Summertime reading update #2

So, I'm back from a few weeks off at home.  And read I did.
The following are few of the highlights:


Nonfiction

** Candy Bomber: the story of the Berlin Airlift's 'Chocolate Pilot' by Michael O. Tunnell.
Super narrative about American airmen distributing chocolate and candy to Berlin children after the end of World War II when the city had been blockade by the Soviets. I would recommend this for grades 5 to 9.

Following my paint brush by Dulari Devi
A picture book biography of an Indian artist and how her passion has changed her life.

Just like me: stories and self-portraits by fourteen artists edited by Harriet Rohmer.
Gives us insight into what makes an artist tick, from their childhoods, to their inspirations and techniques. 

Look! really smart art by Gillian Wolfe
Looks at works of various artists and the techniques they use to create special effects which draw viewers in, make us look closely and get us to think and feel.

Through my eyes by Ruby Bridges
I don't know how I missed this one as it comes up all the time in children's literature.  But I did and gladly have rectified my oversight.  A short memoir of Ruby's experience attending one of the first racially integrated schools in New Orleans in 1960.


Fiction - Picture books

A place where sunflowers grow by Amy Lee-Tai
Based on the experiences of Lee-Tai's mother as a child in an American internment camp for Japanese-Americans in the 1940s.  Suggested for grades 1-5.

**Perfect square by Michael Hall
 Imagination and possibilities are celebrated when a square becomes so much more - when it becomes two triangles to make a mountain or is torn into bits to make flowers in a garden or cut into rectangular ribbons to become a river. Suggested for grades K to 3.

The secret river by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings
Nice message with an old-time feel in this picture book first written in 1947 and published in 1955 with a different illustrator.  This edition is illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillion.  Their work adds considerably to the storytelling.  A real treat.  Suggested for grades K-4.


Fiction - Novels

Fever Crumb by Philip Reeve
Steampunk fantasy fiction and prequel to Mortal Engines. Interesting character and lots of action will keep you turning the pages.  Amazing world building. Suggested for grades 5 to 8.

Junonia by Kevin Henkes
A gentle story about a little girl returning to a beach cottage for a summer holiday. She looks forward to the usual summertime occupants and doing all the usual beach stuff with her parents.  But this year is different when everything doesn't go according to plan and not everyone is able to be there.  A growing up story with everyday little dramas and no big explosions.  Recommended for grades 2-5.

**Karma by Cathy Ostlere
I really enjoyed this local Calgary author's YA novel told in narrative verse.  India, 1984 - Indira Gandhi is assassinated and chaos ensues.  Fifteen-year-old Maya (Canadian-born of immigrant parents), caught up in the turmoil and separated from her father, witnesses horrific acts of violence.  This leads her to meeting Jiva, a young Indian man with his own issues of identity and family. Gripping story.

London calling by Edward Bloor
Not quite what I thought it was going to be but then I'm not sure exactly what I thought.  Part ghost story, time travel during World War II, yes. But there's also a school story about class inequities, justice, what makes a hero, family reconciliation, and a smattering of spirituality. Lots going on with a thoughtful main character.  Sometimes a little slow but overall enjoyable.  Suggested for grades 6-9.

**Okay for now by Gary D. Schmidt
Easily my favorite book this summer.  Love the voice of the main character, Doug, new kid in town who has few hopes of fitting in. Rough family life and a sarcastic streak a mile long makes him a prickly person to get to know.  But slowly, he does makes friends and finds his place within this community. Really loved it! Recommended for grades 7-10.

Fiction - Graphic novels

**Grease monkey by Tim Eldred
What good fun.  This one had been sitting on my shelf forever and I finally thought "read it or else". Glad I did.  It's the future where gorillas have been given 'higher intelligence,' after 60% of humankind was wiped from an attack by aliens, to help rebuild and prevent future attacks.  Mac Gimbensky is one cool dude, er - gorilla mechanic with some very definite opinions about what it takes to be a mechanic.  Enter Robin, young apprentice who's more than a little apprehensive about his assignment. It's all here -- spaceship battles, master/grasshopper relationship, friends helping friends, romance and growing up.  Great illustrations. Recommended for grades 10 and up.

Resistance, book 1 by Carla Jablonski & Leland Purvis.
Another World War II story this time in France.  The story is told from the perspective of three children who learn about the impact of  the Nazis in their community. Eventually they become involved with the French Resistance.  This first in the trilogy  feels like it's mostly setting up the story for the next installment. Suggested for grades 7 and up.

What have you been reading?  Please feel free to send in your recommendations.

Check back

"Summertime and the living is easy" -- well, supposedly.

If you could see the multitude of books I'm taking home to read over the next few weeks, I don't know if 'easy' is the right word.  But, I'm not complaining...

Nevertheless, I will enjoy what sun Calgary might have to offer and a good number of novels and nonfiction titles that have been sitting on my 'to-read' shelf.

