"It Doesn't Have to Be This Way"

It Doesn’t Have to Be This Way
Written by: Luis J. Rodríguez
Illustrated by: Daniel Galvez
Published by: Children’s Book Press in San Francisco, California in 1999
ISBN: 0-89239-161-8
Genre: Picture Book, Realisitc Fiction (Multicultural Work)
Reading Level: Grade 5
Activity Level: Grade 5

Summary: This book is written by a Hispanic man who was involved with a gang when he was younger. In the story this young boy learns from current gang members about how to dress and act and is about to be initiated, when his cousin comes to once again try to coax him into remaining out of the gang. At that point, the gang’s rivals appear and the young boy’s cousin is shot. She lives, but the situation puts the boy’s life into perspective for him and instead of joining he gang, he decides to ask his uncle to teach him about fixing cars.

Response: This story is about learning to make decisions in one’s own life and how to say no to getting involved in the wrong situations. I think that this book teaches an important lesson for upper elementary students.

The illustrations in this book are very details. There are both single- and double-page spreads of vibrant colors within this work and, although the outer lines of most of the illustrations are slightly smeared, the illustrators makes such clear differences in each character’s expressions, etc, that readers feel as though they could pick these people out of a crowd as if they had seen them in a photograph.

Teaching Connections: This book could only be used in an upper elementary classroom. Its contents are far too complex for younger students. However, a fifth grade teacher could read this book to her class and have an open discussion about making choices and saying no. This lesson surrounding this book would fit well with the DARE units they participate in the fifth grade.

What Students Learn: From this book and the activity, students learn how and why to resist gang life.

Image Retrieved From: http://www.bilingualbooks.com/mas_assets/thumb/625.jpg.

"The Rain Came Down"

The Rain Came Down

Written and illustrated by: David Shannon

Published by: The Blue Sky Press in NY in 2000

ISBN: 0-439-05021-9

Genre(s): Picture Book, Realistic Fiction

Reading Level: Grade 2

Activity Level: Grades K, 3 (Really, this book could be used for all elementary grade levels.)

Summary: This book details the occurrences in one town on a rainy day. At first the chickens go crazy and irritates the cat, which annoys the dog and the father yells at the dog, which awakens the baby and upsets the mother. Then, a policeman comes to see what is happening at the house and blocks traffic with his car. After that a lady in a cab becomes upset because she is afraid she will miss her plane and the truck driver in front of him becomes annoyed with the cab driver’s horn. The ice cream man turns up his music to drown (no pun intended) the noise and the hairdresser and barber begin to argue while the painter is climbing down, which causes him to his the barber in the head. Then the baker hits the pizza man with his umbrella, the little boy splashes the little girl with water, the grocery waiting on the delivery truck knocks the boxes from a shopper’s hand, which upsets his fruit basket (also, no pun intended). After that, the RAIN STOPS and everyone is gleeful again and helps one another. The story continues and chronicles the other delightful happenings of the day and shows how each character’s day was made better by another.

Response: I really enjoyed this story because it is very truthful as to what kinds of moods people often have when it rains and how everything seems more complex. However, it also shows how we really should all try to get along with one another, not matter our situation becaue we would all be happier.

I love David Shannon’s illustrations! He draws amazing faces that look, although sometimes stereotypically, like the characters in his book. The hairdresser is dressed like one would stereotypically think of one dressing and the cab driver is wearing his yellow taxi hat, etc. Nearly every page of this book is a double-page spread of beautiful illustrations with vibrant colors in amazing detail. The illustrations are vital to the book and the words are placed on a white background under all of the illustrations.

Teaching Connections: I think this book could be read to almost any grade level class. A teacher could read this to her first grade class if many of them were stuggling with a new math concept to help them realize that it is difficult, but that they will get it soon and everything will be better.

A third grade teacher could also read this to her class as an introduction to metaphors. She could ask them what they rain is a metaphor for and her class could have a discussion about that.

Really, I believe that this book could be read to any elementary school class, especially if something major has happened to affect the entire class or school, such as after 9/11 or if, as happened to a class in my elementary school, their teacher passed away. This book could serve as a way to lighten the tension and help students realize (maybe a week or so after this had happened, not directly after) that things will get better, just as the situation in the story did.

