Bibliography: Soto, Gary. 1995. CANTO FAMILIAR. Ill. Nelson, Annika. Orlando, FL: Harcourt ISBN 0152000674
Summary
CANTO FAMILIAR is a collection of twenty-five poems by Gary Soto celebrating memories of his childhood, familiar things that bring memories of school, home and friends to all of us. Many of the poems are interlingual using the Spanish language to add color and authenticity to the poetry relating more specifically to the Mexican culture.
Critical Analysis
Gary Soto is an award winner author who shares his Mexican American heritage with his readers. As an “insider” some of the poems in this collection are interlingual with the carefully placed Spanish words interspersed throughout to give the reader an accurate account of his youthful adventures in the barrio where he was raised in California most bring back childhood memories of a child of any color or culture. They are everyday experiences of children at play, with family and friends. As a “white” American I particularly enjoyed the poem “Tortillas like Africa”. The poem so vividly represents the feelings I have had when I have attempted the homemade tortilla. Mine also come out in various shapes; it is definitely a task that takes much guidance to make the round tortilla. In this poem one line says “And laughed when we threw them on the comal”. Although I have very limited knowledge of the language, it is apparent that the comal is the pan that the tortillas are cooked in. It is words such as this that adds to the authenticity of the memories of Gary Soto. Another poem that deals with a Mexican American favorite food is the first poem in the collection “Papi’s Menudo” with “tripas wagging like tongues on the bottom when you take a spoon and taste”. Menudo is a favorite Mexican American food of my husband and son, but a taste I have never acquired. Dr. Vardell mentions in her notes that he has two cats and it is apparent that these are part of the family as he includes a couple of poems about cats in his collection. One he has titled “Pleitos” and it begins with “Pleitos, my gatto with all nine lives”. Even one with no knowledge of the Spanish word gatto would realize with the context clue of all nine lives that this was the cat. It is also apparent in the blending of English/Spanish in the poem “Que hora es? that the man and woman are asking “What time is it?”. Nelson’s illustrations take a rectangular shape with a bold black outline and vibrant colors. The illustration that accompanies “Nopales” characterizes the different skin tones within the Mexican American group. The dominant dark brown eyes are apparent in each illustration. Only one illustration truly brings to mind the Mexican American clothing, which would be the poem “Sarape” when the boys are holding the sarape and the baby is bouncing on it. The illustrations address the storyline of the poems quite well.
With this class in mind, I shared some of the poetry in this book with my fifth graders at the end of the school year. They enjoyed reading it with me and helping me with the unfamiliar Spanish words. They particularly enjoyed the poem “Spanish” with my slaughtering of Spanish words with the rolling rrr.
Reviews:
Horn Book Guide: In this companion volume to the widely acclaimed Neighborhood Odes, Soto continues his reveries in poems that illuminate the minutiae of everyday childhood experience. Some refer specifically to his own Mexican-American boyhood, while most describe moments that will spark recognition in any child. Accompanied by colorful illustrations, the poems are marked by short, point-blank phrasing and unrhymed vernacular.
Kirkus Reviews: This humorous, tender collection of 25 poems and full-color linocuts about the daily life of Mexican-American children is a companion book to Soto's Neighborhood Odes (1992). Invoking ordinary domestic and community incidents, it's a fine introduction not only to poetry but to Chicano culture. In ``Papi's Menudo,'' a father enjoys a favorite dish; the narrator of ``Music for Fun and Profit'' gets paid not to play an instrument; and ``My Teacher in the Market'' explores the amazement of a child upon seeing a teacher outside of class. The poems are generally descriptive rather than abstract, more concerned with communicating feelings than with literary style, and most are free verse, without regular cadence or rhyme scheme. Nelson debuts with scenes--homey, comfortable, bright--that make the book even more accessible.
Connections
The poem “Music for Fun and Profit” could be used to introduce musical instruments or could be used in either science or music when teaching the concept of sound.
A companion book to CANTO FAMILIAR - NEIGHBORHOOD ODES by Gary Soto ISBN 0152568794
Friday, June 29, 2007
ESPERANZA RISING by: Pam Munoz Ryan (Hispanic/Latino(a) Literature)
Bibliography: Ryan, Pam Munoz. 2000. ESPERANZA RISING. New York: Scholastic. ISBN 0439120411
Summary:
Esperanza and her mama and papa are happily ensconced on the land that has belonged to her papa’s family for generations. They are surrounded by a luxurious life that soon comes to an end as her papa’s life is taken. Her uncles force themselves into the position of authority and when Esperanza’s mama refuses to marry her uncle, the house is destroyed by fire. Her mama realizes they must escape Mexico and cross the border to escape the uncles’ demands. With the help of family friends and a family of farm workers they are able to escape from Mexico. Esperanza finds her life forever changed. Now instead of being waited upon she must work on the farm in California in order to survive. The book takes the reader through struggles with mama’s illness, threatened farm worker strikes, and ridicule from others because of her past luxurious life. Ultimately Esperanza grows through the changes that are forced upon her because of the circumstances in her life.
Critical Analysis:
The story that evolves in this book is based on the experiences of the author, Pam Munoz Ryan’s, maternal grandmother. The book was nominated for many awards in 2003 including the Texas Bluebonnet Award. It was the 2003 winner of the prestigious Pura Belpre Award. This book historically portrays the lives of the migrant workers who came North from Mexico to make a better life for themselves and their families. The hardships endured during the 1930’s included not only the hardships of the migrant life itself, but also the competition for work with families moving from Oklahoma who were victims of the Dust Bowl as well as those who had lost work because of the depression. Even within the groups of migrant workers there was tension and the landowners worked to keep the groups apart so they could not combine efforts to form strikes and stop work. The Mexican workers did not receive the amenities that those from Oklahoma received such as hot water and they would lose their jobs to those coming from other states. I found it interesting that the author gave titles to the chapters that related to the seasonal crops rather than numbered chapters. That is the way the migrant workers thought of the years, not as months, but as seasons. The chapters were titled in Spanish with the English name given below. The author used kinship words that would be familiar to the English reader such as tio, mama, abuelita and mija. There is “double talk” when abuelita speaks in the book. An example is Abuelita nodded and said thoughtfully, “No hay rosa sin espinas. There is no rose without the thorns.” There is not much dialogue in the book that includes Abuelita talking so it is not problematic within the text. Culinary words such as tortillas and frijoles were used, but I do not see this as being used just to throw in Spanish words. I am sure the migrant workers had little else to eat except for the food they would bring in from the harvest. Josefina, the child of one of the migrant workers, was described as plump with a round face and a complexion that was fairer than Esperanza’s and another child described as delicate and frail with big brown eyes, long braids and skinny legs. She looked like a young deer. These are authentic markers describing the features of the young girls. Esperanza compares the look of her mother’s beautiful black hair which she kept pinned up as the wife of the landowner in Mexico and then lets hang down long as the migrant worker she becomes. When the group arrives by train from Mexico they are met by a family member and all pile into a pickup with the younger ones traveling in the back on the way to the farm. They stop to pick up others on the road. This is authentic in the culture of the day (1930’s migrant workers). The clothing of Esperanza and her mother are also compared with the finery in their home in Mexico and the daily ill fitting clothing that is given to them upon arrival to the migrant camp.
This author uses her family history to give her account of life in the migrant camps during the 1930’s and appears to this Caucasian reviewer that her story authentically tells the life of the Mexican migrant workers of the time.
Reviews:
Horn Book Guide: In this poignant look at the realities of immigration, thirteen-year-old Esperanza, daughter of an affluent Mexican rancher, is forced to trade fancy dolls and dresses for hard work and ill-fitting hand-me-downs after her beloved father dies. Laboring in the United States, picking grapes on someone else's land for pennies an hour, Esperanza is transformed into someone who can take care of herself and others.
Booklist: Moving from a Mexican ranch to the company labor camps of California, Ryan's lyrical novel manages the contradictory: a story of migration and movement deeply rooted in the earth. When 14-year-old Esperanza's father is killed, she and her mother must emigrate to the U.S., where a family of former ranch workers has helped them find jobs in the agricultural labor camps. Coming from such privilege, Esperanza is ill prepared for the hard work and difficult conditions she now faces. She quickly learns household chores, though, and when her mother falls ill, she works packing produce until she makes enough money to bring her beloved abuelita to the U.S.. Set during the Great Depression, the story weaves cultural, economic, and political unrest into Esperanza's poignant tale of growing up: she witnesses strikes, government sweeps, and deep injustice while finding strength and love in her family and romance with a childhood friend. The symbolism is heavy-handed, as when Esperanza ominously pricks her finger on a rose thorne just before her father is killed. But Ryan writes movingly in clear, poetic language that children will sink into, and the books offers excellent opportunities for discussion and curriculum support.
