SLIS 5420 Module 15 December 7 - December 10

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Bibliography


Carle, E. (1992). Draw me a star. New York, NY: Philomel Books.


Summary of the Plot


Draw Me A Star tells of an artist who is asked to draw a star so he does. The star is denoted as being a good star. The star then asks the artist to draw a sun and it is said to be a warm sun. The sun then asks for a man and a woman who then ask for a house. The house then asks for a dog and the dog asks for a cat. The cat then asks for a bird and the bird a butterfly. The butterfly asks for flowers and so the artist draws red, yellow, blue and purple flowers. The flowers ask for a cloud. The artist then draws a rainbow which asks for the night. The night then asks for a moon and then moon asks for the artist to draw a star. The star then tells the artist to hold on and they travel across the night sky.


Vi's Vibes

This book appears to tell the life of the earth as the artist draws the star and then goes full circle with another star being drawn. I enjoyed the book even though it is a challenged book in many libraries. The library that I checked my copy out from and subsequent copies that I found had clothes drawn on the man and woman. I could not find a copy that showed the book in its original state. I checked three different libraries. The illustrations are fantastic and would enthrall a child of any age.



Reviews

K-Gr 4-- A young boy is told (readers are not sure by whom) to "Draw me a star." The star then requests that the boy draw it a sun; the sun asks for a "lovely tree," and throughout his life the boy/man/artist continues to create images that fill the world with beauty. The moon bids the now-elderly artist to draw another star, and as the story ends, the artist travels "across the night sky" hand-in-hand with the star. This book will appeal to readers of all ages; its stunning illustrations, spare text, and simple story line make it a good choice for story hour; but older children will also find it uplifting and meaningful. Especially pleasing is a diagram within the story, accompanied by rhyming instructions on how to draw a star: "Down/ over/ left/ and right/ draw/ a star/ oh so/ bright." An inspired book in every sense of the word.-- Eve Larkin, Middleton Public Library, WI

School Library Journal October 1992


Utilization for Library Classes

I would use a star theme in my library or classroom so that the children would realize that they are not merely students, they are stars. I read them Draw Me A Star on the first day of school. After reading the story, I give each child a large construction paper star and scraps of pre-cut tissue paper. Each child decorates his or her own star and I take a picture of each student with his or her masterpiece. Then I hang the stars from the ceiling and put the pictures on a bulletin board. Use a digital camera then you can print the pictures out right away and have them up by the end of the first day.

SLIS 5420 Module 14 December 1 - December 6

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Bibliography

Carlson, L. (1994). Cool salsa. New York, NY: Henry Holt and Company.

Summary of the Plot


Cool Salsa contains poems celebrating Hispanic culture are the focus of the collection. There are several Spanish words and phrases with some poems translated from one language to another make this an ideal resource for both the English class and the bilingual ESL classroom. The topics for poems extend from hot dogs to learning English to the revolution in Nicaragua.





Vi's Vibes

Personally, I didn't enjoy this book. There were so many poems contained within it. While there were some excellent poems that I did enjoy overall just the sheer number I guess is what I didn't like about the book.






Reviews


Gr 8-12-Whether discussing the immigrant's frustration at not being able to speak English, the violence suffered both within and outside of the ethnic community, the familiar adolescent desire to belong, or celebrating the simple joys of life, these fine poems are incisive and photographic in their depiction of a moment. Some of the poets are well-known, others are not, but all contribute to the whole. The Spanish translations capture the sense of the English so well that without the translator's byline one would be hard pressed to discern the original language. The same is true for those few poems translated from Spanish to English. This is a must for multicultural collections, and excellent enrichment material for literature courses.-Ann Welton, Terminal Park Elementary School, Auburn, WA

School Library Journal August 1994





Utilization for Library Classes

Cool Salsa could be used for an oral reading activity within the classroom. The students could choose a poem practice reading that poem at home. Then upon returning to school the students could narrate that poem in the form of a podcast. By doing a podcast, the narrated poem could then be placed on the school web page with the student's names listed beside the podcast link.