What Students Learn: From this book students learn that even though things might not be so wonderful right now, that they will get better soon. They learn that arguing, etc. is not beneficial to them and that what they really need to do is be patient and wait “for the rain to stop” so that times will get better.

From these activities students can learn the above lessons as well as about metaphors in their writing because this book serves as a great example of such.

Image Retrieved From: http://parentschoice.org/product_img/raincamedown.jpg

"Do I Have a Daddy?"

Do I Have a Daddy?
Written by: Jeanne Warren Lindsay
Illustrated by: Jami Moffett
Published by Morning Glory Press in Buena Park, CA in 1991
ISBN: 1-885356-63-3
Genres: Picture Book, Informational Text, Realistic Fiction
Reading Level: Grade 1
Activity Level: Kindergarten

Summary: This is a book about a little boy whose friend tells him he does not have a daddy. He asks his mother if he does have one and she explains that he does have a daddy and that they were just too young when he was born to get married. The mother reiterates that the boy's father loved him very much and that it was not his fault that he had gone away. She also explains that if she gets married one day, that that man will be the little boy's father, but that right now it is important for him to play with his uncle and his grandfather .

Response: I think that perhaps having this book in the classroom could be somewhat controversial because there is a fine line between being a good teacher and overstepping one's boundaries. However, I think that it is very important for students to be exposed to lifestyles different from their own and to be exposed to a book that may discuss a situation similar to their own. I believe that it is the parents right and responsibility to teach their child about their family situation, but that exposure to this book is the right step in helping other children be excepting of their peers in school.

I love that in the back of the book there are notes for single parents about what is important to teach one's child about their family situations. It includes information for divorced parents, never-married parents, parents explaining the "totally absent father," the importance of being honest and stressing the positives, making sure the child is reassured, and knowing one's own feelings about the situation. It also gives information about how to know when is the right time to talk, why not to cover up the situation, what to do if the father returns, why male role models are important, and how to make the best use of this book.

The illustrations in this book are textured drawings with smeared colors. They are all single-page spreads and some are very detailed, even showing the lines on the grandfather's face. I love that the background of the illustration of the boy and his mother in the kitchen is the refrigerator with the child's drawings clipped to it! Little details sometimes make a big difference.

Teaching Connections: I think that this book could/should be read to a Kindergarten class. It should be the beginning of a lesson about different types of families. The teacher should research these common types of families such as: whole families, single-parent families, families of children being raised by grandparents, etc, and discuss some of these with the children and express that, although they are all different, they are all families and they are all great situations to be in because there is love in the family. The teacher should also emphasize acceptance of all types of families and remember to NEVER single a child out to talk about his or her family.
(Note: The teacher could also bring other books in this series into her classroom, either to read or just to have on a shelf in case a situation arises that she could use them.)

What Students Learn: From this book and the activity children will learn about different types of families and how to be accepting of each of them.

Image Retrieved From: http://www.morningglorypress.com/catalog/images/DoIHaveDaddy_4c.jpg

"Right Here on This Spot"

Right Here on This Spot
Written by: Sharon Hart Addy
Illustrated by: John Clapp
Published by: Houghton Mifflin Company in Boston in 1999
ISBN:0-395-73091-0
Genres: Picture Book, Informational Text, Realistic Fiction
Reading Level: Grade 3
Activity Level: Grades 1, 4

Summary: This book is about what has happened on a grandfather's farm in the past. It is about finding a Civil War soldier's lost button, a large bone from an extinct animal, and a Paleo-Indian's lost arrowhead. It provided readers with an interesting history about the time of these Native Americans and what the world was like when they lived there as well as some introductory information about the Civil War. It is about past times and the appreciation we should have of them.

Response: I really like that this book talks about the past and makes readers guess what has been found before it tells them directly. I think that it will increase the inquisitive nature of the students who hear or read this story as well as encourage them to share stories of what they have found in their backyards.

The illustrations in this book are very beautiful. Most of the double-page spreads have a white frame around the illustrations and white spaces on each side of the frame where the story is written and where there is usually another smaller black and white sketch of something related to the story. A lot of the illustrations are in dark colors that really express the the sadness of the loss of Indian traditions and soldiers in the Civil War. The illustrations closer to the end of the book are in brighter colors and are very detailed, especially the one on pages 21-22, which includes all of the things one might traditionally find in a grandmother's house. The hands on pages 23-24 are also drawn with amazing detail.

