And the winner is...

Chris Van Allsburg

As I racked my brain to try and figure out which author I wanted to spend large amounts of time learning about, Van Allsburg kept coming to mind. He has written such wonderful titles as The Polar Express and Jumanji, but did you know that he's written 16 books altogether? I didn't know that either, but now each of his works (well, some are on hold at the library) are sitting in my living room, waiting to be read.

I can't wait to delve into his world and learn all there is to know about this literary genius.

Eleanor Roosevelt: A Life of Discovery

Freedman, R. (1993). Eleanor Roosevelt: A life of discovery. New York, NY: Clarion Books.

Read on June 3, 2012. A 1994 Newbery Honor book.

Eleanor Roosevelt always thought of herself as an “ugly duckling.” When her husband won the presidential election in 1932, she was actually disappointed because the role of First Lady was not one that she had always dreamed of having. She enjoyed her life as a teacher, writer, and independent woman. This book describes the life and times of Eleanor, including the time she married her cousin (fifth cousin), and how she was afraid of water so took swimming lessons at the YWCA. 

This biography would be great for students who are not in the popular crowd because it can show them that they can still make a difference in life. The best way to get readers to respond would be to have them integrate this book with a content area (Wigfield and Guthrie).

Henry's Freedom Box

Levine, E. (2007). Henry’s freedom box: A true story of the underground railroad. New York, NY: Scholastic Inc.

Read on June 10, 2012. A 2008 Caldecott Honor book.

When you are a slave, I'm sure there's only so much that you can take before you decide that enough is enough. For Henry, it wasn't the fact that he didn't have a birthday or even that he was forced to work for the horrible son of his former owner. For Henry, the breaking point was hearing about the auction of his wife and children while he was working. This desperate man decided that he would rather risk his life while trying to escape than to live without his family. So Henry mails himself to a state where slavery had been outlawed. Not only did he gain his own freedom, but he also helped many other slaves escape the cruel life of slavery. Along with his freedom, Henry also gained another very important thing--a birthday. His birthday coincided with the date he reached his final destination, March 30, 1849 was a day that Henry would remember forever.

This biography has some of the best illustrations I have seen in a picture book. The attention to detail make this book appear lifelike. So real, in fact that if Henry were still alive, I think I'd be able to easily recognize him. Students also enjoy the realism presented through the illustrations.

I use this book in my classroom every year and each time, I try to find a new way to model a reading strategy. For example, I have students make predictions using the title only, they can think about what they already know about the Underground Railroad, while reading they can make connections to hard times they've had, and they can problem solve (Mosaic of Thought). Some students have difficulty understanding why Henry didn't just hit his slave master since he didn't like him, which often leads to a discussion of what life was like for a slave. The teacher could do an extension activity with other books that show what life for a slave was like.

An American Plague

An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793

Murphy, J. (2003). An American plague: The true and terrifying story of the yellow fever epidemic. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Company.

Read on June 8, 2012. Among its many awards, this book was a Newbery Honor book in 2004.

It was 1973 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania when the first person died of a mysterious cause. Within the next 7 days, 8 people got a fever and became deathly ill. What was this fever doing to the townspeople of Philadelphia? Where was the fever coming from? How did you get rid of it once you had it? The answers for these questions did not come quickly or easily, if at all. Because of that, up to 100 people died in any given week, all throughout the disease's fierce rule of Philadelphia. The Philadelphians started with cleaning up the waste of trash and dead animals. This seemed to help some, but things were still dire. Many doctors tried different remedies like herbal supplements, drinking poison to induce vomiting and diarrhea, and bloodletting. While there is still no cure for yellow fever, doctors did figure out a way to spot the disease in its early stages.

This book, being highly informational, would be beneficial to have in either a guided reading group (Fountas and Pinnell), read aloud (Trelease), or as an active, shared reading experience (Fish). Teachers could guide the class to a deeper understanding by performing think alouds, sharing thoughts with a peer, writing about their reading, or doing additional research in relation to a content area. Since this epidemic is related to the Black Plague, students could note similarities between the two. Although it's disgusting, students could also make their learning more concrete by using the information from the book to draw what victims looked like throughout the various stages of the disease. Another option would be to have students make brochures for the citizens about how to avoid getting yellow fever and what to do when you realize you are getting it.