SLIS 5420 Module 13 November 23 - November 30

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Bibliography


Wheeler, L. (2004). Seadogs: an epic ocean operetta. New York, NY: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

Summary of the Plot

A young Victorian girl dog is lucky enough to see the showing of Seadogs, an operetta. The operetta is about an old seadog who gathers his crew for one last big adventure. His crew consists of a bar waitress and a puppy of a questionable background. The boxed song lyrics describe what is going on the ship as they sail the ocean blue and describes the life that the dogs left behind. The Victorian girl puppy enjoyed the show so much that as she is being driven away she knows that she will soon not forget this operetta.


Vi's Vibes

Personally, I didn't care for this book. I suppose it was the way it was outlined in the different panels. I thought that many of the cute little sayings of humor were lost on the students. The theme of the story that the true treasure is each other and the spirit of adventure was a good theme but the telling of the story left much to be desired. The story was very slow paced in my opinion.

Reviews

Gr 1-4-Wheeler and Siegel do many things well in their comic-book-style story, but an unnecessarily convoluted plot ultimately sinks this lighthearted adventure. The opening illustrations show an excited pup arriving at the theater and the canine cast members getting ready backstage. Once the curtain rises, the tale is related through funny songs and verses. Old Seadog (the captain), Brave Beagle, and her love (a cowardly dachshund) set sail on the Beauty. They soon encounter a "Mongrel Horde" led by Captain Jacques Fifi. As the three friends hide, the pirates board their ship, loot it, and then, surprisingly, return to their own vessel. During the raid, Captain Fifi accidentally drops a treasure map and a stowaway sneaks aboard. This chubby little pup soon wins Old Seadog's heart. The heroes sail to the treasure isle and find the hoard, only to lose it again, but in the end, they realize that their true treasure is adventure and love. The text contains a good deal of whimsical humor and wordplay. The catchy verses milk the canine puns for all they're worth, but this slows the pace considerably. The cartoons add detail and comic twists; they often belie the words they accompany to ironic effect. Ultimately, the story feels a bit forced and drawn out; the pirates lack bite and adults will best appreciate much of the humor. With not enough action and too much verse, this venture comes up short.-Marilyn Taniguchi, Beverly Hills Public Library, CA

School Library Journal March 2004


Utilization for Library Classes

The students can write their own little operetta and then act it out.
The students can write their own songs to go along with an opera.

SLIS 5420 Module 12 November 16 - November 22

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Bibliography



Krull, K. (2004). The Boy on fairfield street. New York, NY: Random House.


Summary of the Plot

When children are born, parents have great expectations and success in life. These same expectations are put upon Ted Geisel who was born on Fairfield Street in Springfield, Massachusetts in 1904. His parents expect Ted to go to college and become a lawyer or doctor, something to make them proud. Unfortunately, Ted only excels at goofing around. After attending Dartmouth College, Ted continues on to Oxford University where it isn’t until a fellow classmate makes an encouraging comment that Ted Geisel realizes what he has to offer the world.. After dropping out of Oxford College and returning home to pursue cartooning he moves on to Greenwich Village to pursue his dream of writing children’s books using his life on Fairfield Street as inspiration for his exaggerated cartoons and hilariously funny and well loved children’s books that we know today.



Vi's Vibes

What student doesn't love Dr. Seuss. This book was a joy to read. The only complaint that I had was that it only took me to his twenty second birthday. I wanted to know more about how he came up with the ideas for his other books. This book would hopefully inspire a young person to follow through with their dreams.