Teaching Connections: To use this book in a first grade classroom a teacher could read this book to her class and ask questions throughout to encourage her students' thinking skills. For example, when the book talks about the glacier melting, the teacher could ask what concept the author might be referring to (global warming), and when the story talks about a soldier losing a button, she could ask in what war the students think he might have fought in and help them with their answers by making note of some context clues, since, at that age, they may not know. She could also ask what animal the bone found in the story might have come from. (Note: the teacher will have to define what a mastodon is and should read the historical note to her class after she reads the book to them.)

To use this book with a fourth grade class, the teacher could read it to her students and then have them research this group of Native Americans or the Civil War and make a short presentation to the class about their findings.

What Students Learn: From this book and the subsequent activities students learn about the Paleo-Indians, the Civil War, and gain skills in story prediction.

Image Retrieved From:http://www.giantstepsbooks.com/images/picks/righthere_sm.jpg

"The Rusty, Trusty Tractor

The Rusty, Trusty Tractor
Written by: Joy Cowley
Illustrated by: Oliver Dunrea
Published by Boyds Mill Press, Inc. in Honesdale, Pennsylvania in 1999
ISBN: 1-56397-565-3

Genres: Picture Book, Realistic Fiction
Reading Level: Grades 3-4
Activity Level: Grades 2 and 4

Summary: This is a story about a grandfather, his grandson, and his grandfather's tractor. A salesman comes to the grandfather's farm at the beginning of the book and wants Grandpappy to buy a new tractor from him because Mr. Hill (the salesman) does not believe that his will last through the growing season. Grandpappy goes to visit Mr. Hill's store, but is not interested in buying, so Mr. Hill says he will give Grandpappy one jelly doughnut for every acre his tractor plows that year. The tractor does well throughout the season and is able to pick up all the bales of hay before the rains come and Mr. Hill, though very surprised, brings Grandpappy his jelly doughnuts. In the end, Grandpappy's tractor even saves the day when it rescues Mr. Hill's car from the mud!

Response: I really like how Joy Cowley focuses her book more on the fact that new and shiny is not always better. It shows children that they should appreciate what they have. This book even gives reasons for Grandpappy not buying a new tractor such as, he does not need a radio because he whistles, he does not need heat or air conditioning because if the weather is too cold, Grandpappy puts on his coat and if it is too hot, he takes it off! Also, Grandpappy does not need a new fancy engine on his tractor because with his old one he can just fix it himself with wire!

The illustrations in this book are very realistic-looking and the expressions on Grandpappy's face are amazing! When I read about Grandpappy's expressions, the ones pictured in the book are exactly what I imagined would be on his face. The tractors and equipment are also very well drawn with much detail. (Boys would love this book.)

Teaching Connections: In a second grade classroom a teacher could read this book to them and then, as a class, create a chart on the board with very descriptive words that depicted each of the three characters in the book. This would greatly increase their imaginative use of adjectives.

With fourth graders, the teacher could read this book to them and then have them write a response to how Grandpappy felt about his tractor, either as a poem or just as Grandpappy thinking to himself.

What Students Learn: From this book children learn that new and shiny is not always better. Sometimes, what one has needs to be appreciated because it is valuable and useful. It may not be the top of the line, or even beautiful, but children and adults should not negate things that work just because of that. Children also begin to learn about various pieces of farm equipment from this book.

From the activities, children can learn adjectives and increase their creative writing abilities, in second and fourth grades, respectively.

Image Retrieved From: http://www.boydsmillspress.com/coverimages/large/978-1-56397-565-3.jpg

"White Owl, Barn Owl"

White Owl, Barn Owl
Written by: Nicola Davies
Illustrated by: Michael Foreman
Published by Candlewick Press in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 2007

ISBN: 978-0-7636-3364-6
Genre(s): Picture Book, Informational Text, Realistic Fiction
Reading Level: Grades 3-4
Activity Level: Grade 2

Summary: This is a really great book about a grandfather and his grandson who bond throughout the process of building a nest box for a white (barn) owl and awaiting the owl's arrival. It takes place in winter and is a book in which the reader learns about these owls along with the boy in the story. Throughout the story, the grandfather teaches the boy about patience and many aspects of the owl's life, including its hunting for food and calls. This book is not only a story about a grandfather and his grandson, but is also a book that teaches about real barn owls. Every other page in this book has some factual information about barn owls for the reader. These elements of the book are incorporated into the work in a different and smaller font than the story so that readers can easily distinguish between them.

