Module 12: Rosa

a.       This book walks a young reader through a historical time in history. The book begins with a little bit of background on Rosa Parks. Her day started off normally, with her time at work and how her mother was sick. Rosa was let go early and began her trip home. It was a busy day and many people were on the bus. Due to a full Black section, Rosa had to sit in the Neutral section. Pretty soon, the bus began to fill up. All of a sudden, Rosa notices the bus driver hollering over her saying he wanted them to vacate the seats. The black man next to her said he didn’t want trouble and moved. Rosa sat back down and refused. The bus driver threatened to call the police, along with shouts from other white riders. Rosa was not to be moved. The book continues on describing the effects of her action. Others rallied around to support her, although not without consequence. Rosa’s actions have a profound impact on society and lead to the ruling that no segregation can occur on busses.

b.      Giovanni, N. (2005). Rosa. New York: Henry Holt.

c.       I was surprised to learn something new about a Rosa Parks story. Apparently, Rosa Parks was seated in a Neutral area. I did not know that the busses had a Neutral area for both Blacks and Whites to sit on. My recollection of the story was that she chose to sit down in the white section because the Blacks area was full. I am glad I was able to get all of the information down correctly. This book is not only about Rosa’s experience. It also includes instances of injustice towards African Americans with examples of lynching and revenge by racist people in those days. The story also honors the efforts of so many people who supported Rosa during this difficult moment in history. The illustrations provided a vivid depiction of the dark moment that Rosa lived through. Giovanni’s book honors not only Rosa Parks, but all the individuals who were treated with injustice and disrespect.

d.       Rosa. (2012). Journal of education, 192(1), 54.

"A cooling breeze on a sweltering day; a sun-dried quilt in fall; the enchantment of snowflakes extending the horizon; the promise of renewal at spring" (Giovanni, 2005, p. 4). This is how the author, the first recipient of the Rosa L. Parks Woman of Courage Award, describes the heroine of her book. Young readers will surely be inspired by the story of a remarkable woman whose act of civil disobedience precipitated the Montgomery bus boycott.

The story begins with the description of a rather routine day: Rosa's mother recovering from the flu; her husband, a barber, working at the Air Force base; and Rosa hurriedly leaving her job as a seamstress as she thinks about preparing a meatloaf for dinner. These ordinary events make her extraordinary act of courage in standing against injustice even more remarkable. The events on the bus are described in detail, and her quiet refusal to give in to the demand that she give up her seat to a White passenger is in sharp contrast with the behavior of the bus driver who yelled, "I said give me those seats!" (p. 14) and the passengers who demanded that she be arrested. The story closes as groups of people who share her mission, including the Women's Political Council and the NAACP, mobilize to organize a bus boycott. Ultimately, the courage of these heroes, named and unnamed, led to the Supreme Court ruling that declared segregation to be unconstitutional.

The rich watercolor and collage illustrations are captivating. The fold out pages that show those who walked, instead of riding the bus, and those who marched, capture how a number of people from all walks of life came together for the cause of Civil Rights. Many readers will notice how effectively Rosa is portrayed as the gentle hero of this story. In the illustrator's note, Bryan Collier writes, "to me, she is like a radiant chandelier, an elegant light that illuminates all our many pathways" (p. 4). In an interview about her book, Giovanni said, “I've always liked the hero … I always liked the people that stood up, and Mrs. Parks had a particular stand that said, "You can make a difference. What you do can make a difference." And you do it with no expectation. And she always said that. Again, in my book, I'm not overly stressing that, but she always said she didn't know who, if anyone, would stand with her. She just knew that it was time for her to stand.

Giovanni's statement reminds readers of the value of standing up for what is right even when we are unsure about the support we will receive from others. Rosa Park's dignified resolve continues to inspire and to set an example for future generations

e.       I would use this book as a role play for students. I would have them draw cards and see what role they play in reenacting the bus scene. 

