Module 4(B) - Maniac Magee

Book
Maniac Magee
Written by Jerry Spinelli

Citation
Spinelli, J. (1990). Maniac Magee. New York: HarperCollins.

Summary
Jeffrey Lionel Magee doesn't grow up in a normal house, under normal circumstances, experiencing normal childhood situations. Orphaned as a small child, Jeffrey chose to escape the love-less home of his aunt and uncle by running away. Learning early on that fear of much of anything eluded him. He exhibited extraordinary talent in physical feats as well as seeing people for who they are and loving the unlovable, despite his own lack-of-love-upbringing. Because of his abilities, Jeffrey earns the nickname "Maniac" and moves forward in his quest to find love and goodness and a home of his own. We meet characters that are drawn to Maniac for good reasons and bad; that mold and shape him into a caring and thoughtful young man who seems colors as beautiful and not a reason to hate. Maniac Magee finds the home he's been looking for in the most unusual places, amid the most unlikely brood of characters, despite the most off-putting social stereotypes.


Reviews
Kirkus Review (1990): An occasionally long-winded, but always affecting, parable-like story about racism and ignorance. Jeffrey Magee is twice homeless--once involuntarily, at age three, when his parents plunge with a high-speed trolley off a bridge; the second time eight years later, when he voluntarily leaves the troubled home of his aunt and uncle. Jeffrey's subsequent yearlong flight generates a host of legends:, his sudden appearances and astonishing athletic prowess earn him the name "Maniac," and his just-as-sudden disappearances ensure his fame. Innocently, he crosses between two strictly segregated parts of town, the white East End and the black West End, making friends and enemies in both camps and managing to soften the lines of segregation; later, he finds a new home in the West. If this is sometimes a bit like a chalkboard lesson, it may be because racism is still a volatile subject that is more comfortably dealt with in parable form. The metaphorical style is a brave change from the realism of Spinelli's other books, while fans of his earlier, tongue-in-cheek, streetwise tone will find it also an integral part of this story--ballast for the mythic, shifting picture of Maniac's year on the run.

School Library Journal (June 1990): Gr 6-10-- Warning: this interesting book is a mythical story about racism. It should not be read as reality. Legend springs up about Jeffrey ``Maniac'' Magee, a white boy who runs faster and hits balls farther than anyone, who lives on his own with amazing grace, and is innocent as to racial affairs. After running away from a loveless home, he encounters several families, in and around Two Mills, a town sharply divided into the black East End and the white West End. Black, feisty Amanda Beale and her family lovingly open their home to Maniac, and tough, smart-talking ``Mars Bar'' Thompson and other characters are all, to varying degrees, full of prejudices and unaware of their own racism. Racial epithets are sprinkled through the book; Mars Bar calls Maniac ``fishbelly,'' and blacks are described by a white character as being ``today's Indians.'' In the final, disjointed section of the book, Maniac confronts the hatred that perpetuates ignorance by bringing Mars Bar to meet the Pickwells--``the best the West End had to offer.'' In the feel-good ending, Mars and Maniac resolve their differences; Maniac gets a home and there is hope for at least improved racial relations. Unreal? Yes. It's a cop-out for Spinelli to have framed this story as a legend--it frees him from having to make it real, or even possible. Nevertheless, the book will stimulate thinking about racism, and it might help educate those readers who, like so many students, have no first-hand knowledge of people of other races. Pathos and compassion inform a short, relatively easy-to-read story with broad appeal, which suggests that to solve problems of racism, people must first know each other as individuals.


Suggested Use
Because of the racial stereotypes brought up in the book, Maniac Magee would be a great novel to partner with a study of the judicial system, putting characters from the book on trial for their actions and opinions, making judgements based on situations depicted in the book. Mock trials and readers theaters would be a superb way to illustrate that students have grasped the concept of character emotions, thoughts, perceptions, and evolutions. Be prepared for lengthy discussions and tense moments, but what a perfect way to address these controversial topics within literature.

