read will detail, step-by-step, this year’s initiative. Part I focused on how the team made this year’s book selection. In Part II, Erin O’Leary offers a look into how they encouraged and sustained the enthusiasm of their middle school students.

With last year’s read-a-thon in our rear-view mirror, and The Hobbit unveiled at last, it was time to analyze some of the priceless takeaways only experience can offer as we started our journey over the Misty Mountains. You’ve heard of Monday morning quarterbacking? Call this Monday morning Hobbit-backing.

Publicity. We knew we needed good publicity right from the beginning. Citing last year’s success, we contacted our local newspaper as soon as we scheduled “the big reveal.” Just having the newspaper take notice made this more exciting for the kids. We were blessed to have a terrific reporter—and rabid Tolkien fan—assigned to our story. He spent over an hour at our school on Reveal Day walking the halls, talking to staff and interviewing students.

Teachers are notoriously humble—we don’t like to toot our own horns. Well, for the sake of your students, get over it. No one is going to make this connection for you. Be prepared to gush about your fantastic school, your dedicated colleagues, and your enthusiastic and supportive principal. Keep in touch—let them know how many kids have committed to reading the book, or which classroom is performing that famous Gollum scene. People like good news, and it doesn’t get much better than a school-full of kids reading.

Plus, parents buy papers and lots of ’em—including parents of thirty-something-year-old reading specialists.

Keep the conversation going. Middle-school students are deliciously divergent, their tastes changing on a dime; thankfully, you can usually use this to your advantage. They will be your best salesmen, your supporters, and your angels on the days you need them most. As distractible as they are excitable, they will also let you know what is working and what is not.

After a few weeks, the initial buzz of Reveal Day had dissipated. Although my concern was met with “That’s okay—they’re reading!” we knew the students needed something. Not since Michelle Kwan took the ice has my sign-making cheerleader-self come out in such force. Have enough enthusiasm and blind faith for everyone. Keep the halls decorated, take pictures of students reading, pose teachers with the book, cut out news articles, record teacher testimonials, and show that movie trailer one more time!

When in doubt, pit them against each other in competition. In one day, we launched a “Get Caught Reading” campaign: If your photo is “captured’ by an “elf,” you’ll receive part of Smaug’s Treasure (a $5 gift card and a pencil). I still have students who tote their copies of The Hobbit to the bathroom, just in case.

If you have to deal with an unexpected hurricane or snow day, have a contest for who can read the most. We even tossed around the idea of a faculty “beard-a-thon,” but if you want to keep your friends, the competitions are better left to the kids.

The major benefit to choosing The Hobbit was the visibility of the book itself. We knew there’d be a Hollywood premiere, magazine articles, TV commercials, and paraphernalia for sale. There’s a “Hobbit Second Breakfast” menu at Denny’s, and a Tolkien display at our local bookstore. On this, you can’t put a price. When students feel as if they are part of something bigger than themselves and sharing a common experience, they buy in, and they remember.

Don’t be intimidated. During one of my crazier moments, I e-mailed the folks at Warner Brothers. You know, one of those "comments@" addresses. To my complete surprise, I received a response from one of their local reps. Now I have a name and a phone number, and before too long, boxes of insanely cool Hollywood swag—all for free.

Don’t tell the kids, but there is talk of tickets to the premiere. Even more surprising is that they want to work with us. They think we are doing a phenomenal job. They think we are doing them a favor.

We are so much cooler than we think we are.

The Peeps. Surround yourself with people who are as crazy as you are and have just as much blind faith in the read-a-thon’s potential. When you are one person trying to pull this off, you’re an easy target for the demons of doubt and negativity. You are an anomaly, exhausted and probably a little nuts. When you are a literary posse, you are a movement (though still exhausted and a little nuts).

