Summer Vacation

I'm just heading out for a little summer R & R, and judging from the weather today -- summer may have finally arrived in Calgary. Lucky me.
I likely won't be posting much over the next few weeks.  But, be assured that I will be reading like a fiend looking for great tie-ins to the 'big idea' perspective (see previous post) and other curricular areas.
Look for new postings in early August.
Happy summer vacation, Everyone.
Tammy

The Wonder of it all

 I’m just getting started on the next ‘big idea’ from Nellie McClung Elementary School. But before I tell you what it is, let me get everyone up to speed with what this entails. 

Each spring teachers at the school select a ‘big idea’ or theme that they will explore in depth in the upcoming school year.  Every grade, Kindergarten to grade 6, develops the idea in a way that is appropriate for their students, while covering the curriculum.  In June, I’m told what this ‘big idea’ is, read the planning notes, and then briefly discuss the notes to help get a clearer idea about the big idea.  I have two months to delve into this topic on my own, while keeping in mind the questions and concepts already brought forth by the teachers. In late August I will present the teachers with a range of books that I think will tie into their topic.  This is a big project but one that I find very rewarding as it gets my brain going in all directions.  Love it!

(If you're interested in reading more about previous 'big ideas' click on the tag Nellie McClung Elementary School.)

And, so, without further ado – the next big idea is – PERSPECTIVE.

This is a huge topic to work through but one that has tons of potential. Some of my initial brainstorming overlaps with that done by the teachers at Nellie McClung, which is good.  Means we’re on the same page.  One element that came up a few times in the planning notes and in my own response is point of view.  How does this differ from perspective?  How are the two terms used?  What about bias?  Or single vs. multiple perspectives?  Oh, so many questions. I have a feeling I’ll be going back over this one element a few times as I realize that I use the two terms interchangeable.

And then I read Wonder by R.J. Palacio.

Wonder is about a boy with significant facial abnormalities.  He’s going to school for the first time, starting grade 5 and he’s nervous, to say the least.  Once school starts, there are a few difficulties that must be sorted through and challenges to be met.  Auggie does make friends on his own, learning much about himself and others along the way.  Some of the issues Auggie deals with are the same as many middle school kids – making and keeping friends, becoming more independent, issues about popularity, bullying. There are times he wants to quit but doesn’t.  There are times he’s incredibly happy to be where he is. 

In a word it’s – wonderful, and fits well with the idea ‘perspective’.  Though the book is told by several different people or points of view (Auggie, his sister, her boyfriend, and a couple of his friends), we can start analysing the characters to see what defines or shades their perspectives.  I see potential for looking at some of the minor characters who don’t talk to us directly but are important to the storyline, such as the principal, Mr. Tushman, or the mother of one of the boys who gives Auggie a hard time.  Who are they? What motivates them? And what is their perspective?

So far, I’m working with the idea that point of view is the way we see something.  Whereas, perspective is the way we understand something.  This understanding is built on layers of our experiences and what we know to create something meaningful.  I’m still grasping the nuances of this, as you can see. If you have any ideas about the differences between point of view and perspective feel free to share with us in the comments section.

Overall, I’m excited with the idea of perspective and the opportunity I’ll have to recommend a variety of resources like Wonder.  My perspective?  It’s all about a good story.

Math resource

Here’s a quick recommendation for Seeing Symmetry by Loreen Leedy.

This picture book explains the basics about line and rotational symmetry providing just enough information to explain what these are without being overwhelming.

The illustrations are clear and easily illustrate whatever point she’s writing about.  There are lots of examples of symmetry taken from both the natural world as well as those items that are produced by humans.

Line symmetry is taught in grade 4 math in Alberta and I think this book will be very useful for this level.  Rotational symmetry is taught in grade 9 and this book will not likely appeal to this age group.

Good addition for classroom collections that use picture books in math.