Impression
I have known the title for as long as I can remember but have only just now taken the time to read the actual book. I had an easy time picturing the different places in which Maniac Magee found his 'home', cringing in the McNabb's and sighing with relief at the Beale's. I was struck with how forthright the author was in perceptions, and their ignorant origins, of racial color lines. I appreciated his willingness to be so bold as to put such in print.

Module 4(A) - Dear Mr. Henshaw

Book
Dear Mr. Henshaw
Written by Beverly Cleary
Illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky

Citation
Cleary, B. (1983). Dear Mr. Henshaw. New York: Avon Books.

Summary
Taking on a letter-writing format, Dear Mr. Henshaw takes the reader through the roller coaster of emotions that a child might feel during and after the traumatic events of his parent's divorce and the usual fall-out that accompanies such a life-changing event. Loneliness, anger, hope, and resolve are evident throughout the book, showing us that the main character, Leigh, is just like each one of us when faced with the mountain to climb of meeting new people and adjusting to a situation we hadn't wanted to be in in the first place. The book ends on a realistic note, making it a superb resource for students who are struggling with a divorce in the family.

Reviews
Publisher's Weekly (August 15, 1994): This amusing, often touching series of letters from Leigh Botts to a children's book author he admires again demonstrates Cleary's right-on perception of a kid's world. Ages 8-12.

Kirkus Review (August 1, 1983): Possibly inspired by the letters Cleary has received as a children's author, this begins with second-grader Leigh Botts' misspelled fan letter to Mr. Henshaw, whose fictitious book itself derives from the old take-off title Forty Ways W. Amuse a Dog. Soon Leigh is in sixth grade and bombarding his still-favorite author with a list of questions to be answered and returned by "next Friday," the day his author report is due. Leigh is disgruntled when Mr. Henshaw's answer comes late, and accompanied by a set of questions for Leigh to answer. He threatens not to, but as "Mom keeps nagging me about your dumb old questions" he finally gets the job done--and through his answers Mr. Henshaw and readers learn that Leigh considers himself "the mediumest boy in school," that his parents have split up, and that he dreams of his truck-driver dad driving him to school "hauling a forty-foot reefer, which would make his outfit add up to eighteen wheels altogether. . . . I guess I wouldn't seem so medium then." Soon Mr. Henshaw recommends keeping a diary (at least partly to get Leigh off his own back) and so the real letters to Mr. Henshaw taper off, with "pretend," unmailed letters (the diary) taking over. . . until Leigh can write "I don't have to pretend to write to Mr. Henshaw anymore. I have learned to say what I think on a piece of paper." Meanwhile Mr. Henshaw offers writing tips, and Leigh, struggling with a story for a school contest, concludes "I think you're right. Maybe I am not ready to write a story." Instead he writes a "true story" about a truck haul with his father in Leigh's real past, and this wins praise from "a real live author" Leigh meets through the school program. Mr. Henshaw has also advised that "a character in a story should solve a problem or change in some way," a standard juvenile-fiction dictum which Cleary herself applies modestly by having Leigh solve his disappearing lunch problem with a burglar-alarmed lunch box--and, more seriously, come to recognize and accept that his father can't be counted on. All of this, in Leigh's simple words, is capably and unobtrusively structured as well as valid and realistic. From the writing tips to the divorced-kid blues, however, it tends to substitute prevailing wisdom for the little jolts of recognition that made the Ramona books so rewarding.


Suggested Use
Because of the letter-writing format of the book, a literary blog would be a perfect activity to culminate the thoughts, feelings, and concepts introduced in Dear Mr. Henshaw. Giving students a chance to interactively blog in response to teacher-led discussions and questions would open the doors of communication, making the hard-to-talk-about aspects of this novel easier to address. Because the teacher would respond to students' blogs, discussions and future questions could be geared toward specific topics brought up by the students.