I will be back late July and will have a new post up for Thursday, July 28th.
Please check back then.

2011 Journal Entry #1 – Moving on

I’ve just started mulling over the newly selected ‘big idea’ that the teachers from Nellie McClung Elementary School have chosen to focus on for next year. Each year the whole school will base their learning around a central theme. My role is to present a ‘mega’ book talk at the end of August, before the school year begins and suggest resources that may inspire or support their ‘big idea’.

This year’s topic is – journey.


I’m excited.


So far, my preliminary thoughts have snagged on the transformative nature of journey for humans and non-human elements. In the planning sessions, the teachers came up with words they associate with journey including growth, challenges, quests, adventure, risk, opportunities, destinations, rites, baggage, beginnings, endings, regrets, freedom, pace, choice, survival, cycles, planning, spontaneity, mistakes, dreams, searching, fear, revisiting, forks, explorers, carpe diem, etc. Lots more besides these.


It really is wide open. This is looking to understand journey in the broadest sense, metaphorical and literal. Some of the questions they’ve come up with also reflect a philosophical bent, such as:
How do you know when something is a journey? Is not journey?
Does a journey ever really end? Is anything/anyone ever really gone?
Who owns, directs, and influences a journey?


My challenge will be to look for resources that reflect this all encompassing ‘big idea’. I see a lot of the children’s literature fitting with the inquiry as most stories have characters undergo some transformation on some level. There’s usually some ‘conflict’ which the character must resolve and likely come to some understanding about. Finding resources outlining human journeys won’t be a problem.
 I’ll need to keep in mind that the inquiry also includes non-human elements as well. This was explained as all things having histories and that things change over time. An example is water. In this inquiry it will likely be used more as a metaphor for journey because its nature is so variable – it can flow fast or slow, be still, cut new channels, seemingly disappear, etc. The historical depth of inanimate objects will be an interesting component for me to work on, as well, as the human stories.


I’ve a couple of months to think and read about the nature of journey. Should be interesting.


What are your thoughts on this? I’d love hear your suggestions for resources. Please feel free to leave a comment.

Summertime Reading Update #1

I’ve been busy reading since the education students finished in April. I must fess up that I’ve been indulging in a good many adult mysteries and a few nonfiction titles. Meaning that I haven’t read as many children’s novels as I’d want by now. Of course, I’ve already blogged about lots of those books that have captured my attention in some way. The following are a few of the other highlights that I’ve come across the last couple of months:


*Picture books - Fiction

Beach tail / Karen Lynn Williams
A lovely summer story of a boy and his dad and a day exploring at the beach. Suggested for grades K-2.

Benno and the night of broken glass / Meg Wiviott
Definitely for older kids (grades 4/5 and up), this book is about Kristallnacht, the November night Hitler’s Brown Shirts began terrorizing German Jews in earnest. It’s told from the perspective of a cat that enjoys living in a neighbourhood filled with kind people, Christian and Jews, and the changes he notices as the Nazis come to power.

Bridget’s beret / Tom Lichtenheld
A look at what is the impetus for creativity. A little girl is convinced that she is longer able to create art because her beret (the same kind of beret worn by all great artists) has gone missing. Suggested for grades K-3.

Chicken big / Keith Graves
A very funny story about size. A giant egg hatches a giant chicken who is mistaken by the other smaller (and rather feather-brained) chickens for an elephant, then a squirrel, an umbrella and a sweater. A cute play on the silly chicken from Chicken Little. Suggested for preschool to grade 3.

Flora’s very windy day / Jeanne Birdsall
Even though Flora finds her younger brother most annoying, she’s not about to let the wind take him away and goes to great lengths to bring him home. Suggested for preschool to grade 2.

Trudy / Henry Cole
Trudy is a goat, a thoughtfully chosen pet that seems to have the ability to forecast the weather, catching the attention of townsfolk and media. But Trudy has her own reasons for not always coming out of her shed. Very warm, family-oriented story. Suggested for grades K-3.

Wanted: the perfect pet / Fiona Roberton 
Another pet story, with Henry longing for a dog and a duck desperate to be adopted by Henry and going to great lengths to achieve his desire. Humorous story that ends happily for Henry and Spot (the duck). For preschool to grade 2.




*Picture books - Nonfiction

Guyku: a year of haiku for boys / Bob Raczka
Relly enjoyed this one. A series of very short poems that capture the experiences of boyhood through the seasons. Suggested for grades K-3.

In the belly of an ox: the unexpected photographic adventures of Richard and Cherry Kearton / Rebecca Bond
For elementary grades, a biography of two English brothers in the early days of photography, who devise ways to unobtrusively photograph the natural world. They built various blinds, including a fake ox, to photograph birds.