Reviews


K-Gr 4-This picture-book biography is a winner. Ted Geisel was not an athletic child, and spent his free time roaming his neighborhood in Springfield, MA, and hanging out with his best friend. Except for encountering some strong anti-German sentiment, his childhood was ideally normal. The clear, large-type text concentrates on Geisel's youth. It delves a bit into his cartooning talent, honed while he was at Dartmouth College. The story ends with his successful career as Dr. Seuss still to come. An appended four-page section succinctly sums up his life and accomplishments. Johnson and Fancher's lovely, full-page illustrations are supplemented by samples of Dr. Seuss's artwork, including scenes from The Cat and the Hat and The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins. A complete list of Seuss's titles, in chronological order, rounds out the title. Mae Woods's Dr. Seuss (ABDO, 2000) devotes more space to his adult life and career. Krull's work is a terrific look at the boyhood of one of the most beloved author/illustrators of the 20th century.-Anne Chapman Callaghan, Racine Public Library, WI

School Library Journal January 2004


Utilization for Library Classes

Discuss something you are good at and describe how you could take that desire and turn it into a successful career.
Create a timeline of Ted Geisel’s life including his publication of both his cartoons and children’s books.

SLIS 5420 Module 11 November 9 - November 15

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Bibliography

Chandra, D, & Comora, M. (2003). George washinton's teeth. New York, NY: Farrar Straus Giroux.

Summary of the Plot

One of the most common myths about our first President, George Washington was that he had a set of wooden false teeth. His battle with his rotting teeth and toothaches began while fighting the British during the Revolutionary War at the age of twenty – four. From falling out to his dentist pulling out his rotten teeth, by the time he became the President of the United States he only had two teeth left. This created such a problem for George Washington that he himself came up with the solution to his toothless problem.


Vi's Vibes

What a unique way to teach historical facts about our first president. I think that everyone has heard the tale that his teeth were made from wood. I certainly had and assumed true until reading this story. Certainly gives children of today a look at how dentists practiced during that time frame. I enjoyed this story since it does give students a real look at the way life was during the Revolutionary War.


Reviews

During the Revolutionary War, the countdown takes poor George from just about a mouthful of painful, rotten teeth to a state of complete "tooflessness"-and then to a pair of entirely successful dentures. Cole's watercolor cartoon illustrations are just right, giving comic vent to George's despair, hopelessness, fevered attempts at finding his teeth, and final triumphant, toothy strut at a ball. A beautifully illustrated four-page time line shows portraits of the dentally challenged first president and photos of his homegrown, incredibly uncomfortable-looking dentures, made of gold and hippopotamus ivory. (Contrary to legend, Washington never had wooden ones.) Given that his death was probably hastened by an untreated infection from old root fragments in his gums, this is not only a historical treatise, but also a great lesson in dental hygiene. Paired with Laurie Keller's antic Open Wide: Tooth School Inside (Holt, 1998), it could be used as a real-life example of the havoc wreaked by bad teeth. With 17 sources listed as contributing to the art and dental information on the time line, this accurate and intriguing slice of history should find a place in any elementary library collection.-Ann Welton, Grant Elementary School, Tacoma, WA
School Library Journal January 2003


Utilization for Library Classes

The students can create a pamphlet, brochure or flyer on good dental hygiene.
The students could make their own timeline of George Washington’s life and the loss of his real to teeth to the invention of false teeth made out of elephant tusk.

SLIS 5420 Module 10 November 2 - November 8

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Bibliography


Borden, L. (2004). The Greatest skating race. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster.


Summary of the Plot


1941 Sluis is an unsafe place for the Dutch people who live in this community. For two children it is even wrought with more danger since their father has been taken by the German soldiers. Piet, a young Dutch boy from their community is asked to escort the two children along the frozen canals of the Netherlands and across the Belgium border to safety at their aunt’s house in Brugge.
Even though the three children appear to be innocent school children just having an enjoyable day of skating, they are using every bit of speed, courage and strength that they have to avoid being found out by the Germans. As Piet is leading the children through the frozen countryside he thinks about his hero, Pim Mulier – the first person to ever skate the Elfstedentocht, the Eleven Towns Race that takes place in this country. Piet is bent on proving that he is just as strong and brave skater as his hero Pim Mulier.





Vi's Vibes

What a heartwarming story this was for the reader. A young boy faces his fears to take his friends to safety in a different area. I cannot imagine the physical toll but also the mental anguish that he had as he skated from his home to where he was going to leave his friends. This is an awe inspiring tale for students to read that he followed through with what he said he was going to do.