Impression
I have "known" about this book since I was in elementary school. It was surrounded, even back then, with controversy. I suppose the subject of divorce wasn't something to be spoken of so freely which is such a shame because I can imagine many of my friends would have appreciated hearing what Leigh was going through. I enjoyed this chapter book very much. I appreciated Leigh's honest approach to what was happening in his life. The touch of humor was nice, too, as I'm sure many a child needed a laugh and a break from constantly thinking about what was happening in his life. I would recommend this book to any of my students going through a traumatic event in their life, even with its controversial-ness!

Module 3(B) - The Hello, Goodbye Window

Book
The Hello, Goodbye Window
Written by Norton Juster, Illustrated by Chris Raschka


Citation
Juster, N. (2005). The hello, goodbye window. New York: Hyperion Books for Children.


Summary
A sweet little girl takes the reader on a tour of her grandparent's house and daily routine, always stopping to point out the hello, goodbye window and its special characteristics. We learn all kinds of things about the little girl's Nanna and Poppy and so much more about the loving relationship that exists between the three of them. The little girl gives simple and poignant insight into things of the world in such a way that makes even the oldest reader feel encouraged and fulfilled.


Reviews
School Library Journal: Starred Review. PreSchool-Grade 1–The window in Nanna and Poppy's kitchen is no ordinary window–it is the place where love and magic happens. It's where the girl and her doting grandparents watch stars, play games, and, most importantly, say hello and goodbye. The first-person text is both simple and sophisticated, conjuring a perfectly child-centered world. Sentences such as "When I get tired I come in and take my nap and nothing happens until I get up" typify the girl's happy, imaginative world. While the language is bouncy and fun, it is the visual interpretation of this sweet story that sings. Using a bright rainbow palette of saturated color, Raschka's impressionistic, mixed-media illustrations portray a loving, mixed-race family. The artwork is at once lively and energetic, without crowding the story or the words on the page; the simple lines and squiggles of color suggest a child's own drawings, but this is the art of a masterful hand. Perfect for lap-sharing, this book will find favor with children and adults alike.

Booklist: *Starred Review* PreS-Gr. 2. Two well-known names come together in a book that speaks to the real lives of children and their experiences. The young narrator visits her grandparents, Nanna and Poppy, in their big house. They explore Nanna's garden, and Poppy plays his harmonica. The narrator rides her bike and takes a nap, "and nothing happens till I get up." Looking out the picture window, the "hello, goodbye window," she sees the pizza guy, and, more fancifully, a dinosaur. She also spots her parents coming to pick her up. The curly-haired girl is happy to see them, but sad because it means the end of the visit. The window imagery is less important than the title would make it seem. More intrinsic is Juster's honest portrayal of a child's perceptions (a striped cat in the yard is a tiger) and emotions (being happy and sad at the same time "just happens that way sometimes"). Raschka's swirling lines, swaths, and dabs of fruity colors seem especially vibrant, particularly in the double-page spreads, which have ample room to capture both the tender moments between members of the interracial family and the exuberance of spending time in the pulsating outdoors, all flowers, grass, and sky.


Suggested Use
What a great jumping-off place for a unit on families and what they mean to us! The Hello, Goodbye Window could spark a discussion about who we might see if we looked into each student's hello, goodbye window. Students could illustrate a picture showing these special people in their lives and attach a cross piece over the picture to depict a window.


Impression
I love this book! I like the simplistic wisdom given by the little girl; I like the showing of relationship between the characters; I like the illustrations and their abstract-ness; I like the warm feeling of blessing this book evokes.

Module 3(A) - Time of Wonder

Book
Time of Wonder
Written and Illustrated by Robert McCloskey

Citation
McCloskey, R. (1989). Time of wonder. New York: Puffin Books.