*Novels
Not too many novels here. This is where reading too many adult mysteries got in the way. I’m currently reading Riot by Walter Dean Myers and What was lost by Catherine O’Flynn.

Amulet #2: The stonekeepers curse / Kazu Kibuishi
Continues right where the first one leaves off with the bad guys after Emily and her assortment of allies. Fast paced graphic novel great for grades 4-8.

Found / Margaret Peterson Haddix
A really intriguing premise for this sci-fi/fantasy from an author I usually enjoy. The premise: a group of kids, being sought out for some mysterious reason, discover that they are caught in the middle of a conflict between two groups from the future. Leaves you hanging. Which is why I’m taking the second one, Sent, home despite a couple of characters who kind of grate on my nerves. Grades 5 and up.

Good sport

I don’t ‘do’ sports books – in general. Just not my thing. But, never say never.

I just read two of the books in the RecordBooks series published by Lorimer & Company. This is a series developed to appeal to kids 11 years and up, with reading levels between grades 3-5. All the books focus on Canadian athletes who have had to overcome some kind of barrier (gender, race, economic hardships, etc.) to succeed in their sport. Athletes from many sports include boxers, rowers, skiers, lacrosse, basketball, football, and baseball players.

The first book I read was a biography, Jordin Tootoo by Melanie Florence, the first Inuit to play in the NHL. I learned what it was like growing up in Rankin Inlet in the high Arctic, leaving home as a teen to pursue a dream to play hockey, dealing with racism, the death of Jordin’s brother and about his hockey career with the Nashville Predators. Includes some photos, an index and a glossary of hockey terms.

Though the intent of the book is high interest-low vocabulary, I didn’t find the book talked down to the reader; it was easy to get caught up in the narrative, and overall, enjoyable.

I decided to try another from the series and stuck to hockey. Tough Guys by Eric Zweig (796.962 ZwT 2009) is a look at hockey in the early days, introducing some of the players, in addition to providing the social/political context of the early 1900s. I found this one fascinating.

The impact of World War I and the Spanish flu epidemic on the sport of hockey was immense. Players joined, or were conscripted into, the army, leaving teams shorthanded. This resulted in some teams being disbanded, so players could be reallocated amongst the remaining teams to increase their size and enable the hockey association to keep playing. This created interesting situations such as when Joe Hall and Newsy Lalonde, two bitter rivals, end up playing on the same team. Many crucial Stanley Cup games during this time are described in enough detail to build a bit of suspense, but not with too much minutiae to lose a reader, namely me. This was good. Great way to tie history into a topic like sports.

Each book in the series is written by a different author so the quality may vary between books. But based on the strength of the two books I read, I feel comfortable enough to recommend the series. Struggling readers (kids to adults) and ESL students with an interest in sports would do well with this series.

Today is Nonfiction Monday, a roundup of blogs focused on nonfiction children's literature.  Stop by Wendie's Wanderings to see today's offerings.

I recently read a series of graphic novels written by Canadians, David Alexander Robertson and illustrated by Scott B. Henderson.

7 Generations is a four part series of graphic novels that tell the story of a contemporary Aboriginal family living through a pretty traumatic time. The first book, Stone, introduces us to Edwin and his mother struggling to cope with his suicide-attempt. The mother is desperate to help her son and begins to tell him stories of his family, starting with Stone who lived in the early part of the 19^th century. She tells Edwin that he has much to live for and “our past has shaped us all. You, me, all of us…you should know where you came from.”


Stone, is a young man on the cusp of adulthood in the early 1800s, seeking his place within his community. A vision quest, the death of his brother, marriage, fatherhood, participating in a thirst dance and ‘making of a brave’ ceremony all set him on his path.


There is a message here as Edwin learns from Stone’s experiences that “we all have someone to fight for” giving us purpose and “maybe you will know that someone is fighting for you, too.” The storytelling is strong enough that the message doesn't dominate. I got caught up in both stories wanting to know more about Edwin and why he tried to kill himself and I wanted to see what happened to Stone, too.

Scars (pt.2) and Ends/Begins (pt.3) continue with Edwin’s story and we begin to piece together the source of Edwin’s pain.  His mother continues trying to make him realize that he is strong enough to confront his demons.  In the second installment, this is done with a story of a distant relative, White Cloud who survived a small pox epidemic that wiped out his family and immediate community.  The third novel tells of Edwin’s father’s experience at a residential school and how his own pain lead him to abandon his wife and son.

 

Each of these short graphic novels (30 pages) is very well done. The well executed illustrations tell as much of the story as the text. They can be very dramatic and will hold the reader’s interest.  Though the topic is a heavy one I found it to be not overdone.  The books are best read sequentially to follow with Edwin’s quest and to make the connections between the generations more easily understood.

 

Recommended for grades 10 and up.

I’m looking forward to reading the recently released, fourth installment, The Pact.

PS. Check out this YouTube video of the author explaining the creative process for developing the series.