So You Want to be President?

St. George, J. So you want to be president? New York, NY: Philomel Books.

Read on June 4, 2012. A 2001 Caldecott Award winner.

What do you know about presidents and their demands while in office? What do you know about what it takes to be a president?  Whatever you know, prepare to be challenged while reading this book. While reading, I was astonished to learn some things about the men that America chose to lead this great country. For example, Andrew Jackson started, and participated in, several brawls before he was elected. Calvin Coolidge had a pet raccoon and every single president has at least one sibling. If that wasn't enough, the author included a list of additional facts in the back of the book.

Along with the entertaining facts, the illustrator (David Small) had a sense of humor when using pop art to make our former presidents look like caricature drawings. Presidential body parts were exaggerated, which made me laugh before I even started reading. There's a hilarious picture of Howard Taft being lifted by a crane into a bath tub that he had specially made. He just looked so happy and pleased with himself for having to have a bathtub specially built for his 300 pound body.

While reading this book, I thought of the fifth graders across the hall from me. They would love learning about US history if it were presented in this manner. I would bet that students wouldn't even realize that they are learning because this book is that exciting (Wigfield and Guthrie). Another way to encourage reader response would be to have students make a list of some of the things they might require if they ever became president (Fish).

Hush! A Thai Lullaby

Ho, M. (1996). Hush! A Thai lullaby. New York, NY: Orchard Books.

Read on June7, 2012.  A 1997 Caldecott Honor award book.

Being a new mom myself, I value peace and quiet while my baby girl is sleeping. This is not just an American thing, either. The mother in this book is desperate to have the creatures around her "Hush!" while her baby is trying to sleep. She goes to all the animals that are making even the tiniest of noises in an effort to help her baby get a little bit more sleep. Once everyone and everything is finally quiet and asleep, including the mom, the only person awake is the baby.


The illustrations in this book are similar to that of Lon Po Po in that the art is flat and primitive, indicative of folk art and stories. The drawings are bright and take on a different look than those animals that we are used to in the United States.

The author of this book allowed some mystery before what animal is making the noise that could wake up the baby. Students can use their prior knowledge of animal noises to infer what animal is making the noise on the next page (Mosaic of Thought). Doing so really relies on a student’s knowledge of animals. For example, if a student knows what a sty is and that pigs live there, they will be able to infer that the animal sniffling in the sty is a pig. I believe that poetry leads itself to active reading as well (Fish), especially since this book has animal noises.

Out of the Dust

Hesse, K. (1997). Out of the dust. New York, NY: Scholastic Inc.

Read on June 5, 2012. A 1998 Newbery Award winning story told through poetry.

“As summer wheat came ripe, so did I, 

born at home, 

on the kitchen floor. 

Ma crouched, barefoot, bare bottomed

 over the swept floors because that’s where

 Daddy said it’d be best.”  (Hesse, pg. 1)

Never, in a million years, did I think I'd LOVE a book of poetry as much as I love Out of the Dust. I will most definitely buy this book for my own personal enjoyment.

This book is takes place in the 1930’s, in a part of the country where they grew wheat for their main source of income. Billie Joe is the girl telling the story through her poetry, which is in the form of a diary of sorts. The main character, however, seems to be the dust. It pervades her every day life from the pepper at dinner being nothing but dust to taking a test covered in the stuff. The book follows Billie Joe through 2 years, broken up by the 4 seasons. She talks about the mundane life of state tests to her love of piano. When her mom finds out she’s expecting again, Billie Joe writes with hope. Hope that this baby will live when the others have not. But, when a fire burns Ma and Billie Joe, her writing turns to pain. She feels bad for inadvertently hurting her ma and she’s mad at her dad for going off drinking. When her baby brother is born, not only does she discover that the apple tree didn’t make the highly anticipated apples, but she finds out that her mother passed away. As she grows to accept what happened, her writing goes back to that of a hopeful girl, although she'll never be the same as she was before the fire.