Summary
Time of Wonder illustrates a beautiful tale of a summer spent on an eastern seaside island with terrific verbs and vivid adjectives. Readers are able to experience the serene island life of porpoise-watching, afternoon rain showers, and days at the beach, as well as, the terrifying adventure of surviving a hurricane from preparation to clean-up. The book wraps up at the end of the summer when families pack up and return to their school-day schedules, leaving the island a memory with a hopeful return.

Reviews
Publisher's Weekly (June 19, 1995): A blast from the past for baby boomers, McCloskey's timeless paean to a Maine island summer is still as fresh as the day it first appeared in 1957 and ready for a new generation of readers--or in this case, listeners. Despite the absent Caldecott-winning illustrations, the story makes a nimble leap to audio, thanks to McCloskey's gloriously poetic language and Lord's deft reading. Her warm voice strikes just the right note of reverential delight at the abundant natural beauty of the island setting, and she even serves up a respectable Maine accent for the climactic hurricane scene ("We're going to have some weather. It's a-comin'. She's gonna blow."). Altogether marvelous.

Horn Book Starred (February, 1990): A reissue of a book first published in 1957. Reviewed December, 1957. A Caldecott Medal winner.

Suggested Use
Because of the vivid descriptions through use of verbs and adjectives, Time of Wonder would be a perfect companion to a lesson on parts of speech. Students could highlight particularly moving verbs and adjectives to create an Animoto video to further describe the definition, synonym, antonym, and use of these verbs and adjectives.

Impression
I was particularly taken with the rich language used in McCloskey's Caldecott-winning story. I think students would benefit from multiple readings of this book, aloud and independently, to grasp the concepts and mind pictures presented. Endearing and timeless, I felt as if I'd been to the island, experienced island life, and felt the gentle sting of disappointment when time to pack and leave the island. This type of image-inducing practice is a lost art and worth it spend time on.

Module 2(B) - Anne of Green Gables

Book
Anne of Green Gables
written by Lucy Maud Montgomery

Citation
Montgomery, L.C. (1976). Anne of Green Gables. New York: Bantam Books.

Summary
Anne comes to Avonlea as an adopted child and helper to siblings Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert but quickly becomes much more. We are taken on a tour of all things tangled and disheveled by Anne - she is less than ladylike and certainly not socially adept. At school, she forms a quick alliance with Diana Barry but also fuels hostility and judgement toward Gilbert Blythe. Experiences and maturity finally play their hand, taking us through the transitions of Anne growing up and establishing herself as an intellectual but forgoes the highly-sought-after scholarship to college when her beloved Matthew passes away. Anne commits to staying in Avonlea to care for Marilla and eventually concedes to bridging the divide between her and Gilbert.

Reviews
Library School Journal (2003): With a full cast and some background music, this radio play version of Lucy Maud Montgomery's classic hits the high points of the original novel. It is quite abbreviated, so each episode in Anne's orphan-girl-made-good story is afforded just enough time to lay out the bones of the plot. However, Anne's spunky and endearing character shines through scene after scene, as does some of the nostalgic charm of Avonlea's Canadian setting and quaint old Green Gables. All the parts are read very well, with a touching intensity that makes up for some of the brevity of plot episodes. A narrator fills in quite smoothly between the scenes for each event. Two nice features for young listeners make this a useful introduction to audio fiction. There is a pleasant chime played at the end of each side, and at the beginning of each side a line or two from the preceding side is repeated, helping to move listeners smoothly through the break in the action. This entertaining version may help lead youngsters to the original novel. School and public libraries seeking to add abridged novels to their collections or to introduce or entice young readers to longer fiction will want to consider this version.

Contemporary Authors Online (2004): As to Montgomery's entire body of work, many feel that the quality of her books after Green Gables steadily declines. However, most agree that her abiding popularity stems from her storytelling ability and her sensitive understanding of children. Montgomery "remembered exactly how it was to be a child," explained Jean Little in L. M. Montgomery: An Assessment. "More than that, she was able to record the experience of being a child so faithfully and vividly that reading children, years later, find themselves in her stories."