You will need their different opinions—the logical one telling you that you can’t buy t-shirts for the entire school, the creative one who peppers the hallways with posters delineating Rivendell and Mirkwood, the savvy one who reminds you of early and often teacher communication, and the literacy soul mate—the one who shrieks and cheers when she spots that Galadriel costume on sale. Ebb and flow with each other’s insight, excitement and concern. As long as no two people throw their hands up and cry at the same time, your read-a-thon will be just fine.

Be flexible. Last year, we had a relatively new dystopian bestseller on our hands, threw together a read-a-thon in six weeks, and ended up with half of the school at the movies on a sunny Monday in March. We didn’t have the luxury of planning for what-ifs; instead, we were forced to make decisions as we went, which is not always a bad thing.

A year ago we didn’t have a clear vision, and end-game, time to worry, or a budget. We also didn’t have a precedent. Now we do. Dripping with the kind of symbolism only English teachers can appreciate, we found ourselves with some reluctant participants. They were pretty sure they wanted to go on this adventure (“The movie is during school, right?” “Will Ms. Cotillo dress up again?”), but “The book is just so long, and I really don’t understand it, and there are words I don’t know…I kind of just want to go back to my little hobbit hole.”

Okay, so maybe they didn’t mention that last part, but the hobbit-ness of their responses was profound. Quite frankly, they need a Gandalf to inspire them, and a mob of dwarves to encourage them right along the trail. Now is not the time to doubt the integrity of your choice; however, be open to what they need—be it YouTube links, audio books, chapter summaries, book discussions after school, or timelines and quotes lining the hallways.

Remember, in The Hobbit, Gandalf leaves. He does not solve every problem—he trusts Bilbo. We need to trust our kids. They will rise to your high expectations. Let go and have faith. Every year, every book, every child is different; it is up to us to see the brilliance of its potential, even when no one else is looking.

Erin O’Leary received her B.S. in Elementary Education and English from Framingham State University and her M.S.Ed. in Language and Literacy from Simmons College. Currently enjoying her eighth year teaching, she channels her inner Gandalf while working as a reading specialist at Horace Mann Middle School in Franklin, MA, and looks for any opportunity to combine a good book with crazy kids and lavish costumes.

Read the rest of the series here:

Six Buses: The Quest for School-Wide Reading Begins!

The Quest, Part 3: Goblin Caves and Spider Webs

The Quest, Part 4: Some Shall Not Pass

The Quest, Part 5: The Journey Pays Off in Unexpected Ways

This post originally appeared on the Engage/Teacher to Teacher blog in December 2011.

If we ask our elementary students how they determine which words are important words in content area text, what would they say? Chances are some of our children would say words in bold print or italics are important. Others might go by the length of words. Long, technical words that they hadn’t seen before might also be words they would choose.

Those strategies for identifying important words might work for science and social studies text, but they don’t work with all content text. Math is one example that doesn’t always play by the rules. With math word problems, we must help students recognize important words that normally they might not even notice in text. Small words such as from and more might be skimmed over, but they can be important words when looking at word problems.

We need to work with children to help them take a closer look at word problems.

Step by Step

Arrange the students’ desks so all of the students are in one of four small groups. On a white board, draw a large rectangle with a circle in the middle. Then draw a horizontal line and a vertical line dividing the rectangle in four equal parts. It should look like this:

Review with the students the mathematical operations they have learned so far. Ask the class which type of math problems they learned to solve first. Then put a small addition sign in the top right box. Then discuss which mathematical problems they learned to solve next. Going counterclockwise, write a small subtraction sign in the square at the top left. Continue on putting a multiplication and division symbol in the two remaining boxes. In the circle in the center of the square, draw an equal sign.

Each group will focus on addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division. After the students know which type of math problems their group is assigned, give each group an envelope containing an assortment of word problems which require their assigned mathematical operation. These word problems might be ones created during the year by classmates or published examples. (Ideally the problems will be printed on individual pieces of paper, so students can highlight the important words.) The goal for each group is to work together to read the word problems and identify any important words which might help the reader to identify the operation required. Ask each group to highlight the important words they found in their problems.

