Module 7

SLIS 5420/ Module 7 July 19-25

Books read this week:
"The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins" by Barbara Kerley
"The Road to Oz" by Kathleen Krull

"The Dinosaurs of Watherhouse Hawkins"
Summary: This is an information nonfiction book about the story of Waterhouse Hawkins the first man to mold dinosaurs and build one life-size.

My impressions: This was a really cool story. I really enjoyed reading this story and really enjoyed the illustrations. I learned something I didn't know and also by reading the authors note in the back that this is a true story.

Reviews:

School Library Journal

Gr 2-5-A picture-book presentation about the efforts of Hawkins to erect the first life-sized models of dinosaurs on both sides of the Atlantic. A Victorian artist and sculptor, he was well respected in England, and his reputation insured his being invited to construct replicas of creatures no one had ever seen and to unveil them at the newly constructed Crystal Palace. Kerley's spirited text and Selznick's dramatic paintings bring Hawkins's efforts into clear focus, including his frustrating experience in New York City when Boss Tweed set vandals loose in his workshop. Both author and illustrator provide copious notes of biographical material delineating Hawkins's works, and Selznick's trips to Philadelphia to view a rare scrapbook that is the model for this book's design and to London to see the original Crystal Palace models. Painstakingly researched, written and illustrated with careful attention to detail, this book presents the fervor and spirit of a dedicated, little-known individual whose conceptions-however erroneous by today's discoveries-astounded the minds and stirred the imaginations of scientists then involved in the actual birth of paleontology. A distinguished book in every way.-Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Dinosaurs-of-Waterhouse-Hawkins/Barbara-Kerley/e/9780439114943/?itm=2&USRI=the+dinosaurs+of+waterhouse+hawkins

Scholastic Inc
Mir Kamin, Feb 2009

This is a fascinating biography disguised as a beautiful book about dinosaurs. It’s easily the best book I’ve read in months.

Pros: Dinosaurs are interesting to just about everyone. Beautiful artwork that really brings the story to life. It’s like a real-life fairy tale.
Cons: Boss Tweed and his gang. Turtle soup. Dinosaurs are extinct.

The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins gets three thumbs way up from our kitchen table.

http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3751321

Uses: This is a good book for any dinosaur fans, young and old. It is also a good book to represent informational nonfiction.

Kerley, Barbara. ( 2001). "The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins". New York, NY: Scholastic Press.

"The Road to Oz"

Summary: This is the story of Frank Baum who wrote the Wizard of Oz. This tells of his life from when he was a young boy and loved to write stories up till he was older and finally invented a story that stuck "The Wizard of Oz".

My Impressions: I really liked this book. It is a great biography and is very colorful. Mo st of the illustrations have hints of green in them leading up to the land of Oz. The cover is fantastic all green and has the characters of the Wizard of Oz on it. I really enjoyed reading about the man behind the Wizard of Oz.

Reviews:

School Library Journal

Gr 1-4

Fans of The Wizard of Oz will find plenty of enchantment in this thoughtful, brightly illustrated narrative. From his childhood at his parents' estate, with its "rosebushes in glimmering-jewel colors," to his various careers as journalist, playwright, chicken expert, window dresser (including his creative display of hardware fashioned into a tin man), store owner, newspaper editor, and family storyteller, Krull magically interweaves the origins of Baum's characters and themes that would appear in his "modern American fairy tales." The "Oz" books were his only true success, but they did not result in a fairy-tale ending for the Baum family. With sympathy for her subject, Krull tactfully notes Baum's lack of aptitude for business affairs and his eventual declaration of bankruptcy. Hawkes's merry paintings of the author and his characters invoke the magic of Oz within the great author's real-world setting. The Road to Oz will provide students with an inspiring introduction to Baum's life.-Jayne Damron, Farmington Community Library, MI.

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Road-to-Oz/Kathleen-Krull/e/9780375832161/?itm=1&USRI=the+road+to+oz+twists%2c+turns%2c+and+triumphs.