Connections:
VOICES FROM THE FIELDS: CHILDREN OF MIGRANT FARMWORKERS TELL THEIR STORIES by: S. Beth Atkin ISBN 0613274326
TOMAS AND THE LIBRARY LADY by: Pat Mora ISBN 0679804013
Summary:
Esperanza and her mama and papa are happily ensconced on the land that has belonged to her papa’s family for generations. They are surrounded by a luxurious life that soon comes to an end as her papa’s life is taken. Her uncles force themselves into the position of authority and when Esperanza’s mama refuses to marry her uncle, the house is destroyed by fire. Her mama realizes they must escape Mexico and cross the border to escape the uncles’ demands. With the help of family friends and a family of farm workers they are able to escape from Mexico. Esperanza finds her life forever changed. Now instead of being waited upon she must work on the farm in California in order to survive. The book takes the reader through struggles with mama’s illness, threatened farm worker strikes, and ridicule from others because of her past luxurious life. Ultimately Esperanza grows through the changes that are forced upon her because of the circumstances in her life.
Critical Analysis:
The story that evolves in this book is based on the experiences of the author, Pam Munoz Ryan’s, maternal grandmother. The book was nominated for many awards in 2003 including the Texas Bluebonnet Award. It was the 2003 winner of the prestigious Pura Belpre Award. This book historically portrays the lives of the migrant workers who came North from Mexico to make a better life for themselves and their families. The hardships endured during the 1930’s included not only the hardships of the migrant life itself, but also the competition for work with families moving from Oklahoma who were victims of the Dust Bowl as well as those who had lost work because of the depression. Even within the groups of migrant workers there was tension and the landowners worked to keep the groups apart so they could not combine efforts to form strikes and stop work. The Mexican workers did not receive the amenities that those from Oklahoma received such as hot water and they would lose their jobs to those coming from other states. I found it interesting that the author gave titles to the chapters that related to the seasonal crops rather than numbered chapters. That is the way the migrant workers thought of the years, not as months, but as seasons. The chapters were titled in Spanish with the English name given below. The author used kinship words that would be familiar to the English reader such as tio, mama, abuelita and mija. There is “double talk” when abuelita speaks in the book. An example is Abuelita nodded and said thoughtfully, “No hay rosa sin espinas. There is no rose without the thorns.” There is not much dialogue in the book that includes Abuelita talking so it is not problematic within the text. Culinary words such as tortillas and frijoles were used, but I do not see this as being used just to throw in Spanish words. I am sure the migrant workers had little else to eat except for the food they would bring in from the harvest. Josefina, the child of one of the migrant workers, was described as plump with a round face and a complexion that was fairer than Esperanza’s and another child described as delicate and frail with big brown eyes, long braids and skinny legs. She looked like a young deer. These are authentic markers describing the features of the young girls. Esperanza compares the look of her mother’s beautiful black hair which she kept pinned up as the wife of the landowner in Mexico and then lets hang down long as the migrant worker she becomes. When the group arrives by train from Mexico they are met by a family member and all pile into a pickup with the younger ones traveling in the back on the way to the farm. They stop to pick up others on the road. This is authentic in the culture of the day (1930’s migrant workers). The clothing of Esperanza and her mother are also compared with the finery in their home in Mexico and the daily ill fitting clothing that is given to them upon arrival to the migrant camp.
This author uses her family history to give her account of life in the migrant camps during the 1930’s and appears to this Caucasian reviewer that her story authentically tells the life of the Mexican migrant workers of the time.
Reviews:
Horn Book Guide: In this poignant look at the realities of immigration, thirteen-year-old Esperanza, daughter of an affluent Mexican rancher, is forced to trade fancy dolls and dresses for hard work and ill-fitting hand-me-downs after her beloved father dies. Laboring in the United States, picking grapes on someone else's land for pennies an hour, Esperanza is transformed into someone who can take care of herself and others.
Booklist: Moving from a Mexican ranch to the company labor camps of California, Ryan's lyrical novel manages the contradictory: a story of migration and movement deeply rooted in the earth. When 14-year-old Esperanza's father is killed, she and her mother must emigrate to the U.S., where a family of former ranch workers has helped them find jobs in the agricultural labor camps. Coming from such privilege, Esperanza is ill prepared for the hard work and difficult conditions she now faces. She quickly learns household chores, though, and when her mother falls ill, she works packing produce until she makes enough money to bring her beloved abuelita to the U.S.. Set during the Great Depression, the story weaves cultural, economic, and political unrest into Esperanza's poignant tale of growing up: she witnesses strikes, government sweeps, and deep injustice while finding strength and love in her family and romance with a childhood friend. The symbolism is heavy-handed, as when Esperanza ominously pricks her finger on a rose thorne just before her father is killed. But Ryan writes movingly in clear, poetic language that children will sink into, and the books offers excellent opportunities for discussion and curriculum support.
Connections:
VOICES FROM THE FIELDS: CHILDREN OF MIGRANT FARMWORKERS TELL THEIR STORIES by: S. Beth Atkin ISBN 0613274326
TOMAS AND THE LIBRARY LADY by: Pat Mora ISBN 0679804013
LISTEN TO THE DESERT OYE AL DESIERTO by: Pat Mora (Hispanic/Latino(a) Literature)
Bibliography: Mora, Pat. 1994. LISTEN TO THE DESERT OYE AL DESIERTO. Ill. Mora, Francisco X. New York: Clarion ISBN 0395672929
Summary: This picture book is a bilingual description of some of the sounds found in the desert of the Southwest. The text is very simple and is written with young children in mind. The sounds of the toad, dove and snake among others are repeated twice in English and twice in Spanish.
Critical Analysis:
The author is a native of the desert area of El Paso, TX and has taken her experiences with the animals found in this desert and developed a book with simple parallel text in a bilingual format. The rhythm of this book makes one consider a poem put into the form of a book. This picture book is set up in a double page spread. Within each spread is a four line text with the text repeated twice in English and then twice in Spanish. The text is rhythmic with the owl whoo, whoo, whoo and uuu, uuu, uuu and allows for comparison of the two languages. The rhythmic verse makes it a fun read aloud for young students. The illustrations cover the two page spread with the blue sky setting the background for each spread and each introducing a different desert animal and the sound it makes. The pages have a bright blue and red geometric design across the bottom and the animals are colorfully illustrated with some taking on the natural colors of the animals (the coyote and the dove), but others less realistic in color (the green toad). As a native of West Texas the most common toad is the horned toad which blends in with the West Texas desert. The snake is depicted with the geometric designs seen in the border of each page and his “rattle” on his tail is a baby-rattle. Since this is a picture book for young children one would not expect the illustrations to be totally realistic.
Because of the format of this book analysis is limited to the authenticity of the Spanish language and knowing the background of Ms. Mora and her reputation as a noted author within children’s literature it is my opinion that the Spanish within the text is authentic.
I was excited to find as I looked through the book to find the title page was autographed by the author during her visit to our school in April 2005. It was nice to see it within the library collection.
Horn Book Guide: Appropriate for the young age of the intended audience Age: the book's design emphasizes the spaciousness and spareness of the desert." This paean to the desert exhorts the reader to listen -- to the toad and the coyote, the rain and the wind. The simple, repetitive, bilingual text invites participation, giving the sounds in both languages (the owl says whoo.
Kirkus Reviews: very simple text, with each line (``Listen to coyote call, ar-ar-aooo, ar-ar-aooo/El coyote canta, ahúúú, ahúúú, ahúúú''; ``Listen to the wind spin, zoom, zoom, zoom...'') repeated twice in English plus twice in Spanish, becomes a rhythmic, lyrical bilingual chant suggesting the onomatopoeic powers of both tongues. Owl, dove, toad, snake, fish, mice, and rain complete a roster, supplemented by spreads whose pleasingly spare designs feature handsomely stylized figures beneath a mellow sky. A brightly decorative geometric motif runs through the pages to tie it all together. An attractive book for introducing the desert- -and a second language--to young children.
Connections:
An author study of Pat Mora
Use this when studying a unit on biomes – Venn Diagram (compare/contrast) desert sounds with sounds from area students live in.
If you are in an area with students of other cultures and experiences rewrite the book using the English and their native language.
Summary: This picture book is a bilingual description of some of the sounds found in the desert of the Southwest. The text is very simple and is written with young children in mind. The sounds of the toad, dove and snake among others are repeated twice in English and twice in Spanish.
Critical Analysis:
The author is a native of the desert area of El Paso, TX and has taken her experiences with the animals found in this desert and developed a book with simple parallel text in a bilingual format. The rhythm of this book makes one consider a poem put into the form of a book. This picture book is set up in a double page spread. Within each spread is a four line text with the text repeated twice in English and then twice in Spanish. The text is rhythmic with the owl whoo, whoo, whoo and uuu, uuu, uuu and allows for comparison of the two languages. The rhythmic verse makes it a fun read aloud for young students. The illustrations cover the two page spread with the blue sky setting the background for each spread and each introducing a different desert animal and the sound it makes. The pages have a bright blue and red geometric design across the bottom and the animals are colorfully illustrated with some taking on the natural colors of the animals (the coyote and the dove), but others less realistic in color (the green toad). As a native of West Texas the most common toad is the horned toad which blends in with the West Texas desert. The snake is depicted with the geometric designs seen in the border of each page and his “rattle” on his tail is a baby-rattle. Since this is a picture book for young children one would not expect the illustrations to be totally realistic.
