Anthony R. Forfia

Reading Log

LIS 60629

June 2010

Category / Author/Illustrator / Title / Publisher / Date / Comments
Newbery Award / DiCamillo, Kate / The Tale of Despereaux / Candlewick Press / 2006 / Desperaeaux is starting his life with an uphill battle. He is the only surviving mouse from the new births and his mother refuses to look at him. Despereaux defies mouse code and befriends a princess. His brother Furlough witnesses this violation and informs the mouse community. Despereaux is eventually sentenced to the dark dungeon filled with terrifying rats. Despereaux’s courage, and friendship with Gregory the jailor, allows him to escape the darkness. The story concludes with an unlikely group eating soup in the castle kitchen. The characters are well developed and easy to identify with. Readers can relate to Mig Sow because even though she has experienced challenges and makes mistakes, she redeems herself in the end. The well developed characters and fast paced story line make this a good choice for a read aloud.
Newbery Award / Konigsburg, E. L. / From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler / Simon and Schuster / 1967 / Feeling unappreciated, Claudia and Jamie decide to run away from home. They hide out in the Metropolitan Museum of Art and find themselves in the middle of a mystery. They vow to discover if the museum’s recently purchased angel statue is a Michelangelo or a hoax. With the help of Mrs. Frankweiler, Claudia and Jamie solve the mystery, make a new friend, and return home. Most students have thought of running away and will relate to Claudia and Jamie’s situation. Although it should be stressed that running away is not the right decision to make, Claudia and Jamie are strong and independent characters, and will serve as good role models for readers. There are many ways to integrate this book into the curriculum. It could accompany an art unit and students could research other lesser known works of famous artists. Students could also discuss ways to deal with problems that do not involve running away from them.
Newbery Award / Lowry, Lois / The Giver / Random House Children’s Books / 1993 / Jonas lives in a futuristic society where no feelings or emotions exist. Upon turning twelve, Jonas and the other 12 year olds are assigned their life jobs. Jonas’s name is omitted at the ceremony, but he later discovers that the society’s highest honor has been bestowed upon him. He will be the Receiver of Memory. This placement is one of great privilege but also one of great pain. Jonas will experience joy and sorrow and must decide whether he can live in a world where he is the only one who experiences emotions. Due to the mature themes discussed, this book is most appropriate for fifth grade and up. This book would spark discussions about the positives and negatives of utopian societies.
Newbery Award / MacLachlan, Patricia / Sarah Plain and Tall / Harpercollins / 1985 / Sarah Wheatonanswers a newspaper ad written by a Kansas widower, and decides to move to Kansas to begin her life anew. She soon becomes an integral part of the family by helping out with daily chores and endearing herself to the children and their father. The children fear that Sarah will leave because she misses her beloved Maine and the sea. Sarah ultimately chooses to stay with her new family rather than return home. This book would be an excellent addition for a unit on frontier life or a lesson about blended families and family dynamics.
Newbery Award / Sachar, Louis / Holes / Scholastic Inc. / 1998 / The book chronicles the bad luck of the Yelnats men stemming from their “no good rotten pig stealing great great grandfather.” Stanley is wrongly convicted of stealing a pair of shoes and is sentenced to a juvenile detention camp where he must dig holes every day. Stanley eventually figures out that their digging holes is not to build character but to search for a lost treasure. Stanley finally breaks the Yelnats’ curse by saving his friend Zero (who is a relative of Madame Zeroni) and discovering the lost treasure in one of the holes that they dug. Stanley is a strong willed character who learns how to work along some tough individuals. Although he was wrongly convicted, Stanley learns to overcome a difficult situation. The other characters are well developed and Sachar gives readers insight into their personalities. I would use this book in a book discussion and ask students how they might react if they were in Stanley’s situation.
Professional Print
Resource / Tomlinson, Carl M.
Brown-Lynch, Carol / Essentials of Children’s Literature / Allyn & Bacon / 1996 / A comprehensive review of children’s literature which covers every element of the subject from picture books to multicultural literature. A children’s librarian or library media specialist will find this a must have for reference purposes.
Website
Geared to Children’s Librarian or LMS / Brown, David K. / The Children’s Literature Web Guide / Doucette Library of Teaching Resources / 1994-2001 / Librarians and Library Media Specialists will find a plethora of information on this useful website. There are links for conferences, book awards, and lesson plans.
Website
Geared to Children’s Librarian or LMS / Hurst, Carol Otis
Otis, Rebecca / Carol Hurst’s Children’s Literature Site / / 2010 / A treasure trove of information where one can sign up to receive a free newsletter, access book reviews, and locate subject specific books for everyday use. I would recommend this well organized site.
Review Journal for a Children’s Librarian or LMS / The Horn Book Magazine / Ma/June 2010 / An easy to read insightful magazine for librarians and media specialists. It has a clear and concise layout with special segments dedicated to current starred books and editorials.