From Booklist

Despite the enduring popularity of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, there are few titles about L. Frank Baum published for youth. Krull’s new picture-book biography, then, is particularly welcome, and it displays Krull’s usual stylistic strengths: a conversational tone, well-integrated facts, vivid anecdotes, and sly asides that encourage children to find the human qualities in a historical figure. Beginning with Baum’s pampered youth, Krull moves forward through his early adult years, when he flailed in a variety of jobs before finally writing his famous first book about Oz, which he based on bedtime stories he created for his children. Krull gives a balanced account, emphasizing Baum’s creative gifts and his talents for nurturing his family while frankly referencing his less-admirable traits, such as his prejudice against Native Americans. Hawkes’ ink-and-acrylic illustrations are uneven, with some figures appearing blurred and hurriedly rendered, but the brightly colored compositions do support the sense of Baum as a multifaceted, fascinating individual. An author’s note, sources, and a list of Baum’s works conclude this entertaining, lively portrait. Grades 2-5. --Gillian Engberg

http://www.amazon.com/Road-Oz-Twists-Turns-Triumphs/dp/0375832165

Uses: Great to use if watching the Wizard of Oz in a classroom or talking about the Wizard of Oz. Great biography book.

Krull, Kathleen. (2008). "The Road to Oz: Twists, Turns, Bumps, & Triumphs in the Life of L. Frank Baum". New York, NY: Random House.

Module 6

SLIS 5420/ Module 6 July 12- 18

Books Read this week:
"Amelia and Eleanor go for a Ride" by Pam Munoz Ryan
"My Louisiana Sky" by Kimberly Willis Holt

Summary for "Amelia & Eleanor":
This book is about the night Amelia Earhart visits Eleanor Roosevelt and they go for a night ride in Amelia's plane. They are good friends, Amelia has even convinced Eleanor to get her pilot's license.

My Impressions: Fun book! I like how the illustrations are in black and white just like the photos would of been back then. This was just a really fun story to read.

Reviews:

Publishers Weekly

In this sparkling picture book based on a true incident, Ryan (Riding Freedom, with Selznick) proves that Amelia Earhart and Eleanor Roosevelt truly were "birds of a feather." Friends in real life, America's First Lady invited the "First Lady of the Air" to dinner at the White House in 1933. Eleanor, inspired by Amelia's descriptions of Washington viewed from her plane at night, accepts the pilot's offer of an after-dinner flight over the capital. Before dessert can be served, and over the protests of the Secret Service agents, the two are off to the airport and up in the sky, thrilling to the brilliance of the city below. Hewing closely to documented accounts, Ryan's inviting text adds drama and draws parallels between the two protagonists with fictional touches: she places them alone together in the plane (an author's note explains that in fact they were accompanied by two male pilots) and adds a final scene in which Eleanor takes Amelia for a zippy ride around the city in her brand-new car. Selznick's illustrations, black-and-white graphite accented with touches of purple pencil, both capture the vibrancy of his subjects and evoke the feel of a more glamorous era. A brief but compelling slice from the lives of two determined, outspoken and passionate women. Ages 5-9. (Oct.) Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.

Children's Literature

Climb aboard for a delightful spin with two unconventional ladies in Amelia and Eleanor Go for a Ride, which is based on a true story. The First Lady was enamored with flying; she had taken some lessons. When her friend Amelia Earhart was in DC on a tour, Eleanor invited her and her husband for dinner at the White House. Before dessert was served, Amelia suggested a plane ride to see the Capitol at night. The Secret Service agents were aghast, but the two determined women could not be stopped. What a ride it was! The pencil drawings are bursting with life in this energetic charming anecdote of two famous ladies.

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Amelia-and-Eleanor-Go-for-a-Ride/Pam-Munoz-Ryan/e/9780590960755/?itm=1&USRI=amelia+%26+eleanor

Uses: This is a great book to use to represent women in the past and how they were gaining more abilities and a new place in the world. It is also a really fun view of Amelia & Eleanor and how two ladies of substantial were just like anyone else, ready to have some fun.

Ryan, Pam Munoz. (1999). "Amelia and Eleanor go for a Ride". New York, NY: Scholast

ic Press.

Summary for "My Louisiana Sky": This book is about a young girl, Tiger, who lives in Louisiana with her mother, father, and grandmother. Her mother and father are what she likes to call slow, so grandma pretty much takes care of all of them. When grandma dies, Tigers mother is very upset and Tiger is not sure that her mother will be able to take care of her. Her aunt asks her to move to Baton Rouge to live with her but before Tiger moves she learns the value of real family and where her home truly is.