Because of the format of this book analysis is limited to the authenticity of the Spanish language and knowing the background of Ms. Mora and her reputation as a noted author within children’s literature it is my opinion that the Spanish within the text is authentic.
I was excited to find as I looked through the book to find the title page was autographed by the author during her visit to our school in April 2005. It was nice to see it within the library collection.
Horn Book Guide: Appropriate for the young age of the intended audience Age: the book's design emphasizes the spaciousness and spareness of the desert." This paean to the desert exhorts the reader to listen -- to the toad and the coyote, the rain and the wind. The simple, repetitive, bilingual text invites participation, giving the sounds in both languages (the owl says whoo.
Kirkus Reviews: very simple text, with each line (``Listen to coyote call, ar-ar-aooo, ar-ar-aooo/El coyote canta, ahúúú, ahúúú, ahúúú''; ``Listen to the wind spin, zoom, zoom, zoom...'') repeated twice in English plus twice in Spanish, becomes a rhythmic, lyrical bilingual chant suggesting the onomatopoeic powers of both tongues. Owl, dove, toad, snake, fish, mice, and rain complete a roster, supplemented by spreads whose pleasingly spare designs feature handsomely stylized figures beneath a mellow sky. A brightly decorative geometric motif runs through the pages to tie it all together. An attractive book for introducing the desert- -and a second language--to young children.
Connections:
An author study of Pat Mora
Use this when studying a unit on biomes – Venn Diagram (compare/contrast) desert sounds with sounds from area students live in.
If you are in an area with students of other cultures and experiences rewrite the book using the English and their native language.
Friday, June 22, 2007
African American Literature BLUES JOURNEY by: Walter Dean Myers
Bibliography: Myers, Walter Dean. 2003. BLUES JOURNEY. Ill. Myers, Christopher. New York: Holiday House. ISBN 0823416135
Plot Summary:
This is the story of the African-American’s journey in America from the time of slavery and the hard times in their lives through this journey. The book is written in the blues format that was brought to America from Africa during the slave trade.
Critical Analysis:
When I first picked up this book to read I thought it was going to be a story of a road journey with a mule named Blue. What a surprise when I turned to the back cover and found it is a book about the American Blues Music! This is a work by father/son Walter and Christopher Myers of the journey of the “Blues” music. The book is written in the call/response music form that history has called the “Blues” which is a cultural marker in itself. The “Blues” musical style has been a part of the African American culture since slaves were brought over across the ocean. Walter Myers has used the poetic lyric tunes to tell the journey and Christopher has used his illustrations to visualize the story. The blue and brown hues holding the background of the pages connect the blues music and the dark skins of the African Americans who are telling their stories. Cultural markers are found throughout the book in the text with such words as “Blackbirds fly, the hound dogs howl and bark, yes blackbirds fly, you know hound dogs howl and bark I see my true love sitting, crying in the dark.” African Americans have often been called “blackbirds” and this verse brings visions of one fleeing from slavery with the hound dogs tracking the scent as if the one hunted were an animal. Another vivid image comes from “Strange fruit hanging, high in a big oak tree Strange fruit hanging, high in a big oak tree You can see what it did to Willie, can you see what it does to me?” This reminds the reader of lynchings that took place as recently as the 1960’s in America’s south during the Civil Right’s movement. It is very difficult to choose illustrations as examples because each page sets the clothing, facial expressions, body language so readily with the text. One of the most impressive illustrations reveals two young boys peeking through a screen window their facial expressions showing concern for what is outside. The illustrations each show the facial expression and body movement that blends the illustration to the text. For example: "Blues, blues, blues what you mean to me? Blues, blues, blues what you mean to me? Are you my pain and misery, or my sweet, sweet company" illustrates young African Americans expressing their love for the music with imagined celebratory movements. The rippled muscled arms and swinging of picks reveals the life of the African Americans as they work the land as prisoners with the guard with his rifle silhouetted in the background. The Blues Glossary at the back of the book was particularly beneficial to me as some of the language in the cultural sense was unfamiliar to me. I was not aware that Parchman’s was a harsh prison in Mississippi and that was explained in the glossary as well as other unfamiliar expressions. Before beginning the book there is a brief history of the “Blues” and this was very informative for those who are unfamiliar with the “Blues” music.
Reviews:
From School Library Journal: Blues- what you mean to me?/-Are you my pain and misery,/or my sweet, sweet company?" The opening verse of this latest father/son collaboration probes the very essence of a form-and a feeling; it asks the question that anyone who has sought solace in music can relate to. This new duet is the blues: verbally and visually, it explores the idiom while exemplifying it. A call and response accompanies each painting. The poetry is given a variety of voices by the ever-changing cast and settings: three figures in a horse-drawn cart on a lonely road; two children sitting on a curb-one crying, the other comforting; workers in a chain gang; a brother and sister sharing a bed, head to toe. The tightly controlled, yet endlessly surprising palette consists of blue (ink), white (paint), and brown (paper bags). Many of the bodies and backgrounds are literally blue, with white highlights. This chilling effect is tempered by the warm texture of the brown bags. As the journey progresses, the lyrics and art look at loss through the lenses of slavery, poverty, lynching, love spurned, fear of dying-and of living. An author's note provides a lucid description of the history, elements, and importance of the blues. Symbolism is explored in a glossary. Artist and author push the idiom-and the picture book-to new dimensions. Their song will slide through readers' ears and settle into their souls.
Booklist: The blues' deceptively simple rhyme scheme tracks the deeper feelings of lives that have been bruised. In this picture book for older readers, Myers offers blues-inspired verse that touches on the black-and-blue moments of individual lives. His son Christopher's images, which illustrate the call-and-response text, alternate between high spirited and haunting. Myers begins with a very necessary introduction to the history of the blues that includes an explanation of the rhyme scheme. Still, the level of sophistication necessary for kids to get into the book is considerable: "Strange fruit hanging, high in the big oak tree / Strange fruit hanging high in the big oak tree / You can see what it did to Willie, / and you see what it did to me." Myers' original verse is unsettling if young people know the reference from the Billie Holiday song, but unclear if they don't ("strange fruit" is defined in the glossary). The accompanying illustration, though it's one of the less inspired ones, helps clarify things--a boy walks in a crowd carrying a sign saying, "yesterday a man was lynched." But there's no cohesion between the spreads, and the next one features a blues singer at a mike: "The thrill is gone, but love is still in my heart . . . I can feel you in the music and it's tearing me apart." Much of Myers' poetry here is terrific, by turn, sweet, sharp, ironic, but it's the memorable collage artwork, executed in the bluest of blue ink and brown paper, that will draw readers first. Once inside the book, some children will immediately hear the songs the poetry sings; others will have to listen more closely.
Connections:
http://www.pbs.org/theblues/classroom/defhistory.html This PBS site has some music clips that you might want to share with your students so they can hear the soulful voices that make the blues what it is.
Music teachers might want to use this book as an introduction to the study of the blues music.
Students could write a “blues” song about a difficult time in their lives and the less timid might be willing to share it musically.
Books Related Subject:
SOPHISTICATED LADIES: THE GREAT WOMEN OF JAZZ by: Leslie Gourse ISBN 0525471987
BLACK CAT BONE: THE LIFE OF BLUES LEGEND ROBERT JOHNSON by: Patrick J. Lewis ISBN 1568461941
BESSIE SMITH AND THE NIGHT RIDERS by: Sue Stauffacher ISBN 0399242376
Plot Summary:
This is the story of the African-American’s journey in America from the time of slavery and the hard times in their lives through this journey. The book is written in the blues format that was brought to America from Africa during the slave trade.
Critical Analysis:
When I first picked up this book to read I thought it was going to be a story of a road journey with a mule named Blue. What a surprise when I turned to the back cover and found it is a book about the American Blues Music! This is a work by father/son Walter and Christopher Myers of the journey of the “Blues” music. The book is written in the call/response music form that history has called the “Blues” which is a cultural marker in itself. The “Blues” musical style has been a part of the African American culture since slaves were brought over across the ocean. Walter Myers has used the poetic lyric tunes to tell the journey and Christopher has used his illustrations to visualize the story. The blue and brown hues holding the background of the pages connect the blues music and the dark skins of the African Americans who are telling their stories. Cultural markers are found throughout the book in the text with such words as “Blackbirds fly, the hound dogs howl and bark, yes blackbirds fly, you know hound dogs howl and bark I see my true love sitting, crying in the dark.” African Americans have often been called “blackbirds” and this verse brings visions of one fleeing from slavery with the hound dogs tracking the scent as if the one hunted were an animal. Another vivid image comes from “Strange fruit hanging, high in a big oak tree Strange fruit hanging, high in a big oak tree You can see what it did to Willie, can you see what it does to me?” This reminds the reader of lynchings that took place as recently as the 1960’s in America’s south during the Civil Right’s movement. It is very difficult to choose illustrations as examples because each page sets the clothing, facial expressions, body language so readily with the text. One of the most impressive illustrations reveals two young boys peeking through a screen window their facial expressions showing concern for what is outside. The illustrations each show the facial expression and body movement that blends the illustration to the text. For example: "Blues, blues, blues what you mean to me? Blues, blues, blues what you mean to me? Are you my pain and misery, or my sweet, sweet company" illustrates young African Americans expressing their love for the music with imagined celebratory movements. The rippled muscled arms and swinging of picks reveals the life of the African Americans as they work the land as prisoners with the guard with his rifle silhouetted in the background. The Blues Glossary at the back of the book was particularly beneficial to me as some of the language in the cultural sense was unfamiliar to me. I was not aware that Parchman’s was a harsh prison in Mississippi and that was explained in the glossary as well as other unfamiliar expressions. Before beginning the book there is a brief history of the “Blues” and this was very informative for those who are unfamiliar with the “Blues” music.