This book brings new meaning to poetry. Never have I read a poem that drew me in so completely. Using this book would be a great way to get students interested in the art of poetry. They can learn that not all poems are boring and fraught with hidden meaning and forced rhymes. I believe that this book could get them excited to read a poem, especially if the teacher can provide a good tease to entice students (McKenna and Kear). This book would be a good alternative to the poems that are located in so many basal books and reading passages. Students can use all of their strategies while reading (Mosaic). They can ask questions and predict what will happen next based on the title of the poem. I’m sure some students could even make thoughtful connections to what Billie Joe is going through in this story (Chambers).

Number the Stars

Lowry, L. (1989). Number the stars.  New York, NY: Yearling.

Read on June 7, 2012. A Newbery Award Winner for 1990.

This award winning chapter book takes place in 1943, when the Nazi's were bent on destroying the Jewish population. Number the Stars is the perfect book for students who have a desire to learn more about this era, without sharing all of the graphic and gory details.


Young Annemarie Johansen is not in any danger of being sent away to a concentration camp because her family is not of Jewish descent. Her best friend, Ellen Rosen, faces that danger every day because her family is. As the threat of sending these families to concentration camp draws closer, the Rosen family decides to send their daughter to live with the Johansen family. When Ellen meets back up with her mother and father again, they are at Uncle Henrik's house for a "funeral". He has devised an escape plan for these fugitives. Annemarie dangerously, and unknowinly becomes a part of this plan when her mother hurts her foot, thereby forcing Annemarie to deliver "lunch" to her Uncle Henrik on the boat. The young girl finds herself face to face with German soldiers and is forced to tell lies in order to make her important delivery. What Annemarie doesn't realize, though, is that her lunch basket contains a secret potion that throws the dogs of the scent of the escapees. She did not even know that in being so brave, she is singlehandedly responsible for saving the life of her friend. In honor of her dear friend, Annemarie decides that she will wear the Star of David until the two friends meet up again.

Since Number the Stars tackles difficult concepts of life back in the Nazi time, I’ve always imagined that students would get a better understanding of what the book is about by reading it together. This book could be used as a guided reading book that would span several weeks (Fountas and Pinnell). It would also make a good literature circle book because it leads to some deep discussion between peers (Langer-sociocognitive theory).

Pink and Say

Polacco, P. (1994). Pink and say. New York, NY: Philomel Books.

Read on June 2, 2012.

Although this historical fiction book is not an award winner, I chose it because of the author. I love Patricia Polacco because of the depth and personal feelings with which she writes. Even though it hasn't won an award, in my eyes, it definitely should have. Along with the amazing story of two unlikely friends, Polacco utilizes her usual style of illustration--expressionism. The reader can tell more about the feelings and emotions of the character by looking at the drawings, than you can from the words on the page.

Pinkus Aylee (Pink) and Sheldon Curtis (Say), find each other while laying wounded in the battlefield during the Civil War. Pink took Say home to his mom, Moe Moe Bay, who nursed both boys back to health with a promise from them that they wouldn’t fight anymore. Pink promises but works hard to find out how he can meet back up with his Union Troop. Say, on the other hand, ran away from his troop and has no desire to return because of the things they do to men (or boys in Say's case) who abandon their troop. Moe Moe Bay eventually loses her life, protecting her “boys” and they set out on the road to find their troops. In true Polacco fashion, Pink made a promise that he would teach Say how to read. That promise was never fulfilled because both boys were captured by Confederate troops. Say got to live a long life and pass the story of Pink and Moe Moe Bay on to his family. Pink, on the other hand, was hanged shortly after reaching the prison for black soldiers. 

Just like in Because of Winn-Dixie, the author had the reader speak in the same manner in which the characters would have. Using words like 'cause, flyin', and gotta, the reader can really become actively involved in the story (Fish). 

Because of Winn-Dixie

DiCamillo, K. (2009) Because of winn-dixie. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press.
Read on June 9, 2012. 

This 2001 Newbery Award winning book is one of my all time favorites. It's about a girl, India Opal Baloney, who has moved with her father, The Preacher, down to Naomi, Florida. Opal befriends a dog who is wreaking havoc on the manager of their local Winn-Dixie. Once "Winn-Dixie" gets a bath and some food in his belly, he becomes a respectable member of the Baloney family, aside from his pathological fear of thunderstorms.