Book that received a starred review in Horn Book / Scanlon, Liz Garton
Frazee, Marla / All the World / Beach Lane Books / 2009 / A vivid reminder of all of the beauty in the world. The illustrations convey meaning and a sense of tranquility. Teachers might integrate this into a unit about nature or conservation. I would definitely recommend it.
Book that appeared on School Library Journal’s Best Books 2009 / Tracy, Kristen / Camille McPhee Fell Under the Bus / Delacorte Press / 2009 / Misfortune befalls Camille McPhee at every moment of her young life, falling under the school bus is the least of her concerns. Her best friend recently relocates overseas, her parents frequently argue and she battles with her hyperglycemia each day. Girls will identify with Camille and her struggles in fourth grade. Librarians and teachers might use this book for serious conversations about parental relationships and losing friends.
Podcast intended for Children’s Librarian or LMS / Teachtopia.com / Children’s Book Radio / / 2006-2010 / This site has downloadable podcast reviews of current children’s literature. It also has a grade level break down of children’s resources. Although this site appears to be easy to use, it seems hard to navigate through this site.
Blog entry for a Children’s librarian or LMS / Thomsen, Susan / Chicken Spaghetti / / 2010 / Visitors can search historic blog posts and even email Thomsen herself. This is a fairly comprehensive blog that shares ideas and links to readers. My only complaint is that a searcher must sift through recipes for chicken spaghetti before finding this hidden treasure. I would recommend that librarians bookmark this fine blog.
Blog entry for a Children’s librarian or LMS / Herold, Kelly / Big A Little A:
Children’s Books, Writing, and Life / / 1995-2010 / It appears that this blog has not been updated since October 23, 2009. I am not sure that this blog would be useful in the least unless one finds past blog posts useful.
Caldecott/Honor Books / Ackerman, Karen
Gammel, Stephen / Song and Dance Man / Alfred A. Knopf / 1988 / A grandfather reminisces about his days performing while putting on a song and dance show for his grandchildren in his attack. Although he might have lost a step or two, he provides entertainment like no other. His grandchildren are thoroughly entertained without watching television. A great book to show intergenerational educational opportunities. A great book to also use at school before grandparents day.
Caldecott/Honor Books / Hader, Berta and Elmer / The Big Snow / Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers / 1976 / The winter months are fast approaching and the animals are either navigating to the South or busily storing food for the long winter. The Big Snow perfectly illustrates the hurried pace for animals throughout the winter months. This work would be perfect to discuss the lives of animals and the changes of seasons. This book uses both black and white illustrations as well as color for an interesting effect.
Caldecott/Honor Books / McCloskey, Robert / Make Way for Ducklings / Viking Press / 1969 / Two mallards search for the perfect place to call home in Boston. When they locate it, they nest and have ducklings. They are then helped by a kindly policeman and the rest of the Boston police force while crossing the streets. McCloskey’s use of the black and white drawings catch the reader’s attention and paint an accurate picture of the city of Boston.
Caldecott/Honor Books / Rathmann, Peggy / Officer Buckle and Gloria / G.P. Putnam’s Sons / 1995 / Office Buckle is known for tedious safety speeches at school until he is assigned a very unique police dog. Instead of dozing off, students are now enthralled with his talks. Little does he know that Gloria is putting on an amazing dog show throughout his tedious talks. This book’s illustrations do a wonderful job depicting a serious officer Buckle and a wily Gloria.
Caldecott/Honor Books / Steig, William / Sylvester and the Magic Pebble / Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers / 1969 / Sylvester stumbles upon a magic pebble that grants the holder any wish they want. At first this becomes a wonderful thing for Sylvester, but when he wishes for himself to become a rock to hide from a lion it leaves him in a tight spot. Sylvester is now unable to touch the pebble to wish him to be a donkey again. Months later his parents just happen to have a picnic on Sylvester’s rock. His father sees the special stone and wishes his son would return. Sylvester returns due to the magic pebble. This wonderful book could be used to teach students that they should be happy with what they have.
Caldecott/Honor Books / Taback, Simms / Joseph Had a Little Overcoat / Penguin Group / 1999 / Joseph continues to make use of his torn and tattered overcoat by creating smaller pieces of clothing. The visual images and the usage of cutouts is amazing and deserving of the Caldecott. This book might be used for a unit on recycling or conservation.
Caldecott/Honor Books / Van Allsburg, Chris / Jumanji / Houghton Mifflin Company / 1981 / A brother and sister find a board game under a tree and decide to take it home and play it while their parents are at the opera. The board game’s instructions require that the game must be played until someone wins. During game play, animals start to come to life and enter their house. They keep playing hoping that someone will soon win. Jumanji’s illustrations are one of a kind. Teachers and librarians could use this amazing book as a read aloud.
Caldecott/Honor Books / Wiesner, David / The Three Little Pigs / Clarion Books / 2001 / An unusual rendering of the classic story of the Three Little Pigs. Children might be confused by the story but will be captivated by the illustrations. Weisner uses three dimensional images to portray the story and integrates color and black and white into full page drawings.