Reviews:
From School Library Journal: Blues- what you mean to me?/-Are you my pain and misery,/or my sweet, sweet company?" The opening verse of this latest father/son collaboration probes the very essence of a form-and a feeling; it asks the question that anyone who has sought solace in music can relate to. This new duet is the blues: verbally and visually, it explores the idiom while exemplifying it. A call and response accompanies each painting. The poetry is given a variety of voices by the ever-changing cast and settings: three figures in a horse-drawn cart on a lonely road; two children sitting on a curb-one crying, the other comforting; workers in a chain gang; a brother and sister sharing a bed, head to toe. The tightly controlled, yet endlessly surprising palette consists of blue (ink), white (paint), and brown (paper bags). Many of the bodies and backgrounds are literally blue, with white highlights. This chilling effect is tempered by the warm texture of the brown bags. As the journey progresses, the lyrics and art look at loss through the lenses of slavery, poverty, lynching, love spurned, fear of dying-and of living. An author's note provides a lucid description of the history, elements, and importance of the blues. Symbolism is explored in a glossary. Artist and author push the idiom-and the picture book-to new dimensions. Their song will slide through readers' ears and settle into their souls.
Booklist: The blues' deceptively simple rhyme scheme tracks the deeper feelings of lives that have been bruised. In this picture book for older readers, Myers offers blues-inspired verse that touches on the black-and-blue moments of individual lives. His son Christopher's images, which illustrate the call-and-response text, alternate between high spirited and haunting. Myers begins with a very necessary introduction to the history of the blues that includes an explanation of the rhyme scheme. Still, the level of sophistication necessary for kids to get into the book is considerable: "Strange fruit hanging, high in the big oak tree / Strange fruit hanging high in the big oak tree / You can see what it did to Willie, / and you see what it did to me." Myers' original verse is unsettling if young people know the reference from the Billie Holiday song, but unclear if they don't ("strange fruit" is defined in the glossary). The accompanying illustration, though it's one of the less inspired ones, helps clarify things--a boy walks in a crowd carrying a sign saying, "yesterday a man was lynched." But there's no cohesion between the spreads, and the next one features a blues singer at a mike: "The thrill is gone, but love is still in my heart . . . I can feel you in the music and it's tearing me apart." Much of Myers' poetry here is terrific, by turn, sweet, sharp, ironic, but it's the memorable collage artwork, executed in the bluest of blue ink and brown paper, that will draw readers first. Once inside the book, some children will immediately hear the songs the poetry sings; others will have to listen more closely.
Connections:
http://www.pbs.org/theblues/classroom/defhistory.html This PBS site has some music clips that you might want to share with your students so they can hear the soulful voices that make the blues what it is.
Music teachers might want to use this book as an introduction to the study of the blues music.
Students could write a “blues” song about a difficult time in their lives and the less timid might be willing to share it musically.
Books Related Subject:
SOPHISTICATED LADIES: THE GREAT WOMEN OF JAZZ by: Leslie Gourse ISBN 0525471987
BLACK CAT BONE: THE LIFE OF BLUES LEGEND ROBERT JOHNSON by: Patrick J. Lewis ISBN 1568461941
BESSIE SMITH AND THE NIGHT RIDERS by: Sue Stauffacher ISBN 0399242376
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Review author Jacqueline Woodson HUSH African-American Literature
Bibliography: Woodson, Jacqueline. 2002. HUSH. New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons. ISBN 0399231145
Plot Summary:
Toswiah Green becomes Evie Thomas after her family is forced to flee Colorado following testimony by her father, a black police officer, who testified against white officers in the slaying of a teenage black boy. The story takes the reader through the many adjustments that must be made by the Green family as a result of the choice of Toswiah’s father to testify. Her father becomes withdrawn and depressed and her mother finds religion. The book sends the reader back to Colorado and the family’s previous life and then back to the reality of the new found life.
Critical Analysis:
Toswiah and her family are accepted in the predominantly white neighborhood in Colorado where her father was one of the few black police officers. I have chosen to use “black” in this analysis as that is the term used in the book. This cultural marker is more often “African American”. The families are a close knit group. There is the occasional racial joke that her father ignores, but for the most part there is no discrimination. The effects of racism and legal discrimination were addressed within the contents of this book. When Mr. Green decides to give his truthful report of the events that transpired in the shooting of a black teenager, attitudes changed. He turned on the white officers and refused to accept their report that the young black boy was apparently reaching for a gun when he was shot. Although the book allows for the aspect of racial tension I believe that some of the negative results of the decision by Mr. Green to step forward would have occurred if only “white” officers were involved. The Code of Blue that we hear and read about, whether truth or fiction is not necessarily tied to ethnic groups, but rather the police officers themselves. The question arises – would the others in the department insisted on maintaining the Code of Blue if Mr. Green were white? Regardless, there are phone threats to the family and shots are fired through the windows. Another theme noted throughout this book was the loyalties and obligations that the family felt one to another. Each family member struggles with the adjustments that the family faces and finds that the struggles are almost insurmountable. The father felt so guilty about his decision to be truthful and uproot his family that in the end he attempted suicide, the mother turns to religion and becomes an avid Jehovah’s Witness. Some people might find the portrayal of this religious group as described in this book somewhat offensive. The mother is seen as somewhat of a religious zealot. Anna, the older daughter, strives for high grades for early admission to college and Evie, the younger, struggles to find her place in the family. Toswiah’s father calls his two daughters his “copper pennies”, this would identify as a cultural marker (forms of address or endearment as well as description of skin color), and has a pleasant loving tone about it. When Toswiah and her family move to their new home there are more black people, but it is difficult for Toswiah to make friends. Because the family has moved to a community that has more black people you would assume that it would be easier to make friends, but for those of us who moved often in our childhood we know that is not always true, personalities reflect as much in making friendships as skin color. There are few cultural markers noticeable in this book. It is more about changes, albeit unusual circumstances, in a young girl’s life.
Reviews:
Horn Book Guide: Twelve-year-old Toswiah relates the devastating story of how her middle-class, African-American family was forced to enter the federal witness protection program after her father testified against two fellow cops who killed an innocent boy. Woodson tells a story of people torn apart by grief who eventually find a way to leave their sorrow in the past; her poetic, low-key yet vivid writing style conveys the story's atmosphere of quiet intensity.
Voice of Youth Advocates: Toswiah is twelve when her family enters the witness protection program. Her police officer father breaks the "Blue Wall of Silence" and testifies against fellow officers accused in the death of an unarmed young African American. The threats of violence escalate until the family members go into hiding. As healing begins, there is hope that Toswiah's family will reconnect and redefine its future. This complex novel is written in a deceptively simple style. There are parallels and symbolism to generate discussion, but the bottom line is that Woodson is a graceful storyteller, skilled at expressing emotions and encouraging thought in a few, well-chosen words.
Connections:
Other books by this author:
COMING ON HOME SOON. 2004. ISBN 0399237488
LOCOMOTION (Poetry). 2003. ISBN 0399231153
MIRACLE’S BOYS. 2000. ISBN 0399231137
Poem: Poetry Break – Read this poem after finishing the book Hush and let the students consider how it relates to the “odd remnants” left of Evie’s family.
Quilt
By: Janet Wong
Our family
is a quilt
of odd remnants
patched together
in a strange
pattern,
threads fraying,
fabric wearing thin –
but made to keep
its warmth
even in bitter
cold.
[from Kingfisher Book of Family Poems (Houghton Mifflin, 2003)]
Plot Summary:
Toswiah Green becomes Evie Thomas after her family is forced to flee Colorado following testimony by her father, a black police officer, who testified against white officers in the slaying of a teenage black boy. The story takes the reader through the many adjustments that must be made by the Green family as a result of the choice of Toswiah’s father to testify. Her father becomes withdrawn and depressed and her mother finds religion. The book sends the reader back to Colorado and the family’s previous life and then back to the reality of the new found life.