During summer break, Winn-Dixie helps Opal make new friends, even though she doesn't even realize that they are becoming friends. There's "pinch faced" Amanda Wilkinson who only appears pinch faced because she's hiding the secret that her brother had recently drowned in a pool. Stevie and Dewey Dunlap hesitantly become friends with Opal and ultimately teach her not to judge people by how they look. Because of the Dunlap boys, Opal is introduced to Ms. Gloria Dump. Gloria is the neighborhood "witch"who helps Opal realize that she ultimately needs to forgive her momma for drinking and leaving the family because we all make mistakes. Like every single one of us, Opal judged these people before really getting to know them. She thought they were mean, stuck up, or even a criminal but once she got to know each of them, she found that they all had secrets, just like she did.

This contemporary, realistic fiction book is a fun book to read aloud (Trelease) because the reader begins to take on the voices of each character. When I read aloud to the class, I find myself using a slight accent so that the students realize that Opal is the one telling the story. Sweetie Pie Thomas gets a super sweet, high-pitched voice, while Gloria Dump gets a deep, low, slow voice to represent her age and thoughtfulness. Students often enjoy this book so much, that I hear moans and groans after reading each chapter. While reading, I have students respond by telling me what a good chapter title would be once we've finished a chapter. They really engage in this discussion with each other, agreeing or disagreeing and adding their own thoughts to that of their neighbor. And it's not often that this happens, but I've had a lot of students say that this book is actually better than the movie!

Knuffle Bunny Too

Willems, M. (2007). Knuffle bunny too: A case of mistaken identity. New York, NY: Hyperion Books.

A contemporary/realistic fiction book read June 6, 2012. A 2008 Caldecott Honor Book.

In Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale (also written by Mo Willems), we meet Trixie and Knuffle Bunny. We learn of her love for her bunny when she throws a royal tantrum upon losing her precious toy.

A few years later, we meet a more grown up and sophisticated Trixie who talks constantly and still totes her Knuffle Bunny everywhere she goes. When she meets Sonja at school, she finds that she's not the only one with a love for the cute, stuffed animal. When the girls begin a battle over exactly how you pronounce Knuffle Bunny's name, the teacher confiscates the two bunnies to be returned after school. Little did either girl realize, they got the wrong bunny. They make their mother and father race across the streets of New York to swap bunnies so that the households can get some rest. Not only is each girl reunited, but they also become good friends due to their shared love of the same bunny.

Besides the story and finally finding out that there is no "right" way to pronounce Knuffle Bunny, the pictures are astounding. The used mixed media art while using actual pictures of New York and mixing it with drawings of the characters. I believe, especially out in Davidson County, that this takes students somewhere they've likely never been. They can take a short break from cow pastures and fields to experience a city that is like no other--New York City.

Because of the speech bubbles, as opposed to plain text, I believe that this book is great for reading aloud (Trelease). The teacher can utilize the speech bubble to read in different voices and really draw the readers into the story. I think that it is also a good book to help motivate students to read (McKenna and Kear) because it is not set up in the traditional way. Whenever I use this book in my classroom, I always have to search book bins because it is never on the shelf for very long.

Tuesday

Wiesner, D. (1991). Tuesday. New York, NY: Clarion Books.

Read on June 6, 2012. Winner of the 1992 Caldecott Award.

Everyone has heard of the saying, “when pigs fly,” but what kind of crazy things happen when frogs literally fly? Tuesday is a magical tale of frogs who fly on their enchanted lilly pads when the clock strikes nine. Some frogs are out for fun, like late night television, while others are out for revenge. When morning arrives, all the frogs drop from the sky and return to their pond. This book leaves the reader thinking about what kind of magical things could happen when Wednesday rolls around?

I chose this fantasy/fantastic story because it is one of my favorite mentor texts in the classroom. Even though it is a mostly wordless picture book, it lends itself to a lot different activities. Out of all of the strategies that the Mosaic of Thought (Keene and Zimmerman) gives, I find that this book is best used for inferring. Students have to rely on the picture clues like the dog running away from the frogs, to infer that the dog is probably running away because he is scared of the flying frogs. Students may also enjoy discussing with each other (Langer-sociocognitive theory) what would happen in a book titled Wednesday. They would use the very important clue at the end of the story of a pig's shadow floating outside of a barn to help them work together and formulate a story.