Response: One thing that I love about this book is that within the story there are tidbits of information (in a different font than the story) that prove to children that what is occurring in the story really is true. For example, at the end of the book the little boy asks his grandfather if owls will always nest in their nest box to which the older gentleman replies "'You know,...I think they might'" (p. 22) and on the same page, the author tells readers that barn owls do nest in the same sites for many years.

The illustrations in this work are very pretty. The majority of them are only single-page spreads of blue and white tones (to really make the scenes look as though they are taking place in winter). Since the illustrations are only on one page, there are normally smaller ones on the adjoining page in sepia tones that also have some connection to the story. For example, when the author writes about the boy and his grandfather first seeing the owl, the owl is the main illustration on one page and the boy and his grandfather watching are a smaller illustration in darker tones on the adjoining page. This makes readers feel more like they are in the story!

Another great thing about this book is the index in the back for readers to quickly find what parts of the story are on what page. Also, there is a note in the back of the book that gives even more information about making a real nest box!

Teaching Connections: I think this book could be read to a second grade class as a lesson on this specific animal. The teacher could read it on a Monday and then have activities for the students related to the book for the rest of the week. On that same day the teacher could make a list of words that the students could define on a quiz on Friday, from this book. Those words could be: frosty, pellet, perch, predator, prey, and talons. (The teacher will also need to define the words tussocky and vole for the students, but they should not be in charge of learning those words at their age). Each day of the week, these words would be reviewed as a class to help the students study.

On Tuesday, the students could work in groups to make their own barn owl out of paper. (Download this template and print Barn Owl Mobil 1 and 2 for each child. Even though this is a mobile template, it should work just fine.)

On Wednesday, the students could work in their same groups to create their own owl finger puppet that will fit in the nest box they will begin creating on the same day (from a template that the teacher will draw herself that looks like the box in the book and will be of appropriate size for their owl finger puppets). And, on Thursday the students would finish making their next boxes. On Friday the students would take their quiz and then someone from the Carolina Raptor Center would visit their classroom and teach them a little more about owls. The students will love this!

What Students Learn: From this book and the activities, students will learn about patience, owl habitats, feeding patterns, baby owls, how to create a nest box, several new words, and gain a new appreciation for owls!

Image Retrieved From: http://blaine.org/jules/white%20owl,%20barn%20owl.jpg

Becoming Naomi León--A story of the importance of heritage

Becoming Naomi León
Written by: Pam Muños Ryan
Cover Illustrations by: Marijka Kostiw
Published by Scholastic, Inc. in NY in 2004
Genre: Realistic Fiction (Multicultural Work)
Ages: Grades 3-5

Summary: In this book a young girl named Naomi lived with her crippled brother and great-grandmother in an Airstream trailer they call "Baby Beluga." Naomi struggles with the lack of knowledge she has of her heritage. She knows barely anything about her Mexican father and does not remember her mother at the time the novel begins. After a visit from her mother, who took the children from their father when they were very young and basically gave them to her grandmother to raise, Naomi learns that she is very content to live with her great-grandmother. Naomi's mother "Skyla" is not what one would call a good mother. She only decides that she wants to take Naomi with her so that she can babysit for her boyfriend Clive, who has a younger daughter. She does not want to care for her crippled son at all! In the end, Naomi learns who she is through an impromptu visit to Mexico to find her father. She finally finds her voice, both literally and figuratively.

Response: One thing I really liked about this book were the lists Naomi always made. I have to make lists all the time so that I remember to do things, but I sometimes make lists, just like Naomi, to have a keepsake of memories. I particularly like Naomi's "List of Splendid Words." I think this resonates with me perhaps because I always make a word list when I read of words that I find interesting, etc.