Guest Blogger - View from a school library

Janet Hutchinson is a colleague and kindred spirit when it comes to children's literature.  She also works a day and half in the library in the school which her children have or are attending here in Calgary.  Her experiences there provide her (and me by extension) the opportunity to see what teachers and kids do with the books we promote.  Today's posting is an issue for all libraries of whatever size both personal and public  -- too many books, too little space.  Tough decisions to be made.
Please enjoy the view from a school library

It’s the end of the year at my school library, and along with chasing down overdue books, trying to get resources back from teachers and cleaning the library, I am also doing some long overdue weeding in the picture book area. This has been necessitated by the fact that the shelves are jammed so tight that shelving books has become almost impossible.  As new books come in, I have to free up space and get rid of some old books.

But how to decide what to get rid of? In some cases, it is easy – any book where there is more than one copy? Gone.  Any book that is held together with scotch tape and love – and not much more – is gone. In this case, however, I take a good look at the use that the book has had and decide if I want to replace it.

The biggest struggle I have had is with books that kids love, but that from my perspective offer little in the way of …….merit (not sure if that is the right word). In this case, these are books like  - well, to start,  anything by Walt Disney. Give the man and his empire its due, the films and the spin-off books have made a huge chunk of change. The books offer kids something familiar – but for the library’s money, there are better stories told with similar themes. For example, the Disney version of Cinderella (which I think every little girl has taken out at least once this year), can be replaced by the version of the tale by Charles Perrault. And the theme exists in versions from other countries and cultures. Even Canada has a hockey version (Splinters by Kevin Sylvester) – of course, take away the dress and the glass slipper and sometimes the appeal is gone as well…..however, the Disney books represent something commercial to me and in my opinion, don’t belong in the school’s library.

A second example of books that are going in the big bin of discards are the Berenstain Bears, Mercer Mayer and Franklin the Turtle books.  Personal bias here – I find these books to be somewhat dated and “juvenile”.  I know, I know, I am talking about books for children, but many of the themes in these books can be found in more current, less formulaic and better quality picture books. For example, one of the books that I am tossing is “The new baby” by Mercer Mayer – because I think a book like “Julius, baby of the world” by Kevin Henkes is a better depiction of the contrasting emotions when a new baby arrives on the scene. Similarly, “The Berenstain bears visit the dentist” can be replaced by William Steig’s ”Doctor deSoto”  or “Tabitha’s terrifically tough tooth” by Charlotte Middleton (OK, not about the dentist, but it does deal with loose teeth, which is a HUGE concern in lower school classes).  

Others being tossed are the cheaply produced ABC or number books (you know - the ones with 99 cent stickers on them).  The school seems to have been the beneficiary of a great number of these books – but when you can have a book like “LMNO peas” by Keith Baker or “M is for moose” by Charles Pachter or “One boy” by Laura Vaccaro Seeger or “365 penguins” by Jean-Luc Fromental, these books pale by comparison.

One of the principles upon which I purchase books for the library (besides the obvious ones of good stories, good illustrations/pictures, curriculum tie-ins etc.) is the idea that if a book can be easily obtained at home, I am not likely to buy it (or accept it as a donation) for the library. The books that I mentioned above are examples of ones that can be picked up anywhere and also fill the need of being an easy diversion during a shopping spree (I know that’s how many of these style of books landed in our house in our kids’ early years). I want students to find new experiences on the school book shelves and to take away from each library visit a book that gives them HUGE pleasure, and that they want to read, or have read to them, again and again. And I love picture books. There is something about them that feels like a good experience is about to happen when I open the covers. And really, that’s what I want the students to feel with each and every book on the shelf.  I think good picture books are the start of a love affair with literacy and reading and that the younger a child starts that affair, the more likely it will be that books will follow them all of their life.

The Power of Pictures

A couple of weeks ago I listed a few professional teaching resources about visual literacy, highlighting the connections between the content areas. Understanding what goes into making a great or powerful image is important to visual literacy, both in creating our own pictures and deconstructing the work of others.

Today’s book, Migrant Mother: how a photograph defined the Great Depression by Don Nardo (973.917 NaM 2011) is a great example of deconstructing what turns a picture, in this case a photograph, into a strong visual statement about something else. 