The pictures in a picture truly make or break the book. The pictures in this book are beyond extraordinary. The detail given to each frog, to make him look different than the others, is a detail that does not go unnoticed to the reader. This book defines surrealism style pictures to a tee. 

The Tale of Despereaux

DiCamillo, K. (2003). The tale of despereaux. New York, NY: Scholastic.

Read June 1, 2012. A 2004 Newbery Award winner.

Despereaux Tilling is a mouse in love...with a human. This is clearly a violation of the mouse rules set forth my the Most Very Honored Head Mouse, but Despereaux doesn't care. In fact, he's already broken many of the rules like being seen by a human, reading books instead of eating them, being touched by a human, and talking to a human. For his crimes, he is sent to the Dungeon where the rats will rip him apart and eat him. He is scared but trying to be brave for Princess Pea, his fair maiden.

This story is also about Roscuro, who although he is a rat, loves the light. He is strongly discouraged by his rat friend, Boticelli, to not indulge in his need to be near the light, but he cannot resist. In his attempt to see more light, he falls out of the chandelier in the dining room of the castle and accidentally kills the queen. He is forever on a mission to destroy Princess Pea for calling him a rat while wearing a face of utter disgust. He spends his time in the dark dungeon, waiting for the opportunity to see revenge.

Miggery Show, Mig for short, is a simple-minded, ugly girl who has only one desire: to be a princess. When Roscuro hears of this, he is quick to act, promising Mig that if she helps him then she can take the place of Princess Pea. He has Mig pull a knife on the princess and take her to the dungeon with the prisoners, not realizing that she would never be able to take the place of the beautiful princess. The princess, in an act of love and bravery, simply asks Mig what she wants. This is a question that no one has ever asked Mig and she responds by saying that she just wants her mother. The princess feels empathy and the two commiserate together.

Even though the story is not a "happily ever after" ending, there are some wonderful things that happened as a result of some selfless acts. Roscuro was allowed by the princess to visit the light upstairs but he never truly felt like he belonged in either place. Mig didn't become a princess, but she was reunited with her father who treated her like a princess for the rest of her life. Despereaux, although he did not marry the princess, became good friends with her and they had many adventures together.

I chose this high fantasy book because it had been sitting on my classroom's "Award Winning" shelf for years. I had never read it, but decided that I would give it a try. I loved it, of course, and look forward to finally using it in the classroom for something other than a dust collector.

There are many activities that a teacher can do to get a response from readers, but I think there is one thing that would make the most difference in the reader's mind. Although it seems that Despereaux, Roscuro, and Mig are all completely different, they are truly similar in so many ways. If a student thought about this after reading, they could discuss with each other, all the ways the characters are similar and what one thing makes them the most different. It would also be interesting to note whether or not the students enjoyed the way the narrator talked to the reader. To enforce the beliefs of Aidan Chambers, the students could hold discussions on whether they liked it, did not mind it, hated it, find a relation to another book, or practice it in their own writing.

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon

Lin, G. (2009). Where the mountain meets the moon. New York, NY: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.

Read on June 11, 2012. This book is a 2010 Newbery Honor Book.

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon is a traditional folk/fairy tale about a little girl named Minli who is seeking to find out what her family can do to change their fortune. She sets out on a journey to the Old Man of the Moon, who lives at the top of Never-Ending Mountain. Before she leaves, she gets directions from a talking goldfish. Along the way, she meets up with quite a cast of characters reminiscent of The Wizard of Oz. There's Goldfish Man, Magistrate Tiger, Dragon, greedy monkeys, talking goldfish, twins named A-Fu and Da-Fu, and eventually the Old Man of the Moon. When you read this book, you will find that Minli makes a very unselfish decision when talking to the Old Man of the Moon and her family's fortune does, indeed, forever change.

Besides this book being an award winner, I chose this book because a student recommended it to me. She read it for Battle of the Books and loved it! I did not think I could ever like a book about dragons and Chinese fables. I was also a little intimidated by the sheer size of this book, but I am SO glad that I gave this book a shot because it was one of the best books I've read in a while.