I also like the cultural integration in this book. Nothing is ever very explicit, which is great for young readers, so they will not feel as though they are being taught. Many times throughout the book the author will have the characters speak Spanish and then repeat themselves in English so the audience understands what the characters are saying. English-speakers can learn several Spanish words, just by reading the book. They can also learn about many Mexican customs, such as making "cranberry sauce with jalapeño peppers" (91), the juice in Mexico that "tasted like a punch but with cinnamon" (148), the many types of foods they eat and drinks they drink, such as "quesillo[s],...mole,...[and] piña coco" (157), Señora de la Soledad, whom sailors and fishermen "ask..for assistance. She s part of Oxaca" (225), the piñatas that they children break and then run through the streets collecting the "peanuts, small oranges, and sugarcane that spilled from their clay tummies" (186), Las Posadas, the night when neighbors go "walking through the streets, knocking on doors and pretending to look for shelter, just like Mary and Joseph did in Bethlehem (176), and La Noche de los Rábanos, where people gather together to make all kinds of creations out of radishes for competition. These cultural elements and traditions are typical of the Mexican people, so the author's interpretation is authentic.

I feel that Pam Muños Ryan does have a personal connection to and presents an insider's perspective of the Mexican culture. Upon viewing her website I discovered that she grew up in California, so she was exposed to many traditions of Mexican-Americans during her childhood; thus, she would know much about their culture and be able to reflect on that in her novels. she also has a very mixed-racial heritage, being Mexican, Spanish, Italian, Basque, and American, so she is very culturally aware and brings her knowledge into her books. This is one element that makes her work very authentic, which is one characteristic of good multicultural literature.

This work does deal minutely with the stereotype that all Mexicans are doing badly in their country and want to migrate to America. This work absolutely dispels that because of Naomi's father, Santiago. One of the reasons his family was split apart was because he wanted to remain in Mexico. He says "Much of my money comes from my carvings, which are only sold in Oaxaca. My work, it is here" (223). He makes his living fishing and needs the Mexican coast on which to do that as well. Not everyone is poor in Mexico as the stereotype might suggest. It also shows that Mexicans are very family-oriented, often living in large extended families. Mexicans have a culture that is very unique to them and where they live, etc, but even among those differences, one can still find many similarities to our own culture, the importance of family, as stated above, the importance of traditions, such as Las Posadas, and the importance of heritage. Sometimes Americans perceive Mexicans in a negative light often because we cannot see past the language barrier and the fact that many of them come to America. In reality, they probably want to understand us as much as we wish we could understand them and they come here to work because they need to support their families, something we should admire. Although Santiago was not keen on leaving his life in Mexico, it seemed as though he would do that to be with his family, but at the end of the novel, he remains in his own country, but at least he will now have a connection to his children and will see them occationally.

This work also proves to be an excellent multicultural work because the setting ans characters are real and they would be interesting to many readers. It also deals with the difficult topic of Naomi and Owen's situation and allows readers to view the situation from many perspectives--the children's, Gram's, Skyla and Clive's, and the judge's.

I love the similes in this work! They create such vivid images in my mind about what hey author is describing. For example, Naomi says that Spanish words "felt like marbles moving around in [her] mouth" (35), Gram's crying was so upsetting that her "insides wobbled as if [she were] standing on a three-story roof looking down" (39), when she was frightened in the trailer park on night, she recalls having "a troublesome feeling tipto[ing] after [her] like a lurking shadow" (87). Naomi also says that the one aspect of her life that was "as clear as a vinegar-shined window" (137) was that her place was with Owen and Gram. Furthermore, about the lion she created out of a radish for the competition, she says that its mane was "like a majestic sunshine" (202). Reading these words I can imagine all of these images and the comparisons the author makes; her attention to detail is wonderful!

I think Naomi's lack of speaking loudly and Owen's tape fetish are these children's means of security. If Naomi speaks where no one can here her, it seems as though she is not in the other person's presence, which is symbolic of her heritage not really being a part of her. However, when she learns of her father and her "Mexican side," she can then feel confident in herself and speech assuredly. Similarly, Owen's obsession with tape is like a young child's security blanket. Without it he likely could not function. There is no explanation of why tape resonates with him, but it certainly gives him the confidence that Naomi's heritage gives her.

Teaching Connections: I think the lists that Naomi makes are very interesting. A teacher could have her students create similar lists of their own over a two-week period perhaps as a creative writing activity.