Module 11: An Egg is Quiet

a. An Egg is Quiet is a picture book filled with all kinds of eggs. The illustrations are very detailed and well placed without crowding the text. Throughout the story, the author placed small labels for eggs, insects or the parts of an egg. The reader follows a story line that is written in large script. At the same time, there are other sections on each page that the reader can stop and think about, like an illustration of the timeline of growth for a hen, salmon or grasshopper. The story concluded with a nest of Black-necked Stilts that just hatched.
b. Aston, D. (2006). An egg is quiet. San Francisco: Chronicle Books.
c. This book was very informative and exceeded my expectations. I did not expect to find so much information in this story. I enjoyed taking my time will looking at the illustrations. The illustrations are delicate and colorful. I noticed that all of the eggs in the front pages have “hatched” in the back pages of the book. It was interesting to see what eggs looked like as birds. The detail was very neat and connected throughout the story. I liked that the illustrator used twigs and branches to accent some of the empty spaces throughout the story.
d. Author Unknown. An Egg Is Quiet. (2006). Publishers Weekly, 253(10), 74-101.
Like the subject matter it describes, this book packages with understated elegance the substantive matter found within it. "An egg is quiet. It sits there, under its mother's feathers… on top of its father's feet… buried beneath the sand," Aston (When You Were Born) begins, as spot illustrations zero in on a hummingbird, emperor penguin and sea turtle, respectively. The narrative then launches into a kind of survey about the characteristics of egg, which follows a simple format. In most spreads, different adjectives (colorful, shapely, textured, etc.) complete the sentence, "An egg is.…" This repetitive rhythm contrasts with the visual variety of the illustrations. Long's (Sylvia Long's Mother Goose) skilled use of contrast and compositional balance prevent monotony. For example, a border that resembles a color test pattern runs down the outer edges of a spread of nearly 40 carefully placed "colorful" examples, set against a white background, which dazzle the eye. The main text appears in large, flowery cursive, while a smaller printed typeface serves as labels and brief factual captions. "An egg is clever," in fancy script, for instance, sits alongside examples of camouflage: "An egg might be speckled to resemble the rocks around it." The letters' dramatic curlicues mimic curvy grasses and vines dappled with tiny insect egg. Long introduces breathtaking color into the final spreads, as a concluding scene "hatches from" this peacefulness, reminding readers of an egg’s purpose. This attractive volume pleases on both an aesthetic and intellectual level. Ages 5-10. (Apr.)
e. I would use this story to create individual eggs using paper mache. Students could pick their favorite egg and try to recreate it. All eggs could be held on display in the library for a time.

Module 10: Pink and Say

Module 10

a.       This story begins with a young boy laying on a battlefield. He is wounded and left for dead. Along comes a black soldier wearing the same uniform. He quickly assesses his injuries and decides to help him get away. The black soldier is injured as well but carries the white soldier for a long time on foot. Finally, the white soldier wakes up in a home, with a black woman caring for him. She tells him how hard it was to travel so far and that the black soldier carried him for a good part of it. The white soldier is disoriented and thinks he is in heaven. He soon learns that the black woman is the mother of the Black soldier named Pinkus Aylee. Moe Moe Bay cares very well for them and is so happy to have them back. She tells them all that has happened since the war started. Pink secretly tells Say that they will leave as soon as they are healed up because they have not won the war yet.  While there, Pink and Say share information about each other. Pink tells Say how he was taught to read by his old master. Say tells Pink that he wishes he could read. Say also tells Pink that he once shook the hand of President Abraham Lincoln. Say does not want to go and reveals this secret to Moe Moe Bay when she discovers there plan. She is distressed upon hearing that they will leave again. She comforts Say when he tells her that he got hurt while running away. She tells him that it is normally to feel afraid. The next day Moe Moe Bay leaves the cabin to fetch something and warns them to hide in the cellar if anyone should come. The boys hear marauders and Pink is frightened for his mother. After a while, they hear a shot and the sound of horses galloping away. Pink and Say run out to find his mother on the ground dead from a gunshot. They are distraught but decide to rejoin the war with even more determination than before. As they make their way towards their camp, Pink and Say are captured by marauders. Pink is pulled away from Say and is never seen again. The reader later learns that Pinkus Aylee was killed that same day, while Say was kept imprisoned for several months until he was finally freed. He went on the live a long life, sharing this story with many generations. Pinkus Aylee had no family to remember him.  

b.      Polacco, P., (1994). Pink and say. New York: Philomel Books.

c.       I was taken aback by the frank and honest way that Polacco shared this story. Although it is a children’s book, she does not mince words or hide the ugly truth of the Civil War and how it tore apart many families. Her story reflects the language that was probably used in that time. The moment wear Moe Moe Bay is killed is so unexpected and tragic. This is the terrible result of war and slavery in the South. Polacco also captures perfectly the heartbroken realization that Pink has caused his mother’s death by being there. I thought it was very touching that the author finds a way to share her family’s history through her picture books. It makes for a very neat surprise for the reader.

d.      Fader, E., & Silvey, A. (1994). Pink and say. Horn Book Magazine, 70(6), 724.