I love how every tale that is told makes reference to something you read in a previous chapter, tying it all together to create a big picture at the end. For example, the story talks about an angry Magistrate who longs to be part of a royal family. The page in his destiny book told him that his son would marry a grocer's daughter. Since this was clearly unacceptable, he decided to kill the girl. We find out in a later chapter that the son did marry someone from royalty, but she had a strange habit of always wearing a flower on her head. When he questioned her about it, she told him of a crazy man who tried to kill her. When the girl's parents died, she was sent to live with the king, making her royalty but still a grocer's daughter. Guess who the crazy man was?? That's right, the Magistrate! There are many more tales like this one and all of them will have you saying, "So that's why the author mentioned that!".

The way the author uses descriptive language, lends itself to active reading the whole time (Fish), as they imagine how cold Minli is climbing the mountain, the sadness her parents feel when she disappears in search of changing the family's destiny, and the ladder that Minli used to climb up and see the Old Man of the Moon. Students, after having read the book, can illustrate one of the tales told in the story to help solidify what they read (Keene and Zimmerman, Mosaic of Thought).http://heavymedalbooks.blogspot.com/2012/06/where-mountain-meets-moon.html

Lon Po Po

Young, E. (1989). Lon po po: A red-riding hood story from China. New York, NY: Philomel Books.

Read on June 1, 2012.

Lon Po Po: A Red-Riding Hood Story from China, by Ed Young, is a traditional story that takes the shape of a fable. I chose it for two main reasons: it is a Caldecott Award winner (1990) and I love reading books that are compared to another version.

It is similar to the familiar story that we all know and love in that there is a wolf who is pretending to be their grandma (Po Po). The similarities end there.

When three sisters are left home alone, a stranger comes visiting. Their mother has gone to visit Po Po and has instructed the girls that they are to lock the door and not let any strangers in. Tao, Paotze, and Shang have every intention of following their mother's instructions, until their grandma comes knocking at their door. Against their better judgement, they let Po Po in only to discover that she is actually a wolf. There's none of the traditional, "Grandma, what big eyes you have," instead, the children point out things like their Po Po has seemingly grown a bush on her backside. Once the sisters realize what is going on, they are quick to act! They lure the wolf out of the house and play a string of tricks on him until he is climbing a tree. When he falls from the tree, the author notes that the wolf not only broke his head, but also his heart. In a weird way, the author's choice of words has me feeling sorry for the wolf for having to suffer, but then I remember that he was about to eat 3 children and feel sorry no more.

The illustrations in this book are similar to that you might see in a dream. They are not the sharp images that you might see in a book by Chris VanAllsburg, but rather they are flat and simple. This type of art is known as primitive, folk art. The pictures, flat or not, are beautiful and you can tell they've been done with some sort of paintbrush.

To get students engaged in this book, and to illicit student response, I've thought of some activities. The first, and most obvious, would be to compare this book to its multiple versions. Since the story takes place in China, there are some words that could present a challenge to some students, therefore, the students could work together for this activity (Langer, sociocognitive theory). They could also benefit from sharing what they liked about the book compared with others of the same tale, any connections they made while reading, or anything they had difficulty understanding (Chambers, 3 sharings). I can't wait to use this book in my classroom and think of even more activities to get the students actively engaged.

Ready, Set, GO!!

It's time to step away from the Kindle, and the last Fifty Shades, and pick up some high quality children's literature.

I went to library today, a place I haven't been in 4 years (!!), to renew my library card and pay any late fees. A dollar later, I'm browsing the children's section to find books for my challenge. After searching and searching by author, I realized that the books I need are clearly marked with a sticker that classifies the winners of the Caldecott Award--my job just got a lot easier!

Eight books later, I'm practically skipping out of the library! I love reading and I can't wait to get started on my challenge of reading a book a day.

I was fortunate enough to find one of this year's honor books AND one of the earlier Caldecott winners. My first two books, which I'll be posting about a little bit later, are Me...Jane by Patrick McDonnell and Finders Keepers (1951) by William Lipkind and Nicolas Mordvinoff.

My first books...just waiting to be read.