Poetry/Verse / Frank, John
Reed, Mike (Illus) / Chill in the Air: Nature Poems for Fall and Winter / Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers / 2003 / A compilation of Fall and Winter poems that discuss emotions, seasonal activities, animals, and weather. The shortness of the poems will attract struggling readers or those who might not like poetry. This would be an excellent book to use for units or discussions about seasons.
Poetry/Verse / Lansky, Bruce
Carpenter, Stephen (Illus) / No More Homework! No More Tests! Kids’ Favorite Funny School Poems / Meadowbrook Press / 1997 / A collection of funny school poems that deal with homework, teachers, students, and the daily life at school. Librarians and teachers could use this for a back to school program or within a display. Students will find the content engaging.
Poetry/Verse / Lewis, J. Patrick
Manson, Chris (Illus) / Black Swan White Crow / Atheneum Books for Young Readers / 1995 / An introduction to haikus through poetry about nature. This book could be used during national poetry month to introduce and teach Haiku to students. Librarians and Media Specialists could also use this book to encourage students to write their own haikus.
Poetry/Verse / Lewis, J. Patrick
Desimini, Lisa (Images) / Doodle Dandies: Poems That Take Shape / Aladdin Paperbacks / 1998 / Students are introduced to concrete poems in this beautifully illustrated book. Students will enjoy viewing poetry in a different way and be enticed by artistic poetry. This book can be used as a model to teach concrete poetry to students.
Poetry/Verse / Silverstein, Shel / Where the Sidewalk Ends / Harper and Row / 1974 / The classic poetry compilation by the beloved children’s poet. This book has everything that the poetry enthusiast might want. Some poetry is interactive, some is short, and some entries are longer and more involved. Librarians and media specialists might use this bible of poetry to foster a love of poetry.
Folklore/Fairy Tales / Demi / One Grain of Rice / Scholastic / 1997 / A greedy Indian Raja collects all the towns’ rice supply in a storage area for use in case of famine. When a famine strikes, people plea for the rice so they can survive. The Raja decides to be conservative and keep the rice for himself. During a celebration, a young village girl grabs some rice which has fallen from the basket of an elephant. She devises a plan which includes returning the rice to the Raja and simply asking for one grain of rice in return. The Raja grants her the one grain of rice and agrees to double it each day for 30 days. In the end, the village girl collects over 536 million grains of rice to feed the people. This is a great book to use in a math unit because it introduces the concept of multiplication.
Folklore/Fairy Tales / Heo, Yumi / The Green Frogs / Houghton Mifflin Company / 1996 / A Korean folktale which explains why you should always tell people exactly what you want even if people are not listening to you. A mother frog eventually learns this lesson when she decides to practice reverse psychology by telling her sons to bury her in the opposite location that she wanted. Her sons finally decide to honor their mother’s request. A great lesson to use with students to teach them to listen to their parents.
Folklore/Fairy Tales / Mosel, Arlene
Lent, Blair / Tikki Tikki Tembo / Square Fish / 2007 / The first honored child of a mother is named Tikki tikki tembo-no sa rembo-chari bari ruchip peri pembo, the most wonderful thing in the world. Tikki Tikki Tembo’s long name eventually becomes problematic when he falls down into a well. His brother cannot seem to get his whole name out when seeking help. From that time one, all children born from China receive short names. A great folktale to use when discussing different cultures and names from those cultures.
Chapter Book based on a folk or fairy tale / Napoli, Donna Jo
Judge, Lita (Illus) / Ugly / Hyperion Books for Children / 2006 / The story of an ugly duckling that is in actuality a swan. Her life is spent trying to find her place in the world. She moves from living with a wallaby to befriending geese. This chapter book does a nice job enhancing the classic folktale. Illustrations are mixed in to provide readers with a visual picture as they read. This book would make a good read aloud.
Picture book / Van Allsburg, Chris / The Widow’s Broom / Houghton Mifflin Company / 1992 / An exhausted witch’s broom with witch on board crashes to the ground in a widow’s vegetable garden. After resting and recovering, the witch sneaks out and arranges new transportation. The witch leaves her old broom with the widow. The broom still has some mystical powers and the townspeople try to rid themselves of it. The broom survives this execution attempt and remains with the widow. The illustrations match the dark and mysterious mood of this book. This would be an excellent selection to use around Halloween.
Picture book / Brett, Jan / Gingerbread Baby / G.P. Putnam’s Sons / 1999 / Matti decides to make a gingerbread boy on a cold day. The gingerbread baby comes to life and runs away. No one can seem to catch the gingerbread baby until Matti has the idea to bake a gingerbread house to trap the gingerbread baby. His plan works like a charm. The gingerbread baby sees the house and strolls right in. Brett’s unique illustrations make this an instant classic. Brett foreshadows events to come in the borders of the pages, and readers who pay attention can guess what animal the gingerbread baby will encounter next. This is also a great choice for a read aloud.