Suggested Use
Anne of Green Gables lends itself to a focus on sequence and character analysis. Students can create a timeline of important, story-changing events to illustrate understanding of the concept and necessity of tracking. Also, students can create a double-sided character, depicting on one side the attributes of a particular character at the beginning of the story or before a traumatic event and, in turn, show, on the other side, the attributes of that same character at the end of the novel.

Impression
Anne of Green Gables is a fascinating, engaging read, albeit more for female students, in all likelihood. The story engages readers to feel the disappointment that both Anne and Matthew feel when their expectations aren't met when they meet each other for the first time at the train station and to feel the hope that Gil and Anne might be able to forge a solid friendship after Anne returns to Avonlea for good. The evolution of Anne's character, alone, is worth the reading of the book.

Module 2(A) - Harold and the Purple Crayon

Book
Harold and the Purple Crayon
written and illustrated by Crockett Johnson


Citation
Johnson, C. (1955). Harold and the purple crayon. New York: HarperCollins.


Summary
The main character, a little boy named Harold, goes on a nighttime adventure, drawing his way through a forest, an ocean, and up a mountain. Harold is responsible for moving the story along, drawing the next set of events with his purple crayon. Eventually, Harold begins to wonder where his house, bedroom, and bed but is resigned to draw them, with the help of the position of the moon, as they were when the tale began.

Reviews
The Critics: Harold's fiftieth birthday (he appeared in 1955) finds him much the same as ever except for an anniversary sticker and a brighter jumpsuit on the cover. At the time, his creator, Crockett Johnson, was already known for political cartoons in New Masses, his comic strip Barnaby, and pictures for children's books by his wife Ruth Krauss. In the last decade of his life, Johnson turned to painting large abstracts based on geometric theorems. The paintings are mostly forgotten, but Harold has delighted children for generations with his insouciant look and his big purple crayon, with which he creates an entire universe of imaginative adventures on perfectly blank pages. Harold's graphic journey takes him through a wood (containing one apple tree), into the sea and a sailboat, up a mountain, and onto a balloon. He can conjure up anything with a line, including a fearsome dragon, a picnic of nine pies, a whole city of windowed buildings, and finally, his own window with the moon outside. As he settles into his cozy bed, young children breathe a sigh of relief and wonder. Johnson's style is, as he explained, "simplified, almost diagrammatic for clear storytelling, avoiding all arbitrary decoration." Baby Harold and his crayon live on—admired by artists like Chris Van Allsburg and Maurice Sendak, praised by critics, loved by children—as a celebration of the power of art and imagination. 1955, HarperCollins, Ages 2 to 7.

Kirkus (October 1, 2011): Harold takes a walk in the moonlight down the path of imagination and although this time the bunnies hop and the winds blow, nothing of the dreamy simplicity of the journey is lost. Elegantly adapted by Trilogy Studios to the iPad and featuring the same minimalist lines of Johnson's 1955 original, this app allows children to join in as Harold wields his purple crayon to create his gently perilous adventure. Along the way, the many hidden interactions allow readers to animate the scenes, shaking apples from the tree and making the guard dragon catch them in his mouth. Kids can fill the moonlit sky with stars and zoom in on hatchling birds in the mountains; they can cause a swirling wind to fill the sails of Harold's boat and help him sample all nine flavors of pie. All the while, it maintains the flavor of a simple line-drawn story. When touched, most objects and characters are identified both verbally and in text to add an extra level of learning for early readers. Options include Read to Me, in which each word appears as it is spoken by the narrator; Touch Tale, a fully interactive version prefaced with a clear tutorial; and Read to Myself. All modes are accompanied by tinkly music. Readers will be charmed as Harold draws himself in and out of trouble and finally home to bed in this subtle blend of animation and story.


