By: Natasha Anastasia Tarpley
I enjoyed reading this book. I loved the illustrations. This book is very contemporary and very realistic. This book makes a clear and deliberate effort to represent and speak to a cultural minority in the context of children’s literature It does so through the illustrations and through the nature of the story, yet the story itself is about everyday life. I think a main message is pride, but it is done in a very subtle and understated way.
By: Susan Campbell Bartoletti
I enjoyed this book. What is most striking about it is the way that the text is formatted and arranged, making it a part of the experience of the story itself. The formatting of the text actually creates images in the reader’s mind, and adds to the words themselves, making them more interactive. The illustrations also tell a story and are very vivid, memorable, and fun. This is a book that could apply to many different children audiences.
By: Jennifer Brutschy
I enjoyed this book, but do not have a whole lot to say about it. The plot was creative and engaging, and the illustrations added to the text as a whole. It was representative of alternative ways of life in a sensitive and subtle way: the main character and his family lived in a small trailer (but this was not the point of the story). It had a subtle humor about it as well, and I could see a child enjoying this book.
By: Louis Sachar
This was a great read! I loved that it was very much on the child’s level, and I can definitely see a child having fun and enjoying reading this book. It is very “silly” and a lot of things don’t make sense, however this is part of the humor. There were a few points where I had to stop and say: “what?” I like that aspect because children will do the same, and it allows them to interact with the text in a meaningful, engaging way. I chose this book because I used to read this series as a child, and I remember really enjoying it. Before reading it again, I couldn’t remember more than a few hazy details, however, when I began reading, things started to come back to me pretty clearly. I think that is the sign of a good book that it can stick with you for so long.
By: Jeff Brumbeau
I loved this book because of the rich illustrations. They are very detailed and add to the content of the story, but do not detract from the text itself. The language was also very expressive and rich. My impression is that this story would be a more difficult read because there is a significant amount of text on each page, and there is a lot going on within the story. However, I like how it follows a pattern of repetition, making it easy for the reader to predict and understand what is going on. Because this predictability was added to the story, I think that readers will find it challenging but not in an overwhelming way. For more novice readers, this would be a better book to read aloud to a group, however, it is a little bit long and I could see attention being an issue. For more experienced readers, I could see this being a meaningful challenge as an independent read, or in a reading group.
By: Caralyn Buehner
I think that the format of this book was very creative and innovative. The book has several different simple moral scenarios, and then gives you choices (A,B,C, or D) about what you can do. The letter of the correct statement is hidden in the adjacent picture, and that is how you check your answer to see if you are correct. I think this is a great way to get children to think about the text and engage with the text, and there is lots of room for discussion, and it is fun for them to try to spot the letters in the picture. I liked the overall message of the book, and the lessons that are taught are reviewed and restated on the last page in a creative way (ex: never lie for a pie, like Pester McFly). I think this is a good book to have that children will enjoy reading.
By Anne Broyles
This was a wonderfully written book about a little girl who grows up as a slave. I would definitely want this book in my classroom. It used a diverse dialect throughout the story (never: ne’er – I suspect: I ‘spect). It mirrors a different perspective on life, and is very empathetic, yet relatable. The illustrations were beautiful and helped paint the images of the story. The language was very interesting and expressive (Her hands were gnarled – I was silent as the walls, etc). It had a good selection of expressions that added to the tone of the story. Nothing about this book seemed generic, there was a clear point of view, and I could hear the narrator’s voice as I read it. I think it did a great job talking about the tough issue of slavery in a way that was not sugarcoated, but was not inappropriate either. All of the other children’s books that I have read on this topic have seemed to sort of gloss over it. Although this book did not go into all the details, it was bold, and really captured the essence of the time.
By Laurie Halse Andrerson
This book immediately captured my attention. It was funny, and witty, and I could see children really enjoying reading it. The plot is very different and creative, and was very engaging.
By: Peter Catalanotto
I didn’t feel strongly one way or another about this book. I think that children can definitely relate to the book. It is about a girl named Emily who loves to paint, but decides never to paint again when her art isn’t chosen in the all school art contest. I think that kids can definitely relate to the feeling of disappointment and other feelings that were expressed throughout the story. I think it has the potential to promote good discussions in class and provides a good opportunity to talk about personal experiences. I loved the watercolor in the illustrations. I think this is a good book, it just did not make a particularly strong impression for me.