A teacher could also have students write a story about their culture and discuss things that they might need to explain to someone from Mexico, or another country, if they were to come here. They could also interview an ELL student and discover what insight that person might have on this assignment regarding what they or their parents found unusual when they moved here.

Another assignment could be for the students to look at the questions in the back of the book answered by the author and, before reading her responses, predict her answers to these questions.

One could also have her students write an essay about the importance of heritage to a person's life and incorporate examples from this book and their own lives as well.

(Image retrieved from http://a1055.g.akamai.net/f/1055/1401/5h/images.barnesandnoble.com/images/13100000/13101487.JPG on 28 April 2008)

The Tiger Rising

The Tiger Rising
Written by: Kate DiCamillo
Cover illustration by: Chris Sheban
Published by Scholastic, Inc. in 2001 in NY
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Age: Grades 3-5

Summary: A very lonely boy named Rob, and his father move to a motel far from their former home after the boy's mother dies from cancer. Rob's father is so grief-stricken after his wife's death that he tells his son not to cry about it and not to even mention her name. Rob struggles greatly with this task his father had set for him because he needs to grieve, but he "had a way of not thinking about things. He imagined himself as a suitcase that was too full, like the one he had packed when they left Jacksonville after the funeral. He made all his feelings go inside the suitcase; he stuffed them in tight and then sat on the suitcase and locked it shut" (3). One day, after moving to a new town and trying to get used to the boys always teasing him on the bus ride to school, Rob meets a new girl named Sistine after the Sistine Chapel. They become great friends and they help one another. Sistine helps Rob share his emotions and Rob, in turn, helps her discover that she has to rescue herself. With the combined help of a tiger owned by the hotel's owner and the story of a pet bird, this story deals with grief, sadness, and proves to have wonderful metaphors for life.

Response: The most impressive thing I noticed about this book was the metaphor of the tiger and the huge amount of imagery Kate DiCamilo brings to her writing. Just like in Because of Winn-Dixie, the author's idea behind the story is so much more than just finding a tiger in the woods.

One of the best examples of imagery in this book is in the above quote about the suitcase of emotions.

One of the first things readers learn about Rob is that he has this mysterious rash on both of his legs. His legs always seemed to itch at mysterious times: when he thought of setting the tiger free, when he talked to the owner about feeding the tiger, and right after he and Sistine have a fight about him not wanting to set the tiger free. Willie May, a cleaning lady at the motel, says that Rob "is keeping all that sadness down low, in [his] legs. [He's] not letting it get up to [his] heart, where it belongs. [He needs] to let that sadness rise on up" (37). Letting the sadness "rise on up" is like letting the tiger out of its cage and setting it free. One is the metaphor for the other.

Also, sunshine and rain are metaphors for the feelings Rob has in this book. He recalls "On the day of his mother's funeral it had been so sunshiny that it hurt his eyes. And after the funeral, he and his father had to stand outside in the hot, bright light an shake everybody's hand" (32). Earlier that day Rob had been crying and his father made him stop. The sunshine is a metaphor for the last time he showed emotion. It seems to rain every day throughout the book (and Rob does not ever cry during these times) until his father shoots the loose tiger. At this point Rob "opened his suitcase" (107) of emotion and lashed out at his father for not allowing him to grieve properly for his mother. Both father and son then grieve for the first time for their loss since the day of the funeral. The tiger of sadness is dead and the suitcase of emotions is now wide open for both of them.

Teaching Connections: The back of this book provides a multitude of literature circle questions for students keyed to multiple levels of Bloom's Taxonomy. One of my favorite questions from this collection is "When Rob looks at his father's hands, he calls them "complicated hands." What does he mean by this? Do you think most parent's hands are complicated? Explain." I believe that a class could have a very long discussion with just this one question. There is so much detail that could be incorporated in the answer!

I also think the following questions would be appropriate to ask students throughout, or following their reading of The Tiger Rising.

Do you think the suitcase was an appropriate metaphor for Rob's emotions? What other metaphors would have been appropriate here?
Why is holding in one's emotions a bad thing to do?
Was the reaction of the bus driver to the boys teasing Rob the correct response to the situation? What should he have done?
What is the significance of the name Sistine?
Why were the characters Rob and Sistine become such great friends?
What does Willie May mean when she says "Who don't know something in a cage" (64)?