The picture on the book’s cover is one most of us have seen: Dorothea Lange’s iconic black and white photo of a pensive mother, looking off to one side, away from the camera and three of her children, unkempt and wearing tattered clothes.

It’s easy to see why this is often shown in conjunction with the American 1930s era of economic downturn -- desperate farmers driven from drought stricken farms, smothering dust storms, indigent migrant workers, long bread lines and many, many photos of people looking wrung-out or exhausted, often with little resiliency left –  all of these can be alluded to in this photo.

The book sets it up beautifully. It starts with Dorothea Lange’s motivation for taking on the cause of poor, displaced migrant workers. As a successful studio photographer, she had no need to take on the job other than a desire to make a difference in the lives of these desperate people.  By publicizing their plight, the causes, and the lack of social welfare, Dorothea Lange saw a way to raise awareness across the country and mobilize the government into providing assistance.

The book provides enough information about the Great Depression without too much detail. As expected, more emphasis is on how Dorothea Lange met this woman and the series of photos (a total of six, which surprised me) she arranged to get us to enter into this world of deprivation.  Who the woman is, what her life was like before and after the photograph was taken, her family and her thoughts about the photo are fascinating to read about, too. 

 For such a short book, there is a lot here to show us the significance of this photo and how such a photo became an icon for its time.  I’m looking forward to seeing more from this series.

Check out today's round up of recommended nonfiction children's literature at Capstone Connect.

Traditional Indian Art

Two recent additions to the Doucette Library caught my attention.  But then again, most books from Tara Publishing out of India often hold my attention for the traditional art forms it incorporates into picture book making.

 The Great Race by Nathan Kumar Scott and Jagdish Chitara (398.209598 ScG 2011 PIC BK) is a retelling of an Indonesian folktale about pride coming before a fall.  In an Aesop- like tale, a boastful deer, Kanchil, challenges all the animals of the jungle to a race to prove who is the fastest.  Only a tiny snail comes forward to accept the challenge.  To the amazement of all of the animals, the snail beats the deer twice.  How did he do it?

It’s the art work that really shines in this book.  It fits very well with traditional storytelling with a strong folk style and limited colour palette.  There is a write-up at the back that explains that the Waghari were formerly nomads who created block printed textiles as a form of worship.  We learn about the method used to create these pieces of art and how they are growing in popularity with the upper classes of India.  We also learn that the low caste Waghari, though making some money from their skills, are still considered socially inferior.

 Mangoes & Bananas by Nathan Kumar Scott and T. Balaji is another folktale from Indonesia that introduces us to different traditional Indian textile art form.  Kalamkari is a centuries old tradition that depicted “Indian epics on large pieces of textile, which were hung in temples and carried from town to town by minstrels.”  The process of production is epic in itself with lots of preparation of the cloth, renderings of the pictures, and labour intensive hand colouring. 

This tale, again, features Kanchil, the boastful deer from The Great Race and his friend, Monyet, a monkey.  Kanchil comes up with the idea to plant a garden as a way to have easy access to their favourite foods, mangoes and bananas.   But as with many plans there is often an unforeseen flaw.  Kanchil cannot climb trees to pick his own mangoes and must rely on Monyet.  With the best of intentions to share, Monyet gets caught up with the wonderful bounty and eats all the bananas.  This entitles Kanchil to all the mangoes without sharing.  Of course, Monyet is still the one having to pick the fruit and thinks that just one mango won’t be missed.  One, leads to two and you know where this going.  Realizing that he is about to miss out on the mangoes, Kanchil starts insulting Monyet (“face like a papaya”, “head like a cabbage”, etc.).  Monyet reacts by throwing the remaining mangoes at Kanchil.  Who’s the winner in this one?

The stories are entertaining, but I have no way of knowing how authentic the retellings are.  However, I thoroughly enjoyed the illustrations from both books.  I love that this enterprise between Tara and traditional artists introduces us to art styles from across India we would  never see otherwise.  Educating the reader about the peoples and art processes is fascinating. 

See for yourselves.