My Impressions: This is a great family story. It is very heartwarming and is a great story about appreciating your family the way they are and loving them for who they are. I like this story because the author also does a great job of painting the picture of the 50s time period and of where the story takes place.

Reviews:

Children's Literature

Tiger wonders why she's so different from her parents, why she can get all A's in school when her mother is sweet, but childlike, and her father is considered retarded. Luckily, she has her Granny to hold the odd household together-until Granny dies. Tiger faces discrimination from her classmates and even considers accepting her "normal" aunt's offer to move in with her in Baton Rouge. How she comes to terms with her backcountry family and the world of the nineteen-fifties is the meat of this delicately written book.

School Library Journal

Gr 4-9-Set in the South in the late 1950s, this coming-of-age story explores a 12-year-old girl's struggle to accept her grandmother's death, her mentally deficient parents, and the changing world around her. By Kimberly Willis Holt. Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/My-Louisiana-Sky/Kimberly-Willis-Holt/e/9780805052510/?itm=2&USRI=my+louisiana+sky

Uses: This is a great book for children to read if they struggle to get along with their family or have someone in their family who is "slow". It is beautifully descriptive and a great historical fiction book.

Holt, Kimberly Willis, (1998). "My Louisiana Sky". New York, NY: Henry Holt Company.

Module 5

SLIS 5420/Module 5 July 5-11

Books: "The Lightning Thief" by Rick Riordan

"Uglies" by Scott Westerfeld

Summary: "The Lightning Thief" by Rick Riordan is about a young boy, Percy Jackson, who learns that he is the son of a god. He has to defeat monsters and go on quests to find his rightful place in the world.

My impressions: I have been wanting to read this book for a while and I will go onto read the rest of the series. It was a great fantasy book, full with wonder and insight for the imagination. It is a page turner and keeps you begging for more.
Reviews:

Child Magazine

"Once I got over the fact that my Latin teacher was a horse, we had a nice tour, though I was careful not to walk behind him." For Percy, a wisecracking 12-year-old with ADHD, discovering his teacher is really a centaur is just another clue that the Greek gods are alive, well, and causing all kinds of mayhem in modern-day America. Accused of stealing Zeus's master lightning bolt, Percy must prove his innocence while battling a Minotaur and a host of other celestial thugs. Best for older, action-loving kids, this book offers nonstop adventure and terrific exposure to Greek mythology. (ages 8 to 12)
Child magazine's Best Children's Book Awards 2005

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Lightning-Thief/Rick-Riordan/e/9780786838653/?itm=3&USRI=the+lightning+thief+%28percy+jackson+and+the+olympians...

JuneBug4

Great book!

Rating

Posted June 29, 2010, 3:57 PM EST: I enjoyed reading the entire Percy series. As co-sponsor for my school's student book club, I suggested this as one of our books last year. The students (4th-8th grade) loved it!

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Lightning-Thief/Rick-Riordan/e/9780786838653/?itm=3&USRI=the+lightning+thief+%28percy+jackson+and+the+olympians...

Uses:
This book can be used for a fantasy series or to learn about fantasy. It can be used to go with learning about the gods and mythology.

Riordan, Rick. (2005). "The Lightning Thief". New York: NY: Scholastic Inc.

"Uglies" by Scott Westerfeld
Summary: Tally has just turned 16 and is soon to turn pretty. But she meets a new friend Shay who doesn't want to be pretty because being pretty isn't as great as it sounds. Especially if being pretty means not being yourself anymore.

My impressions: I love this story and I love this series. I wasn't a big science fiction fan until I came upon these books. They really draw you in and the adventure that Tally takes are wonderful and open the imagination to a whole new futuristic world.

Reviews:

Deborah Taylor - Children's Literature

Tally is about to turn sixteen—the most important birthday in her life. It is at age sixteen that residents of Uglyville cross over into New Pretty Town and their unattractive physical attributes are replaced to make them drop-dead gorgeous. Just before she is about to have her operations, Tally meets Shay, another Uglie about to reach the magic age of sixteen. However Shay is different; she is not convinced that being ugly is all that bad. Shay ultimately decides to run away and join a group of renegades who are resisting the authorities, leaving Tally to await her operations. Unfortunately, the authorities suspect Tally of assisting Shay's defection and refuse her operation until she betrays her friend. Author Scott Westerfeld has created a thought-provoking science fiction novel that begs to be discussed. 2005, Simon Pulse/Simon & Schuster, Ages 14 up.