(Image retrieved from http://www.bocalibrary.org/tweens/images/book_covers/dicamillo_tigerrising.JPG on 19 April 2008)

"Because of Winn-Dixie"

I watched the movie about this book several years ago, and although it was good, I must admit, that, as usual, the book was so much better than the movie!

The descriptions in this story are very unique. I love the way that Opal talks to Winn-Dixie; it truly makes him seem like a character with dialogue in this story. She never neglects to tell us how she thinks he feels, or what she thinks he is thinking about. For example, Opal asks him if he's ever been to north Florida and "Winn-Dixie looked down as the ground, like he was trying to remember if he had" (21). These descriptions really personify this dog.

There are other great descriptions in this novel as well. Although they are not all very detailed, Kate Dicamillo does not fail to give readers just enough information to intrigue readers and help them get the exact image of a place in their minds. She says that the church where her father preaches used to be a "Pick-It-Quick store" (32) and still has the store motto on the floor at the entrance, though her father did his best to remove it. From this imagery, one can almost see this small, older, country country town in Florida and the homey church.

There are implicit life-lessons in this book, which I think make this a wonderful classroom read. For example, Gloria Dump says: "...You can't always judge people by the things they done. You got to judge them by what they are doing now" (96). This is a great lesson for children to learn about not judging people before you get to know them. Another lesson this book teaches is about the Civil War and how war changes people. This could be a very interesting topic to possibly discuss with children since they probably know people fighting in a war right now. "Because of Winn-Dixie" also teaches about learning to let go. Gloria says that: "There ain't no way you can hold on to something that wants to go...You can only love what you got while you got it" (159). This is a very hard lesson, but in the context of a dog like Winn-Dixie who was a stray and helped Opal learn to adapt to her new surroundings in the town of Naomi, it is very applicable to children. In addition, this story also teaches about synonyms. Opal says the lozenges make her feel sad and then Gloria links them to sorrow, and her father connects them to melancholy. This helps increase students' vocabulary, which I believe is always a good thing, especially when done in such a subtle way as this book does.

Reading this book gave me two good teaching ideas if I were to use this novel in the classroom. Since the lozenges' secret ingredient is something that makes people remember sad times, teachers could ask the students to create a recipe of a lozenge that included a secret ingredient that would make them feel happy, like chocolate, etc. Also, since lists of ten are prominent in "Because of Winn-Dixie," relating to Opal's mother and Winn-Dixie himself, teachers could ask students to make a ten-item list about things about a special family member or pet.

(Image retrieved from http://syndetics.com/hw7.pl?client=crrlp&isbn=0763607762/MC.GIF on 19 April 2008)

"Mind's Eye"

Mind's Eye
Written by: Paul Fleischman
Cover illustrations by: Ericka O'Rourke
Published by: Henry Holt and Company, LLC in NY in 1999
Genre: Realistic and Historical Fiction
Age: Grades 5-8

Summary: This novel is written in the form of a play. It features a popular, normal sixteen year old girl who has to adapt to her rapidly changing life after becoming paralyzed in an accident. Courtney is placed in a nursing home and dreads the rest of her life with her new condition until an elderly blind woman takes her on an imaginary journey to Italy in 1910 and teaches her the power of the mind. On this trip Courtney discovers the love she has never known and is able to fight through her struggles with her situation. Much historical data of Italy is intertwined with this remarkable coming of age survival tale.

Response: I was very intrigued by this book at first simply because of its cover art. One sees a young girl and an elderly lady both lying in hospital beds on the two covers of the work. These black and white photographs are set on top of a colorful scene of rooftops in Italy. The contrast of these two photographic images is very stark and makes the book seem somewhat eerie, but nonetheless extremely intriguing.

An aspect of this work that I enjoyed was the ability to read a fictional tale and yet, learn so much about Italy in the early twentieth century. Because this author has such a love for history, he places much of his knowledge into his books. The descriptions in this work create truly amazing vivid images that make one feel as those he or she is actually vacationing in Italy during this time. Elva, a friendly elderly woman, has Courtney use the Baedeker's Guide to Italy, published in 1910 and famous throughout the world for its vivid descriptions of every aspect a traveler would care to know, that she bought to explain with great detail every museum, hotel they visited as well as describe each statue and figure they passed on their walks through the city.