Critical Analysis:
Toswiah and her family are accepted in the predominantly white neighborhood in Colorado where her father was one of the few black police officers. I have chosen to use “black” in this analysis as that is the term used in the book. This cultural marker is more often “African American”. The families are a close knit group. There is the occasional racial joke that her father ignores, but for the most part there is no discrimination. The effects of racism and legal discrimination were addressed within the contents of this book. When Mr. Green decides to give his truthful report of the events that transpired in the shooting of a black teenager, attitudes changed. He turned on the white officers and refused to accept their report that the young black boy was apparently reaching for a gun when he was shot. Although the book allows for the aspect of racial tension I believe that some of the negative results of the decision by Mr. Green to step forward would have occurred if only “white” officers were involved. The Code of Blue that we hear and read about, whether truth or fiction is not necessarily tied to ethnic groups, but rather the police officers themselves. The question arises – would the others in the department insisted on maintaining the Code of Blue if Mr. Green were white? Regardless, there are phone threats to the family and shots are fired through the windows. Another theme noted throughout this book was the loyalties and obligations that the family felt one to another. Each family member struggles with the adjustments that the family faces and finds that the struggles are almost insurmountable. The father felt so guilty about his decision to be truthful and uproot his family that in the end he attempted suicide, the mother turns to religion and becomes an avid Jehovah’s Witness. Some people might find the portrayal of this religious group as described in this book somewhat offensive. The mother is seen as somewhat of a religious zealot. Anna, the older daughter, strives for high grades for early admission to college and Evie, the younger, struggles to find her place in the family. Toswiah’s father calls his two daughters his “copper pennies”, this would identify as a cultural marker (forms of address or endearment as well as description of skin color), and has a pleasant loving tone about it. When Toswiah and her family move to their new home there are more black people, but it is difficult for Toswiah to make friends. Because the family has moved to a community that has more black people you would assume that it would be easier to make friends, but for those of us who moved often in our childhood we know that is not always true, personalities reflect as much in making friendships as skin color. There are few cultural markers noticeable in this book. It is more about changes, albeit unusual circumstances, in a young girl’s life.
Reviews:
Horn Book Guide: Twelve-year-old Toswiah relates the devastating story of how her middle-class, African-American family was forced to enter the federal witness protection program after her father testified against two fellow cops who killed an innocent boy. Woodson tells a story of people torn apart by grief who eventually find a way to leave their sorrow in the past; her poetic, low-key yet vivid writing style conveys the story's atmosphere of quiet intensity.
Voice of Youth Advocates: Toswiah is twelve when her family enters the witness protection program. Her police officer father breaks the "Blue Wall of Silence" and testifies against fellow officers accused in the death of an unarmed young African American. The threats of violence escalate until the family members go into hiding. As healing begins, there is hope that Toswiah's family will reconnect and redefine its future. This complex novel is written in a deceptively simple style. There are parallels and symbolism to generate discussion, but the bottom line is that Woodson is a graceful storyteller, skilled at expressing emotions and encouraging thought in a few, well-chosen words.
Connections:
Other books by this author:
COMING ON HOME SOON. 2004. ISBN 0399237488
LOCOMOTION (Poetry). 2003. ISBN 0399231153
MIRACLE’S BOYS. 2000. ISBN 0399231137
Poem: Poetry Break – Read this poem after finishing the book Hush and let the students consider how it relates to the “odd remnants” left of Evie’s family.
Quilt
By: Janet Wong
Our family
is a quilt
of odd remnants
patched together
in a strange
pattern,
threads fraying,
fabric wearing thin –
but made to keep
its warmth
even in bitter
cold.
[from Kingfisher Book of Family Poems (Houghton Mifflin, 2003)]
Friday, June 15, 2007
Review Book Illustrated by Jerry Pinkney GOIN' SOMEPLACE SPECIAL (African-American Literature)
Bibliography: McKissack, Patricia. 2001. Ill. Pinkney, Jerry. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers. ISBN 0689818858
Plot Summary:
The story tells a fictionalized version of events taken from the author’s childhood as she grew up in Nashville, Tennessee during the segregated 1950’s. ‘Tricia Ann asks her grandmother for permission to “go somewhere special” by herself. After her grandmother agrees, ‘Tricia Ann begins her adventure out of her neighborhood alone. She faces many of the obstacles of the Jim Crow era in Southern American life. She finds “her place” on the back of the bus, visits the park and finds the benches “for whites only” and after being caught in a crowd she found herself in the lobby of a grand hotel. She was quickly shooed away when the indignant crowd noticed her. Her trip finally takes her to the public library where the welcoming sign “Public Library: All Are Welcome” warmly greets her.
Critical Analysis:
Jerry Pinkney’s illustrations in pencil and watercolors won him the prestigious Corretta Scott King Award for illustrators in 2002.The illustrations along with the text of the story vividly portray the life of the African American community during the segregated times of the 1950’s. His representations are modern in that they show the African-American people with a variety of skin-tones, facial features and hairstyles that were typical of the times. His illustrations do not show any of the insulting cultural markers found in many books of earlier times. ‘Tricia Ann is softly illustrated in her colorful traditional dress typical of the young girls in the 1950’s. The text identification is specific to the culture of the times with the dialect and language patterns of the African American adults being somewhat less correct than that of ‘Tricia Ann. Mama Frances reminding her to “hold yo’ head up and act like you b’long to somebody” and Mrs. Grannell reminding her to “carry yo’self proud”. The general environment of both the text and illustrations addressed the segregated times in the urban south with segregated seats on the public bus as well as segregated seating in the movie theater with the young girl relating to her brother “Colored people can’t come in the front door. They got to go ‘round and sit up in the Buzzard’s Roost.” ‘Tricia Ann reveals the feelings of many African-Americans and others who questioned the Jim Crow laws when she says “Jim Crow makes me so mad! My grandfather was a stonemason on Peace Fountain. Why can’t I sit down and enjoy it?” and the young vendor she is visiting with points out that his brother cooks the food that is served in the restaurant, but the sign entering the restaurant reads “whites only”.
Reviews:
From Publishers Weekly: McKissack draws from her childhood in Nashville for this instructive picture book. "I don't know if I'm ready to turn you loose in the world," Mama Frances tells her granddaughter when she asks if she can go by herself to "Someplace Special" (the destination remains unidentified until the end of the story). 'Tricia Ann does obtain permission, and begins a bittersweet journey downtown, her pride battered by the indignities of Jim Crow laws. Pinkney's luminescent watercolors evoke the '50s, from fashions to finned cars, and he captures every ounce of 'Tricia Ann's eagerness, humiliation and quiet triumph at the end.
School Library Journal: Tricia Ann's first solo trip out of her neighborhood reveals the segregation of 1950s' Nashville and the pride a young African-American girl takes in her heritage and her sense of self-worth. In an eye-opening journey, McKissack takes the child through an experience based upon her own personal history and the multiple indignities of the period. Dialogue illustrates her confidence and intelligence as she bravely searches for truth in a city of Jim Crow signs. Pinkney re-creates the city in detailed pencil-and-watercolor art angled over full-page spreads, highlighting the young girl with vibrant color in each illustration.
Connections:
Poem: “AT THE LIBRARY” from IT’S RAINING LAUGHTER: Poems by Nikki Grimes ISBN 9781590780770, New York: Dial, 1997.
I flip the pages of a book and slip inside,
Where crystal seas await and pirates hide.
I find a paradise where birds can talk,
Where children fly and trees prefer to walk.
Sometimes I end up on a city street.
I recognize the brownskin girl I meet.
She’s skinny, but she’s strong, and brave, and wise.
I smile because I see me in her eyes.
The following book is a nonfiction book of the life of Ruby Bridges and her place in history as a six year old child entering a federally mandated integrated school during the Civil Rights movement of the the 1960's.
Book: THROUGH MY EYES by Ruby Bridges ISBN 0590189239
Plot Summary:
The story tells a fictionalized version of events taken from the author’s childhood as she grew up in Nashville, Tennessee during the segregated 1950’s. ‘Tricia Ann asks her grandmother for permission to “go somewhere special” by herself. After her grandmother agrees, ‘Tricia Ann begins her adventure out of her neighborhood alone. She faces many of the obstacles of the Jim Crow era in Southern American life. She finds “her place” on the back of the bus, visits the park and finds the benches “for whites only” and after being caught in a crowd she found herself in the lobby of a grand hotel. She was quickly shooed away when the indignant crowd noticed her. Her trip finally takes her to the public library where the welcoming sign “Public Library: All Are Welcome” warmly greets her.
Critical Analysis:
Jerry Pinkney’s illustrations in pencil and watercolors won him the prestigious Corretta Scott King Award for illustrators in 2002.The illustrations along with the text of the story vividly portray the life of the African American community during the segregated times of the 1950’s. His representations are modern in that they show the African-American people with a variety of skin-tones, facial features and hairstyles that were typical of the times. His illustrations do not show any of the insulting cultural markers found in many books of earlier times. ‘Tricia Ann is softly illustrated in her colorful traditional dress typical of the young girls in the 1950’s. The text identification is specific to the culture of the times with the dialect and language patterns of the African American adults being somewhat less correct than that of ‘Tricia Ann. Mama Frances reminding her to “hold yo’ head up and act like you b’long to somebody” and Mrs. Grannell reminding her to “carry yo’self proud”. The general environment of both the text and illustrations addressed the segregated times in the urban south with segregated seats on the public bus as well as segregated seating in the movie theater with the young girl relating to her brother “Colored people can’t come in the front door. They got to go ‘round and sit up in the Buzzard’s Roost.” ‘Tricia Ann reveals the feelings of many African-Americans and others who questioned the Jim Crow laws when she says “Jim Crow makes me so mad! My grandfather was a stonemason on Peace Fountain. Why can’t I sit down and enjoy it?” and the young vendor she is visiting with points out that his brother cooks the food that is served in the restaurant, but the sign entering the restaurant reads “whites only”.