e.       This book, the story of Polacco's great-great-grandfather, has been passed down from generation to generation in the author-artist's family. Fifteen-year-old soldier Sheldon Russell Curtis - Say to his family - has been left for dead on a Civil War battlefield somewhere in Georgia. A fellow Union soldier, Pinkus Aylee, who is African American - "I had never seen a man like him so close before. His skin was the color of polished mahogany" - discovers him and, with much effort, drags the feverish Say home, where his mother, a slave named Moe Moe Bay, nurses Say back to health. As the boys regain their strength, they become as close as real family and discuss things close to their hearts. Pink shares his special talent: Master Aylee, his owner, had taught him how to read. "'To be born a slave is a heap o' trouble, Say. But after Aylee taught me to read, even though he owned my person, I knew that nobody, ever, could really own me.'" Say receives special comfort from Moe Moe when he admits that he deserted his troop and is afraid to return to the war. On the morning the two boys plan to leave and search for their respective troops, marauding Confederate soldiers arrive and kill Moe Moe. Pink and Say are later captured and become prisoners of the Confederate Army, in Andersonville. Although Say lived to tell this story of friendship and brotherhood, Pink was hanged within hours of arriving at the dreaded prison. Told in Say's colorful, country-fresh voice, the text incorporates authentic-sounding dialect and expressions - such as darky - that would have been used at the time. Polacco's characteristic acrylic, ink, and pencil illustrations are suitably dramatic and focus on the intense physical and emotional joy and pain of the story's three main characters. The remarkable story, made even more extraordinary in its basis in actual events, raises questions about courage, war, family, and slavery. A not-to-be-missed tour de force.

f.        After reading Pink and Say, the librarian and students can create memorials for Pink using posters and markers and crayons. 

Book Trailers

Photo Source: http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/

Module 9: The Humming Room

a.       Roo Fanshaw is a little girl who grew up in the neglect of her father and his girlfriend. She is not very well taken care of from what the reader can tell, and is used to making herself invisible. The story starts off in an awkward way, rambling about the dirt and crystalline figures that are hidden along with her underneath the trailer. It appears that Roo has a very keen sense of hearing that allows her to listen to the earth. It is very strange.  She is quiet as a mouse and waits for the people who trample through her trailer to leave. She successfully hides after hearing her father get murdered. She would not have been found if it weren’t for her nosy, but well-meaning neighbor who tells the police where she is hidden. It turns out that she has a very well off family member that she never knew about who will take care of her. She is shipped off to this tiny island called Cough Rock Island where she is given a room, clothes and strict instructions to not bother her uncle. This island is very mysterious and is rumored to be haunted by the late wife her uncle as well as appearances from a “Faigne”. Roo is very curious and observes everything around her, including its noises and creaks. She begins to wonder about some strange noises she keeps hearing and decides to explore. Everything is very mysterious in her new home because it turns out it was a hospital for very sick children where many of them died. In one of her expeditions, she winds up inside a very dirty sort of garden that has been abandoned. She decided to work on it and make it come alive again. Another mystery is a very distinct crying that she hears. She follows it one night and discovers a little boy in a room with the servant. She is trying to console him but he is a real brat to her. Roo finds out that he is her cousin and is not allowed to be near him. His bratty ways and her disregard for rules make it possible for them to keep each other company. She runs into the Faigne who turns out to be an independent boy who lives along the river. Roo shares her secret garden with him, and later her cousin. Together, they make the garden bloom. Roo is able to understand the earth and listens to its hum. She is connected to it in a way that is similar to her late aunt. Her cousin falls ill, or rather he has a serious tantrum, that his doctor decides to send him away. Since his father doesn’t know what to do with him, he agrees. Roo is so upset that she hides in the garden, where she is discovered by her uncle. He is initially outraged, since he closed it off, but he sees that his son really missed his mother and needs his attention. The garden becomes a tribute rather than a reminder of her death.

b.      Potter, B. (2012). The humming room. Fewel and Friends:New York.

c.        I enjoyed reading this book because it was different. Although it was a tribute to The Secret Garden, it was still a story in its own right. The author adds a mystical element by giving Roo this connection to the earth and nature. Her story is tragic but not similar to the original. Her cousin is still a pain to deal with but she usually gets her own way anyway. I like the overall tone of mystery added to this book. I remember reading The Secret Garden but the level of mystery was not the same. I was more scared and anxious to find out what happened next in this creepy hospital setting. The author’s use of sensory language added to the suspense of finding the garden or discovering her cousin. Overall, I think this tribute was great and interesting to recommend in the future.