By Loretta Ellsworth
The shrouding woman is a story about dealing with loss. The book takes place in the mid 1800s. At the opening of the book, Evie and her sister Mae have just lost their mother to illness, and they live with their father. The death in the family prompts their Aunt Flo to come live with them and help take care of them. Aunt Flo is a Shrouding woman, which provides much mystery and suspense to the story line as the reader learns about her job and what it means. A shrouding woman is someone who deals with the dead and prepares them for burial, and also provides comfort for the families. Evie wants little to do with Aunt Flo, but soon learns to love her and accept her into her family.
I think that this book touched on an issue that is not often addressed with young children, but can definitely be a present force in their lives. We learn a lot about Evie’s grieving process, which may be comforting to a child who has experienced a loss. The story is relatable and well told. It is sensitive but not overdone. Although the plotline with Aunt Flo lightened the mood and added suspense and curiosity, I wasn’t sure how I felt about it because it was an odd topic with seemingly no reason. Some of the things that they talked about in terms of her shrouding duties made me a little uncomfortable. I have no problem with discomfort, as long as there is an educational purpose or reason for it. There is a chapter where the reader witnesses the process of shrouding, and Aunt Flo dealing with the dead. It talks about how she washes their bodies and their hair, uses a twig to hold their mouth shut and jaw in place, and how she puts pennies on their eyes to keep them closed. For some reason this was a little strange and uncomfortable to read about, and I didn’t really see a distinct purpose in it. The one thing I did like about that plot was that it brought in the idea of tradition, because shrouding is a job that is passed down from generation to generation, and in the end Evie ends up taking this on. I think that you could have a lot of good conversations and writings in the classroom about tradition in the lives of your students.
This book did address an odd topic, however I could definitely see it being integrated into a curriculum or a classroom, because there are a lot of places for good discussions and there is room for supplementary activities related to the book. For example, there is a part in the book where they make soap, and that could be a fun activity to do in class. It is an easy book to tie in to other topics like history and social studies. The language is not too complex, however I could see it being used for a variety of age levels because there is distinct symbolism and it can be read through many different layers. There is a lot of room for perspective. Despite all of this, I still am not quite sure how I feel about it, because something about it just was not memorable and did not make a real impression on me. I think this book is not for everyone and I could definitely see some kids losing interest or becoming bored
By: Barbara Samuels
I think this story had a good premise, and would be a good book to read individually rather than in a group. It has a lot of pictures and a lot to look at. I liked that it incorporated literacy into many aspects of the book, like for example it says things on the chalkboard in the classroom and on other things in the background that add to the story but are not necessary to the plot. The pictures are expressive and help to tell what is going on. I think this book provides a lot of interest and would be a good book to have in a classroom.
By: Howie Schneider
I loved this book! I really liked the concept, but I especially liked the fact that the pictures actually show opposite of what the words say. The pictures and the text really work together to form a complete story. This is a great way to engage readers and also adds humor and makes this an enjoyable read. I could really see kids enjoying this book and I think it would be a great read aloud.
By: Anne Shelby
I liked this book a lot because it is very imaginative and could promote a lot of good conversation, interaction, and discussion. It invites a child’s creativity and imagination. It bothered me at first that it ended a bit abruptly, but after reading it a second time I don’t think it really needs an ending.
By: Robert Sabuda
I was not a fan of this book. It was a little bit too conceptual and hard to relate too. The thing that bothered me the most about it was the way that it portrayed native Americans. The characters in this book were native American, but were portrayed in a very stereotyped, typical way. I think the concept of the book was a little difficult to follow as well. The blizzard in this story was personified as an actual character, however, this was not completely made clear or immediately apparent, and confused me when I read it the first time. The characters and the ideas being portrayed were hard to relate to. Originally this book caught my eye because of the very vivid and colorful illustrations, however, the format of the book actually caused them to be a distraction to the writing and made it harder to follow what was going on. I think this book would be too challenging for young readers but not in a productive sense.
By: Carol Diggory Shields
This book was a fun read with good pictures and a lot to see. It was funny and entertaining, and it introduced new vocabulary such as “arachnids.” It taught a lot about different bugs and what they do, without seeming to be educational. It was also very visually appealing in the way it was layed out, and it seems like it would be a great book for reading out loud in a large group or individually.