Reviews:
From Publishers Weekly: McKissack draws from her childhood in Nashville for this instructive picture book. "I don't know if I'm ready to turn you loose in the world," Mama Frances tells her granddaughter when she asks if she can go by herself to "Someplace Special" (the destination remains unidentified until the end of the story). 'Tricia Ann does obtain permission, and begins a bittersweet journey downtown, her pride battered by the indignities of Jim Crow laws. Pinkney's luminescent watercolors evoke the '50s, from fashions to finned cars, and he captures every ounce of 'Tricia Ann's eagerness, humiliation and quiet triumph at the end.
School Library Journal: Tricia Ann's first solo trip out of her neighborhood reveals the segregation of 1950s' Nashville and the pride a young African-American girl takes in her heritage and her sense of self-worth. In an eye-opening journey, McKissack takes the child through an experience based upon her own personal history and the multiple indignities of the period. Dialogue illustrates her confidence and intelligence as she bravely searches for truth in a city of Jim Crow signs. Pinkney re-creates the city in detailed pencil-and-watercolor art angled over full-page spreads, highlighting the young girl with vibrant color in each illustration.
Connections:
Poem: “AT THE LIBRARY” from IT’S RAINING LAUGHTER: Poems by Nikki Grimes ISBN 9781590780770, New York: Dial, 1997.
I flip the pages of a book and slip inside,
Where crystal seas await and pirates hide.
I find a paradise where birds can talk,
Where children fly and trees prefer to walk.
Sometimes I end up on a city street.
I recognize the brownskin girl I meet.
She’s skinny, but she’s strong, and brave, and wise.
I smile because I see me in her eyes.
The following book is a nonfiction book of the life of Ruby Bridges and her place in history as a six year old child entering a federally mandated integrated school during the Civil Rights movement of the the 1960's.
Book: THROUGH MY EYES by Ruby Bridges ISBN 0590189239
Monday, June 11, 2007
ABEL'S MOON (International Author)
Hughes, Shirley, ABEL’S MOON.1999. New York: DK Publishing. ISBN 0789446014
Summary
Abe Grable must travel with his work and when he comes home he tells his family of his travels. When he leaves home again his boys Noah and Adam use an old table in the backyard and their imaginations to make adventures of their own. When Abel returns again and shares his adventures the boys share theirs as well.
Critical Analysis
ABEL’S MOON was simultaneously published in Great Britain and the United States. There are very few cultural markers that I was able to discover. The clothing might be somewhat British with the younger boy wearing suspenders and a rather bowled haircut. I also noted that the illustrations included cups with the children’s snacks versus the glasses that we might see in the United States. This makes me consider the English tea rather than other drinks that the children might have here. Dad’s hat has somewhat of a British flair as well. Otherwise the vibrant watercolors of Ms. Hughes add depth to the text of the book. The illustrations follow the rather care-free life of the mother and children often left to their own devices since father is away much of the time with his work. The fictional characters of this family could have been those of any family whose father travels with his work. Although not ethnically cultural it is noticed that the father has some problems adjusting to the rambunctious children while he is at home. Although it is obvious that he loves the family very much it must be an adjustment each time he returns home to the boisterous family. This is shown both in the remarks from the father for a quiet time as well as the carefree, cluttered illustrations. I did not find any markings in this book that would be offensive to a cultural group.
Reviews
From Publishers Weekly: Hughes (the Alfie books) once again uses small, everyday moments to craft a powerful story. To find work, Abel Grable must journey far and wide, leaving his wife and three boisterous boys. But when each job is over, he returns to his family and regales everyone with the fantastic adventures he's had. After one such trip, Abel decides to record some of his stories, moving an old table out into the garden to find some quiet in which to write. When Abel leaves again, his boys take comfort in both the stories he's left behind and those they create themselves, using their imaginations to convert his writing table into a campsite, a boat and then a machine for flying to the moon. Hughes's direct, unadorned prose gives both substance and depth to this wisp of a story line, as do her trademark watercolor illustrations, both beautiful and comforting in their sturdy, homey detail. The loneliness and longing created by a parent's absence are never explicitly mentioned; they quietly inform text and art as well as the story's interplay between fantasy and reality. Keeping sentimentality at bay, Hughes's restraint gives the characters' emotions unusual resonance.
From School Library Journal: After Abel Grable returns from working out of the country, he tells his wife and sons all about his adventures. He describes camping out in jungles and taking supplies by riverboat to people in places with no electricity, with only the moon to guide the way. Because the boys love hearing these stories so much, Abel decides to record them. Finding it too noisy to work inside, he takes a table out in the yard, and writes for many hours. Then he goes off again. Using the table at which he wrote, Noah and Adam re-create their father's adventures or pretend that the table is a machine that can take them to the moon. That night, Adam realizes that the same moon is shining on him and on Abel, and on all people who love one another but can't be together. And, he imagines all the wonderful stories he will have to tell his father about his adventures. Hughes's deceptively plain writing style packs a subtle emotional wallop. Youngsters will appreciate the loving family, and enjoy the children's imaginative play. Hughes's humorous watercolor illustrations are at their best here. They effectively depict the luminous moonlight and the characters' changing feelings. They also make the little ordinary family treasures and clutter an important part of the narrative. The text and art fit beautifully together to create a moving story that can be appreciated on many levels.
Connections
Students could write and share an adventure story of their own.
There are many other books by this author; unfortunately my local library does not have many of her titles. One title that I enjoyed was ELLA’S BIG CHANCE: A JAZZ-AGE CINDERELLA. Although this would not be considered an “international book” since it is a version of the classic fairytale CINDERELLA it was entertaining.
Summary
Abe Grable must travel with his work and when he comes home he tells his family of his travels. When he leaves home again his boys Noah and Adam use an old table in the backyard and their imaginations to make adventures of their own. When Abel returns again and shares his adventures the boys share theirs as well.
Critical Analysis
ABEL’S MOON was simultaneously published in Great Britain and the United States. There are very few cultural markers that I was able to discover. The clothing might be somewhat British with the younger boy wearing suspenders and a rather bowled haircut. I also noted that the illustrations included cups with the children’s snacks versus the glasses that we might see in the United States. This makes me consider the English tea rather than other drinks that the children might have here. Dad’s hat has somewhat of a British flair as well. Otherwise the vibrant watercolors of Ms. Hughes add depth to the text of the book. The illustrations follow the rather care-free life of the mother and children often left to their own devices since father is away much of the time with his work. The fictional characters of this family could have been those of any family whose father travels with his work. Although not ethnically cultural it is noticed that the father has some problems adjusting to the rambunctious children while he is at home. Although it is obvious that he loves the family very much it must be an adjustment each time he returns home to the boisterous family. This is shown both in the remarks from the father for a quiet time as well as the carefree, cluttered illustrations. I did not find any markings in this book that would be offensive to a cultural group.
Reviews
From Publishers Weekly: Hughes (the Alfie books) once again uses small, everyday moments to craft a powerful story. To find work, Abel Grable must journey far and wide, leaving his wife and three boisterous boys. But when each job is over, he returns to his family and regales everyone with the fantastic adventures he's had. After one such trip, Abel decides to record some of his stories, moving an old table out into the garden to find some quiet in which to write. When Abel leaves again, his boys take comfort in both the stories he's left behind and those they create themselves, using their imaginations to convert his writing table into a campsite, a boat and then a machine for flying to the moon. Hughes's direct, unadorned prose gives both substance and depth to this wisp of a story line, as do her trademark watercolor illustrations, both beautiful and comforting in their sturdy, homey detail. The loneliness and longing created by a parent's absence are never explicitly mentioned; they quietly inform text and art as well as the story's interplay between fantasy and reality. Keeping sentimentality at bay, Hughes's restraint gives the characters' emotions unusual resonance.
From School Library Journal: After Abel Grable returns from working out of the country, he tells his wife and sons all about his adventures. He describes camping out in jungles and taking supplies by riverboat to people in places with no electricity, with only the moon to guide the way. Because the boys love hearing these stories so much, Abel decides to record them. Finding it too noisy to work inside, he takes a table out in the yard, and writes for many hours. Then he goes off again. Using the table at which he wrote, Noah and Adam re-create their father's adventures or pretend that the table is a machine that can take them to the moon. That night, Adam realizes that the same moon is shining on him and on Abel, and on all people who love one another but can't be together. And, he imagines all the wonderful stories he will have to tell his father about his adventures. Hughes's deceptively plain writing style packs a subtle emotional wallop. Youngsters will appreciate the loving family, and enjoy the children's imaginative play. Hughes's humorous watercolor illustrations are at their best here. They effectively depict the luminous moonlight and the characters' changing feelings. They also make the little ordinary family treasures and clutter an important part of the narrative. The text and art fit beautifully together to create a moving story that can be appreciated on many levels.
