Sunday, January 31, 2016
Little Fish
Little Fish - A Memoir by Ramsey Beyer
Overview: A story about a girl raised in a small town tackling the city of Baltimore and college. An autobiography told through real journal excerpts, artwork and lots of lists.
Target Audience: Grades 7 and up
Reading Level (according to amazon.com):
Age Range 12 and up
Overall Rating 19/20:
-It was a bit difficult to rate this book since it is a autobiography style book but I did the best I could removing the sections of the rubric that seemed unnecessary. I found it unfair to judge it on diversity because if the author would have added more diverse characters that didn't exist in her life it wouldn't have made the story authentic ad an autobiography.
-The book does have illustrations that are visually appealing but the rubric above doesn't rate on that, it rates on the depiction of the reality and that is something only the author knows since it was her life.
-The book was relatable because it shows the life of a person who we can all relate to in one way or another. Again, it was hard to judge but I thought this was what was fair.
Literary Elements:
-Autobiography
-Character
-Style
Beyer, R. (2013). Little Fish: A Memoir From a Different Kind of Year. San Francisco, CA: Zest Books.
Enemy Pie
Enemy Pie by Derek Munson Illustrated by Tara Calahan King
Online Link: StoryLineOnline - Enemy Pie
Overview: A young boy is looking forward to what should have been the perfect summer. His hope is ruined when Jeremy Ross moves into the neighborhood and becomes his top (and only) enemy. The young boy tells his dad about his enemy and they make an enemy pie to get rid of him.
Target Audience (according to amazon.com: Preschool - 7
Reading Level (according to lexile.com):
Lexile Measure AD330L
Overall Rating 25/28:
- I chose to give the book a 2/4 in diversity because although the characters in the book don't qualify as "diverse" based on what is shown in the book. What is not said in the book is what intrigued me. The young boys mom is not mentioned which leaved room for students to come up with their own ideas. Maybe he has two dads? Maybe his dad is a single parent? Maybe his dad is a stay at home dad and mom is at work? or maybe she passed away? Its up to the reader to decide that!
Literary Elements:
-Conflict
-Characterization
-Moral
Munson, D., & Manheim, C. (2012, May 21). Enemy Pie - Storyline Online. Retrieved January 18, 2016, from http://www.storylineonline.net/enemy-pie/
To Be a Drum
To Be a Drum by Evelyn Coleman art by Aminah Brenda Lynn Robinson
Online Link: StoryLineOnline - To Be a Drum
Overview: Daddy Wes tells the story of how Africans were brought to the Unites States as slaves using a drum to tell the story. He tells his children to listen to the beat of the earth and encourages them to continue beating.
Target Audience: This book is great for children and adults alike. Using a drum to tell the history of Africans.
Reading Level: N/A
Overall Rating 32/32:
-This book tells the story of African slaves being brought to the United States, it evokes a lot of emotions. It gives a raw visual of how things happened and puts an image to a piece of history we all know often gets sugar coated. For this reason I gave the book a 4/4 in critical thinking. I would love to hear of discussion of how this makes students feel after reading it.
-Even though some images may not be visually appealing (because of how sad it is that this actually happened) I rated it 4/4 because its a piece of history that should be shown in its truest form.
Literary Elements:
-Climax
-Tone
-Theme
Coleman, E., & Jones, J. E. (2012, May 21). To Be a Drum - Storyline Online. Retrieved January 23, 2016, from http://www.storylineonline.net/to-be-a-drum/
A Bad Case of Stripes
A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon
Online Link: StoryLineOnline - Bad Case of Stripes
Overview: Camila Cream is a people pleaser, more specifically a peer pleaser. What others think of her is very important to her. So important that she doesn't eat lima beans (even though she likes them) because her friends don't like them. She is so worried of what others think of her that she breaks out with a bad case of the stripes.
Target Audience: K-3rd grade
Reading Level (according to amazon.com and lexile.com):
Age Range 4-8 years
Lexile Measure AD540L
Overal Rating 25/28:
-The book follows Camila through her journey of having the stripes, the characters in the book besides her parents aren't very diverse in terms of their race or ethnicity based on what is shared about the characters given the reason I rated it 3/4 in diversity. It is still a book I would read in my future classroom because of the thoughtful message it has.
-Although it challenges students to be themselves, it doesn't allow much room for critical thinking because it gives you everything you need to know and lays all the details out for the reader which is why I gave it a 3/4 in critical thinking.
Literary Elements:
-Conflict
-Climax
-Characters
Shannon, D., & Astin, S. (2012, May 21). A Bad Case of Stripes. Retrieved January 25, 2016, from http://www.storylineonline.net/a-bad-case-of-stripes/
Catching the Moon - The Story of a Young Girl's Baseball Dream
Catching the Moon by Crystal Hubbard Illustrated by Randy DuBurke
Overview: Marcenia loves baseball, but her parents, peers and coach didn't believe she belonged on the field because she was a girl. She continued to play baseball and soon earned her respect on the field and a place in baseball camp.
Target Audience: Children who enjoy sports or need inspiration to conquer their dreams.
Reading Level:
Age Range 6-10 years
Lexile Measure AD760L
Overall Rating 31/32:
- I rated the book 4/4 in theme/storyline because it tells a beautiful story about a young girl, it flows nice and builds to a natural climax.
-I rated the book 3/4 in critical thinking because it doesn't leave much room for students to think critically, it is a bit predictable and lays everything out for the reader.
-The book has awesome illustrations that depict the race of the characters accurately which is why I rated it 4/4 in illustrations.
Literary Elements:
-Conflict
-Resolution
-Setting
Hubbard, C., & DuBurke, R. (2005). Catching the Moon: The Story of a Young Girl's Baseball Dream. New York, NY: Lee & Low Books.
The Zoo Box
The Zoo Box by Ariel Cohn Illustrated by Aron Nels Steinke
Overview: Erika and Patrick get to stay home alone while their parents go out. They decide to play dress up in the attic where they find a box with a label that says "DO NOT OPEN" like most kids, they open it anyway and out of it comes a herd of animals. They follow the animals and where they go next is unbelievable. Luckily, they make it home on time before they are caught.
Target Audience: Students who love animals.
Reading Level (according to amazon.com):
Age Range 5-7 Years
Overal Rating 25/28:
- This book can relate to many social justice topics revolving animals (also known as animal rights.) In the book the tables turn, and there is a human zoo instead of the traditional animal zoos we attend. This can evoke a good conversation in the class, which is why I rated the book 4/4.
-The main characters in the book are two American children who seem to live in a traditional middle class neighborhood, the only other characters shown in the books are the parents and the animals. I really enjoyed the book but had to rate it 1/4 in diversity.
Literary Elements:
-Onomatopoeia
-Title
-Personification
Cohn, A., & Steinke, A. N. (2014). The Zoo Box. New York, NY: First Second.
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