Now it is time for students to get feedback from peers. The group looking at addition problems will exchange their envelope of word problems with the subtraction group. The multiplication and division groups can also exchange their envelopes of word problems. Each of the groups should examine the word problems they received to determine if there are any additional important words that might need to be highlighted. If there are additional words, they can be highlighted. Then the envelopes are returned to the original group which was assigned the mathematical operation.

At this time have each student take a sheet of paper and fold it into four equal squares. Then they can draw a circle in the center so that their sheet resembles the rectangle shown on the white board. This will serve as the student’s individual sheet.

It is time for the students in each group to share the important words they found in their word problems which alerted them to their assigned mathematical operation.

As the teacher writes the words shared on a white board, the class can write on their own individual sheets of paper. As ideas are shared, be sure to discuss how the important words in math differ from important words in other content areas. Often the important words in math word problems can be easily overlooked. They don’t draw attention to themselves through bold print or italics, and they aren’t necessarily large words. Often they are words students would see in other text and skim right over. However, in word problems, they must be noticed. Math word problems must be closely read.

After the four groups have shared the important words they found, ask all of the students to glance one last time at their word problems to see if there are any important words that mean equal. Those words can be circled in the word problems and then shared with the class. As the teacher writes the words in the center circle on the white board, students can write them in the center circle on the individual sheets.

Additional Ideas

Allow students to keep their individual sheets of paper or place the sheets in their math notebook. That way they can continue to add words on to the sheets as they encounter more word problems during the year. It might even be desirable to print a large copy of the ideas on the white board to put on the wall as a form of local text. This not only familiarizes children with the terms, but it also serves as a basic copy should their copy be lost.

Teachers working with very young children can modify the activity by dividing the paper into two parts so students can focus on only addition and subtraction. The class can also complete the sheet as a whole class activity. This activity also helps students to realize that important words aren’t always the ones that stand out to the reader. Small words such as more, plus, take away, left, is, and others can be very important in solving word problems.

Let’s Extend the Activity

Students might also use some of the words on the sheets to create math word problems for other students to solve. This not only helps with writing skills, but it gives them additional practice with math word problems.

Jennifer L. Altieri, Ph.D. is the Literacy Division Coordinator at The Citadel in Charleston, SC. She has worked as a reading consultant with elementary and middle schools in St. Louis, Missouri, and an elementary school in Beaufort, South Carolina. Her interests include sharing multiethnic literature, creating poetry with young children, and developing disciplinary literacy skills.

Jennifer recently released her newest book, CONTENT COUNTS! DEVELOPING DISCIPLINARY LITERACY SKILLS K-6.



Reviews of K-12 Books with Mathematical Perspectives

Engage: Teaching Tips

by Tammy Ryan

Before 1980, people found quiet, cozy spots to log the day’s most interesting thoughts in a diary or journal. Entries were logged using a pencil or pen, written on paper, and detailed with sketches or doodles. Content remained private to the author, and diaries were locked with a special key. During the late 1980s, Doogie Howser, M.D, a character played on a television comedy-drama, exposed Americans to “digital” diaries as he weekly logged his thoughts in a computer. Today, people create and use online diaries or blogs, short for “weblogs,” to log interesting thoughts and discoveries. Entries are composed online using a computer, laptop, or mobile device, photographs and videos are uploaded for detail, and content is open to the public to read and post feedback.

Many blogs focus on important educational topics. These topics range from educational news, policy, teaching trends, to research, and technology. Blogs are created by and for administrators, librarians, teachers, parents, and students and are designed to inform teaching and learning. See Top 100 Education Blogs and Scholastic’s Top 20 Teacher Blogs for 2012 blog favorites.

Below, I highlight three educational blogs informing the field of education. The first provides an example on how a community of teachers co-construct a blog to share important teaching tips. The second illustrates ways a classroom teacher uses a blog to chronicle monthly literacy happenings. The third demonstrates how a blog creates a powerful virtual space for educators to discuss educational issues.