Connections
Students could write and share an adventure story of their own.
There are many other books by this author; unfortunately my local library does not have many of her titles. One title that I enjoyed was ELLA’S BIG CHANCE: A JAZZ-AGE CINDERELLA. Although this would not be considered an “international book” since it is a version of the classic fairytale CINDERELLA it was entertaining.
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
NIGHT NOISES Featured author, Mem Fox
Bibliography: Fox, Mem. 1989. NIGHT NOISES. Ill. By: Denton, Terry. New York: Gulliver Books, ISBN 0152005439
Story Plot
Lily Laceby is an old woman who lives alone and after a day’s work sits down in her comfortable chair to rest and drifts off to sleep. As she sleeps she dreams of family and times past, there is a commotion going on outside that her faithful old dog, Butch Aggie hears, but she dreams on. The car doors open, feet tiptoe, bushes crunch, the door rattles and still she sleeps on. Finally voices shout and Butch Aggie barks loudly enough to awaken the sleeping old woman. She finds family and friends at her door to celebrate her ninetieth birthday.
Critical Analysis
There are a few words in this book that would lead the reader through careful analysis to conclude that this book might have been written by an international author. The first hint is the surname Laceby. This is not a surname that is common in America, at least not in the area that I am from (Texas). After a brief search I came to conclude that the name is European in origin and seems to be somewhat familiar in areas such as New Zealand and Australia. The illustrations on the first page also could depict a small village in the hills of Australia, but is somewhat deceiving on first glance. It appears to be from a time gone by, but if you look closely the houses are all well lit. The next page brings us into the present with the reality of cleaning dishes in a somewhat modern way, dish soap and sink. :) The dog’s name, Butch Aggie, also has somewhat of an Australian flair to it. The kettle of hot tea (critic’s opinion) would be suggestive of a native country rather than America. Other than the notations above I did not find anything suggesting the book was written by an international author. If I had checked the book out for the purpose of entertaining a group of children without the request for analysis I don’t believe either the children or I would have noticed the few hints of international authorship. The clothing and hairstyles of all those greeting Lily for her 90th birthday are similar to the clothing we see daily. Denton’s artistic work with the side panels allows the reader to follow the commotion going on outside that Butch Aggie is hearing as well as the dream of family that Lily Laceby is having. The middle illustrations suggest a photo album may be entertaining Lily and allow her to dream of important events that have occurred in her lifetime. The primary colors and comical illustrations blend readily with the text.
Reviews
Publishers Weekly: While her faithful dog keeps watch, 90-year-old Lily Laceby dozes as strange noises outside herald a welcome surprise.
Horn Book Guide: Nearly ninety, Lily Laceby dozes on a wild winter's evening, while noises start to disturb her dog. The text reads beautifully, and the sparks of excitement are absolutely at one with the artwork.
Connections
Other books by Mem Fox
HUNWICK’S EGG ISBN 0152163182
KOALA LOU ISBN 0152005021
POSSUM MAGIC ISBN 0152005722
SOPHIE ISBN 0152771603
Go to http://www.memfox.net/ and find Hear Mem Read Aloud, have the following Mem Fox books available for the children to “read along” with Mem.
KOALA LOU ISBN 0152005021
SLEEP BEARS ISBN 9780613865265
TOUGH BORIS ISBN 9780613105354
Story Plot
Lily Laceby is an old woman who lives alone and after a day’s work sits down in her comfortable chair to rest and drifts off to sleep. As she sleeps she dreams of family and times past, there is a commotion going on outside that her faithful old dog, Butch Aggie hears, but she dreams on. The car doors open, feet tiptoe, bushes crunch, the door rattles and still she sleeps on. Finally voices shout and Butch Aggie barks loudly enough to awaken the sleeping old woman. She finds family and friends at her door to celebrate her ninetieth birthday.
Critical Analysis
There are a few words in this book that would lead the reader through careful analysis to conclude that this book might have been written by an international author. The first hint is the surname Laceby. This is not a surname that is common in America, at least not in the area that I am from (Texas). After a brief search I came to conclude that the name is European in origin and seems to be somewhat familiar in areas such as New Zealand and Australia. The illustrations on the first page also could depict a small village in the hills of Australia, but is somewhat deceiving on first glance. It appears to be from a time gone by, but if you look closely the houses are all well lit. The next page brings us into the present with the reality of cleaning dishes in a somewhat modern way, dish soap and sink. :) The dog’s name, Butch Aggie, also has somewhat of an Australian flair to it. The kettle of hot tea (critic’s opinion) would be suggestive of a native country rather than America. Other than the notations above I did not find anything suggesting the book was written by an international author. If I had checked the book out for the purpose of entertaining a group of children without the request for analysis I don’t believe either the children or I would have noticed the few hints of international authorship. The clothing and hairstyles of all those greeting Lily for her 90th birthday are similar to the clothing we see daily. Denton’s artistic work with the side panels allows the reader to follow the commotion going on outside that Butch Aggie is hearing as well as the dream of family that Lily Laceby is having. The middle illustrations suggest a photo album may be entertaining Lily and allow her to dream of important events that have occurred in her lifetime. The primary colors and comical illustrations blend readily with the text.
Reviews
Publishers Weekly: While her faithful dog keeps watch, 90-year-old Lily Laceby dozes as strange noises outside herald a welcome surprise.
Horn Book Guide: Nearly ninety, Lily Laceby dozes on a wild winter's evening, while noises start to disturb her dog. The text reads beautifully, and the sparks of excitement are absolutely at one with the artwork.
Connections
Other books by Mem Fox
HUNWICK’S EGG ISBN 0152163182
KOALA LOU ISBN 0152005021
POSSUM MAGIC ISBN 0152005722
SOPHIE ISBN 0152771603
Go to http://www.memfox.net/ and find Hear Mem Read Aloud, have the following Mem Fox books available for the children to “read along” with Mem.
KOALA LOU ISBN 0152005021
SLEEP BEARS ISBN 9780613865265
TOUGH BORIS ISBN 9780613105354
HOW I BECAME AN AMERICAN Batchelder Award Winner 2002
HOW I BECAME AN AMERICAN
Bibliography: Gundisch, Karin, Translated by Skofield James. HOW I BECAME AN AMERICAN. 2001. Chicago: Cricket Books. ISBN: 0812648757
Plot Summary
The dawning of a new century and the industrial revolution brought many European immigrants to the United States. The Bonfert family from a small town in Germany was one of the many families leaving their home country to find "paradise" in America. The story unfolds as father leaves the homeland to go to America, save money and later send for the rest of the family. Johann, the young protagonist, gives details of the journey from their small village by train to Bremerhaven to board the ship to America and continuing on with a rough journey in the third class steerage section of the ship and finally through Ellis Island and another train ride to Youngstown to join his father and older brother Peter. Upon arrival in Youngstown as the family settles into the new life Johann begins to pen a journal of all the changes that are taking place in their new homeland. He notices how easily the younger people adjust to changes in their lifestyles and how hard it is for many of the adults to let go of the "old ways". His older brother moves on to California in hopes of buying farmland and his sister socializes with immigrants from other countries by sneaking off to a dance without her parents permission knowing they would not approve. Johann and his family are not sure how to describe their new life to those left behind, but his mother finally summed up their new life "If things are going badly for you, immigrate. But if things are going well for you, better stay put."
Critical Analysis
This is the 2002 Batchelder Award winner. The Batchelder Award is an award presented by the American Library Association each year to honor the most outstanding children's book originally published in a foreign language and translated into English and published in the United States. This book was first published in German as DAS PARADIES LIEGT IN AMERIKA and translated by James Skofield as HOW I BECAMEAN AMERICAN. As a history major I found this book to be authentic in the experiences and realities of the lives of European immigrants to America in the early 20th century during the expansion that arose as a result of the Industrial Revolution. Life was hard in the rural village where the family lived in a small two room house with Johann's grandparents. His father worked as a weaver and made little money. There was plenty to eat because of the garden that the women worked, but there was little left for necessities such as shoes for the children. Like others of the time the family heard about the opportunities available in America, so the father set out to make a better life for his family in America. When the family was sent for the trip to America was long and hard with little food, sickness and even death. The entry to Ellis Island was historically correct with the people being checked for illnesses and sent back to their native lands if they were unhealthy. Men and women ill with tuberculosis as well as those with contagious eye infections and scabies were sent back home. Last names were changed many times upon entering Ellis Island. Johann tells of a friend from Poland whose Polish name was Kowalski, but the Irish clerk didn't understand so he asked the interpreter what the name meant and he replied "Smith", so the name was immediately changed. Language was a barrier for the family, but with the children enrolled in school they soon began to learn English and the mother learned from the children. Many immigrants blended their native language with English to form a mixture of both languages. An example of this is apparent in our state of Texas where the German culture of Central Texas, blended their dialect with English. Unfortunately, as the older generation dies out the younger generation has not learned the dialect and it is becoming a lost language. This is also true in other immigrant cultures as well and became apparent to Johann, later known as Johnny, in HOW I BECAME AN AMERICAN. There were some labor laws in effect, many of the immigrants were not aware of them and did not understand or read English well and were taken advantage of. A farmer from Rumania was badly burned in a steel mill accident and the boss offered him two cases of beer a day and added that the steel mill would provide a doctor and medications in return for a written promise not to make any more claims against us. The man signed the statement, not understanding it, and later found that there were laws to protect the workers, but since he had signed the waiver, he was not entitled to any more help. One area that is a little "too nice" is the success that Johann's family had when they immigrated to America. History tells us that most of the factory workers and families did not fair as well as the family depicted in the book. Johann describes the mustaches of the older men, a tradition brought from their homelands, and the clean-shaven faces of the younger immigrants. Many of the immigrants' children dropped out of school to work in mills, factories and mines, although they were offered free education to the age of fourteen. They left to help their families survive. Christmas was celebrated with a traditional dinner of broiled sausage, kraut, cornmeal mush and stewed prunes. Eventually Amerika becomes America to this family as it did to so many immigrants of the early 20th century. The afterward gives a brief explanation of the reasons for the mass immigration to America by Europeans in the late 1800's and early 1900's and is a nice reference for children and others that are not aware of the historical reasons for this wave of immigrants.