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Uglies/Scott-Westerfeld/e/9781416934509/?itm=1&USRI=uglies

• OMG!!!by bookworm_157
• Reader Rating
  

Posted November 11, 2008, 6:09 PM EST: I have read this book and the rest of this series several times. And each time I find or realize something new about the characters or the plot. It keeps you guessing no matter how many times you read it. The basic story is it is set in the future and when you turn 16 you go under the knife and be changed from an ugly to a pretty. This book follows a trouble making uglie's journey before her surgery. Makes new friends and enemies. And not only is this book good but the entire series is good! I reccomend this to anyone in need of a good book to read!!

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Uglies/Scott-Westerfeld/e/9781416934509/?itm=1&USRI=uglies

Uses: Great read for High school students who aren't really into science fiction. It can be used in any form of studying the future or what the future might be like.

Westerfeld, Scott. (2005)."Uglies". New York, NY: Simon Pulse.

Module 4

SLIS 5420/ Module 4 June 27-July 4

Books Read this week:
"Frindle" by Andrew Clements

"Ruby Holler" by Sharon Creech

Summary for "Frindle" by Andrew Clements:
A boy named Nick renames a pen to be called a frindle. It quickly takes hold and it is the students against a teacher using this new word. Eventually the word has spread across the country and there is nothing Nick can do to stop it anymore. It is a story of learning to be able to achieve anything that you set out to and following it through till the end.

My Impressions: This is such a fun story. Its a quick read and an enjoyable one. It is fun and exciting and you just have to know what happens. Nick is very clever and I think lots of young students can relate to this story and enjoy it.

Reviews:

Reviewer: Buraq K. '12

The lesson to be learned from reading Frindle is that it is possible to make up a word! Nick makes up a new word "frindle" for pen. Nick's teacher, Mrs. Granger, is very strict, and does not want the children to use the made up word for pen. Nick appears on T.V. for an interview because of all the commotion that his word "frindle" is causing. Will the word "frindle" make its way into the dictionary? Is Mrs. Granger really hoping that Nick's "word" won't become a "real word"?

Fall 2004

http://www.germantownacademy.org/academics/ls/superreader/title/f/frindle.htm

Publishers Weekly

Trying to aggravate a tough language-arts teacher, a fifth-grade boy invents a new word for pen: "frindle." Soon, the whole country is using it. "Dictionary lovers will cotton to this mild classroom fantasy," said PW. Ages 8-12. (Feb.)

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Frindle/Andrew-Clements/e/9780689818769

Uses:
This book is just a great classroom read. It can be used to teach the students about the dictionary and also just making anything possible.

Clements, Andrew. (1996). "Frindle". New York, NY: Simon and Schuster.

Summary for "Ruby Holler":

This book is about twins a boy and girl named Dallas and Florida who are orphans and live in a home that has awful owners and tons of rules that they are always breaking. They have been in and out of foster homes and finally are sent to "Ruby Holler" to help an older couple and finally learn that they can be loved.

My impressions:
I liked this story a lot. I thought it was great in showing children that they can be loved no matter what. It can also be good to relate to children who have moved a lot or are adopted.

Reviews:

From the Publisher

"Trouble twins" Dallas and Florida are orphans who have given up believing there is such a thing as a loving home. Tiller and Sairy are an eccentric older couple who live in the beautiful, mysterious Ruby Holler, but they're restless for one more big adventure. When they invite the twins to join them on their journeys, they first must all stay together in the Holler, and the magic of the place takes over. Two pairs of lives grow closer, and are changed forever.

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Ruby-Holler/Sharon-Creech/e/9780060560157/?itm=1&USRI=Ruby+Holler

It's not only what angle you choose to see an event from, but how close you go to it, and how long you spend with it, and when you look away. In Ruby Holler, Creech does an unusual thing for a children's book: she distributes her attention equally among the adults and the children. She looks at whatever is interesting, whatever moves the story forward, and tells us what she sees, and never tells us more than we need.
Philip Pullman is the author of the His Dark Materials trilogy
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2002/jul/06/booksforchildrenandteenagers.shopping

Uses:
This book can be used for learning about the value of family, for children who are adopted or have moved around a lot.

Creech, Sharon. (2002). "Ruby Holler". New York, NY: Harper Collins Publishers.