I really love this line in Mind's Eye: "Isn't that the essence of literature? Of all the arts, really. Our ability to identify with characters, no matter that they're separated from us by thousands of miles and hundreds of lifetimes. We may have no Mount Vesuvius looming over us. It may not be lava and ashes we fear. But we look at these forms, and we know what they felt" (58). It just seems as though Fleischman truly captures the essence of literature with this statement. Those of us who feel that we can truly connect with the characters in our books have a wonderful gift. We are able to see past some of the differences from us they may posses and really get to know them as if they were real people. Being able to see past those differences is key to a successful life outside literature, so the connection of those two is remarkable. I am always amazed by the connections Fleischman is able to make between his works and real life situations.

Another quote I love from this book is: "A good, loving childhood fills you up like a good breakfast. It gives you strength and sustenance for the adult years ahead. And a good marriage does the same, for the years of living alone that come after. I go back to those years everyday. Like a child passing through the kitchen for a snack. Something sweet and savory" (63). This metaphor, spoken by Elva, the elderly woman in the book, captures impeccably two diverse aspects of one's life. It makes connections that are so true that it leaves you at a loss for words. There need be no further description of this passage than simply the passage itself, and that speaks very highly of Paul Fleischman's writing.

Teaching Connections: Have students choose and ancient city like Rome, Paris, London, Venice, Bologna, Moscow, Berlin, Prague, Geneva, etc. and research its landscape, inhabitants, and history in a time period of their choice. Then have them draw a map of that city including all historical sites of the time. To continue with this activity, teachers could ask their students to write a story about traveling through this city. Encourage them to not only use their research as a guide, but to also use great detail and a little of their imaginations to make the story interesting to its reader.

Websites that might be of assistance:

http://www.world66.com/destinations
Venice, Italy
Bologna, Italy
Use this encyclopedia to search for cities

(Image retrieved from http://www.hcboe.net/School/MHHSE/mindseye.jpg on 19 April 2008)

"Jackrabbit"

Jackrabbit
Written by Jonathan London
Illustrated by Deborah Kogan Ray
Published by Crown Publishers, NY in 1996
Genre: realistic fiction
Ages: grades K-3

Summary: A jackrabbit is left behind and scared when she cannot keep up with her mother. A woman walking through the woods finds the frightened rabbit and cares for her just as her mother would have. The rabbit becomes a good pet, but after some time passes, her wild instincts become apparent and the woman knows she must let the rabbit go back into the wild where she belongs, no matter how much she may miss her. Later, the woman sees the rabbit in the wild and notices that she had a family of her own now and has adapted well to the life for which she was created. Both the woman and the jackrabbit have fond memories of the time they spent together even after they have both gone on with their respective lives.

Response: I chose to read this particular picture book because I have always loved rabbits. Although I never had one as a pet when I was a child, I have always loved their long ears and soft fur, therefore, a book about rabbits will always peak my curiosity.

The illustrations in this novel are very good and detail the country setting of the work. Although they are not as exceptional as some illustrations, they follow the story very well and add to the imagery in readers' minds. They are mostly in deep yellows and oranges; none of the colors are remarkably bright. I love the illustration in of the kitchen, because here the illustrator pays such careful attention to detail, that readers can read the grocery list, party invitation, and schedule of the homeowners posted on the refrigerator. Thin, wispy lines are used throughout these illustrations, which makes it easy to see the effort the author put into her illustrations. Additionally, the illustrations are all double-page spreads, which show lots of action. Although I am not positive, I believe the medium used was watercolor.

This book teaches about being kind to creatures in nature, caring for pets, and knowing when to let go. The later lesson is the hardest for us all, however, knowledge of this can help children cope with anxieties over loses of their own pets. There is also some information about the particular foods rabbits eat and how wild animals are not meant to be pets due to their wild tendencies.

Teaching Connections: A teacher could ask students about their pets. The class could also discuss the difference between wild and domesticated animals and which ones make good pets and why.

After reading this novel, the class could learn more about Jackrabbits and students could make a short presentation about a particular animal, its abilities to be or not to be a good pet, and general facts about the animal.

(Image retrieved from http://www.bookdepot.com/images/large/isbn978999/9789999990714-l.jpg on 19 April 2008)