Reviews:
Horn Book Guide: In 1902, Johann and his family emigrate from Austria-Hungary to Ohio for a better life and for work in a steel mill. During the voyage, Johann's baby sister dies, but once in America the family slowly adjusts to new American customs. The story stays flat without a crisis or resolution, but the direct, unvarnished voice and careful research make this book informative and readable.
School Library Journal: An immigration story of the early 20th century, this lively and interesting account is told through the eyes of "Johnny" (Johann on his birth certificate). His father is the first of this German-speaking family to emigrate from Siebenburgen (Austria-Hungary) to a job in the steel foundries of Youngstown, OH. Eldest son Peter follows him, and, in 1902, 10-year-old Johnny and the rest of the family arrive. They experience difficulties, such as the death of little sister Eliss, but manage to prosper, with Johnny selling newspapers, little Emil working in a bakery, and older sister Regina a housemaid. Peter heads for the farmlands of California, and Mama has her chicken farm and egg business but is persuaded she could earn more by turning the barn into a boarding house. This upbeat, often humorous, realistic narrative incorporates songs used to encourage or discourage potential emigrants and even neatly ties in the story of the Pied Piper of Hamlin. It could be the tale of many an immigrant family coming from central Europe and adjusting to life and customs in a new country.
Connections:
Auch, Mary Jane. ASHES OF ROSES ISBN 0805066861
Glaser, Linda. BRIDGE TO AMERICA: BASED ON A TRUE STORY ISBN 0618563016
Gonzalez, Maya Christina. MY DIARY FROM HERE TO THERE = MI DIARIO DE AQUI HASTA ALLA IBN 0829391758
Polacco, Patricia. KEEPING QUILT ISBN 0689820909
The use of this book would be valuable when working on a unit on immigration. Ask the students to interview parents/grandparents for stories of their ancestral immigration experiences to the United States. Some of these stories may be historically correct and others not, but they make for interesting study of the immigration process.
Bibliography: Gundisch, Karin, Translated by Skofield James. HOW I BECAME AN AMERICAN. 2001. Chicago: Cricket Books. ISBN: 0812648757
Plot Summary
The dawning of a new century and the industrial revolution brought many European immigrants to the United States. The Bonfert family from a small town in Germany was one of the many families leaving their home country to find "paradise" in America. The story unfolds as father leaves the homeland to go to America, save money and later send for the rest of the family. Johann, the young protagonist, gives details of the journey from their small village by train to Bremerhaven to board the ship to America and continuing on with a rough journey in the third class steerage section of the ship and finally through Ellis Island and another train ride to Youngstown to join his father and older brother Peter. Upon arrival in Youngstown as the family settles into the new life Johann begins to pen a journal of all the changes that are taking place in their new homeland. He notices how easily the younger people adjust to changes in their lifestyles and how hard it is for many of the adults to let go of the "old ways". His older brother moves on to California in hopes of buying farmland and his sister socializes with immigrants from other countries by sneaking off to a dance without her parents permission knowing they would not approve. Johann and his family are not sure how to describe their new life to those left behind, but his mother finally summed up their new life "If things are going badly for you, immigrate. But if things are going well for you, better stay put."
Critical Analysis
This is the 2002 Batchelder Award winner. The Batchelder Award is an award presented by the American Library Association each year to honor the most outstanding children's book originally published in a foreign language and translated into English and published in the United States. This book was first published in German as DAS PARADIES LIEGT IN AMERIKA and translated by James Skofield as HOW I BECAMEAN AMERICAN. As a history major I found this book to be authentic in the experiences and realities of the lives of European immigrants to America in the early 20th century during the expansion that arose as a result of the Industrial Revolution. Life was hard in the rural village where the family lived in a small two room house with Johann's grandparents. His father worked as a weaver and made little money. There was plenty to eat because of the garden that the women worked, but there was little left for necessities such as shoes for the children. Like others of the time the family heard about the opportunities available in America, so the father set out to make a better life for his family in America. When the family was sent for the trip to America was long and hard with little food, sickness and even death. The entry to Ellis Island was historically correct with the people being checked for illnesses and sent back to their native lands if they were unhealthy. Men and women ill with tuberculosis as well as those with contagious eye infections and scabies were sent back home. Last names were changed many times upon entering Ellis Island. Johann tells of a friend from Poland whose Polish name was Kowalski, but the Irish clerk didn't understand so he asked the interpreter what the name meant and he replied "Smith", so the name was immediately changed. Language was a barrier for the family, but with the children enrolled in school they soon began to learn English and the mother learned from the children. Many immigrants blended their native language with English to form a mixture of both languages. An example of this is apparent in our state of Texas where the German culture of Central Texas, blended their dialect with English. Unfortunately, as the older generation dies out the younger generation has not learned the dialect and it is becoming a lost language. This is also true in other immigrant cultures as well and became apparent to Johann, later known as Johnny, in HOW I BECAME AN AMERICAN. There were some labor laws in effect, many of the immigrants were not aware of them and did not understand or read English well and were taken advantage of. A farmer from Rumania was badly burned in a steel mill accident and the boss offered him two cases of beer a day and added that the steel mill would provide a doctor and medications in return for a written promise not to make any more claims against us. The man signed the statement, not understanding it, and later found that there were laws to protect the workers, but since he had signed the waiver, he was not entitled to any more help. One area that is a little "too nice" is the success that Johann's family had when they immigrated to America. History tells us that most of the factory workers and families did not fair as well as the family depicted in the book. Johann describes the mustaches of the older men, a tradition brought from their homelands, and the clean-shaven faces of the younger immigrants. Many of the immigrants' children dropped out of school to work in mills, factories and mines, although they were offered free education to the age of fourteen. They left to help their families survive. Christmas was celebrated with a traditional dinner of broiled sausage, kraut, cornmeal mush and stewed prunes. Eventually Amerika becomes America to this family as it did to so many immigrants of the early 20th century. The afterward gives a brief explanation of the reasons for the mass immigration to America by Europeans in the late 1800's and early 1900's and is a nice reference for children and others that are not aware of the historical reasons for this wave of immigrants.
Reviews:
Horn Book Guide: In 1902, Johann and his family emigrate from Austria-Hungary to Ohio for a better life and for work in a steel mill. During the voyage, Johann's baby sister dies, but once in America the family slowly adjusts to new American customs. The story stays flat without a crisis or resolution, but the direct, unvarnished voice and careful research make this book informative and readable.
School Library Journal: An immigration story of the early 20th century, this lively and interesting account is told through the eyes of "Johnny" (Johann on his birth certificate). His father is the first of this German-speaking family to emigrate from Siebenburgen (Austria-Hungary) to a job in the steel foundries of Youngstown, OH. Eldest son Peter follows him, and, in 1902, 10-year-old Johnny and the rest of the family arrive. They experience difficulties, such as the death of little sister Eliss, but manage to prosper, with Johnny selling newspapers, little Emil working in a bakery, and older sister Regina a housemaid. Peter heads for the farmlands of California, and Mama has her chicken farm and egg business but is persuaded she could earn more by turning the barn into a boarding house. This upbeat, often humorous, realistic narrative incorporates songs used to encourage or discourage potential emigrants and even neatly ties in the story of the Pied Piper of Hamlin. It could be the tale of many an immigrant family coming from central Europe and adjusting to life and customs in a new country.
Connections:
Auch, Mary Jane. ASHES OF ROSES ISBN 0805066861
Glaser, Linda. BRIDGE TO AMERICA: BASED ON A TRUE STORY ISBN 0618563016
Gonzalez, Maya Christina. MY DIARY FROM HERE TO THERE = MI DIARIO DE AQUI HASTA ALLA IBN 0829391758
Polacco, Patricia. KEEPING QUILT ISBN 0689820909
The use of this book would be valuable when working on a unit on immigration. Ask the students to interview parents/grandparents for stories of their ancestral immigration experiences to the United States. Some of these stories may be historically correct and others not, but they make for interesting study of the immigration process.
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