Teaching Blog Addict (TBA) is a blog created by and for prekindergarten through 6th grade teachers. It offers teaching tips across subject areas, common core, assessments, classroom management, technology, etc. It includes free templates, freebies, and information on how to create your own classroom blog. Below is an example of a TBA second grade page.

 

Ms. Cassidy’s Classroom Blog creatively captures through pictures, videos, and narratives the monthly learning experiences of six and seven year olds in Saskatchewant, Canada. Ms. Cassidy invites the world into her classroom to learn how she integrates a class Tweeter account, Skype, iPads, Web 2.0 tools, and digital technologies into reading and writing events. The site includes access to individual student blogs that also include videos, pictures, and stories.

Chris Guerrieri’s Education Matters Blog is a forum for educators to stay abreast of current issues affecting education such as policy, electing leaders, and accountability. The site includes links to other blogs such as Diane Ravitch’s Blog, Journal of Educational Controversy, and Schools Matter. Below is a sample from the Education Matters Blog.

Undoubtedly, blogs are creating important spaces to socially construct what we know about teaching and learning. To easily create your own blog, you can download free software from a site such as Edublogs or WordPress. Then, you can enjoy sharing your educational discoveries with a global community.  

Tammy Ryan is from Jacksonville University, Jacksonville, Florida.

This article is part of a series from the International Reading Association Technology in Literacy Education Special Interest Group (TILE-SIG).

At this Thanksgiving time who or what are you most thankful for? Maybe it is a special book that you share with your class. Or the opportunity to gather with family and friends around a Thanksgiving feast. Or maybe it is all of the holiday football games on television. This week we share books around the theme of thankfulness and Thanksgiving. The International Reading Association Children’s Literature and Reading Special Interest Group is thankful that you read our book reviews each week. We are also thankful that you are share books with children everyday!

For more Thanksgiving ideas, be sure to check out 5 Questions With... Mike Allegra (Author of Sarah Gives Thanks) and Putting Books to Work: Judy Cox's One is a Feast for a Mouse: A Thanksgiving Tale on the Engage blog:

 

GRADES K-3

 

Bullard, Lisa. (2012). Grace’s Thanksgiving. Illus. by Katie Saunders. Minneapolis: Millbrook Press.

With simple text and bold illustrations filled with thankful and contented friends and families of all sorts and sizes, this short book provides an introduction to the Thanksgiving holiday and some of the family traditions associated with it. Divided into four brief sections, the book gives reasons for each of us to be grateful but also carefully points out how Thanksgiving is not a day of celebration for many Native Americans. Although the feast day is often considered a curiously American custom, the text reveals that many cultures have harvest festivals similar to our Thanksgiving.

- Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University Pullman

 

Gal, Susan. (2012). Day by day. New York: Knopf/Random House.

A family of pigs travels mile after mile out west to establish a new home. When they arrive at the selected spot, their work begins. They build a house and then turn it into a home. They plant their garden, meet their neighbors, celebrate in pig-“sty”le fun, harvest their crops, and share their bounty with neighbors. On each page spread, the author uses the phrases “little by little, the bird builds its nest.” In pastels and textures, the text is simple and roundly floats through this idyllic story. Young children will enjoy spotting literary pigs from other stories tucked into the illustrations. This will be an alternative way of using a story for thankfulness and sharing without the traditional Thanksgiving theme.

- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Library and Reading Consultant

 

Gillen, Lynea. (2012). Good people everywhere. Portland, OR: Three Pebbles Press.

This gentle story about finding the good in people will be a great read aloud or bedtime story for our youngest readers. The author provides a positive and uplifting way to look at the people around you and see the many wonderful and helpful things people do for their friends, neighbors, or folks in need. Examples of good people doing good things include the chef that cooks for the needy, the young teen helping on the playground, or parents providing for their children. This books offers a statement about safe and nurturing environments for children to grow up within. Craft ideas at the end of the book give a hands-on activity for children to develop these same attitudes about gratitude and thankfulness. The publisher’s website offers information about the author and illustrator as well as several downloadable activities.

- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Library and Reading Consultant

 

Landau, Elaine. (2012). What is Thanksgiving? Berkeley Heights, NJ: Enslow Elementary.

Filled with the usual historical images of the Pilgrims and Native Americans associated with this November holiday and photographs of tables heaped with food and smiling families gathered together to feast and have fun together, this simple title provides background information for the holiday and its significance. The author reminds readers to find a way to thank someone that they ordinarily don't thank on this day of plenty, a gentle acknowledgement that the day should have more significance than offering a chance to stuff oneself with food and indulge in hours of football games. This is a colorful, visually appealing addition to the I Like Holidays! Series, an introduction to various holidays and holiday traditions for young readers.

- Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University Pullman

 

McGee, Randel. (2011). Paper crafts for Thanksgiving. Berkeley Heights, NJ: Enslow Elementary.

Young readers will enjoy this book filled with all sorts of paper crafts to celebrate Thanksgiving. Basic information about the holiday is provided while also giving simple instructions designed to keep youngsters busy creating paper projects such as corn and gourd paper chains, a Thanksgiving table greeting, and a pop-up turkey card, among others. The adults in the family who are busy preparing the holiday meal will be glad to have their little ones distracted by these easy-to-do crafts made from paper.

- Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University Pullman

 

Parr, Todd. (2012). The thankful book. Boston: Little Brown.

In hot bright colors, Todd Parr has created a book where each page shows how children and other lively characters are thankful for something in their lives. With a loud splash of humor he suggests things like being thankful for underwear so they can wear it on their heads! Or one little girl is thankful for her purple hair because it makes her unique. Other scenarios that kids and characters in the book are grateful for include their gardens, their feet, an elephant is thankful for his ears, bubble baths, and the library that has lots of adventures. This book begs for a read aloud with younger children and the obvious follow-up discussion to share what they are thankful for in their lives. A very fun video introduction by the author is available at the author’s colorful website.

- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Library and Reading Consultant

 

Scotton, Rob. (2012). Splat says thank you! New York: Harper.

Splat, the cat, and Seymour, the rat, have been friends for a long time. But today Seymour is feeling down, so Splat decides to cheer him. He wants to find a special way to make him feel better so he creates a book, a Friendship Book. It holds many stories about the things the two friends have done together like the time Seymour repaired an ornament that was a favorite of Splat’s mother and Splat thanked him. Or the time Splat’s toe got stuck in the bathtub, it was Seymour that got him unstuck, and Splat said thank you. Rob Scotton’s illustrations are so playful that young readers will be totally engaged with the fun and frolic of Splat. This promises to be an enjoyable read aloud with the obvious connection to make Friendship Books in class. Many downloadable extras including a book trailer and activity kit are available at both the author’s website and the publisher’s website.

- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Library and Reading Consultant

 

Wilson, Karma. (2012). Bear says thanks. Illus. by Jane Chapman. New York: Margaret K. McElderry Books/Simon & Schuster.

This is the newest companion in Karma Wilson’s lovable bear stories (Bear Snores On, 2002; Bear Wants More, 2003). All of Bear’s forest friends are in the mix again and Bear is trying to find a way to say thank you to all of them for their friendship. He decides to have a dinner party but when he looks at his cupboards they are empty. His friends start to appear at his door each bringing a delectable dish to share. Hare brings muffins and Badger brings fish, and Gopher and Mole and Mouse, Owl, Raven, and Wren all bring food to add to the feast. Bear is feeling badly that he has nothing to contribute but his friends assure him that his stories are the best contribution of all. Jane Chapman has created illustrations that vibrate with fall colors that add to the warm glow of friendship that wraps around each creature, as it will for young readers as well. Visit the author’s website for more about her Bear books and downloadable extras to use in the classroom.

- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Library and Reading Consultant

 

GRADES 4-6

 

Tejubehan. (2012). Drawing from the city. Chennai, India: Tara Books.

This simple narrative comes from the heart, and every stroke of its illustrations is hand drawn by its narrator. Artist Tejubehan tells her own story of bad luck, poverty, and rising above it. Forced by drought to migrate from their village to Mumbai, her family manages to make a home with whatever they can find. At the age of 16, she marries Ganeshbhai Jogi. Together, they sing traditional songs and serendipitously develop a fondness for drawing when an artist hands them paper and pen. Although Tejubehan is not formally educated, her inner life and reflections of the life around her are rich and evocative. With its gentle narration and arresting images, the book provides the unique perspective of a cultural insider who envisions breaking gender barriers. The author also brings folk art to the forefront of multimodal narration. Tejubehan’s interpretation of her city, its vehicles, and citizens will linger in the hearts and minds of the readers long after the book is closed. Reminding readers what they themselves have to be thankful for, the book is handmade and will stand out in any collection. Readers may be interested in listening to Tejubehan and Ganeshbhai sing at this website.

- Rani Iyer, Washington State University Pullman

 

Walsh, Barbara Elizabeth. (2012). The poppy lady: Moina Belle Michael and her tribute to veterans. Illus. by Layne Johnson. Honesdale, PA: Calkins Creek/Boyds Mill Press.

Moina Belle Michael, a teacher at the University of Georgia’s Normal School in 1917, truly lived the phrase “on behalf of a grateful nation” as she devoted her adult life to finding a way to aid and honor veterans. Moina was teaching when World War I broke out and eventually American soldiers were called to foreign shores. Like many women of this era, she started by rolling bandages and knitting socks. Wanting to do more she moved to New York City and started working with the YMCA organization delivering food, books, and inspiration to soldiers. Like many Americans, she read the newly penned poem, “In Flanders Fields” written by Lt. Colonel John McCrae, Canadian army MD, (1872-1918), and it gave her the idea to sell poppies as a way to support our wounded soldiers when they returned home and thus the tradition got started. Beautiful oil paintings illustrate this very well researched book that Walsh based on family interviews, photos, and letters that are included in the author’s notes at the end of the book. A portion of the proceeds for “The Poppy Lady” go to the National Military Family Association’s Operation Purple which works to help children of the U. S. Military. Paired with Linda Granfield’s picture book of the poem “In Flander’s Fields; the story of the poem by John McCrae” (p2005, c1995) Language Arts and Social Studies teachers could join hands for a thoughtful Veteran’s Day commemoration. Go to the author’s website for extensive back matter including a well-done book trailer and other resources about the actual Poppy Lady, Moina Belle Michael. Visit The Children’s War blog for more on The Poppy Lady. Information and words to McCrae’s famous poem can be found at the Arlington Cemetery website.

- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Library and Reading Consultant

 

GRADES 7-8

 

Fradin, Judith Bloom, & Fradin, Dennis Brindell. (2012). Stolen into slavery: The true story of Solomon Northrup, free black man. Washington, DC: National Geographic.

Drawing in part upon the memoirs of Solomon Northrup, a free black man living in New York state prior to the Civil War, the authors craft a true story that will, by turns, trouble and mesmerize readers as they ponder the unexpected dangers and assaults on their liberty that free blacks faced at that time. Northrup, a musician, was lured from his home with the promise of job opportunities, drugged, kidnapped, and then sold as a slave to a series of plantation owners in Louisiana. No one would listen to his insistence that he was a free man. Solomon's story comes to life in the sure hands of the Fradins, who skillfully give readers a peek into his heart and mind as well as describing his heartless kidnappers and the various masters he served during his twelve years of enslavement in Louisiana. As much as slavery as an institution is disturbing, and as harsh as conditions for slaves clearly were during that time, the horrors of having been free in this country and then suddenly losing everything you had, even your name and identity, cannot be denied. Readers are sure to be fascinated by Northrup's story and wonder how he managed to keep up his spirits and never give up hope that he would escape one day. Gratitude and thanks go to Samuel Bass, a carpenter who wrote the letters that enabled Solomon to inform his friends of his whereabouts. Although there are still some questions about some of the events in this fascinating story, they only add to its appeal.

- Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University Pullman

 

Gregorich, Barbara. (2012). Jack and Larry: Jack Graney and Larry, the Cleveland baseball dog. Chicago: Philbar.

The world of sports has many heroes, and the game of baseball itself can boast plenty of its own celebrated athletes and heroic acts. This brief novel in verse tells the story of courage and inspiration that came in the form of a canine, a bull terrier named Larry, who became the companion of baseball player, Jack Graney, and the mascot for his team, the Cleveland Naps (later, the Indians). Readers will find it hard to resist the emotional tug of this classic tale about the love between a man and a dog as it describes the strong emotional ties between Jack and Larry and eventually between Larry and the also-ran team that just never seems to come up with all the right combinations to win enough games to make it to the World Series, the Holy Grail of professional baseball. The author chooses to include certain details, hint at others, and omit still others. The story begins in 1912 when Jack is unsure if he will remain with his team or be traded. To his delight, he stays with Cleveland, but endures some very tough years with the team. One of the heart-breaking aspects of the book is how the author hints at events that lie ahead. In life, as in baseball, sometimes the ball takes unexpected bounces, and the team must deal with those. Just when things are looking up for Cleveland, tragedy or misfortune seems to strike until finally, amazingly, the team wins the 1920 World Series. Throughout most of those years, Larry captivates the attention of the fans and inspires Jack's teammates. He becomes so famous that he even meets the president of the United States. Above all, though, the book and its two heroes remind us of how persistence and determination sometimes trump sheer ability and talent. Reading this heart-breaking story provides one more reason to be grateful for the blessings of a loyal dog’s companionship and the small acts of heroism that go unnoticed every day.

- Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University Pullman

 

GRADES 9-12

 

Schrefer, Eliot. (2012). Endangered. New York: Scholastic.

The Congo to which fourteen-year-old Sophie Biyoya-Ciardulli has returned for a summer sojourn with her mother is more annoying and inconvenient than she remembers from when she lived there as a child. Her mother runs a sanctuary there for bonobos, and seems to lavish all her affection on the animals. Sophie is compelled to rescue a bonobo being offered for sale by a man on a bicycle, thus, saving its life, but also breaking one of her mother's rules. Before Sophie can return to her father in Miami, the country erupts in chaos. With her mother away on sanctuary business and most of her mother’s employees slaughtered by renegade soldiers, Sophie and Otto must depend on each other to survive. At first Sophie is able to hide in the sanctuary's enclosure with the other bonobos, but eventually, she must try to reach the capital city or the wilderness where her mother is if the two have any chance to survive. Sophie’s choices will remind teen readers of the strong connections between humans and other animals and the actions each of us may take when our lives or the lives of others are at stake. The author does not shun the violence that fills the countryside, describing the deaths of the sanctuary workers, the violence and cruelty of the boy soldiers who seem to be at the heart of the campaign whose objective is not clear, and the politics at the heart of the conflict. While Sophie is lucky, time and again, to escape relatively unscathed, her resourcefulness, determination and pluckiness are admirable. This is an insightful examination of the value of lives, both humans and bonobos, and how helpless each of us can become in the face of the unexpected. Teen readers will easily slip into Sophie's smelly, almost-rotten sneakers and wonder what they might have done in the same situation, faced with decisions more pressing than what outfit to wear for the day.

- Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University Pullman

These reviews are submitted by members of the International Reading Association's Children's Literature and Reading Special Interest Group (CL/R SIG) and are published weekly on Reading Today Online.