Suggested Use
Librarians can tack a large, long piece of butcher paper up on the wall and allow students to pick a crayon or marker to illustrate where they would go if they were completely responsible for creating their next move. Students can use predicting skills along with the story to help them establish sequence and problems and solutions. The butcher paper mural will help keep students engaged.


Impression
A classic tale, I think this book has potential for presentation of so many reading strategies: cause and effect, problem and solution, prediction, etc. Imagination and creativity abound, making this book the perfect resource for students who are reluctant to read or who don't see the imagination needed for reading. I think new readers and seasoned readers, alike, can benefit from this classic and it's simple but profound concepts.

Module 1 - Bats in the Library

Book
Bats in the Library
written and illustrated by Brian Lies


Citation
Lies, B. (2008). Bats in the library. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company.


Summary
A rhyming tale of a late-night visit to the library by a group of bats, this quaint tale depicts activities that regular visitors of the two-legged, elementary variety might do when they visit the library. The evening of book dreaming comes to an end when the first light of dawn appears, sending the bats out the window through which they came, hoping the librarian will leave it open so they can visit again.


Reviews
Kirkus Reviews (August 15, 2010): Previously Lies has given his bats nights at the library and the beach with great success. Now they play night baseball on a ballfield laid out under a circus tent with crowds of bat fans and vendors selling appropriate snacks like “mothdogs.” The game proceeds with swoops and slides and a win for the home team. The action is described in verse with the rhymes in easy, breezy aabb form for setup and denouement and heightened “Casey at the Bat” cadences and couplets for the game itself. Lies’s acrylic illustrations appear as full- and double-page spreads and scattered, unframed vignettes, and all are filled with copious detail depicting uniforms, regalia and play-by-play. The visual effect is quite stunning, with some fantastically disorienting upside-down spreads to reflect the fans’ hanging position, and much of the language is utterly delicious. A broad knowledge of baseball and its place in the American consciousness is assumed, as is an ability to roll with rather sophisticated vocabulary and phrasing. But as a read-aloud by a baseball fan, it’s sure to inspire a love of the game—and maybe of bats as well. (Picture book. 5-8)

Publishers Weekly (July 14, 2008): Lies’s (Bats at the Beach) much-lauded bats are back and the library’s got them—thanks to a window left open by an unsuspecting (or perhaps sympathetic) librarian. Although the young ones initially misbehave (they make photocopies of their bodies and turn the water fountain into a splash pool), Lies cuts them a little slack: “It’s hard to settle down and read/ when life flits by at dizzy speed.” Story time settles everyone (upside-)down, and soon the furry creatures are “completely swallowed up” in books, giving Lies comic license to bat-tify the signature visuals from classics like Make Way For Ducklings; Pippi Longstocking; Goodnight, Moon and Peter Rabbit. As with its predecessor, this book’s richly detailed chiaroscuro paintings find considerable humor at the intersection where bat and human behavior meet. But the author/artist outdoes himself: the library-after-dark setting works a magic all its own, taking Lies and his audience to an intensely personal place. Ages 4–8.


Suggested Use
Introducing the library to new, young users with this books could be magical. Placing stuffed, plush bats all over the library as a seek-and-find after reading this book could send students on a discovery hunt though the library, allowing students to get to know the different sections and areas within the library.


Impression
This book is fabulous with it's rhyming phrases and great ideas about the things that happen in the library. I like the emphasis on what the bats are thinking, written in italics, to help students identify with the bats. I think this book is a great way to start the year off with carpet reading. It also gives me the idea of decorating the library with bats, giving the students something to focus on and identify with throughout the school year.

Youth Literature - SLIS 5420

Librarians know books. This is for certain.

In my quest to become a librarian, it seems perfectly natural for me to learn books; lots and lots of books. This class has presented such an opportunity - a place to learn books; lots and lots of books.

This blog seeks to mark a portion of the books as evidence of my growing knowledge of books.