d.      In a resonant novel inspired by The Secret Garden, Potter (The Kneebone Boy) pays graceful tribute to the spirit of that classic. The author borrows plot elements effectively, yet her strong characterizations, fluid dialogue, and evocative descriptions give the novel a vibrant life of its own. After Roo's drug dealer father is killed, the 12-year-old girl goes to live with her aloof, widowed uncle in a rambling former tuberculosis sanitarium on the island of Cough Rock in the St. Lawrence River. Roo is a loner who hides to avoid others and often puts her ear to the soil, listening to the sounds of life underground. Other noises--mysterious humming and crying--lead Roo to twin discoveries: Emmett, a cousin she didn't know existed, and a domed, dried-up garden in a remote part of the house. Potter lavishes attention on the gothic island setting and Roo's uncle's estate; it's a thrilling ghost story, but one that, like the story it's drawn from, has love and rebirth at its heart. Ages 9-12. Agent: Alice Tasman, Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency. (Feb.)

e.       I would have the students read the book, then create drawing for their version of Cough Rock Island. Each reader is different and visualizes things in their own way so this would be interesting to see. 

Module 8: The Doll People

a.       The Doll People is about a family of china dolls that have existed for 100 years. They live by a very strict doll code where they cannot be discovered as living, thinking beings. The dolls are mostly content with their lives with the exception of Annabelle. She is the main character who is restless and tired of the same old thing. The dolls have to deal with whatever is thrown at them, including bratty little sisters and watchful cats. She tries to eavesdrop on her owner, Kate, to learn new things like music and books. One day, she discovers a diary that her long lost aunt Sarah wrote many years ago. She realized that her aunt did not always follow the doll code. She did not stay in the same place her owner left them, nor did she stay inside the house. She explored the owner’s house! Annabelle was sure that her aunt must be somewhere inside the big house. After talking it over with her family, Annabelle decides to explore the house with her uncle. During their expedition, they discover that another doll family was purchased and brought home for Kate’s younger sister. This new family is not made out of china, much to their disappointment. These dolls are made from plastic and seem to be less interested in keeping the doll code. However, Annabelle now has a new friend, Tiffany, who also like to explore. Both families make attempts to visit and get to know each other. One of those visits, Annabelle’s father gets snatched up by the cat. They manage a way to save him. Although her family disapproves, Annabelle and Tiffany continue their expeditions. Annabelle discovers that someone is adding to her aunt’s journal with what seem to be clues. She confronts her uncle and he confesses that he has been too cowardly to find her himself even though he has an idea. Armed with that idea, they search the attic and find her aunt! She was trapped under a chest and Annabelle was unable to free her even with Tiffany’s help. They return the next day with more help and are able to free her.

b.      Martin, A. M., Godwin, L., & Selznick, B. (2000). The doll people. New York: Hyperion Books for Children.

c.       This book was definitely an empowering example for girls. I have not read many books where the dolls are the main characters so this perspective was unique to me. The author gives the Annabelle and Tiffany very different backgrounds and personalities but they still manage to form a friendship and work together. This is a great example to teach young readers on prejudices and differences. It would make a great teaching moment for students to think about read world examples where family might not want to allow certain associations due to background. I enjoyed reading the suspenseful moments where Annabelle almost gets caught or when she is trying to get out of a tough situation. The entire story flowed very well and had added depth through with the description of the human family and their involvement.

d.      Review: Gr 3-5 --A lighthearted touch and a dash of drama make this a satisfying read. When Annabelle Doll finds her Aunt Sarah's journal, she hopes it offers a clue to the whereabouts of her aunt, who has been missing for 45 years. Annabelle is forever eight years old-the same age as Kate, the current owner of the Victorian dollhouse in which she and her family have lived for the past century. Their new neighbors, the all-plastic Funcrafts, who arrive for Kate's younger sister's birthday, are modern and brashly confident. Their pink plastic house has a barbecue, a computer, and a VCR. Tiffany, the Funcraft doll-girl, is just the right age to be a first real friend for Annabelle, and her daring spirit inspires the child's quest for her aunt. Determined and brave, she persuades her cautious parents to let her venture out of the dollhouse in search of her relative. Along with the usual perils of moving about in the real world, there is the risk of being seen by a human and succumbing to "doll state" or even worse, "permanent doll state." Selznick's illustrations are perfectly suited to the innocent charm of the dolls and do much to draw readers into their world. The delightful endpapers, which resemble pages from toy catalogs past and present, tell their own tale about the characters. A light and uncomplicated fantasy/adventure in the tradition of Rumer Godden's doll stories or even Pam Conrad's The Tub People (HarperCollins, 1989).

References

Meizner, K. (2000). The doll people (Book review). School Library Journal, 46(11), 128.

e.       After sharing this book with the students through a book trailer, I would like to have students create their own stories based on their favorite toys or dolls. They could create an illustration of their living doll and adventure that they might have them go on in the absence of humans.