Reviews


Gr 2-5 -This slice of historical fiction celebrates the bravery and resourcefulness of children. In the winter of 1941, 10-year-old Piet, a strong skater, is enlisted to lead his two young neighbors from Holland to safety over the ice to relatives in Belgium after their father is arrested for sending messages to the allied forces. The three children leave their home in Sluis and bravely skate 16 kilometers on the canals to Brugge. They outwit and hide from German soldiers and make it to their destination in one long, difficult day. Told with immediacy and suspense from Piet's point of view, the engaging narrative is arranged in columns, which is an ideal structure to relate the action in short sentences. Readers learn about the Elfstedentocht, a 200-kilometer skating race, and the boy's hero, skater Pim Mulier. The gorgeously detailed watercolor illustrations capture a sense of the time. The subdued, winter hues of brown and smoky gray are those often found in the oil paintings of Dutch and Flemish masters and match the quiet tone of the text. The book's format maximizes the drama and expanse of the landscape. Use this picture book to introduce curricular units and to give youngsters a vivid child's-eye view of the past.-Shawn Brommer, South Central Library System, Madison, WI

School Library Journal December 2004


Utilization for Library Classes

The students could write about a time when they had to overcome their fear to accomplish a required task.
Write about your favorite hero and describe what traits make them a hero.
Trace the route of Piet and the two children took from Sluis to Brugge.

SLIS 5420 Module 9 Octover 26 - November 1

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Bibliography



Gutman, D. (2001). The Edison mystery. New York, NY: Aladdin Paperbacks.




Summary of the Plot


13 year old Qwerty Stevens goes back in time to meet the great inventor Thomas Alva Edison. Qwerty lives in New Jersey and when he was mad or in a bad mood he went to the backyard to dig holes. While digging one of these holes he found a box with a message posted on it. The message said "The world is not ready for this. I'm not sure it ever will be." It was dated 1879. Qwerty figures out how to use the machine which transports him back into time but someone must be at the computer to push the escape key to return him to present day time. So he and his sister begin taking turns with the machine seeing different places and times in history. However at one point she follows Qwerty back in time where he is visiting with Thomas Edison. While they are visiting Edison he invents the light bulb, but they have no way to get back to the future where they came from. Finally, the little sister pushes the escape key on the computer to return Qwerty and Barbara to the right time.


Vi's Vibes

The Edison Mystery was very good. It dealt with history as well as adventure in the life of the main character. Qwerty was able to meet the inventor Thomas Edison and be present when the light bulb was invented. The author wove historical facts into this mystery so that students would learn a bit of information while reading a great book.

Reviews


Gr 4-8-After a fight with his mother, 13-year-old Qwerty Stevens retreats to the backyard to dig off his bad mood. He unearths what he thinks is an early Thomas Edison phonograph, a not-completely crazy thought as Qwerty lives in what was once the inventor's backyard. To his surprise, though, his find turns out to be a device that sends Qwerty first to Spain, then back in time to Edison's lab, where the inventor is hard at work on the lightbulb. Through a series of mishaps, Qwerty's older sister, the only other person who knows how to work the machine, ends up with him in 1879. The two teens realize they are stuck in the past unless the famous inventor can get them home. The story is chock-full of interesting tidbits about Edison's life, opinions, and staff, and provides a good glimpse of life in the 19th century. In one scenario, Qwerty escapes outside to "shoot some hoops" with Jimmy Naismith and helps "invent" basketball. Gutman includes photos and patent drawings to bring more detail to Edison's work, as well as a subplot involving a man who has a get-rich-quick scheme and follows Qwerty back in time. Overall, this is an entertaining novel that should draw fans of time-travel stories, Gutman's other books, historical fiction, and light fiction. Pass it on to readers who are looking for something good and funny.-Lisa Prolman, Greenfield Public Library, MA


School Library Journal August 2001



Utilization for Library Classes

For this book, I would have the students pick a historical event that they would like to witness and write about it. How would they go back in time? Why did they pick this event? How would they return to their time frame?

Or perhaps instead of a historical event perhaps a person in history that they would like to meet. Why would they enjoy meeting that person?